by Paula Mowery
Jordan sighed and sank onto a barstool.
His wife slid the tea glass across to him and propped her elbows on the counter.
Jordan glanced around. “It sure seems quiet around here. Do you have the kids tied up somewhere?”
Alyssa chuckled. “No. A movie. Which they can only watch until nine. I don’t want groaning in the morning when it is time to get up for Upward Soccer at the church.”
“Speaking of church, I needed to tell you that I ran into an old school friend. She’s moved back into the area temporarily. Desk job at the station. Anyway, she’ll be meeting us for services on Sunday.”
“An old flame?” She raised her eyebrows and a grin curved the sides of her mouth.
“Nooo, Charlie is not an old flame. In fact, I didn’t know her very well back in school.”
“Sure you’re not just trying to cover yourself?” She propped a hand on her hip and cocked her head to the side.
Jordan rushed her and tickled her. That always worked. She was terribly ticklish, but, unfortunately for her, he was not.
“No flames but you, honey. You’re my only sizzle.”
“Stop!” Her laughter rang throughout the house. It only took a few seconds before the kids ran into the room and dove into the mix of tickling.
“Stop! No fair ganging up on the mama. I need to finish cleaning up in here.” She jabbed a finger in Jordan’s direction.
“Good excuse.” Jordan kissed Alyssa on the lips.
Katie’s nose wrinkled. “Eck! Mushy!”
Hayden copied her facial expression. “Yeah, yuck!”
“That doesn’t mean I’m finished with you two.” Jordan picked up Hayden with one arm and Katie with the other and carried them to the den where he deposited them on the couch. Both of them were ticklish like their mother. He continued to inflict his torture until his children gasped for breath from intense laughing. Very few other sounds in the world brought such happiness as the sound of his children’s laughter. He had always tried to enjoy every minute, because the moments seemed to pass so quickly. Katie was already eight, and Hayden had turned six just two weeks ago. His mother’s theory proved true. Time flew by, especially with kids. He protected the time with his family. In his present position with the police, he rarely missed Sunday church with them. He also tried his best to make sure their suppers were together around the table.
“Okay, you little tickle monsters, if you want to watch more of your movie, you better get to it. Not long until baths and bed,” Alyssa called from the kitchen.
The two rushed back to the floor and Katie resumed the movie.
Jordan jogged up the steps and to the bedroom to don shorts and a t-shirt. By the time he returned to the kitchen, Alyssa was drying off the counter. “I was going to help you.”
She narrowed her eyes. “Really?”
“No, really.” He held his hands up in surrender.
She flipped the dishtowel at his leg. “I’ll let you tackle Hayden’s shower.”
He draped his arm across her shoulders. “I gotcha covered.”
After showers, drying hair, and putting on pajamas, Jordan started their bedtime ritual with Hayden. Jordan perched on the side of Hayden’s bed.
“I’ll say the prayer,” Hayden said and folded his hands.
Jordan suppressed a laugh. He nodded toward him. “Okay.”
Hayden’s excitement about saying prayers in public had come from his attendance at the Wednesday night children program at Grace Community Church. All of the kids had learned to pray and weren’t afraid to do it. In fact, most of them were as eager to do so as Hayden. Sometimes conflict broke out over who would say a prayer during their activities. Jordan was thankful for a church that taught his son and daughter the good habit and practice of praying. If Hayden wanted to talk to God, he would let him.
His prayer sounded so sweet and honest, Jordan got a little choked up by its end. As the amen resounded, he glimpsed Alyssa, standing in the threshold of Hayden’s room. She smiled and nodded. He winked at her.
Turning back to Hayden, he tucked the covers under the little boy’s chin. “Goodnight. I need to get to bed. You and your sister wore me out.”
Hayden giggled. “We could never wear you out, Daddy.”
Jordan eased down the hallway and stopped at Katie’s bedroom door. He leaned against the doorframe. The lamplight silhouetted his two girls, heads bowed and eyes closed. Katie’s little high-pitched girl voice recited a prayer. He tiptoed to his bedroom. Alyssa’s Bible lay open in the middle of the mattress atop the comforter. Perching on the side of the bed, he checked the alarm clock.
Alyssa sauntered in and shucked her robe. She bounced onto the bed.
Jordan slid under the covers.
Alyssa sat cross-legged, concentrating on her Bible. “Hon?”
“Yeah.” Jordan propped his head up with his arm.
“This scripture passage just won’t leave me alone. It’s from Second Timothy three.” Her forehead scrunched. “It’s about how people in the last days will basically follow their own evil ways. It says, ‘having a form of godliness but denying its power.’” She looked him in the eyes. “This isn’t talking about unbelievers. It’s meaning those among us. Like in our church.”
The hair on Jordan’s neck bristled. Where had that come from?
“The thought is a bit disturbing, isn’t it?” She closed her Bible and set it on her bedside table then crawled under the covers, scooting next to him. She nestled her head on his chest under his chin.
Was there someone in their church that fit the description in the Timothy passage? A drug dealer perhaps? It was a thought he didn’t want to entertain.
* * *
Charlie fiddled with the belt on her dress. When was the last occasion that required her to wear a dress? She was glad to discover she still had one that fit. She was unsure of the specific dress code for Jordan’s church. Some churches frowned upon women wearing pants and then some were more flexible and even allowed jeans or capris. She had not taken the time to ask Jordan which code his church followed, so she played it safe and donned a simple dress.
Upon parking, she stared at the size of Grace Community Church. Not even close to a small country church. The front sported beautiful stained glass windows. Several wings jutted in all directions, practically covering the whole corner lot. Several additions had been added over the years. With the large throng of individuals and families herding their children toward the entrance, Charlie could easily see why they might have needed more room. Could the information concerning a drug supplier being among the people in this congregation actually be true? Everyone seemed so carefree and excited about getting to their prospective places.
Her parents had taken her to a small church across town. They raised her in church all her life. Her mother faithfully taught the second grade Sunday school class. All of the children loved Miss Jarvis. She always brought snacks for her class because she feared some of them had not had a proper breakfast.
“How can they be expected to learn about Jesus if their little tummies are growling?” she had said.
Her father instructed the young men. That’s what he called them. Now, they would call it the college class. Similar to her mother, her father was regarded with deep respect and love by his group. They were not only faithful to God through church attendance and involvement, but they carried it on at home as well. Each night, their little family shared a devotional. Her parents always made sure Charlie understood the teachings of the Bible and what that meant for her.
But today, her stomach turned into a knot as she neared the entrance. She hadn’t attended church since her parents’ deaths. At least the memories wouldn’t be as painful as facing her childhood congregation. In her mind, she could still see those two coffins at the front of the small sanctuary. The rest of that day remained in a fog of grief, even all these years later.
She couldn’t bring herself to worship the God she was so angry with. Her bitterness s
eemed to flare again the closer she got to the front door of Grace Community Church. She was here to do a job. Finally, she spotted Jordan approaching. She took a deep breath and exhaled to clear her mind and calm her restlessness. She planted on a smile.
“Charlie, this is my wife, Alyssa. And these are the rugrats, Katie and Hayden.” He patted each child on the head.
“Daaaad!” Katie smoothed her hair.
“Nice to meet you,” Charlie said.
“How come you got a boy’s name?” Hayden asked.
Alyssa shot him a look. “Hayden!”
“That’s all right.” Charlie knelt down to be at Hayden’s height. “My whole name is Charlotte, so the best nickname I could come up with for that was Charlie.” She shrugged.
Hayden pursed his lips and nodded like that made sense in his little mind.
Alyssa held out her hand. “He’s six, hoping to make it to seven.”
Charlie stood and shook the offered hand and joined her in a chuckle.
“We’ll just drop the kids off at their classes, and then you can come with us to our class. If that’s okay?”
Charlie nodded her agreement.
Another family of four bustled by but Jordan stopped them. “Hey, Rusty and Kim, how are the Smiths today?”
The man spun around and extended his hand to Jordan. “Great. Just trying to get everyone delivered to their classes.” He rolled his eyes and grinned.
Jordan chuckled. “Yeah, it can be a battle.” He turned to Charlie. “This is Charlie Jarvis. She’s visiting with us today.” He smiled at Charlie. “Charlie, this is the Smith clan. Rusty, Kim, Joel and Andy.”
They nodded, and the Smiths continued their rush down the hall.
When they arrived at the Sunday school class, everyone milled around, talking and eating donuts and drinking coffee.
“Hey, Jordan, knowing your line of work, I’m sure you’ll want a donut.” Colton, the pilot from the other day, stood behind the snack table.
Jordan shook his head and rolled his eyes. “Oh, Colton, you’re hilarious.”
“Charlie, you remember Colton Thomas, your co-pilot, our resident bachelor and giver of a hard time.”
Colton bowed as if he had ended a performance. “Charlie, right?”
“Yes, much to the surprise of Jordan’s son, Hayden.”
A man stepped to a small lectern and everyone scurried to a seat. Charlie followed Jordan and Alyssa. Colton waved her over to a chair next to him. She thanked him when she sat down. The man at the front of the room began to teach the lesson. Finally, a moment to meld into the crowd. She was used to making her living being mostly invisible. Meeting people and having the spotlight on herself made her uncomfortable.
As she turned her attention to the lesson taught up front, she tried not to fidget. She glanced around and winced. Most all of the people in the room held Bibles or looked at tablets. She should have thought of that, but her Bible was still dusty and on top of her bookcase in Florida. Her phone might be a good substitute, except she was sure she had never downloaded the app. This undercover assignment wasn’t starting well. She felt conspicuous. If anyone asked, she hadn’t completed unpacking yet and her Bible was one of the articles she had not found. That would be a lie. She’d steered clear of God’s Word for the same reason she hadn’t attended church or had anything to do with God.
The lesson topic today focused upon being faithful to meet with other Christians. The man talked about church attendance and sharing life with other believers. He continued with the scriptures about the church being a body and that when one part of the body is missing or not doing their part, then the body suffers.
For several years, she had separated herself from the church. But the man up front didn’t know what she had been through or what she had lost. Surely it was better to keep her bitter attitude toward God to herself. What good could she do to help a group like this? What good did her attendance do? She was only an average singer. She definitely possessed no gift for teaching. These people probably fit right into this place, but she never would. She was different. And anyway, she had been out of fellowship for so long, she would just cause friction. No, her only gifts were in catching drug suppliers and putting them away so they wouldn’t hurt anyone.
Charlie found some relief when the final prayer ended, although now she would have to survive the worship hour. Her hands trembled as the pastor proceeded to talk about how God pursues those He loves.
“God wants a relationship with you no matter what’s happened in your life. Why would He go to the trouble of sending His only Son to die for you if He didn’t want a relationship with you? Dear friends, if you’ve strayed, come back. Just like the story of the prodigal son, the Father awaits you. He’s watching. When you round the corner back to Him, He will run to you. He takes you back as a son or a daughter with full rights, because He loves you so dearly.”
The words penetrated straight to her heart. The pastor preached directly to her. She shifted in her seat, but she still sensed a pull from God. She set her jaw and clenched her fists. This pastor hadn’t suffered what she had. God had let her parents die right in front of her eyes. How could she return to a Father like that? By the time the benediction finally occurred, Charlie was weary from the tug-of-war going on inside of her.
Obviously, it was a normal Sunday occurrence for all of them to go out to lunch. Charlie really wanted to go home and forget about the storm of memories and emotions the service had conjured inside her, but they persisted. During the few minutes in the car alone on the way to the restaurant, she struggled to clear her head and her heart. The sooner she could get into this assignment and nab who she needed to, the sooner she could go back to spending her Sundays alone back in Florida.
FIVE
Colton steered his car into the familiar restaurant parking lot. Charlie was quite attractive in a natural kind of way. Her emerald eyes caught his attention immediately. Her straight black hair gave off a silky shine. She didn’t sport much makeup, but she didn’t need it. She must work out, because her muscles appeared toned. It shouldn’t be hard to end up sitting next to her since they were the two singles amid the two married couples. Had she taken notice of him? He wanted her to. Most girls acted impressed by his line of business. Maybe he could wow her with that.
To his relief, Charlie ended up in the chair directly across the table from him. He could admire her and have a conversation.
“So, what exactly are you doing at the police station?” Colton propped his elbows on the table and leaned across.
Her eyes widened for a second before she responded. “I have a desk job. One of the ladies had to take some time off, so I was sent to fill in until she returns. Boring stuff.”
“I can’t imagine you boring.”
Pink rushed to her cheeks. “Well, I already know you are a pilot. Exactly what kind of flying do you do?”
“I’m a corporate pilot. Marshall and I are partners.”
“Really?”
“Yeah, we fly for a doctor, taking him to various places he needs to go. But we also do some other flying that has been interesting and educational.”
Charlie leaned her chin onto her hand. He had her attention.
“We have flown forest fires, organ deliveries, and hosted special surgeons.”
“I guess you’ve seen a lot of the country.”
“Yep, and even a little bit out of the country.”
“Now, that was an experience.” Marshall cut in.
Colton chuckled. “Dr. Lynn purchased a new airplane which we were excited about. This one was a little bigger and a little faster.”
“But flying on a commercial jet after 9/11 with flight books and earphones but very little other luggage with clothes, was an adventure.” Marshall pointed at Colton, punctuating his words.
Colton sipped his soda. “We were stopped and detained everywhere we went. It would have been a good idea, in hindsight, to have had some bill of sale or something to prove we we
re going to pick up a plane and fly it back to the United States.”
“Sitting in the detainment room in a foreign airport for two hours going over and over again, trying to explain, I wondered if they would ever let us go.” Marshall shook his head.
“Finally, Dr. Lynn verified everything and we all had a big laugh about it.”
“I guess they were doing their jobs just like us, but it was an ordeal,” Marshall said.
“You never know what you might encounter with me and Marshall when we’re flying.” Colton swatted Marshall’s back.
“Yeah, like the other day. Some man comes up and offers us a briefcase full of money to carry a small parcel with us when we went to Florida.”
Charlie’s eyes widened. “What did you do?”
“Marshall told him no way and the guy disappeared. I have to say, I’ve never seen that kind of cash before.” Colton shook his head to emphasize his point.
Charlie seemed really interested now. He hoped he wasn’t talking too much, but she hadn’t changed the subject or even looked away while he spoke. She had appeared particularly intrigued when he mentioned the guy with the case of money. He guessed not everyone had experiences and encounters like that.
“I keep babbling on. What about you? Jordan says you two knew each other in school.”
“Me? Well, yes, Jordan and I were in school together. We didn’t know each other very well. I lived here with my parents until they passed away. I wanted to get away for a while, so I went to Florida.” A shadow seemed to pass over her face.
“I’m sorry about your parents.”
“Me too. Anyway, what kind of flights do you two have this week?”
Why had she changed the subject so quickly? He was unsure how long ago she had lost her parents, but that wound was still raw. “This will be a slower week. We will drop Doc off in D.C. Monday. He’ll be there a little while. He’s recruiting. When he’s going to be some place for an extended time, he will let us fly back home. We pick him up later.”
“You said recruiting?” She planted her elbows on the table and propped her chin in the palm of her hand.