Here We Come (Aggie's Inheritance) (112 page)

“Those
kids
go
to
the
church.”
Aggie
sounded
half-strangled.

“What’s
wrong?”

“Wrong?”

He
peeked
around
her
head,
trying
to
read
the
expression
on
her
face.
“You
sound
strange.”

“The
idea
is
a
little…
daunting.”

Luke
chewed
on
that
idea
for
a
while.
He
realized
when
she
began
squirming
that
Aggie
was
waiting
for
some
kind
of
response.
“I
have
a
hard
time
seeing
you
as
daunted
by
anything.”

“That
party
in
December?
That
about
killed
me.
I
feel
like
I’m
still
recovering.”

“Well,
then
maybe
we
should
see
what
kinds
of
things
the
church
has
planned
for
the
next
few
weeks.
It’d
just
be
a
nice
way
to
get
to
know
your
friends.”

“Friends?
Luke,
I
hardly
know
anyone
there.
The
Vaughns,
William.
I
kind
of
know
the
Merchamps
,
but
not
much.
I
know
half
the
names
I
think.”

“It
can’t
be
that
big
of
a
church.
Brant’s
Corners
is
tiny
and
I
know
quite
a
few
people
go
to
Brunswick
to
the
Assembly.”

“No,”
she
agreed,
“but
I
have
that
much
to
do
each
week.
Church
gets
out
and
I’ve
got
to
get
everyone
rounded
up.
That
takes
forever
in
itself.
Then
I
have
to
get
them
in
the
van
and
home
to
feed
them
,
so
the
little
ones
can
get
a
nap
before
they
are
so
overtired
that
they
can’t
sleep
and
make
us
miserable
for
the
rest
of
the
day.
Then,
if
it’s
a
week
I’ve
promised
we’ll
go
that
night,
I
have
to
manage
to
get
everyone
fed
and
dressed
again
so
we
can
get
cleaned
up
and
out
the
door
on
time.”

“There
has
to
be
a
way—”

She
sat
up,
visibly
frustrated.
“Well,
you’re
welcome
to
find
one,
but
if
the
kids
don’t
sleep
and
it
shifts
everything
off,
you
can
deal
with
it.
I
can’t
handle
it.
I
finally
got
them
on
a
consistent
schedule
that
works
for
all
of
us,
and
I
am
not
about
to
mess
with
it.”

“Hey,
hey.
C’mere.”
He
pulled
her
back
to
him,
murmuring
comforting
and
reassuring
words
as
he
did.
“I’m
not
trying
to
destroy
your
schedule.
I
just
thought
it
seemed
like
the
perfect
time
to
get
to
know
the
people
you
worship
with.”

“Do
you
have
any
idea
how
exhausting
and
overwhelming
that
sounds
to
me?”

“No.”
His
answer
seemed
blunt—almost
harsh.
“We
can’t
make
the
church
an
idol,
but
we
can’t
make
it
an
inconvenience
either.”

“Well,
right
now,
I
just
try
to
make
it.”

“All
the
more
reason
for
me
to
join
you
now.
We’ve
got
to
make
it
together.”