A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Your Wedding
Page 18
“You mean you’ve forgiven me?” he asked still smiling while tilting his head to the side.
“Forgive one another as I have forgiven you,” Kari paraphrased from Ephesians.
“You know your Bible, Miss Montgomery.”
“I hope so. My father and mother had me memorize a chapter a week from the time I was ten.”
“Good for them. I wish more parents took that much interest in their children’s moral upbringing.”
“You’re the youth pastor at Grace, aren’t you?”
“Yes. I love it. Of course, Alice says it’s because I’m as juvenile as they are.”
“Is that true?”
“Well, I’ll just say that I take pleasure in being able to serve God, stay young, and even enjoy my job.” He playfully raised his eyebrows at her as he took a sip of his soda.
“What brought you to work with the youth?” She knew her questions were becoming probing and personal, but he was the one who insisted on having this lunch so she figured she’d ask the questions.
“I love working with them so it was never a question.” A harsh expression crossed his face, but as soon as it had arrived it was gone. “Actually that’s not true. When I started college, I was going to be a lawyer like my father, but I knew God was calling me to be a pastor. I finished my degree in pre-law to please my parents and then went off to the theological seminary.”
“Your parents aren’t happy about your chosen profession,” said Kari more as a statement than a question. She was amazed at how free and open he was with his personal history. She very rarely revealed herself to anyone.
Randy laced his fingers together in front of himself. “No, Dad is still reeling I didn’t go to law school. He wouldn’t pay for the seminary. He kept hoping I’d give up this nonsense and go on to law school later. I didn’t.”
“Where do your parents live?” She leaned her cheek into her open palm, her elbow supported on the table as she asked her question.
“I grew up in upstate New York, Sackets Harbor. It borders on Lake Ontario.”
“Sounds lovely.”
“It is. You’d like it; there’s a lot of history. It was a great place to grow up. We were members of the country club and the yacht club, but I always felt like something was missing from my life.”
“Your parents weren’t Christians?”
“Nope. Not then, not now. My father is what you would call an agnostic. Although before I decided to go into church work, he was just ambivalent to God. Now it’s like he has declared war. He wants nothing to do with anything Christian. He’s still angry I chose to follow God instead of practicing law.”
“So how did you and Alice become Christians?”
“When I was 17, a revival came through and I decided to go. Alice was always tagging along with me, and in the end we both went forward and accepted Christ. My life has never been the same since.”
“I’m sure it hasn’t. God has a way of doing that to you.”
“Amen to that. When did you become a Christian?”
“Well, growing up in a Christian home, I felt like I always knew the gospel, but when I was seven I realized I hadn’t actually asked Christ into my heart. I asked my mother about it and prayed right in my bedroom one night. My life has been fairly normal—no drug stories, no awesome transformation.”
“That’s great. God doesn’t want us to suffer. He instructs in His Word how to live not as a stranger who wants to keep us from fun but as the protecting father who wants to guard us from harm.”
“Very true.” Kari was intrigued by the man sitting next to her. He was so honest and open. And every time he looked or smiled at her she felt her heart lurch inside. It was a worrisome feeling. She looked down at her watch. “I really have to get back to campus and prepare for tomorrow.”
“What are you doing tomorrow?”
“Usually it would just be another day at church, but I’m teaching a Sunday school class for a friend of mine who has been sick with the flu this week.”
“Well, I wouldn’t want to interfere with that. I’ll walk you back to campus.”
“No. Please don’t bother.”
“I insist,” he said with a playful smile.
Kari was tempted to give into him as she glanced at his blue eyes glistening in the sun, but her intuition was twittering around inside her, telling her it wasn’t a wise decision. She was already feeling a bit too close and comfortable with him as it was. She needed to place some distance between them and the best way she knew how to do that was to think of him as a pastor rather than as a man. “I really appreciate you taking me to lunch today, Pastor Steele, but…”
“Please, you’ve got to drop the Pastor Steele. Call me Randy or at least call me what everyone at church calls me, Pastor Randy.”
“Okay, Pastor Randy, thanks for lunch, but I really need to get back. I’m sure you have to catch a train so don’t put yourself out for me.”
“It’s no trouble.”
His gorgeous smile was just too unnerving. He was like the proverbial knight in shining armor. But as much as she enjoyed his company, it scared her. Her stomach tightened, and she just wanted to get away. “I really wish you wouldn’t.”
Randy’s smile slid off his face instantaneously as if he had received a silent message. His face clouded over with irritation, and he sat up straight. “Sure. I understand, Miss Montgomery . Thanks for taking the time to humor the pastor kid.” He stood up with precision. The muscles in his jaw were tight, and the expression in his blue eyes was intense and troubling. “Goodbye.” Without another word, he took off down the street toward the train station.
Kari remained in her seat stunned by his departure, a knot forming in her stomach. She never even tried to stop him from leaving or explain what she really thought of him. She just sat there like an observer to the whole scene. When his shrinking silhouette was all she could see of him, Kari rose from the table and walked off in the direction of the college campus, her heart full of concern.
Table of Contents
A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To Your Wedding
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty