Thirty and a Half Excuses

by Denise Grover Swank

Maybe I was worried Jonah Pruitt would do something similar.

  I told myself to relax. Special guest or not, I would leave if he made me uncomfortable. Rose Gardner was done with letting people make her feel badly about who she was.

  As I reached for the front door, I heard a voice call out from behind me.

  “Rose! Wait up!”

  I looked over my shoulder to see Neely Kate hurrying to catch up with me, dragging her husband behind her. She wore a gauzy floral dress and Ronnie had on a suit and tie. I was secretly pleased that he was dressed better—and looked better—than Brody.

  I was surely going to hell. I hoped I didn’t burst into flames when I walked into the sanctuary.

  Violet grimaced. “Who invited her?”

  “It’s a church, Violet. It means that technically anyone is welcome.”

  “That’s not what I meant, and you know it. Do you think she’s trying to get on TV?”

  I shrugged. “I don’t know. Maybe.”

  “Well, she’s not stealing my limelight.” Violet tugged on Brody’s arm. “It’s hotter than blazes out here. Let’s go inside.” She went through the double wood doors, leaving me at the top of the stairs.

  Neely Kate was breathless when she reached me, and I hugged her tight, grateful for her presence. “What are you doin’ here?”

  “Like I would miss my chance to be on TV?” She wrinkled her nose, waving her hand as though she were batting away that nonsense. “I don’t think so.”

  So Violet was right, not that I cared. I didn’t understand their desire to be seen. I’d spent my entire life trying to hide.

  Neely Kate leaned closer with a knowing look. “Besides, I didn’t want you to be alone in case you start investigating. You might need me for back up.”

  “What exactly do you think I’m gonna do?”

  She shrugged. “I don’t know, but I’ve got your back.”

  I shook my head. Neely Kate’s imagination had run wild again. Ignoring it seemed the best option. “Hi, Ronnie.” He stood behind his wife, surveying the parking lot. “You look quite handsome today.”

  He tugged at this neckline. “Thanks.” Ronnie was a mechanic, and I knew he hated dressing up. Neely Kate must have done some serious bribing to get him in a suit.

  I suddenly wondered what Joe looked like in a suit. I’d seen him dressed up in nice shirts and even a tie, but never a suit. Like Ronnie, Joe seemed more comfortable in casual clothes.

  A wave of melancholy washed over me. I hated that we’d had a disagreement the other night, especially when he was in a dangerous situation. The thing was, I understood why Joe was upset when I stepped back to look at the situation. I didn’t blame him. At the same time, I didn’t think I’d done anything wrong. How could we both be right? Or wrong.

  Neely Kate and Ronnie followed me into the church foyer. Violet and Brody were still in the foyer, waiting with Rhonda, who had a clipboard tucked in the crook of her arm and a frown tugging at her mouth. “You’re late.”

  I clutched my purse to my side, feeling defensive. “Jonah said to be here at 10:15.”

  “And it’s now 10:16.” If possible, she scowled even more. “And it’s Reverend Pruitt to you.”

  I kept the fact that he insisted I call him Jonah every time I saw him to myself. She already hated me enough.

  A harried-looking guy wearing a headset came over. “Rhonda, we’re having problems with camera two.”

  She put a hand on her hip. “Why are you telling me? That’s the production manager’s job.”

  His shoulders scrunched up around his ears as his face reddened. “I only know what I was told.”

  Rhonda turned her evil glare on me before she started to walk way. “Wait here and don’t be wandering off,” she called over her shoulder.

  Neely Kate leaned into my ear. “Is it my imagination or does that woman not like you?”

  I sighed. “That’s Jonah’s secretary. I told you that she thinks I’m a jezebel.”

  Neely Kate giggled just as Bruce Wayne walked through the door into the foyer. His eyes widened as he looked around. He’d been in the building multiple times over the last few days, but he looked as lost as I felt. He caught sight of me and headed for us.

  “I’m sorry I’m late.” He wore a long sleeve dress shirt that was too big for him and a poorly knotted tie.

  I offered him a welcoming smile. “Bruce Wayne, what are you doing here?”

  “Reverend Jonah invited David and me, but David couldn’t make it.”

  I was fairly certain David couldn’t make it because he was either still sleeping or he was hungover. Or both.

  “Well, I’m glad you came. You two did the hard work.” I looped my hand around his arm and pulled him aside. “And I have some good news. I have another job for you. Probably starting Monday.”

  His eyes widened. “You do?”

  “Jonah asked us to work on his parsonage.”

  “Oh.” He seemed hesitant. “Okay.”

  “Does that bother you?”

  He paused. “No. A job’s a job.”

  Rhonda came back, looking more irritated than ever as she cleared her throat. “We need to get you seated.” She opened one of the big wooden doors to the sanctuary and waved us in.

  The parking lot was full, so I wasn’t sure why I was surprised that the church was already packed to the brim. Rhonda waved to a half-empty pew toward the front. “We hadn’t planned on all y’all. I’m not sure you’ll fit.”

  We walked down the aisle, and I glanced up at what was supposed to be the altar. Instead of a pulpit or a choir section, there was a stage with lights hanging from the ceiling. I stopped in shock when I saw a man wearing a T-shirt and jeans playing an upbeat rock-sounding song on an electric keyboard on the right of the stage.

  Jeans and a T-shirt in church. Momma had to be rolling over in her grave.

  Violet gave me a little push, and I continued toward the pew, taking in the cameramen stationed around the church. They wore headphones with mikes extending around their cheeks.

  No matter what I thought of Jonah Pruitt, this was proof that he was a big deal.

  When we reached our row, Violet brushed past me, dragging Brody by the arm. She scooted in, making sure she didn’t get set somewhere else. Bruce Wayne and I followed with Neely Kate trailing in behind us. We all fit, but it was cozy, and Violet didn’t look pleased.

  The rest of the band joined the keyboard, and my mouth dropped open in surprise. I’d heard them practicing the night I’d stopped by for the deposit, but this went against everything I’d been raised with. I was used to “Amazing Grace” sung by a choir, not a rearranged rock version played by a band, complete with swaying backup singers.

  Over half the church was filled with younger couples and families, and I could see why. No wonder Jonah was doing so well. If I didn’t suspect him of one or possibly two murders, I might have considered joining his flock as well. What surprised me was the group of older people sitting in a section in the middle, all focused on what was happening on stage. Smack dab in the middle was Miss Opal. And Mildred sat with her.

  After fifteen minutes of music, Jonah came onto the stage, his megawatt smile lighting up his face as well as the crowd. The people broke into loud applause as he moved front and center, waving and smiling. “Good morning! Welcome!

  Jonah started his sermon, and it was easy to see that while the music and the lure of the cameras drew the crowd to fill the pews, it was his charisma that kept them there. He was the perfect speaker, raising his voice when needed, showing emotion throughout, and talking about love and acceptance instead of shouting about fire and brimstone. When he finished, I realized that most of the people in the congregation had latched onto every word of his twenty-minute sermon. He took a story about one of the Marys washing Jesus’s feet with her hair and made it fresh and relevant to the people of Henryetta.

  My heart felt like it had been filled with ten pounds of lead. I wanted Jonah Pruitt and this ch
urch to be real. Just like all the other people who filled this sanctuary, this is what I’d been looking for.

  He seemed to be wrapping up his message when he held out his hand. “I’ve told y’all to become the Marys of our modern world. How about I give you a real example? Did you all know we have our very own Mary in church today?”

  The people began to look around, trying to figure out who Jonah was talking about.

  “This week, a local business opened its doors.” He took a step backward and to the side. “Here, let me show you.”

  My heart slammed into my ribcage as the lights dimmed and a video appeared on the giant screen at the back of the stage. Jonah’s voice echoed throughout the room.

  “Marys are hidden everywhere.” A montage of people assisting others played on the screen. “But sometimes they’re in our midst without our knowledge.” A video of Jonah at our grand opening appeared next, and then Jonah’s voiceover returned. “The New Living Hope Revival Church’s decision to support a local organization turned out to be so much more.”

  The screen filled with an elderly woman talking about Bruce Wayne and his past.

  Bruce Wayne let out a gasp, and I reached over and grabbed his hand, squeezing for dear life. If Jonah Pruitt was digging up the dirt on Bruce Wayne, I wondered what was coming up for me.

  Neely Kate turned to me, raising her eyebrows in question, and then leaned in toward my ear. “Did you know about this?”

  I shook my head, a metallic taste coating my tongue.

  The screen filled with headlines about Bruce Wayne’s arrest and trial.

  Bruce Wayne’s head lowered as he studied his lap.

  A white hot anger ignited my insides. Jonah Pruitt was exploiting us for ratings. I wasn’t sure why that surprised me. I knew he was swindling the older women in town out of their fortunes, and possibly much worse. This wasn’t much different.

  My face appeared next, a photo of me at the grand opening. “Enter Rose Gardner, a shy, soft-spoken woman who stands in the shadow of her sister.” The screen cut to me standing behind Violet as she cut the ribbon with Brody.

  Violet was going to be furious.

  “Rose was picked as a juror for Bruce Wayne’s trial, but somehow she knew Bruce Wayne was innocent, and she set out to prove it.”

  A headline from the Henryetta Gazette filled the screen. Juror Jailed on Obstruction of Justice, Mistrial Averted.

  “But Rose didn’t stop there. She worked tirelessly to free a man she didn’t even know.” Next were headlines about Jimmy DeWade’s arrest and Bruce Wayne’s release from prison. If I was on edge already, the next screen caught me totally off guard. It was a shaky video of me. Jonah’s voice on the video asked, “Can you tell me why you did it? You were put in jail for trying to prove his charges should be dropped. What convinced you he was innocent?”

  I answered him, a soft look on my face as I looked up at the camera. “I just knew. And because I knew, it was the only right thing to do.”

  Where could the camera have been hidden? We’d had that conversation on the side of the church! What was Jonah Pruitt up to?

  The video faded and the lights turned up. “It was the right thing to do,” Jonah said, his eyes burning with conviction. “Why did Mary wash Jesus’s feet?” Jonah crossed the stage as if he was searching the crowd for the answer. “Because it was the right thing to do.” He stopped pacing. “Be the Marys of the world. Help your neighbor with his overgrown yard. Help the single mother who is overwhelmed with responsibility. Help those who can’t help themselves. Live the example Rose Gardner has set for you. Do the right thing.”

  Then Jonah called for the collection plates to be passed around and for the people to do the right thing for the church.

  Violet’s mouth pressed into a tight line, and I realized Bruce Wayne and I were still clutching hands. I let go, suddenly self-conscious. People who realized we were in attendance had begun to stare. Every part of me screamed to get up and leave, but I knew it would make the situation worse. Bruce Wayne had spent most of his life flaunting public perception, though, so he felt no need to stay. He started to get out of his seat, but I pulled him back down.

  “I didn’t know, Bruce Wayne. I swear I didn’t know he was doin’ that.”

  He nodded, his eyes glassy. “I know Miss Rose, but I need to get out of here. I’ll see you at Reverend Pruitt’s house tomorrow. Is nine okay?”

  I nodded, no longer sure whether working on Jonah’s parsonage was a good idea. Still, he had us between a rock and a hard place. Bruce Wayne needed the work, and I wouldn’t back out for the same reason my butt was still firmly planted in my seat. I wasn’t ready to lose face yet.

  As soon as the service ended, I stood and hurried for the aisle, pushing past people in my haste to get away.

  “Rose,” Mason called out in the foyer. I stopped, surprised he was here, and even more surprised to see his mother was with him. She was more beautiful in person than she’d been in my vision.

  I lifted my chin, resisting the urge to cry. “Mason, what are you doing here?”

  “I couldn’t resist the chance to hear one of Jonah Pruitt’s sermons. I didn’t realize you’d be part of it.”

  I shifted my weight, looking down. “That makes two of us.”

  “Are you okay?”

  I nodded. The last thing I wanted to do was talk about the video that had just been played.

  “We haven’t officially been introduced,” Mason’s mother extended her hand, a warm smile on her face. “I’m Maeve Deveraux.”

  I took her hand, surprised at how gentle her touch was. “I’m Rose, but then I guess you already know that from that demonstration inside.”

  “I knew about you long before Reverend Pruitt put on his show. Mason speaks very highly of you.”

  Mason’s cheeks reddened, and I couldn’t help but grin. “Did he tell you about our first encounter, and how I asked him if his mother knew about his rude behavior?”

  To my surprise, Mrs. Deveraux burst out laughing. “No, he most certainly did not. I’m sure he was worried about the repercussions.”

  “Well, don’t hold that against him. His behavior has greatly improved. You’ve raised a fine Southern gentleman.”

  “Can we change the subject now?” Mason asked, glancing around. “You two are ruining my reputation as the intimidating assistant district attorney.”

  I laughed, thankful that the horror of what had happened in the sanctuary was fading.

  Violet emerged from the double doors, Brody following close behind. She was heading straight for me when she spotted me with Mason.

  “Do you have plans?” Mrs. Deveraux asked. “Mason and I are going out for lunch before I head back to Little Rock.”

  I hesitated. Part of me was drawn to Mrs. Deveraux’s friendliness, but I was already in a mess with Joe over Mason. I couldn’t imagine how going out to lunch with them was going to help matters. “You have no idea how much I’d love to join you.” I hoped my sincerity came through. “But I’m going to have to take a rain check today.”

  “But of course,” she said. “I plan on visiting Mason more often, so this won’t be our last opportunity.”

  “Good. I look forward to it. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to appease my sister.” I turned around, but Mason touched my arm.

  “Rose.”

  I spun at the waist to face him.

  “I want to talk to you later.” He looked worried.

  “Sure. Call me after your mother takes off for Little Rock.”

  I headed Violet off before she reached Mason.

  Her smile was tight. “Why didn’t you prepare me for that little show?”

  I lowered my voice. “Because I had no idea he was gonna do that. If I’d known, I wouldn’t have come.”

  “I don’t think he even mentioned the name of the nursery.”

  “Our sign was in the video, with the footage of you and Brody cuttin’ the ribbon. You both looked very nice, by the way.
”

  Brody grinned, but Violet wasn’t so easily swayed from the topic. “That man is far too fascinated with you.”

  Finally, she was seeing what I’d been trying to tell her all week. Her jealousy could actually be useful. Maybe she’d insist that the nursery shouldn’t work on Jonah’s parsonage. Relief washed through me, guilt quickly on its heels. I might be more comfortable that way, but Bruce Wayne would be out of a job. “Well, I didn’t ask for it.”

  She frowned. “I’d tell you not to take that parsonage job, but you know we need the business.” Her eyes studied mine. “Unless you feel threatened by him. Then we’ll make do. I don’t trust him.”

  “I’m okay with it for now. Bruce Wayne needs the work.”

  Brody’s eyes squinted in confusion. “Why wouldn’t you trust Reverend Pruitt? He’s the second best new business to hit Henryetta.” He kissed Violet’s cheek. “The Gardner Sisters Nursery being the first, of course.”

  While Brody might be the most eligible bachelor in Henryetta, he wasn’t the sharpest tool in the shed. At least Mason had looks and brains.

  Violet smiled at him. “Thank you, Brody. Just call it women’s intuition.”

  Mildred hobbled over, Opal following with her walker. “You can’t just come to church and mind your own business?” she said to me.

  “If I’d known Jonah was going to do that, I never would have come.”

  “Then why did you come?” She glared.

  I locked eyes with her. “I think you know.” I had a sinking suspicion that’s why she was there too. I turned to Miss Opal, who was leaning forward on her walker. “I was surprised to see you here Miss Opal. I thought you were a long-time member of the Presbyterian Church.”

  “I was until Reverend Jonah invited me to coffee one day and convinced me to try his church. I’ve been coming here ever since.”

  “Has Jonah ever talked to you about bequeathing your worldly possessions to him?”

  Opal looked offended. “No. Of course not. Why would you insinuate such a thing?”

  “Because Miss Dorothy did.” Now I was confused. I was fairly certain Miss Opal had more money than Miss Dorothy. Not that you could tell by the way they lived. Then again, maybe that was my answer right there.