Wanda E. Brunstetter Read Online Free

increase.
    Maybe I should look for an apartment closer to town so I can walk to work. That would save money, and perhaps I can find something cheaper to rent
.
    Bev dismissed that thought as quickly as it came. She had heard that apartments in the heart of the city were in demand, and with so many men and women returning from the war, it would be difficult to find one that wasn’t already rented, let alone cheaper.
    Bev massaged her pulsating forehead. Just when she thought the Lord was watching out for them, another problem had come along. Ever since Fred died, it seemed as if her whole world were out of control. Bev attended church on Sunday mornings, read her Bible regularly, and prayed every day. Yet her faith was beginning to waver.
    Blinking back tears, she closed her eyes and prayed, “Lord, show me what to do about the increase in my rent. If there’s something closer to town, please point the way.”

    For the last couple of hours, Dan had been sitting at his desk going over some paperwork. Trying to run two businesses by himself had put him behind in the photography studio. But that was about to change. Now that he’d hired Bev Winters to run Twice Loved, things would get back to normal. At least he hoped they would. What if Bev didn’t work out? He didn’t know much about the woman other than she had worked as a bookkeeper, had a young daughter, and was widowed. He hadn’t thought to ask for a résumé or any references. He’d based his decision to hire Bev on her need for a job. That and the fact that she said she was a Christian.
    A beautiful one at that
, Dan thought, tapping his pencil along the edge of the desk. It wasn’t just Bev’s shiny dark hair and luminous blue eyes that attracted him either. There was something about her demeanor that reminded him of Darcy.
    He rapped the side of his head with the pencil. “Get a grip on yourself. You hired the lady to run Twice Loved, not so you could become romantically involved.”
    the phone rang, and he grabbed for it, glad for The interruption. “Fisher’s Photography. May I help you?”
    “Hello, Dan. This is Pete Mackey, with
Family Life Magazine
. We talked at Bethlehem Steel a few weeks ago, remember?”
    Dan’s gaze went to the ceiling. “I hope you’re not calling about that article you’re doing on grief, because, as I told you before, I’m not interested in being interviewed.”
    “I’d hoped if you had a few weeks to think it over that you might have changed your mind.”
    “Nope. Sorry, Pete.”
    “Here’s the phone number where I can be reached, just in case.”
    Dan studied a set of negatives on his desk as Pete rattled off his number. There was no point in writing it down because he had no intention of doing that interview.
    “I appreciate your time,” Pete said. “Please call if you ever want to talk.”
    “Okay, thanks. Good-bye, Pete.”
    Dan had no more than hung up the phone when he heard a knock on the door of his studio.
Wonder who it could be? I don’t have any appointments scheduled for the rest of the day
.
    When Dan opened the door, he discovered Leona Howard, holding a casserole dish wrapped in a towel with a paper sack balanced on top.
    “Hi, Danny,” she said, offering him a pleasant smile. “Since you’ve been too busy lately to have dinner at my place, I decided to bring a meal over to you this evening. It’s Chicken Noodle Supreme.”
    Leona wore a maroon-colored, knee-length skirt with a single-breasted jacket that had wide lapels and padded shoulders. It looked like something a woman might wear when she went out to dinner—but not to drop off a casserole for a neighbor.
    “I’m working right now,” Dan said as she swept into the room, her fragrant perfume leaving a trail of roses behind.
    “Surely you’re ready for a break. I’ll be disappointed if you don’t try some of my yummy casserole.” Leona nodded at the paper sack. “I even brought some dishes, silverware, and napkins, so all you