The Price of Trust Read Online Free PDF

leave. He was so handsome. But he made singing for her out of the question. It sounded like she was squeaking. Even Kelly noticed. She looked over at Carly, then at the guy next to her, and smiled, her eyes twinkling. Carly wasn't sure, but she thought she saw Kelly nudge Todd. She tried not to pay attention.
    The singing over, she leaned forward to put her hymnal away. The man next to her did as well, and she caught a smell of some very nice cologne. This was pure torture. She could hardly pay attention to the sermon, so she tried to pray.
    Lord, please help me. This guy next to me is getting all my attention, and I don't want to like him, or be attracted to him. It'll just make everything worse .
    "Maybe you won't have to leave again," a small voice in the back of her mind whispered. She pushed the thought away. Please help me pay attention , she prayed silently. She paid such hard attention, that when the preacher started to pray, she forgot to close her eyes.
    After service was over, the man turned to her and introduced himself.
    "Hi. My name's Joe Baird. That's Todd, my little brother, and that's his better half." He smiled at Todd and Kelly as he shook her hand.
    Carly avoided his gaze as she stammered a barely audible, "Nice to meet you." Turning red, she pulled her hand away as soon as she could.
    "Are you from around here?" he asked, walking with her to the end of the aisle, Todd and Kelly following them.
    "No, I just got here. Bye," she called over her shoulder and quickly walked away, leaving a very amused young man behind her.
    "Carly," he called, following after her. She turned around, a pensive look on her face.
    "Could I walk you to the store?"
    She smiled weakly her heart fluttering. That wouldn't be very good, she thought. "I can manage, thanks though." She turned around hastily and walked out of the church.
    Carly began to walk back to the apartment as fast as she could without running, not carefree and joyful as she had been before church. What was going on? Was she allowing herself to think too much of this little town? Or just the people in it. She blushed as she remembered how her heart had sped up as Joe had sat next to her.
    You're just being silly , she said to herself. You got yourself into trouble last time you allowed your feelings dictate what you should do. He's probably just another Ian, and I don't want to know anything about him. I just want to be left alone.
    Deep inside, she knew he wasn't like Ian and that she did want to know him better. She would like him more than she felt was safe.
    Maybe she already did.
    She walked along deep in her thoughts, not knowing that he walked a little ways behind her to keep an eye out for Billy or Randy Pruit.
     
    She didn't sleep well that night and came downstairs looking tired. Sam and Sue were standing in the office sharing some coffee and some turnovers.
    "Carly! Come in, sweetie, and have an apple turnover," Sue called cheerily. "You look tired. Didn't you sleep well?"
    "Good morning, mmm! Thank you. I slept all right," she replied, taking a bite of a crusty turnover. "They're delicious!" Sue was a very good cook, and Carly appreciated their generosity. The only thing she cooked was macaroni and cheese. It was all she could afford, and she enjoyed it whenever Sue brought in extra little treats for Sam and her. They were excellent people. She had started to think of them as grandparents. She had never known her real ones. They hadn't much cared for her mother, and they both passed away before they could mend their fences, so to speak. So, Carly didn't really know what grandparents were like, but she imagined them to be just like Sam and Sue.
    "Did you have a good time in church last night?" Sam asked with a wink. Carly tried not to blush.
    "Yes, I did. I love to hear the pianist. My mother used to play," she answered, trying not to notice the amusement in Sam's face. He knew she was trying to skirt the real issue. Joe Baird.
    "Well, it sure was nice to