“No worries. I explained the work situation to my uncle,” he says as he takes off. “He was glad you want to come back and said not to be concerned about it. If we’re late, we’ll just slip in a side door and hopefully no one will notice.”
“Thanks so much for picking me up.” I stuff my work uniform deeper into my bag. “I know I already gushed about how much I like your church. But I really do appreciate you making the effort to give me a ride.”
He gives me a genuine smile. “It’s my pleasure, Rachel.”
I look down at my skirt, which for some reason feels even shorter now than it did this morning. “I wish I had something more suitable to wear. I couldn’t help but notice how the women at your church dress pretty modestly.”
He nods in a halfhearted way. “Yeah … that’s something my uncle insists on. I actually think it might’ve been Celeste’s idea to start with. I’m not really sure.”
“Is it a rule?”
He shrugs. “I don’t know if it’s a rule exactly. I just know that all the women dress like that. To be honest, I thought it was sort of odd at first. It took some getting used to, but now I hardly notice it anymore.”
I tug the hem of my skirt down to my knees. “I kind of get it. I mean, it’s aggravating that most girls don’t practice any kind of modesty, so I think it’s refreshing when women aren’t flaunting their flesh.” I giggle nervously. “I hate the uniforms Nadine makes us wear at work. Seriously, the first time I put on those short-shorts, I was like — Are you kidding? But then I suppose I got used to it. And with no air-conditioning, well, who wants to wear long pants? But when I think of how the women at your church were dressed today, well, it makes my uniform seem pretty skanky.”
“I reckon I can see your point. But to be honest, I sort of fancy your work uniform.” He laughs. “Of course, I won’t admit that to my uncle anytime soon.”
I gently punch him in the arm. “I guess you can’t help that you’re a normal hot-blooded guy. But the more I think about it, the more I understand why your uncle wants women to dress modestly. It just seems more proper … more dignified.”
“So you wouldn’t have a problem dressing like that?” He glances at me with a curious expression. “Wearing granny dresses?”
“That’s what you call them?”
“It’s what I thought when I first got here and saw all these women wearing baggy dresses down past their knees. It reminded me of my great-grandma back when I was a little tyke. She dressed just like that. Granny dresses.”
“You know, as weird as it sounds, I think it’d actually be a relief to dress like that,” I admit. “But I’m pretty old-fashioned at heart. To be honest, there’s a lot about our culture I’m not real crazy about.” Now I remember the scantily clad women I see in the ice cream shop all the time. Sure, they’ve been out on the lake, but I sometimes feel embarrassed or even disgusted by how much skin they’re showing. “Seriously, when did it become acceptable for girls to go around practically naked?”
“It’s been like that for as long as I can remember.” He sighs. “But I lived in Sydney.” He lets out a low whistle. “Believe me, you can see everything and anything on a Sydney beach.”
“I’ll bet you can.” Now I feel slightly unsure. Does he disagree with his uncle on this issue? And if so, why? But just as I’m trying to think of a tactful way to ask him about this, he pulls over — right on the shoulder of the highway.
“What’s wrong?” I ask as he comes to a fast stop.
He puts the car in reverse now, and with his head turned around, he quickly backs up.
“Where are you going — ?”
“A hitchhiker,” he tells me.
“You’re picking up a hitchhiker?” I give him a horrified look. Is he nuts?
“Uh-huh.”
I turn around to see who he’s going back for and am surprised to spot a young woman about twenty yards back. And speaking of scantily clad — or were we? — this girl has on shorts even skimpier than my work uniform. This is paired with a strapless purple band that looks more like a scarf than a top. To complete her ensemble, which seriously resembles a hooker, she has on tall shiny black boots. “You’re really picking her up?” I say in a meek voice. “What if she’s dangerous?”
He chuckles. “You think she’s got a derringer in her boot?”
“Maybe …”
“It’ll be all right. God is watching out for us, Rachel. And remember this morning’s sermon? About how God wants us to reach out to everyone and anyone, no matter what they look like?”
“But … I … uh …” I don’t even know what to say. I’m tempted to tell him my mom has made me swear to never pick up a hitchhiker. Never, ever. But then I’m not driving.
“G’day.” Josiah sticks his head out the window, waving to her. “Come on — if you want a lift.”
The girl walks up and bends down to peer in my window, and seemingly satisfied that we don’t look like thugs, she climbs into the back of the small car. “Thanks for stopping! I was ready to give up.”
“Where ya headed?” Josiah asks as he takes off.
“I don’t really care. Maybe Seattle.”
“You don’t have any bags,” I point out. “Traveling rather light, aren’t you?”
“I had to make a quick getaway, if you get my drift.”
“Well, it’s doubtful you’ll make it to Seattle tonight,” Josiah tells her. “And hitching in the dark seems a bit dodgy.”
“Are you British?” she asks. “I love your accent.”
“Australian. Thanks. We happen to be on our way to church just now. If you want to come along, we can get you something to eat and a place to sleep for the night. Then you might have a better chance of catching a lift in the morning.”
“Are you for real?” she asks in a skeptical tone.
“Sure,” he tells her.
I turn around in my seat to get a better look. And when I see her face, I realize she’s probably about my age and although she’s trying to act confident, she seems a little uneasy. She’s also got a lot of tattoos.
“I’m Rachel. That’s Josiah. And yes, we’re for real.” Then trying to put her at ease, I start prattling away about how he picked me up from work and how I went to his church for my first time that morning. Then I describe what the place looks like and the dairy and even how I work at the ice cream shop at Rock Canyon Lake.
“You mean Nadine’s?” she asks.
“Yeah.” I nod. “Have you been there?”
“My parents used to take us there when we were kids.”
“So, do you have a name?” I ask.
“Monique. I won’t tell you my last name because it’d be a phony one anyway.”
“Nice to meet you, Monique.” I’m tempted to ask how old she is, but I sense she might not appreciate being interrogated. Besides she might simply lie about it. Girls do that … sometimes.
“So if you’d like some food and a bed for the night, you can come with us,” Josiah says when we’re a mile or so from the turnoff. “Otherwise, I’ll just leave you here to catch another lift. Although I wouldn’t advise it. A girl alone at night seems like an invitation to trouble.”
There’s a long silence and then she blows out a slow, loud sigh. “Okay, fine. You’ve convinced me. I guess I can trust you two — you seem relatively harmless. And I am exhausted and hungry. So if your offer of food and a bed is for real, sure, I’ll take you up on it.”
“Great.” Josiah nods. “But first we go to church.”
She groans. “Oh, man. Me in church … this is gonna be good.”
“It’s not like some churches,” I assure her. “You might be surprised.”
Of course, it seems that it’s the congregation who should be surprised, I’m thinking as the three of us slip in a side door. Josiah with two girls in tow — one who looks like a hooker and one wearing a short skirt. Not to mention, we’re late. To my relief, no one really seems to notice or care.
Once again, I’m pulled in
with the singing and the general spiritual feeling of this place. And while I’ll admit that I don’t get all of the sermon’s points and there are some parts I totally don’t understand, there’s so much I like about this place and about Reverend Jim that I don’t really care. I figure it’ll sink in better with time. And I plan to spend as much time as possible here.
When the sermon ends, Josiah asks if I mind sticking around long enough to get Monique something to eat and settled in. And I assure him that’s no problem.
“What did you think of church?” I ask her as we walk over to the dining hall.
“It was better than I expected,” she says as Josiah opens the door for us. “I guess I was pleasantly surprised.” As we go into the kitchen, she explains about how her family never went to church. “The last time I was in a church, I was about twelve. I went with my best friend, and her preacher screamed and shouted at everyone. It was horrible. I never went back.”
“Can’t blame you for that.” Josiah opens the fridge, foraging for food.
“But this seemed different,” she says when he hands her an apple. “It made me feel kind of hopeful. Like there might be some reason to be alive.”
“Sure there is.” He spoons some potato salad onto a plate, adding some slices of ham and cheese. “Is this okay?” He hands the plate to her.
“Yummy.” She nods eagerly, taking it over to a nearby table.
Now he looks at me. “I didn’t ask if you were hungry, but I’ll bet you haven’t had dinner either.”
I smile hopefully.
“Plate number two coming right up,” he tells me.
As we sit there eating in the big dining room, Jim and Celeste come in and Josiah introduces them to Monique, explaining how we picked her up on the road. Jim studies the strangely dressed girl, and I’m curious as to whether his disapproval of her attire will show. But he simply smiles. “I hope you feel right at home during your visit. Welcome.” Now he turns to Josiah. “Why don’t you put her in with Lucinda Jones for the night? They have a spare bunk in their cabin.”
Josiah nods.
I take another tentative bite of the potato salad. Now I realize that beggars shouldn’t be choosy, but this potato salad is awful. Too much mayo and the potatoes aren’t even fully cooked. Not that I’m complaining.
“If you girls want some dessert, there are several kinds of ice cream in the freezer,” Celeste tells us.
“Ice cream?” Monique’s darkly lined eyes light up.
“We make it right here at the dairy,” Celeste tells her. “It’s what Rachel sells at the resort.” Jim and Celeste tell us good night, remind Josiah to lock up, then leave.
After we finish, we clean up after ourselves, and Josiah carefully locks the doors. “I guess someone started sneaking into the kitchen at night. So my uncle started locking it up.”
“Can’t blame him for that,” Monique says. “With ice cream that good, I’d probably steal some myself.”
It’s getting dusky as we take Monique over to the cabins. I’m not sure if it was because of tonight’s message or the food, but she’s suddenly opening up, telling us about how she got in a fight with her boyfriend and took off. “He’s a total jerk,” she says angrily. “I gave up college in order to support him and his stupid band. And then I find out he’s been sleeping with another girl the whole time.” She swings her fist. “I walked in on them today. And then I walked out.”
“That’s gotta be rough,” Josiah tells her.
“Do you have family or friends around here?” I ask.
“No. My parents used to live in Lewiston. But they moved to Spokane a few years ago.”
We’re just coming into the cabin clearing now. It looks cozier than ever with warm golden light pouring out from the square paned windows. And although it’s not cold tonight, I can smell wood smoke coming out of one of the chimneys.
“This is it up here.” Josiah steps up to the door of a cabin and knocks. This one is located on the opposite side of where his is, and a heavyset woman with long sandy hair opens the door.
“Hello, Josiah. How are you this evening?”
He introduces her to us and then explains about Monique’s need for a place to crash. “My uncle said you might have a spare bunk for her to use tonight. Do you mind?”
Lucinda smiles and nods. “We’d love to have her.” She hugs Monique, who looks shocked by this unexpected display of affection. “Welcome to our humble home.”
“Thanks, Lucinda.” Josiah waves to them and steps back. “I better get going. Gotta get Rachel back to the resort.”
I tell Monique and Lucinda good-bye, and then Josiah and I trek back toward the car in the dark. But now I feel guilty as I realize Josiah is responsible for getting me home and then he still has to drive all the way back here.
“I’m sorry you get stuck driving me back and forth. I mean, it just occurred to me that it’s an hour each time you make the round-trip. You’ll have made it four times by the end of the day.” I sigh. “That’s a lot of driving.”
He nods slowly. “Yeah, you’re right … it’s a lot of driving.”
Now I don’t know what to say. “I wish there was a bus or shuttle or something, coming out here from the resort.”
“Don’t misunderstand,” he says quickly. “I don’t mind getting you at all. I mean, sure, it’s a lot of driving. But you’re worth it, Rachel.” He opens the car door for me with a sincere-looking smile. “I just wish you lived a bit closer.”
“Me too.” I slip into the passenger seat. “Maybe I can figure out a way to borrow a car,” I say as he starts to drive away. “Anyway, I suppose I have a week to figure it out. Since there won’t be church again until Sunday.”
“Actually, we have a midweek service too,” he tells me. “Wednesday nights at seven.”
“Oh …”
“And then we have study groups during the week. To be a member of the church, my uncle expects you to commit to attend one of those as well.”
Now I feel truly dismayed. “I suppose it’s not very realistic to think I’m going to ever be a real member of this church.”
“I reckon it’s a big commitment, Rachel. It does take a fair amount of time. You’d have to want it really bad.”
“I do want it really bad. I can’t even explain how important it is to me. It’s like, for the first time in a long time — maybe even the first time ever — I feel like I actually belong somewhere. It probably sounds weird to say, especially after such a short amount of time, but this feels like home.”
“Truly?” He sounds doubtful. “You can tell that already?”
“I can. I just wish it wasn’t so far out of the way. Or that I had my own wheels. I hate thinking I’m dependent on you to get me here, Josiah.”
“If you really want to come, I don’t mind getting you. I actually like driving. I mean, all day long I’m making dairy deliveries and it’s fun. I like being on the road.”
“You honestly don’t mind?”
“Not at all. And my uncle probably won’t mind either. Not if he believes you’re really committed to his church. He only wants people who are fully committed.”
“I’m fully committed,” I reassure him. “I really, truly am.”
[CHAPTER 7]
Seeing that fireworks are exploding over the lake when we reach the resort, I ask Josiah to take me over to Nadine’s condo. This will allow me to spend some time with my mom before she leaves tomorrow. Instead of just dropping me off, Josiah parks the car and walks me up the condo stairs. But halfway up, the display above us is so spectacular, we both stop on the landing and just stare in wonder.
“Isn’t it beautiful?” I say as a huge red, white, and blue starburst lights the entire sky, reflecting over the smooth black surface of the lake.
He nods, slips his arm around my waist, and pulls me closer to him. “It’s almost as beautiful as you are, Rachel.”
I feel myself melting inside as I turn to face him. Is this for real? And then h
e leans in and kisses me — several times and with an intense passion that takes my breath away. As we stand there kissing, I feel like I’m floating … like we’re both floating. More dazzling explosions are going off up in the sky now, but nothing like the fireworks going off inside of me. This is a Fourth of July I will never forget!
“Sorry.” He steps back and lets me go. “I didn’t mean to get carried away like that.”
I smile at him. “That’s okay.”
He nods with an uneasy expression. “Maybe … but my uncle would definitely not approve.”
“Oh.” Now I step back too. “Sorry then.”
His lips curve into a smile. “Don’t be too sorry.”
I giggle. “Actually, I’m not.”
“Just don’t tell my uncle.”
“You can count on that.”
“Now I better let you go join your mother and your boss — before someone spies us down here.”
“That’s probably a good idea.” I sigh happily. “Thanks for everything, Josiah.”
“Thank you!” he calls as he turns and skips down the stairs.
Thanks to an opened bottle of wine, my mother and Nadine are both giggly and happy, and neither of them seems overly concerned or curious as to where I’ve been. But then why should they be since they think I was at church? And I was at church.
“The fireworks are really amazing.” I sit with them on the terrace that overlooks the lake.
“You made it just in time,” Nadine says. “I think they’re about to have the grand finale.”
I smile to myself as we watch more explosions, thinking I already experienced the grand finale … when Josiah kissed me. No fireworks, no matter how fantastic, could ever compare to that.
“You probably need a ride back to your dorm now,” my mom says sleepily. “Since you work in the morning.”
I point at the empty bottle of wine. “But you’ve been drinking.”
She frowns. “Well, that’s true … but not enough to — ”
“Why don’t you just let Rachel take your car,” Nadine suggests.
Mom’s not too sure, but we both talk her into it, and before long, I’m parking in the lot a couple blocks from the dorm. As I’m getting out and locking the car, I hear a girl’s voice. “I didn’t know you had a car.”
Deceived: Lured from the Truth (Secrets) Page 6