Sin

by Crystal V. Rhodes

  Sin sat outside the two story, framed house on 62nd Avenue berating himself for the decision he had made. Why must he play with fire? The old adage about getting burned had proved to be true too many times. What was it about Nedra Davis that had brought him to the Simpson’s front door? He had dated prettier women. Hell! He had dated women so fine that men had salivated over them. Yes, Nedra was pretty—actually she was more than pretty—but, she was a minister! This was insanity!

  As he stepped out of the car, he told himself that he had business to attend to, serious business. He had been on his way to do so, when he made the U-turn that would bring him to this doorstep. He had no clue why he turned around. What reason was there to madness? All he knew was that he had canceled his appointment, and here he was. With one gloved finger, he rang the doorbell.

  Nedra sensed his presence before she saw him. The energy in the room had changed. All attention had shifted toward him, the stranger among them—the handsome, mysterious stranger. The reason for being at the Simpson home seemed to be forgotten as the sisters of the church inundated him with offers of food, drinks and conversation.

  Sharon had rescued him, delighted that he had changed his mind. She introduced him to the boys’ foster parents, after which Trevor, a handsome child with a cinnamon brown complexion and eyes nearly the same color, had planted himself firmly in Sin’s arms. By the time the two of them worked their way into the dining room where Nedra sat with Colin, her heart had stopped racing and she had regained her composure. Colin showed no visible reaction to Sin’s appearance. She fought to do the same, as Sin took an empty seat at the large dining room table, shifting Trevor onto his lap.

  “Glad you changed your mind about joining us.” Nedra was pleased that there wasn’t a quaver or a quake in her voice. She could get through this.

  “I’m glad I came,” Sin replied, with a quick wink at Trevor. He returned the wink with one of his own. Sin turned to the solemn child sitting next to Nedra. “And how are you doing, my man?”

  Colin, who was small for his age, with a complexion much like his brother’s, and dark brown eyes that slanted upward at the corners, shrugged his thin shoulders. “All right, I guess.” He kept his eyes on his plate filled with food that he hadn’t touched.

  “Just all right?” Sin looked at him closely. This kid was suffering. “Well, do you think you’re doing ‘all right’ enough to go for a little ride with me? That is if Mr. and Mrs. Simpson will let you.”

  Shrugging again, Colin didn’t respond. Sin’s eyes met Nedra’s eyes, each noting the other’s concern for the boy.

  “I’m certain if I ask them, the Simpsons won’t mind if Colin goes with you,” she ventured. “He could use a little break.”

  “I wanna go too!” Trevor spoke up, intent on not being left out.

  “Not this time, buddy, but I promise I’ll do something with you another time.”

  His words stopped the tears Sin was certain would have flowed if some sort of compromise hadn’t been offered. The Simpsons gave Sin permission to take Colin for a ride and Nedra watched as the man and boy walked through the gathering and out the front door. She exhaled slowly, unaware that she had been holding her breath during the short time that Sin had been near.

  CHAPTER 3

  Esther Costello could try the devil, and Nedra had no doubt that she had done so.

  She had been Nedra’s nemesis for years. Esther fancied herself the matron of Mount Peter, and was certain that it was she who had been chosen by God as her church’s official guardian.

  She had grown up in Mount Peter, and had occupied the same second row church pew since she was brought into the church by her mother and father at the age of six months old. She had buried her parents, married her husband, baptized and married off both of her children, all at Mount Peter. Before Nedra arrived, it had been Esther who had been the undisputed power in the church, and she had wielded that power with rigid authority. Ruthless when crossed, it had been she who had insisted that the congregation hire Nedra as pastor of Mount Peter. Nobody dared vote against her. As far as Esther was concerned, Nedra owed her and she constantly reminded her of the fact.

  Over the years, Nedra suspected that Esther had regretted that vote, and she was right. The influential parishioner had reasoned that a female minister would be more susceptible to her control. Esther would later contend that Nedra’s appearance had been deceptive. The attractive young woman had seemed quiet and unassuming when she was interviewed. Subsequent interviews and reference checks proved her to be more than capable of leading, what was then, a flock of only ninety-five members. She had discerned that the young, Reverend would guide them out of debt, lead Sunday services and allow an experienced church member to run everything else. How wrong she had been. From the day she stepped into the pulpit, Nedra Davis had been beyond her control.

  Over the years the changes at Mount Peter had been too dramatic for Esther to accept. Much to her dismay, the membership grew to a thousand. Social programs were added, and the accolades that had once been bestowed on her had been transferred to the new minister. As the years passed and more changes were implemented, her resentment toward Nedra grew.

  Their conflicts gradually escalated, smoldering in the heated caldron that had been created. They both knew that one day their mutual dislike for each other would come to a boiling point. Today’s disagreement was merely a preview.

  Nedra’s eyes narrowed as she looked at the portly woman standing before her. Esther worked hard trying to live up to the stereotype of the matronly looking school teacher. That had been her profession for the last twenty-five years.

  She was not unattractive. Her honey colored complexion was as smooth as a baby’s, but the grimace she constantly wore made her appear older than her fifty-six years. As always, she wore a loose fitting dress, unusually flowers or stripe prints, neither of which was flattering. She wouldn’t be caught dead in anything other than her low heeled “sensible” shoes. Adding to her stark appearance was her hair which was the perfect cliché—a graying bun wound tightly at the nape of her neck.

  She hadn’t altered her appearance in the six years that Nedra had known her. Esther was a creature of habit, a woman intimidated by change, a suppressed personality, more to be pitied than scorned. But today, Nedra’s pity quotient was limited and so was her patience.

  “Esther, all the children want is to go to Great America to celebrate the end of the soccer season. What is the problem? The money has already been approved for the trip, which, may I remind you, is tomorrow morning!”

  Esther sighed in frustration, addressing Nedra as if she were a child. “Once again, let me explain this to you. Mr. Simpson can’t go...”

  “I know that!” Nedra interrupted. “He broke his ankle and Mrs. Simpson can’t go because she’s taking care of him. Let’s not go over that territory again. All I know is that these kids played their hearts out for Mount Peter this season. They were promised a trip to Great America and they’re going to get it. We will not be canceling this trip!”

  Esther bristled. This woman challenged her at every turn. Couldn’t she see anyone’s point of view but her own? “Well, my grandson is not going on a church trip that is not properly chaperoned!”

  Nedra was tired of trying to be diplomatic. Esther had gotten on her last nerve.

  The outing for the Mount Peter Pee Wee Soccer Team had been planned months ago by Mr. Simpson. He was their coach and had made all of the arrangements. Then yesterday the call about Mr. Simpson’s accident had come to her office and with it a plea from his wife that Nedra take her place as a chaperone.

  Despite her limited time, Nedra relented. It had been she who had encouraged the church to make rules requiring an adult to kid ratio for field trips. The children’s safety was at stake. The rule had been strictly adhered to and she knew that if she hadn’t volunteered the trip would have to be canceled. Trevor Johnson was on the team. Only two weeks had passed since his mother was buried. He needed th
e distraction.

  It was the fact that they had not found a fourth chaperone on such short notice that had prompted the comments from Esther Costello. Yet, this complaint was only one in a string of them that she had been making all evening. They had just finished a Deacon Board meeting, in which Esther had objected to nearly ever proposal made.

  After the meeting, Nedra had hoped that she could sneak out of the church without any further contact with her, but no such luck. Now, cornered in the hallway between her office and the back door, Nedra listened to the woman jabbering on about denying these children a trip to an amusement park. Enough was enough! Nedra made no attempt to conceal her aggravation

  “Listen, Esther, if you don’t want your grandson to go, that’s fine. It’s up to you. But, if you want more chaperones tomorrow, then volunteer to be one. Good evening!”

  She marched through the rear door of the church, leaving Esther standing open mouthed and angry. Nedra made her way across the parking lot to her car parked in the space reserved for the pastor. She was tired and hungry and had a headache. What had been scheduled as a two hour meeting had turned into four hours. Esther had made it feel like eight.

  Her car and the Costello’s car were the only ones left on the large parking lot. The other deacons had left some time ago. The Costellos had stayed behind to lock the church.

  Mount Peter had recently acquired the house next to the church, razed it, and extended the parking lot, increasing the number of cars it could accommodate by two hundred spaces. As Nedra approached her car, it looked abandoned on the large lot. Bright lights had been added on the newly paved lot for the parishioners’ protection. They illuminated the entire area.

  As usual, she took a quick look around as she swiftly unlocked her car door. It didn’t hurt to be cautious. The area in which the church was located warranted precautions.

  She noticed the dark colored car parked on the street next to the lot. It was sheltered by a cluster of bushes. A small flicker of light from a cigarette indicated that the vehicle was occupied. Its distance from her car posed no threat, so as she dropped her exhausted body into the driver seat, an unidentified car was the last thing of concern. All she wanted was to get home, take a bath, and get enough rest for tomorrow’s trip to the amusement park.

  As she pulled off the lot, and headed down the street, the dark colored car’s occupant flipped a cigarette butt out of the open window. Moments later, he drove slowly down the street headed in the same direction as the reverend.

  ****

  Nedra was surprised when Sinclair Reasoner’s sleek Jaguar pulled onto the Mount Peter parking lot. Trevor Johnson was in the front seat beside him. Was this a joke? Some perverse little gag that Carla and Sharon had cooked up? What was he doing here?

  Sin Reasoner wondered about that himself as he roared to a stop a few yards from Nedra. At the Simpson house he had made Trevor an innocent promise that he and the boy would do something alone in the future. While they wouldn’t be alone, exactly, that future proved to be sooner than both man and boy would have guessed. How in the world did he get himself into this mess?

  Glancing at Trevor he wondered how a kid with such a sweet face could be capable of conning a grown man into doing something he swore he would never do, go to an amusement park. Obviously, he had been conned, because here he was. A smile creased his face as he watched the child. The little boy could hardly contain himself with excitement as he struggled to unbuckle his seat belt so that he could get out of the car. Waiting was a large van ready to transport them to their destination, but Sin’s only focus was the brown skinned woman standing beside it.

  Dressed in overalls, a tailored oxford shirt and sparkling white leather tennis shoes, Nedra looked like a kid herself. Her hair was combed into a ponytail, covered by a colorful baseball cap. Her face looked even more youthful than the last time Sin had seen her and he liked what he was seeing.

  “I was ambushed by a five year old,” he explained, responding to the mystified look on Nedra’s face. They stood watching Trevor scramble onto the van.

  Nedra smiled, trying to contain her anxiety at his unexpected appearance. “It looks like we’ve got a much needed chaperone. Welcome aboard.”

  Sin thanked her, quelling his own anxiety as he took her by the elbow, and steered her into the vehicle. He climbed into the seat behind her, vowing that this would be the last time he was involved in any way with the boys, Mount Peter and especially its pastor.

  Hours later, as she and Sin stood, side by side, looking up at the Ferris wheel that carried Trevor and a handful of his rambunctious team mates, Nedra made the same vow. She was enjoying herself a little too much with this man, and his masculinity was overwhelming.

  Dressed casually in a pair of beige linen shorts, with a matching short sleeved shirt, the contours of his muscular body were clearly defined, and try as she might, she couldn’t help but notice. As the two of them wandered around the park with the children, the admiring glances he received from women were plentiful, but he seemed oblivious. She was the focus of his attention.

  When they arrived at the park, they had laughed at the children’s antics, and talked incessantly. Now neither of them had much to say as they strolled along, shepherding the children from place to place.

  They had been coupled, unceremoniously, by Arnella Cotter, whose young son, William, was on the team. Arnella had the hots for Jason Rich, the assistant soccer coach and driver of the church van. She had jumped at the chance to volunteer to spend the day with him. When the young charges were divided between chaperones, there was no doubt with whom she would be paired.

  Despite their earlier camaraderie, Nedra preferred the uncomfortable silence between the two of them as she and Sin strolled through the park. By nature, she was friendly and talkative, but their earlier chatter had begun to feel too comfortable. She felt safer in the silence. It was less intimate. She couldn’t allow intimacy to invade a casual relationship with any man.

  Since graduating from the seminary, she had fought hard to suppress any attraction she might have toward members of the opposite sex. To do otherwise would cause too many problems. She spurned all suitors. She did what she could to discourage being alone with a man, knowing that any hint of impropriety could seriously jeopardize her career.

  It had never been easy. She was aware that men considered her attractive. There were those, who in their desperation to get her attention, had even tried to put her in compromising positions. None had been successful. God had always smiled down on her and seen her through. She loved the career she had chosen, and felt that if and when the time was right, God would help her pick a mate. Meanwhile, her mission in life was to serve others. Of that, she had no doubt. No, intimacy with the opposite sex had to be avoided at all cost.

  So why did she have such unsettling feelings when it came to Sinclair Reasoner? Surely, he was just a distraction, and not the man that God had chosen for her. How was it possible? This man looked like a model for a magazine cover. He wore an earring for goodness sakes! He definitely was not the boy next door. Besides, she knew nothing about him. Was he a Christian? Did he go to church? Did he even believe in God?

  As the children exited the amusement park ride, and ran, noisily to the next one, the two adults followed behind them, valiantly struggling to keep up.

  “I don’t think I’m going to survive this?” Sin gasped, as he caught one miniature size soccer player running helter skelter toward an ice cream wagon in the opposite direction. He steered him back on course.

  Nedra took a deep breath. “Do you go to church, Mr. Reasoner?”

  Sin stopped so suddenly that a woman walking behind him ran straight into his back. Steadying her, he offered an apology and then looked at Nedra pointedly before answering her inquiry.

  “Why? Do you plan on saving me?”

  Nedra heard the teasing in his voice. Her manner remained businesslike. “Only if you need saving.”

  Sin cocked a brow. He doubted if
his soul was salvageable, but he might as well let her enjoy herself. “No, Reverend Davis, I don’t go to church. Too busy.”

  “Too busy for the Lord?” Nedra’s expression became as serious as her demeanor. “And what is it you do that would make you too busy to attend church?”

  “I’m in imports.” Sin’s tone warned that his answer warranted no further discussion.

  Nedra got the message. “I see. I was just curious.”

  He turned her words over in his head. Just curious. Did that mean interested? Because as much as he tried to fight it, he damn sure was interested in her!

  After the funeral and his talk with Colin, he had dropped the boy off at the Simpson house, afraid to go back inside, afraid of seeing Nedra again. That was how she made him feel—frightened. It was an emotion that was foreign to him.

  He had faced danger so often he couldn’t remember all of the times. He had faced death as well; but neither was as frightening to him as she was. His feelings for her had been prevalent for so long, that they had become embedded in his psyche, and were now a part of him.

  A year ago, he had picked up a copy of the local newspaper; and read a front page article about the accomplishments of an East Bay church named Mount Peter. The pastor’s name had jumped off of the printed page, and rendered Sin speechless. A color picture of Reverend Nedra Davis confirmed that there could be no mistake. She was the woman from his past, and she was living in Oakland, California.

  He had cursed his fate. Just knowing that she was so close, yet so far beyond his reach had renewed feelings of longing he had buried decades ago.

  He had never planned on seeing her. The San Francisco Bay Area was a place where anyone could live in total anonymity. He had never planned on contacting her. Why would he? The only reason that he would need a minister would be to bury him. Despite that, he had made contact, even though there were other ministers who could have helped him with his dilemma regarding the Johnson boys. But he wanted her. He had wanted her in the past and he wanted her now.