by Donna Raider
“That would be nice.” Leah smiled, lighting up the night.
“I’ll take her home in the squad car,” the sheriff interrupted.
“Thank you, Sheriff, but I believe the walk and fresh air will be good for me,” Leah smirked. “It’s only half a mile.”
“Let me put out the candles and lock the church. I’ll meet you in your office.” Mika headed for the church feeling pleased with herself for interrupting whatever plans Sheriff Carver had in mind for the mayor that evening.
Mika started back across the street toward the mayor’s office just as the sheriff laid rubber and squealed the tires on the patrol car, fishtailing down the street.
##
“I hope you don’t mind. I was at the dry cleaner’s just before closing today and noticed you hadn’t picked up your clothes.” Leah said. “I knew you were working hard in the church, so I picked them up for you.” She looked up from the stack of forms she was signing.
Mika unconsciously dusted her slacks and shirt front. “Thank you so much. I’m afraid I lost track of time. Do you mind stopping by the bed and breakfast so I can run the clothes up to my room? You can wait in the lobby. I’ll only be a few minutes.”
Leah looked at Mika’s dirty face, streaked with dried sweat. Flecks of plaster and dirt filled her tousled hair. She wrinkled her nose. “I have a few more budget items to go over. Why don’t you take the dry cleaning to your room and I’ll meet you in the lobby in fifteen minutes?” She hoped that would give Mika enough time to wipe the grime off her face.
When she got to the bed and breakfast, Mika saw herself in the mirror of her room and was astounded at her appearance. The usually immaculate priest looked as if she had been working in the mines for a month. She stripped and jumped into the shower, scrubbing hard and fast to rid herself of the grit and grime she had accumulated from crawling through small passageways filled with debris and walking through rooms thick with spider webs.
Throwing on a light blue Henley and jeans, she ran a comb through her hair and reached the lobby in exactly fifteen minutes. The mayor was coming through the door as Mika stepped into the foyer.
Leah’s eyes raked Mika from head to toe, then moved slowly back up to rest on her blue eyes. “What?! No collar, Priest?” She teased.
“We can wear lay clothing at times, without the collar,” Mika explained, blushing from the mayor’s obvious assessment of her body. “I thought you might enjoy our walk more if I…uh, smelled better.”
Leah laughed out loud and slipped her arm through Mika’s. “You’ll do just fine,” she cooed. Mika was right. She did smell better. Leah drank in the clean soap smell joined with her feminine scent. It was intoxicating.
“How was your day?” Mika asked, sincere interest in her voice.
“It was good.” Leah tried to remember the last time anyone was interested in her day. “Far better than yours, I’m sure. I am afraid the church may be irreparably damaged.”
“Nothing a little paint and a lot of elbow grease won’t fix.” Mika frowned. “I guess my first step will be to get an electrician to rewire everything and bring it up to code. I need to haul off tons of trash and damaged furniture that have collected over the years.”
“The miners are in a bit of a slump right now,” Leah informed her. “I’m sure you could hire them to help with the general cleanup, and I’ll get you the name of the city’s electrician. You can hire him on his days off.”
Before they knew it, they had reached the mayor’s mansion. As they said goodnight, a slight rumble came from Mika’s stomach.
“You haven’t eaten since lunch today.” Leah looked shocked. “Come in. I’ll make you a hot ham and cheese sandwich. It will hold you over until breakfast.”
“I’m not sure that’s a good idea,” Mika teased. “The local priest in the mayor’s home after midnight. It might start gossip about you.”
Leah smiled, touched that Mika was concerned for her reputation. She really should be concerned about her own status. After all, Mika is keeping company with me, Leah thought. My reputation has already been destroyed. “Then wait here and I’ll run in and fix you a sandwich. Won’t take but a minute. I insist.”
For the second night in a row, the priest sat on the mayor’s front porch. Leah joined her with a sandwich and a glass of wine for each of them.
Mika didn’t know if it was the company or her hunger, but it was the best meal she had ever eaten.
Once again, they shared the first light of day. They had talked all night. Mika found Leah fascinating. Leah knew so much for one so young. One didn’t have to stoop to discussing politics with her. She knew so much more to talk about: history, computers, evolution, and even religious history. Leah admitted she hadn’t traveled much outside her town, but she wanted to. She had studied other countries and was fascinated by the Seven Wonders of the World, all things she wanted to see.
“Lunch today?” Mika raised a quizzical eyebrow and grinned slowly, knowing she would be sleeping late again.
“Yes.” Leah smiled.
They passed the first two weeks of June, dining together every day and having endless discussions deep into the night. Both were amazed at how easy it was to share their thoughts, hopes, and even dreams with one another.
On the evening of the fifteenth day, Leah told Mika their nightly tryst had to end.
“Have I done something to offend you?” she asked anxiously.
“Oh, no,” Leah laughed. “My son Richard is coming home in the morning. He has been on vacation with his grandparents.”
A son! How had she missed that Leah had a son? A husband? Her heart stopped. Of course she had a husband. Women as beautiful as Leah always had a husband.
She stammered, “I-I didn’t know you had a son. Is your husband with him?”
“No,” Leah blurted. “There’s no husband. Richie is adopted.”
Leah spent the next hour telling Mika about her son. Everyone called him Richie. He was a good guitar player. He had taken lessons since he was six. He wasn’t very athletic, but Leah suspected that was because no one had the ability to work with him. He was a good boy, and she was obviously very proud of him.
“So, can we meet for breakfast tomorrow?” Mika inquired. “I would like to meet Richie.”
“Yes, I would like that. Richie will like you, too.”
The priest couldn’t remember when Mayor Leah Anthal had become so essential to her happiness, but she was.
CHAPTER 3- Richie
Saturday morning, Mika was starting on her second cup of coffee when a bouncing ball of energy flew through the door of the diner and flung himself into the arms of the waitress, Ruth.
“Ruth,” he cried, “I’ve missed you so much. You too, Naomi.” He beamed at the older woman before throwing himself into her arms.
“So, did you have a great vacation?” Ruth grinned lovingly at the boy.
“Yes, but I’m glad to get back home. I missed my mom so much.”
A beaming Leah followed him through the door, hanging back to give him room to greet his friends. His eyes widened in surprise when they fell on the priest.
“You’re a priest,” he exclaimed breathlessly. “What are you doing in our town?”
“I live here.” Mika shrugged “I’m the new parish priest.” She extended her hand to the boy, who eagerly shook it. “Priest Mika Cross.” She smiled as Richie pumped her hand in a vigorous handshake. At least someone in this town knows what a handshake is, Mika thought.
“Richie Anthal,” the boy introduced himself. “So, will you hear confessions and give absolution and save our souls?” the child asked excitedly.
“That’s the plan.” Mika laughed out loud. “Why don’t you join me for breakfast, and we can discuss just how much work I have waiting for me? I bet you can give me some tips.”
“Mom, is it okay?” The boy jumped up and down. “Can we eat with a priest?”
“Of course, dear.” Leah mouthed a “Thank you” to Mika. Sh
e had been concerned about how to introduce the priest into their lives, and Mika had made it so easy.
As Leah watched her interact with Richie, she thought Mika makes everything so easy. The three of them chatted away as if they had known each other for years, their breakfast running into the diner’s noontime business.
“Mostly I have been working on cleaning up the church,” Mika was answering Richie’s questions. “Want to see what we’ve done so far? I’m rather pleased with our progress.”
“Can I, Mom? Can I?”
“I don’t know.” Leah smiled. “Can you?”
Richie looked bewildered by her turning the question on him. Mika leaned down and whispered something in the boy’s ear.
“I mean, may I, Mom? May I?” Richie grinned his sweetest grin.
“I suppose so. I need to run by the office and pick up a few things. I’ll pick you up at the church.”
##
Leah called Mika about an hour later and asked her to send out Richie.
“Please come in,” Mika said, “I’d like you to see our progress.”
“I can’t today,” Leah said sharply. “I have a lot to do.”
“Ple-e-a-se let me stay a little longer,” Richie squealed in the background. “This is awesome.”
Mika chuckled. “Why don’t you let him stay a little longer? I promise to have him home by five. We still haven’t explored the secret passageways and lost rooms,” Mika lowered her voice to a deep growling whisper as if there was something ominous and dangerous in the unexplored places.
“Ple-e-a-se, Mom,” Richie squealed even louder.
“Okay.” Leah laughed, pleased to find her son so happy in the company of the young priest.
##
Leah was in the kitchen when Richie and Mika burst through the front door of the mansion. “. . . and then the gorilla grabbed the woman and began to climb the Empire State Building,” Richie was excitedly telling Mika about his favorite horror movie.
“Richie, run upstairs and wash your hands for dinner,” Leah called to her son from the kitchen. The boy started for the stairs then turned, running to his mother and giving her a hug. “I missed you so much, Mom,” he said.
Leah’s face lit up like a thousand candles. Mika thought she had never seen such pure joy on a mother’s face.
Leah looked up at her, including Mika in that same look of joy.
“You will stay for dinner, won’t you?” She raised an eyebrow. “I truly can make more than sandwiches.”
“That remains to be seen,” Mika teased.
Mika and Richie placed dishes and silver on the table while Leah put the finishing touches on dinner.
Dinner was a delightful affair. Like his mother, Richie was well educated and brilliant. Mika was surprised at the subjects the boy could discuss intelligently. What an excellent job she has done raising him alone, Mika thought.
After dinner, they insisted that Leah rest in the study while they cleaned up the kitchen. “You know, your mother is the finest cook in all the land.” Mika grinned at Richie as they cleared the table.
“What a funny choice of words.” Richie grimaced.
“You’re right.” The priest laughed. “I should have said the finest cook in the whole wide world.”
Richie smiled sadly. “Yeah, that’s much better.”
Mika followed Richie into the study. “Dinner was delicious,” she told Leah. “Thank you so much for having me.”
“Oh, Priest, don’t leave.” Richie grabbed Mika’s hand and pulled her farther into the room. “I want you to watch King Kong with me.”
“I will have to take a rain check on that.” Mika smiled down at the small boy looking up at her so hopefully. “Tomorrow is Sunday, you know. It’s an early day for me.”
“And you need to get ready for bed, young man.” Leah walked to the boy and bent down to his eye level. “I will be up to tuck you in soon.”
He hugged his mother’s neck tightly and then offered a hug to the priest. Mika dropped to one knee and hugged the small boy, amazed at the strength of the child’s embrace. He clung to her briefly then ran upstairs.
“He seems quite taken with you.” Leah smiled as she walked Mika to the door.
“The feeling is mutual.” Mika nodded.
“Is the church in good enough condition for you to hold services tomorrow?” Leah questioned.
“No. I am going to conduct the Mass in Brighton Parish. Father Dalton had an illness in the family and asked me to fill in for him. I am truly very excited. Would you and Richie like to join me?”
“No! No,” she answered quickly. “We have a lot of catching up to do. He’s been gone for three weeks.”
“Of course.” Mika agreed and walked down the front steps without looking back.
Leah missed her already. It would be the first night since she’d met her that they wouldn’t talk all night. She was thrilled with the priest’s friendship and the way Richie had taken to her. Richie needed a good role model in his life. While Samson was the perfect grandfather, he didn’t seem to be quite as in touch with the real world as the priest. Disappointment filled her as she realized she would have no excuse to see Mika tomorrow.
##
Mika was pleased with the way Mass had gone. She had lunch with some of Brighton’s citizens, then headed to her church. She spent two hours reading the scripture, although she knew the Bible by heart. Then she spent an hour on her knees with her Lord.
Mika and God had a close relationship. Mika knew what she was supposed to do. God’s plan for her was very clear in her mind, and she was in total agreement with her Lord’s wishes. Still, she prayed for the strength to deal with Leah Anthal.
Mika discovered that the second floor of the rectory gave her an exceptional view of the mayor’s home. She hadn’t seen her today and was very anxious that a day might pass without Leah in it. As she watched the mansion, she saw Leah and Richie run onto the expansive stretch of lawn behind the mansion. Mika smiled as she realized that Leah was trying to teach the boy how to pitch a baseball.
Enter Mika Cross, she thought as she hurried down the stairs and up the road to the mansion.
“I bet Priest Mika could teach me how to pitch,” Richie yelled to his mother, who was chasing a ball he had wildly thrown.
“Well, Mika isn’t here,” a panting Leah answered her son.
“Yes, she is,” Mika grinned as she stepped from the shadow of the house into the back yard.
“Oh! My prayers have been answered,” squealed a dramatic Richie, running to the priest.
Mine too, thought Leah as she watched Mika stride toward them. She is probably good at this. She looks like an athlete.
“I hope I’m not interfering.” Mika laughed as the boy tackled her around the legs.
“Tell Mom it’s not my pitching. It’s her catching,” Richie pleaded, grabbing Mika’s hand and leading her toward his mother.
Mika’s breath caught as she looked at Richie’s incredibly beautiful mother. Her hair was tousled, and her face was pink with exertion. A light sheen of perspiration covered her neck and chest. Her full, red lips smiled the most amazing smile Mika had ever seen. It was the most imperfect she had ever seen Leah, and she was just perfect.
She took the ball from Leah’s hand and pitched it to Richie. “I will trade an hour of baseball practice for a glass of lemonade,” she said, grinning.
“Thank you,” Leah said as she laughed.
Richie and Mika made a quick run to pick up Mika’s ball glove. They were practicing when Leah brought a tray of lemonade onto the veranda.
“The key is not to throw as hard as you can, but to throw as accurately as you can.” Mika was bent over, eye level with the boy. “Now, consider my glove a target, and you want to hit it. Not hard, just hit it. Okay?”
After a few wild throws, which Mika miraculously caught, Richie seemed to gain control of the ball and was either right on the glove or very close. Mika was impressed with the child’s a
bility.
“I believe we have earned a glass of lemonade.” The priest laughed as Richie sailed the ball right into her glove. She put an arm around the boy's shoulder and walked him to the veranda, where his mother was waiting.
“For an eleven-year-old, he’s good,” Mika informed her. “He’s getting his accuracy down and picking up his speed. Where does he play?”
“Nowhere.” Richie hung his head. “Neither our school nor our community has a ball league.”
“Maybe we can change that.” Mika smiled at the boy.
CHAPTER 4 - Christmas-Card Town
Mika hired the miners, who oddly enough turned out to be twelve men with an incredible work ethic. She was surprised to find they were named after the sons of Jacob from the Old Testament: Joseph, Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Dan, Naphtali, Gad, Asher, Issachar, Zebulun, and Benjamin. They were capable and accomplished every task quickly and correctly. They had restored the rectory first to provide the priest a place to live. The past five months of Mika’s life was filled with working to renovate the church and spending time with the mayor and her son.
The community had accepted Mika and her easy, non-judgmental way. She was witty and gracious. An excellent dancer and conversationalist, she was a welcome guest at all gatherings. Of course, there was the fact that the repairs on the cathedral and rectory had poured almost two million dollars into the economy of the town. The priest seemed to have carte blanche when it came to expenses for the church. Everyone was thankful for that.
June ran into December with Mika spending every free minute with Leah and Richie. They played ball, took hikes, attended town functions, had movie nights at the mansion, and became regarded as a threesome at every event.
Mika and Richie spent hours working on their special project—something to surprise Leah. The mayor often received invitations to parties and private functions addressed to Priest Mika and Leah Anthal.
The priest found that she loved Richie as if he were her son. Every hurt Richie endured; Mika felt in her soul. She worked hard to shield the boy and his mother from all pain. The woman of God could tell by the way they clung to each other that they had endured more than their share of suffering. She didn’t know why.