Riley’s Reverend
Quinn Valley Ranch Book 18
Kirsten Osbourne
Copyright © 2019 by Kirsten Osbourne
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Epilogue
About the Author
Also by Kirsten Osbourne
One
Riley sat with her parents, sisters, brothers-in-law, and future brother-in-law in two of the front rows of seats at the church. The family tried to go to church together every Sunday, but they didn’t always manage. Still, they tried, and she knew that God knew she was making an effort every week, and that made her happy.
At the front of the church, a new pastor was preaching. She’d heard from her cousin Robyn that he was in town, but she hadn’t yet set eyes on the man. The very handsome man. Was it wrong to think a pastor was handsome during his sermon? Should she wait to think he was handsome until after church? She hoped she wasn’t doing something wrong, but the man was hot. Very hot. Should hot men be pastors? Maybe that was the question she should be asking.
As she watched him, she noticed his hand shake a little, and twice, his voice quivered. Riley knew how to meet him.
She reached down and grabbed her purse from the floor where she’d plopped it before sitting next to her sister Raina. She dug through it, not wanting to take her eyes off the handsome man in front of her. She had heard his name, but her mind was blank.
She pulled a small pouch out of her purse that was completely filled with crystals. She found three that she thought would help the new pastor and dumped the rest of the rocks into the bottom of her purse before putting the three back into the pouch. It would be her welcome-to-town gift for him.
As soon as the sermon was over, she saw several of the single women in the congregation rush toward him, so she sat quietly, biding her time. She wasn’t going to compete for his attention. If he didn’t give it to her, then she didn’t need it.
As soon as the other women had moved out of the way, she got to her feet and walked toward the front of the church, the small pouch of crystals in her hand. When she reached the podium, she smiled. “I’m Riley Quinn.”
The man’s face lit up. “I live across the street from Robyn. Is she your sister?”
Riley shook her head with a grin. “No, she’s my cousin. I have twenty of them, so it’s hard to keep us all in the right families in your mind. I brought you something.” She held the pouch out by the strings, hoping the man was more open-minded than your average minister. For some reason they all thought the crystals were woo woo and shouldn’t be used for healing. But Riley knew that God had created them to have different frequencies to be able to heal, so why shouldn’t they use what He had provided?
He took the pouch and opened it, dumping the crystals out in his hand. “Pretty.” He had no idea what she wanted him to do with them, but he’d take them.
“I noticed that you were nervous during your sermon, so I thought they might help you. I put amethyst, blue lace agate, and angelite in there. They all help with calm.”
He frowned. “I’m not sure a pastor should believe in things like crystals.”
She sighed. “I disagree, Pastor . . .”
“Blake Coleman. People are calling me Pastor Blake.”
“Well, Pastor Blake, I’d love to take you to lunch and talk to you about healing crystals and why I love them so much. Do you have plans?”
He shook his head, seeming very skeptical. “I don’t. But I can’t let you buy me lunch.”
“So we’ll go Dutch. I don’t care!”
“I’ll buy your lunch. That’s the only way I’m going to eat with you.”
“You don’t have to twist my arm! If we go to the pub, I can get you a discount!”
Blake smiled. “I’m a huge fan of discounts. I believe that it’s our job to be good stewards of the money we have, and that means saving where we can.”
“Do you want to ride together? Or should we meet there?”
He frowned. “Considering I just turned down no less than six lunch invitations, I think we should probably take separate cars to keep from hurting feelings.”
Riley grinned. “I promise I won’t tell!”
He laughed. “All right. I’ll meet you at the pub. They serve food and not just alcohol, right?”
“Oh, yeah. My cousins run the place.” At the look on his face, she laughed. “You’ll get used to every third person being a Quinn. Don’t worry.”
He shook his head. “I do feel a little overwhelmed by all of you.”
“Well, of course you do. We’re everywhere!” She winked at him, heading for the door. “I’ll hurry over and get a table for us. See you soon!” She wasn’t sure if she wanted to explain crystals to him more or if she wanted to just look at him. How handsome could a man be? “I’m going to take a minute to change into something less formal, and then I’ll head to the pub.” She could wear a dress for a few hours, but longer than that and she felt like her brain would explode and start oozing out her ears.
When she got to the pub, her cousin Ivy was there, playing hostess. She was led to a table. “Are you eating alone? That’s just sad, Riley.”
Riley stuck her tongue out at Ivy, realizing she tended to revert to childish ways whenever she was with her cousins. “I’m meeting someone. He’ll be here soon.”
“He? Oooo . . . does Uncle Bob know his last unattached daughter is about to be spoken for? Have you cleared this man with him?”
Riley rolled her eyes. “I’ll have a root beer while I wait.”
“You and your root beers.” Ivy walked away, shaking her head.
Within a minute of Ivy dropping her drink off, Riley looked up and saw him. Pastor Blake. She lifted a hand in a wave and waited for him to join her. He slid into the booth across from her, and she choked for a moment on her nerves, but then she remembered. She was a Quinn in a Quinn restaurant in Quinn Valley. What was there to be afraid of?
He’d changed into jeans and a t-shirt while they’d been apart, and she found herself admiring his shoulders. He must work out to have a body like that. She liked it. A lot.
“Let’s decide what we want, and then I want to talk rocks with you.”
He nodded. “I noticed a crystal shop here in town. Do you work there?”
“No. Trust me, when you meet the proprietor, you will never forget her. Ambrosia has to be seen to be believed!” She sat back and took a sip of her drink.
“Do you already know what you’re getting?” he asked.
“Yeah. I’m doing the shepherd’s pie. I’m a creature of habit, and I always get the shepherd’s pie. It makes me happy.”
He smiled, wondering how she had gotten to be so beautiful. He had promised himself he wouldn’t date any women in the congregation, but he was willing to make an exception for Riley Quinn. If only she wasn’t so obsessed with rocks. “You’ve convinced me. I’m getting the same.”
She raised her hand so Ivy would know to come over and take their orders. “Ahh. The new pastor and my cousin. I should have known.”
“Why do you say that?” Riley asked, wondering what was wrong with Ivy.
“Because the most sought-after man in town is bound to end up with a Quinn. What do you two want to
eat?”
Riley wanted to kick her cousin, but she’d already stuck her tongue out at her. Why be childish again? “We both want the shepherd’s pie.”
Ivy made a note. “What do you want to drink?” she asked the pastor.
“Coke,” he responded. After Ivy left, he looked at Riley. “You really are surrounded by cousins here, aren’t you?”
“You’ve heard the expression you can’t swing a dead cat?” Riley asked.
He laughed. “I guess it’s apt here.”
“So let’s talk crystals,” she said, reaching for the pouch he’d put on the table. “God created crystals, because He created everything, right?”
He nodded, looking at her skeptically. “I can go with that.”
“Well, it’s been found that different crystals resonate at different frequencies, something God also must have done, right?”
“Yes . . . I guess . . .”
“So crystals have been used by ancient civilizations. Native Americans used them for their healing purposes along with many others. They found that they worked. If they work, why don’t you think it’s God that intended for it to happen that way?”
“I . . . have no idea.”
“Well, that’s how it works. You know I’m a believer. My entire family uses crystals. Are you an open-minded man?”
“As a man, yes, I’m open minded. As a reverend, it’s hard to be the same. I need to set an example for my flock.”
“I can understand that, but I’m not talking about the woo woo kind of stuff. The shop in town concentrates on that aspect of the crystals, and the woman who runs it believes that fairies live in crystals.”
“Fairies?” He laughed. “Are you kidding me?”
“No, not at all. I believe in the scientific aspect of crystals. She believes in lots of out-there stuff. So . . . I’d like you to give the crystals a shot. You don’t have to tell anyone you’re carrying them. Just put them in a pocket, and you’ll be fine.”
He frowned at her. “I’m not sure that’s a good thing to do.”
“Why don’t you pray on it?” Riley asked. “Isn’t that where you’d find your answers?”
Blake smiled at her. “You know how to talk to a pastor, don’t you?”
Riley laughed. “I’ve kind of been going to church my whole life, so I know pretty well how to speak to them and get through to them, even when they seem incredibly hardheaded.”
“So tell me, Riley Quinn, do you often ask men to go to lunch with you after church?”
Riley grinned. “You’re the first! Do you often go to lunch with women after church?”
“I used to go out with my mother after church. But now I live here.”
“So where are you from?” she asked. She couldn’t quite place his accent.
“Missouri. My mother and sister are still there.”
“Do you miss it?” she asked.
He nodded. “A little. I’ve been away for a long time, going to college and then seminary, but it’ll always be home.”
“I can understand that. I can’t imagine leaving Quinn Valley.”
“Well, I didn’t live in a town named after my family or anything.”
“Oh, then you’re missing out! You totally need to choose one of the Quinn cousins to marry so that you can be related to the family the town is named after. It’s the only solution.”
“Is that a marriage proposal?” he asked.
Ivy stood next to the table for a moment, holding both of their plates. “What is Uncle Bob going to say when I tell him you asked the new pastor to marry you? He’s going to be so disappointed.”
“He’ll just be glad I didn’t ask a biker to marry me. Go away, Ivy.” Riley wasn’t about to defend herself to her cousin. It was none of Ivy’s business what she’d been saying.
“Fine. But you’d better leave an extra big tip after saying that to me.” Ivy turned and walked away.
“Thanks for that!” Riley said to Blake. “You know I wasn’t proposing, but my whole family will know I proposed to you by tomorrow morning. Quinns tend to talk about each other way too much. Not to non-family of course, but among ourselves.” She looked up and groaned. Her grandma was walking straight toward them. “Hi, Grandma!”
The older woman leaned against the table. “Riley, do you realize this man is the new pastor?”
“Of course I realize that, Grandma!”
“Well, I don’t want you to spend a lot of time with him. His reputation is everything, and he doesn’t need you to ruin it for him.”
Riley’s eyes widened, and she gasped. “Why would you assume I would hurt his reputation? It’s not like I’m running around town drunk or anything.”
“Oh, I know that, and you know that, but the whole town doesn’t know that.” Her grandmother shook her head. “No, I think you need to leave Pastor Blake alone. No need for you to ruin his life.”
As soon as her grandmother walked away, Riley shook her head. “I don’t know what has gotten into her, but I promise you, I will not get you pregnant and leave you high and dry.”
“That’s really good to hear. I was worried about my virtue. You asked me to lunch, and then you proposed. You’re moving awfully fast for a man like me, Riley.”
She made a face. “If you were related to me, I’d tell you to go away.”
He laughed. “You would, would you?”
“Yes!” Riley picked up her fork and took a bite of the shepherd’s pie. It was amazing as always. If only the place wasn’t lousy with relatives, she’d be all set.
He grinned at her, taking a bite himself. “This is wonderful! Thank you for recommending it!”
“You’re welcome. I love it, so I figured everyone should.”
“So what do you do on Sundays? I assume you don’t work.”
“No, I work Tuesday through Saturday. I have Sundays and Mondays off.”
“What do you do?” he asked, taking another bite and giving her his entire focus.
“I’m a crystal healer.” She knew he was going to have something to say about that. “My branch of the family is into the natural healing stuff. My dad owns the inn, and we use the hot springs as healing. Most people who come here for something like that believe in alternative medicine, so we tap into that. One of my sisters is a massage therapist. Another is a foot zoner. My third sister . . . well, she’s an event planner. We try not to be disappointed in her for that.”
He grinned. “Sounds like you’re drinking the family Kool-Aid.”
“Well, sure. Who else is going to drink it?”
Blake sighed. “You’re the first person I’ve felt completely at ease with since I came to this town. What do you say we find something fun to do for the afternoon?”
“Why don’t we go four-wheeling? We can get a couple from the hotel, and I know some great paths.” She loved going four-wheeling, but she usually went alone, which was fun, but not as fun as doing something with him.
“Are you kidding me? That sounds amazing!”
“Let’s do it, then. Well, after lunch, because we do need to eat first.”
“I can’t believe this. You’ve asked me out twice in one day, and you proposed. I’m just not sure what kind of girl you are, Riley.”
Riley shook her head, laughing. She was glad no family had heard that, because they’d have had something to say about it.
As soon as they’d finished eating, Blake paid, and they left for the hotel. Riley had him wait in the car so people wouldn’t make more comments on them, and she borrowed the four-wheelers. She went out with two keys. “I got the last two. We’d better go fast, because if Dad finds out, he’s going to make me leave them for the real guests.”
“Are you sure it’s okay, then?” he asked, frowning at her. He certainly didn’t want to get her in trouble with her father.
“I’m positive. Come on!” She tossed him a key and jumped on one of the four-wheelers, starting it up. “You’re going to love the view from where I’m taking you.”
Blake found he couldn’t resist, hopping on the other four-wheeler and starting it up, immediately following her. She went up a trail toward the nearest mountain, and he followed. He could see a path was already laid out for her, and he wondered how often the trails were used.
An hour later, she reached the spot she wanted him to see and shut off the four-wheeler. “What do you think of my view?” she asked.
He stood at the top of the mountain with her, staring out over the entire town and much farther away. “It’s beautiful. Do you come here often?”
She nodded. “It’s kind of my Sunday thing. Monday is for errands and laundry and all that boring stuff, but Sundays? Sundays are for four-wheeling or snowmobiling. I didn’t think this winter would ever end. I can’t believe we were actually getting snow regularly in late May. I mean, I love snow, but that’s a little much.”
He laughed. “Yeah, we got snow in Missouri, but it wasn’t ever in May. I find the climate here odd. But I’m glad I’ve finally adjusted to the altitude and quit panting every time I move. That’s just embarrassing.”
Riley shrugged. “It’s normal for new people. No reason to be embarrassed. I went to New Orleans for a week once, and when I came back, I couldn’t breathe at all. And I’ve lived here my whole life.”
“Well, I won’t feel bad, then.”
“Good. You shouldn’t.” She stood close enough to the man that their arms would have brushed if either of them had moved. She really wanted to kiss him, but she wasn’t sure if a pastor was allowed to kiss someone he’d just met. Finally, after thinking about it for another minute, she turned to him. “So I’ve asked you out twice and asked you to marry me today. Well, according to you, at least.”
“Yes, you have. You’re a wanton woman!”
“Do pastors get to kiss women they just met? Because I need to see if you kiss as good as you look.”
He let out a bark of laughter. “I’m not sure what to do with you, Riley Quinn.”
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