by Carla Rossi
Good one, Marti thought. She couldn’t have sashayed around that one any better herself. Yes, but does he know you’re a sixteen-year-old junior, or does he think you’re an eighteen-year-old senior?
She didn’t even nibble on that one .
Look, Lily, he’s not gonna be real happy if you’ve misled him. Especially if he winds up in jail.
That’s not gonna happen, Lily said, and stabbed the pie .
So your grandfather’s met him and okayed the relationship? He knows how old Dakota is?
No answer .
Marti took a bite and planned her next move. Did you ever figure out where you got that nasty bruise on your arm?
Lily put her fork down and glanced uneasily at her watch and then the door. I need to be going. I have homework.
I’ll give you a ride.
No, I have a ride.
Is Dakota picking you up?
Lily slumped down in the seat and crossed her arms. Yes.
Marti shoved the plate aside. All right, Lily, here’s the deal. I find the most effective way to communicate is to be honest, so I’m going to be honest with you because I care about you. I think you lied to Dakota about your age, and now you’re afraid he’ll find out. I think he’s pressuring you to do things you’re not ready to do. Partly because he thinks you’re older and partly because he’s not a real nice guy. I think you’re in over your head, and that’s why you were in the front of the shop crying today.
Lily jerked as though she wanted to run .
And , Marti continued, before she could get away, I think he had something to do with that bruise on your arm. No man should ever touch a woman in anger, Lily.
Lily pulled her lips into a thin, tight line. Her chin quivered slightly before she narrowed her eyes and shook her hair away from her face. It’s not like that. I have to go.
Are you sure there is nothing else you want to talk about?
Lily stood up and slung her backpack onto her shoulder. I’m sure.
I only brought this up because I’m worried about you. Marti’s attempt to make eye contact and resurrect the conversation failed. Lily had already shut her out .
There’s nothing to worry about, Lily said, her voice cool and even. I’ll see you later.
As soon as Lily stepped out of Bertie’s, Marti sailed over two tables and a booth to watch her through the window. Lily walked to the end of the block and signaled. An old blue Mustang pulled to the curb and the door flew open. She tossed her backpack on the floor, then dove into the front seat and kissed the driver as they sped away .
Marti returned to the booth and dug through her purse for her wallet. Oh, Lord, I hope I didn’t make things worse...please protect Lily .
Bertie ambled by with the tea pitcher. Anything else I can get you, hon?
No thanks. She put her money on the table. See ya’ later, Bertie.
****
Marti sped through the back alley to the church parking lot. She had to find Jim to tell him what she’d learned, and let him know it was as bad as she thought--maybe even worse. Together they would figure out what to do next .
She was surprised to find the church office locked. In her rush, she hadn’t even noticed Jim’s car wasn’t there. She glanced at her watch. No wonder. It was after seven. Even Jim went home once in a while. She’d have to track him down there .
The parish was only two blocks from the church. Marti hurried up the street on foot, swatting away mosquitoes and catching the aroma of dinner cooking in nearby family kitchens.
Jim’s car was parked on the street outside the modest three-bedroom home the church owned. Signs of families before still adorned the front yard. The stepping stones the Nichols children painted still led the way to the front door.
Marti stood on the tattered welcome mat and rang the bell. She could see lights on inside and heard music coming from somewhere. After a few minutes with no response, she pounded on the door with her fist. Concern for Lily had formed a hard knot of fear in her stomach. She really needed to talk to Jim.
She stepped away from the door. Maybe he was in the back yard. She headed toward the detached garage behind the house. The music grew louder. Of course...he’s in the garage . She pushed her way around the wisteria and honeysuckle that shared the wrought iron gate to the back patio. As she emerged on the other side, she stopped abruptly at the scene in the garage .
Jim lay sprawled on his back on a weight bench. As music blared from a beat-up boom box in the corner, he steadily lifted the weight in a perfect, concentrated rhythm. Completely oblivious to his uninvited guest, he continued to move and breathe with strength and determination .
Okay, what now? If she called his name, he would be startled and could hurt himself. If she didn’t, they would both be beyond embarrassed when he found her standing there staring at him. Perhaps she should just pull out her cell phone and call him from the front yard .
As she turned to go back through the gate, she heard the distinct metal-on-metal sound of him returning the bar to its resting place.
Marti. What are you doing here?
Oh. She whipped around. I...uh...nothing. Sometimes her own brilliance amazed her .
As he struggled to get up, she could see how the situation could just get worse .
Wearing only a pair of skimpy gray gym shorts, he fought to get off the slippery, sweat-dampened bench and grab his towel. As he did, he moved too fast and lost his balance. Before he could regain control, he tripped on the cord from the boom box and ripped it from the wall. Arms and legs flew in the air as he stumbled backward and landed hard on his bottom .
And yes, he could be hurt, but all Marti could think about was that during the whole thing, not one part of his rock hard body so much as quivered. Nada. There wasn’t an ounce of flab anywhere on him. Marti winced, knowing if she took a fall like that, there were things that wouldn’t stop jiggling for a week .
Oh, wow, she said and hurried to his side. That had to hurt. And by the way, I gotta throw ya’ a big double yummy on that chest .
He waved her away. I’m fine, just let me get up.
When she tried to grab his arm, he all but crawled away from her. Let me help you up, she insisted.
No, he snapped. Just go back over there.
She stepped back to the gate at once. She hated that his sharp no hurt her feelings. As for his dismissive attitude, well, that just ticked her off.
Okay, I get it, she said and put her hands up in surrender. You’re stinky and sweaty, and you didn’t expect to see me. I’m sorry I surprised you, but I have to talk to you or I wouldn’t be here.
He tried to wrap the towel around himself, except that he didn’t put it around his waist like most normal men, but rather around his bare chest like a shy woman on a public beach. He looked ridiculous .
I was going to call you later.
I’m not here because I haven’t heard from you, Marti said with her hand on the gate. I’m here because I talked to Lily today, and I need to tell you about it.
Oh, he said, and stepped behind a large garbage can. I’ll go get cleaned up and call you.
I’ll wait for you, she offered. It’s really important.
I’ll hurry. Just go to Bertie’s and order us the special, and I’ll be there in a minute.
C’mon, Jim, it’s not like I’m gonna go through your things while you’re in the shower. I don’t want to go to Bertie’s. I just want to talk to you.
He pulled the towel tighter. I’m getting a shirt. Meet me in the front.
Marti watched in disbelief as he left the garage and went straight into the house and closed the door behind him.
She stomped around to the front yard as he was coming out the other side .
Look, Marti, I’m not trying to be rude. It’s just that I don’t allow women to visit me here alone. A single guy in my position has to be careful. People jump at the chance to spread malicious gossip as you well know.
That’s what this is about? You don’t want people to know
we spend time together?
No! Of course not, he said and rushed toward her. I don’t let any woman come here alone. Not Kim, not your grandma, not anyone.
Whatever. She made angry strides toward the sidewalk. Embarrassed and hurt, she should have known coming to a single pastor’s home was not a good idea. Even more, she wished she’d brought Ruby so she could speed away and maybe break another one of his toes .
He chased her to the road. Please, Marti. I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings. It’s for your protection as well as mine. I don’t want to give the Camille Petersons of this town anything else to talk about.
Marti stopped abruptly and turned on him. Oh really? But it was perfectly okay to kiss me in a public park where anyone could have seen.
But—
And in the car on the way home.
But—
And in the church parking lot when you took me to my car.
But—
And what was that the other night? Are you so worried about what people think that you took me all the way to Houston to keep from being seen with me? We never even made it inside the Guppy House, or whatever that place was called, because you couldn’t keep your lips off of me.
The Agape House, he said and smiled. It means love.
I know what it means. She stepped into the street. I’m sorry I bothered you.
Please, Marti. Just go to Bertie’s. I’ll be there in a minute, and we can talk.
Whatever, she said again, and took off running down the street. And when Marti Randolph had it in her mind to run, there was no catching her .
****
Jim left Danny and Kim’s and headed back toward Rose Randolph’s house--for the second time. It was past ten o’clock, but he was not going to let the night end before he straightened things out with Marti. He’d gone to Bertie’s, knowing full well she wouldn’t be there, but checking just the same. From there he’d missed her by only seconds at every stop. And she wasn’t answering her phone. At this point, he was going to sit on her doorstep and wait .
When he started up the bumpy drive, he saw her on the front porch swing .
You didn’t go to Bertie’s, he said, when he finally got to the steps.
Nope. She pulled one pajama-clad knee to her chest while the other leg dangled over the edge. Pink toes glided along the floor, and kept the lazy rhythm of the swing .
The scent of lavender filled the air. Still-damp tendrils of hair fell from the loose knot on top of her head. While he’d been in a panic, she’d been soaking in a hot bath and slipping into her cozy yellow cotton pajamas and matching chenille robe .
I was at Danny’s, he said, and leaned against the rail. I must’ve just missed you.
Are they still waiting for the baby to make change?
Yes, he said, and smiled. And while we were monitoring the situation, they told me a little about your conversation with Lily. Can you tell me more?
There’s not much more to tell, except that I probably pushed too hard, and the more I think about it, the more I wonder if we should call the police. That jerk could be hurting her right now.
Number one, you didn’t push too hard. And number two, try not to worry, Danny made sure she was home safe tonight.
Oh, yeah, tonight. But it only takes one violent act to end a life. Dakota’s not gonna be happy when he finds out she lied. And Danny’s not making much progress with Preston. He’s says the old coot is difficult and doesn’t want to hear it.
It’s hard when you’re dealing with parents. They don’t want to hear anything negative about their children.
Too bad; he needs to hear it.
He joined her on the swing. I know you’re worried, Marti, but you have to focus on the positive. For whatever reason, Lily has attached herself to you. And that’s good. It means she’s working through this. She’ll pull it together soon.
I hope so, Marti mused into the thin night air .
The dim light from the front room spilled onto the porch, illuminating Marti’s worried expression each time the swing moved into its path. He wondered how much of her distant behavior was concern for Lily, and how much was the horrible scene in his front yard. Either way, she was not the same warm and cuddly woman he’d held in the park. He wanted her back .
I need to talk to you about a couple things, he began, but first I want to clear up the fight we had earlier.
That wasn’t a fight, Jim.
Okay, the disagreement.
She changed knees and restarted the swing. A little faster this time. It wasn’t even a disagreement. I didn’t know the rules, she said flippantly. Now that I do, I wouldn’t dream of disturbing you at your home. I’ll never attempt to visit you again.
The tiny wave of sadness that passed across her face explained it all. It wasn’t the rule she had an issue with, it was the way he turned her away when she came to him for help. It was the ultimate act of rejection that, unfortunately, he could never take back. He’d made her feel unwelcome, and that was the last thing she needed .
He took her hand and brushed his lips across her smooth ivory skin. I didn’t handle things very well this afternoon. I overreacted because you surprised me, and I was embarrassed. I shouldn’t have run you off the way I did. He paused. And I’m especially not proud of myself for going inside and making you walk around the house.
Huge blue eyes stared back at him, wide and unblinking. The regular clank from the porch swing chain marked the seconds as he waited to see if he’d blown it for good .
Okay, she finally said, and squeezed his hand .
Okay?
Yes, okay.
Is that an ‘okay, you’re forgiven and can kiss me again’ or an ‘okay, but you’ve totally messed everything up?’
It’s just an okay. Now what did you want to talk to me about?
Wait a minute...somehow I don’t think that’s the end of this.
It is, she assured him. I’m not proud of my part in that little scene either. I appreciate your honesty, and I think we should move on.
He let his gaze drop to where her long, slender fingers were laced with his. There’s nothing I would like more than to spend time with you at my house, he said, and returned his gaze to hers, but right now...well, right now...
What he wanted to admit was that he was just waiting for God’s final approval on the situation--the one big sign that he couldn’t mistake--at which time he would marry her immediately and drag her to his house and not come out for days, maybe weeks. But that probably wasn’t the romantic fantasy she had in mind. And he couldn’t forget that hearing from God was one thing, but convincing the flesh and blood woman in front of him to go along with it was another .
Seriously, Jim, it’s okay, she said, bringing him back into focus. Now, what did you want to talk to me about?
Oh, yeah, I have lots of news, he said, and settled back on the swing. First of all, the church accountant moved that huge chunk of building fund money into the aggressive money market account you recommended.
Good.
Then some of the elders suggested we form an official committee to take our first serious look at building.
That’s great, Jim. That’s what you wanted.
Yes, and that’s where you come in.
I don’t think so, she said, as if horrified .
Sure. We want you to get someone from that church building firm you like and have a meeting with us.
What kind of meeting?
I want you to tell the whole committee all the things you told me at the coffee house, only with bigger charts. It’ll be easy. You’ve already done the work, you just need to bring packets for everyone and explain what we talked about. If you speak to the financial side of it and your friend presents some possible scenarios for our congregation, I’m sure we’ll get the support we need to move forward.
Is Preston Woodruff still giving you fits?
Yes, but don’t worry, I’ll take care of Preston. Besides, this is getting bigger and stronger than ev
en he can control.
Did you ever find out where that money came from?
Nope. No one wants to claim responsibility. I’ve been looking over records and there’s no place I can find anything. I mean, that’s a lot of money to have just appeared like that, yet I can’t find any record of a pledge campaign, or a large bequeath, or any trail to its origin.
Maybe it was one donor and they want to remain anonymous.
Possibly. Jim shrugged .
Marti tapped a finger to her lips. Do you ever talk to Reverend Nichols?
Sure. He calls once in a while to check up on me.
I think you should call him. I’ll bet he knows all about that money.
Good idea. Anyway, the meeting is two weeks from Thursday. If you need more time, let me know.
Let me think about it. What else?
What are you doing next weekend?
Just taking care of Grandma Rose. It’ll take me ‘til then to get her medicine regulated. It would help if she would take it. What’s going on next weekend?
A special invitation has been extended to you to accompany the youth to their year-end retreat.
What?
We’re coming to the end of the school year. Danny and Kim like to connect with the kids one more time before they all scatter for the summer. Some of them are graduating; some are going to be new seniors. It’s a time to reflect on the past year and pass the torch, so to speak, and also a time for faith renewal and Bible study.
First of all, she said with a deep, worried frown, even if I could leave Grandma Rose, which I can’t, whose bright idea was this?
The youth group. They asked for you by name. They want you to come.
Where are they going?
To a camp about an hour away. There’ll be a boy’s cabin, and girl’s cabin, and a campfire in between. There are cots and a community shower. It’s rustic, but not quite primitive.
The completely stunned look on her face was slow to fade. Look, Jim, I’m not exactly a camping kind of gal. I mean, my idea of roughin’ it is slow room service.
It’s not that bad, he said laughing. You’ll probably still have cell phone signal. And it’s only two nights.
Do you think Lily will come? ‘Cause if you could get her away from here for a couple days, she’d probably open up.