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Forecast: Stormy with a Chance of Love

By Dyanne Gordon Green

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Chapter 1

Frank knew the first time he saw her he would never be the same again. It wasn’t her looks that grabbed him though she was a quietly attractive woman. It wasn’t her hair, her figure, or anything else physical. It was her presence that startled him to his very core. She was all but five foot tall, and still, it was her presence.

“Excuse me, do you know where I might find Pastor Ben?” Frank was surprised how strong and clear his voice was when inside, he felt like steamed milk pudding. “I have an appointment with him in about five minutes and I can’t seem to locate his office.”

“Pastor Ben won’t be in today.” Her voice was equally strong and clear. “There was an accident last night and he’s at the hospital. Do you want to leave him a message?”

“No, no, that’s okay. Oh man, that’s awful! Was he hurt badly?” For a split second, Frank wondered if this were a sign from God that the plan he wanted to discuss with the pastor was a dumb idea after all. His heart pounded in his chest and he immediately felt foolish worrying about the meeting at all when Pastor Ben had been in a car wreck. “What should we do?”

“I’m so sorry, that came out all wrong.” Maggie lightly touched his arm to reassure him. “The Pastor wasn’t involved in the accident himself. There was a busload of teens coming back from a retreat and the driver miscalculated a turn, nearly flipping the bus,” she explained. “No one was seriously injured, which was pretty amazing, but there are a few broken bones and lots of cuts and bruises. The good news is they should all be okay but Pastor Ben has been there all night.”

“Oh, wow, I’m really glad the kids are alright and that Pastor Ben wasn’t hurt himself.” Frank continued to stand there, hoping she would say more but she just looked up at him, her eyebrows raised slightly, until he finally asked, “I’m sorry, I didn’t get your name.”

“Maggie,” she said as she extended her hand. “Maggie Archer. And you are?” Her soft brown eyes held his gaze.

“Frank Porter. Nice to meet you.” He stood there holding her outstretched hand until she cleared her throat and slipped her hand from his grasp, a smile slowly spreading across her face.

“Is there anything else I could help you with today?” she asked. “I’m sorry to be so abrupt but I’m on my way to teach a class and just stopped by the church for a few reference books.” She pulled out her cell phone to check the time. “Wow, it’s really getting late. You know, Pastor Ben will check his voicemail off and on, so feel free to call and leave him a message.” She picked up a stack of books and with one more glance in his direction, turned and headed for the door. “Oh, and nice to meet you, too,” she called over her shoulder.
After she left, Frank stood there a few more minutes before heading for the door himself. “This is the day the Lord has made,” his favorite Bible verse sang through his head. “We will rejoice and be glad in it.” He was suddenly very glad in it.

The autumn air felt good after the hot and humid North Carolina summer. The trees were at their peak of color wearing rich gold, rusty red, and toasty brown hues. Frank got into his truck and started the engine, but didn’t drive off immediately. Instead, he looked up at the steeple and said a quick prayer for Pastor Ben and the kids involved in the accident.
“I’m too old for this kind of feeling,” he muttered as he pulled into traffic. “Too old to be interested in Maggie Archer or any other woman. Past my prime, past dating.” He drove the short distance back to the office in record time, parked in his usual spot and looked at the building before him. He read the simple sign aloud, “Porter Construction Company.” He drew a deep breath and smiled. “Okay, let’s get back to reality.”

The construction company had been a gift from his father when Frank graduated from college and has been his mainstay ever since. The company had grown considerably over the years and Frank was proud of the success. Of course, he had an excellent crew of guys, some who had been there from the beginning. His thoughts drifted back to Maggie. I’m 55, he thought to himself. No one dates at 55. Why am I even thinking about it? He shook his head as he got out and slammed the door of the cab much harder than he meant to. Taking a deep breath, he determined to push all thoughts of Maggie Archer far, far away.

“Frank,” Ms. Betty called out before he even got through the door. “The Simmons contract came through today. Looks like you’ll need all hands on deck!” She grinned at him as she held out the paperwork.

“Oh, yeah? That’s great! Guess we better get hopping on the orders.” He took the contract to see if Moe Simmons had made any more changes to the new complex. “We’ll need to get the lumber order in by tomorrow if we want to break ground next week. We just might have enough time before the first winter rain to at least frame it out.” He walked over to the design wall to check the plans against the contract.

“What do you mean rain? We’re due for snow this winter. I can feel it in my bones!” Betty handed Frank a mug of coffee. “The lumber order is already set up and ready for your approval,” she told him. “I knew you were going to get the contract so I started it weeks ago during the negotiations. Plus, Crew 4 is almost done on the Main Street project and Crew 2 is ready to go.”
“Ms. Betty, you are a blessing to this company and to me,” Frank told her. “A true blessing. What would I ever do without you?”

Betty’s eyes danced with delight but she hid her smile, a little embarrassed by her boss’s attention. She loved her position as office manager and had been raised to go the extra mile in both her work and personal life so having everything ready for him was normal practice for her. Besides, Frank was a dream boss, good disposition and thoughtful, and he had such a heart for the Lord. Prayer was often and plenty around the office and at all the jobsites. He didn’t require a person to be a Christian to work there, however no one stood much of a chance afterwards. Frank loved to talk about Jesus and would find a way to bring Him into almost any situation. It wasn’t unusual to find him on his knees at a jobsite praying with an employee, and every project had a cross and a Bible buried somewhere within the structure.

“Oh, go on to your office, silly! You know I am always going to be here to help you out. At least until I retire, that is, and I’m not ready for that yet.” She shook her head and smiled all the way back to her desk.

Frank sat at his desk and pushed the on button on his computer. As it whirred and beeped to life, he thought about his appointment with Pastor Ben and wondered again if the idea was only his plan or was it actually the Lord’s plan, too. Was he being led or was he leading? Making decisions without approval, pushing and manipulating. He was known to do that, manipulate to his advantage. A few women from his past had been more than glad to inform him of that trait. “The old days,” he spoke softly. “I’ve changed.”

He recently joined the congregation at His Way Christian Church, led there by the hand of God. Frank’s family worshipped for years at a small country church in Indian Trail and that’s where Frank continued to go even after his family had dwindled due to cancer, heart disease, and old age. Even his siblings had moved on years ago. When the pastor, now advanced in years himself and showing signs of Alzheimer’s, finally retired, the few people left in the congregation moved to other churches and the property was sold to investors. Six months ago, Ms. Betty had invited Frank to a conference at His Way and from the moment he sat in the pew, he felt at home. The conference was great but the Sunday preaching spoke to his soul in a way he had never experienced before. He was surprised since he never pictured himself at such a large church, preferring the quaint, cozy feel of a country sanctuary.

Though the computer sat ready to go, Frank stayed lost in thought, his mind eventually wandering back to Maggie Archer. Why, he wondered, do I find her so appealing? There is something there, something that could turn into an amazing friendship. He blushed when he realized he wants more than friendship. “This is silly,” he muttered as he turned his attention to the monitor and quickly pulled up the spreadsheet for the new project.

*********

Maggie arrived at the university with only 20 minutes lead time until her first class of the day. She found her room with help from a student and immediately began to set up shop. She hung the Holy Land maps, placed whiteboard markers and erasers at both boards, and taped photos of Israel in strategic places around the room. Satisfied with the look and feel of the classroom, she took the handouts from her briefcase, and stacked them neatly on her desk. Taking a few slow, deep breaths, she closed her eyes, and prayed, “Heavenly Lord, I lift each of these students up to you. I don’t know them yet, but you do. Cover them with your holiness and give them insight into their studies. May I bring honor and glory to you as I lead these students towards a better understanding of your truths. May I speak only your words, not mine. Amen.”

She smiled as the familiar peace of God slid over her, giving her courage and filling her with excitement for this opportunity at Freedom Christian University. She hasn’t taught at the university level for nearly seven years and she missed it every single day. This chance was directly attributed to her involvement at His Way, teaching Sunday school and working with Pastor Ben, but she knows who deserves the real credit. She softly whispered her thanks to the Lord.

As her thoughts drift back to His Way, she thinks about the man she met this morning, the one who had an appointment with Pastor Ben. She doesn’t recall seeing him at the church, but His Way is so big, that didn’t surprise her at all. She wonders why he was meeting with Pastor Ben and then immediately shakes the thought away. It’s none of my business, she thinks, as she shuffles and restacks the papers at her desk. Still, she finds her thoughts wandering back to Frank Porter, Pastor Ben, and the teens on the bus. Five students arrive and take seats before she even notices.

“Welcome to Old Testament Ways,” she says as she stands. “I’m so glad you are here and so is God. We’ll give the others a few more minutes to find this room and then we’ll begin. Maybe we can pass around the handouts while we wait. I’m excited to get started on our journey!”

Maggie’s enthusiasm is contagious and the students sit up a little straighter, focused on the handouts coming their way. The others arrive in due time and class gets under way as Maggie’s voice fills the room. Time moves quickly and before she knows it, the day is over.

“Hold on, I’m losing my signal,” Maggie looks at her cell phone, shakes it for no good reason, and puts it back to her ear. “Is this any better? Christina? Are you there?” Silence. She hits the disconnect button and shoves the phone back into her bag as she hurries to her car. Christina, her older sister and best friend, will understand what happened and knows Maggie will call back later.

The parking lot is emptying fast as Maggie tosses her briefcase into the trunk and eases herself into the driver’s seat, rubbing her lower back and remembering this pain from past teaching days. I’ll get used to it again, she thinks. Good class, good group of kids, great start, she tells herself. She pulls out of the lot, merging with the throng of cars leaving campus. “It feels good to be back,” she says aloud as she digs again for her phone.

“Christina? It’s me. Yes, I lost my connection once again. I think I need to switch companies or something. I’m tired of the frustration. Class was great, I love being back to work but I really want to tell you about this man I met this morning at church.” Maggie is more than a little surprised she has brought up Frank to her sister. This is silly, she thinks, but begins to tell Christina about the encounter anyway.

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