Entertaining Angels (35 page)

She found his candor both surprising and refreshing. “I
would have never guessed that you’d had any reservations. You’re a great minister.”

“Because I help out at the soup kitchen? Or because I visit the shut-ins on a regular basis?” He seemed to chuff silently. “Any lay person could—and
should
—be doing that.”

“Okay, I agree. But when I talked to you about the guilt I’d been harboring for years, you told me to talk to Gram about it, and I followed your advice. For the first time since I got pregnant, I have peace and a sense of direction. Sure, things aren’t always easy, but there’s light at the end of the tunnel. I don’t have any idea when I’ll be able to register for a few classes at the junior college, but I know that I will. And while I may not go to medical school, I can certainly become a nurse. Who knows what the future might bring?”

“Thanks, Kristy. In the past day or so, several different people have mentioned that I’ve helped them come to grips with problems in their lives. Maybe I have something to offer the people in this community after all. I just have to …”

“… blaze your own trail?” she asked.

He smiled. “Yeah. Maybe so.”

Before she could respond, the back door opened and slammed shut.

“Mom?” Jason called.

“I’m in the living room.”

Footsteps sounded, growing louder, as Jason padded into the room. In his arms, he held a familiar blue quilted jacket.

“Where did you get that?” she asked.

“It was on the back porch all folded up like a present.”

“Isn’t that the one Jesse was wearing?” Craig asked.

“I think so.” Kristy took the jacket from her son, felt the material and checked the inside tag. “Yes, I’m sure it is. When I gave it to him, he said he’d return it.”

“Maybe he was here after all.”

“Here and gone home,” she said. “This is all so … weird. In fact, things have been weird about that guy from the first moment I saw him. I can’t explain it.”

“Scripture might.”

“What do you mean?”

“Do not forget to entertain strangers,” Craig said, “for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it.”

“Do you think Jesse is an angel?”

Craig paused for a moment, as though struggling with the notion, just as Kristy was, then gave an open-handed shrug. “I’m not sure what I believe.”

Six months later, Kristy stood before a full-length mirror in the church choir room, wearing a white gown and veil. She’d purposely chosen a color that seemed appropriate, even though there might be a few in Fairbrook who would question her choice.

She felt like a princess today, one who was pure and cherished. One who was worthy.

The daughter of a king.

In spite of any mistakes she might have made along the way, in spite of those she might make in the future, Kristy now realized her value—thanks in large part to Jesse.

His arrival in Fairbrook had been a real blessing to many.

No one had seen him since the day he’d returned the blue jacket and left it on her back porch. He’d moved out of their lives as simply and silently as he’d moved in. Yet the homeless man—or had he been an angel?—had touched the lives and the hearts of everyone with whom he’d had contact.

Well, at least he’d touched those whose hearts were open.

“Are you ready?” Shana asked, as she approached the mirror and smiled at their images—the happy bride and her maid of honor.

“Yes.” Kristy turned to her best friend. Just last month, when Shana and Ramon had exchanged vows in this very church, Kristy and Craig had stood up with them.

They’d had some things to work through first, but it was clear that they loved each other. Shana’s parents had also been surprisingly supportive of their union and had accepted Carlitos and Luis as part of the package.

Several months ago, Ramon had mentioned that Brad had a cousin named Matthew, and that the two Rensfields might have been involved in a cover-up to avoid a paternity suit.

Kristy had considered following up on that lead, but only for the briefest of moments. Craig wanted to adopt Jason, and she couldn’t imagine her son having a better, more loving father.

“Kristy,” Gram said, her face beaming with love and pride, “you look absolutely beautiful.”

Kristy’s heart swelled to the point that it might overflow with love. “Thanks, Gram. So do you.”

Her grandmother, whose wheelchair had been adorned with silver ribbons and white roses, wore a blue gown they’d found in a Nordstrom bag in the closet, a dress she’d purchased before her stroke and had never had the chance to wear. Her eyes danced with joy.

A knock sounded at the door, and Shana answered.

Dawn entered the small room carrying Jessica, Renee’s two-month-old baby in her arms. “Pastor George said it’s time. So whenever you’re ready …”

Renee, who was dressed in the same style gown as Shana and would walk down the aisle first, brushed a kiss on little Jessica’s cheek. “Is she being good for you, Mom?”

“So far so good. If she starts fussing, your father said he’d take her out of the church and give her a bottle. He never has been very good with a camera, and I want to get some pictures.”

Jessica, who Renee had named after Jesse, was just about the prettiest baby Kristy had ever seen, with big blue eyes and dark curly hair.

And speaking of pretty babies …

“How’s Jason doing?” Kristy asked.

“He’s with Craig and the groomsmen,” Dawn said. “You can’t believe how cute he is in that little tuxedo.”

“I can’t wait to see him.”

Dawn glanced around the room and smiled. “I love weddings. And this one feels like a dream come true.”

“I know what you mean,” Kristy said. “I want to pinch myself half the time, just to make sure I’m not dreaming.”

“Are you ready?” Shana asked Kristy.

“I’ve never been more ready.” She was a princess, the daughter of the King.

And the future never looked so bright.

ABOUT THIS GUIDE

The suggested questions are included
to enchance your group’s
reading of Judy Duarte’s

Entertaining Angels

1. When Jesse met Craig at the Fairbrook city limits sign, he said, “Things aren’t always what they seem.” People often make false assumptions, which can be damaging to themselves and to others. Kristy made one such assumption when she accused Renee of stealing. As a reader, you knew the truth ahead of time. Did you have an emotional response to Kristy’s false accusation? Did she lose favor in your eyes? Why or why not?
   

2. While reflecting on the time when she and her mother had been homeless, Kristy remembered what it felt like to be seen as an apparition rather than a real person.
   But we’re here,
   she’d wanted to shout.
   And we’re hungry. Don’t pretend you can’t see us.
   Some people avoid making eye contact with those who make them feel uncomfortable. We’ve all been guilty of it at one time or another. Why do you think that is?
   

3. Jason missed not having a father, Danny’s dad was in prison, and Tommy’s father left his wife and kids for another woman. While the kids discussed absent fathers, Renee reached over, patted Jason on the knee, and said, “My dad hasn’t been in my life for almost as long as I can remember. And the way I see it, sometimes having a dad can be more trouble than it’s worth.” What were your thoughts about that discussion? Do the details surrounding a father’s absence make it any tougher or easier for a child? Was Renee reflecting upon her own experience?
   

4. Jesse said, “Life’s a journey with twists and turns and potholes….” Later, after talking to Jesse, Gram told Shana, “… life is a journey. Sometimes the scenery is
   lovely, and at other times, the sky is dark and gloomy, the road full of potholes. But along the way, there are lessons to learn. And those lessons come in the strangest ways.” Whose journey had the most impact on you while you were reading? How does this relate to your own life?
   

5. In the author’s first novel,
   Mulberry Park,
   many of the characters saw their faith shattered along life’s journey. In
   Entertaining Angels,
   many of the characters had their dreams shattered. Choose one character and explain what you learned about how he or she handled losing his or her dream.
   

6. Jesse used a fairy tale about a princess who forgot her own value. Then he told Kristy not to sell herself short. How did that fairy tale speak to you?
   

7. The author addressed several similar conflicts, including lost dreams and altered game plans. Which of the characters struggling with regret and disappointment did you relate to best, and why?
   

8. Lorraine (Gram) told Shana, “Mistakes and sins are a dime a dozen. We all make them. God’s forgiveness comes easy, but it’s our own that’s hard.” Then she used a plastic Army man as an analogy while talking to Shana. “You’re burdened by guilt,” she said, “and you’ve asked God to take it. He’s willing, but he’s not going to jerk it out of your hands. You have to release it.” What things (or old baggage) do people tend to hang on to?
   

9. The following are Jesse-isms. Choose one that hits home with you and share why: (a) Things aren’t always what they seem. (b) Donations are fine and are needed some
   times, but you need to do some actual foot washing rather than offer to pay for someone’s pedicure. (c) You can’t do anything about someone else’s attitude. You can only change you own. (d) God doesn’t give a person a dream without also giving the power to make it come true. But that doesn’t mean it won’t take a great deal of work on your part. (e) A wise man once told me that the essence of mental health is knowing you have options. (f) You’re doomed to make the same mistakes that your parents made if you don’t make some changes—mistakes that will make you unhappy for a very long time. (g) Sometimes confrontations are the only way out.
   

10. Have you ever encountered a stranger who touched your life in an unexpected way? Have you ever wondered whether you’ve been visited by an angel?