by Emma Easter
As he slowly drove through Destiny, he looked this way and that, hoping to see Rachel. It was a small town and it would surely not be impossible to find her on the street. Unfortunately, because they were new to town, many people did not know him or Rachel yet. He described her in detail to some of the people he stopped to talk to, but none of them had seen her.
He drove past a row of houses, some of them partially destroyed and some still standing proudly, having defied the hurricane’s wrath. He narrowed his eyes as he saw someone familiar and his heart began to pound. Rachel had just come out of one of the houses, followed closely by that Pastor Keith. He had seen them together in some old Honda a few days ago and now here they were exiting a house together.
Mike watched them looking at each other with longing and he shook with rage. They were about to enter that same old car he’d seen them in days ago. He drove his car closer and then stopped some distance away from the Honda. He regarded Rachel from the top of her head to the soles of her feet with anger and despair. He should have known that she would come to this wretched pastor’s house when he had seen them together the other day, gallivanting around town.
They entered the car and drove away, and for a short while he thought about following them. However, he changed his mind and decided to go back home. He knew if he confronted them in the open it might not go in his favor. Whatever was going on between Rachel and that pastor, he was going to squash it. Rachel would come to the house today or, at the most, the next day, because of Emily. He would deal with her and that wife-stealing pastor. To think he had said that he liked the young pastor and had given him a check to build his church! He’d told him that there was more money where that came from, but that would not happen again. He deeply regretted ever giving money to that so-called pastor.
He took a deep breath to calm his anger, started his car, and drove back home.
Staring at the clock on the wall from the couch where he lay, Keith sighed. It was already seven in the morning, but he had hardly slept. He’d spent the night tossing and turning, thinking about Rachel and all she had told him the day before. He had not stopped thinking about all of it since she’d told him her story. The fact that she had been living in a polygamous relationship had shocked and surprised him. But it had not dampened his attraction to her. What bothered him the most was how she had described the way Mike treated her. He’d been disgusted by it all.
Her revelation that she was truly single and not married had left him with a mixture of confusing emotions. On the one hand, he felt exhilarated and excited that there was a possibility of a relationship with her, but on the other hand, he didn’t think he was supposed to do anything about his attraction. In a way, she was still attached to Mike. But the most important reason why he didn’t want to tell her how he felt was that she’d just left a crazy lifestyle behind. He wasn’t sure it was God’s will to pursue her, nor that she needed to be pursued by a man right now after all she’d been through.
Being at the center of God’s will had always been important to him. But he couldn’t help the way he felt about her. He was not going to do anything about it except help out until she could find her feet and get her baby from her ex.
He sighed again. She was in his bedroom right now, sleeping in his bed. He pictured her in his mind, her long dark hair splayed on his pillow, her slim body tucked under his duvet. She was so achingly beautiful. He felt an overwhelming desire to go into his room just so he could look at her, and then stifled it the way he had done when the same desire had come over him yesterday and the day before.
He turned on the couch and groaned. How long would she stay in his house? How long in his bed? His longing for her was increasing daily, and it was getting harder and harder to control it. Thankfully, Paula and Eric were still living in the house with their children or he didn’t know what would have happened. They acted as chaperones, though unknowingly.
He continued to picture Rachel, her beautiful face, the way dimples appeared on her cheeks when she smiled and how soft her cheek had felt when he had laid his hand on it. He chided himself for thinking constantly about her, but he couldn’t stop. He stood up to go to the bathroom to take a shower and clear his head, but Paula and Eric walked into the living room.
“Good morning,” they greeted cheerily.
“Good morning.” He smiled at them. When they told him they wanted to speak with him, he sat down on the couch again.
They sat on the sofa and faced him. “So, we want to thank you for everything you have done for us and our children,” Eric said. “We will never be able to thank you enough for taking us in when our house was destroyed.”
Paula said, “We have really enjoyed staying in your house and we will miss this place.” She looked around the living room and then faced Keith again. “But it’s time to go.”
Eric said, “It’s time we got out of your hair, Keith, so you can take your house back.”
Keith’s eyes widened and he began to shake his head. “You guys don’t have to leave now,” he said, starting to panic. He had just thanked God for their presence here, which acted as a barrier between him and Rachel. If they left, it would just be him and Rachel in the house. Who knew what would happen then?
“It’s okay, Keith,” Eric said. “Just as we said, we’ve had a really good time staying here.” He chuckled. “As you know, all good things must come to an end.”
Paula shook her head at Eric and said to Keith, “You know we have been building that log house near the lake. It is finished now, and so it’s time to move.”
Keith ran his fingers through his hair and sighed. “I guess it’s the right thing to do, especially because of your kids, but I will miss you guys so much.” He thought about his selfish reason for wanting them to remain in his house and pressed down the desire to ask them to stay longer.
They chatted for a few minutes more and then Paula and Eric got up to leave the living room so they could start packing. Just before they left, Keith remembered he hadn’t asked them when exactly they were leaving.
“When are you leaving?” he asked.
“Tomorrow morning,” Paula said.
Keith shut his eyes as dread washed over him. In a day’s time, he would be alone with Rachel. When Paula and Eric had left the living room, he leaned back on the couch and prayed silently for help, especially for his longing for Rachel.
It wasn’t just his longing for her that made him dread being alone in the house with her. He whispered to the Lord, “What will people say when they find out that Rachel lives here with me?” It would be really inappropriate. It was a tiny town. People would soon find out and then word would spread that their single pastor was living with a woman he wasn’t married to. It was not the kind of testimony he wanted. It would definitely affect his goal of seeing everyone in town have a personal relationship with God and attend church regularly.
He sighed heavily, confused about what he was going to do. There’s nothing you can do, he thought. It wasn’t like he was going to kick Rachel out of his house. He wouldn’t be able to do that even if he wanted to. Which he didn’t.
He groaned at the confusion he felt. On the one hand, the thought of being alone in the house with her caused his pulse to race with excitement, but on the other, he was fearful of the fact.
He thought again about what he and Rachel had discussed two days ago. He couldn’t believe that she had actually lived with Mike as a second wife. They had decided to go to Mike’s house together, but he would wait in the car some distance away from the house while she went in alone. With all his heart, he wanted her to get her daughter because that was what she wanted; that was what would make her happy. And there was nothing he wanted more than for her to be happy. He wondered how Rachel’s discussion with Mike about taking Emily away would work out.
Probably not so well, from all that Rachel had told him about Mike. But he knew she had to try. It was unlikely that Mike would agree, but it would be a chance for Rachel to see Emily.
After that, he would help her in her quest to find a full-time job, become financially independent, and then be in a position where she could fight for full custody of her daughter. Babysitting would give her something to do but would not pay enough for her to gain the kind of financial independence she needed.
His mind soon traveled to the new church building project that had begun again because of Mike’s donation. His heart sank. He had to return the rest of Mike’s money. Once again, because of lack of finances, the building would soon stop. They had been having church services in an open field, but it was not always feasible, as people were exposed to the elements. Last Sunday, after the heavy rain the night before, they had not been able to hold the service on the open ground.
He lifted his eyes to the ceiling. “Lord, please, I ask for provision,” he prayed.
Apart from his goal to see that Destiny got a new church, the town still needed money to rebuild many of the houses that had been destroyed in the hurricane and provide basic amenities for some of the people who had lost every single thing they had. He had been so excited when Mike had given him the check and told him there was more where that came from. Now he had to return the money, or at least half of it as half had already gone into the building projects.
He chuckled in spite of himself. “Lord, I guess I have to depend on you completely for everything we need now.” He had tried to get a loan from the bank yesterday but had been refused because he had no collateral.
He leaned forward on his seat just as Rachel walked into the living room and his heart did a flip. Her hair was messy, her eyes still looked heavy from sleep, and she was wearing a drab black robe. Still, none of these took away from her exquisite beauty. He sucked in his breath sharply as she faced him and smiled at him.
She yawned and said, “Hi, Keith.” She came and sat on the sofa across from his.
“Hi,” he breathed. His heart pounded as Rachel stood up and came to sit on the couch beside him. She searched his eyes and said, “You look worried. What is it?”
He sighed and gazed at her, wondering if he should tell her what was on his mind. He did not want to bother her with his problems. She looked genuinely concerned about him, and he decided to unburden his heart. “I’m just worried about the ongoing church building project and the various houses that we were already beginning to rebuild. Everything has to stop now. I just don’t know what to do.”
He began to tell her in detail about building projects, his fear and worry now that it had all stopped since he had decided not to use the money Mike gave him. He also told her about trying to get a loan from the bank and being refused. “What I worry about the most are people who lost everything in the hurricane and those who have no homes now. The need in Destiny is great. I know some other towns the hurricane also affected have help from the government, but Destiny is so tiny that I think we are not on the map at all. Every day, I feel this great burden to help my town, but I just don’t know how anymore.”
She smiled sadly and placed her hand on his shoulder. “I don’t have much,” Rachel said, “but there are some expensive wristwatches that Mike bought for me that I haven’t ever used. When we get to Mike’s today, I can get them all. I can sell them in order to raise money for the town.”
He looked at her and smiled in appreciation. “Thank you, Rachel. I’m sure that will go a long way in helping out. But we still need a lot more.”
“I know,” Rachel said, sounding worried.
He stared at her for a long moment, wanting to take her in his arms and kiss her but knowing with a deep certainty that he shouldn’t. He finally pushed down the desire and said slowly, “There has to be a way that we can raise funds for Destiny.”
Rachel’s eyes lit up. “What about organizing a concert of some sort using the people in the town who can sing?”
Keith wanted to tell her that people in this town did not have much money to donate, but she immediately said it herself with her eyes downcast.
He smiled at her to let her know he appreciated her idea and then said, “What about creating a donation page on social media platforms where people can go and donate to Destiny?”
Rachel’s eyes lit up again and she said, “Yes! And you can create a website specifically talking about the great need in Destiny and everything that has been destroyed by the hurricane. We can have a link where people will be led to a page where they can donate whatever amount of money they want.”
Keith felt a little glimmer of hope light up in his heart. He wasn’t sure it would work out but there was no harm in trying. “I know a few guys in Destiny who are great with social media and someone who builds websites. I can call them now and bring them on board.”
Rachel’s smile widened and Keith picked up his cell phone from the coffee table. He called the Stryker brothers, Frank and Nick, who were barely out of their teens, and told them of his idea. They were excited about it and promised to visit him in the evening so they could discuss the idea further. Keith also called a young lady named Zuri who built websites and told her about his plans.
After she promised to see him the next day, he ended the call and faced Rachel. “So, you heard everything. We will see how it goes.”
She gave him a heart-melting smile, and again he thought about Paula and Eric’s decision to move out the next day with the kids. He became nervous, especially as she was so close to him that he could reach out and touch her if he wanted. He suddenly blinked in surprise as the standing lamps and ceiling fan lights suddenly lit up. For a second, he stared at them and then he shot up from the couch with joy as he realized that electricity had returned. Rachel was also on her feet beaming and, without thinking, he reached out and gathered her in a tight hug.
His body immediately felt like it had been set ablaze, and he gasped as desire coursed through him. He drew back from her and then sharply sucked in his breath as he noticed the look in her eyes. Her eyes were glazed with desire, probably just as his were, and for a long moment they stood gazing at each other, the atmosphere around them crackling with the longing they felt for one another.
Keith could not resist any longer and pulled her into his arms. He brushed his thumb across her lips, his heart beating wildly. Finally, unable to bear the tension in him anymore, he leaned in to claim her lips with his, but jerked back when someone banged on the door.
He groaned and reluctantly stepped away from her, still shaking with desire. He went to open the door and then staggered back, doubled over in pain, as a punch landed in his stomach. He looked up at the face of the man who had punched him even as he held his stomach, groaning. He narrowed his eyes at Mike.
Mike walked into the center of the living room while Rachel went to put her arms around Keith. “Why did you do that?” she shrieked, glaring at Mike.
“You whore!” he bellowed at her. “I didn’t believe it at first when I saw you together yesterday,” he looked at Rachel with an accusing expression, “but I thought there had to be some kind of explanation. I thought you would come straight to the house to see your daughter at least. I waited for a long time, but you didn’t come. I knew then that I had to come here myself. Now I know why you didn’t come to see your own daughter, who you left just like that. You’ve been very busy being the whore you are.”
Anger shot through Keith, and he straightened in spite of the pain in his stomach. He put himself between Rachel and Mike and faced off with Mike. “How dare you speak to her like that?”
“You better step back right now if you don’t want me to hit you again!” Mike lunged at Rachel, but Keith pushed him back.
Mike glared at Keith and then looked past him, glowering at Rachel. He yelled, “You are my wife! You shouldn’t be living with another man. You have to come back with me now!”
Keith said coldly, “She’s not your wife and never will be.”
Mike’s face turned red, and he swung at Keith again. This time, Keith dodged his blow and shook his head.
Rachel screamed again and marched u
p to Mike. “Listen, Mike, I don’t belong to you. I’m not going back with you, but I will come to get Emily. She belongs with me.”
“No, Rachel, you belong with me,” Mike said. He grabbed her hand and tried to pull her out of the house, but Keith pulled her out of his grasp.
Mike screamed with rage and reached for Rachel again, and Keith knew he had to make a quick decision. He abhorred violence and he had never hit anyone, even as a child. But this time, as Mike grabbed Rachel again, Keith punched him hard in his midsection. Mike stumbled back and then crashed to the ground.
Keith looked down at Mike’s unmoving body and groaned. “What have I done?”
Rachel knelt down beside Mike and felt his neck for a pulse. She looked up at Keith and said, “He’s fine. He’ll live.” She stood up again, and Keith blinked in surprise when she hugged him tightly. She drew back and said, “Thank you.”
She left the living room, and Keith placed his hand on his forehead and took a deep breath. Rachel returned with a bowl of water and a towel, and Keith knelt down beside her as she put a damp towel on Mike’s forehead. Keith kept asking the Lord to forgive him for punching Mike, but he’d had no other option at the time. He knew he would probably do it again if Mike ever tried to hurt Rachel or drag her out of the house against her will.
They both sat on the floor beside Mike, Rachel dabbing the damp towel on his face continuously while they waited for him to wake up.
Rachel said, “Should we call the doctor, Keith?”
They both looked down at Mike as he stirred. He opened his eyes, shut them again, and then opened them once more. Moaning, he slowly sat up and then looked at Keith and Rachel. He uttered a string of obscene curses, causing Keith to draw back in revulsion.
He slowly stood up with his hand on his stomach and then cursed at Keith and Rachel again. He groaned, no doubt from pain, and then focused his gaze on Rachel. “You will never see Emily again! I promise you that!”
Rachel narrowed her eyes and said, “You cannot stop me from seeing my daughter, Mike. Just because we are not together anymore doesn’t mean I don’t have a right to see Emily. In fact, I want her with me. She is still really young and she needs me now.”