“How did you like the service, Zoe?” he asked. I smiled as I looked up at him. This tattooed man had a huge heart.
“I really loved it. I enjoyed your message, Pastor Dom. I’d like to learn more about the grace of God.” I really meant every word I said too. I wanted more.
“Well, come on back next Sunday!” he said and warmly patted my back.
“I would love to, I just…” I looked at Branson. How was I supposed to tell him that my dad was the pastor of the largest church in the city, and he’d surely chew me out for leaving there for this barn church?
“Her dad is the pastor of Light on the Hill Church,” Branson explained. “I’m going to go grab Bree Bree, I’ll be back, Zoe.” He headed toward the nursery, and I was face to face with this grace preacher who my dad thought was ridiculous.
“Did that word hit home for you, Zoe?” he asked. People weaved around us some of them smiling at me and Pastor Dom.
“Yeah, it did. I’m dealing with a lot right now with my parents. God has spoken to my heart to do something they are against. I just need peace and help to go about it in the right way. I don’t want to hurt them, but I have to follow God too,” I said and felt embarrassed that I was telling this pastor this. He just listened intently.
“You’re welcome here anytime, Zoe. Take care of Branson okay? He’s a great man!” Pastor Dom was off to talk to someone else. The people around me were so different. There was groups of teens mixed with adults as old as 70. There was one guy who looked like he belonged in my church. He had white hair, a checkered dress shirt on, and a huge smile. Branson soon returned with Bree in his arms. She was grabbing at the necklace he seemed to wear often.
“Ready?” he asked. We said goodbye to his friends, he’d introduced me to, and picked up the twins from children’s church and got into the car.
“What’d you think?” he asked after he’d strapped Bree and the girls into the backseat.
“It was amazing. I’ve never heard that preached before.” I felt alive for the first time. I didn’t feel the shame that I’d carried around forever. I wanted to hear more!
“Isn’t Pastor Dom awesome?” he said as we turned onto the main road. I watched buildings fly by as we went.
“He’s really awesome! I wish I could come back next Sunday and hear more.” I shifted in my seat. Man I wished that so bad!
“You could, Zoe,” Branson softly said. I knew he really wanted me to come, but what about my dad?
“Do you want to catch a bite to eat?”
“Sure,” I said.
He glanced at his little munchkins in the back.
“Want to go to McDonalds, guys?” he asked. A resounding excited scream came from the backseat. He laughed, and we turned into the fast food restaurant. I helped him unstrap the kids, and we all headed inside. He ordered his girls happy meals, and I got a McChicken sandwich with fries. We all sat down at a booth, and he ripped up pieces of chicken for Bree. We chatted lightly about the service.
“Zoe? Zoe Reed?” I heard a voice. Oh crap. That was…um…Jacob. Maybe if I ignored him he would think he was mistaken.
“Hi, Zoe! Where were you today at church?” he asked. I slowly turned. Dang it! He looked at me like I had punched a baby. Condemnation stared me in the face. “I can’t believe you skipped church! Who’s this guy?” Jacob jabbed his finger toward Branson.
“Jacob, this is Branson Tate,” I said as I bit into my McChicken. This could be interesting.
“Wait, this is the guy? The guy who stole you from me?” Shoot. Jacob came right up to him.
“What did you do to her to get her to court you? Did you threaten her? And these kids? Who’s are they?” Jacob accused holding up his long finger.
“Mine.” Branson’s tone turned deadly. “Get lost, buddy.”
Jacob freaked out. He threw up his hands in anger.
“You’re going to go to Hell, Zoe Reed! Do you understand! You’re living in sin! You’re dating a sinner! How could you do that to your mom and dad? How? You chose him over me? He’s a loser!” Jacob was shaking with anger.
Branson remained surprisingly calm until Jacob poked one of his kids.
“Your daddy’s a slut! You’re going to be one messed up ho one day!”
Holy crap.
CC started crying and reaching her hands out for Branson.
“Daddy!” she screamed, big tears dripping out of her eyes.
“Don’t touch my kids.” Branson came out of the booth, and his fist found Jacob’s sneering face. Branson isn’t small to say the least. Jacob wasn’t small either, but he definitely didn’t have the muscle mass that Branson had. I don’t think he expected Branson to jump him either. Branson shook his fist as Jacob lay sprawled out on the floor of McDonalds. Wow, things just went from 0 to 60 real fast. Jacob scrambled to his feet, his face flushed with embarrassment.
“This isn’t over, man!” he said as he stumbled toward the door. The McDonalds employees didn’t even see what happened. No one else was in the place, so I don’t think anyone called the cops. Branson looked at his kids then me.
“I’m really sorry. I shouldn’t have done that. When he touched CC I flipped out. CC come here to Daddy, are you alright, baby girl?”
She came into his arms with tears running down her cheeks. Evie soon joined in on the hug. Bree started reaching for him too, so he grabbed her out of her chair, and they all had a big group hug. I was just in awe of the love and affection this man had for his kids.
“I think I might have made stuff worse for you, Zoe.” He looked at me apologetically.
“That was the guy my dad wanted me to court.”
“I figured that…I’m really sorry. I just snapped.” He put his kids back in the booth, and we finished our meals. We headed out of McDonalds, climbed into the car, and made our way back to my house.
“Mr. Noah had a boat,” Branson sang in a beautiful tenor voice.
“E-I-E-I-O!” the twins sang. I started chuckling.
“On that boat he had two cows!” Branson started tapping the wheel with a beat.
“E-I-E-I-O.” The twins started giggling in the back seat. I heard Bree squeal in laughter.
“With a moo, moo, here, and a moo, moo there, here a moo, there a moo, everywhere a moo moo.”
“Mooo!” Bree shouted and clapped her hands behind me. I turned around to face the girls who were just mooing like crazy.
“Moo!” I added in the fun. They loved that! They started giggling even more.
“Mr. Noah had a boat, E-I-E-I-O!” Branson finished just as we pulled up into my parents’ driveway.
“I’ll call you soon, okay?” I said as I grabbed my purse and opened the door.
“Sounds good. Say goodbye to Zoe, girls!” The kids all waved at me. I walked inside and was struck with the feeling that I was going to the guillotine. Except the guillotine would be less painful.
The moment I stepped in the door, I spotted Jacob. I instantly wanted to run back out the door to Branson. I had expected my dad but not Jacob, Dad, and Mom. It was like a three barrel shotgun. My mom’s eyes were swimming with tears, my dad was scowling, and his hands were balled into fists and shaking. Jacob just looked like he was a cat who’d eaten a mouse. I was the mouse. Fear twisted in my gut.
“Jacob tells me he ran into you and that Branson guy,” Dad said, and I could tell he was trying his best not to punch something. “He also told me Branson has three kids. Zoe, you didn’t tell me he had children.”
I actually felt afraid of my dad in that moment. Terrified actually.
“How could I? You didn’t want to listen to a word I said! God was the one who told me Branson was the one. God! His past is not perfect, Dad, but this is the man God told me to marry!” I was growing angry again as I saw judgment on each of their faces.
“Zoe, it’s over. Call it off. You can’t court Branson. I was barely allowing him to see you knowing he wasn’t a virgin, but this. This…is too much! Zoe, you are heading t
oward disaster! He’s going to ruin you as he’s ruined other girls!” he spat, and his fist slammed into the wall. It shuddered, and I flinched.
“Your dad and I are demanding you dump this guy, Zoe. If not then you need to move out. We will not tolerate sin in this house. Period,” my mom said. I stared at them in shock. Move out? They were going to make me move out if I stayed with Branson? I felt fear wrap around my torso. I couldn’t afford to move out. What was I going to do? I couldn’t dump Branson. I turned my attention to Jacob for a second.
“You have no idea who this man is.” I stared at my dad then my mom. “He’s so in love with God…, and his kids…he…loves…his…children…so…much. You…have…no…right to judge him,” I choked the words out and then ran to my room.
I slammed the door and leaned up against it. What was I going to do? I flung myself on my bed and let my tears fall.
“If you don’t let this guy go, Zoe, you need to find a new place by the end of the month,” my dad said through the door. “We will give you one month.” I heard him walk away.
Chapter 20
I went to work the next day in a daze. I was not going to let Branson go. Zoe, My ways are higher than your ways, and My thoughts are higher than your thoughts. I let the Holy Spirit’s words soothe my mind. I had to figure out where I was going to live. I couldn’t live under a rock. I would ask Mia, but she had a houseful already. There were a couple other singles in our church, but would they want to face the wrath of my dad for taking me in? Branson was stopping by after I was done with work. The hours dragged by so, so slow. Finally when ten o’clock hit, I closed up and walked outside. He was waiting for me and leaning up against his car. He looked like he was struggling with something.
“Hi,” he said, and I could tell that he was beating himself up. “Listen, Zoe, I’m really sorry about punching that guy. I just lost control. I’m so sorry I caused trouble for you with your parents.” He wrung his hands together. There was a lot of stress on his face.
“There’s always been trouble, Branson, please, don’t worry about it. I have to ask you though. Do you know anyone who’d take a roommate? My parents said if I didn’t dump you then they were kicking me out of their house.” Saying it out loud made it feel even scarier than it was. I wrapped my arms around myself. Branson pulled me into his embrace and tucked my head against his shoulder.
“I’m sorry…” His hand pressed up against my back. The warmth of his embrace melted me. It was going to be okay. God was going to take care of me. He was the one who told me to do this, so He would take care of me no matter what happened. Branson brushed my hair behind my ear and pulled me into a kiss. Butterflies exploded in my stomach. He looked down into my eyes a teasing smile dancing on his lips.
“I do know someone. You remember Alison?” He held me back to look into my face.
I nodded. She’d been the one who’d changed Bree.
“She just lost a roommate and asked me if I knew anyone who needed a place to stay. It’s 250 a month. Is that okay?”
That was better than I’d expected. I could still save money up for a rainy day.
“That would be amazing. I’ll pack up my room and be ready to move in a couple weeks. She’s okay with that right?”
“Yeah, she needs someone as quick as possible.” Branson pulled me into another hug and held the back of my head.
“Zoe, I can’t believe you’re doing all this for me. I don’t know what to say.”
“Just tell me I’m not insane, right? I’m doing the right thing right?” I said, and I really did feel hesitant at times. I was going against everything I’d been raised on. My dad had pounded the word of God into my head since I could understand. I was breaking every law in the book. Or was I? I was confused about it all.
“If you want to you can come over for a little while. I got Bree, but the twins are at their mom’s house.”
“Yeah, I’d like that.”
Branson lived in a decent sized home, with a fenced in yard, and flowers decorating the sidewalk. Cute. Very cute. A lady with graying hair met us at the door.
“She’s fast asleep, Branson, goodnight.” She kissed Branson’s cheek and headed toward the door.
“Thanks, Sarah, I really appreciate it,” Branson said. I watched the lady smile and head out the door. The house was spotless.
“Sarah likes to clean,” he said as he nodded toward the sparkling home.
“Do you want anything? Coffee? Water? Pop?” he asked as he headed toward the kitchen. I watched him walk away with a smile on my face. He was really attractive. Oh my goodness, I couldn’t get over it! I actually forgot what he asked until he looked at me with amusement.
“Were you checking out my butt?” he asked.
“No!” I said and blushed.
“Zoe Reed, I think you were.” He laughed.
“Maybe a little,” I said and shrugged with a teasing smile.
“What did you want, sugar?” he said with a drawl. I laughed.
“Water is fine.” I looked around the room at the photos that lined the walls. The twins were always laughing in the pictures. There was a picture of Branson holding Bree’s hands at the beach. So cute. He came out of the kitchen a moment later toting a glass of water and a glass of milk.
“I like milk.”
“I’ve noticed,” I said.
“So, this courting stuff…” he said with a grin and took a swig of his milk. He got a milk mustache. I took a drink of my water and tried not to laugh.
“Courting stuff indeed. So, yeah, Jacob told my parents about your kids. That was fun.” I leaned against his chest on the couch. I felt myself relax against him. He wrapped his arms around me and pulled me close.
“Fun indeed. As fun as chewing on nails?”
“Yeah, about like that. My dad nearly punched a hole through the wall while Jacob was just gloating. I think he thought I would just turn to him and profess my undying love or something. I’m glad you punched him, Branson. That guy needs some sense knocked into his thick head.” I stared at the toys that were in neat little totes on the side of the wall.
“Are you sure you want to get into all this mess?” he asked and ushered toward himself. “I will never live up to your parents’ perfect Christian man standard.”
“No one can, except greasy Jacob. Are you sure you want to get into my mess? I mean my dad punched a wall.” I giggled about it. It was kind of funny when I thought about it. It made my parents so mad for no reason. I was finally courting! They should just be happy that I wasn’t going to die an old maid! Instead they were kicking me out and spitting fire and brimstone at me. I sighed. Branson kissed the top of my head.
“Greasy Jacob?” He sounded amused.
“Oh, yeah, that’s what I call him sometimes in my head. He’s so oily he’s like a snake.” Did I just say that out loud? “I’m sorry I shouldn’t have said that.” I could feel his shoulders shaking. Was he laughing? I turned around and looked at his face.
“Sorry, that was awesome. What did you want to do?” he asked me as he played with my hair. It felt really good. I closed my eyes letting my stress just fly out the window.
“Tell me more about that grace stuff Pastor Dom was talking about.”
“Yes! I was hoping you’d ask me about that!” Branson said and squeezed me. “You need to read this book. Destined to Reign by Joseph Prince. It explains it all.” He got off the couch and grabbed a book that was sitting on a simple bookshelf near the TV. He put it in my lap. I looked at the cover of the book and flipped it open. There was so much highlighted that the pages looked more yellow than white.
“Wow, you really love this thing. You sure I can borrow it?”
“Yes, you can borrow it. I practically have it memorized.” He climbed back on the couch, and I settled back against him. “Once you grab this revelation as Pastor Dom says: you will never go back!”
I could feel Branson’s excitement. I climbed out of his arms and sat beside him. I crossed m
y legs underneath me and leaned forward.
“Tell me about grace, Branson.”
“Here, let me see the book for a second.”
I handed him the well loved book, and he flipped through it.
“Colossians 2:14-15 having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it.”
“I’ve read that before,” I said.
“This was me, Zoe, I had a huge list of sins stacked against my life. I hurt so many people, but through Jesus He nailed my sins to the cross and disarmed anything that would try to come against me. All of it. He did it once and for all. I don’t have to keep going back to my crappy past and begging God to forgive me over and over.”
I shifted where I sat feeling his heart as he spoke.
“I was raised in church when I was a kid, and all I heard about was the Ten Commandments. It was, don’t break the law or God would punish me. I tried to follow it for awhile, but when I hit 14 all Hell broke loose.” He turned his face to me, and I searched for any sign of guilt. I found nothing. He really truly believed he was forgiven. I wanted that so bad. I wanted to feel that way toward God. I wanted to know that no matter what I was loved and forgiven.
“Galatians 3:13 Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us for it is written, Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree. I memorized this verse because sometimes I go back to my law based childhood. Pastor Dom always tells me that we are redeemed from the curse of the law.”
I sat quietly and rested my head against the couch. I was trying to take all this in. Branson knew the Word. I’d never ever heard this grace stuff before. Sure, my dad would preach about the love of God for us, but it was so conditional on what we did that it never felt like love. Just law. Keep the laws, and God will bless you. Keep the laws, and God will love you. It wasn’t based on pure love like this grace Branson was telling me about.
Grace Alive: a Christian Romance Page 12