Lone Star Holiday

by Jolene Navarro

  As they walked into the hall, the smell of coffee already filled the air. Maggie once again stood behind the counter with a couple other women sorting the desserts.

  Lorrie Ann organized the packets Aunt Maggie and Yolanda had helped her create. The room filled with adults, teens and children. She groaned when she saw Rachel sitting with Seth. “Rachel, come here, please.”

  With a heavy sigh and a roll of the eyes, Rachel stomped over to her. “We’re just sitting there talking.”

  “Yes, but do you think your father would be okay with you sitting in the corner, alone with Seth?” She handed her a stack of color-coded folders. “Maybe Seth can help me pass these out? And I recommend you and Seth sit with your other friends.”

  John entered the room with Vickie by his side. She touched his arm and laughed. Lorrie Ann opened her computer and focused on the screen. She had no right to be angry about another woman talking with him. Her tongue started pushing back and forth against her teeth.

  When she looked over the room, Vickie flashed a smile and leaned closer to John. He cleared his throat and stepped away, moving toward Lorrie Ann.

  Oh, that felt good, even though she knew pettiness should be above her. She turned to smile at Vickie’s narrowing eyes. Yes, she could be the bigger person.

  John stood next to her. “Are you ready?”

  She nodded to the people gathering around the tables. “Not sure if they’re ready for me.”

  “They’ll be fine.” He gave her the slow smile that melted her heart. “Once this meeting gets started, I’ll be taking the missionary committee to my office. Tonight shouldn’t last as long. I might even get to take the girls home tonight.”

  Disappointment inundated her. She had started looking forward to the bedtime ritual. As a child, she’d never had a routine of any kind. She had been too busy staying out of the way.

  John called for everyone’s attention. “Welcome. First, I’m excited to announce that the play has been moved to the unfinished youth building.”

  Mutters and mumbles filled the room.

  Vickie spoke up first. “Pastor John, that doesn’t make any sense. There are no walls.”

  “We don’t have electricity run to the building yet,” someone else yelled from the back.

  John grinned. “That’s right. We’re scheduled to have utilities in by the end of next week. As far as no walls, that works perfectly for the ideas Lorrie Ann has shared with me.” He smiled at her. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have another meeting. I leave you in capable hands.”

  Her stomach dropped a bit when he left. She scanned the room. Everyone had turned their attention to her. It surprised her a bit when she realized how many friendly faces sat in the crowd. Maybe her memories had painted the town much darker than it deserved.

  Stretching her spine, she filled her lungs with oxygen and put her best smile on her face. Lorrie Ann slowly rose from her chair. “This year we will be using live animals and a cherry picker to hoist an angel in the air. The concrete floor with the metal poles will be a perfect stage for our setting.”

  Mrs. Miller, the Dragon Lady, hit her cane on the floor. “Live animals with kids and an audience? Sounds dangerous to me.”

  “What if it’s cold or rains?” someone else shouted out.

  Lorrie Ann continued to smile and made eye contact with the people gathered. It was a mix of people from six years old to eighty. “That’s why I need help from you. We will need an animal wrangler. We’ll also come up with an alternate plan in case of bad weather. When I asked Pastor John about the problems with the plan, he gave me some great advice. He said to proceed with faith.” Lorrie Ann held up her green folder. “Based on the information Aunt Maggie gave me last week, I’ve created folders for each person by committee.”

  Rachel handed out the last folder and sat at the table with the other girls.

  Lorrie Ann soaked in the level of excitement she heard in the conversation.

  “I have ideas and drawings included in your folder, but please feel free to come up with your own.”

  “Wow, Lorrie Ann, this appears ambitious.” Jake leafed through his folder and then smiled at her. “It looks great.”

  “The costumes are awesome.”

  Vickie stood with arms crossed. “We usually just redo and alter the ones we already have. Your plan will need new costumes. Who’s paying for all this material?”

  “We do have a small budget, and donations have already been made to cover the costs.”

  “I have some leftover panels we can use for the set design.”

  “Thank you, Adrian. Now, if you look at the first pages you’ll see a calendar with rehearsal dates and deadlines. It’s color coded to your folder. There’s no need for everyone to be at every meeting or practice. Not until we start full run-throughs, anyway. And as groups you can set your times to meet as often as you need. We’re going to need the youth group and children’s choir to meet Saturday to confirm parts. There are twenty roles, plus the two choirs and band.”

  As they separated into groups, Katy, Rhody, Abby and Paul took the teens and children in order to assign roles.

  Separated from the groups, a dark-haired boy sat alone in the far corner. He pounded out a beat on his legs with a pair of drumsticks. The piercings alone screamed back off, but with the black clothes and spiked hair he made sure everyone saw his contempt. Lorrie Ann smiled, thinking of the rebellious teen she had been. She approached him carefully and sat down, not talking to him at first. After a few minutes, she held out her hand to him. “Hello, I’m Lorrie Ann Ortega. Are you here to play in the band?”

  “Nope. I brought Carlos.” He stuck the sticks into his heavy army boots.

  “Do you play?”

  “Are you the lady that works with a band in L.A.?”

  “Yep, that’s me.” She winked. “So, the hair and piercings are the norm where I come from.”

  He snorted. “They don’t much like it here.”

  “Are you good with the drums, or do you just mess around?”

  He shrugged.

  “Well, I have an idea, but to make it work I need a really good drummer.”

  He pointed his chin toward the adult committees working on their piece of the show. “They would have a fit if you used me.”

  Lorrie Ann laughed. “Funny, I used those words myself just a few days ago. I haven’t been run out yet.” She leaned closer to him. “I have it on good authority God does not love us based on our clothes or hairstyle.”

  He didn’t respond.

  “Thursday night, the band is getting together to go over the music. It’ll only be the teens and their leaders. You should come by, and I can tell you more about my vision for a drum solo. The drummer will be the backbone of the whole show, so he has to do more than keep a beat.”

  “Kyle’s not too bad. He’s the only one with any skill. Don’t know if he could carry a solo.”

  “It’s not a part with the band.”

  One pierced eyebrow arched up, and she thought she might have seen a slight nod.

  “I expect to see you.” With the final word, she walked away, smiling.

  Lorrie Ann moved through each group to answer questions and hear ideas. She loved the planning stage, seeing all the different parts coming together to make one great event. Jake and his crew had some plans of building a village with storefronts leading into a three-level platform she had drawn out.

  The only group that seemed a little cold to the ideas was the sewing crew. Vickie kept complaining, but with Maggie on the committee, Lorrie Ann didn’t have to deal with her directly, even though she kept trying to pull Lorrie Ann into an argument. Lorrie Ann just smiled and finally excused herself after giving them the amount donated to purchase new fabric. The look on Vickie’s face brought a shallow pleasure to Lorri
e Ann’s inner teen.

  * * *

  John tried to stay focused on the missionary work and funds, but his thoughts kept floating back to Lorrie Ann. Saturday had been fun, and he got the impression she had enjoyed herself, too.

  However, when he got home Tuesday after work, she had been out the door before he removed his jacket. Tonight, at the family dinner, she had made a point of sitting at the opposite end of the table. He should be happy about the distance she put between them, but it had irritated him.

  He knew she needed to heal and he...well, he didn’t have anything to give to a personal relationship. He couldn’t even be completely honest with her because of his promise to Sonia, her mother. Maybe he would get Sonia’s number from Maggie.

  He leaned back in his chair. Lorrie Ann made it so easy to talk. He couldn’t remember the last time he had talked about his parents’ deaths and the path that had brought him to the ministry.

  Looking down at his notes, he tried to refocus and saw little swirls and stick people. At least he hadn’t been reduced to doodling hearts and Lorrie Ann’s name. He shook his head and checked his watch. The budget meeting would be over soon. He had started looking forward to his Wednesday-night chats with Lorrie Ann on the back porch.

  * * *

  An hour and a half later people started leaving.

  The door suddenly swung open, and for a moment Lorrie Ann’s brain couldn’t comprehend what she saw. She looked around for help. Maggie and Yolanda worked the kitchen. Rachel, Seth and Celeste still sat at the table with Vickie. They all stopped to stare at the stranger.

  Brent couldn’t be here; he just couldn’t. “You’re in rehab” was all her brain could manage. How had Brent ended up in her church?

  “Hello, Lorrie Ann.” His Irish accent completed the charming facade of bright blue eyes and rumpled blond hair. “It was stupid. I don’t have a problem like those other blokes.”

  “How did you find me?” She had to get him out of here.

  “GPS on the Beemer. Had it installed, case it was stolen.” He walked toward her, ignoring the people in the room. “Never dreamed I’d use it to track down my own sweetheart.”

  Maggie came across the room and stood in front of the six-foot Irishman, her hands on her hips. “I’m Margarita Ortega-Schultz, Lorrie Ann’s aunt.”

  “Pleasure to meet ya.” His brogue rolled off his tongue as his hand hung in the air, ignored. He stuffed it back in his jeans pocket and cleared his throat. “Well, I came to make things right.”

  Lorrie Ann found her voice. “You shouldn’t have driven all this way. I don’t want to talk to you.”

  Both of John’s girls sat wide-eyed, glued to the drama in front of them. She saw Rachel stand, gripping her crutch. She had to get this ugliness away from them. She put her hands on Aunt Maggie’s shoulders. “Could you take the girls home for me?”

  She narrowed her eyes at Brent. “Yes.” Her small frame stood tall as she took a step closer to Lorrie Ann’s ex. “She has family here and friends to take care of her. Come, girls, I’ll drive you home tonight.” She waited for the girls to join her, and with them tucked under her arms she headed to the door.

  Brent watched Maggie leave before turning back to Lorrie Ann. “Well, that was unpleasant. What did ya tell her?”

  “Nothing, except I ended the engagement. You need to leave.” She gathered her paperwork and prayed to have the right words and actions to send him away. “You’ll have to go to Kerrville in order to find a hotel at this time of night.”

  “I’m not leaving until we talk about this.”

  Lorrie Ann stopped and glared at him. She stared at the man she had dreamed of building a life with in California. He didn’t get it. For him it was all about money and fame. She had been caught up in that lifestyle, too. Now she looked at him and saw her past, a past she would no longer allow to weigh her down. “There is nothing to talk about, Brent. Now leave.” She shoved her folders into her bag.

  “I called, texted and emailed.” Desperation edged his voice. “You wouldn’t return any of them. I had to talk to you.”

  “I didn’t return them because I don’t want to talk to you. It’s over. Go back to rehab and get your life straightened out.”

  He moved to her and fell to one knee. “Lorrie Ann, I know what I did was unforgivable, but it was the drugs, not me. I would never do that to you. In the past two years I have never raised a hand to ya.”

  She stood straight and looked him in the eye. “Leave, Brent. It’s over.”

  “No, I’m not giving up until you agree to come home with me.” He reached up to touch her face.

  She stepped back and bit hard on her lip. “We’re not together anymore, Brent, and it’s more than just what happened that night. It’s more than the drugs and partying. I don’t want that lifestyle. I want more.”

  “More!” He shot up from the floor and grabbed her arms, pulling her against him. “The houses, the cars, all the clothes and parties aren’t enough for you?”

  Lorrie Ann tried to pull away from him, but he was too strong. She looked him in the eye. How did she ever think she loved this man? Without a doubt, she’d made the right decision leaving California. Fear started paralyzing her; she knew that would be the worst thing to let happen. How could she get him out of here without anyone getting hurt?

  Chapter Thirteen

  John glanced at his watch. The Christmas meeting should be over. He prayed for open hearts and minds to hear Lorrie Ann’s ideas.

  She had shared a great vision with him of how the pageant could look. With a sigh, he thought of all the times people fought him over change just because it was change.

  “They’ve been running for a year now and doing well. I move we increase the monthly funds sent to Peru by fifty dollars.”

  John raised his eyebrows. He had missed the whole discussion. Everyone voted in agreement, and Deacon Copeland adjourned.

  At a light knock on the door, they all turned. Vickie poked her head in the room.

  “Pardon the intrusion, but there’s trouble in the fellowship hall.”

  “Is someone hurt?” John moved to the door, his heart jumping a beat faster, thinking of Celeste and Rachel.

  “Oh, no, it’s an unexpected guest.” She bit the corner of her mouth. “Brent Krieger, Lorrie Ann’s fiancé.”

  He rushed down the hall not hearing anything else Vickie said. He needed to get to Lorrie Ann. The thought of her ex in the same room with her sent unfamiliar anger surging through his bloodstream.

  Barging into the room, he didn’t see anything but Lorrie Ann being pinned against a stranger, his large hands wrapped around her small arms.

  “Get your hands off her!” John’s voice was sharp and demanding.

  The other man released her and took a step back. His glare moved back and forth between John and Lorrie Ann.

  John noticed Yolanda outside the kitchen area with a frying pan clasped tightly in two hands. Seth stood, his fist clenched tight, a cell phone in one hand. Tension filled the room.

  “I suggest you leave now.”

  “I don’t know who you are, but she’s mine, and this is between us.”

  “She is not your anything,” John snarled, moving to stand next to Lorrie Ann. He was ready to physically remove this jerk if needed. He felt her hand softly lie against his arm and looked down. Her straight back and smile reassured him she could handle the situation.

  Brent’s accented voice broke their contact. “Lorrie Ann, come back with me. I don’t want to lose the life we have there.”

  “You don’t get it, Brent. I don’t want more of what we had. I want more family, community, a real purpose for my life. I need God in my life.”

  The door eased open, and Jake, in his uniform, slipped into the room.

  Bren
t’s gaze darted from person to person, and his hands started to shake. “I promise to stay in rehab, Lorrie Ann. I’m getting better. I realized how important you are in my life. I want to fix us. I want to go back to what we had. I need your forgiveness so we can start over.”

  John watched her intensely, tracking the emotions that fluttered across her features one at a time. He prayed, without taking his eyes off her face, that God would wrap her tightly in His love and let her know she didn’t stand alone.

  Lorrie Ann squeezed his arm with a barely there touch. Her soft low voice broke the profound silence. “Thank you, Brent.” A gentle smile eased its way to her eyes. “I do forgive you.”

  A big smile covered the Irishman’s face as he took a step toward her. John stiffened.

  Lorrie Ann raised her hands, palms out. “No, Brent, I forgive you because I need to in order to move forward. We’re finished. You need to leave now. Everything that needed to be said has been said.” Chin up, she took a step back, closer to John. “Goodbye.”

  John didn’t like the man’s clenched fists. Brent tried to loom over Lorrie Ann and brought one hand up to point a finger at her. “You will regret this. You’ll lose your job, and no one will hire you. Your career will be over. See where your God is then.”

  Hand resting on his gun, Jake opened the door wide and stepped back with one brow raised. Brent shot a heated glare around the room before he stomped out and slammed the door.

  Silence fell heavily in the fellowship hall. John slid an arm over her shoulders. “Are you all right?”

  She took a deep breath and nodded. Her small frame trembled.

  From the corner, Vickie demanded everyone’s attention. “I told you she doesn’t belong. Her history with men has reared its ugly head. Deacons, Pastor John—” she edged closer to Lorrie Ann, jabbing the air with her finger “—I’m asking that you ban her. I’ll direct the pageant.”

  The three older men shuffled and looked to John with uncomfortable expressions.