Woodlands by Robin Jones Gunn Read Free Book Online Page B

without me?
    She felt the old, junky emotions rise to the surface. Familiar old thoughts. It was hard to make them go away.
    “Let me ask you something,” Seth said, hesitating on his way to the front door.
    Leah’s spirits rose. “Yes?”
    “Do I turn right at the end of your street to get back to Main?”
    “Yes, right at the corner.”
    “Thanks,” he said. And then he was gone.
    She stood silently for a few minutes, fighting back the disappointment. She had come so close to experiencing what she had longed for, the start of a new and rather promising friendship. But he left. Right on cue.
    Did I sabotage the whole thing by continually asking why he had moved here? Why did I pull away when he took my hand? Why did he leave? Would he have stayed if I hadn’t been so pushy?
    Leah gave up on the spinach and settled for a Little League frozen bean burrito. She leaned against the kitchen counter trying to remember what Brad, one of her friends, had told her last summer when she went to him for counseling. She had slumped into a state of depression when her parents’ house wasn’t selling. The house she had wanted to buy was sold before she could make an offer, and nothing seemed to be moving forward in her life.
    Brad had told her, “Blocked goals lead to anger, and blocked anger leads to depression. Readjust your goals and find healthy ways to express your anger or you’re going to be one depressed little chickadee.”
    Brad’s counseling methods weren’t always conventional, but his words had helped her. She readjusted her goals regarding thehouse, and she confided her anger and frustration to Jessica, who listened without offering any advice other than “Let’s pray about this some more together.” Every Monday evening for four months, Leah had met with Jessica, and they prayed together.
    Now Leah could look back and see how God had worked out everything better than her original plans. Her parents’ house sold for less than she had hoped, but her sisters had had a change of heart and agreed Leah should have all the profit from the house’s sale. The amount had been enough to buy this house outright, which meant she had no monthly mortgage payment. The house that fell through was twice the size and twice the price. If she had ended up with that other house, she would have been paying on it for at least fifteen years.
    Leah had to admit God had been good to her. That didn’t mean she was ready to trust him completely, though. Over the past few years it had become safer to keep God nearby but at a bit of a distance. She was one of his children. She knew that. She also knew she wasn’t one of his favorites. It was best not to bother him too much but to take care of matters herself as much as possible.
    With that in mind, Leah wondered if she should readjust her goals again.
    Should I plan a trip to Europe? I don’t exactly have enough money at the moment. I could start a special savings account and try to put away two hundred dollars a month. In six months I’d have … No, I’d have to put away more than that!
    Leah set to work dyeing her mound of Easter eggs since she did her best thinking when she was busy on a project. She knew she didn’t want to take off for Europe by herself; it would be much more fun to go with a friend.
    But who?
    Leaning against the counter with an egg in each hand, Leahsaid to herself, “Go ahead; be honest. The only friendship you’re interested in developing right now is with Seth Edwards. And you have no idea if he feels the same way.”
    In an effort to readjust some of her goals, Leah began to formulate a plan. First she decided she would make Seth feel welcomed in Glenbrooke by throwing a party at her home in his honor. Next she would make some cookies this weekend and surprise him at work on Monday.
    Before she went to bed, Leah had a long mental list of wonderful things she could do for Seth. Giving was what Leah did best. It delighted her to fall asleep thinking