A Firm Foundation
Page 23
After the introductions were made, Paul opened his arms and hugged her. “You are astonishing,” he told her. “I’m so proud of you, Katie. I thank God for sharing you with me every day.”
Tears stung Kate’s eyes, and she kissed her husband right there in the middle of Main Street. “I love you,” she told him. Then she remembered what he’d been doing that morning. “Why are you here? I thought you’d be working on Louisa’s roof.”
“None of us wanted to miss this,” he said. “When we thought the library was coming down, I thought moral support might be needed. As it turned out, we were able to lend a little more than just moral support.”
Kate laughed, thinking of all the people who had stepped in front of those machines to stage a sit-down protest.
Over Paul’s shoulder, she caught sight of Livvy. Her friend was surrounded by Danny and their boys and a dozen other library workers and volunteers. Louisa Pellman had moved to her side, and Livvy had her arm around Louisa’s shoulders, patting her as she wept. But as Kate’s eyes met Livvy’s, Livvy grinned and beckoned.
“We’ll talk later,” Kate said to Paul. “Right now I have to go celebrate with Livvy!” And she flew off to her friend.
Livvy met her halfway, and they threw themselves into each other’s arms as their families and friends beamed.
“Oh, Kate,” Livvy said, hugging her so tightly that Kate squeaked and gasped for breath, “if not for you, this horrible event would have had a very different outcome. How can I ever thank you? I gave up, you know. When I should have been trusting God and supporting you, I was throwing in the towel and bracing myself for the worst.”
“It’s understandable,” Kate said. “It’s called self-protection. You had to prepare yourself for the worst so you could function afterward. If the demolition had occurred, everyone would have been looking to you for leadership.”
Livvy closed her eyes for a moment. “I still can’t believe it isn’t going to happen!”
Kate took her by the shoulders and gently squeezed. “It isn’t going to happen,” she said. Then she shook her head. “Although we’ve got a huge task ahead of us putting everything back.”
“I don’t care!” Livvy laughed, sounding giddy and just the teeniest bit hysterical. “It needed a good cleaning anyway. And maybe new carpet and some paint while we’re at it!”
Kate and the volunteers gathered around and laughed. Renee had retrieved Kisses from Adam Crawford, who was directing his men as they got ready to take the demolition equipment away.
Renee said, “And we’ll all help, Livvy. I can direct the restoration of the historical room for you.”
Livvy smiled and patted Renee on the shoulder. “Thank you,” she said. “I’ll decide how to handle it all in a little while.”
Behind Renee, Morty rolled his eyes.
Paul joined Kate. “We have an awful lot to be thankful for here today,” he said. “Would anyone care to pray with me for a moment?”
“Excellent idea,” said Father Lucas. He extended his hands to those on either side of him, and within minutes, a huge circle had formed in front of the library, hands clasped tightly together.
Paul pitched his voice loudly so that everyone could hear. “Dear Lord,” he began, “we thank you for this glorious day. We thank you for your divine intervention in the form of all the people who worked to save this library—”
“Especially Mrs. Hanlon,” piped up Jeremy.
Everyone chuckled, and Paul said, “Especially Mrs. Hanlon. And also Jeremy Pellman, who was brave enough to stage a peaceful protest to save his squirrels.” He continued to pray, ultimately inviting everyone to join in saying the Lord’s Prayer together.
As they prayed, Kate opened her eyes a tiny bit. Beneath her lashes, she peeked around, thanking God for this special little town.
About the Author
A BEST-SELLING AUTHOR with multiple awards to her credit, Anne Marie Rodgers has more than three dozen novels of inspirational and romance fiction in print. She has been honored by Washington Romance Writers with the chapter’s highest volunteer award for outstanding chapter service. Anne Marie enjoys needlework, singing with her church choir and Nittany Lions’ sporting events at her home in State College, Pennsylvania. She and her family have raised guide dog puppies, and she has worked in animal rescue for many years. After Hurricane Katrina, she volunteered at the Humane Society of Louisiana. Anne Marie currently volunteers at a wildlife rehabilitation center.
A Note from the Editors
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