The Pastor Takes a Wife

by Anna Schmidt

  “Grab that end there. That’s it. Now ease it up.” He pulled on the rope to extend the top of the ladder along the church wall. “Good. You want to work down here on these windows or the big one over the door there?”

  “I’ll go up top. You’ve got no business trying to balance on a ladder—not in this hot sun.”

  Owen grinned. “You always were a bossy little thing.” He waited until she had climbed to position and then handed up a bucket of paint and a brush. “Not so much paint on the brush now,” he called when she took the first stroke.

  They worked in silence for nearly an hour, exchanging only whatever conversation was necessary to get the job done. When Megan had finished the trim around the large stained-glass window over the door, she came down and started working on the doors themselves.

  “Dad?”

  “Yeah?” His tone said he was expecting some question or comment about the work.

  “I’ve missed you.”

  At first there was no response and Megan felt the familiar bonds of rejection tighten. Then he pulled a bandanna from his hip pocket and blew his nose. “Meggie, this thing with you and Jeb, I hope that works out for you. Nobody deserves a bit of happiness more than you do.”

  “I’ve been happy. I have Faith, and there’s Reba and…”

  “You know what I mean.”

  And she did. In his way he was trying to apologize.

  “You’ll always be part of me, Dad—part of Faith, as well.”

  “You’ve done a fine job raising that girl. You’re a good mother.”

  “Thanks.”

  They worked in silence then, the air between them as thick with unspoken regrets and unanswered questions about the past as it was with the steamy humidity.

  Around noon Faith walked up the lane carrying a picnic basket. “Looks good,” she said. “How about taking a break for lunch? Just the three of us?”

  Like a family, Megan thought. “Sure. We’re done here. Let me wash out these brushes while you and Dad get things set up there in the shade.”

  Megan stood at the church’s work sink for some time, letting the cool water run over her fingers as she stroked the brushes free of paint. There had been other times when the changes she faced seemed as momentous as those she faced now that she and Jeb were planning a future. But she could not recall one time when she had been surer that the change was for the best.

  “So, Gramps, you’ll have to rent a tux,” Faith teased as the three of them feasted on cheese, fruit and Reba’s famous pasta salad. Faith had kept the conversation going with a running commentary on the weddings she’d read about—usually those of her favorite celebrities.

  “Oh, honey, I doubt we’ll be that formal,” Megan said.

  “Why would I need a tux anyway?” Owen asked. “I’ve got a perfectly decent blue suit.”

  Faith sighed. “The men in the wedding party always wear tuxedos.”

  “Now don’t go getting ahead of yourself,” Owen said. “This is your mother’s wedding, not yours, and she decides who…”

  “Dad’s blue suit will be perfectly fine for walking me down the aisle,” Megan said, and then realized when she saw Owen’s expression what she had just decided.

  “Thank you, honey,” he said, and concentrated on finishing the last of his lunch.

  Then Megan saw the tears that had gathered at the corners of his eyes and knew that he understood the gift she had just offered. “You’re welcome, Dad.”

  Faith seemed oblivious to the exchange. “So then Jessica will probably be your matron of honor—she could wear blue, as well. A lighter shade, but maybe it should be an all-blue wedding—you know, like blue skies, clear sailing?”

  “Actually I had someone else in mind for that role.”

  “But she’s your best friend.”

  “And you’re my daughter—no contest.”

  Faith’s eyes widened with delight. “For real?”

  “As long as you promise not to upstage the bride,” Owen teased.

  And then the three of them were laughing together, all talking at the same time and in general acting, Megan thought, like a real family.

  “Ooh, look at that line of clouds,” Faith said. “I hope it’s not going to rain and spoil things.”

  Owen squinted at the sky. “I expect we’ll get some rain later this afternoon. Should be fine by the time your party gets going.”

  But Megan wasn’t so sure. The way everything was going perfectly in her life made her nervous. Experience had taught her that it was times like this when the happiness of those she cared most about was in jeopardy. “I’ll clear this stuff up and take it back to the house,” she said. “I just want to call Jeb. He was supposed to be back by now.”

  Owen and Faith exchanged a grin. “It’s love, all right,” Owen whispered as his granddaughter helped him to his feet and they walked back to the church together.

  Chapter Fourteen

  “G ood thing we had the parade and fireworks yesterday,” Jessica said as she carried trays of baked goods into the church basement late that afternoon. “The television said we could expect some rough weather later today and tonight. Oh, my, look what you’ve done to the place.”

  Faith and Caleb were hanging the last of the decorations and Megan was setting tables with red gingham cloths, blue napkins and centerpieces made of daisies from the field behind the church.

  “Mom, Caleb and I are going out for a while, okay? Some kids are meeting at the lake for a swim.”

  “Sure. Jessica and I can finish up here. If it starts to rain, stay out of the water though.”

  “Oh, Mom,” Faith groaned, and rolled her eyes.

  “And stop on the way back and pick up your grandfather. He went back to the trailer for a shower and a nap.”

  “Got it. See you.”

  “Where’s Jeb?” Jessica asked as she placed goodies on trays and then wrapped each in plastic.

  “He was making visits at the hospital and they brought in the Worthen boy—tractor accident. The doctors are performing surgery on his mangled leg. Jeb said he was going to stay with the family until the surgery is over, just to be sure.”

  “He’s a good man, your Jeb.”

  Megan digested the sound of that. He was her Jeb now and the thought made her smile.

  “Well, now look at you with that Cheshire cat grin. Does this mean there’s been a change in the relationship?”

  “Sorta. Kinda.” Megan couldn’t seem to stifle her giggle.

  “Okay, give.” Jessica propped one hip against a table and folded her arms.

  “We’re in love,” Megan admitted, and her face felt as if a light had just gone on inside her.

  “Do tell. That, my dear, is not news to anyone with eyes.”

  “You know what I mean.”

  “Oh, you mean you and Jeb actually have faced the music and stated the fact out loud? To each other?”

  Megan nodded. She could not seem to stop smiling. But then she had a thought that dampened her good mood immediately. “I’m sure not everyone in town is going to think this is exactly a match made in heaven.”

  Jessica snorted. “And so what? You and Jeb are marrying each other, not one of them. You are getting married?”

  “Well, yeah, I guess. I mean, eventually. Oh, Jess, it’s all so new. Can’t we just enjoy this moment before we rush into the next?”

  Jessica pushed herself off the table and held out her arms. “You’re right.”

  The two friends hugged each other.

  “I am so glad to have you back in my life, Meggie,” Jessica whispered. “My brother was such an idiot to leave you.”

  “Oh, Jess, I forgave Danny long ago. I just always worried about the effect on Faith.”

  Jessica returned to her work on the trays. “And now?”

  “After Owen came back, I thought a lot about Faith and Danny. Jeb even suggested I set up a meeting between them.”

  “I’m not sure Dan could handle that.”


  “Not an issue. You see, I realized that it’s not my call. Danny knows how to be in touch with Faith should he ever want to make that move, and there’s not much I could do to stop him.”

  “Not likely he’ll ever work up that kind of nerve,” Jessica said.

  “No, but I decided to even the playing field. I told Faith that if she ever wanted to make contact with her father, all she had to do was say so and we’d make that happen. You would help me, right?”

  Jessica’s hand hovered above the last lemon square and then, as she set it gently in the very center of the platter, she nodded. “I would. Not just for Faith, but for my brother. My prayer is that someday he will have a chance to know that his biggest success in life may be bringing that kid into the world.”

  It was nearly seven and raining by the time Jeb left the hospital. The Worthen boy had made it through surgery and the doctors had reported that his prognosis was excellent for a full recovery. “A bit of a limp,” the doctor had said, “but nothing that will hamper him doing whatever he wants to do.”

  Jeb made a dash for his car just as the skies opened up and the drizzle became a downpour. In the background he could hear the sirens sounding a tornado watch, meaning conditions were right for a tornado to form, but none had yet been spotted.

  Jeb flicked open his cell to call Megan and let her know he was on his way back, but service—always questionable in this area—was nonexistent. No matter. He’d be back home within the hour, even with the weather.

  Home, he thought as he backed out of the parking space. How quickly the little village of Singing Springs and its people had come to mean that to him. No, it’s more than the town and the good people who live there, God. It’s Megan. You sent her into my life and for the first time since the accident I can see a life for myself that goes beyond how I’ll earn a living. You have given me a family again. Thank You. Thank You. Thank You. Inadequate words, but from my heart.

  He flicked on the radio and drummed his fingers on the steering wheel in time to the music, thinking about Faith and how best to build a relationship with the girl. He wasn’t her father, and yet in time maybe she would come to think of him in that role—to trust him to be there for her. He envisioned going with Megan and Faith to tour colleges. The three of them. A family. God had given him a new chance to get things right this time and he would not waste that opportunity.

  A crack of thunder and flash of lightning made him press down harder on the accelerator, anxious to see Megan and Faith. Anxious to get started on this life God had given him.

  “It’s late in the season for that siren to be screaming,” Reba announced as she hustled into the church basement from the driving rain.

  “I think we might have a bigger turnout than expected.” Pete Burbank observed the size of the crowd already gathering in the youth center. “Ever since we built that shelter, folks hear that siren and come right here.”

  Megan remembered the terrible year when the little town of Barneveld had been leveled by a tornado that had winds up to three hundred miles per hour and stayed on the ground for nearly an hour. After that, communities throughout the state had started to take a serious look at their preparedness for just such a disaster. That’s when the town council had decided that the sturdiest building around was the Singing Springs Memorial Chapel. Its walls were nearly a foot thick and it was set against a hillside that made a perfect location for a shelter.

  “I’d best check the supplies in there,” Reba said. “Meggie, you want to give me a hand?”

  “I’ll come, Reba,” Jessica offered. “Megan’s a little worried about Faith and Owen,” she confided as the two women walked to the back of the hall.

  Megan saw Reba start to turn back. “I’m sure they’re fine,” she said, pasting on what she hoped was a confident smile. “Probably had to take the long way round, with all this rain.”

  “Where’s Jeb?” Reba asked.

  “Probably still at the hospital. Go on, now. I’ll let you know the minute they all get here.”

  Megan remained by the door, halfheartedly greeting each new arrival, disappointed that it wasn’t Faith, Owen or Jeb.

  “Dad!” she cried when he was fairly blown into the church, accompanied by a crack of thunder too close for comfort. “Are you all right?”

  “Right as that rain,” he muttered. “I brought extra batteries for the lights in the shelter.”

  Owen Osbourne had helped build that shelter, Megan remembered suddenly. In those days—before her mother had left them—Owen had been the chief of the volunteer fire department as well as a successful attorney. Everyone had looked up to him, and Megan suddenly remembered how proud she had felt to be his daughter.

  Daughter.

  She turned back to the door, shut tight now. “Where’s Faith?” she asked.

  Owen blinked at her, his expression stating clearly that he had no idea.

  “She was supposed to come get you—she and Caleb—and then all of you would come here together.”

  “Mike brought me in. He dropped me off here and went on over to the fire station. Are you telling me our Faith is out there somewhere? In this?”

  “I don’t know, Dad,” Megan said as she pulled on a heavy slicker one of the men had left by the door. “But I intend to find her.”

  She was halfway out the door when Owen grabbed her arm. “Let me go.”

  “You stay here and wait for Jeb. Tell him I headed for the lake road—the kids went swimming earlier.”

  “Call him on your cell,” Owen said.

  “I tried. It went straight to voice mail. He must be out of range.” As if to prove her point the lights in the church flickered, went dark and then came on again. “I’ll be fine, Dad.”

  She felt his fingers slip off the vinyl of the slicker and she made a dash for her car. “Please let it start,” she prayed and when it did, she whispered, “Thank You.”

  Driving north through town she almost missed the turn to the lake road. The rain was coming down in sheets now and her wipers were of little use, so she put the side window down and leaned out. “Faith!” she shouted, and felt the sound flung back at her by the wind. Her child would never hear her in this.

  The minute Jeb entered the church basement he knew something was wrong—more than just the danger of the weather outside.

  “Faith’s missing and Meggie went to find her,” Owen reported. “I tried to…”

  Jeb fought against his fury that Megan’s father had failed to stop her. The truth was that Owen Osbourne was a weak man, if history was any measure. Jeb marveled at the strength Megan had developed over the years. She sure hadn’t had much of a parental example to inspire her. “Any idea which way she went?”

  “She said to tell you she was going to circle the lake. The kids were swimming earlier and that’s also where the Armstrong kid lives. I expect she plans to start with him.”

  Jeb zipped up his jacket and pulled up the hood. “Get everyone inside the shelter now, Owen,” he instructed. “The siren was sounding a watch when I drove up. There’s been a tornado spotted somewhere in the area and we don’t want to take any chances.”

  “I’ll…”

  The church door blew open with a bang.

  “Caleb?” It took a moment for Jeb to be sure. The young man was wearing an old camouflage rain suit and his face was half-hidden by the hood. When Caleb pushed it back with an impatient swipe, Jeb saw a face filled with panic. “What’s happened?”

  “Is Faith here?” Caleb demanded, ignoring Jeb’s question. When both Owen and Jeb shook their heads, the boy’s face collapsed into abject despair and he looked as if he might be sick any moment.

  “Come over here and sit down,” Jeb said, leading Caleb to the closest bench. “We thought Faith would be with you.”

  “She was. We had an argument and she started walking back to town. My brother, Kyle, told me to go home and cool off and he took off after her.”

  At that, the boy just stopped talking and stared
at the floor. Then Jeb saw that he was crying. He put his hand on Caleb’s back. “What else?”

  “I went home, but that was over an hour ago, so I drove over here figuring Faith refused to let Kyle bring her back to our folks’ place. But she’s not here, either?”

  “No. Where are your parents?”

  “They drove over to Eagle River for a party. They’re not due back until late tonight.”

  “Now, think,” Jeb ordered. “Is there any chance you passed Kyle on the way here?”

  Caleb shrugged, then broke down in sobs. “He’d been drinking, Rev Jeb. I mean, he’s always drinking, but if anything’s happened to Faith it’s going to be my fault—my stupid ego.”

  Jeb exchanged a look with Owen across the boy’s back. “You okay with this,” Jeb mouthed, nodding at the heartbroken kid, and Owen nodded.

  “Go find my girls, Jeb. I got things covered here,” he said, placing his hand on Caleb’s shoulder. “Now, before Rev Jeb goes out to clean up this mess you and your brother have made, is there anything else you can think of that might help him find my granddaughter?”

  Caleb just slowly shook his head from side to side and kept on crying.

  “Get him and the others in the shelter,” Jeb shouted when he opened the door, and the shrill call of the warning siren filled the church.

  An earsplitting crack of thunder followed a shot of lightning that lit the nearly black sky like daylight, all in the few seconds it took Jeb to run from the church to his car. Show me the way, he prayed. Please don’t let them be harmed. Not now when we’ve just found each other. Not now when I thought You were giving me a second chance to get it right this time.

  He was grateful for four-wheel drive as he roared down the lane past the deserted inn. He was certain that Reba had gotten every guest up to the church to wait out the storm in the shelter. Singing Springs was like a ghost town. No traffic and no sign of life. He turned onto the lake road, spraying water in a wave that a surfer might envy as he did so.