and handed it to her. “I’ll still be by to pick you up Wednesday for that fishin’ lesson though.”
Lia watched him disappear into the bait shop. Now what?
Suppressing a groan, she turned off the engine and stuffed the keys in her purse. “What a stubborn man.” She marched back into the bait shop and laid the check on the counter in front of him. “Have it your way.”
The irritating bait shop owner took an eternity to respond. First he seemed to study her then he looked to be studying the check. Finally, he met her gaze and thrust his hand in her direction.
“How come you never married?”
“What?” She felt a flush rising in her cheeks. How dare the impertinent man ask such a question. “Mr. Corbin-”
“Ben.”
“All right, Ben, I fail to see how the answer to that question is any of your business.”
He shrugged. “Probably isn’t, but I’m askin’ all the same.”
Lia studied the man a moment then looked past his red plaid shirt sleeve to the stack of fishing magazines on the counter. A headline emblazoned on the cover gave her the words to answer the arrogant man.
“Well, Ben,” she said slowly. “I guess I just haven’t found a keeper yet. So do we have a deal or do I go next door and make an offer on the craft shop?”
Ben stared at her with what had to be admiration then slowly a grin grew into a full blown smile. “Little lady, we have a deal.”
* * *
Just like Mitch said, the Lord had been waiting for him to sit still long enough to listen. Now Ben had to go tell Mitch about it like he promised he would.
“Well, it looks like I lost that fancy lure.” His friend chuckled. “But I have a feelin’ I just gained something much better.”
Ben exhaled a long breath. “Who would have figured the good Lord thought I was a keeper?”
That evening, Mitch sent him home with more than just a slap on the back and handshake. He had a Bible. Not one of those fancy ones like you keep on the shelf or read from the pulpit, but an honest to goodness Bible written in words he could read and understand.
Mitch must have been pretty sure this day would come, because he had already seen to it that Ben’s name was written across the bottom of that Bible’s front cover in neat silver letters. The best part was the envelope Mitch had tucked inside at the place where the book of John started.
“Don’t open that until you get home,” Mitch said.
So he waited until he reached the back stairs of the bait shop before he pulled the envelope out of the Bible and gave it a shake. Something other than a letter was in there, for the lump in the middle of the thing was a plain as the nose on his face.
Ben settled on his coffee drinking step – the third one from the bottom – and held the envelope up to the fading light of the evening sun. A dark blob of a familiar size and shape was visible beneath the white paper.
Skipper nudged his leg with his favorite chew toy. Ben took the bait and wrestled the plastic bone from the Lab’s jaws then threw it in the direction of the lake. The dog’s oversized feet threw up chunks of sod as he headed toward the toy at high speed.
Smiling, Ben ripped off the end of the envelope and tipped the contents into his hand. Out tumbled a Silver Thorn Dressed lure and a folded piece of paper.
On it Mitch had written, “Ben, if you are reading this, you’ve finally realized that God thinks you are a keeper. Start with John and see why.”
He wrapped his fingers around the lure, careful not to stab himself on the hook. A few yards away, Skipper danced around the toy, yipping and nudging until he settled in a shady spot to chew happily.
That dog looked like he felt: content. Well, almost content. He and the Lord still had some unfinished business.
“Lord, I sure am sorry I waited fifty-two years to get around to understanding that You’re right here and not up floatin’ around on some cloud not caring what’s goin’ on down here.”
Saying the words
Lia watched him disappear into the bait shop. Now what?
Suppressing a groan, she turned off the engine and stuffed the keys in her purse. “What a stubborn man.” She marched back into the bait shop and laid the check on the counter in front of him. “Have it your way.”
The irritating bait shop owner took an eternity to respond. First he seemed to study her then he looked to be studying the check. Finally, he met her gaze and thrust his hand in her direction.
“How come you never married?”
“What?” She felt a flush rising in her cheeks. How dare the impertinent man ask such a question. “Mr. Corbin-”
“Ben.”
“All right, Ben, I fail to see how the answer to that question is any of your business.”
He shrugged. “Probably isn’t, but I’m askin’ all the same.”
Lia studied the man a moment then looked past his red plaid shirt sleeve to the stack of fishing magazines on the counter. A headline emblazoned on the cover gave her the words to answer the arrogant man.
“Well, Ben,” she said slowly. “I guess I just haven’t found a keeper yet. So do we have a deal or do I go next door and make an offer on the craft shop?”
Ben stared at her with what had to be admiration then slowly a grin grew into a full blown smile. “Little lady, we have a deal.”
* * *
Just like Mitch said, the Lord had been waiting for him to sit still long enough to listen. Now Ben had to go tell Mitch about it like he promised he would.
“Well, it looks like I lost that fancy lure.” His friend chuckled. “But I have a feelin’ I just gained something much better.”
Ben exhaled a long breath. “Who would have figured the good Lord thought I was a keeper?”
That evening, Mitch sent him home with more than just a slap on the back and handshake. He had a Bible. Not one of those fancy ones like you keep on the shelf or read from the pulpit, but an honest to goodness Bible written in words he could read and understand.
Mitch must have been pretty sure this day would come, because he had already seen to it that Ben’s name was written across the bottom of that Bible’s front cover in neat silver letters. The best part was the envelope Mitch had tucked inside at the place where the book of John started.
“Don’t open that until you get home,” Mitch said.
So he waited until he reached the back stairs of the bait shop before he pulled the envelope out of the Bible and gave it a shake. Something other than a letter was in there, for the lump in the middle of the thing was a plain as the nose on his face.
Ben settled on his coffee drinking step – the third one from the bottom – and held the envelope up to the fading light of the evening sun. A dark blob of a familiar size and shape was visible beneath the white paper.
Skipper nudged his leg with his favorite chew toy. Ben took the bait and wrestled the plastic bone from the Lab’s jaws then threw it in the direction of the lake. The dog’s oversized feet threw up chunks of sod as he headed toward the toy at high speed.
Smiling, Ben ripped off the end of the envelope and tipped the contents into his hand. Out tumbled a Silver Thorn Dressed lure and a folded piece of paper.
On it Mitch had written, “Ben, if you are reading this, you’ve finally realized that God thinks you are a keeper. Start with John and see why.”
He wrapped his fingers around the lure, careful not to stab himself on the hook. A few yards away, Skipper danced around the toy, yipping and nudging until he settled in a shady spot to chew happily.
That dog looked like he felt: content. Well, almost content. He and the Lord still had some unfinished business.
“Lord, I sure am sorry I waited fifty-two years to get around to understanding that You’re right here and not up floatin’ around on some cloud not caring what’s goin’ on down here.”
Saying the words
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