The Maverick Preacher

by Victoria Bylin

  As she handed Josh the sandwich, she recalled Pearl and her father in the parlor. “By the way,” she said, “Reverend Oliver is here.”

  “I thought he’d stop by.” Josh had been about to take a bite, but he lowered the sandwich. “I didn’t break your confidence, Adie. But I said enough to make him think twice about Franklin Dean.”

  “I’m glad you did.” After her experience with secrets, she never wanted to keep one again. “Pearl was happy to see him.”

  “Good.”

  “He apologized to her.”

  Josh’s expression turned wistful. She knew he was thinking of Emily. “I’m glad.”

  “Me, too.” The voice belonged to Pearl.

  Adie turned to the doorway and saw her friend, large with child and beaming with joy. Dried tears streaked her cheeks, but nothing could dim her smile as she looked at Josh. “I can’t thank you enough.”

  He waved off her gratitude. “You just did.”

  She shifted her gaze to Adie. “Would you both come into the parlor? My father and I have something to tell you.”

  Had she decided to report Dean to the law? Adie hoped so, but that decision belonged to Pearl. Adie would support her no matter what she decided. She followed her friend into the parlor and sat with her on the divan. Reverend Oliver had the armchair, so Josh sat across from Adie.

  The old man looked first at her. “Miss Clarke, I want to thank you for helping my daughter. When I failed her, you gave her a home. If there’s ever anything I can do—”

  “I was glad to help,” Adie said shyly.

  Pearl squeezed her hand. “You’re my best friend.”

  Adie felt honored.

  Reverend Oliver cleared his throat. “Pearl and I have come to a decision. In fact, we’ve come to two of them. One concerns Franklin Dean. I’ll get to that one. The second concerns the future. As soon as my grandchild’s strong enough to travel, the three of us will be leaving Denver.”

  Adie pulled her friend into a hug. “I’ll miss you, but it’s what you wanted.”

  Reverend Oliver told them that he’d sent a wire to his niece in Cheyenne and she’d already answered. She had a large empty house and would welcome their company.

  “Does she know about the baby?” Adie asked.

  Pearl looked troubled. “I want to explain in person.”

  “Of course.” Adie squeezed her hand. “If you have trouble of any kind, you know you can come back here.”

  Pearl smiled. “I do.”

  Tobias cleared his throat. “I’m looking forward to the change, but there’s a problem.”

  “What is it, sir?” Josh asked.

  “I’m worried about my congregation here in Denver. You’re young, Josh. You’ve got a heart for the Lord and a level head. I’m hoping you’ll take my place.”

  Josh held up his hands, palm-out to signal a hard stop. “Don’t even think about it.”

  “Why not?” asked the older man.

  “I know my place, and it’s not in a big church.”

  The tension drained from Adie’s spine. She could manage a service in a saloon, but Colfax Avenue Church landed her back in Kansas with Reverend Honeycutt. If a church had stained glass, she wanted nothing to do with it.

  Reverend Oliver steepled his fingers. “You sound very sure, maybe too sure.”

  “I appreciate the offer, sir. But I can’t take your pulpit.”

  “Can’t or won’t?”

  “They’re the same,” Josh answered. “I left an established church in Boston. I’ll never pastor another one.”

  “Why not?

  “It’s a long story, one I’ll tell you another time.”

  “All right,” said Reverend Oliver. “But I’d like to challenge you.”

  “Go ahead.”

  “Examine your heart, Josh. Are you living to serve God or serving God to avoid living?”

  Josh started to speak, but the older man held up his hand. “Don’t answer yet. Read Psalm 139.”

  Adie recognized the psalm Josh had taught at the Bible study. Even she knew the substance of it. David had asked God to search his heart. He’d given the Lord his anxious thoughts.

  Reverend Oliver stared hard at Josh. “Pray about it, son.”

  “I will.”

  His voice carried just a trace of longing, but Adie heard it. She flashed to the day he’d walked with her to the bank. He’d seen the church and had wanted to go inside. She saw that look now and it scared her. She could handle a church of misfits in a dusty saloon, but she couldn’t tolerate the spit and polish of Colfax Avenue Church. The women all wore the latest fashions. The men carried watch fobs and gold-tipped walking sticks like Franklin Dean. Worst of all, not a single member of the congregation had called on Pearl.

  Reverend Oliver’s jaw tightened. “This leads us to Franklin Dean. He has to be stopped.”

  On that, they all agreed.

  “What do you suggest?” Josh asked.

  The older man aimed his chin at Pearl. “This is my daughter’s decision, but I support it fully.”

  As Pearl straightened her back, her belly made an even bigger bulge. The baby could arrive at any time. Adie had seen Maggie die in childbirth. She didn’t want to lose Pearl. With her thin bones and white-blond hair, she looked too fragile for the rigors of birth.

  Frail or not, Pearl set her jaw. “In a perfect world, I’d report Frank to the authorities and he’d go to prison. But this world isn’t perfect. A trial would come down to my word against his and he’d win.”

  She was right. They all knew it.

  “He may be the most powerful man in Denver,” Pearl continued. “But he’s not the most powerful woman. I’m sending notes to the elders’ wives. I’m going to tell them to keep their daughters away from him and why. It’s not gossip. I know what he did to me. If I don’t speak up, he’ll hurt someone else.”

  “That’s right,” Adie said.

  Tobias beamed at his daughter with pride. “It won’t be easy.”

  Adie knew from experience that Pearl’s stand would come at a cost. Some women would thank her. Others would accuse her of causing her own problems. In the days before Adie left Liddy’s Grove, she’d felt the same daggers in her back.

  Josh focused on Reverend Oliver. “You told me Dean’s on the elder board.”

  “That’s right.”

  “What do you plan to do?”

  “What I should have done months ago.” He hammered his fingers against the armrest. “There are some good men on that board, including Halston Smythe. I’ll see him tomorrow. If I know Hal—and I do—he won’t let the problem slide. I’m also trusting the women to speak to their husbands. With enough pressure, Frank will resign or face a recall.”

  Pearl spoke up. “I hope the men listen.”

  “I think they will.” Reverend Oliver’s eyes turned misty as he looked at his daughter. “If your mother were alive, none of this would have happened. She’d have given me the what-for six ways to Sunday.”

  Pearl touched her belly. “I miss her.”

  They sat in silence, each remembering loved ones until Pearl gripped Adie’s hand. “I’m worried about you. Frank still wants Swan’s Nest.”

  “Leave that to me,” Josh said.

  Adie didn’t know what to think. “What are you going to do?”

  “It’s already done.” Josh leaned back in the chair. “Even before the fire I sent a letter to a cousin of mine. Elliot’s a banker and a good one. Denver’s ripe with opportunity, and there’s nothing Elliot likes more than being in the thick of things. He’s opening a branch of Boston Merchants Bank. Franklin Dean’s going to have some competition.”

  Reverend Oliver lifted his chin. “‘Be ye wise in the ways of the world.’”

  “That’s right,” Josh replied. “Elliot’s got a gift for making money. He’ll drive Dean to the dogs.” With his eyes bright, he turned back to Adie. “Even before last night, I asked him to pay off your mortgage. I figured you’d want
to negotiate terms, but that’s off the table. As soon as Elliot can arrange it, you’ll own Swan’s Nest free and clear.”

  The news stole Adie’s voice, her breath. Stephen would never go hungry. Emily’s dream of a place for women would be secure. If she and Josh had been alone, she’d have hugged him. “How can I ever thank you?”

  “Just love my nephew.”

  “I do.”

  Her reply reminded her of a wedding vow. Judging by the intensity of his gaze, Josh heard the echo, too. So did Pearl because she hugged Adie and whispered in her ear, “He loves you, Adie. Be brave.”

  Except Adie didn’t feel brave. She had powerful feelings for Josh. She couldn’t deny them, but neither could she imagine being a minister’s wife. They both had more to say, but the talk would have to wait for a private moment. With her heart brimming, she looked at Josh and saw him speaking to Reverend Oliver. “Are you headed to the parsonage?”

  “I am.”

  “May I ride with you? I need to send another wire to Boston.”

  A sad one, Adie knew. He had to tell family and friends of Emily’s passing.

  Tobias pushed to his feet. “I’d be glad for the company, Reverend. It’ll give me a chance to talk you into taking over my church.”

  Adie shuddered at the thought.

  As Josh stood, he gave Adie a sweet look, then followed the older man out the door.

  “Oh!” cried Pearl.

  Adie gripped her friend’s hand. “Are you all right?”

  She grimaced. “My back hurts.”

  In the days before Stephen’s birth, Emily had made the same complaint. “We better get you to bed.”

  Pearl shook her head. “I’d rather walk in the garden.”

  “I’ll go with you.”

  Adie stood first, gave Pearl her hand and pulled her up. Together they walked out the front door and into the sunshine. As they neared the garden, the perfume filled Adie’s nose. She wasn’t on speaking terms with God, but she believed in Him. She knew He’d created the heavens and the earth, plants, animals, man and woman.

  He’d created her.

  He’d created Josh, too.

  For the first time in years, she felt as if she belonged with someone. On Sunday she’d test the waters at Brick’s. If she found peace, she could love Josh freely. Full of hope, she went with Pearl to smell the roses.

  Chapter Fifteen

  As Tobias steered the buggy down the street, Josh considered the events of the past hour. Adie had accepted ownership of Swan’s Nest without a fight. In the kitchen, she’d beaten back doubts about going to church. She’d been relaxed and happy until Tobias invited him to preach. She hadn’t liked the idea at all.

  Josh didn’t know how he felt. At first he’d rejected the thought because he’d be tempted by pride. Seconds later, his blood had rushed. He’d be preaching every Sunday. He could spend weeks on the same subject, watching as the seeds took root and grew. He knew Adie disapproved, but Josh had asked God to direct his steps. He had to be open to anything.

  As they passed the piles of stone from the demolished house, Tobias glanced at him. “You belong here, Josh.”

  Maybe he did. “What makes you think so?”

  “Experience.”

  “Yours or mine?”

  “Mine,” Tobias said. “Even this old fool can see God’s hand. There’s nothing better than a church of your own and a wife and family.”

  “Hold on,” Josh said, chuckling. “You’ve skipped way ahead of me.”

  “Not really.” Tobias turned the buggy down a street with busy shops. “I saw the way you looked at Miss Clarke. She’s a fine woman, and I know from Pearl that she adopted your nephew.”

  Josh didn’t mention Adie’s troubled faith, but he knew her doubts stood between them. As much as he liked the idea, he couldn’t court her until she made peace with God. A minister’s wife worked as hard as her husband.

  Tobias’s voice turned wistful. “My wife and I were married for twenty-nine years.”

  “That’s a long time.”

  “Not long enough,” he said quietly. “Ginny and I quarreled sometimes, but we always kissed good-night. That was our rule.”

  “It’s a good one.”

  “You should think about getting married, Josh. A good woman keeps a man honest.”

  Josh thought of his past concerns. “Paul says marriage is a distraction.”

  “That, too,” Tobias said. “But the commotion is worth what you gain. Ginny had a way of speaking her mind. Without her, I’d have driven this church into a ditch.”

  “She sounds like a fine woman.”

  “She was, but she’s gone.” His eyes misted. “Now it’s up to me to take care of Pearl.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “My only concern is my congregation. On that score, you and I are in the same boat.”

  “How so?”

  “If you leave Denver, you’ll worry about Miss Clarke and that baby.”

  Tobias had a point. Adie did a good job of running Swan’s Nest, but the big house needed constant upkeep. If Josh left, she’d be wise to hire help…or to marry. He blinked and imagined a faceless man bringing her flowers. Only a fool wouldn’t see Adie’s fine traits, including her pretty red hair. When the right man came along, she’d fall in love and Stephen would have a father.

  Josh wanted to be that man. He wanted sole claim to Adie and to raise Stephen as his own flesh-and-blood. The plan had a certain logic, but he worried about Adie’s hostility to his calling. Josh had another problem, one just as big as Adie’s lack of faith. Thoughts of marriage filled him with joy, but preaching in the biggest church in Denver took him back to the worst days of his life.

  Tobias turned the buggy down a narrow street. “What’s the real reason you’re being stubborn about my offer?”

  The answer rolled off Josh’s lips. “Pride made me a hypocrite. I destroyed my sister’s life.”

  “So you got knocked off your high horse.”

  “Yes,” he answered. “Leading a church like Colfax Avenue might stir up my pride.”

  Tobias harrumphed.

  Josh frowned. “You don’t believe me.”

  “I believe you,” he answered. “I know you’re full of pride. So am I. So what?”

  Josh took offense. “I’m trying to be faithful.”

  “Nonsense. You’re acting like a whipped dog.”

  “Sir?”

  “Good men do battle with themselves every day. You know the scriptures.”

  Of course he did. He’d memorized Paul’s famous words to the Romans. Like every other man, Josh sometimes did what he didn’t want to do, or he didn’t do what he knew to be right.

  “You fell off your horse at a full gallop,” Tobias said. “It’s about time you climbed back on.”

  Josh had to admire the man’s insight. Tobias had seen his deepest fear and dared him to face it. Josh had a lot of faults, but being weak-willed wasn’t one of them. “I’ll think about it.”

  “That’s all I’m asking.” Tobias gave a crisp nod. “Go home tonight and have supper with Miss Clarke. Hold that baby in your arms and then decide.”

  Josh laughed. “You argue well, sir.”

  As the old man steered the buggy down the street behind the church, Josh looked at the stone wall and saw another stained glass window. It depicted a stream meandering through a meadow. A willow tree hung over the banks. He recognized the first of the Psalms and a particular verse, “And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water.” For months he’d been like the stream, wandering through a dry and thirsty land. Now he wanted to be the tree, planted firmly in Denver.

  Tobias broke into his thoughts. “I’d like to hear you preach sometime.”

  “Come to Brick’s.”

  “Better yet, you come to Colfax Avenue.”

  “I’m not—”

  “Hold on,” Tobias said. “All I’m asking is one Sunday.”

  Josh liked the idea. He could test
the waters and himself, but he worried about his little flock.

  “I’ve got a commitment to the folks at Brick’s.”

  “Invite them.”

  He couldn’t see bleary-eyed cowboys mixing with society matrons, nor could he imagine the girls from Miss Elsa’s in the front row. As for Adie, he doubted she’d set foot in a stone building with stained glass. In the end, though, Josh knew the choice came down to one question. On Sunday morning, where did God want him to be?

  Tobias’s jaw hardened. “You can preach your heart out, Reverend. Christ drove the money changers out of the temple and he wasn’t gentle about it. Franklin Dean defiled my daughter. I’d like to see him taken to task.”

  “You could do it yourself, sir.”

  “I’m too angry.”

  Josh understood. He’d forgiven Dennis Hagan in principle, but his fists still wanted to flatten the man.

  When they reached the telegraph office, Tobias stopped the buggy. As soon as Josh climbed out, the older man shook the reins. As the rig rounded the corner, a carriage approached from the same direction. Josh recognized the matched bays that belonged to Franklin Dean. In the seat sat Horace. Josh wanted to haul him to jail with his own two hands, but he couldn’t prove the man’s involvement. Neither could he link Dean to the crimes. On the other hand, he could take Tobias’s offer and preach a barn-burner about two-faced moneychangers.

  The thought tempted him, but taking Tobias’s pulpit, even for one Sunday, scared Josh as a hot stove frightened a child. He knew his weaknesses. He also knew his strengths. By faith, Peter had walked on water. He’d doubted and sunk, but Christ had lifted him up. Josh felt that same hand on his shoulder, lifting him up and pointing the way to Colfax Avenue Church.

  But, Lord, what about Adie?