Page 61 of There I Find Hope

That was part of the reason she’d been so worried about Sunday. Losing a child could destroy a person’s life. She only hoped that Sunday would turn to the Lord instead of allowing it to break her.

It looked like Sunday had done that, and Lena figured she probably had Noah to thank.

Noah and Hope.

“My kid suggested that I sell the bed-and-breakfast. I haven’t been able to figure out what to do.”

“Don’t let them take it from you. But if you make enough money, and you use it wisely, you might not have to work again.”

“That’s just it. It’s not that I don’t want to work. I do. But it would be nice to have a few more days off than what I currently have. I always have to be there, although I know that Sunday or any of my kids will help me out if I need it.”

“Don’t be afraid to ask. Sometimes people want to help you but don’t know how.”

She was surprised hearing those words come out of his mouth. He didn’t seem like the kind of man who would say those kinds of things. But sometimes people surprised a person.

They sat in silence for a while, with her not really having words to say, just mulling over the idea in her mind.

She really wanted to sell, but she didn’t want to leave her old life. She was afraid of change; she didn’t want to upend everything. Didn’t want to move out of the house she’d lived in since she got married, give up the business that she’d struggled to run since her husband had walked out on her.

But change wasn’t the enemy. Maybe a lack of change was the enemy. Should she walk forward, embracing the newness of her life?

She hadn’t gotten anything decided two hours later, when she stood up and bid Joe a good day. He seemed sad to watch her walk away and reminded her to take her fish and her espresso beans.

She didn’t want to end up old and bitter. Not that Joe was either of those, just... She wanted to be a blessing to people, not withdraw into herself and have nothing to do with her days except fish and complain.

Was that what would happen to her if she sold the bed-and-breakfast?

Chapter 25

Sunday twisted her fingers together and tried to make her lungs work properly. She was finally going to meet Business Boy. She’d actually had to turn down a request from Noah to do something with him this evening when they’d fed Hope together. He’d been fine with it. He’d said he had some things to do as well, and it was for the best.

He’d walked back with her to the bed and breakfast and told her he’d call her. She’d been hoping he’d kiss her - he’d been gone for almost two weeks and she’d been thinking about kissing him a lot while he wasn’t around. Funny that she would have said that she’d never want to do the relationship thing again, but with Noah...he’d changed her mind, anyway.

She should have told him she was meeting someone, but it seemed odd that she didn’t have any information about Business Boy and she didn’t want Noah to worry. If they were “officially” together, she definitely would have, but since he hadn’t even kissed her, hadn’t asked for any kind of commitment or given one of his own...well, she didn’t want to assume more than she should. Maybe their relationship was just friends and that was the way it would stay. Friends who held hands. A friend who bought a filly for her.

She put her hand on the diner door. Could she see anyone sitting alone with candy in front of them?

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