Up Pops the Devil

by Angela Benson

  She flashed him her best smile. “Very well.” She went to the fridge, pulled out a Coke, and handed him one. She winked. “Don’t want to tempt you with alcohol. You might think I was trying to seduce you. Again.”

  Preacher felt the sting of her words as he followed her into the living room and watched her slip out of her shoes and sink into her favorite chair. “I’m glad your day went well,” he said after he was seated on the couch next to her chair.

  Undaunted, she asked, “How was yours? Anything new on the business front?”

  Preacher felt renewed excitement about what had happened today and began to tell her.

  “A funeral home?” she repeated when she heard the words from his mouth. “You’ve got to be kidding me, Preacher. Not a funeral home.”

  Since Tanya’s reaction was pretty much the same as the one he’d had when he first heard the news, he didn’t take exception to it. “Yes, a funeral home. It’s a solid business.”

  Tanya chuckled. “If you mean because people are always dying, then I guess you’re right, but where’s the glamour in it, Preacher? Funeral directors and their families either drive those big Cadillacs or those big Lincolns. Neither one of them are really my style.” She eyed him closely. “You’re kidding me, right? You’re not really considering investing in a funeral home.”

  Preacher stood, stuffed his hands in his pockets, and looked out the living room window, away from Tanya. His mind couldn’t help but go back to the conversation he’d had with Natalie. He was now doubly glad she’d been there to hear his news and to give some words of encouragement and support. Tanya sure knew how to rain on a man’s parade. He turned to her. “It’s more than a funeral home, Tanya. It’s like a calling. I believe this is the place God wants me to be. I think He wants to use me to bring hope and help to some lives.”

  Tanya looked up at him. “Uh, it’s a funeral home. The only people you’re going to see are dead ones.” She laughed at her own wit. “Don’t tell me you’re going all Sixth Sense and Ghost Whisperer on me. You don’t see dead people, do you?”

  “You’re really funny,” Preacher said, hating that she didn’t get what he was trying to tell her. He realized then how much it would mean to him if she did.

  “Look,” she said, “you’re praying over everything and everybody and then you come and tell me how God is going to use you to help dead people. What am I supposed to think?”

  Preacher took a deep breath. “He’s not going to use me to help dead people. It’s the living ones, the families of the deceased, the people who work at the funeral home, and the community.” He thought about Patrick but decided not to tell Tanya about him. She wouldn’t get it and her lack of understanding would only frustrate him.

  “Oh,” Tanya said. “But still, a funeral home? Why not something like a restaurant or supper club?” Her eyes lit up. “How about a car dealership? Something imported. That way, we’d always have the latest cars. Have you thought about something like that? If you had a BMW or Porsche dealership nobody would question our driving one of those cars. I’m being real, Preacher. I think that’s the way to go.”

  Preacher could only stare at her. How could two people be on such opposite pages, he wondered? How could they ever meet? He didn’t see it, but he certainly hoped and prayed it would happen. He had seen today with Natalie what could be between a Christian man and woman and that’s what he wanted with Tanya.

  “So what do you say?” Tanya asked. “Will you look into a car dealership?”

  “The funeral home—”

  “I thought you said we were in this together, Preacher. Well, it doesn’t look like we’re in it together if you make all the decisions by yourself. If you’re doing this for the family, then the family ought to have a say. Do you really want your boys growing up around a funeral home? You know most of those funeral directors live right next to the funeral home. Some of them even have their house connected to the funeral home. How creepy is that?”

  “I can promise you our home won’t be connected to any funeral home,” Preacher said, “but I can’t promise about the dealership. I’ll mention it to my sponsor but I don’t hold out any hope. We don’t have that kind of cash and without some backing, which we don’t have, I don’t see us raising it, unless we have more money than you told me we did.”

  Tanya quickly began shaking her head. “That’s all we have, Preacher. Now I’m almost sorry I spent so much if it means we’re going into the dead people business. All my girlfriends are going to think that’s hilarious.” She eyed him. “You don’t expect me to start going to a bunch of funerals, do you? You know black is not my best color.”

  As Preacher listened to Tanya, he tried not to focus on how shallow she sounded, but it was a difficult task. Had she always been like this? If she had, how in the world had he tolerated it? He decided to change the subject. “I found a summer spot for the boys today.”

  She looked up at him. “You did? Where?”

  “The Children’s Center at the church I went to on Sunday. I left the boys there today when I went to the funeral home. They had a really good time.”

  “That’s nice,” she said, her lack of interest apparent.

  “I thought we could both go over there tomorrow so you could see it for yourself. It’s a decision we should make together.”

  She smiled at him. “You are getting the hang of it, aren’t you?” she said. “I guess I’d better go see this place. I don’t want my boys around some crazy religious fanatics.”

  Preacher had to bite his tongue to keep from responding to that one. What was the point anyway? “Okay, we’ll go over tomorrow and decide. Sound good?”

  Tanya placed her empty Coke can on the coffee table. “Works for me. Now what are we gonna do about dinner? I say we take the boys out for pizza.”

  An exhausted Preacher climbed the steps to his apartment later that night. He, Tanya, and the boys had ended up at Mickey Dee’s instead of the pizza place because the boys wanted to play on the gym. Now a McDonald’s franchise was a great business venture. That’s where the money was.

  After entering his apartment, Preacher headed straight for the bathroom. His plans for the evening included a long, hot shower followed by a long, restful night of sleep. A knock at his door put his plans on hold. Who could that be? His first thought was a home inspection by the Department of Probations. That thought was incorrect. He opened the door to find a smiling Loretta.

  “What’s up, big bro?” she asked, coming in like he had been expecting her. “I caught the boys before they went to sleep. They look more and more like you every day. I guess you don’t have to wonder if they’re yours.”

  Preacher rubbed the back of his neck. First Tanya, and now Loretta. What had he done to deserve them both in one day? Thank God for the reprieve he’d had with Natalie. Having no other option, Preacher closed the door and followed his sister to the couch, where she’d already settled in.

  “Tanya tells me you’ve found a business opportunity.”

  Preacher nodded, wondering how much Tanya had told his sister.

  “I know she’s spent most of your money, but I can easily get my hands on some more for you, and with no trail back to me.”

  Preacher began shaking his head.

  “Oh, hear me out,” Loretta said, “before you break your neck saying no.”

  “There’s nothing you can say that will convince me to take money from you, Loretta. Nothing at all.”

  Loretta squinted up at him. “You’re beginning to sound a little too self-righteous. Isn’t there a scripture in that Bible of yours about pride leading to a fall?”

  She was close enough, Preacher thought. “I’m not being self-righteous, merely doing what I know is right. Taking money from you would be the same as being back in business with you.”

  “And that would be so bad?”

  Preacher sighed deeply. “We’ve been through this before, many times. You have to accept my position.”

  Loretta fo
lded her arms and sank back into the couch. “Go ahead and be that way, if you want. I’m only trying to help. I’m your sister, remember?”

  Preacher brushed his hand across his head. “Of course, I remember, ’Retta, don’t talk crazy.”

  She pouted. “Sometimes you act like I’m some stranger, or worse, that I’m some demon trying to corrupt you. I only want to help. I love you, and I love those boys. You’re the only family I have.”

  Preacher sat next to her. “I know you love us and I know you want to help, but the help you want to give me is not the help I need.”

  Loretta lifted her arms in mock defeat. “So how I am supposed to help you then? What’s this business you’re going into?”

  “Tanya didn’t tell you?”

  Loretta shook her head. “Miss Motor Mouth held back this time, believe it or not. Surprised me, too. She smiled and said she’d let you tell me, so spill.”

  “I have an opportunity to buy into a funeral home.”

  Loretta blinked twice, fast. “What?”

  “I have an opportunity to buy into a funeral home.”

  “You mean funeral home, like with dead people?”

  Preacher found this reaction a bit tiring. “Yes, a funeral home with dead people. What other kind is there?”

  Loretta started laughing. “First you run a narcotics business and now you want to run a funeral home?” She laughed harder. “Let’s see, this could work. If the drugs kill them, you can bury them. Hey, we could even do some joint marketing. I could put a label on my product advertising your services. What do you think?”

  Preacher got up from the couch and walked away from his sister. “I think you missed your calling. You should be on tour with Mo’Nique.”

  Loretta tried to stop laughing. “Oh, okay, don’t get all bent out of shape, Preacher. I was only having a little fun. But you have to see how silly this is. Why would you want to go in the funeral home business? It’s so, so, dead.” She started laughing again.

  Preacher could only shake his head. What was he going to do with Loretta and Tanya?

  “Okay, Preacher,” Loretta said, sobering a bit. “I’ll stop with the jokes. I just don’t want you to end up in some business that bores you to death. You need something more exciting, something that will have you around the living. You’re so good with people. Have you thought about buying a car dealership?”

  Preacher eyed her a bit. “Did Tanya put that idea in your head?”

  Loretta turned her lips down in a frown. “You’re joking, right? Me get ideas from Tanya? You’ve got to be joking.”

  Preacher wasn’t sure he believed her. What was the likelihood of the two of them coming up with the same idea independent of each other? It was too much of a coincidence. Then again, it was hard for him to imagine the two of them working together on anything.

  “Look,” Loretta said, “I’ve got connections at a local dealership and one of the owners may be looking to get out. It would be a nice place for you to land. That would be more your style than some old-fogy funeral home.”

  “What do you mean you have connections at a local dealership? What have you gotten yourself into, Loretta?”

  “Oh, calm down, big brother. Your little sister has been taking care of business while you were away. I saw an opportunity and I took it.”

  “What kind of opportunity? Stop talking in circles.”

  “Let’s just say I brokered a deal between a group in New York and a group in Miami that included a connection with a local dealership here in Atlanta. Not a lot of risk for us, but a lot of cash.”

  “I told you we shouldn’t get in bed with that New York–Miami crew. How many times did I tell you that? How many times did I turn them down?”

  Loretta walked over to him. “It’s easy cash.”

  Preacher looked at her, remembering the times he’d justified his own actions with those same words. “And your grand plan is for me to become part-owner of a dealership that’s moving product for the New York–Miami connection. You must really want to see me back in prison.”

  Loretta recoiled as if he’d hit her. “Don’t say that. Don’t even think it. You know that’s not what I want.”

  “What else can I think when you put out an idea like that? How can any good come of it?”

  “It’s a clean operation. Circle Autos has a great reputation. Nobody knows what’s going on there.”

  Preacher’s brain stopped working for a moment at the name Circle Autos. “Did you say Circle Autos?”

  Loretta nodded. “So you’ve heard of them, huh? I betcha it was all good, too.”

  Preacher stared at his sister as Natalie’s lovely face flashed through his mind.

  CHAPTER 13

  Tanya studied the smile tugging at the corners of Preacher’s lips as he watched Jake and Mack run ahead of them up the walkway to Faith Community Church. “So you’re not upset anymore, huh?”

  He glanced in her direction. “Upset?”

  She bumped his hip with hers. “Yeah, upset. You haven’t spoken more than ten words to me since we left the house. I figured you were upset because it took me so long to get ready.”

  “Not hardly, Tanya.”

  She shrugged. “Well, I knew you had no reason to be upset, since I only wanted to look my best for you. This is the first time I’m meeting your church friends and I wanted to make a good impression.”

  Preacher laughed, shaking his head at her. “You’re a trip, Tanya. Since when have you started dressing for me?”

  Tanya gave a pretend pout. “I’ve always tried to look nice for you. You used to appreciate it. You used to compliment me on the way I dressed. You haven’t given me one compliment since you’ve been back.”

  Preacher stopped walking and turned fully to her. She waited as his gaze traveled from the top of her head, where she’d pulled her hair back off her face in a severe style that she reserved for her few conservative outings, to the multicolored sundress that fit looser than her usual garb, on to her bare legs, to her feet clad in a pair of flat, silver sandals. She had to admit that the shoes were a welcome relief from her normal three-inch heels. Since she knew she looked good, though not as good as she could have looked—she didn’t want to scare the church folks—she wanted his appreciation and approval.

  “You know you look good, Tanya,” he told her as he leaned in to buss her cheek. “You always do.”

  She smiled at him. “I guess that’ll do for a compliment. So if it wasn’t my tardiness, what had you all in a twist?”

  “A lot on my mind,” he said, as they reached the boys at the top of the steps to the church. He pulled open the door so the boys and Tanya could enter. After following them in, he said, “I’m sorry for making you worry.”

  Tanya frowned. “I wouldn’t say I was worried, but I did wonder where your mind was. You haven’t exactly been ‘Christian Preacher’ this morning. I was hoping that maybe my guy was coming back to me.”

  The twitch in Preacher’s jaw told her he didn’t like the conclusion she had drawn. “I’m still Christian Preacher, as you put it,” he told her, “just got some stuff on my mind. I was thinking about going over to the funeral home after we leave here.”

  “I thought we were going to look at cars—,” she began, but she was cut off as the boys began running ahead of them, calling to a “Miss Natalie.” A young woman about her age stooped down and greeted her sons with a hug.

  Tanya turned to ask Preacher who the woman was but he had speeded ahead of her. Left with no choice, she picked up her pace, her personal antennae going up, and joined the group.

  “So I see you brought them back,” Miss Natalie was telling Preacher. “I’m glad you did.”

  “Just taking your advice,” he said with the biggest smile Tanya had seen on his face this morning. As though he’d just remembered her presence, he pulled her to his side and said, “I also brought Tanya with me so she could see the place. Natalie, this is Tanya. Tanya, this is Natalie. She works at the Chil
dren’s Center.”

  Natalie beamed at her like she was a rap star or something. “It’s so nice to meet you,” Natalie said. “Welcome to Faith Community. We’re happy to have both you and Preacher.”

  Tanya couldn’t tell if the woman was faking it or not because you really couldn’t tell with church people. “Nice to meet you, too,” she said. “Preacher has raved about this place and I can see the boys feel really comfortable here.” She looked down at her sons, each holding on to one of Natalie’s hands. “You like coming here, don’t you boys?” she asked.

  “Yeah,” both boys said.

  “Can we go play now?” Jake asked.

  Tanya turned to Natalie for an answer.

  Natalie stooped down so she was eye level with the boys, still holding their hands. “Do you remember where the Children’s Center is?” she asked them. Jake nodded. “Then run along. We’ll be there in a while.”

  Tanya watched her sons scamper off with a bit of envy. How had this woman become so close to her kids so quickly?

  “You have great kids,” Natalie told her. “You and Preacher should be proud.”

  “Yes, they’re good kids and, like most parents, we like seeing them happy. They seem happy here.”

  “We try to make everyone feel welcome,” Natalie said, “so I’m glad to see our efforts are bearing fruit. How would you like to go on a tour of the facilities and meet some of the workers? I’ll show you around.” She turned to Preacher again. “You’re welcome to join us but it’s going to be a repeat of what you saw yesterday.”

  “I don’t mind,” Preacher said.

  Well, Tanya minded. Preacher and this Natalie were a little too familiar with each other for her comfort. That the woman wasn’t wearing a wedding ring only made matters more suspect. “Oh, that’s not necessary, Preacher,” Tanya said. “You said you wanted to go over to the funeral home this morning. Why don’t you go over there now? I’ll call you when I’m ready and you can pick me up and then we can head for the car lot.” She turned to Natalie. “We have quite a few errands to run today.” Then, turning back to Preacher, she added, “How does that sound?”