Free The High Calling by Gilbert Morris Page B

melted. “It’s all right, Brodie. I’m not angry anymore.”
    “You’re not? Good! Do you want to go up in the plane with me?”
    “Maybe tomorrow. I need to cook supper for tonight.”
    “All right. How ’bout if I land out back in the field about eight o’clock in the morning?”
    “All right. You’d better go now. I’ve got a lot to do.”
    She sighed as Brodie left. “He’d be such a good man if he could just settle down,” she said to herself, shaking her head.
    ****
    When Parker answered the knock on his door at the Summerdale Motel the next day, he was surprised to see Brodie Lee standing there.
    “Hello, Parker. Can I talk to you?”
    “Of course,” he said, opening the door wide. “What’s on your mind?”
    Brodie stepped in and stood uncertainly in the middle of the room, but then found the courage to speak. “Well, I made a sap out of myself at the restaurant the other night. I just came by to . . . to tell you I’m really sorry. You should have shot me.”
    Parker laughed. “It wasn’t that bad.”
    “Yes it was. I should have known better than to get drunk. I think I’ve had enough of that to last me a lifetime.” He put his hand out and gave Parker a twisted grin. “I’m sorry.”
    “It’s all right, Brodie.” Parker took his hand and felt the power of his grip.
    Brodie heaved a sigh of relief. “I’m just one of the roughs, but I do care for Kat.”
    “She tells me she had quite a crush on you when she was younger.”
    “I guess so. She was just a kid when I left town, but she’s not now.”
    The two men stood silently weighing each other, and finally Brodie said, “I know you’ve got everything—money, manners, a title—but I’m not giving up.”
    “That’s fair enough, Brodie.”
    Parker stared at the closed door after showing Brodie out and felt a strange sense of camaraderie with the young man. He’s got some good in him, poor chap. He hasn’t always had it easy.
    ****
    At the same time Brodie was making his apologies to Parker, Kat was at the church helping organize an outing for the youth group. The pastor, Luke Maxwell, was new intown. He was a tall, lanky man with sharp features and a quick sense of humor. He had come to appreciate Kat’s help with the young people as well as with the choir, since she had a beautiful singing voice. He stood chatting with her after the others had left.
    “Could I talk with you, Pastor Maxwell?”
    “Why, of course. Would you like to come into my office?”
    “No. This is all right.” They were in the sanctuary, and Kat was nervously twisting her hands together, something Maxwell had never seen her do. Maxwell was a bachelor and had thought several times of asking her out. He had refrained, however, fearing that dating a church member could lead to trouble. “Let’s at least sit down,” he said. “I’m tired.”
    Kat sat down beside him in the front pew and glanced anxiously around the sanctuary.
    When she didn’t immediately tell him what she wanted to talk about, he said, “You’ve been a godsend to me, Kat.”
    She nodded.
    “You’ll be going back to college before long, won’t you?”
    “I . . . well, yes, I will. But I’m thinking about changing my coursework and studying nursing.”
    “Excellent idea! There’s always a need for good nurses.”
    Kat looked down at the floor for a moment. When she finally turned to face the pastor, he saw that her eyes were troubled.
    “How do you know for sure what God’s will is?” she asked.
    Maxwell rolled his eyes upward and laughed shortly. “I wish I had a specific answer to that. I’ve struggled enough in my own life trying to make decisions.”
    “Have you really? Preachers have that problem too?”
    “This one does.” He smiled wryly. “I’ve always envied people who talk of hearing specific messages from God.”
    “My stepmother’s like that. She seems to have a direct line to heaven, but I’m not so fortunate.”
    “Neither am I. Most of us