Rigg suddenly put his arms around her, holding her close to his chest, and Lorri hugged him right back.

"I'll write you," he whispered, bending close to her ear.

"I'll write back," Lorri promised.

Rigg couldn't take it any longer. He released her gently and slipped back into the car. Lorri stood on the driveway and waved as the car pulled away, her heart frozen in her chest.

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How could You do this?Ruth asked of G.o.d late that night. Alone in the living room, she sat on the sofa, trying to make sense of G.o.d's will.She's lost so much-we all have-and now You've taken Rigg away,Ruth accused. Idon't understand; I just feel pain.

Ruth buried her face in the sleeve of her bathrobe to m.u.f.fle her sobs, sure she was not going to survive this test. Rigg had come into their lives. They had all grown to love him. And Ruth thought if she lived to be a hundred she would never forget Lord's face when she'd come into the house. Dry-eyed and in a state of shock, she had told everyone goodnight and gone up to her room.

Ruth thought it would have been easier if she'd cried. She had checked on her when she went to bed, but even though Lorri was awake and still dry-eyed, she didn't want to talk.

Sleep had been hours away for Ruth. She had tossed and turned far into the night before giving up and going downstairs. Grabbing her Bible, but not really knowing why, Ruth acknowledged her anger at G.o.d. She didn't want to hear anything He had to say.

This att.i.tude, however, did not last. In her heart Ruth knew her only solace was G.o.d's comfort. She cried for a time but eventually opened to Psalm 27. As she read with sudden hunger, many verses jumped out at her.

"Hear, O Lord, when I cry with my voice; have mercy also upon me, and answer me. When thou saidst, Seek ye my face, my heart said unto thee, Thy face, Lord, will I seek. Hide not thy face far from me; put not thy servant away in anger. Thou hast been my help; leave me not, neither forsake me, O G.o.d of my salvation....Ihad fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait on the Lord; be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart. Wait, I say, on the Lord."

Oh, Father,Ruth was forced to pray, completely humbled by the words.I blamed You and was angry, and I'm sorry. I lost my 303.

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trust. I was sure You had failed. I'm sorry. I have no excuse except for wanting my way. I thought Rigg was the one, but You know best. Help me not to lose heart again. Help me to remember Your faithfulness so my own will be sound.

Ruth was suddenly spent. Having come full circle from anger to repentance, she didn't have the physical will or strength to stand. Clicking off the light and pulling her robe around her a little more, she slept on the sofa this night.

The last person Max expected to see in the women's department of Brennan's an hour before closing time was Johnny King, but he was there, his younger sister in tow. His sister began to look at dresses almost immediately, but Johnny stood, clearly uncomfortable in his surroundings.

"May I help you?" Max offered his sister. She knew her name was Evelyn.

Evelyn looked suddenly shy, and Johnny spoke up.

"My sister needs a dress for an outing she has on Friday. My mother couldn't come."

Max couldn't stop the amus.e.m.e.nt that lit her eyes. His tone had been so resigned, and he looked as though he would rather be anywhere but there.

"You're enjoying this," Johnny said, relaxing a little when Max was herself.

"Not at all," she lied, a smile peeking through. "What color do you like, Evelyn?" Max suddenly turned professional, and Evelyn, after some moments of shy interaction, selected three dresses to try: two yellow and one blue in lush summer prints. Following i i 304.

along slowly, Johnny stood outside the changing room trying to pretend he wasn't there. Max was having none of it.

"Is Evelyn supposed to let you see the dress, or is she deciding on her own?"

"I'm not sure."

"Does she have a price limit?"

"I don't know."

"Were you supposed to bring your brain into the store with you, or did you leave that in the car?"

Johnny finally caught on to what she was doing and even laughed a little.

"You are an evil woman, Maxine Archer."

"Are you just now figuring that out?"

"Men are not supposed to be in this section," Johnny pointed out.

"That's not true. A lot of men shop with their wives."

Johnny's face changed in a heartbeat Pure, unadulterated interest filled his face, and he did nothing to hide it. His eyes held onto Max's until her cheeks began to flush.

"I need to check on your sister," Max managed, but her voice carried very little conviction; She turned for the dressing room, able to feel Johnny's gaze on her at all times.

Evelyn had found a dress. The blue one fit her well, was perfect with her fair hair, and was even within the price range her mother had said she could spend. Johnny had little else to say through the encounter, but Max was wholly aware of him. How could she not be? After her comment concerning husbands and wives, his eyes had barely left her.

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305.

"Oh, my," Lorri said when Ruth handed her the letter and she saw the postmark. "He must have written as soon as he arrived."

"He must have," Ruth agreed, but Lorri just stood there, the letter in hand. "Are you going to read it?"

Lorri looked at her mother. "There's something I have to do first."

Ruth watched as Lorri placed the letter on the table and then walked up the stairs. She knew her daughter had been in agony for the last several days and suspected that it looked much like her own struggle. Ruth sat at the table and prayed, asking G.o.d to help Lorri make peace with Him.

I don't know what the letter says, but I can't keep fighting You. I've been so angry and hurt, and I've blamed You for everything. I'm sorry,Lorri prayed from the floor next to her bed.What a miserable marriage it would be ifRigg's not the one. I don't know why I insist on having my way. If he's the one, then You've planned a way, Lord. You always plan the way.

Lorri cried for a time, but they were tears of relief. She was done ignoring the pain and being unthankful. G.o.d understood that she was hurting, but the anger had to go. She didn't expect to have a headache when she read Rigg's letter, but the pain was a good one. This time it meant she was right before G.o.d.

"Okay, I have something to tell you," Max said before they started, "but you can't tease me or tell anyone."

j 306.

"When do I ever tell?" Arlene wished to know.

"Okay," Max agreed, "you don't, but you can't tease me either."

"I won't. Go ahead."

Max bit her lip but still admitted, "I think I'm falling for Johnny King."

The stunned look on her best friend's face was hysterical, but Max wasn't in the mood to laugh. Arlene searched her friend's eyes and saw that she was serious, more serious than she'd seen her in a long time. Arlene's heart filled with compa.s.sion, and she simply put her arms around Max and hugged her.

"Do you hate me?" Max asked, and Arlene pulled back.

"Why would I hate you?" Arlene demanded.

"I don't know!" Max wailed in confusion. "I spent the whole year putting him off and now I tell you this."

"So what changed?"

Max looked as amazed as she felt. "I just didn't expect him to ever take his faith seriously, and every time he comes into church with that Bible in his hand, I just about die."

"What kind of die? Happy die, or upset die?"

"Happy die," Max confessed. "He's still fun and charming, but there's a peace about him now, like he knows he doesn't have to prove himself any longer."

"What does your family think?"

"You're the first one I've told."

Arlene smiled, seeing what Max had not realized.

"Your children will be beautiful. I hope you realize that," she said.

"Arlene Andrews!" Max exclaimed, shocked. "What a thing to say."

"He's the one, Max. I'm sure of it."

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Max suddenly heard herself. Didn't she say that to Lorri about Rigg on a regular basis? And what did it do to Lorri's heart? Right now her own was trying to leap from her chest.

"So what now?"

"Nothing," Max said. "I have no idea how he feels."

Arlene sat back, looking as satisfied as Max had ever seen her.

"What does that look mean?"

"Only that it's a matter of time. I'm sure of it."

Max grew serious again.

"Arlene, are you really all right with this? Do you think Johnny could change that much?"

"What I think is that G.o.d can do anything. And if Johnny keeps on the way he's going, I can't think of why anyone would object."

"I'm glad you said that," Max replied, hearing more than the words. "I've got to give it time. I can't rush this."

"And wasn't it your grandpa who told you Johnny's having Bible study with Pastor? So you know he's aware of the situation."

"Right, right," Max agreed, trying to catch her breath, the possibilities flying through her mind.

"Are you finally ready?" Arlene teased.

"Yes," Max said, positioning herself in the chair, magazine in hand.

"Show me the picture again," Arlene requested.

Max held up the page full of models from the Sears catalog and pointed. Arlene took a moment to study the woman's image and then picked up the scissors. Max Archer was getting a haircut.

J.

308.

Well, what do you expect, Maxine Archer?that woman asked herself in disgust, the church service just starting.You're not here to worship G.o.d and learn; you came to show off your new haircut to Johnny King, and he's not even here today!

This scolding complete, Max bent her head with the rest of the congregation, but she didn't hear Pastor Higgins' prayer. She was too busy confessing her self-interest and asking G.o.d for an improvement on the day, especially concerning her att.i.tude.

Santa Rosa Rigg smiled over every line of Lorri's letter. She confessed how angry she'd been with G.o.d about his leaving and how she even had a headache when she read his letter but still loved it. He laughed outright when she described some of m.u.f.fin's latest escapades but was mostly remembering the night m.u.f.fin had arrived in the living room with an unmentionable article of clothing dangling from her teeth.

The letter read, Rigg sat at the kitchen table and sighed.I've got to go back and ask her to marry me, Lord. I love her, and I know she loves me. My family loves her. Her family loves me; I can see it every time we're together, Rigg ordered his thoughts for several more moments before settling in to write another letter. He would write Lorri as well but not just yet. This time he had business with the admiral and Lorri Archer's mother.

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Max wrapped the two blouses carefully for the waiting woman, glad she would be headed on her way. The woman had been almost impossible to please and Max feared she would find some reason to complain to the manager.

Max was just about finished when she spotted him. With no mother or sister to give him an excuse, Johnny was standing at the edge of the department, his eyes on her. The tissue paper almost tore in Max's hands, but she forced herself to concentrate and finish.

"There you are, Mrs. Duncan. I hope you enjoy them."

"For that price, I ought to."

Max didn't try to comment. She let the woman move off and then straightened the work area, wondering at the sudden shaking of her hands.

"h.e.l.lo," Johnny said, coming across the room faster than she figured possible.

"Hi, Johnny," Max said with relief, glad to see a friendly face. "How are you?"

"I'm fine, but I can see you've been busy."

Max's brow creased with confusion until Johnny reached out and touched the ends of her shorter hair.

"Oh, my hair." Max was suddenly embarra.s.sed. "I'd forgotten for a minute."