The Pastor's Woman

by Jacquelin Thomas

  “Seven-thirty,” Paige responded. “I’ll pick up the pizza on my way home.”

  “They’re playing Boston at home on Friday, right?”

  Paige nodded. “D’marcus gave Opal our tickets already.”

  “Great! I’m working the lunch shift but I should be home by five.” There was nothing she liked more than watching the game in person.

  They talked a few minutes more before Paige went back across the street to Harper University Hospital.

  Pearl headed home and spent the rest of the afternoon working on her music. She was composing the arrangements for a new song she’d written for the youth choir to sing. When she first took over as choir director, there was only a handful of teens coming to rehearsal. It wasn’t until she began incorporating some of her own original compositions to the playlist that other youth joined the choir. They were now thirty-eight strong, with others wanting to join almost weekly.

  Pearl enjoyed working with the teens. They seemed to respect her and they listened to her. She even tutored a couple of them in history.

  Detroit had its share of gang activity and Pearl knew that there was a lot of pressure for kids to join a gang. She hoped that by keeping them involved in church activities and stepping up as a role model and mentor she could save them from making a choice that would potentially ruin lives.

  Although her father died when she was very young, Pearl had a happy and secure childhood. She grew up feeling safe and loved. But kids today were in crisis and Pearl was committed to doing whatever she could to help them make the right choices.

  She was still working on the song when Paige walked into the apartment carrying the pizza.

  “Hurry up,” Pearl said. “I’ll out it on pause until you get out.”

  She set the pizza down on the counter and rushed off to take a shower.

  Meanwhile, Pearl gathered paper plates, napkins and glasses, setting them on the coffee table.

  She was seated cross-legged on the floor with the remote in her hand by the time Paige came running out of her bedroom.

  “Did I miss anything?”

  Pearl shook her head. “It’s just starting.”

  On the first play of the game, the Chargers came down court and Lyman Epse hit a three-pointer.

  “Did you just see that?” Paige screamed. “My man just scored three points. Yes!”

  Pearl stood up and did a minicheer. “Go, Lyman. That’s the way you do it.”

  She bent down to put a slice of pizza on a plate. Grabbing a napkin, she sat back down on the floor. “Now, that’s the way you start a game.”

  She groaned in agony when the ball was stolen by the other team.

  “It’s okay,” Paige told her. “We’re gonna get it back.”

  “Ooh, I can’t stand him,” Pearl uttered when the camera panned to Dashuan Kennedy, Lyman’s teammate who was currently on suspension. “It’s just something about him.”

  Paige agreed. “Amber thinks he’s gorgeous but I don’t see it.”

  “He’s not bad-looking. It’s his attitude I don’t like. He was so arrogant when Lyman introduced us at that party last month.”

  “He’s been hanging with Kelvin Landy a lot lately.”

  Pearl didn’t know much about the physical therapist and trainer who worked with some Detroit athletes. Shrugging in nonchalance, she said, “Kelvin’s okay. It’s Dashuan who is such a jerk.”

  For the rest of the half, they yelled and cheered the Chargers each time they scored.

  “You having choir rehearsal tomorrow?” Paige inquired during a commercial break.

  Pearl nodded. “I hope Pastor won’t be around. He makes me uncomfortable.”

  Paige finished off her second slice of pizza. “Why?”

  “I don’t know. He just does,” Pearl responded. “Have you noticed that the man hardly ever smiles? He’s so serious all of the time.”

  “Maybe he doesn’t have much to smile about,” Paige offered. “You shouldn’t let Pastor get to you like that. He’ll keep on if he knows that he can get to you.”

  “He doesn’t get to me,” Pearl said. But there was no time to argue, as the second half started.

  The Chargers were ahead, but not by much. Pearl was on pins and needles until the final buzzer.

  “Yes!” She rose up and started dancing. “That’s the way to start the season off right. Give Lyman my congratulations when you talk to him,” Pearl said. “Meanwhile I’ll be in the library working on some music. I’ve been inspired by the victory.”

  Thursday morning, Wade strolled into his office at the church, crossing the room to his desk. Up since four-thirty, he’d already spent an hour praying and studying his Bible and taking an early-morning stroll.

  Barbara Delany, his secretary, entered the office behind him, carrying a stack of documents.

  He quickly looked them over. “Thanks, Barbara. How are you this morning?”

  “Blessed and highly favored, Pastor. Oh, my niece is moving back to Detroit this weekend. She’s a doctor. An unmarried doctor. I can’t wait for you to meet her. We’re all very proud of her.”

  A muscle quivered at his jaw. “I’m sure you and she will have a great visit.”

  “She’ll be coming to church with me on Sunday. Marnie’s not just coming for a visit. She’s going to be working at Detroit Memorial. She wanted to come back home. Our family’s very close.”

  After signing the documents, he handed the papers back to her. “I look forward to meeting her,” Wade responded blandly.

  Barbara whipped a photo out of her pocket. “I just happen to have a picture of her right here.”

  Wade politely accepted the photo, eying the woman in it. “She looks like you.”

  Barbara broke into a big grin. “That’s what everybody says.”

  Wade sent up a silent prayer for any type of interruption to jolt Barbara back into secretary mode. Why didn’t members of his congregation trust him to pick his own wife?

  As if heaven sent, the telephone began to ring.

  “I better go get that,” Barbara uttered, rushing out of the office.

  Wade sent up a quick prayer of thanks.

  She put the call through to his office and he answered on the second ring, “Pastor Wade Kendrick.”

  “Wade, it’s Harold. Hadn’t talked to you in a couple of days. Wanted to say hello.”

  He smiled. Harold Green and his family had always been a part of his extended family, but for the past ten years they were his only family.

  “I had you on my list to call today,” Wade stated. “I wanted to invite you to lunch, if you have some time today.”

  “Ivy and Cassie are doing some last-minute shopping for the wedding. I have a few hours to kill. Lunch is good.”

  They arranged a time and a place.

  Wade met Harold at the restaurant shortly after twelve.

  “Uncle Harold,” he greeted, “I’m glad you could meet me.”

  They followed a hostess to a small table by the window. When they were seated, Harold asked, “How are things going at Lakeview?”

  “Well, I’m adjusting,” Wade responded. “Some of the mothers in the church are trying to marry me off to their daughters. That’s a good sign, I think.”

  Harold chuckled. “You can’t be surprised. You’re a minister of a medium-sized church, you have a nice car, you’re good-looking. Man, that makes you a good catch.”

  Wade changed the subject by asking, “So how are the wedding plans going?”

  Sighing in resignation, Harold answered, “My wife and my daughter are getting sick of each other. I’m glad the wedding is this Saturday. I don’t know how much longer I can referee.”

  Wade chuckled. “Weddings are supposed to be happy occasions.”

  “But the planning is a nightmare. Ivy wants to throw rice while Cassie only wants birdseed and her future mother-in-law thinks they should just release a couple of doves. Doves. Have you heard of such a thing?”

  “I’ve had s
ome similar requests but as long as it’s not done in the church, I don’t have a problem with it,” Wade stated. “I know Cassie. She’s going to have her way in this. She’s as stubborn as Aunt Ivy.”

  Harold agreed. “And it’s driving my wife crazy. I keep telling Ivy that this is our daughter’s wedding, not hers.”

  The waitress arrived to take their food and drink orders.

  While they waited for the food, Harold announced, “I spoke to your mother last week. She sounded good.”

  “That’s great news,” Wade replied. “I’m glad to hear that.”

  “Have you tried to call her lately?”

  A pain squeezed his heart as Wade thought about his estranged mother. “No point in it. She’s never going to forgive me for Jeff’s death. She hasn’t spoken to me since he died and she’s not going to talk to me now.”

  “How do you know unless you try?”

  “Uncle Harold, I’ve tried. You know that. I used to call once a month, then three times a year. She won’t talk to me. All she does is slam the phone down as soon as she realizes it’s me.”

  “You should never give up on family, Wade.”

  “I haven’t given up,” he stated. “My mother was the one who gave up on me.”

  “Your mother loves you,” Harold said. “One day she’ll remember just how much.”

  Wade didn’t want to continue this conversation because it hurt too deeply. He changed the topic to sports, which dominated their thoughts until lunch was over.

  Wade returned to his office to find Melinda Newberry, one of the church members, waiting for him. He released a short sigh, then pasted on a smile.

  “Sister Melinda, it’s nice to see you. What brings you here?”

  “I’m attending the Grosse Pointe Heart Foundation gala next weekend and I thought maybe you could escort me. Pastor, it would be the perfect chance for you to meet some very influential people here in Detroit. It would be nice for them to meet you, as well.”

  Wade tried to think of a way to let her down gently. “Thank you for the invitation, but I’m afraid I won’t be able to attend.”

  She looked offended. “I just thought it would be nice for you to network. Some of Detroit’s most prominent ministers will be in attendance. Pastor, you really should be there.” She gave him a sexy smile. “Won’t you reconsider?”

  “I’m afraid I can’t,” he replied. “Thank you for thinking of me.”

  Without a response, Melinda strode out of the building in a huff.

  “You did the right thing, Pastor,” his secretary told him. “She’s after fame and fortune. I’m not one to gossip but the truth is the light. Melinda Newberry only wants a man with money.”

  He laughed. “Then I don’t have a thing to worry about.”

  Wade headed to his office.

  Barbara followed him. “Now, my niece…she’s a real nice girl. But I have to tell you that she’s not looking for a boyfriend. Marnie wants a husband. She’s ready to settle down and have a lot of pretty babies.”

  “I’ll keep her in my prayers,” Wade stated.

  “I appreciate you remembering her in your prayers, Pastor, but I’d like for you to meet her. I’ll make sure I introduce you to Marnie. I’m telling you, she’s a nice girl. Just needs to be married.”

  Wade didn’t miss the not-so-subtle hint but chose not to comment on it. When the time was right, God would bring into his life the woman he was meant to marry.

  Until then, Wade had to run in the other direction whenever Barbara and the other women threw their daughters in his direction.

  Pearl was so exhausted, she could barely think straight. Not even a shower woke her up.

  Paige was in the living room watching television when she walked out. “Hey, girl,” she greeted. “You look like you need to go back to bed.”

  “Don’t tempt me,” she moaned. “My manager just called. I’m going in early today, picking up another shift.”

  “You can’t work all those hours at Milton’s and then do your singing gigs. Just thinking about it makes me tired, too.”

  “Hopefully, I won’t have to do this much longer. I pray I’ll get a record deal from the demo tapes I sent out.”

  “You will,” Paige assured her. “I believe it.”

  Pearl stretched out on the sofa. “Lord, give me strength.”

  “Why don’t you just stay home today?”

  “I need the money, Paige.”

  “But if you’d let us—”

  Pearl cut her off. “I’ve told you a thousand times that I appreciate you and my sisters for wanting to help, but this is something I need to do for myself.”

  As if on cue, her sister Ruby called.

  Glancing over at the clock, Pearl answered saying, “Why are you calling here so early? It’s not even eight-thirty.”

  She laughed when her oldest sister responded, “I know you aren’t still in bed.”

  “I should still be, though. I stayed up late working on a song.”

  Ruby was the pragmatist of all the Lockhart sisters. Since their mother’s death five years ago, she’d been thrown into the role of the matriarch and constantly harped on the importance of family.

  Even now, she was calling just to check on Pearl. If Ruby didn’t hear from her siblings every couple of days, she began calling around.

  “Did you watch the game last night?” Pearl asked, although she already knew the answer. Ruby wasn’t into sports the way she was. Neither was Amber; she just liked going to the games in hopes of meeting someone. Since D’marcus was a co-owner of the Chargers franchise, Opal would go with them from time to time.

  “No. I didn’t get a chance to see it. I had some work to do.”

  Before ending the call, Pearl made plans to have lunch with her sister soon. She loved Ruby, but was growing tired of her pushing Pearl to go back to college like Opal and finish up her degree.

  It had been her mother’s deepest wish that they all get college degrees, but that wasn’t where Pearl’s heart lay. She wanted to sing.

  Singing had always been her dream and Pearl was not about to give up on the true desire of her heart.

  Chapter 4

  Trinity Church on Mackinac Island provided the perfect setting for a fall wedding. The rows of seating were garnished with riots of red and orange roses arranged with gold ribbons and baby’s breath.

  Bridesmaids adorned in beige gowns and carrying bouquets of flowers bursting in orange, yellow and gold floated down the aisle escorted by handsome groomsmen dressed in black tuxedos.

  The bride made her grand entrance wearing a designer wedding dress in cream and holding an eye-catching bouquet in beauteous, brilliant, warm tones of red and orange.

  Pearl glanced down at her own gown, a burnished red. She loved vivid color, avoiding neutral tones like the ones she saw among the guests at the Hamilton-Green wedding when she stood up to sing.

  Her eyes lit on one guest in particular. Wade Kendrick. She was entranced by the silent sadness of his face. He’d worn that same look that day at the restaurant.

  Once again, she wondered at the cause.

  The groom had requested that Pearl perform a special love song, one she’d written just for them. A romantic at heart, Pearl found the task easy.

  When she finished singing, the applause was thunderous. Humbled, Pearl smiled, and then took her seat. She was in her element whenever she was singing. She loved being in front of an audience, though initially she had felt a little nervous with Wade sitting in the congregation.

  Pearl had no idea why she’d been so nervous. Wade had heard her sing plenty of times at church. But somehow, this time felt different. Maybe it was because she was singing in such a romantic setting.

  When the ceremony ended, she found Wade standing beneath a huge elm tree outside of the church. Guests stood scattered around the picturesque grounds of the Mission Hills Resort while the bridal party returned to the church inside to take wedding pictures.

  “Hello,
Pastor.”

  “Sister Pearl, it’s nice to see you. That song you sang was beautiful. I don’t think I’ve ever heard it before.”

  She smiled at the compliment and felt an unwelcome surge of excitement within her. “Thank you. I wrote it. It’s my gift to the bride and groom.”

  What am I doing? Pearl wondered to herself. She glanced up at him to find Wade watching her.

  She searched for something to say. “The ceremony was nice, don’t you think?”

  He agreed. “Are you staying for the reception?”

  “Yes. Why?”

  “I thought this would be a good time to get to know each other. I want you to see that I’m really not a bad person.”

  A delicious shudder heated her body. “Pastor, I never thought you were a bad person. Just old-fashioned and judgmental.”

  He laughed, surprising her. “Are you always this blunt?”

  “It’s the only way I know how to be. What you see is what you get when it comes to me.”

  “I’m not so sure I agree with that,” he replied cryptically.

  Folding her arms across her chest, Pearl uttered, “Excuse me?”

  “It’s not a bad thing, by any means. I just meant, there’s a lot more to you than meets the eye.”

  She cleared her throat, pretending not to be affected by his words. “Everyone is going into the reception,” Pearl stated. “We should find our tables.”

  She chewed on her bottom lip as Wade escorted her into the Cypress Ballroom where they discovered that they were assigned to the same table. “Looks like we’re going to be sitting together,” Pearl said. She was filled with a strange inner excitement.

  He smiled in response. “This confirms that we should get to know each other.”

  “If you say so, Pastor.”

  Wade guided her over to their table and pulled out a chair for her.

  “Thank you,” Pearl murmured as she sat down, her heart hammering foolishly.

  I’ve got to stop this, she told herself. She watched him as he dropped down into the chair beside her, noting how handsome Wade looked in the black suit he was wearing. It fit him as if it had been designed just for him.