"That's great!" Noah said, looking excited. Grace stood beside him.
"Are you sure? I don't want you to not sleep for the entire week of Christmas because you're working your fingers to the bone."
Olivia shook her head at Grace. "No. I think it's totally doable, and I'm excited about it. It sounds like it will be beautiful, and I'm thrilled and honored that I will get to play a small part in it."
"We haven't actually talked about the cost. I assumed that we would charge money for tickets and be able to pay for the candlesthat way. I guess I hadn't gotten any further than that." Noah looked a little sheepish, like he should've thought of such things.
"I'm not too concerned about it. I will use some candles I already have, and while I can definitely use the work and the money, I understand this is a spur-of-the-moment thing."
"But we've got a captive audience right here, and we can sell tickets to all of them, and also make some announcements on social media and online. We can even use the church's website to announce it as well."
"All right then. I'll figure some things out and we'll get together to make those announcements." Grace smiled. And then, talking to each other, they walked off.
"They work so well together," Olivia said. And then she shook her head, and glanced at him and gave a nervous laugh. He got the feeling that she hadn't meant for him to hear that.
"I think some people just do. They click or something, you know? Not that a marriage can't happen between two people who don't get along, don't work well together to begin with. I think that's something you grow into eventually if you don't have it to begin with."
"I agree. It's always nice when that happens."
Again, he wanted to ask about her previous relationship, but he knew this was not the time.
"I probably ought to make some rounds, but I'll check in with you in a little bit. And if I don't see you again tonight, I'll see you in the morning."
"All right. Sounds good," she said. She took a step toward the tables where the soup was, and then she turned back and said, "Thanks a lot for this, for the candlelight service. I appreciate that."
He wasn't sure exactly what she was saying. Whether or not she knew that he had pretty much finagled both of those things for her, thinking of her and hoping to help her. Or whether she was just excited to be a part of it. He wasn't sure, but he simply nodded and said, "It's just a small-town thing."
"It's a God thing," she corrected him before she turned and left.
Yeah. It was a God thing. And he loved that she saw it. The more time he spent with her, the more he felt like she would be a perfect pastor's wife, but it had to be something she wanted. Not something that he forced her into. Like the couples who worked well together. It might not be smooth sailing at first, all the time, but there had to be a want-to from both of them.
Lord, I don't want to jump the gun if this isn't what you want. Please show me.
Chapter 14
"There, all washed and ready to be filled up tomorrow," Marjorie said, wiping her hands on her apron as Olivia put the large kettle upside down on the counter.
"I can't believe we used all of that soup. I never dreamed we would eat it all."
"I think sometimes when things like this happen, all people have to do is sit around and eat. And a full belly definitely keeps people happier anyway."
Olivia laughed. She had to agree with that.
She noticed that Pastor Mark had gone around to each family, talking to them, praying with some of them, and seeming to ease everyone's fears.
Still, as late as it was—almost midnight from what she could figure—there was still a lot of activity going on. It was like people couldn't settle down.
"Olivia, can I have a word with you, please?"
She turned to see Mark standing in the doorway, his brows raised in question.
"Of course. Excuse me, Mrs. McBride."
"After today, please call me Marjorie. There's no need to stand on ceremony."
"Of course, Marjorie. You're just so wise, I feel like a child compared to you."
"Oh, fiddlesticks. When you get to be my age, you'll be just as wise. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom."
