by ANDREA SMITH
Yeah, I don’t refer to her as my mother or “Mom” any longer. Neither does Jamie.
“Hello,” I answered, waiting and hoping for a voice that isn’t hers.
“Don’t hang up, Sunny.”
It’s Gina.
“Are you there?”
I sighed into the phone. “I’m here,” I replied, actually feeling some shame because I have missed her, but I’ve been too much of a chicken to return her calls or letters. I’m not sure why, because I’m no longer angry with her. It’s more about not wanting reminders of the life I left behind.
“Just hear me out, please?”
“I’m not going to hang up, Gina. Actually, I’ve been meaning to call you.”
“Sure you have, girlfriend,” she replied, and I can hear a touch of sarcasm laced through her words. I can’t blame her. “Can I come see you?”
I’m taken aback, because we’re like two thousand miles apart here. “Huh?”
“I’m in Cali. I flew out to attend Craig’s graduation from amphibian training. He’s at Camp Pendleton.”
“Craig? You’re still with him?” I asked, actually genuinely surprised. “That’s kind of long term for you.”
Gina chuckled good naturedly, “Yeah, tell me about it. Long distance relationships suck big time though. Damn, it’s good to hear your voice, Sunny. So, how about it?”
“Oh, yeah, sure,” I replied. “I better give you the address.”
“I’ve got the address, remember? The letters I sent?”
“Oh, shit. Right. Are you stopping by now?”
“If that’s okay. I’ve got use of Craig’s car and all. I should be there in about twenty minutes, and Sunny?”
“Yeah?”
“I’ve got info for you. I finally had it out with Mom, and I’ve got as much as she knows.”
“For real, Gina?”
“Yep. For fucking real.”
Chapter 51
“Your application, references, and personal letter of recommendation from Reverend Lewis are quite impressive, Miss Bailey. I must say, I can’t think of a single reason why you wouldn’t be perfect as the assistant pastor here at Briar Ridge Baptist Church. My only question is, why here?” Avery Dawson asked the pretty, young blonde sitting in a chair on the other side of his desk.
She shifted a bit in her chair, taken aback by his question. “Why not here? You have a very close-knit congregation, which you’ve managed to build since your tenure. You need help to continue, I know that much. I liked a challenge.”
Avery was silent for a moment, skimming through her references one more time. “I see. Valid reasons and commendable, although, with your qualifications, you could do better financially with a big city church. It’s something I felt compelled to ask you.”
She nodded. “My hierarchy of needs is such that financial reward isn’t at the top. I figure I’ll learn more here where things don’t necessarily come so easily. I especially liked the idea of heading up the youth group you’ve started.”
“I see,” he replied with a nod. “Well, I have to tell you that your take home salary will only be about $500 a month. Of course, your housing and meals are covered. My wife and I have a room at our place, and you can use that and take your meals with us. That is, if the arrangement is satisfactory with you, Miss Bailey.”
“Please, call me Julie. And it is quite satisfactory, Reverend Dawson,” she replied with a smile.
“Excellent,” Avery replied, smiling back. “And since you’re officially part of this congregation, please call me Avery.”
“Thank you, Avery. When shall I start?”
Avery shuffled through her file once last time. “How long will it take you to collect your belongings from Birmingham, and settle the details?”
Julie leafed through her leather bound planner quickly, and looked over at Avery. “Will three days be okay?”
“Perfect,” he replied standing up, and extending his hand across the desk to shake hers. “That will give my wife, Donna, ample time to prepare your quarters.” He grabbed a pen, and a piece of paper, scribbling down his address. “I shall see you this coming Saturday then. You will have a chance to attend our Sunday services and Bible school to meet the members of the youth group and get introduced.”
“Thank you so much for giving me this chance. This will be my biggest learning experience yet. I so appreciate your consideration.”
Avery circled the desk, and opened the door leading from his office to the reception area. “We’ll see you in a few days, Julie. I’m looking forward to mentoring someone with your qualifications. Hands on experience is the essence of being successful in your new role.”
After she left, Avery watched her from the small window. What a fine specimen of a young, Christian woman. She would do well with the youths of his congregation. He was sure of it.
His hand lowered to his crotch as he unzipped his pants. Slowly and methodically he stroked his erection until he was near orgasm. It wasn’t his fault. Donna had literally cut off all marital relations over the past couple of months. Her excuses were wearing thin on his patience. He would need to address this matter a bit more vocally with his wife what with the temptation that was sure to accompany working with Assistant Pastor Julie Bailey on a day-to-day basis shortly.
Donna was clearing the table and preparing to wash the supper dishes when Avery broached the subject of his new assistant with her. She knew he had been interviewing, but, to this point, he hadn’t found anyone willing to accept the pittance of pay the church had to offer.
“Donna,” he started, taking a sip of his coffee. “I’ll need you to thoroughly empty out Sunny’s room. Any of her belongings, wall hangings, or other such paraphernalia needs to be trashed or stored. I hired a pastoral assistant today, and she will be moving in here on Saturday.”
Avery heard the pan drop heavily into the sink as his instructions registered with her. She turned, wiping her wet hands on a dish towel. “What? You never said a thing about having the assistant living here with us. I’m not sure I like that idea.”
Avery took another sip of coffee, taking a few moments to calm his anger at having his actions being questioned by his wife. “There’s no other choice. With the salary we can afford to offer, nobody will accept the position. I had to throw it in there in order to find someone to fill the duties.”
“But Avery,” Donna continued, her voice taking on that shrill whine he so detested, “this house isn’t big enough for another person—a stranger at that.”
He set his cup back into the saucer loudly in order to quell any further argument from his wife. “She won’t be a stranger once she moves in.”
“She? She?”
He looked over at her, his face showing no emotion whatsoever. “Yes, Donna—she as in a female? Her name is Julie Bailey and she has exceptional qualifications. Her college transcripts are quite impressive. What she lacks is experience, and she sees the value in that. We’re lucky to have her.”
“Oh, I just bet,” Donna snapped, filling the sink with hot water and detergent. “I don’t know. I don’t feel comfortable with it.”
Avery stood up, taking his cup and saucer to the countertop and placing them next to the sink. “Whether you feel comfortable or not, Donna, it will be so. This home is just as much mine as it is yours. This is for the good of the church, and I won’t have you questioning my decisions. Now, I’m going to my office to finish up some paperwork. After that, I’m going upstairs to bed. I expect you to be in the room by the time I get there.”
Donna’s eye widened at her husband’s insinuation. She hadn’t wanted to be sexual with him for a while. She didn’t know why, but she guessed it was because of the doubts that seeped in from time to time, along with the fact that she felt like she’d failed Sunny in the worst way possible.”
And then Donna Dawson did something she’d never done before with Avery, she spoke up. “Shall I go to bed naked and have my legs spread and up in the air so you don’t
have to miss a beat, Avery?”
His eyes clouded with disbelief at her crass response. “Whatever works for you, my dear. But tonight, you will allow me my rights as your husband. No excuses. I will no longer be denied.”
Later, long after her husband had taken her roughly and without showing an iota of affection during intercourse, Donna lay beside him, tears streaming down her cheeks and wondering just what she ever saw in Avery Dawson.
Chapter 52
Gina had been in San Diego for a week, and what a week it had been. We’d talked into the early hours of the morning the first night.
At first, we just caught up on things. What was going on with her relationship with Craig, which I very soon learned that he just might be ‘the one’ for Gina, though at our age who really knows? But I’d give her this, she had it bad for the guy. Whenever he was off duty, she was back at his side like a shot.
He was going to be stationed at Camp Pendleton for the next thirty days, and then his orders were for him to report to another Southern California base, Twenty-Nine Palms, which as Gina described was ‘pure fucking desert in No-Man’s Land.’
“Are you talking marriage?” I had asked.
“Are you crazy? I’m way too young for that shit. No, we’re just living in the now and seeing what happens. I start school in the fall, you know?”
“Oh, yeah. That’s right. The community college in Millersburg still?”
“That’s always been the plan. You know, there was a time you were down with that too.”
I shrugged. “College is free in California. I got my GED, but I haven’t done shit about even looking into college here.”
“Then why don’t you go back to your original plan? Come back to Alabama with me. You’ll have no problems getting into Millersburg Community. We can get our own place. It’ll be totally cool.”
“Oh Gina, I don’t know. The thought of going near Layton again gives me the hives.”
“You have to go back, Sunny.”
“Why?”
“Because you left under fucked up circumstances. And if you wanna know the truth, I’ve kicked my ass to hell and back for not doing more at the time. I just didn’t know what to do, but I figured it out. I laid it on the line to my mother a few weeks back. I’m out of school, I’m going to college, and I flat out told her I needed to make this right or I was outta her life.”
I sucked in a breath. “You did that?”
“Hell yes, I did that. I knew she had some details of some sort. Our mothers used to hang out. Never close the way we used to be, but still, she needed to come clean. And she did.”
“What did she say?” I asked tenuously, not sure if I was ready for the facts.
“Oh, I don’t know who your father is, but I may have a way to find out. The thing is, you’re going to have to come back with me. We have to go to Montgomery.”
I felt myself tense up at the mere prospect of leaving California where I’d finally found a safety net. And, out of the other 49 states, Alabama gave me the worst feeling. As always, Gina read me loud and clear.
“If you don’t do this, Sunny, you will never come to terms with the bullshit you went through back home. Those bible-beating hypocrites had no right to believe the son-of-a-bitch your mother married. You are so much stronger alone than they are as a pack. Do this for your own peace of mind. Montgomery isn’t Layton. You never have to touch foot in Layton if you don’t want to, but if you can find the truth in Montgomery, then do it for yourself.”
I knew she was right. I couldn’t live the rest of my life not knowing my roots—good or bad.
“I’ll have to drive back. Will you come with me?”
“Do you really have to ask? Of course I will. Got to get back to Alabama somehow don’t I?” she teased. But tell me. Is that smokin’ hot Mustang parked out in the lot near your front door yours or your brother’s?”
I giggled, feeling proud that she even considered it could’ve been mine.
“It’s mine. Gift from my dad.”
Gina didn’t hide her confusion.
“Long story,” I said. “I’ll fill you in on the road.”
Chapter 53
The past week having Julie at his side all day long, and then at their home in the evenings was wearing on Avery. It wasn’t that she didn’t catch on quickly, because clearly she did. But the day-to-day closeness he shared while mentoring her presented such temptation that even the saintliest of saints would take pause and consider the possibilities.
At the moment, she was filing away six months worth of baptismal, marriage, and funeral records, along with some new member information records.
“Excuse me, Avery,” Julie said, turning to catch him studying her backside from where she stood. A light blush colored her cheeks as she smoothed out her skirt nervously with her free hand. Her other hand held a manila file. “This file seems to be out of order. The label reads ‘Counseling Sessions 1979.’”
“Give that to me,” Avery snapped, jumping to his feet and circling around his desk to where she stood.
Julie was taken aback by his abrupt tone and obvious irritation with her for asking about the file. “I—I’m sorry,” she said, handing him the folder.
“No need to apologize,” he said, giving her a wry smile. “It’s just that I’ve been looking for that particular file. In the past, I’ve conducted marital counseling to those in the congregation who seek guidance. Of course, this is sensitive information, that’s all.”
Julie watched as Avery placed the file in his desk drawer and closed it. “I surely understand the sensitivity involved, Reverend. I think it’s commendable that you offer guidance to those needing it. Can you imagine what a shrink would charge for marriage counseling?”
Avery’s eyes flickered over her, wondering if she meant the remark to be a dig, but when he saw her sweet expression, he knew that she had not.
“Yes, well I hold no high regard for those profiting from another’s misery. The Lord bides us all to help and guide when called upon.”
“I agree,” she replied. “Well, I’m finished here. “What’s next?”
Avery showed her to the outer office where Bonnie was waiting to show Julie how to compile the Sunday newsletter passed out after services.
Back in his office, he shut the door and quickly went to his desk, pulling the file from the drawer. He had thought this had been destroyed with the rest, but evidently it had ended up in another file drawer. He wasn’t sure how that had happened. Perhaps Bonnie had been snooping in his office. Or maybe it was simply a mistake he’d made while distracted.
He leafed through the papers inside. It was simply his monthly schedules that Bonnie kept for the counseling appointments. Nothing sensitive as far as he could see. No need to destroy them he thought as he closed the folder and placed it back inside his desk drawer.
He could still smell the faint scent of Julie’s perfume. And, once again, Avery’s mind drifted to her soft curves, her shiny blonde hair that she wore long, and her dazzling smile. He knew that Donna didn’t particularly care that she was staying with them, even though Julie was quick to offer help at every opportunity, Donna simply blew her off.
There would be no female bonding between the two of them, he was certain of that. Maybe that was for the best after all.
“Well, Julie, I’m really impressed with how quickly you’ve taken to all of this. Can you believe we got all of the fundraiser items on order?” Bonnie said, cleaning off the top of the desk where they’d been working.
“You’re a great teacher, Bonnie,” Julie replied, giving the woman a warm smile. “Thanks for your patience.”
“Oh, pffft,” Bonnie said, grabbing her handbag from the desk drawer and pulling out her set of keys. “You’re not only pretty, but you’re smart as a whip. Reverend Dawson and the rest of the congregation are lucky to have you, I’ll tell you that. Let’s call it a day, but know that I won’t be back until Wednesday.”
“Oh, that’s right,”
Julie replied. “Do you think I can borrow your keys until then? I don’t have a set yet and since Avery’s left for the day, I have a few things to finish up here.”
“Oh sure, honey,” Bonnie said. “In fact, you can have duplicates made and bring in the receipt. I’ll reimburse you out of the petty cash.”
“Well thank you,” Julie replied, taking the keys. “I’ll see you Wednesday, Bonnie. Have a great evening.”
“Don’t work too late now, you hear? If I know Donna, she’s gonna have something on the stove right about now for supper.”
Julie chuckled, “Okay, I won’t.”
Once she could no longer hear the sound of Bonnie’s car, Julie took the keys and found the one fitting the door to Avery’s office. She let herself in, striding across the carpet to his desk. She opened the lower desk drawer, and pulled out the folder she had given him earlier.
Ten minutes later, having copied the contents and placed them in her briefcase, Julie locked up and headed back to the Dawson’s to see just what Avery Dawson was trying to hide.
Chapter 54
The car was filled up and packed with my belongings and what Gina had brought with her. This was going to be the hardest part. I had given a week’s notice at the diner, and the days had flown since I’d made the decision to drive back to Alabama with Gina.
But leaving California—my brother, and Mel, was something that tore at my heart like crazy. This was my family. My safe haven. But even Jamie supported my decision.
“You have loose ends to tie up, Sis,” he’d said to me. “And if things don’t work out for you at school, you always have a place with me.”
I shut the trunk and spun around to where Jamie and Mel were standing together, giving me a once over.
“You have your roadmap?”
“Check,” I replied.
“Travelers checks?”
“Yes, Jamie.”
“Emergency flares?”