with your life. That really hit home for Gabi, since she was trying hard to be responsible. Attending Bible study on a Saturday night was a big step—it was certainly different from hitting the bars and waking up with a booming headache.
Yes, life was different.
Life was better.
She thought about her friends back in Austin who she and Phillip had hung out with almost every night. Most of them had been musicians like Phillip, playing hard both on stage and off. Not all of them were out of control. Some of them were responsible and knew when to say no to another drink. She hadn’t been one of them. And it had really scared her. If she hadn’t woke up when she did, giving up alcohol wouldn’t have been as easy. Without God’s help, she wasn’t sure if she could have at all. There wasn’t a day that went by that she didn’t think about it. Keeping busy and studying the Bible was helping.
She listened intently as different people talked about what they’d done to use God’s gifts in their lives responsibly. She took mental notes and kept her mouth shut. She hadn’t talked to anyone about her past, and she didn’t plan on doing it any time soon. She didn’t feel like opening up about all of her mistakes. Talk about embarrassing. Sure, she’d insinuated a few things to Jess about her life. But then she’d caught herself and hadn’t revealed too much.
Nothing about how really out of control she’d been…what would people think of her if they knew?
Nope, she was here to move forward. Not to look back and be judged by her past.
There was nothing wrong with a girl wanting her privacy. Nothing at all.
Chapter Five
Sunday morning brought a big smile to Gabi’s heart as she rolled over in bed and stared out the window from her room in Gram’s house. Breathing in the scent of lemon wax and rose petals, she stretched slowly, taking advantage of the last few minutes before she sprang out of bed.
When Gram had married Sam she’d chosen to move from the small house she’d lived in for years, which happened to be beside the large family home that Adela had grown up in. She’d turned that spacious treasure into an apartment house. The grand old house sat on Main Street at the entrance of town with its wide porches, majestic turrets and many, many memories from Gabi’s childhood. It was here that her faith had been grounded by both Gram and her mother. She’d no excuse for turning her back on God.
Beside it, though she’d moved to Sam’s home in the country, Adela had kept her small home—just in case family came to visit or wanted to move home. She’d insisted that Gabi live here. Staring out the window, Gabi could see a red bird sitting on the rain gutter. Joy filled her. She loved her life and was so thankful just to be living the opportunity she’d been given. She was home in so many ways than the obvious.
She dressed quickly, yanking on an old pair of jeans and an oversized green T-shirt. She tugged her boots on, then headed out the door. She had animals to tend at the clinic before getting ready for church.
The clinic was quiet as she unlocked the door and entered. From the back, the colt nickered. Knowing she was going to help the hurting animal renewed Gabi’s certainty that she was doing what she was supposed to do with her life.
“Hey, Peanut,” she said, softly. He ambled up and watched her open the gate and enter his stall. Gabi ran her hand over the silken star on his forehead, enjoying the trust in his eyes.
“You’re going to be okay, boy,” she assured him, then gently she began cleaning his wound. She loved that she could help hurting animals heal. She also liked knowing she could help animal owners too…. Jess came instantly to mind.
The handsome cowboy had been in her thoughts all night. Even after she’d left the ranch, she’d spent time digging through her book of toxic plants. But that wasn’t the one thing she was thinking about. It was his reaction to her talking about God.
He’d sidestepped her attempt at getting him to agree that God had the situation under control. She was certain he’d purposefully began talking about plants in order to not talk about God. Why?
Peanut flinched as she rubbed salve on his wound. “Sorry, fella,” she apologized. “Why wouldn’t Jess want to talk about God, huh, Peanut? I mean, ever since asking God into my life, I like to talk about Him.” It was a relationship and she wanted to get closer to Him.
After she finished with the colt, she checked the other patients then hurried back home, showered and dressed. There were several groups of people standing around on the grass in front of the white plank building when Gabi arrived at the Mule Hollow Church of Faith. She loved the steep rooftop and tall white steeple of the church. Though it was a typical country church, it had stood the test of time well. There could be no doubt in anyone’s mind that this house of God was well cared for and had been built on a solid foundation. Just looking at it gave Gabi a sense of peace and excitement at the same time. She had a smile on her face as she hurried from her old truck and headed toward her friends.
Life was good. How could it get any better?
“Ain’t you a pretty sight this morning,” Applegate Thornton boomed, loud enough for everyone within a mile radius to hear. Skinny as a man could be and not break in half, his seemingly perpetual frown lifted in a smile.
Gabi beamed at his good-natured greeting. “Why, thank you, Mr. Applegate.” She’d pulled on a white blouse and a red skirt with white sandals and was feeling fresh and summery. After wearing jeans and boots at work all week, it was fun to be a little girly. “Even a tomboy like me enjoys frilling up at least once a week.”
“You done good,” Stanley Orr added, almost as loud as his buddy App. His cherry cheeks beamed. The two men were in their late seventies, hard of hearing and retired. They could be found most mornings frowning over a game of checkers at Sam’s Diner. Gabi usually saw them when she stopped in for her morning coffee. She enjoyed giving them a hard time and they relished throwing it right back at her and everyone else who stopped in. They were certainly part of Mule Hollow’s charm.
Before she could say more, Esther Mae and Norma Sue hurried over.
“That’s some hat, Esther Mae.” Gabi was unable to take her eyes off the multicolored monstrosity. There were feathers and flowers erupting all over the place. It looked like a flower arrangement that had had a head-on collision with several flocks of birds.
“Thank you. Joseph had a coat of many colors and I have a hat of many colors. Don’t you just love it!”
Norma Sue grunted. “If Joseph’s coat was as gosh-awful as that hat, then it’s no wonder his brothers sold him off to Egypt. Just shows you that God will use anything to accomplish His will.”
Esther Mae harrumphed and hiked her chin in the air. “They were jealous of his coat.” She patted her feathers and gave her friend a teasing grin. “You can’t have it, Norma Sue, get your own.”
“My own! We can only hope it’s one of a kind.”
Gabi laughed, “Y’all never stop.”
“Ain’t that the truth,” App boomed. Giving them a sour look, he shook his head then addressed Gabi again. “I was about ta ask you—before we were inter-rupted.” He gave them another hard look for good measure. “What’d ya find out at Jess’s place yesterday about his cattle?”
