Free Irene Brand_Yuletide_01 by Yuletide Peril

Janice—a question in her eyes. Janice nodded and smiled at the usher. “Guess we have a young guide this morning.”
    “That’s fine,” he said and patted Taylor on the shoulder. “The Mallorys will look after you.”
    As she followed the two children halfway down another aisle, Janice wondered if Lance would be sitting with his family. Linda Mallory was alone, but her smile of welcome was genuine.
    “Thanks for choosing our church,” she said to Janice, and she moved over in the pew to make room for the two girls to sit between them.
    The organ prelude had started and Janice said quietly, “We’re at the motel across the street and this seemed the likely place to attend.”
    “I thought Lance would invite you to church. I guess in the excitement of looking over Mountjoy, he forgot it. He has mixed emotions about your property,” Linda said.
    Janice grimaced slightly. “So do I.”
    The organ music increased in volume as the choir moved into place. Lance followed the pastor into the sanctuary.
    “Lance is the lay-leader for this month,” Linda explained quietly.
    Lance’s eyes roamed across the congregation, and when he made eye contact with Janice, he looked surprised. Surely hewouldn’t think she was taking advantage of his offer of friendship when she didn’t even know his family attended this church.
    But he smiled in her direction, and when he welcomed visitors, he said, “Janice Reid and her sister, Brooke, have moved to Stanton. They’re sitting with my family this morning. Brooke will be starting school tomorrow.”
    Janice sensed curious stares toward them, and she figured the congregation was linking them with the infamous local Reid family. To dismiss this dismal thought, she focused on the stained-glass window behind the choir loft that depicted the artist’s concept of Jesus and His disciples crossing the Sea of Galilee. The expressions on the faces of the disciples showed their fear of the storm, and Janice identified with their terror. Most of her life had been stormy and her fears had already etched faint lines on her face. She transferred her gaze to Jesus, noting the serenity on His face. The artist had depicted His concern for His disciples, when he lifted His hand and commanded the storm to cease.
    Janice bowed her head and prayed that Jesus would calm the storms in her life. Her prayer was partially answered when she listened to the pastor’s message on friendship.
    The pastor’s text was taken from the eighteenth chapter of Proverbs. “‘A man that has friends must show himself friendly; and there is a friend that sticks closer than a brother.’” The minister extolled the virtues of close friendships stating that Jesus was called the Friend of sinners. Janice knew that she was fortunate to have Lance’s friendship, especially when he expected nothing in return. That was the unselfish kind of friendliness Jesus expected of His followers.
    She wished she wasn’t so hesitant to accept friendship, but Janice wasn’t at her best when meeting new people. After thebenediction, in spite of the pastor’s message, she quickly said goodbye to the Mallorys and left the church as soon as possible. She and Brooke had crossed the street, ready to enter the motel when a woman called, “Just a minute, Miss Reid.”
    Janice turned to see a large woman, probably in her mid-sixties, bearing down on them like a battleship going into action. Her knees were bowed with arthritis and she favored her right knee as she hurried toward them. Because of her haste to intercept Janice, the woman was breathing heavily when she reached them.
    “I’m Henrietta Cunningham,” she said, and apparently realizing that the name meant nothing to Janice, she explained, “I was your uncle’s housekeeper.”
    “Oh, yes. Mr. Santrock mentioned that you’d worked for him during the last years of his life.”
    “Your uncle was very good to me, and I want to help you any way I can. Let me take you and your