Eventually she’d won, but Oliver wondered if she’d paid a steep price. Shortly after that conversation, Garrett had crashed his logging truck, and though he wasn’t hurt, he was fired when the crash was deemed his fault. Since then he’d been a stay-at-home dad, but something in Oliver told him that the young man was immature and paying his wife back for not giving in to his demands. And Oliver feared the claim of “selling things on eBay” was cover for wasting time playing computer games.

Bottom line, Janie had done the right thing. If they’d taken on a large mortgage like Garrett had wanted, they’d be in worse shape, and that was saying a lot considering they’d just lost everything to a fire.

Janie and Garrett’s situation brought Tess and one of her rules to mind: “Always trust your gut.” Oliver’s gut told him that the Coopers’ marriage was tenuous. He’d doubted it would survive before the fire, and now . . . He hated the doom he saw foreshadowed. But unless Garrett grew up and behaved like a husband and father, Oliver feared Janie would soon be a member of the single mothers’ ministry.

Not if I can help it. The Coopers were at the top of his prayer list, and Oliver would strive in prayer for them, certain only the Lord could save the shaky marriage.

“Have you had any problems with your insurance company, Janie?” Oliver asked after they’d loaded her stuff into the trunk of his car and started out of the church parking lot for the short drive to the trailer park.

“No, not really. I have a living expense check to deposit today on my way to work. It will help us replace the computer, my phone, and a few other electronic devices. The house . . . I think we were underinsured.”

“Happens to a lot of people.”

“Hopefully we’ll be able to afford a mobile. I’d like to clear the lot, then find a used one to put there. It won’t be the same as that old house, but it will be a roof over our heads.”

“That sounds like a good plan. I might have a lead on a used mobile, a double-wide.”

She turned toward him, eyes full of hope. “Oh, Pastor Mac, that would be a godsend.”

“It may take a week or two for me to get a solid answer, but I’ll get on it. In the meantime, when you’re ready, I’ll start organizing something to help you clear the lot and prepare everything for a new home.”

“Thank you so much.” She beamed.

He pulled into the carport, noting that Garrett was not back. After he helped her get everything into the house and spent a few minutes with the kids, each under eight years old, he saw Janie’s face tighten with stress as she talked on the phone, presumably to Garrett.