Tumbleweed Weddings (38 page)
Read Tumbleweed Weddings Online
Authors: Donna Robinson
“Thanks a lot.” Tonya pursed her lips. Certainly she could do better than Murray Twichell. On the other hand, no one was banging on her door right now, begging to marry her. If she didn’t have Poe in her life, she might consider Murray.
Maybe.
O
n Sunday morning, Murray walked into the crowded church auditorium. The service had already started, and he hated being late, although it wasn’t his fault. After Sunday school, George Whitmore had buttonholed him, wanting to know the laws concerning domestic violence. His daughter was in a bad marital situation, and Murray had taken fifteen minutes to enlighten the man. Now he needed to get his mind off other people’s problems and onto the Lord.
The organ and piano reverberated through the auditorium as Wayne Holland led the singing and the standing congregation belted out the words to “Power in the Blood.”
The tempo was much too fast.
Murray wandered down the side aisle, looking for an empty seat. He smiled a greeting to several singing people as he passed the crowded pews. Finally he found an empty spot at the end of the second row just as Wayne seated the congregation.
Murray settled on the pew. Straight ahead he had a perfect view of Tonya Brandt. She sat at the piano, replacing the hymnbook with another music book.
His heart stirred as he gazed at her profile and thought of their instant messaging last night. He had arrived home at five minutes to nine and immediately went to the computer. After all,
Poe
wouldn’t have been at a wedding in Douglas all weekend. Sure enough, Tonya’s comments showed up at nine o’clock, and they wrote back and forth until midnight.
Pastor Reilly stood behind the pulpit. His shoulders seemed a bit more stooped than usual, but his voice was strong. “Welcome to our church service this morning. We have a lot of announcements, so listen carefully.”
Announcements
. Murray tuned him out and went back to pleasant thoughts from last night. He kept his eyes on Tonya as he reviewed some of their conversation.
Tonya:
I want to know your identity, Poe
.
Poe:
Sorry
.
Tonya:
Just tell me what you look like
.
Poe:
Picture a fat, bald guy who wears Bermuda shorts
.
Tonya:
Poe! You’re not Horace Frankenberg, R U?
Poe:
Ha! You caught me!
Tonya:
Tell the truth. R U Horace?
Poe:
(We had this same conversation over Reed Dickens.) What if I am Horace?
Tonya:
Just say yes or no
.
Poe:
Well, um … no
.
Tonya:
Whew! (Big sigh of relief here.) That man is old enough to be my father, plus he has a strange personality—unlike you. You’re so much fun
.
Poe:
We do get along well, don’t we?
Murray had to laugh at that bit of sarcasm.
With the announcements over, the ushers stood in the center aisle, passing the offering plates down each row. Murray pulled two fifty-dollar bills from his wallet, folded them, and threw them into the plate as it went by. Then he centered his attention on Tonya, who played “How Firm a Foundation” for the offertory. Could that arrangement be from the piano book he had given her?
While she played, she kept her eyes glued on the music, and he kept his eyes glued on her. She played flawlessly, weaving around on the piano bench like a cobra to a snake charmer’s music.
That girl is so proud
. She never moved around like that when she played hymns for the congregation, but as soon as the spotlight was on her, so to speak, she became a drama queen. As the music intensified, so did her hands. She raised them higher and higher, crashing them down perfectly on the right chords every time.
Murray folded his arms. That music must not be as difficult for her as she pretended.
When she finished, the congregation broke out in ardent applause, but Murray didn’t clap. Smiling, Tonya glanced around the auditorium. Her eyes stopped at his, and her smile disappeared. Raising her chin a fraction of an inch, she left the piano and walked past him to her seat without so much as a glance his way.
A silent sigh escaped Murray’s lips. He picked up his Bible as the pastor approached the pulpit to give the message.
Lord
, he prayed,
I need a word from You today
.
Maybe he should forget Tonya. He loved her on the computer, but in person their relationship was an emotional roller coaster. Of course, it didn’t help when he gave her speeding tickets and pointed out her faults.
Pastor Reilly’s white hair touched the back of his suit collar as he looked out over the congregation. “Since this is the Sunday after Valentine’s Day, we will center our thoughts on love. Our text is taken from 1 John 4:19, ‘We love him, because he first loved us.’ ”
That’s your answer
. As if the Lord had spoken directly to Murray’s heart, he saw the love of Christ to himself—a sinner who didn’t deserve God’s love.
“While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”
And that was the exact love he needed to show Tonya. Love that gives and doesn’t expect anything in return. Love that wouldn’t be turned off by any angry retort, a cold shoulder, or a proud look. Love that keeps on loving, no matter what.
Murray closed his eyes.
I’ll try, Lord
. He would show Tonya the love of Christ, and deep down inside he hoped she responded because now he knew …
As crazy as it seemed, he was falling in love with her.
Tonya :
I’m going to a cooking show this Friday in Denver
.
Tonya hit R
ETURN
on her computer and sat back to wait for Poe’s reply. It was Monday evening, and even though it was only nine o’clock, she was completely ready to go to bed. She and Poe usually kept IMing until midnight, when she could barely keep her eyes open.
Poe:
What is a cooking show?
Tonya:
From the brochure—“a two-hour showcase of cooking demonstrations and creative meal ideas, plus handy cooking tips and fresh seasonal recipes.” Sounds fun, huh?
Poe:
Joyous. R U going by yourself?
Tonya:
Cheyenne Wilkins, Laurie Smullens, and Gretchen Hughes are also going. We’re planning to drive down in my car early Friday morning. I’m so excited. Not only will we take home a dozen recipe cards, but also everyone will receive a set of measuring cups as a gift
.
Poe:
Woo-hoo! Measuring cups. Every woman’s fantasy dream
.
She huffed out a breath. Men!
Tonya:
You could at least be happy for me
.
Poe:
JK—it sounds like your kind of thing, and I hope you have a great time
.
Tonya:
Here’s another secret—I’m compiling a cookbook of recipes
I created. Since my brother-in-law, Lane Hutchins, is a famous author
,
I hope he can help me get my cookbook published
.
Poe:
Wow! Sounds great, Tonya. Go for it!
A warm feeling filled her. Poe was so encouraging.
Tonya:
At the cooking show they’re giving away three prizes—an electric mixer, a new stove, and a trip for two to Hawaii! That grand prize is my fantasy dream
.
Poe:
Don’t get your hopes up
.
Tonya:
I know
.
She sighed. It would be amazing if she won anything. On the other hand, it really didn’t matter. The cooking show would be exciting enough.
Poe:
What kind of recipes are you putting in your book?
She shared her ideas with him, dominating cyberspace for half an hour. His comments were few and short.
Tonya:
Am I boring you?
Poe:
No way. I’m interested in anything that interests you. I want to know all about you
.
Tonya:
Really?
Poe:
Yes. I have to admit—I’m falling in love with you, Tonya Brandt
.
Drawing in a sharp breath, she sat back. Poe was falling in love with her? But did she love him? She didn’t even know who he was!
Tonya:
Are you serious?
Poe:
I wouldn’t tell you I love you unless I was serious. Since we’ve been IMing, I feel I know your heart—the real Tonya
.
Tears pricked her eyes.
Tonya:
Thank you, Poe. That means a lot to me
.
Poe:
Hey, let’s pick out a poem. It will be “our poem.”
Tonya:
My favorite is “How Do I Love Thee?” by Elizabeth Barrett Browning
.
Poe:
Good choice
.
Tonya:
How about a song? Most couples have their very own song
.
Poe:
I’m in favor of “When I Fall in Love, It Will Be Forever.”
Tonya’s heart took a leap.
Tonya:
I love that song! But I haven’t heard it for years. Do you remember the words?
Poe:
I’ll write out the chorus for you. Hang on, it will take a few minutes
.
Tonya:
OK, I’ll wait
.
She couldn’t believe this was happening. Poe actually said he loved her! But who was this faceless, nameless guy? Lifting her heart to heaven, she prayed. “Lord, You know who Poe is. Should I tell him I love him?” She rubbed her temples.
I just want to meet him
.
But what if he was “seven shades of ugly”?
Tonya stood and paced to the door. Did it really matter what he looked like? His heart was more important—she could see that now.
“We love him, because he first loved us
. “The verse from the pastor’s Sunday sermon jumped into her mind. The Lord had loved her first, before she loved Him. It was the same with Poe. He became her secret admirer and loved her first, and now she was loving him back.
Poe’s reply came on screen, and she leaned forward to read the words of the song, letting the tune run through her mind. With a wistful sigh, she prayed that those words would be true for them—falling in love forever, giving their hearts to each other completely. Yes, that was what she wanted.
Tonya:
That’s a great song, Poe, with a message of commitment. But how can we be committed to each other if we never meet? Our relationship can only progress so far on the computer
.
Poe:
I know, but if you met me, you’d be disappointed
.
Tonya:
Disappointed? I’m disappointed you don’t want to get together in person
.
Poe:
I’ll think about it. So, we have a poem and a song. How about our very own scripture verse? Do you have a suggestion?
“Man looketh on the outward appearance …” Tonya shook her head. That wasn’t a good “couples” verse. Besides, she didn’t even know what Poe’s appearance looked like.
Tonya:
Well, my favorite verse is Proverbs 3:5, “Trust in the L
ORD
with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.”
Poe:
OK, and let’s add verse six because the Lord needs to direct our paths
.
If only the Lord would direct their paths to each other! But Tonya would have to wait and do what verse five said: Trust in the Lord. Where would she find another man who humbly stayed in the background, wanted to know her heart, and loved the Lord?
Poe was definitely the one for her.
O
n Tuesday morning, Tonya sat at the kitchen table in her favorite blue-flowered pajamas and lilac robe and concentrated her thoughts on a devotional magazine.
It was her only day off this week, but instead of being able to sleep in, Dad had stuck his head in her bedroom at five thirty. “Tonya, get up and make breakfast for Derek and me. We want a hearty breakfast. You know, bacon and eggs—the works.”
She did not appreciate her dad waking her, but Mom was in Casper at Grandma’s house for a few days, and of course, Dad and Derek could not be satisfied with a simple bowl of cereal.
But now she was awake, thanks to a cup of coffee, and she had everything ready for omelets. She glanced at the counter. Diced onions and green peppers rested on the cutting board along with two tablespoons of cooked bacon bits. Eight large beaten eggs waited in a bowl. Four pieces of bread stood in the toaster, ready for her to push them down. She even had the stove’s electric burner on with the skillet sitting nearby.
Now she had to wait for the men, who were out in the barn finishing their chores.
She sipped her coffee as she read the devotion. Today’s verse was from Proverbs 31. “Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the Lord, she shall be praised.”
That was the same verse on the bookmark that her secret pal—Murray—had given her.
The outside door opened, and she heard Dad’s voice in the mudroom. Two pairs of boots stomped off snow as the male voices carried on their conversation.
Standing, Tonya walked to the stove. She placed the skillet on the hot burner and whipped up the eggs.