His Plan: Book 2 in the Crossing Midian Series - A Small-Town Christian Romance

Chapter 1

"For I know the plans that I have for you, declares the Lord." Jeremiah 29:11

Driving thirteen hours from Bellevue, Nebraska, back to her hometown in Tennessee, wasn't on Lenore Connolly's to-do list, especially not when she could work on growing her portfolio this summer. After all, this was peak wedding season and there were so many opportunities for her to book photography jobs. But when her dad, Eric, called Lenore two days ago and asked her to come home because her mother needed her, there wasn't even a choice to be made. She packed up everything she could fit into her little red car and hit the road.

It wasn't as if she didn't love the small town where she grew up. It was her home. Where her family lived. Her best friends. She loved coming back for holidays and vacations, though admittedly it had been a while since she had even done that. Only once or twice since Kara and Josh got married two years before. She had even missed Christmas last year because she was so busy.

Lenore rolled down the window to let in a rush of air to keep herself awake. It was barely summer, but already the air was heavy with humidity.

It was, in her opinion, way too early to be driving, but she only had a little over an hour left and if she hurried, she could get home in time to have coffee with her mom. And hopefully figure out what was going on with her.

Kathleen liked to keep herself busy. She ran the town's only bookstore and coffee shop, which she was currently expanding in order to add on a new children's section. She took care of her own elderly mother, Stella, and she had a host of other things she did as a pastor's wife that would keep anyone going for days. But over the past year, she had really started stretching herself thin and Eric was worried that she was taking on too much.

Kathleen was too proud to ask for help, though. She insisted she was fine and that she could handle things on her own. And while that was true, she certainly could handle it; Lenore didn't think she should have to. That's why she was coming home. She wanted to help her mother out as much as she could and give her a chance to rest.

But she couldn't stay for very long. As much as her dad might wish she would, Lenore had her own ideas and plans. This was simply a pit stop on her way to bigger and better things. Like maybe having her own studio one day. Somewhere in a big city that Lenore could look down on from an apartment way up high. Some place where she could really spread her wings.

So Lenore would stay for the summer and maybe a couple weeks into the fall because she had promised her dad that much, but that was it. She was leaving.
"Lord," she offered a quiet prayer, "I really could use Your help and guidance in this. You know my plans. Help me get where I need to be."

And just like that, a peace settled in the car just as the sun was rising over the horizon.

***

The early morning sun was just beginning to rise and already Beau Anderson's day was shaping up to be a bad one. The young farmer had come out this morning to start his chores, only to realize that he had left the window down on his truck and it had rained last night. Then, his nephew, T.J., called and told him he couldn't be there for the first day of his summer job. Beau felt T.J. deserved the lecture that followed.

Beau's mind was still on T.J. as he drove down the road towards the left field where the old barn still stood against the backdrop of the rising sun. He could already feel the towel he had placed in the seat becoming soaked through with water and it only furthered his irritation. T.J. was the one who had begged Beau to give him a job on the farm this summer; promising he would work hard and be on time every day. If it were up to Beau, he would help out for free. Lord knows Beau and his brothers had worked plenty of summers without getting paid. And now, his first day, and he was already making excuses for why he couldn't be there. The more he thought about it, the more upset he felt.

Beau was about to turn onto the little dirt road that wound its way between the field to the barn when he noticed the car blocking his path. A woman was standing outside of it taking pictures. He raised a brow as he pulled his old Ford truck up next to the fence in front of her car. He didn't know who this woman was, but she'd better have a good reason to be out here taking pictures of his field. She was probably some sort of surveyor, though he had never seen a one look like her before.

She had on a sundress with little yellow daisies all over it and her long, bright red hair nearly reached her waist, and the moisture in the air caused it to curl up around her face. She definitely didn't look like she belonged here.

Beau got out of the truck and reached her car in only a few quick strides. "Excuse me, ma'am? Is there something I can do for you?"

***

Lenore looked up, startled out of her thoughts by the man walking towards her. He had short cropped brown hair and brooding, stormy blue eyes. The crease between his eyebrows and the stubble across his set jaw gave him an air of impatience. He stood tall and lean, wearing a blue and red flannel shirt with the sleeves rolled up, showing off tan, muscled forearms. His thumbs hooked into the pockets of his faded blue jeans and his leather boots had seen better days. Her hand instantly went to her pocket where her small can of maise hung on a keychain.

"Oh, sorry," she said, taking a step back, her hand blindly reaching behind her for the door handle. "I guess I'm blocking your way."

"You are," he replied with a curt nod. "But I'm more interested in why you're taking pictures."

Lenore smiled slightly. She felt her face heating with a blush and hoped that he didn't notice. She gestured towards the field and the sun shining down, alighting the wheat with a golden hue. "I was on my way home, but when I saw the sun rising over the field, it was so beautiful that I had to stop and take a picture."

He tilted his head to the side. "You stopped just to snap a picture?"

Lenore raised her hand to gesture to the field. "You wouldn't?" she asked. "The way the barn is like a silhouette in the back and the light is reflecting off the wheat and making it look like gold; it reminds me of a poem I learned in school once. It's crazy to me when I think about how there are people who could see this kind of beauty and still not believe in God."

She glanced back at him, and he gave another nod.
"Well, as much as I may agree with you, some of us have work to do, so..." He trailed off, but Lenore could take a hint. He was clearly busy, and she needed to get going, anyway.

"Oh, right. Sorry." Lenore stumbled over her words as she made her way to open her car door. "I'll get out of your way." She slid in quickly and slid the key back into the ignition. However, instead of the car starting up, it merely sputtered. She tried again, but nothing.

"No. No. No." Lenore mumbled. "Not today. C'mon, start." She tried once more, but she knew it was pointless. The battery was dead. She sighed before reaching down to pop the hood. When she looked up, though, the man was raising it for her.

"I got it," Lenore explained as she once again got out of her car and rushed around to stop him.

"I'm sure you do but-"

"It's just the battery. I meant to get it fixed, but I keep forgetting. I can just call my dad. He's only a few minutes away and I-" She cut herself off when she noticed him staring at her. His eyebrow raised. "What?"

He pointed to his truck as if the answer were obvious.
"I have a truck and booster cables. I can charge your battery for you."

Lenore shook her head. "I don't need-"

He held up a hand to stop her protest. "But I do need to get through so I can get on with my day. Plus, if my mama found out I left you stranded out here alone, she would have a whole lot to say about it. And none of it would be good." He gave her a crooked grin. "So if you don't mind." Then he turned away from her and raised the hood of her car while she stood and watched him from the side.

Finally, Lenore gave a small smile in return. "Thanks." She held out her hand to him. "I'm Lenore."

He glanced down at her as if deciding if he wanted to waste any more time, then reluctantly accepted the handshake. "Beau."
***