Lyndsey strolled along the sidewalk near Shep’s home after church on Sunday. Josh, abounding with energy, skipped ahead of them. The frigid day wouldn’t allow for a long walk, but enough for Josh to burn off the liveliness he’d stored while sitting in church. “Much better than I’d expected.” Walking closely beside her, he held her gloved hand. “I didn’t hear any unnecessary remarks, did you?” She shook her head. “All the congratulations I received were heartfelt.” “Same here.” “Granted, Pastor Dean announced it last week not realizing we weren’t there, so everyone had a week to get their gossip out.” Lyndsey quirked a corner of her mouth. “For whatever reason, I’m glad you weren’t subjected to any nasty rumors or comments.” He didn’t care for himself, but Lyndsey would have been more affected by them. They walked another quarter of a mile before turning around and going home.
