Heaven Sent Husband

Ket turned casually and then suddenly froze.

The sight of the tall man who had just entered the cafeteria had an almost paralyzing effect on her.

“Now, he is something!” Debbie breathed. “Did you ever see a better-looking man in your whole life?”

The man they were staring at was six foot five, with a lean, athletic-looking build. He had auburn hair, light blue eyes and strong, even features. Ket’s friends, Maggie and Debbie, watched with shock as he suddenly turned toward them and smiled.

“Do you know him?” Maggie whispered.

Ket had no time to answer for the tall man stopped before them and looked down at her. “Hello, Ket,” he said.

“Hello, Jared. It’s nice to see you again.”

Ket’s friends looked at them in stunned silence. “Who was that?” Maggie gasped as he walked away.

“When I think of Jared Pierce, all I can remember is a rather nasty boy who teased me about being so tall. He was always pulling my ponytail, and once he pushed me into a mud puddle.”

Debbie grinned. “He could push me into the Atlantic Ocean!”

GILBERT MORRIS

makes his home in Gulf Shores, Alabama, with his wife, Johnnie. He was a Baptist pastor for twenty years, a professor of English for twenty-eight years and since retiring, he has written 186 novels. He is involved in prison ministry in Alabama and Florida.

Heaven Sent Husband

Gilbert Morris

Without faith, it is impossible to please Him, for he

that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that

He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him.

—Hebrews 11:6

To Johnnie—my companion for fifty-six years.

I’ve enjoyed every second of it!

Dear Reader,

More than twenty years ago, my wife, Johnnie, and I invited a young couple to our home after a service. They were speakers during Christian Focus Week at the university where I was teaching. After we had cake and coffee, I asked them, “How did you meet and decide to get married?”

Their answer is the basis of Heaven Sent Husband. It is the only one of my 186 novels that is based on a personal testimony. The novel sounds wildly improbable, a plot that I would never dream up—but it is true.

We were stunned by the faith of the young woman who risked humiliation but obeyed God blindly. All of us should have that kind of faith—but few of us do.

The real Ketura and Jared have been serving as medical missionaries for the past twenty years.

Contents

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Epilogue

Chapter One

Ketura Lindsey took a firm grip on the squirming bundle of fur she held in her right arm. The whiskered face of the Yorkie looked up at her eagerly. “Now, Bedford,” she said, “you’re going to have to behave yourself. This is a hospital and you’re going to meet a very sick, young man. So you must be very good.”

Passing through the front door of Mercy Hospital, Ket smiled at the silver-haired woman behind the desk in the center of the room. “What’s that you’ve got there?” the woman asked cheerfully.

“This is my good buddy Bedford. I’m taking him up to see Denny Ray.”

“Did you get Dr. Bjelland’s permission for that?”

“No.” Ket smiled. “I’m smuggling him in. You won’t tell on me, will you, Mrs. Williams?”

Mrs. Williams smiled and shook her head. She had a special fondness for Ket Lindsey and she studied the young woman before she answered. Ket had ash-blond hair and blue-gray eyes set in a squarish face. Her fair complexion was marked with a few, almost invisible freckles. She was very tall, just under six feet. There was a strength in her and her face was marked by this strength rather than beauty.

“No. I won’t squeal. Here, let me say hello. Hi, Bedford.” She reached out and petted the head of the frantically wiggling dog who tried to get at her face. “No—no, you can’t lick my face! All this makeup would make you sick.” She laughed. “Go on up. Denny Ray will be glad to see you.”

Moving out of the main lobby, Ket took the elevator up to the fourth floor. Passing by the nursing station, she stopped long enough to say, “Hello, Ellie. I brought a visitor to see Denny Ray.”

Ellie Peck, the hard-nosed head of the station was thirty years old. She was short and plump with flaming red hair and freckles—and a worthless husband named Mack whom she was mad about. “What’s that you’ve got?” She frowned.

“I brought Bedford to visit Denny Ray.”

“That’s against the rules.”

“Oh, come on, Ellie!” Ket pleaded. “He gets so lonesome in there. And you know there’s scientific research that shows it’s good to have patients visited by pets.”

“That’s in a nursing home!”

“Well, if it’ll work in a nursing home, it ought to work here. He’ll enjoy it so much. Come on. Be a sport.”

“Well, I suppose it won’t hurt unless you get caught, but if Dr. Bjelland catches you, I’m out of it.”

“No problem. I’ll take the rap. Thanks, Ellie.”

Ket moved down the hall thinking suddenly that she would soon be a fully fledged registered nurse. She had graduated college with a bachelor’s degree in science and come to work at Mercy Hospital as a licensed practical nurse, but soon she would be registered and certified and a genuine nurse in every sense of the word. She was eager to complete this certification, but realized that at age twenty-four she was right on track.

Turning into room 417, she glanced quickly at the boy in the bed who was lying flat on his back staring up at the ceiling. Her heart went out to him as it always did. Ten-year-old Denny Ray Kelland was a very appealing boy. He had fine blond hair, light blue eyes and did not appear to be sick. Ket knew that his heart problem was more severe than Denny Ray guessed, but as always, she greeted him with a bright smile.

“Denny Ray, I brought you a visitor!”

Denny Ray quickly raised his head. When he saw the dog Ket held out, his eyes lit up at once. “Gosh! Is that your dog, Ket?”

“Sure is. His name’s Bedford. Here, you’ll love him.” With this she tossed the Yorkie on the bed. Bedford never met a soul he didn’t love or didn’t want to lick. Before Denny Ray could put his hands up, the Yorkie had both feet braced against him and was licking him right in the face.

“Hey!” Denny Ray yelled. “You’re going to swallow me!”

Ket laughed at the sight. “As you can see, he likes you. Don’t let him drown you, though. Let me know if he gets to be too much.”

But Denny Ray seemed delighted by the dog’s attention. Finally, he grabbed Bedford and held him up. “Gosh, this is a great dog,” he said. “What kind is it?”

“He’s a Yorkie.”

“He’s not very big, is he?”

“Not very big! Why, he weighs a thumping seven pounds!” Ket smiled. She came over and sat down on the bed, then reached out and pushed Denny Ray’s hair away from his eyes. “You need a haircut. I may do that myself.”

“His name is Bedford? Why do you call him that?”

“I named him after one of my heroes, Nathan Bedford Forrest.”

“I never heard of him.”

“Well, you will when you study the Civil War.”

“Was he a Rebel or a Yankee?”

Ket laughed. “Would a Southern girl like me have a Yankee as a hero? No, he was a general in the cavalry. One of the finest in the whole war. I’ll bring you a book and read to you about him sometime.”

Ket sat beside Denny Ray, watching him play with Bedford. He smiled and laughed more than he had in days, she noticed, but his face was thin and his skin looked almost translucent. You can almost see that heart wearing him down, she thought. Something must be done. Lord, he’s too fine a boy for us to lose. Don’t let this be the end of him.

Finally, the nurse on duty came in. Sally O’Brien was one of Ket’s best friends, and Sally smiled briefly at Ket before giving Denny Ray and the dog an indulgent look. “My, my. Who let that little guy in?”

“His name is Bedford. He’s Ket’s dog,” Denny Ray said.

“Somehow I had a feeling.” Sally walked to the other side of the bed and patted Bedford’s head. “Sorry, Denny Ray. I can see you’re enjoying your furry visitor, but it’s time for your medication and then a bath.”

“No, not yet. We’re having fun,” Denny Ray pleaded.

Ket sighed. It was hard to go, but she didn’t want to push her luck breaking hospital rules. “Sally’s right. I have to go, Denny Ray.” She stood and reached for Bedford, who was frantically stealing a few more licks off the boy’s face.

“Will you bring him back sometime?” Denny Ray asked.

“I sure will. When you get out of here, we’ll take him to an open field and watch him go. You ought to see Bedford go after a squirrel. He’s really something.”

“He sure is,” Denny Ray agreed, gazing longingly at the dog who now sat alertly at his bedside. “My dad says he’s going to get me a dog when I come out of the hospital. Maybe I’ll get one like Bedford.”

“Maybe.” Ket forced a hopeful smile. She hoped with all her heart Denny Ray would be running around with a dog of his own someday.

“Well, got to go. See you tomorrow, pal.”

Sally had started checking Denny Ray’s blood pressure and looked up at Ket. “Maggie and Debbie went down to the cafeteria for a break,” she offered, mentioning their other close friends. “You could probably still catch up with them.”

“Thanks, Sally. I think I’ll try,” Ket said.

Just outside the room, Ket snapped on Bedford’s leash and kept him close beside her as they moved down the hall. In order to avoid anyone who might object to Bedford, she took the stairs down to the second floor. As Sally had predicted, she spotted Maggie Stone and Debbie Smith having coffee at a table near the door. Ket plumped herself down in an empty chair.

“Hi. What’s going on?”

Maggie stared at her. With short sandy hair and large brown eyes, Maggie was quite attractive. But like so many young women Ket knew, Maggie was always worrying about her weight. Needlessly, too, Ket thought.

“What are you doing here today?”

“I came to see Denny Ray. I thought a visit from Bedford would cheer him up. Can I have a bite of your doughnut?”

She reached out, but Maggie slapped her hand away. “Get your own doughnut.” Then she gave Ket a grin. “I shouldn’t be breaking my diet, but this is my reward for working a double shift, and I intend to eat every crumb.” With that she took a large, tantalizing bite.

“What an adorable dog.” Debbie leaned over and gave Bedford a pat. She and Ket had gone to college together and had felt lucky to find themselves together again at Mercy Hospital. Debbie was sweet and upbeat, with auburn hair and gentle gray eyes. She rarely had a harsh word to say about anybody and had always been a loyal, supportive friend.

“Look. I think he likes me,” Debbie said as Bedford tried desperately to climb into her lap.

“He likes everyone,” Ket explained. “Here, hold him a minute, will you? I just want to get some coffee.” Without waiting for her reply, Ket handed Debbie Bedford’s leash and bought herself two doughnuts and a cup of decaf coffee. When she returned to the table, she could tell that Debbie and Maggie were on to their favorite topic again: eligible young men. Or, the lack thereof.

“So, what’s going on in your love life, Ket?” Maggie asked. “Anything interesting to report?”

Ket took a huge bite of doughnut and shook her head. “Not too much…but as a matter of fact, I do have a date tonight.”

“Who with?” both young women demanded simultaneously.

“I’m not telling. You two are the worst gossips in the hospital. Anyway, I’m not too excited about it.”

Debbie said, “I know a fellow that works for the state government. He’d be perfect for you, Ket. Why don’t you let me fix you up?”

“I don’t think so.”

Maggie frowned with disapproval. “You don’t need to miss any chances. A woman who wants a husband has got to—” She broke off suddenly and her eyes widened. The other two were watching her and saw something like shock come over her face. “Who is that?” she whispered.

Ket turned casually and then suddenly froze. The sight of the tall man who had just entered the cafeteria with Dr. Lars Bjelland had an almost paralyzing effect on her.

“Now, he is something!” Debbie breathed. “Did you ever see a better-looking man in your whole life?”

The man that Debbie and Maggie were staring at was six foot five, with a lean, athletic-looking build. He had auburn hair, light blue eyes and strong, even features. Both Maggie and Debbie watched with shock as he suddenly turned toward them and smiled. “He’s coming over here,” Debbie said.

“Do you know him?” Maggie whispered.

Ket had no time to answer for the tall man stopped before them and looked down at her. “Hello, Ket,” he said.

“Hello, Jared. It’s nice to see you.”

“You’re a nurse here?”

“I’m almost through with my training.”

“Mom said she got a letter from your mother telling her you were almost done.” His warm smile made him even more attractive. “I guess we’ll be seeing each other from time to time. I’m going to intern here at Mercy.” Then he glanced across the room and said, “Dr. Bjelland’s waiting. Good to see you.”

The three young women watched in stunned silence as he walked away. “Who is that?” Maggie finally gasped.

“Jared Pierce.”

“And you know him?” Debbie breathed. “Tell us all about it!”

“Oh, we grew up together. Went to the same school.”

“What a cutie!” Debbie sighed. “Did you date him?”

“No,” Ket said shortly. “He was a couple of grades above me—and besides, we didn’t get along.”

“Didn’t get along with a guy like that?” Maggie snorted. “You were out of your mind!”

“Don’t be fooled by appearances, ladies,” Ket warned. “When I think of Jared Pierce, all I can remember is a rather nasty boy who teased me about being so tall. He was always puling my ponytail, and once he pushed me into a mud puddle.”

“He could push me into the Atlantic Ocean!” Debbie grinned.

“Well, he was the star of the baseball team. All the girls were chasing him.” Ket shrugged. “He wouldn’t have looked at me if my hair was on fire.”

They all three watched as the two doctors got their trays and made their way to a table.

“Look at that,” Maggie said. “Every woman in here has her eyes on that man. Ket, you’ve got to introduce me to him.”

“It wouldn’t do you any good. He’s like all stars, pretty stuck-up.”

“Maybe he’s changed,” Debbie said. “He came over and spoke to you right away.”

“And that’s probably the last time he’ll speak to me unless he needs my help around here in the medical line for some reason. Which is doubtful.” Ket suddenly lost her appetite. “Here, you can have my other doughnut.” She passed a doughnut to Maggie, then reached down and handed the last morsel of one she had almost finished to Bedford. “Come on, Bedford. We’ve got to get home.”

“Hey, I want to hear all about that date tomorrow!” Maggie called out but Ket did not even turn around.

Out in the parking lot, Ket got into the car and plunked Bedford down on the seat beside her. She started the engine and drove home, her mind on Jared Pierce. Her mother had once been best friends with Jared’s mother, but the Pierce family had moved away years ago, so their friendship had been sustained by phone calls and letters.

“Jared Pierce,” she mused. “Well, he’s something, I have to admit. As mean and stuck-up as he was, I would definitely have dated him if he’d just given me a look, but he never did.”

Arriving at the house she went quickly inside, unsnapped Bedford’s leash. “Go get something to eat,” she said, and watched the dog scurry off.

Turning, she went into the den where she found her mother ironing and watching television. Her mother was a news hound and spent most of her time watching the all-news TV channels.

“Why, Ket, you’re home early. Did you see your young friend?”

“Yes, I did.”

“How was he?”

“Not good. He’s so sick and he doesn’t really know it.”

“I bet he enjoyed Bedford, though.”

“Yes, he did. He’s so sweet. He enjoys everything you do for him and is so appreciative.”

Flinging herself onto the recliner, Ket sat watching her mother for a time. With dark auburn hair, warm dark eyes and a trim figure, Lucille Lindsey was still an attractive woman at age forty-eight. Ketura thought she had to be the most devoted wife and mother in the world…at least in all of Texas. Now that Ket was an adult, she could appreciate how hard her mother had worked raising her three children—Ket and her two older sisters, Carol and Jenny. Though they’d squabbled and teased each other almost constantly while growing up, Ketura missed her sisters and wished she could see them more often. Carol, an elementary school teacher, had recently married and lived in Southern California, where her husband worked for a computer software firm. Jenny was in Chicago, finishing law school. She and her boyfriend had announced their engagement the past Christmas and would be married next year. Ketura was happy for them, but wasn’t looking forward to the event. She felt embarrassed to be the only sister left who was unmarried—and with absolutely no prospects in sight. She dreaded the well-meaning questions and romantic advice of relatives and family friends she’d surely hear on her sister’s wedding day. Ketura hoped to be far away by then, doing missionary work in India, which was her plan once she’d completed her training and became a registered nurse.

While her parents were proud that she had been called to such an admirable vocation, Ketura knew that they were anxious about her going so far away on her own. Mostly, her parents wanted to see her “settled down with a nice young man”—just like her sisters. She knew her mother worried the most, but her mom was quieter about it than her father. While she and her sisters had been growing up, Ket knew she’d always been the most mischievous, and her mother deserved a medal for her patience.

And I’m still testing her patience, Ket thought, casting her mother an affectionate glance.

Ket sighed. She popped the chair back into the reclining position and watched the news for a time but was not really interested. “Guess who I saw today, Mom?” she asked suddenly.

“Who?”

“Jared Pierce.”

This did catch Lucille Lindsey’s attention. “Did you really! Where in the world did you see him?”

“In the hospital. He’s come to do his internship there.”

“I knew he was an intern now. Irene told me. But I didn’t know it would be in your hospital. Did you talk to him at all?” she asked eagerly.

“Oh, he came over and said hello.”

“And what did you say?”

“I said, ‘Hello, Jared.’”

“Is that all?” Lucille was plainly disappointed. “After all, you’re old schoolmates.”

“Not really. He was in the twelfth grade when I was in the tenth. That’s like two different species. He was about as interested in me as he was in the carvings on Mount Rushmore.”

“Oh, don’t be silly! You and Jared played together all your lives.”

Ket did not answer for a time, then she said, “Well, I will say he’s still fine looking. So tall. I thought Maggie and Debbie were going to faint when they saw him.”

“Well, he’s dating someone. Irene told me that. Oh, you’d know her!”

“How would I know her?”

“Why, she’s one of your old schoolmates. Lisa Glenn.”

“He’s dating Lisa?”

“Yes. You know she’s Miss Texas now.”

“I knew that. She was always Miss Something. Miss Mudpie or Miss Ingrown Toenail.”

“Now, that’s not kind! She’s a pretty girl, and she just naturally likes beauty contests.”

“I know, Mom. I just never got along with Lisa very well. I always thought she was pretty stuck-up.”

Her mother missed the pun, Ket noticed, but Ket didn’t bother explaining it.

“Well, I suppose she may have been but, in any case, she and Jared are dating.”

“Are they engaged?”

“No. Not yet. Irene said she’s hoping they will be. She’s very fond of Lisa.”

Suddenly Ket came to her feet. “Here. Let me finish that ironing. Most of it’s mine anyway.” She ignored her mother’s protests and picked up the iron. Lucille gathered up a pile of neatly folded clothing. “Don’t forget. You’ve got a date tonight,” she reminded Ket as she left the room.

“I know it,” Ket said shortly. She almost added, “And do I dread it,” but she did not. Her parents were always excited when she went out with someone. Both of them longed to see her find a nice boyfriend but Ket felt as if she was constantly disappointing them.

“Well, it’s a date anyhow, and that’s more than I’ve had lately,” she told herself as she pressed down viciously on the blouse and then suddenly lifted the iron. “No sense taking it out on you.” She thought of Jared Pierce then, and murmured, “Hmph. He was a real pest when he was a kid, and I expect he’s about the same deep down. Lisa is welcome to him!”

Chapter Two

“Well, at least I’m not quite six feet tall—guess I should be grateful. Another quarter of an inch I would be.”

Why couldn’t I have been petite and beautiful like Carol and Jenny instead of tall and plain? Ever since she could remember, Ket had longed to look like her two older sisters. Both of them had taken their size and beauty from their mother—exactly five foot four with dark auburn hair and sparkling, dark eyes. Both of them had attracted more suitors than Quaker has oats. Ketura had a sharp memory of the time when she was an adolescent, coming into her full growth and her father had admonished her sharply. “Ketura, for goodness’ sake, will you straighten up! You look like Quasimodo!”

Ket had finally been cured of stooping over to minimize her height by recognizing that it did not help. Also by realizing that God, in His infinite wisdom, had chosen to make her different from her mother and sisters. Different from most women, in fact. She knew by now there was no use complaining about it.

Now she stood straight and tall and put her attention fully on the dress that she had bought for tonight. At one time in her life she had envisioned herself going out for dates as often as her sisters, but somehow her shyness with men—mostly because of her height—had brought her to a strange situation in which she had almost stopped dating completely. She refused to date anyone shorter than she was, which eliminated fifty percent of the male population, and the other fifty percent were put off by what they considered her haughty manner. She was not haughty actually, but hid her real feelings. She feared rejection and did all she could to avoid embarrassment and humiliation.

She examined the dress critically, for she had bought it especially for her date with Charlie Petrie. Petrie was not handsome, but he was six feet three inches tall. True enough, he was thin, almost to the point of disappearing if he stood sideways. His colleagues at the accounting firm where he worked called him Ichabod behind his back, for his stooped, thin frame reminded one of the character in the classic by Washington Irving.