The Pastor's Wife

by Jennifer AlLee

  Lainie stood up from her spot on the floor and started collecting empty pizza boxes. “Okay, everybody, it's time to get back to work!”

  A chorus of good-natured groans followed as teens and adults started picking up their lunch trash. Within a few minutes, the pizza party was over, and Maura's volunteer crew was back to work.

  Maura stopped Lainie at the lobby door. “You’re a real slave driver, you know that?”

  Lainie gave her a mock salute. “Yes, Ma’am, I do.”

  “Why do you think I hired her?” Nick tossed a soda can in the trash and approached them.

  “That's right. In my interview Pastor Nick asked me if I had any qualms about whipping kids into shape. I told him no-sir-ee. In fact, that's what I do for fun.”

  Nick and Lainie laughed. Jealousy whispered in Maura's ear, and she turned away, wondering just how close the two of them were.

  Something across the room caught Lainie's attention. “Excuse me. I need to wrangle up a couple of my kids.”

  As she took off, Nick put his hand on Maura's shoulder. He bent down slightly, looking straight into her eyes. “Lainie has never been anything to me but a friend and colleague.”

  Maura looked around frantically to make sure no one was close enough to overhear them. “How did you know I even … I mean … I never said …”

  Nick put a finger to her lips. “You didn’t have to.”

  She pulled his hand away from her face, but didn’t let him go. “That's good to know.”

  Maura had never wanted to kiss him more than she did at that moment. But the spell was broken when someone called out, “Maura! I found an old ring on the floor. Can I keep it?”

  “Sorry. I need to take care of that.” Her voice sounded husky and deep.

  Nick smiled and let go of her hand. “That's okay. I know where to find you.”

  By six o’clock that night the fully loaded truck was on its way to Beaver Falls. Inside the theatre Maura thanked everyone and received several good-bye hugs before they left. Nick, being Nick, walked out to the parking lot to see them off personally.

  Maura sat on the lip of the stage, her legs dangling over the side, surveying the empty space. Now that the seats were gone, she could see how dirty the floor was. It needed to be cleaned before the refinishers came. The carpeting that ran up the aisles was beyond saving; it needed to be torn up and replaced. And, of course, there were the walls, which also would have to be touched up before anything was done to the floor. Maura pushed the to-do list from her mind. She and Rachel had made a timeline for all of the work to be done. Thanks to the help they’d received today, they were still right on schedule.

  The lobby door hinges squealed, and Nick walked back in, his steps echoing down the side aisle as he approached her.

  “Everybody's on their way home,” he said. He skirted the orchestra pit and climbed up the stage steps. He dropped next to Maura and followed her gaze. “Wow. It looks bigger now.”

  She nodded. “Spaces always look bigger when they’re empty.”

  “Funny,” he said after a moment, “our house felt smaller after you’d gone.”

  A few weeks ago, that comment would have infuriated her. But now, she saw the sad truth in his words.

  “Why do you think she did it?”

  Nick turned to her. “Who did what?”

  “Miss Hattie. Why do you think she gave me this place?”

  “I don’t know. She never talked to me about it. Did you ever tell her about your dream of owning a theatre?”

  Maura thought back. “No. But once I ran into her in the grocery store, and she started talking to me about destiny.”

  “In the grocery store?”

  “Right in the middle of the produce section. She told me that even though I was called to be your wife, God had a higher calling for me—something only I could do—and that I needed to find out what that was.”

  Nick let out a low whistle. “She got that right. I guess God filled in the blanks for her.”

  Maura nodded. “I guess so.”

  They sat in silence for a while. Maura waited for it to feel awkward, but it didn’t. It felt like the most natural thing in the world to sit with him, and when he put his arm around her, she rested her head against his shoulder without a second thought.

  “What are we doing, Maura?” Nick asked, his voice soft.

  She hadn’t thought it through, but their relationship had changed again today. Another piece of the wall had been knocked over. “I’m not sure. I think we’re getting to know each other again.”

  She felt Nick nod against the top of her head. “This may sound crazy, but it kind of feels like we’re dating.”

  Maura laughed and sat back, looking at him. “That's funny, especially since we’re living together.”

  “Well, we are married.”

  “Yes, there's that.”

  Nick took her hand. “Maura, there's nothing I’d like better right now than to take you out for a nice dinner. But I can’t.”

  Maura frowned. “Why not?”

  “Because you’re filthy.”

  She yanked her hand from his and gave him a playful punch in the shoulder. “Look in a mirror, buddy. You’re kind of a mess yourself.”

  “I’m sure I am.” Nick stood up, dusting off the front of his jeans. “How about we go home, get cleaned up, and dig some leftovers out of the fridge?”

  He offered her his hand and pulled her to her feet. She was inches away from him. If she took another step closer, she’d be back in his arms. Her heart urged her forward, but her head told her otherwise.

  “Leftovers at home,” she said, taking a step back. “Right now, that sounds perfect.”

  11

  Are you sure these figures are right?”

  Looking at the charts and papers littering Rachel's kitchen table, Maura held her excitement in check. So much had been going right lately, she hesitated to believe that the streak would continue and they would finish the renovation on schedule.

  “Absolutely.” Rachel looked over her shoulder from where she stood at the counter by the stove. “Do you want me to go over it with you again?”

  Through the small window over the sink Maura could see the first snow of the season wafting down, making the bare tree limbs glisten and sparkle. Even the weather was beautiful. Maybe she just needed to relax. She turned back to Rachel. “It's not that I don’t understand it. I’m just surprised there's no crisis to deal with.”

  Rachel came to the table with mugs of hot chocolate for each of them and sat down.

  “Isn’t it great? Other than that minor hiccup with the seats, it's been smooth sailing. Everybody we hired finished their portion of the job on time. I think that's a minor miracle right there.”

  Maura nodded, wrapping her hands around the warm mug. “This is the first time I’ve done any remodeling myself, but on those TV shows the crew always goes over schedule and over budget. Which reminds me, how is our budget?”

  Rachel shuffled through the papers until she found the right spreadsheet. “Good.” She pushed the sheet across the table to Maura. “We did go over just a smidge in a few places. But my financial genius husband planned ahead for that and built in some wiggle room. Overall, we’re doing great.”

  “Now we just have to keep it that way.” She looked at Rachel over the rim of her mug. “We’ve got to start bringing in revenue.”

  Rachel nodded. “I’ve been thinking about that. Since we’ll be ready for business after the first of December, why don’t we have some screenings of old movies with Christmas themes?”

  Maura sat up straighter in her chair. “Ooh, I like it. We could show White Christmas and It's a Wonderful Life.” Just saying the titles made her feel nostalgic.

  They spent the next half hour talking about contacting film distributors, advertising, and spreading the word about the theatre/meeting center beyond the boundaries of Granger.

  “And don’t forget,” Rachel said, “we’ve got to put
together that Christmas pageant with Faith.”

  How could she possibly forget? “Got it covered. Lainie and I already started working on it. We’ve got the youth doing a couple of skits, and the Sunday school kids singing some carols. I still need to flesh it out a bit, though. You wouldn’t happen to know any people with amazing hidden talents, would you?”

  “I’ll give it some thought. But what about Nick?”

  “What about him?”

  “Just that you haven’t mentioned him. Since this is a joint project with the church, I assumed he’d be involved. Do you have a part for him?”

  That was a loaded question. Ever since he came to her rescue with the men's breakfast group, she’d found herself thinking of Nick and what part they would play in each other's lives. It was as though some huge barrier had been torn down, and Maura could actually imagine a time when they might be able to repair their broken relationship and live as husband and wife again. But some doubt still lingered. Even though she’d forgiven Nick, she hadn’t been able to forget the pain of needing him and having him choose the church over her. And she was scared to death that if she gave him the chance, he’d do it again.

  “Sure, there's a part for him in the gala,” she said, answering Rachel's question. “He's the master of ceremonies. He’ll kind of narrate it all and move us from group to group.”

  “Great. It looks like everything is under control and we can consider this meeting adjourned.” Rachel began to gather up all the papers, putting them away neatly in file folders. “There's just one more thing we have to talk about.”

  “What's that?”

  “Have you thought about Thanksgiving?”

  Oh, she’d thought about it, all right. It was just a week away, and she’d been mulling over the idea of cooking dinner for Nick. Sadly, her talents did not lie in the cooking department. The prospect of picking out a turkey, let alone cleaning it, stuffing it, and roasting it, was daunting.

  Maura wrinkled her nose. “I’ve been trying not to think about cooking, but I guess it's time I Googled some turkey recipes.”

  “Don’t bother. I want you to join us for Thanksgiving dinner. Nick too.” Rachel held up her hand before Maura could reply. “Think about how perfect it’ll be. You won’t have to bother with a big, fancy dinner for the two of you, but you’ll get to spend a holiday together. And being here, there will be less pressure for you both.”

  Why had Maura thought she could keep Rachel in the dark? “Just how did you figure out that Nick and I even want to be together?”

  “I saw it the day of the infamous seat harvest, and you’ve been acting different ever since. You’ve been walking around like there are springs in your shoes, and he's been happy and whistling all the time.” Rachel shrugged. “The signs are there, if you know where to look. Most people don’t look.”

  Maura laughed. “I’m glad you’re on my side.”

  “You know it. So, what do you think about my invitation?”

  “I think it's great. Let me talk to Nick, and I’ll let you know for sure.”

  “Sounds good. Oh, and one more thing.” Rachel put her hand on Maura's, giving it a gentle squeeze. “If you think there's a chance for reconciliation, and I certainly am rooting for that, you might want to start letting people see the two of you together as a couple. It’ll be good for everyone concerned.”

  So much had changed in just four months.

  Maura stepped into the theatre, pride surging through her. It was a far cry from the place she’d first walked into. All the dust and dirt was gone. Instead of an unused, neglected theatre, the Music Box had been restored to its former glory. Maura had tried to remain as true to the original décor as possible, and the results were truly impressive.

  She climbed up the steps to the stage and looked out over the clean, bright carpeting that covered the aisles, the newly varnished wood floor that was ready and waiting for the installation of the freshly reupholstered seats. She’d accomplished so much in such a short period of time.

  But her mind kept returning to her conversation with Rachel.

  Could this be the right time to make her changing relationship with Nick public knowledge? If they kept moving forward, there was a good possibility they would get back together. If Maura only had herself and Nick to consider, the next step would be easier. But if she stepped back into her role as Nick's wife, as a pastor's wife, she’d have the congregation to deal with again. Was she ready for that?

  But maybe that's what Rachel meant. Maura had already become more visible in the congregation. People saw her working with the youth and knew about the theatre project. While she redefined her identity in the eyes of the congregation, she was also setting down clear boundaries. If she let them see her with Nick, and they realized that he supported her, it might make the transition easier if she and Nick were able to completely reunite.

  Maura glanced down at her watch. She had a meeting in fifteen minutes with a graphic designer to discuss promotional materials and logo design. At the moment, there was nothing more she could do about her situation with Nick. She’d put it out of her mind for now, but they’d definitely talk about it tonight. He’d promised to make dinner for them both, and now that she had a plan, she was looking forward to it more than ever.

  Nick hurried up the front porch stairs, carefully avoiding icy patches as he went. What a day it had been. He’d jumped from one crisis to the next, and found himself alternating between prayer and counting. Finally, his official work came to an end. At five o’clock he’d packed up and was ready to leave the office. All he had to do was walk next door, and he’d be home. Just as his hand touched the doorknob, the phone call came.

  It wasn’t the first time he’d had to drop everything to help this family. In fact, he’d been on his way to their remote farm the day Maura left him. She’d called on his cell phone, but the reception was so bad, he’d only been able to understand part of what she said. Something about not feeling well and wanting him to come home. He’d told her to eat some soup, get some rest, and he’d be there as soon as he could. Then the line went dead. And when he’d gotten home, she was gone.

  He came to a dead stop in front of the parsonage door. He’d done it again. He should have called Maura to tell her about the emergency. At least she could have made other plans for dinner. But he’d been so focused on what needed to be done at the time, he hadn’t thought of anything else.

  Nick opened the door, not sure what awaited him on the other side.

  He found her at the kitchen sink with her back to him. Music poured from the portable CD player on the counter. Maura hummed along as she rinsed off the dishes and loaded the dishwasher. Wearing simple jeans and a big sweatshirt with the sleeves pushed to her elbows, she was the prettiest sight he’d seen all day.

  How he’d missed this … missed her. Yes, he found great fulfillment in his work, and he knew for a fact it was what God had called him to do. But without someone to share it with, without someone to come home to, he lived a life as hollow as that big empty theatre after all the seats were gone.

  That day had been a real turning point. The constant tension that existed between them since Maura's return had gone, replaced by the excitement of getting reacquainted. He just hoped he hadn’t blown it. Again.

  “I’m so sorry.” Probably not the best opening line, but it was the first thing that came to mind. And he did mean it.

  She looked over her shoulder. “Oh, you’re home. There's a plate for you in the fridge if you’re hungry. Nothing special. I just scrounged up some leftovers. But you can pop it in the microwave if you want.”

  Nick wasn’t sure how to read the situation. She wasn’t yelling at him, which was good, but she didn’t look particularly happy, either. Her voice came out flat, not hinting at any emotion. Opening the refrigerator door, he took out the plate she’d fixed for him.

  “How long should I heat this?”

  Maura loaded the last cup and shut the dishwasher door. “Here,�
�� she said, drying her hands on a towel. “Let me.”

  Nick watched her take the plate to the microwave. She sounded calm and pleasant, but she shut the microwave door a little too firmly and punched the timer buttons on the front panel with a little too much enthusiasm.

  Uh oh.

  “Maura, I’m so sorry about dinner,” he said again. “There was an emergency with a member of the congregation. I had to take care of it. Do you understand?”

  She leaned her hips against the side of the counter, her arms crossed in front of her. “Nick, I know you’re a pastor. And over the last month, I’ve finally taken a good, hard look at what that means. I know you love people, and you need to take care of them. It's built into your nature. So, yes, I do understand. But, I don’t think you understand.”

  “What?”

  She jabbed at her chest. “Yes, the congregation needs you. But so do I. When it gets right down to it, I’m also a member of your congregation now, and sometimes, I need you just as much as they do. Not only as a husband, but as my pastor.”

  He hadn’t expected this. “I’m sorry, Maura. I know I should have called and told you I’d be home late. But the call tonight was quite literally a life and death matter.”

  She tilted her head to one side, her eyes narrowed. “Don’t you think you’re being a little overdramatic?”

  “No, I’m not.” He struggled to keep himself calm, reminding himself she had no idea why he’d stood her up. “I responded to a suicide attempt. I can’t discuss the details, but I’ve been working with this person for years and I’ve never seen it as bad as today.”

  Maura deflated. Her shoulders drooped, and she stared at the floor. “That's terrible. And definitely more important than dinner.” She looked back up at him. “But I’m not just talking about tonight. I understand missing dinner, although you’re right about calling. You should have.”

  “Then what are you talking about?”

  “There have been times in the past when I needed you, really needed you to support me and to comfort me, and you weren’t there.” Her voice broke, and Nick could see her fight to control her emotions. “I’ve forgiven you for the past. I was hoping we could move forward and maybe fix our relationship. I was this close.” She held her thumb and fingers so close together he could barely see light between them. “This close to trusting you again. But today just reminded me of how much it hurts to be forgotten. And I don’t know if I can open myself up for that again.”