Page 22

Our world has created a false unrealistic image of what women are supposed to look like and act like.

But the truth is that every woman was not created by God to be skinny, with a flawless complexion and long flowing hair.

Not every woman was intended to juggle a career as well as all of the other duties of being a wife, mother, citizen, and daughter.

Single women should not be made to feel they are missing something because they are not married.

Married women should not be made to feel they must have a career to be complete.

We must have the freedom to be our individual selves.

—Joyce Meyer, The Confident Woman Devotional

BY THURSDAY, HENSLEY was beginning to wilt. Things had begun to stall where Blake was concerned. Samantha had stopped by on Wednesday afternoon to let her know the clipboards were at the lodge. Hensley thanked her for the tickets Tiff had given Blake.

Sam smiled, waving a hand to one side. “Aw, it was nothing. I’m glad you were able to go with Blake and see the show. You seem kind of glum. Why the long face? Is everything all right?”

Hensley had shrugged. “I think so. I haven’t seen Blake in a few days. I guess I’m just missing him.”

Samantha leaned her head to one side. “I’m sure you’ll see him soon. You can work with him on the sign-up sheets for the clipboards now that they’ve been found and delivered.”

Hensley had nodded and that had been the end of it. But it was concerning. Blake hadn’t called or even texted. Not even to simply say hello or ask how she was doing. Would they end up not seeing each other until Sunday?

He’d warned her that he had a busy week ahead, but had something changed since the dinner on Easter? Had Caroline been dropping little bugs into Blake’s ear and Bing’s too, supplanting them? It wouldn’t surprise her any. Jen hadn’t seen Bing since Easter Sunday either.

And if Caroline was doing her best to undermine them, how were the men holding up? Were they having second thoughts? Her gut told her that whatever was happening, it couldn’t be good. Maybe she was jumping to silly conclusions. Surely, he was busy with work.

But on Thursday, late afternoon, Blake finally texted:

Something has happened in the lodge’s main dining room. The tablecloths have all been messed up. And the banner has fallen. I haven’t seen it yet. Security just informed me. We don’t know how it happened since so many folks have been dropping off items for the auction. Anybody could have done it.

She replied:

How strange. I’ll stop by as soon as I’m off work in about thirty minutes and start fixing things. I’ll probably bring Jen to help me.

He responded:

I’m horseback riding with Bing to test out one of the trails, but we’ll try and meet you there as soon as possible.

He hadn’t said he missed her. No mention of asking her out on a date for Friday or Saturday night either. By security, did he mean Wickham? The whole thing was very odd. Who would have messed up everything they’d worked so hard to do?

Would Jen go along and help her straighten out the mess? If it meant a chance of seeing Bing, she probably would jump at the opportunity.

What if they ran into Caroline? It might be good to have her sister there for moral support.

They could leave Kit in charge at the boutique.

It was Kit’s turn to close anyhow. Lula had a photo-shoot to do for one of the shop’s brides.

It was MaryAnne’s day off, but Jen was already working at the boutique, so Jen was a logical answer to finding help.

Within the hour, she and Jen drove to Blake’s property in Hensley’s red jeep and were on it. It had started raining before they left, drenching her on the way to and from the jeep. At least she’d been able to salvage her hair.

Then the sun came out again. But walking into the lodge was odd, seeing the banner dangling from one side and dragging on the floor .

.. and all of the tablecloth linens laying around in messy piles.

Some linens were half on the chairs and half on the floor.

Who would have done all of this to their hard work?

Upon closer inspection, it appeared as if someone had cut the string holding the banner around the base of one of the wall sconces.

It was a clean break. Whoever had done all of this had done it on purpose.

Had they been acting alone or with help?

Had it been a disgruntled member of the youth group?

That didn’t seem to make any sense. The youth had all seemed excited about the upcoming mission trip and a chance to travel outside their country.

With all of the folks dropping off donations for the auctions, Blake was right.

Anyone could have done this. But who and why?

NO SOONER HAD JEN AND Hensley begun setting things to right when Bing and Blake arrived.

She saw them through the windows as they tied their horses to a hitching post installed in one of the shrub and garden beds along the perimeter of the lodge.

Hensley hadn’t noticed it before, but she did now as she saw them dismount and head inside through a side door.

“Hey, girls.” Bing greeted them with a sweet smile as he raked a hand through his hair, but his eyes went straight to Jen .

Jen smiled back at him with complete adoration as she finished straightening one of the tablecloths.

“How’s it going?” Blake removed his cowboy hat and crossed to Hensley’s side, glancing around at everything with wide eyes.

“I don’t understand how this could have happened.

We’ve left the doors unlocked for brief periods during the day so folks could drop off their donations for the auction, but .

..” He gestured toward the long row of tables where items had piled up.

Hensley glanced at the donations. There were stacks of books, dishes, some framed pictures and artwork, vases, Christmas decorations, a vacuum cleaner that appeared to be brand new, a bread maker, pie plates, leather purses, and many other useful items.

Thunder boomed in the distance and a downpour of rain began pelting everything outside as a sleek black BMW pulled into the property and parked near the lodge, its engine drawing their attention along with the thunder.

Caroline stepped out of it and whipped open a large clear umbrella with big white polka dots on it.

Maybe a rental car? She opened a rear passenger door and produced a picnic basket.

She was dressed in cute jeans and an oversized, untucked white shirt, gobs of white and gold bangle bracelets on her arms, and big dark sunglasses she would no longer need in a thunderstorm.

She headed for the lodge’s side door to dodge the rain.

Too bad it wasn’t locked. Hensley sighed and turned back to fixing the next tablecloth. Why did a sense of foreboding overwhelm her? At least her peach dress with its elegant bandeau collar had dried out from being drenched earlier.

Caroline breezed through the door, shaking water off of herself and her umbrella. “I think I made it here just in time. That storm creeped up out of nowhere ...”

“Looks like you just missed it.” Bing held one end of a tablecloth while Jen held the other as they spread it onto a table together .

Caroline glanced around, her brows arching. “What’s happened here?”

Bing brought her up to speed while Blake joined Hensley, following Bing’s lead in helping. Between the four of them, they’d have things returned to normal in no time, even if Caroline didn’t bother to help.

“Oh, well, I’m sorry to hear about this, but I’ve brought that dinner I promised.

Pasta prima vera and a big salad. It was a special from The Creek Grill.

There are breadsticks too.” She set all of her items down on one of the tables.

Then she bit her lower lip and placed her hands on her hips, surveying them and the scene of messed up tablecloths as they continued working.

Caroline had been planning dinners for Bing and Blake?

Hensley’s brow shot up. She’d give Blake the benefit of the doubt.

Maybe the three of them were simply catching up and reminiscing about old times.

Still, it would have been nice to have been included or invited along during one of their get-togethers.

Blake’s phone beeped with some sort of alert. One of those sharp beeping weather alerts. Then Hensley’s cell beeped in a similar manner too. And Jen’s. Then Bing’s. Caroline wasn’t local, but even her cell was ringing with an incoming alert.

Hensley checked her messages and sighed. “Possible tornado warning for the whole county.” She slipped her phone in the pocket hidden in the voluminous skirt of her fifties style dress. “They don’t expect the storm to let up until after two in the morning. Fifty mile an hour winds expected.”

“They are advising everyone to stay off the roads.” More thunder clapped outside, causing Blake to step closer to the windows. “I don’t think any of us should drive in this. Bing, let’s get the horses to the barn.”

Blake headed for the side door.

“Good idea. We’ll be right back, ladies.” Bing wasted no time in following Blake outside .

“Be careful, guys.” Jen’s brows furrowed.

And for good reason. Hensley could see all of the tree branches waving their limbs and various twigs and leaves blowing across the parking lot. The horses were getting frisky too, bending their heads down in the wind, and shifting on their hooves.

Great. They were stuck with Caroline for at least a few minutes, alone.

But Hensley paused from working to stare after Blake and Bing.

The wind was really picking up and the sky had turned from partly sunny when she’d arrived, to cloudy and gray, and now dark and threatening in a short time.

Would the men be all right? The rain was coming down hard.