Beyond These Hills by Sandra Robbins Page A

hesitated only a moment. “All right.”
    â€œThen follow me.”
    Andrew didn’t look to the right or left at the congregation as he walked behind Laurel to the pew. She scooted in next to one of the boys, and he followed right behind. A few seconds later he found himself seated with Laurel on his left side and her mother on his right. He turned toward her mother. “Mrs. Jackson, my name is Andrew Brady. Laurel insisted I sit with your family.”
    â€œWe’re glad to have you visiting with us today. My husband tells me you’re on your way to join the CCC camp.”
    Andrew’s heart dropped to the pit of his stomach. Had he misled Laurel’s family when he’d been introduced? He certainly hadn’t meant to, but as he thought back over their conversation, he saw how they had gotten the wrong idea.
    â€œActually I’m on my way out there…”
    â€œEveryone take out your hymnals and turn to number fourteen.” Reverend Martin’s loud voice drowned out the rest of his explanation to Mrs. Jackson. He’d have to set them all straight after services.
    Laurel opened a hymnal and held it out for him to share. He took hold of one side of the book and looked down at the words. He’d never heard this song about standing on the stormy banks of what he supposed was a river. The few worshippers sang the song with somuch enthusiasm that by the third verse he was singing right along with them.
    When they’d finished singing, Laurel’s arm brushed against his. His body gave an involuntary jerk, and he darted a glance at Mrs. Jackson to see if she had noticed. She didn’t look his way, and he breathed a sigh of relief.
    He started to ease down on the pew, but someone in the congregation called out another number. Before Laurel could find the page, her grandmother had played an introduction and the voices were raised again in song.
    By the time they’d sung the fourth song, he was really enjoying himself and was sorry when Reverend Martin asked them to be seated. As they settled onto the pews, Reverend Martin stepped behind the pulpit. “Let us pray.”
    Andrew bowed his head as the pastor began to pray. “Lord, we come today thanking You for this beautiful day in our valley. We see the sun on our mountains, the wildflowers blooming after the long winter, and the greenery of the trees that dot the mountainsides and the forests in this paradise where You’ve placed us. We pray that You’ll make us ever mindful of how You’ve provided for us and those before us in this remote region. We know we face dark days ahead, Father, but we know You’re with us. Help us to remember Your blessings that have made life so good here and help us not to dwell on our problems. We know You’ve told us You’ll be with us anywhere we go. Now be with us as we look to Your Word today for the guidance we need in our lives. Amen.”
    Several muffled amens rose across the church, but Andrew didn’t look around to identify where they’d come from. The sentiments in Reverend Martin’s prayer were those of everybody gathered here. For the first time it hit him how devastating it would be to be uprooted from the only home one had ever known and move somewhere else. And he was the messenger that the end was coming. Would thepeople hate him when they discovered his reason for being here? He glanced at Laurel, and she smiled. Would she when she knew why he was really in Cades Cove?
    He pushed the thought from his mind and tried to concentrate on Reverend Martin’s sermon, but he found it impossible. All he could think about was the young woman beside him and how right it felt to be sitting in church with her on this beautiful Sunday morning. From time to time he caught a few words of the pastor’s sermon, and he picked out words and phrases like thirty pieces of silver, Judas , and betrayal .
    Andrew might not have gone to church