Harmony followed Ginny around the house for the next half hour trying her best to commit everything to memory, but mostly just offering a listening ear and a bit of companionship. By the time the tour ended, Harmony was more than ready to call it a day. To think it had started before dawn with a six-hour-plus drive up to Charleston, then there was the church, the dog park, and now her new home. She’d left one man behind and refused another.

And still, she didn’t know what was next for her. Well, at least she had a solid foundation for figuring it out tomorrow with the first light of a new sun.

Muffin followed her upstairs to her room. Somehow he seemed to know that he belonged with her. Maybe in some ways animals were smarter than people, after all. This little doggie kept close watch over his new mistress and immediately hopped up onto the bed beside her and cuddled in beside her hip.

Today had been a good day, she decided, and for that she was endlessly thankful. Tomorrow could be an even better day just as long as she remembered to keep her expectations low and her mind open.

A new life was waiting for her. She just had to keep being brave and mindful of her limitations. If God had wanted something else for her, surely He would have given it to her by now.

It was okay, though. It would all be okay.

Harmony closed her eyes and stroked the Chihuahua’s smooth fur until at last she drifted off into a deep, comfortable sleep.

Chapter 10

Pastor Adam

I opened my eyes wide the second the sun peeked over the slight hill in our yard. As the years piled on, I’d begun waking up earlier and earlier. I often joked with Abigail that soon I wouldn’t need to go to bed at all.

Yes, the wee hours of the morning suited me perfectly for my own personal prayers and reflections. There was something so special about being alone with God the Father before the rest of the world woke up and started making demands on the both of us.

After a quick hello to the Lord and a bit of reading in my Bible, I decided it would be a good time to call Mrs. Clementine to check on our weary traveler. As always, my old friend picked up after just one ring.

“It’s like you know I’m calling before I do,” I told her with the first smile of the day creeping across my face.

“I reckon perhaps maybe I do,” she answered, a common exchange for us. Despite her oddities, I’d grown quite fond of my church secretary over the years. Truth be told, before Abigail returned to town and little Owen and the church dogs joined us, too, Virginia Clementine was the closest thing I had to actual family living in Charleston. She’d always seemed grateful for my company, too, and I was happy that the Lord had found a way to help her right along with Harmony.