Page 34 of Boston
She rolled over and picked up her phone, really having no idea what time would blink back at her. She let out a gasp when she saw she had slept past nine o’clock. She rarely did that. Cora counted her morning hours some of her most productive. She’d had a busy week from arriving in town, unpacking and cleaning the cabin, completing a half-dozen meetings, doing a horseback excursion, and of course, there was that wholealmost-fall-off-Goldiething that had introduced her to her new almost-boyfriend.
She smiled as she sat up, even though she had several texts and a missed call. Such things usually sent a jolt of adrenaline through her, as she hated playing catch up.
Sunday was one of their busiest days for check-out and check-in, but Cora didn’t work at the lodge or resort. Still, she had worked at a hotel with strict customer service policies for a long time, and she knew that those in a position of managementrarely got a day off. Everything about Wyoming moved slower than Miami, and Cora hoped that this Sunday would be slower than the other days of her week.
Kat had texted about family dinner later that night, and the call she’d missed had come from the hotel in Miami. She frowned at that one and muttered under her breath that she’d quit two weeks ago and certainly didn’t need to help them out.
Something gnawed at her, and she knew that she would return the call eventually.
Boston had texted as well, and Cora scooted back against her headboard to read his messages.
Hey, Cora, what are you up to today?That message had come in at 7:24 in the morning, and Cora noted he fit the stereotypical cowboy who rises at dawn. A half-hour later, a new message had come in.I’m headed to church here in about five minutes, but I’ll be back at the lodge around eleven if you want to maybe take a walk and get lunch.
Some of Cora’s joy faded as she re-read the message and looked up.
Church.
She hadn’t even thought about attending church that day, and she had no idea where she might do so. She definitely felt closer to God in this slower small town than she had in the bustling environment of South Miami.
She looked at her phone again, and her thumbs flew as she texted Boston back.Do you go to church every week?
Just about,he said almost immediately.
Where do you go?
There’s a great pastor in Dog Valley,he said.I’ve been going there since I started at Silver Sage. My family goes down in Coral Canyon, but it’s a long drive.
Cora scraped her teeth along her lip for a moment, trying to decide if she could ask him another question. She didn’t want toput him on the spot, but she also wanted to be able to have an open dialog with him about anything.
She typed out the question and read it a couple of times before taking in all the air she could hold and dropping her thumb onto the send button.
CHAPTER
ELEVEN
Why do you go to church every week?
The moment Cora had started texting him, Boston had stopped listening to the pastor. He’d been talking about prayer and relying on God when things got hard, both topics Boston had heard and studied a few times in his life. He did want to be more like Peter and be able to have enough faith to walk on water. The truth was, Boston was still learning a lot of things.
His testimony had been strengthened lately, as he’d been working on saying more of the things in his heart and relying on God to put the right words in his mouth. He desperately needed that right now, too.
Why do you go to church every week?
Boston wasn’t sure anyone had ever asked him that, and he honestly didn’t have an answer. He looked around at the other people sitting in the pews that day, and he wondered what they would say. Uncle Luke, Uncle Morris and Uncle Gabe attended this church in Dog Valley as they all lived either in this small town just north of Coral Canyon, or closer to it than Coral Canyon.
Joey and Adam also attended this church, and Boston’s eyes caught on the back of Adam’s head. The man had started wearing a cowboy hat more often, especially to church, and he was fairly new in his attendance and faith. What would he say if Boston asked him?
Why do you go to church every week?
He looked down at his phone again and found that the screen had gone black. He’d been texting back and forth pretty rapidly with Cora, and he didn’t want to leave her hanging for too long, but he truly didn’t know how to answer her.
“Each of you is unique,” the pastor said, causing Boston to look up again. “And the Lord knows each of you intimately. When you go to Him in prayer, He will have a personalized answer for you.”
Boston let his eyes drift closed, even as the pastor continued his sermon.Lord, what should I tell Cora about why I come to church?
A resounding clap of thunder did not shake the chapel walls, and Boston frowned, kept his eyes closed and focused on listening to a voice he’d never quite been able to hear. He hadfeltit, though, many times in his life, and while his knowledge of the gospel wasn’t perfect, he knew one thing—he loved God, and he wanted to do anything he could to show it.
He opened his eyes and quickly sent a text back to Cora.
