Wings of the Morning (Kensington Chronicles) Read Online Free PDF Page B

you."
    "Thank you. I rather like it myself."
    "Do you play cards?" he asked suddenly.
    "Yes."
    Tate and Jenny, who had sat quietly through the exchange,
    went into action. Within minutes the four of them were seated
    around a table. Jen was the first to deal, and then the cards
    went to Tate. By the time the deal got around to Smokey, she
    found herself more relaxed than she had been all evening.
    China cups and fine flatware were new to her, but cards, well,
    she'd been playing since she was a child. The lighthearted
    game, along with Buck's outrageous wit and easy smile,
    caused her to wish she lived much closer to Buck and the
    Pembertons.
    Smokey missed the glances of her game partners as she
    allowed her gaze to roam the room. They noticed that she
    didn't even need to concentrate on the deck in her hands. She
    shuffled and dealt cards to them like a cardsharp. Everyone's
    eyes were dutifully back on their own cards by the lime
    Smokey glanced back at them, but they all knew that they'd
    been given a glimmer of yet one more aspect that made up the
    person of Victoria "Smokey" Simmons.
    41
    smokey was utterly spellbound with Jenny and Tate's
    small church--in particular, their pastor and his preaching.
    Smokey had spent so little time in church over the years that
    she had no idea a sermon could hold such meaning.
    Clancy had spent many hours teaching his small daughter
    about God's Word, but he had also admitted to her many times
    that there were a great many things he didn't know about the
    Bible.
    Smokey grew up on the stories of David and Goliath, Noah
    and the ark, and of course the birth, death, and resurrection of
    Jesus Christ. But Smokey didn't try to fool herself; she knew
    little about the Old or New Testament. She shared this with
    Jenny as they made their way home in the Pemberton buggy.
    Tate had business with one of the elders and would come
    later.
    "I basically grew up on my father's ship. I don't remember
    being in port on Sundays, at least no more than a few times a
    year. There's so much I don't know."
    "I'm glad you liked Pastor Chase, Smokey. He's a wonder-I
    pastor; we feel so blessed to have him. Both Tate and I have
    inaed a great deal from him in the last few years. You know," r Spoke excitedly now, "you don't live that far. Even when
    oJjome, you could come over here for Sundays and plan
    lading the day with us."
    M^
    41
    "Thank you, Jen." Smokey was so moved she fell silent.
    She also realized she was going to have to tell Jenny at some
    point that she was not usually in Maine on Sundays, that in fact
    she was usually not in Maine at all. As Smokey thought on this,
    the ride continued in silence.
    After lunch Smokey went to her room for a while and
    found herself poring over her Bible. Pastor Chase had preached
    from the book of James, and Smokey wanted to read every
    chapter. She never got beyond the first, where she read verses
    that spoke to her of how often she needed to turn to God, and
    how He provides in ways she hadn't thought possible.
    No one had ever told Smokey that she could ask God for
    wisdom, nor had she ever taken the time to search out God's
    truths for herself. In her job she had so many responsibilities.
    Too often she found herself going on her own and simply hoping for the best. It was like a gift to learn that she could
    turn to God, knowing that in His love, He was waiting to give
    her aid.
    Life at the Pembertons' on Sundays was lazy and relaxed,
    and after Smokey had read the first chapter, she fell asleep on
    her bed as she prayed
    "My parents moved to South Carolina three years ago for
    my mother's health. They come to see us every other Christmas,
    and we sail down in the early summer to see them. My
    sister moved with them, but as you see, Buck and I still live
    here in Maine, as does Dolly," Jenny told Smokey over afternoon
    tea.
    "Dolly is your sister?" Smokey asked
    "No, Dolly is another brother. Buck is the oldest, then
    Dolly, and then me. My sister's name is