Right as Church on Sunday Morning/New Beginning
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Emma Grace really didn’t feel much like talking; she was hurt by the things Luke had said and she wanted time to be by herself, lick her wounds, ask God’s forgiveness for the night before, talk to God, and figure out what to do next. She had learned years ago to run towards aloneness when things got out of control and she didn’t know what to do. Alone and undisturbed she could think and feel everything. Here on the ranch, she learned to run for the wide-open spaces surrounded by uninterrupted sky and the far-off mountains. She loved this country: the openness, the wildness, the beauty, the ruggedness, and the loneliness. She could breathe, and more importantly, she could see and feel God; it was easier out here, without interruptions, to hear God. She knew out here in the wildness there was danger, but she not only knew God was here; she felt him and knew He would protect her. Besides her prayer journal and talks with God before bed, this is where she met and talked with God. She knew she could talk to God anywhere, but with all the cooking, helping with homework, raising the kids, and running so many errands, it was hard to hear God, but here, in what she believed was God’s front yard, she could really listen for him, and she knew she was welcomed. She wanted to cry. She wanted to cry for the hurt Luke had dealt her. She wanted to cry for the disappointment she believed Alec felt in her. She wanted to cry for her weakness last night. She wanted to cry for the beauty of this country. She wanted to cry for the closeness she felt to God. But she couldn’t; Wyatt was here.
They rode for quite a while without saying anything. Finally, Emma Grace turned to Wyatt, gave him a small smile and a forced cheerfulness.
“How are you doing?”
“Good,” he replied.
Wyatt slowly opened up to her. He said he was sorry about what Luke had said and for the way he treated her. He talked about being nervous ushering at Matt’s wedding. He talked about baseball and how much he liked playing it. Emma Grace listened and nodded every now and then as they continued to ride farther and farther away from the house. Listening to Wyatt was settling to her and her unsuredness. Somehow listening to an eleven-year-old’s life helped her put her life in perspective. And she loved him for it. And she thanked God. He talked to her in mysterious ways.
As she was listening and thinking about everything Wyatt rattled on about, her horse stopped and suddenly snorted and reared up. Emma Grace held the reins firmly and pulled back hard on them. Her heartbeat quickened, and her sun-filled green eyes quickly darted around looking for danger. Her eyes caught a movement and there he unexpectedly was, the mountain lion, about fifty yards up ahead and to the right on top of a boulder.
“Wyatt, freeze,” she whispered. “Hold tightly onto the reins. Get ready for him to rear up.”
Wyatt followed her stare to the mountain lion and understood.
She quietly and slowly slid off the saddle with the rifle. She didn’t really know where to stand and take the shot. She knew Dolly would bolt at the sound of the gunshot, and she didn’t want to get trampled. She hoped and prayed that Wyatt could control his horse.
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About the Book
Emma Grace is a nurse who is running away from a bad relationship, and Alec is a bull rider running away from himself. She believes in God; he does not. She cannot forgive herself for straying from her relationship with God; he cannot forgive those he believes failed him.
After a tragic car accident in which Alec barely survives and his brother Tom is killed, Emma Grace becomes Alec’s nurse. Through the cold winter nights of Alec’s recovery, unspoken feelings develop. Before being discharged from the hospital, Alec learns that Tom’s will has made him the guardian of Tom’s four children provided he settles down and marries; otherwise, the children will have to leave the only home they have ever known. Emma Grace suggests a solution: why doesn’t Alec marry her?
Emma Grace relies on her prayer journal and daily walk with God to not only find forgiveness for herself but also the guidance and wisdom she needs in her new roles of wife and mother. Alec returns to his use of anger to cope with the permanent injuries sustained from years of riding bulls and his new roles as husband and father. Despite all odds, these two people, guided by Emma Grace’s faith, learn to forgive themselves, raise a godly family, and find the strong love they’ve been searching for.
About the Author
Susan Beard Istre has taught English and United States history for over thirty years in the Texas secondary public school system. She has two adult children and three grandchildren. She is a fifth generation Texan who makes her home in a small Texas town outside of Houston. Right as Church on Sunday Morning is her first novel.