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"The poor kid" Mercy sat on top of the duct for the air conditioner, her face cupped in her hands

"If only I could find an easy way for her to have a horse"

"A horse," Goodness echoed

"Karen’s crazy about ’em"

"Then that’s e’ll have to do," Goodness said as if this were the solution to their problems "All the poor kid needs is a little fun, and before you know it those nightmares will disappear"

"Just where are we supposed to find a horse?" Shirley asked with limited patience "And even if we could, Karen’s mother couldn’t afford to feed it"

"There are ways," Mercy said with complete confidence

"Yes, but are these ways of yours going to get us jerked back to heaven by our sold-plated innocence "Why, I’d never suggest anything that would give dear Gabriel ato think she gled "Yes, you would," she said "We all would, and good old Gabe knows it, too"

"Do you er prayer a than she was Frankly, Shirley believed Gabriel had teamed her up with Goodness and Mercy just so she could keep an eye on these two upstarts

"Oh, yes Karen"

"Of course Karen"

Now that she had their attention, Shirley felt it was tih she wasn’t exactly sure what to do with the information "Of course, there’s always Thom Nichols"

"Tho stable in the valley, and it’s--"

"But that’s perfect" Goodness vaulted upright in her enthusias about Maureen’s troubles I did tell Gabriel that I was certain there was a horse in this soht proud of herself, "but it isn’t as if I can swoop down and tell Maureen about the stables"

A slow, gradual smile spread over Goodness’s face "Why can’t you?"

"You’ve got that gleaet worried She’d seen that look before, and it usually spelled trouble "How could you even think such things, Goodness? We’ve just arrived We don’t dare jeopardize everything so soon"

"Don’t get all bent out of shape," Goodness said with a total lack of concern "I’ I shouldn’t Now, tellStables"

Shirley removed the brochure from inside her wide sleeve and spread it open for the others to read "It says they have afternoon riding lessons with gentle, well-behaved horses and lots of riding trails It’s ideal for someone like Karen"

"Allow htly colored brochure out of Shirley’s hand Before the other prayer ambassador could protest further, Goodness disappeared over the outer edge of the building Given no option, Shirley followed just in tirocery carts, headed straight toward Maureen Woods’s car

Shirley watched in dis line of the across the large parking lot until it stopped directly behind Maureen’s car

A little boy alking into the store with his mother watched the cart take off on its own and then coauged

The boy tugged on the strap of his mother’s purse, which was draped over her arm

"Mom Mom!"

"Stevie, how many times have I asked you not to pull on my purse?…Answer me, son How many times?"

"But, Mom--"

"Hoould you like it if I yanked on you?"

"But, Mom, I just saw a cart move and stop all on its own," he told her

"Then don’t pull on noring what the youngster had told her With that, she reached for his hand and led him inside the store

Shirley swore she was about toto do?" she asked Goodness between gritted teeth "See how fast you can get the three of us sent back in disgrace? We promised no monkey business, reravity pulling a cart a certain distance?" Goodness inquired with a look as innocent as freshly fallen snow "All we--"

"We?"

"I" At least she had the good grace to correct herself, Shirley noted

"All I did," Goodness continued as if burdened with the incompetence of the other tas make the brochure accessible to a certain person we know and love"

"Look at that!" Maureen said as she trudged toward her parked car, loaded doith two heavy bags of groceries "Don’t you just hate it when thoughtless people leave their carts out? I’ll need to put it away before I can leave"

"Here," her mother said, "let me move it out of your way"

"You have your own load--I’ll get it," Maureen insisted She set the bags inside the cart and opened the car trunk After placing her s inside the car, she retrieved her own "I’ll take the cart back," she said, unlocking the passenger door for her mother