{"id":1227,"date":"2009-03-20T17:58:50","date_gmt":"2009-03-20T22:58:50","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.daysongreflections.com\/\/?p=1227"},"modified":"2009-03-20T17:58:50","modified_gmt":"2009-03-20T22:58:50","slug":"katt%e2%80%99s-in-the-cradle-a-secrets-from-lulus-cafe-novel","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.daysongreflections.com\/?p=1227","title":{"rendered":"Katt\u2019s in the Cradle: A Secrets from Lulu’s Cafe Novel"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/a>\"\"<\/a>It is time for a FIRST Wild Card Tour<\/a><\/strong><\/span><\/strong> book review! If you wish to join the FIRST blog alliance, just click the button. We are a group of reviewers who tour Christian books. A Wild Card post includes a brief bio of the author and a full chapter from each book toured. The reason it is called a FIRST Wild Card Tour is that you never know if the book will be fiction, non~fiction, for young, or for old…or for somewhere in between! Enjoy your free peek into the book!<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

You never know when I might play a wild card on you!<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

Today’s Wild Card author is: <\/strong><\/div>\n

\n

Ginger Kolbaba<\/a><\/p>\n

and<\/p>\n

Christy Scannell<\/a><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/strong><\/div>\n

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and the book:<\/span> <\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

\n

Katt\u2019s in the Cradle: A Secrets from Lulu’s Cafe Novel <\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Howard Books (February 3, 2009)<\/p>\n

\n

ABOUT THE AUTHORs:<\/span> <\/span><\/strong><\/div>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Ginger Kolbaba is editor of the award-winning Marriage Partnership magazine. An experienced columnist and public speaker, she lives in Chicago with her husband.<\/p>\n

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Visit the author’s website<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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\n

\n

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\"\"<\/a>
\nChristy Scannell is a college instructor, freelance editor and accomplished writer who lives with her husband in San Diego.<\/p>\n

Visit the author’s website<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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\n

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Product Details:<\/p>\n

List Price: $13.99
\nPaperback: 320 pages
\nPublisher: Howard Books (February 3, 2009)
\nLanguage: English
\nISBN-10: 1416543899
\nISBN-13: 978-1416543893<\/p>\n

\n

Angeles.<\/p>\n

Mimi Plaisance is a former teacher who now stays home with her four children: Michaela, eleven;<\/p>\n

AND NOW…THE FIRST CHAPTER:<\/span> <\/strong>
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Meet the Pastors\u2019 Wives of Red River, Ohio<\/p>\n

Lisa Barton is an at-home mom with two kids: Callie, sixteen, and Ricky, fourteen. Her husband, Joel, has pastored Red River Assembly of God for nearly five years. Lisa\u2019s parents pastor the Assembly of God in nearby Cloverdale.<\/p>\n

Felicia Lopez-Morrison\u2019s husband, Dave, pastors the First Baptist Church. They have one child, Nicholas, who is five and in kindergarten. Once a high-powered public relations executive with a top national firm, Felicia now works from home for the company\u2019s Midwestern clients. The Morrisons came to Red River three years ago from LosMark, Jr. (MJ), nine; Megan, six; and Milo, fifteen months. Mark, her husband, is senior pastor of Trinity United Methodist Church.<\/p>\n

Jennifer Shores is married to Sam, pastor of Red River Community Church, where she is the church secretary part-time. They have been married twelve years and have one adopted daughter, Carys, who is eleven months old.<\/p>\n

Chapter 1<\/p>\n

Lulu\u2019s Caf\u00e9<\/p>\n

Tuesday, March 18<\/p>\n

12:05 p.m.<\/p>\n

\u201cI can\u2019t believe it!\u201d Felicia Lopez-Morrison waved as she ricocheted through the tables, heading toward her three friends seated in their usual booth in the back right-hand corner of Lulu\u2019s.<\/p>\n

\u201cDid you hear the news?\u201d she asked breathlessly, sliding into the seat next to Jennifer, who pushed her leather purse against the wall and scooched over to give Felicia room.<\/p>\n

Mimi laughed. \u201cYou mean about the scandal?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWho hasn\u2019t heard?\u201d Jennifer leaned over and gave Felicia a side hug.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen Dave told me, I thought he was kidding,\u201d Felicia said. \u201cKitty hasn\u2019t even been in the ground a year.\u201d<\/p>\n

Lisa nodded. \u201cWell, Norm was probably just lonely. He needed the companionship.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThen buy a dog,\u201d Jennifer suggested. \u201cOf course,\u201d she said, getting tickled, \u201cthen people would talk about dogs and a Katt living together!\u201d<\/p>\n

The women groaned.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt would have to be for companionship.\u201d Felicia shouldered Jennifer playfully. \u201cHe just met the woman. He couldn\u2019t love her, could he?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cFrom what I heard,\u201d Mimi said matter-of-factly, \u201cshe\u2019s more like a girl.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLadies!\u201d Lisa smiled but looked a little uncomfortable.<\/p>\n

Jennifer knew Lisa was construing this turn as gossipy. Sweet Lisa, Jennifer thought, looking at her friend, seated across the table from her. Always taking the high road. You\u2019d think after four years of us all being friends, we would have picked up some of her good traits.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, well.\u201d A loud, brassy voice interrupted Jennifer\u2019s thoughts. Their plump, gruff-sounding waitress, Gracie, was standing over their table, pulling out the order pad from thewhite apron strapped around her ample thighs. \u201cGlad to see little Miss Se\u00f1ora made it today.\u201d<\/p>\n

Felicia pulled back in mock offense. \u201cHey, I\u2019m only five minutes late!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, yeah.\u201d A slight smile crossed Gracie\u2019s face. She jutted her chin out toward Felicia. \u201cI\u2019m likin\u2019 you without all the high-and-mighty outfits and shoes and whatnot.\u201d<\/p>\n

Everyone at the table laughed. Felicia spread her arms in show and bowed her head, as if accepting a standing ovation. Gracie threw back her head and guffawed.<\/p>\n

Felicia certainly had changed in the last year she\u2019d been working from home, Jennifer recognized. Her silky black hair, once curled and neatly laying across the top of her shoulders, was now pulled back in a ponytail. And her high-powered business suits and designer shoes had been replaced by a black pair of jeans and a mauve hoodie sweater. Jennifer glanced under the table\u2014Well, her boots are still designer, she thought good-naturedly.<\/p>\n

\u201cI like you girls.\u201d Gracie pulled a pencil from behind her ear. \u201cYou\u2019re always the highlight of my every-other-Tuesday.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, thank you, Gracie,\u201d Mimi said. \u201cAnd you\u2019re ours.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAll right, enough with the chitchat,\u201d Gracie said. \u201cAre we all having the regulars?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, ma\u2019am,\u201d Jennifer and the others chimed in.<\/p>\n

Gracie harrumphed. \u201cI don\u2019t know why I keep taking out my order pad and pen for you all. OK, PWs, I\u2019ll be back with your drinks.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jennifer watched Gracie plod off to her next table of customers several booths toward the front of the caf\u00e9. Jennifer really liked their waitress\u2014and knew her three friends did too. Underneath all Gracie\u2019s gruffness lay a heart as big as an ocean. And it was Gracie who had given the women their official group nickname\u2014the PWs.<\/p>\n

When Jennifer, Mimi, Lisa, and Felicia had started secretly meeting at Lulu\u2019s nearly three years before, Gracie had been their waitress. She\u2019d overheard them talking about God and their churches, figured out that they were all pastors\u2019 wives, and nicknamed them. She\u2019d gotten a big kick out of the fact that the women\u2014all hailing from the southwest Ohio town of Red River\u2014would drive forty miles out of their way every other Tuesday to nosh and chat in this little nothing-special dive. Although the PWs never had explained to Gracie that they met that far from home to avoid nosy townsfolk and church members overhearing their business, their now-seventy-year-old waitress hadn\u2019t taken too long to figure out what was going on.<\/p>\n

Now Gracie ambled slowly behind the front counter to the rectangular opening between the restaurant and the kitchen. She pounded a bell sitting on the ledge and yelled, \u201cOrder in!\u201d<\/p>\n

Felicia unfolded her paper napkin and laid it on her lap. \u201cI just can\u2019t believe it,\u201d she mused, shaking her head. \u201cNorm Katt remarried. To a woman half his age.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhom he just met,\u201d Mimi reminded everyone.<\/p>\n

Jennifer pulled her eyes from watching the cook grab their order ticket and start to read it. Gracie had interrupted a very important news-sharing moment, and Jennifer didn\u2019t want to miss any of it.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd did you hear her name?\u201d Mimi asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cAllison.\u201d Lisa shook her head, looking as if she were trying to suppress a laugh. \u201cAlly.\u201d<\/p>\n

As if in chorus, the women said, \u201cAlly Katt.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDoes the man never learn?\u201d Felicia laughed. \u201cFirst, he marries Kitty. And now Ally.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, if they have children!\u201d Jennifer said. \u201cThey could name one Fraidy.\u201d<\/p>\n

Felicia nodded. \u201cTwins, of course, would be named Siamese and Tiger.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOf course.\u201d Jennifer smiled.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou all are so terrible!\u201d Lisa pushed back her thick, reddish-brown-highlighted hair and fluffed it.<\/p>\n

Mimi sighed and patted Lisa on the arm. \u201cOh, we all know it\u2019s just in fun. We really don\u2019t mean anything by it, do we, ladies? But you do have to admit, it is funny.\u201d<\/p>\n

Lisa rolled her eyes and shook her head as if to say, You silly kids. \u201cHas anybody seen her?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNot that I know of\u2014I mean, except for their church,\u201d Jennifer said. \u201cI guess Norm and his new bride only came back to town a couple weeks ago.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell,\u201d Mimi said, \u201cthat kid\u2019s got a tough act to follow. As much as Kitty drove us all crazy, her church adored her. Wonder how they\u2019ll take to a new pastor\u2019s wife?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t know,\u201d Lisa said. \u201cBut they\u2019ll definitely talk. I hope she knows what she\u2019s gotten herself into.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDid any of us know that when we married pastors?\u201d Mimi asked.<\/p>\n

Lisa smiled. \u201cI guess not.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI sure didn\u2019t!\u201d Jennifer said, thinking back to when she and Sam married twelve years ago. She had been attending the church as a relatively new Christian when Sam arrived on the scene as pastor. \u201cBeing a church member and being a pastor\u2019s wife are two entirely different things.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI didn\u2019t marry a pastor,\u201d Felicia said. \u201cIf you recall, I married a businessman, who decided several years into his career that he was called to be a pastor. I didn\u2019t get that vote.\u201d<\/p>\n

Gracie walked toward them, carrying a tray of drinks. She set it down on the edge of their table. \u201cI\u2019m getting too old for this. Can you believe they still make me carry my own trays? And my shoulder all messed up from that fall back in December?\u201d<\/p>\n

Gracie had taken a tumble on some ice outside Lulu\u2019s one evening after work several months back and hurt her shoulder and hip.<\/p>\n

\u201cIs that still bothering you, Gracie?\u201d Felicia asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cI still go to therapy for it, but you know those doctors. You can\u2019t trust \u2019em.\u201d She handed Mimi a glass of milk and passed Lisa an iced tea. Felicia grabbed the remaining two glasses, each filled with Diet Coke, and handed one to Jennifer.<\/p>\n

\u201cHey!\u201d Gracie said. \u201cYou trying to deprive me of my hard-earned tip?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSorry!\u201d Felicia joked. \u201cBut you know I\u2019m working from home now. I need all the money I can get.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, you\u2019d better find a better table. These girls are tighter than a duck\u2019s behind with their money.\u201d She pulled four straws out of her right apron pocket and plopped them in the center of the table.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll be back.\u201d She winked, then pulled up the tray against her chest and trudged away.<\/p>\n

\u201cCan you believe it\u2019s been a year since Kitty died?\u201d Lisa tore the paper off her straw and crumpled it before dipping the straw into her drink.<\/p>\n

\u201cI know,\u201d Jennifer said. \u201cI kind of miss her. All the snarky comments about how insignificant our churches were compared to hers. The patronizing tone. The condescending looks.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m serious!\u201d Lisa said. \u201cIt was tragic.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI know.\u201d Jennifer sipped her soda. \u201cBelieve me, I wish she hadn\u2019t died. It wasn\u2019t a piece of cake for me\u2014going through that miscarriage and being considered a murder suspect in her death\u2014all in the same weekend.\u201d There I go again, making everything about me, she told herself and inwardly winced.<\/p>\n

Felicia rubbed Jennifer\u2019s back. That was sweet, Jennifer thought, realizing her friends remembered how difficult that time in her life had been. She\u2019d wanted that baby so badly. And to suffer a miscarriage, have an all-out argument with Kitty, threaten her, then have her up and fall down a ravine and break her neck\u2026. It had been devastating.<\/p>\n

\u201cLet\u2019s be honest.\u201d Mimi dabbed at a trace of milk at the corner of her mouth. \u201cWe didn\u2019t like her. She didn\u2019t deserve what happened to her. But life has been calmer and more sane and relaxing since she\u2019s been\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was a year ago yesterday,\u201d Felicia said. \u201cSt. Patrick\u2019s Day weekend. At the pastors\u2019 wives\u2019 retreat.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat reminds me!\u201d Mimi brightened and reached under the table. She pulled up her large purse\/diaper-bag and dug into its depths. In her hands appeared two shamrock-and-cross-covered eggs that were the brightest kelly green Jennifer had ever seen. She laid them on the table and reached back in, producing one more. \u201cFrom Megan. She wanted me to make sure to give these to you. We combined two holidays in one\u2014St. Patrick\u2019s Day and Easter, since that\u2019s this weekend.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cCarys will like this.\u201d Jennifer picked one up and set it on top of her purse.<\/p>\n

\u201cI wonder what she looks like?\u201d Felicia took another of the eggs and placed it by her drink.<\/p>\n

\u201cWho?\u201d Lisa asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cNorm\u2019s new wife.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI wonder if she\u2019ll come to the next pastors\u2019 wives\u2019 meeting at New Life next month?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI already called and invited her. She\u2019s coming.\u201d Lisa tore into a packet of sugar and dumped it into her tea.<\/p>\n

The table fell silent as Jennifer, Mimi, and Felicia all stared open-mouthed at their friend.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat?\u201d Lisa asked.<\/p>\n

She really doesn\u2019t know, Jennifer realized.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019ve been holding out on us, girlfriend!\u201d Mimi said.<\/p>\n

\u201cSpill it,\u201d Felicia said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat? There\u2019s nothing to tell, really.\u201d Lisa fidgeted a little in her seat. \u201cI called her last Friday. We didn\u2019t talk that long. I just congratulated her on her wedding, welcomed her to Red River and to being a pastor\u2019s wife, then invited her to next month\u2019s meeting.\u201d She looked around the table. \u201cOK. She did sound young . . . and very perky. And . . . she giggled a lot.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jennifer, Felicia, and Mimi eyed each other knowingly. Yep, this is going to be a fun meeting next month. How in the world did Norm go from hard-edged, superior Kitty to an early twenties cheerleader?<\/p>\n

\u201cWonder what Kitty would think?\u201d Felicia asked.<\/p>\n

Lisa shrugged. \u201cI\u2019d hope she\u2019d be glad that Norm found someone who loves him and is going to take care of him.\u201d<\/p>\n

Before Jennifer could say anything, Gracie arrived with their food.<\/p>\n

\u201cAll right, PWs, quit your yakking and help me unload this thing.\u201d Gracie pulled the first plate off the tray and handed it to Mimi. Mimi looked at the tuna melt and strip of cantaloupe and passed it on to Lisa. Jennifer\u2019s was next with her chicken strips and fries. Then Felicia took her Caesar salad. Last was Mimi\u2019s hamburger.<\/p>\n

They got their food situated, passing the ketchup and salt, then Felicia offered grace.<\/p>\n

Mimi shoved a fry in her mouth and savored it. \u201cI love Milo, but I gotta tell you, it\u2019s nice to eat a full meal without messy little fingers showing up, grabbing something on my plate.\u201d<\/p>\n

Felicia poured the dressing over her salad. \u201cI know what that\u2019s like. Oh, the peace and quiet\u2014and adult conversation!\u201d<\/p>\n

Jennifer smiled as she thought of eleven-month-old Carys doing that same thing. But her thoughts drifted back to Kitty and the week following her death. Jennifer had been considered\u2014although not officially\u2014a murder suspect and had had to endure the detectives following her around, treating her like a criminal, until they determined Kitty\u2019s death had been an accident.<\/p>\n

\u201cRemember last year when those detectives were following me around?\u201d Jennifer asked, trying to sound nonchalant.<\/p>\n

With their mouths all full, the others could only nod and say, \u201cMmm-hmmm.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, it\u2019s happening again. At least I think it is.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat?\u201d Mimi half-choked and plopped her burger onto her plate. She pounded on her chest with her fist as if trying to move the meat down her esophagus. \u201cDetectives are following you around?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t know who it is. But I keep seeing this black town car everywhere I go. Just glimpses of it, really. But . . .\u201d Jennifer knew the whole thing sounded crazy. And verbalizing it made it sound even more outlandish. Maybe I\u2019m just making this up. \u201cNever mind. It\u2019s . . . probably nothing.\u201d She tried to laugh it off. \u201cJust my overactive imagination. You know, with all the sleep deprivation and everything.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, yeah, I can relate,\u201d Mimi said. But she tilted her head toward Jennifer. \u201cYou OK? I mean, if somebody is following you . . .\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy would somebody follow you?\u201d Felicia asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s just it.\u201d Jennifer swirled her chicken strip in a sea of barbecue sauce. \u201cI don\u2019t know. I can\u2019t think of one plausible explanation.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMaybe it\u2019s a church member trying to dig up dirt on you.\u201d Felicia smiled and patted Jennifer\u2019s arm.<\/p>\n

Jennifer laughed. \u201cNo, that would be Lisa with that problem.\u201d<\/p>\n

Lisa lifted her napkin to hide her face, then let it droop just below her eyes. Wide-eyed, she looked around the diner frantically. They all laughed, but Jennifer knew Lisa was trying to put up a good front. Lisa had lost fifteen pounds in the last six months, and the sparkle in her hazel eyes had lost its shine. Poor Lisa. God, take care of this situation at her church. They don\u2019t deserve this. They\u2019re good people.
\n\u201cWhat\u2019s going on with your church?\u201d Jennifer asked, partly to take the focus from her, and partly because she hadn\u2019t heard the update in a while.<\/p>\n

Lisa dropped the napkin back to her lap and shrugged. \u201cSame old, same old. At least Joel is still the pastor\u2014though I don\u2019t know for how much longer. He\u2019s meeting with the head troublemaker next week to confront him.\u201d<\/p>\n

That\u2019s not going to be easy. Although Jennifer and Sam had had their share of church member issues, they\u2019d never gone through major conflict, as Lisa and her husband, Joel, were now. She ached for them.<\/p>\n

Lisa continued. \u201cI just wish . . . you know, if these people are so upset, why do they cause such trouble? Why not just leave? Why make it into a huge power struggle?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBecause\u2014\u201d Mimi leaned over until her shoulder was touching Lisa\u2019s\u2014\u201cand you should know this better than any of us, Miss Assemblies of God, this is called spiritual warfare. The enemy doesn\u2019t want the church to be vibrant and powerful in the community. He\u2019d rather take down a church from the inside out than have it succeed.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, sure, look at it from a spiritual perspective, why don\u2019t you?\u201d Felicia smiled gently.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s hard to do that, though, isn\u2019t it?\u201d Jennifer asked. \u201cEspecially when the hurt is so physical and emotional.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, sweetie, you know you\u2019re in our prayers.\u201d Mimi wrapped her arm around Lisa and squeezed.<\/p>\n

Lisa just nodded and looked down. Jennifer could tell her friend was embarrassed, because she\u2019d quickly wiped at her eyes.<\/p>\n

\u201cHow are things in your life?\u201d Jennifer asked Felicia, trying to take off some of the pressure from Lisa.<\/p>\n

\u201cActually, can\u2019t complain right now.\u201d Felicia swirled around some more dressing in her salad but didn\u2019t look anyone in the eyes. \u201cMy clients are happy. I mean, there are challenges working at home. Mostly because everybody thinks that since I\u2019m home, I\u2019m, you know, sitting around watching Dr. Phil and just waiting for someone to put me to good use.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, yes.\u201d Mimi laughed. \u201cBeen there. Everybody thinks that we live to serve, huh? OK, well, we do, actually\u2014at least that\u2019s what my kids tell me\u2014but still!\u201d She laughed again.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo that\u2019s been a bit of a challenge. But other than that, things are . . . good.\u201d Felicia held up crossed fingers. \u201cEnjoy the peace while I can, right?\u201d<\/p>\n

Jennifer waited to see if Felicia would say any more. She got the sense something else was going on with Felicia but knew her friend would speak up when the time was right.<\/p>\n

Lisa must have thought the same, because she turned to Mimi. \u201cAnd how about you? How\u2019s Dad doing?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAwwk.\u201d Mimi rolled her eyes. \u201cAs ornery as ever. One of the conditions for Dad staying with us is that he\u2019s supposed to attend his AA meetings. He\u2019s still attending, but he\u2019s also still drinking. He does it on the sly, like he thinks we don\u2019t notice. I don\u2019t know what to do, honestly. We can\u2019t kick him out; he\u2019s got no place else to go.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhere\u2019s your mom?\u201d Felicia asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe\u2019s down in Kentucky, staying with her sister. She\u2019s definitely not interested in taking him back. And I don\u2019t blame her. Life with my father has never been easy. But when he ran off to California with that woman . . . I can\u2019t say I\u2019d take him back either, if he were my husband.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSo instead,\u201d Jennifer said, feeling a little bitter, \u201cyou, the daughter, have to take him in and parent him.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mimi half-chuckled. \u201cYep. My sister made it clear she wasn\u2019t interested. So I\u2019m it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDoesn\u2019t that tick you off?\u201d Jennifer said.<\/p>\n

\u201cSometimes, yes. But you know, I\u2019m the responsible one.\u201d She tucked her short, blond hair behind her ears\u2014something she did whenever she was stressed or frustrated about something. \u201cPlus, Mark and I have been trying to look at it from a spiritual perspective. He\u2019s my dad\u2014and he needs the Lord.\u201d<\/p>\n

Just like my mother. Jennifer tried to push the thought aside.<\/p>\n

\u201cIs he going to church with you yet?\u201d Felicia asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, that\u2019s one thing he refuses to do. But we keep working on him. It\u2019s really cute to see Megan reprimanding him about not attending.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jennifer could picture Mimi\u2019s precocious six-year-old giving her grandfather a lecture about loving Jesus and getting saved.<\/p>\n

Gracie reappeared and dropped the check on the table. \u201cHere\u2019s your parting gift, ladies. Hope you have a good week and those preacher husbands of yours treat you all right.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHey, how\u2019s your sister doing, Gracie?\u201d Lisa asked as Gracie started to turn away.<\/p>\n

Gracie grimaced and a shadow crossed her face. Jennifer knew Gracie\u2019s sister had been diagnosed with breast cancer a year ago and had gone through surgery and chemo.<\/p>\n

\u201cNot good. She just went to the doc last week. It\u2019s back and vicious.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI thought she had it beat,\u201d Jennifer said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe thought so too, but when she went in for a checkup, they found it. It\u2019s in her bones and I don\u2019t know where all.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, Gracie, we\u2019re so sorry.\u201d Mimi touched Gracie\u2019s hand. Gracie squeezed it and held on.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, Gracie,\u201d Jennifer murmured.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s terrible,\u201d said Lisa.<\/p>\n

Felicia just shook her head, her face heavy.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m flying down there to Florida next week to be with her,\u201d Gracie said. \u201cSo I guess I won\u2019t see you next time.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ll be praying for your sister\u2014and for you,\u201d Lisa said.<\/p>\n

Gracie nodded and let go of Mimi\u2019s hand. \u201cI know you will. If God hears anybody, I know it\u2019s you four women. Pray hard, will ya? Maybe he\u2019ll take pity on an old, crotchety woman and her sister.\u201d She winked, then turned and walked slowly away.<\/p>\n

Jennifer and the others looked at one another but didn\u2019t say anything for a moment.<\/p>\n

\u201cI had no idea.\u201d Felicia\u2019s eyes followed Gracie as she tended to her other customers on the other side of the restaurant.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe didn\u2019t let on at all that something was up,\u201d Mimi said, looking amazed at how well Gracie had covered up her pain.<\/p>\n

\u201cMaybe we should pray for her and her sister right now,\u201d Lisa suggested.<\/p>\n

Jennifer and the others agreed. There was no better time and place to pray.<\/p><\/div>\n

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It is time for a FIRST Wild Card Tour book review! If you wish to join the FIRST blog alliance, just click the button. We are a group of reviewers who tour Christian books. A Wild Card post includes a brief bio of the author and a full chapter from each book toured. The reason […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1227","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-books"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.daysongreflections.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1227","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.daysongreflections.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.daysongreflections.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.daysongreflections.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.daysongreflections.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1227"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/www.daysongreflections.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1227\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1235,"href":"https:\/\/www.daysongreflections.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1227\/revisions\/1235"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.daysongreflections.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1227"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.daysongreflections.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1227"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.daysongreflections.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1227"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}