involved only installing flowers in the beds. The second included flowers in the beds and trimming the bushes and existing landscape. The third included the flowers and landscape trimming, plus pots filled with flowers spread around the grounds.
Jonah didn’t even blink at the price. “You have a good eye for design, Rose.”
“Well…thank you.”
He leaned his elbow on the table and turned to look at me. “But then again, that shouldn’t be a surprise. You are a beautiful woman, so it stands to reason you’d appreciate God’s beauty in nature as well.” I couldn’t form a coherent answer, but he didn’t seem to notice. “I’ll take the third option. I like the idea of having lots of flowers around.”
While I’d presented the most expensive option, I hadn’t expected him to take it. Momma had complained plenty about the Henryetta Southern Baptist Church’s budget, so I knew how frugal most churches were. “Okay, then. We’re gonna need half down on the supplies.”
“I’ll tell Rhonda, my secretary, to write you a check.”
I gathered my papers. “Okay.”
He leaned back in his seat, a grin spreading across his face. “Now that we have business out of the way, tell me a little about yourself, Rose.”
I blinked in surprise. “Well, there’s not much to tell.”
“I find that difficult to believe.”
I didn’t answer.
“Well, let’s start with the most obvious question for a man of the cloth. Do you go to church?”
That was a sticky question. I may have been born and raised in the Henryetta Southern Baptist Church, but I’d never felt any sense of belonging there. The main reason was my visions. They had started when I was six, and despite the fact that my paternal grandmother had experienced visions too and had been declared the Oracle of Lafayette County, Momma had decided I was demon-possessed by the time I was eight. She soon started locking me in the hall closet whenever I had a vision. Several pastors over the years had prayed for the salvation of my soul, but by the time I was a teenager, they’d all given up. “Off and on.”
“Have you ever attended a church like mine?
My eyebrows rose as I shook my head. “Uh, no.”
“That’s not surprising. But you should try it sometime.” He winked. “You might like what you see.”
“I don’t know about that.”
He held up his hands in surrender and laughed. “I know when to back off. Let’s move on to another topic.” His voice lowered. “I heard about your mother.”
My mother’s murder wasn’t something I wanted to delve into. Not after all the strange feelings Miss Dorothy’s death had dredged up. “Well, I need to get goin’.” I stood up, nearly dumping the drawing onto the floor. “I need to get this check deposited at the bank.”
Jonah grinned as he rose from his seat. “There’s no hurry, Rose. The bank closed at five.”
“Oh, that’s right.” He had me flustered. Between the concept of his church, him calling me pretty, and the topic of my mother’s death, my stomach was churning.
His voice softened. “Does the thought of coming to my church frighten you, Rose?”
No, but staying with Jonah Pruitt a minute longer sure did. “I’ve had some…difficult situations in church.”
“All the more reason to try our church out. The New Living Hope Revival Church is dedicated to providing a home for the castoffs of traditional churches. Giving them hope to live their life. That’s what the name of our church is all about.”
I backed toward the door. “I will definitely keep that in mind, Jonah. Now if you’ll excuse me…”
I backtracked to his secretary’s office as he followed me with an amused grin. Jonah stood in the doorway, his hand resting on the door frame, looking like he was posing for a photo shoot. “Rhonda, Ms. Gardner needs a check made out to—?” He glanced at me, raising an eyebrow in question.
“Gardner Sisters Nursery.”
“Oh, yes.” He drawled, his Southern
Jonah didn’t even blink at the price. “You have a good eye for design, Rose.”
“Well…thank you.”
He leaned his elbow on the table and turned to look at me. “But then again, that shouldn’t be a surprise. You are a beautiful woman, so it stands to reason you’d appreciate God’s beauty in nature as well.” I couldn’t form a coherent answer, but he didn’t seem to notice. “I’ll take the third option. I like the idea of having lots of flowers around.”
While I’d presented the most expensive option, I hadn’t expected him to take it. Momma had complained plenty about the Henryetta Southern Baptist Church’s budget, so I knew how frugal most churches were. “Okay, then. We’re gonna need half down on the supplies.”
“I’ll tell Rhonda, my secretary, to write you a check.”
I gathered my papers. “Okay.”
He leaned back in his seat, a grin spreading across his face. “Now that we have business out of the way, tell me a little about yourself, Rose.”
I blinked in surprise. “Well, there’s not much to tell.”
“I find that difficult to believe.”
I didn’t answer.
“Well, let’s start with the most obvious question for a man of the cloth. Do you go to church?”
That was a sticky question. I may have been born and raised in the Henryetta Southern Baptist Church, but I’d never felt any sense of belonging there. The main reason was my visions. They had started when I was six, and despite the fact that my paternal grandmother had experienced visions too and had been declared the Oracle of Lafayette County, Momma had decided I was demon-possessed by the time I was eight. She soon started locking me in the hall closet whenever I had a vision. Several pastors over the years had prayed for the salvation of my soul, but by the time I was a teenager, they’d all given up. “Off and on.”
“Have you ever attended a church like mine?
My eyebrows rose as I shook my head. “Uh, no.”
“That’s not surprising. But you should try it sometime.” He winked. “You might like what you see.”
“I don’t know about that.”
He held up his hands in surrender and laughed. “I know when to back off. Let’s move on to another topic.” His voice lowered. “I heard about your mother.”
My mother’s murder wasn’t something I wanted to delve into. Not after all the strange feelings Miss Dorothy’s death had dredged up. “Well, I need to get goin’.” I stood up, nearly dumping the drawing onto the floor. “I need to get this check deposited at the bank.”
Jonah grinned as he rose from his seat. “There’s no hurry, Rose. The bank closed at five.”
“Oh, that’s right.” He had me flustered. Between the concept of his church, him calling me pretty, and the topic of my mother’s death, my stomach was churning.
His voice softened. “Does the thought of coming to my church frighten you, Rose?”
No, but staying with Jonah Pruitt a minute longer sure did. “I’ve had some…difficult situations in church.”
“All the more reason to try our church out. The New Living Hope Revival Church is dedicated to providing a home for the castoffs of traditional churches. Giving them hope to live their life. That’s what the name of our church is all about.”
I backed toward the door. “I will definitely keep that in mind, Jonah. Now if you’ll excuse me…”
I backtracked to his secretary’s office as he followed me with an amused grin. Jonah stood in the doorway, his hand resting on the door frame, looking like he was posing for a photo shoot. “Rhonda, Ms. Gardner needs a check made out to—?” He glanced at me, raising an eyebrow in question.
“Gardner Sisters Nursery.”
“Oh, yes.” He drawled, his Southern
Similar Books
