Every Perfect Gift Read Online Free PDF

a trip up to Muddy Hollow, and then a couple of days ago one of my flock fell ill and I—”
    “Wait.” She drew back and looked up at him. “One of your flock? The last I heard, you were reading law in Nashville.”
    He set her on her feet. “I was close to joining up with a couple of other lawyers once my studies were finished, but it turns out God had a completely different agenda. I’m the pastor here in town.”
    His laugh brought to mind the Robbie who had reveled in their childhood escapades. He’d idolized Wyatt Caldwell too, and more than once declared that his aim in life was to own a ranch in Texas, just like Wyatt’s. For the first year after Ada and Wyatt took her to live with them there, she had hoped Robbie would visit, but he never had. And like most childhood friendships interrupted bydistance, theirs had faded away. Now, looking into his bright blue eyes, she felt her old affection for him returning.
    She took his arm and drew him into the office. “I’m on my way to visit Carrie Rutledge, but I’ve time for tea if you do.”
    “I’d love to stay and catch up, but Ethelinda and I promised to visit Deborah Patterson this afternoon. Her husband, Daniel, was the minister at the church up until the week before he took sick and passed on. I promised him I’d look after her.”
    Sophie’s head swam. “I can’t believe you’re a preacher.”
    “Well, I am. As of last September.”
    “Good gravy. And Ethelinda is—”
    “My wife. Also as of last September.” Another burst of laughter. “I’ve had a pretty busy year.”
    “Apparently so. Why didn’t I know any of this, Robbie Whiting?”
    “Why didn’t I know you were off in Dallas learning the newspaper game? Mother mentioned it only a few weeks ago when she learned you were coming back here.” He smiled down at her. “Life hardly ever turns out the way we plan, does it?”
    “Don’t I know it? Mrs. Mills—she was head of my department at the paper in Dallas—offered me a job there last December. I said yes, but the longer I thought about it, the more I felt compelled to come back here.”
    “After the way you were treated at the orphanage?” He leaned against her desk and crossed his arms. “I don’t understand.”
    “It didn’t make any sense to Wyatt and Ada either. But I couldn’t get the notion out of my head, so here I am.”
    He nodded. “I hope things will be different for you now. Lots of changes have taken place in Hickory Ridge since we were children.”
    “Yes, Blue Smoke is causing quite a stir, and not just locally. Even our paper ran a piece about it when construction first began.”
    “I was thinking of the orphanage. You know it’s closed now.”
    “I went by there the other day. I couldn’t help myself.” She shrugged. “Even with all the broken windows and the locked gate, I still felt like Mrs. Lowell might stick her head out at any moment and yell at me to stop dawdling and get on inside.”
    “She could be fierce.” He paused. “You remember the Wilcox children? A boy and girl who came here after their parents drowned?”
    “I remember them. Jesse and . . .”
    “Audrey. I ran into Jesse over in Knoxville last year. He works for a druggist now. His sister is married. I don’t know where she’s living. But Jesse told me Mrs. Lowell died of the yellow fever back in seventy-nine.”
    He picked up a book from her desk and flipped it open. “I remember when Ada bought this for you at Mr. Chastain’s shop. I guess you heard he got married a few years back. Some fancy lady from New Orleans. But it didn’t last long. I was away at school, but Mother told me his wife jumped on the train one day and never came back.”
    “That’s terrible. Mr. Chastain is a good man.”
    “He is.” Robbie set the book aside. “The strange thing is that after church last week, Lucy Partridge told Mother that Mrs. Chastain has written to the Verandah, asking for her old room back. Apparently she stayed there