Her dad nodded quickly several times.
“So, being the free spirit that I am, I have to be more on my guard than Tawni or Wesley, because they approach relationships with more logic than feelings.”
“That’s a wise insight, Sierra.” Her dad looked over the papers she placed in front of him. “But don’t sell yourself short in the logic department. This is very well thought out. It shows maturity.”
“Does it also show you that I have a better understanding of what’s going on in my relationship with Paul and that I’m ready to continue the relationship at a lower level of intensity?”
“Yes,” her mom said.
“Definitely,” her dad said. “We trust you to take it from here. Thanks for being so open.”
“Thanks for being so understanding.”
Sierra picked up her pages and felt a sweet calm coming over her. This is how communication usually was between her and her parents, and this is how she wanted it to always be.
She returned her letters and other papers to her room and spent about twenty minutes halfheartedly picking up the endless clutter on her floor. She had homework to do and Christy’s Christmas tea-party present to wrap and mail, and in an hour and a half she was supposed to report to the Highland House for her Sunday shift on the hotline. Tonight was going to be her last night until after Christmas vacation, so she didn’t feel right about canceling on Uncle Mac.
Sierra made herself sit down and do her homework. When it came time to leave for the Highland House, she tucked her picture of Paul in her backpack. Last week she had mentioned it to Uncle Mac, and he had asked her to bring it so he could see it.
twenty
THE EVENING SKY HUNG LOW as Sierra drove to the Highland House. The dull gray hinted at rain, so Sierra had pulled on her black, rolled-brim hat. She had also stuck the needlework in her backpack, with the hope that she still might finish it before Christmas. Sierra had already decided that if she didn’t, she would send Paul a homemade card rather than frantically try to find something else to buy him. The card would wish him well and promise that a little something would be in the mail soon. He would have to be patient.
Uncle Mac stood by the back entrance, holding open the door for Sierra as she arrived.
“Hi, how’s it been going tonight?” Sierra asked, stepping into the warm room.
“Good. It’s been real slow. I have you set up over here, on this phone tonight.”
Uncle Mac led Sierra to a corner where a phone sat on a round, wooden table. He had been trying to fix up the phone areas to make them more private so that the counselors wouldn’t feel distracted while they talked to callers. It was a challenge because the room wasn’t very large, but it was clean and well lit.
“Here’s the picture of Paul I told you about,” Sierra said, laying her backpack on the table and unzipping the front pouch.
Uncle Mac took the picture and looked long and hard at his nephew. “How’s he doing? Have you heard from him?”
“I received a letter right after Thanksgiving, but it was only half a page. I think he’s still enjoying school, but he says his grandmother rations the heat in her house, and it’s been cold.”
Uncle Mac laughed. “That sounds like my mother. She has a heart of gold, but trust me, nothing is ever wasted when she’s around. Everything is measured to the minute.” Uncle Mac placed Paul’s picture on the round table. It made the desk look as if it were Sierra’s personal area.
“You know it’s already Monday morning in Edinburgh,” he said.
Sierra waited for Uncle Mac to make his point.
But all he said was, “You prefer tea, don’t you?”
Sierra nodded, not following his logic.
“I’ll be right back.” He went out the side door that led to the kitchen of the homeless shelter. Sierra could hear the other hotline volunteer as he spoke on the phone at a table across the room. She recognized the points he was going through with the caller; they were from the blue section in the counseling notebook.
All the counseling topics were listed on the side tabs. In the weeks that she had been helping out, Sierra had grown more confident and had to refer only one of the calls to Uncle Mac because she didn’t feel she could handle it. The rest were pretty much “by the book.”
The front door opened, and Sierra looked up. Amy walked in with Vicki beside her.
“Hi,” Vicki said cheerfully. “Will we get you in trouble if we talk to you?”
“I don’t think so,” Sierra said slowly. “I’ll have to answer the phone if someone calls.”
“That’s okay,” Vicki said.
“So, what’s up?” Sierra asked.
“We went by your house.” Vicki pulled up a chair and sat across from Sierra. Amy did the same. “Your parents said they thought it would be okay if we came by and bugged you.”
Amy and Sierra still hadn’t made eye contact. Sierra turned to Amy, determined to look at her until Amy looked back.
“Amy, I’d like to apologize about the air horn last week. I still can’t believe I did that. I’m sorry.”
Amy met Sierra’s gaze. “It’s okay. You thought you were helping me.”
“I’m learning that sometimes I lunge ahead because of my feelings instead of thinking things through.”
“We all do that,” Amy said.
“Oh, not me,” chimed in Vicki. “I’m completely calm … unless Randy happens to be around. Now, if only he would notice when I’m around.”
The girls laughed.
Then with a sigh Sierra said, “It always seems to come back to patience, doesn’t it? Uncle Mac tried to remind me of that a few weeks ago. You know, from 1 Corinthians 13: ‘Love is patient.’ ”
Vicki and Amy both looked at Sierra, waiting for her to explain herself.
“I’ve realized,” Sierra said, lowering her voice, “I need to take a few steps back in my feelings for Paul. I need to be patient.”
“I guess it’s my turn for a true confession,” Amy said. “Nathan and I didn’t get back together. But we did talk things through, and I think that was good for both of us. I just want to move on from here.” Amy motioned to the sign above the bulletin board and read it aloud, “ ‘A safe place for a fresh start.’ That’s what I want.”
“Good,” Vicki said, leaning forward and reaching for Paul’s picture. “I’m all for moving on. Especially with the three of us. Everyone friends again?”
Sierra nodded. Amy nodded.
“This is such a good picture,” Vicki said, examining Paul more closely. “Patient or not, he’s going to love the picture of you in your green dress.”
“Didn’t I tell you? The pictures didn’t come out. I ended up sending him one my mom snapped of me right after I gave the dog some water.”
“Sounds glamorous,” Vicki said with a laugh.
“I can’t believe I didn’t tell you. The guy at the one-hour photo place actually bought a copy to put up in their window.”
“What did you look like?” Amy asked, taking the picture of Paul from Vicki and looking at it.
Sierra gazed down at her fisherman’s knit sweater and tilted her hat-topped head at her friends. “Just like this. I looked like me.”
Uncle Mac came in with a mug of tea for Sierra. “Looks like I didn’t make enough. Tea sound good to both of you ladies?”
“Sure. Thanks,” Vicki answered for them.
Uncle Mac slipped back out, and the phone next to Sierra rang, causing her to jump. She reached for it on the second ring. Vicki and Amy motioned that they would be quiet.
“Highland House Teen Hotline, Sierra speaking.”
After a fraction of a second delay, the male voice on the other end said, “Oh, is it now? I thought I was talking to the Daffodil Queen.”
Sierra felt as though her heart had stopped. Both her friends noticed the sudden change in her expression and leaned forward.
When her voice finally found its way out of her mouth, Sierra whispered, “Paul?”
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Vicki’s and Amy’s mouths dropped open.
“All I can afford is a three-minute call, so I’ll talk fast. Thanks for your gift. I have your picture here in front of me. It looks just like you, Sierra.”
“Th-that’s funny,” she stammered. “I have your picture right here, too. I brought it to show Uncle Mac.” Sierra reached for the frame and looked into Paul’s face as she listened to his words.
“And the party food you sent is going to be eaten tonight with great enjoyment. Very creative of you. Thanks.”
“You’re welcome. I’m glad you like it. I hope you have a happy birthday.”
“Thanks. I think I will. Tell Uncle Mac hi for me.”
“I will,” Sierra said. “He just stepped out, but we were talking about you only a few minutes ago. Were your ears burning?”
Paul laughed. He sounded happy—content, yet slightly amused. “It’s not quite dawn here at my grandmother’s cottage, and believe me, nothing around here is burning.”
Sierra laughed. “She’s still rationing the heat, I take it.”
“Let me just say I’m looking forward to my dash to the early train. It will make me warmer than I’ve been all weekend.”
Sierra smiled but didn’t fill the moment of silence with any words.
“Look,” Paul continued, “my three minutes are about up, but I want to be sure to say what I called for. I want to ask a favor of you.”
“Sure,” Sierra said.
“Could you pray for me this week? I have exams, and I’m trying to make some decisions about the future. You’re my prayer warrior, Sierra. Will you pray?”
“Of course,” Sierra said.
“Great!” Paul sounded relieved. “I have to run. Thanks, Sierra. I’ll write to you after exams. ’Bye.”
With that, the line went dead.
Sierra felt a pinch in her heart. You’re my prayer warrior echoed in her head. Paul hadn’t said, “You’re my long-distance girlfriend,” “my kindred spirit,” “my heart friend,” or any of the descriptions she would have imagined even a few days ago. She was now, as she had been from the very beginning, Paul’s prayer warrior.
And that was a good thing. That hadn’t changed while she had been on her emotional spree, vividly imagining what she and Paul meant to each other. She realized now she hadn’t had much time to pray for him while she was busy daydreaming about him.
“Sierra?” Vicki said cautiously, waving her hand in front of Sierra’s dazed face. The phone, which Sierra still held in her hand, was emitting a sharp dial tone. “Was that really Paul? From Scotland?”
Sierra blinked. She hung up the phone and nodded.
“What did he say?” Amy asked, leaning forward.
“He received my picture. I think he liked it.”
“That’s good,” Vicki said. “What else?”
“He asked me to pray for him.”
Amy leaned back, looking disappointed in Sierra’s report.
“He called me his prayer warrior.”
At that moment something wonderful happened in Sierra’s heart. She felt calm and warm. The wild emotional surges she had been experiencing quieted within her. Her prayers for Paul, offered from a clean heart, could cut through the thick fog of all her feelings and reach the very throne of God. And God answers prayers. She knew that to be true.
“Was that all?” Vicki asked. “Didn’t he say anything else?”
“No,” Sierra said, leaning back and enjoying the contentment that had settled on her. “That was all.”
Then, with a gleam in her eyes, she smiled at Paul’s photo and added, “And for now, that’s enough.”
FOLLOW SIERRA’S JOURNEY
Happenstance … or God’s Great Plan?
She’s the bold, free-spirited type. She’s cute, she’s fun, and she’s following God. She’s Sierra Jensen, Christy Miller’s good friend, ready for her junior year of high school! All twelve books in the popular Sierra Jensen series come together in four volumes to reveal the ups and downs of Sierra’s incredible God-led journey!
Volume One: In Only You, Sierra, she’s nervous to be the “new girl” after her family moves to Portland and wonders if meeting Paul in London was only by chance. Just when everything important seems to elude her, all it takes is one weekend In Your Dreams to prove otherwise. But even a vacation doesn’t keep her troubles away in Don’t You Wish.
Volume Two: Paul’s voice lives in her memory, but now it’s loud, clear, and right behind her in Close Your Eyes. With summer fast approaching, it is Without a Doubt bound to be Sierra’s best yet. In With This Ring, she can’t help but ponder the meaning of first kisses and lifetime commitments.
Volume Three: An exciting trip to Europe challenges Sierra to Open Your Heart to loving others without expectations. At the start of her senior year, only Time Will Tell the truth about Sierra’s friendships. And in Now Picture This, she wonders if her relationship with Paul is as picture perfect as she thinks!
Volume Four: In this final volume, Sierra Jensen’s only just beginning the roller coaster of adventures leading up to college. Join her in this exciting, challenging time of faith and fun!
www.ChristyMillerAndFriends.com
Can’t get enough of ROBIN JONES GUNN?
Robin’s beloved Christy Miller series is now available for the first time in collectible 3-in-1 hardback editions.
Christy Miller Collection, Volume 1 Book 1: Summer Promise, Book 2: A Whisper and a Wish, Book 3: Yours Forever
Christy Miller Collection, Volume 2 Book 4: Surprise Endings, Book 5: Island Dreamer, Book 6: A Heart Full of Hope
Christy Miller Collection, Volume 3 Book 7: True Friends, Book 8: Starry Night, Book 9: Seventeen Wishes
Christy Miller Collection, Volume 4 Book 10: A Time to Cherish, Book 11: Sweet Dreams, Book 12: A Promise Is Forever
AVAILABLE NOW!
www.ChristyMillerAndFriends.com
SISTERCHICK® Adventures by
ROBIN JONES GUNN
SISTERCHICKS ON THE LOOSE!
Zany antics abound when best friends Sharon and Penny take off on a midlife adventure to Finland, returning home with a new view of God and a new zest for life.
SISTERCHICKS DO THE HULA!
It’ll take more than an unexpected stowaway to keep two middle-aged sisterchicks from reliving their college years with a little Waikiki wackiness—and learning to hula for the first time.
SISTERCHICKS IN SOMBREROS!
Two Canadian sisters embark on a journey to claim their inheritance—beachfront property in Mexico—not expecting so many bizarre, wacky problems! But there’s nothing a little coconut cake can’t cure …
AVAILABLE NOW!
www.sisterchicks.com
More SISTERCHICK® Adventures
by
ROBIN JONES GUNN
SISTERCHICKS DOWN UNDER!
Kathleen meets Jill at the Chocolate Fish café in New Zealand, and they instantly forge a friendship. Together they fall head over heels into a deeper sense of God’s love.
SISTERCHICKS SAY OOH LA LA!
Painting toenails and making promises under the canopy of a princess bed seals a friendship for life! Fifty years of ups and downs find Lisa and Amy still Best Friends Forever … and off on an unforgettable Paris rendezvous!
SISTERCHICKS IN GONDOLAS
At a fifteenth-century palace in Venice, best friends/sisters-in-law Jenna and Sue welcome the gondola-paced Italian lifestyle! And over boiling pots of pasta, they dare each other to dream again.
AVAILABLE NOW!
www.sisterchicks.com
About the Author
Robin Jones Gunn grew up in Orange County, California, where both her parents were teachers. She has one older sister and one younger brother. The three Jones kids graduated from Santa Ana High School and spent their summers on the beach with a bunch of “God-Lover” friends. Robin didn’t meet her “Todd” until after she had gone to Biola University for two years and spent a summer tra
veling around Europe.
As her passion for ministering to teenagers grew, Robin assisted more with the youth group at her church. It was on a bike ride for middle schoolers that Robin met Ross. After they married, they spent the next two decades working together in youth ministry. God blessed them with a son and then a daughter.
When her children were young, Robin would rise at 3 a.m. when the house was quiet, make a pot of tea, and write pages and pages about Christy and Todd. She then read those pages to the girls in the youth group, and they gave her advice on what needed to be changed. The writing process took two years and ten rejections before her first novel, Summer Promise, was accepted for publication. Since its release in 1988, Summer Promise along with the rest of the Christy Miller and Sierra Jensen series have sold over 2.5 million copies and can be found in a dozen translations all over the world.
For the past twelve years, Robin has lived near Portland, Oregon, which has given her lots of insight into what Sierra’s life might be like in the Great Northwest. Now that her children are grown and Robin’s husband has a new career as a counselor, she continues to travel and tell stories about best friends and God-Lovers. Her popular Glenbrooke series tracks the love stories of some of Christy Miller’s friends.
Robin’s bestselling Sisterchick novels hatched a whole trend of lighthearted books about friendship and midlife adventures. Who knows what stories she’ll write next?
You are warmly invited to visit Robin’s websites at: www.robingunn.com, www.christymillerandfriends.com, and www.sisterchicks.com.
Excerpt from Secrets,
Book One in Robin Jones Gunn’s Glenbrooke Series
JESSICA MORGAN GRIPPED her car’s steering wheel and read the road sign aloud as she cruised past it. “Glenbrooke, three miles.”