It wasn’t until after dinner that Alex returned his attention to the gift he’d received. That was, of course, because he was preparing Lydia’s chicken potpie recipe by himself for the first time. He’d eaten an embarrassingly large amount and felt stuffed to the ears before he picked up the gold box that he’d left on the counter.

A small note was tucked into it. “Alex,” it read, “I’ve never been to North Dakota. Is this a good time for a visit?”

It was her way of asking if he wanted to see her again, he knew. Did he want to try again to make their relationship work?

“What’s going on?” Dixon asked from the doorway. “What are you concentrating on so hard that you didn’t even hear me knock?”

“You could give a guy a heart attack doing that.” Alex laid the note on the table, facedown.

Dixon sauntered in, noticed the remains of the potpie, took a plate from the cupboard and a fork from the drawer and dished himself a piece. “You looked like you were having a heart attack already. I thought I’d snap you out of it.” He held up the portion. “Do you mind? It looks great.”

“Finish it up. It’s best the first meal, before the crust gets soggy. I can make another any time I want.”

“Glad to hear it.” Dixon dived into the food. After he’d eaten a few bites, he looked up again. “Now tell me what’s going on.”

“Remember my telling you about a woman named Natalie?”

“Your old girlfriend? The one who ran off with someone else? Of course.”

“That relationship didn’t work out for her.”

Dixon nodded slowly. “I see.”

Did he? Alex wondered. “I e-mailed her.”

Dixon’s eyebrows lifted toward his hairline but he said nothing. Instead he got up and put the rest of the potpie on his plate.

“She’ll come to North Dakota for a visit if I invite her.”

Dixon dropped back into his chair. “What do you think about that?” Dixon forked a bite into his mouth and closed his eyes to savor it.

“I don’t know what I think.” Alex scraped his fingers through his short dark hair and noticed he was ready for a trim. He’d have to go to Licks and Sticks next Saturday night. “On one hand, this is what I desperately wanted. For a long time I believed Natalie would be my wife, the mother of my children, and then she just pulled away and became very distant toward me.”

Dixon went to the refrigerator and pulled out the milk.

“For a long time I prayed that God would heal our relationship,” Alex said slowly. “That’s what I wanted most. Finally I realized that I was praying for my wishes, not for God’s will. Within days of praying that God’s will be done, Natalie was gone. She told me she’d found someone else and left. If not for that, I might never have ended up here.”

“Guess that means you’d be wise to pray for His will again, doesn’t it?”

Alex laughed. “That, my friend, is the understatement of the century.”

“What did she say?” Dixon put the milk on the table and went looking for dessert in the freezer. He pulled out a bucket of frozen chocolate chip cookies, put some on a plate, poured himself more milk and filled Alex’s glass as well.

Alex found his friend’s actions very comforting. He liked the fact that Dixon felt free to make himself at home. “She indicated that she’s willing to come to Hilltop.”

Dixon whistled through his teeth. “That is quite a switch from ‘so long, buddy; don’t let the door hit your backside on the way out.’”

“Frankly, I don’t know if it’s a good idea. This is my new life. I’m happy that it’s not filled with old memories. Unless…”

“Unless it’s what God wants and He is the One who’s brought her back into your life?”

“Dixon, you could be a counselor, you know that? You’re very perceptive.”

“Nah, just been there, done that, where love is concerned. Be careful, my friend. If she comes, just don’t let her mess up your head again.” Dixon went for a toothpick in the holder on the table, then settled back in his chair and studied Alex. “Tell her not to come.”

“It may already be too late for that,” Alex said, feeling nervous in the pit of his stomach.

“How so?”

“I e-mailed her and told her she could come.”

“Oh-oh. You’re sunk, big-time.” A smile tweaked one corner of Dixon’s mouth. “That’s the trouble with computers, you know. If you’d had to write her a letter, you’d have had time to rethink the issue and back out if you wanted.”

“Don’t write me off just yet. Just because she comes doesn’t mean we’ll get back together.”

“Doesn’t it?”

“Of course not!” Alex felt something akin to apprehension in his chest anyway. He’d loved her once, but could he really have confidence in her now, after what she’d done?

Dixon’s cell phone rang and he dug in his pocket to find it. “Dixon here.” He sat up straighter and a wide smile flashed across his features. “Hey, sis, how are you? Good. Me? I’m sitting here with our new pastor. I just finished off his supper and now I’m counseling him on his love life.” He scowled at the phone. “What do you mean you want to talk to him? You don’t even know him. Okay, okay…” Dixon handed the phone to Alex. “Here. It’s my sister Emmy.”

Alex took the phone. He was certainly popular all of a sudden.

“Hi, Reverend Alex, this is Emmy Daniels. How are you?” There was amusement and a pleasant musical quality in the woman’s voice.

“Fine, thank you. I…”

“I want to tell you to keep my brother in line. He’ll eat you out of house and home, given half a chance, especially if you’re a good cook. And as far as counseling? Just remember that you get what you pay for. I’m assuming my brother isn’t charging you for this little talk you’re having?”

“No. Of course not.” Alex found himself smiling.

“My point exactly.” Her laugh was rich and mellow across the miles. “Watch him for me, will you? He’s the only twin brother I have, and even as big a tease as he is, I love him so much.”

“I’ll do my best.”

“A girl can’t ask for more. Now is he still there or did he run off when he realized I was going to tell you the truth about him?”

“He’s a brave man, Emmy. He’s still sitting right here, eating cookies. Here you are.” Alex handed the phone back to Dixon and sat back to listen to Dixon’s side of the banter.

When Dixon hung up, his eyes were dancing. “She’s a cutie, my sister. Nosy, opinionated, stubborn and smart as a whip too, but I’ve forgiven her for that. Man, I miss that girl.”

“You said she was coming soon.”

“Not soon enough. Emmy’s a good cook. You’ll have to keep me from fading away before she gets here.”

“There’s no danger of that for a month or two,” Alex said wryly. “Isn’t your belt already on its last notch?”

“I’m trying to develop some ‘love handles’ since I’m so lovable, that’s all.” He stood up. “Thanks for the grub. You’re getting to be a pretty good cook. I’ll see you around.” With a wave, he was gone.

Alex went to his office and stared at the inbox on his computer. There was something from Natalie. The note was short but it had the potential to turn his life upside down—again. Alex, I’ll be there a week from Wednesday.

The next day, Gandy looked at him and raised one eyebrow until it disappeared beneath her hairdo. Alex, without saying a word, turned and fled from the church.

Gandy knew something. He could feel it. Maybe she was telepathic. Or the confusion and concern he felt were written all over his face. Whatever it was, he knew he couldn’t spend any time with his secretary today or she would have him pumped dry of information within the hour. Dixon was right. He should have written her a letter and given himself more time to change his mind. What had he done?

She’d broken his heart. It was going to be awkward, at best, to have her visit. And yet… He thought about lonely Walter Englund. He’d had to do it, Alex realized, or he might have gone to his grave wondering if he should have at least tried to see if he and Natalie could make it work.

Desperately needing a change of scenery, he drove to Grassy Valley to see the room Lauren had secured for the Grassy Valley Food Shelf.

It was small, just a long, narrow room in the implement dealership’s building, but it was all one could expect since the rent was free. Mike had built shelves along the walls, and the newly donated staples were tidily organized around the perimeter—cold cereal, pasta and instant potatoes, canned goods and cake mixes—enough to get the Bruuns, Tillie Tanner and dozens like them through a winter.

“What do you think?” Lauren came around the corner carrying a case of baby food, which she set on the same shelf as the disposable diapers.

“Great. You’ve already got a lot of food in here. I’m impressed.”

“People have been so generous. When I get time, I’m going to explore other means of funding, but this is a start. We have a long way to go. We have no ability to store frozen things, for instance, or even refrigerated items. That will come. When one does things by trial and error, there are always a lot of trials and a good number of errors.”

She pulled two stools from a closet. “I need a break. Have a chair. What are you doing in town today?”

Alex looked at her suspiciously. Did she know something about…no, of course not!

“You’re looking rather…strained,” she said. “Is something wrong?”

Apparently he was terrible at keeping secrets—everything seemed to be written on his face whether he liked it or not.

Lauren listened carefully to his highly abbreviated and edited explanation, and when he was done, she crossed her arms over her chest. “So she’s coming back.”

“If I could somehow transport us back to when we were first engaged—happily planning the future, talking about buying a home and starting a family—and erase all that happened after… Still, there’s been a lot on my mind concerning forgiveness and reconciliation lately. I have to believe God’s put it there.” He smiled wryly. “And on a purely selfish note, do I risk being alone for the rest of my life or do I risk trying to make something work with her again?”

There, he’d said it. He’d summed up exactly what was bothering him. He didn’t relish the idea of, as his grandmother had always said, jumping out of the frying pan and into the fire.

“What makes you think you’ll be alone? She’s not the only woman in the world.”

“True.” Alex glanced pointedly around the room. “But most of them aren’t here either.”

“I see your point. Of course there’s Lolly…no?” Lauren studied his expression and chuckled. “Then maybe you’re sunk, but I doubt it. You ask God to plan your days. Haven’t you given Him your love life as well?”

He felt himself blush. “It always seems selfish of me…and trivial…to burden God with…” He stopped midsentence. “But I tell everyone else that nothing is too small for God to care about.”

“Exactly. Take your own advice, Alex. He’ll guide you through Natalie’s visit. If you listen to Him, I guarantee you’ll know what to do. Find His peace.”

“Because things of God always bring peace,” he said thoughtfully, knowing exactly what she meant.

“The old stomach test.” Lauren smiled widely at him. “When I’m trying to make a decision, I tune in to my stomach. If it’s calm in there, I’m pretty sure I’ve made the right decision. When it’s roiling around in there and I feel my stomach is a volcano filled with hot lava, then I’m pretty sure I’m making a wrong one.”

“So I should listen to my stomach on this one?”

“I would. Just don’t eat anything strange while you’re deciding. You wouldn’t want to get these things mixed up with indigestion.” Sage advice dispensed, Lauren leaned down to open another of the donated boxes on the floor and picked something out. “Oh good, toilet paper!”

“Thanks for your counsel, Lauren, I feel better,” Alex said. “Remind me to mention during announcements on Sunday what things you need for this place.”

“Toilet paper, definitely. Peanut butter, pasta, sauce and pudding.”

“I’ll get right on it.”

Lauren looked him straight in the eye. “And I’ll start praying for you immediately.”

“Thank you. I don’t want to jeopardize anything now. I’m the happiest I’ve been in months, maybe years.”

“Think about the words that just came out of your mouth, Alex.” She wiped auburn hair away from her eye. “’Nuff said.”

Feeling better, Alex headed to the hardware store to say hello to Sam Waters and pick up some nails. Something had possessed him as he’d seen nine-year-old Will sobbing his heart out over a dead bunny. He’d realized that there was no way Will could keep his scrappy little animal shelter going once the weather turned cold, so he’d ordered a few sheets of insulated wall board to finish the inside of the shed somewhat. It wouldn’t solve all the problems of winter, but it would certainly extend the life of Will’s animal sanctuary for a few months. Maybe he’d put some plastic over the window as well, just for good measure.

Sam’s store was in an old building with a high tin ceiling. The tin also dropped down the sides of the walls for three feet. The hardwood floors rolled beneath his feet, and Alex wondered how Sam kept from feeling seasick in there, but the walls were full of every kind of notion or necessity anyone could need. There were bird feeders, coffeepots, paint displays and paring knives. As he looked more closely he saw that Sam was well-stocked with baking sheets, gift items, simple, inexpensive dishes and flatware, bug spray and garden supplies.

“Hey, Reverend,” Sam greeted him. “What can I help you find?” Sam wore a walrus mustache and suspenders that held up a pair of faded denims. Though Sam was slender, Alex had never seen the man without the suspenders. It must be Sam’s fashion statement, he’d decided, that and the heavy steel-toed boots he’d worn all summer long.

“Nails, a saw and some of that plastic people use to seal windows in the winter.”

“Have you got a hair dryer?”

“No, but I’m not sure I need one. I just towel dry my hair.”

Sam burst out in a hearty, knee-slapping laugh. “Not for you! For putting on that plastic. That’s how you get it to seal to the window frame.”

“The city slicker is caught again,” Alex said, hoping his face wasn’t turning too red. “I figured I’d read the directions when I got home.” He’d never had a house drafty enough to worry about such a thing.

“I’ll bet Lauren will lend you hers,” Sam said. “Don’t worry about it. If not, I’m sure the missus will let you use hers. How many nails do you want, a pound?”

Alex explained what he would be using them for. Sam nodded and shook nails onto his scale, estimating what it would take to do the job. He put them in a small brown paper sack.

“That Packard boy used to be wandering around in here every time he got a ride to town. Always asking me about building cages for animals and telling me about that pet skunk of his. I haven’t seen much of him since you arrived.” Sam eyed Alex. “You’ve been good for him, I hear. Mike Carlson told me about that shed you’ve let him use. Those Packard kids are smart as all get-out, but Minnie can’t keep track of them all, let alone teach them much. It’s a good thing you’re doing for Will and for his mother too.”

“I wasn’t sure I’d be able to say this when I agreed to have him,” Alex admitted, “but I enjoy having him and his ‘critters’ there. He’s well-behaved because he knows I’ll send him packing if he isn’t, and he really keeps what he rescues in good shape. I did tell him no more skunks, though. Even now Rosie gives me the chills sometimes.”

“Good idea,” Sam said and handed Alex his package. “You might mention snakes are off-limits too.”

With that cheerful thought, Alex walked back onto the street. The saw was awkward to carry and he was rearranging it beneath his arm when another familiar face approached him.

“Hi, Pastor. Remember me? Tina Curry, from All Saints?” Tina had a round face and round eyes that were covered by thick glasses. She wore her hair in a jaw-length bob and reminded Alex of a Dutch girl in an artist’s rendering. “I wanted to tell you how excited I am to be working with Lauren at the new food shelf.”

“I didn’t know. Thank you, Tina. It’s a great project.” Another All Saints Fellowship parishioner on board a project with a Hilltop member!

“I’ve been wanting to do something for the community and this is perfect. I raise a big garden and I thought perhaps I could contribute fresh produce when I have it. And, if anyone who uses the food shelf is interested, I could teach them how to can so they could have healthy produce all winter.”

“A brilliant idea. Be sure to talk to Lauren about it. I’m delighted you have such an interest. Offering classes is a brilliant idea.”

“I want to help someone. It can’t be one of my own, so I’ll put my energy into this.” Tina suddenly looked downcast, as if all the enthusiasm had been drained from her.

“One of your own?”

She grimaced. “I didn’t really mean to say that.”

“But you did.”

“I’m having trouble with my son, that’s all. He’s eighteen running with a bad crowd from Wheatville. He won’t hear a thing about it from me, and his father just says ‘boys will be boys.’ Being a boy is fine in my book, but being a bad boy is something quite different.”

“Do you know what he’s up to?”

“Just suspicions.” Tina looked at him, her brows furrowed. “Pray for him, will you? His name is Kevin.”

“I will. May we put him on the prayer lists at Hilltop and All Saints?”

“Put him on both of them. I need all the prayers we can get.” Tina was silent a moment before adding, “Before our churches had this big split, we had one prayer list for both churches. Somewhere along the line I think All Saints wanted their own list. I suppose certain people didn’t want to pray for Hilltop. Maybe we should start doing that again.”

Alex hadn’t even realized this was why Gandy made calls to two different prayer chains on Monday mornings. It hit him again how much he still had to learn about this complicated marriage between the two churches. “I think it’s a wonderful idea, Tina. I’ll do it immediately.”

Tina nodded gratefully. “Thank you, Pastor Alex. You aren’t nearly as bad as Alf Nyborg said you were going to be.”

He took the backhanded compliment for what it was worth and bade Tina a pleasant good-bye.