Promising Angela Read Online Free PDF

Jesus, to die for our sins. It is through His sacrifice that we can be cleansed from all unrighteousness. He makes us holy once again.”
    Angela blinked at him, awed by his knowledge. “Wow—you’ve been a Christian a long time, haven’t you?”
    Ben smiled. “A few years.”
    “Oh, I hope I’m as smart as you someday!”
    He released a light laugh. “Well, Angela, one thing you’ll find out.” He put his hand on her back to guide her toward the door. “No matter where you are in your Christian journey, there’s still a lot to learn.”
    Angela nodded. Carrie had said pretty much the same thing. That’s why it was important to attend church, for the opportunity to continually grow. They left the air-conditioned building and walked across the balmy parking lot to Ben’s truck. “I have a lot to learn in many areas, I’m afraid,” she said.
    He opened the door for her. “What areas?”
    Angela climbed in then waited for him to settle behind the steering wheel before answering his question. “Well, for instance, you … I was so surprised to see you at Elmwood Towers yesterday after work. I didn’t know you had a cousin who lived there.”
    Ben shot her a sharp look. “How did you know I was visiting my cousin?”
    Angela waved good-bye to a couple of people as the truck pulled out of the parking lot. She looked back at Ben. “My aunt—Eileen Cassidy, remember? She told me your cousin lives there.”
    Ben nodded, his lips set in a grim line. Then he took a deep breath, and his expression cleared. “I really like your aunt. She’s a spunky lady with a big heart. On which side of the family is she related?”
    Rebuffed, Angela explained her family tree, but beneath her words her thoughts raced.
Why did Ben change the subject when I asked about his cousin? Could it be he’s shamed by what his cousin did?
Her heart twisted painfully in her chest. If he could be ashamed of his very own cousin, he would certainly feel even more animosity toward a stranger. She carefully guarded her words as Ben drove the familiar streets toward her family’s estate.
    It was best that Ben never found out that she had been arrested for drug use.

    Ben battled guilt as he listened to Angela, her voice halting at times, share about her relationship with Eileen Cassidy. He hadn’t switched gears out of anger, but he suspected by her quiet demeanor she felt as though he were angry. Protectiveness toward Kent welled up again.
    Kent had suffered so much rejection since the drug overdose. His own mother and sister had little to do with him, furious at him for wasting his life. His friends had all abandoned him. What good was he to them, trapped in a wheelchair, unable to join them in their parties? Even strangers on the street shied away from him. Ben knew how much those rejections hurt Kent, and he wouldn’t willingly put Kent in the line of fire for more pain.
    Angela’s discomfort around the clients at New Beginnings made it clear how she’d react to Kent—and Kent wasn’t stupid. He recognized when people avoided him. Despite his other handicaps, he was still fully capable of feeling. The less Angela knew about Kent, the better. Ben would not give her the opportunity to hurt his cousin.
    He stopped the truck along the curb and shifted into park. He looked at Angela, and the yearning he’d seen in her eyes last Friday, right before he invited her to church, was there again. It took him back, and he found himself opening his mouth and blurting out a second invitation.
    “Did you catch the announcement about the potluck dinner before the evening service? If you’d like, I can swing by and pick you up.”
    Angela’s gaze shot to her lap. She clenched her fingers on her Bible. “Potluck … That means everybody brings food, right?”
    Ben chuckled. “Well, yeah. Then we all share it.”
    She took a deep breath, her gaze still down. “I’d probably better not, then.”
    What was bothering her now? Determined to make up