A Test of Faith

by Carol Cox

  “Attaboy, Danny,” Livvy hollered. “Now get back on defense!”

  Kate added her voice to the cheers and eagerly awaited the next play.

  “Crazy thing that happened down at the diner the other night, wasn’t it?” The male voice behind her sounded a bit like Jim Hepburn, the Humane Society’s volunteer dog catcher. He was subdued but still loud enough for her to hear over the noise on the court.

  Kate’s shoulders tensed, and Livvy gave her a quizzical glance. Without giving any indication that she had heard the comment, Kate tipped her cup to drain the last drops of the sweet chocolate drink.

  “No kidding!” The response was a bit louder, but this time Kate couldn’t put a name with the voice. “Have they got any idea who did it?”

  “Nah, that’s a mystery.” The first speaker lowered his voice, and Kate strained to hear, all the while reminding herself about the evils of eavesdropping.

  “I thought it might have been ol’ J. B. Packer, and the sheriff thought so too, but apparently several people saw him out at the Dew Drop Inn, and that cleared him of all suspicion. So no one knows. The even bigger mystery is how Kate Hanlon’s wallet got in that car. Did you hear about that?”

  His companion snorted. “Yeah, wild isn’t it? I mean, her being the pastor’s wife and all. I bet there’s more to that than she’d like anybody to know.”

  Kate elbowed Livvy and hissed out of the corner of her mouth. “Paranoid, huh?”

  Livvy’s eyebrows drew together, but she didn’t give an audible response.

  Kate wondered whether to turn around and acknowledge the statement or just huddle within the shelter of her coat. She settled for scrunching down in her seat, pulling her coat collar up around her ears.

  Like a turtle retreating into its shell, she thought in disgust. Throwing her distaste for eavesdropping to the wind, she edged farther back and tuned in to the rest of the conversation.

  “Any word coming out of the sheriff’s office about what they’ve found out?”

  The bleachers jiggled slightly, and Kate heard Ronda, one of the stylists at Betty’s Beauty Parlor, join the furtive conversation, talking at a mile-a-minute pace.

  “Did I hear you two talking about the Mustang that tore up Loretta’s place? It’s sure a shame the diner’s shut down. When is she going to open it back up again?”

  Ronda barely paused for breath before going on. “And what was the thing about...oh!”

  Kate didn’t have to turn around to know that her presence had been pointed out. She clenched her hands and felt the foam cup crumple in her fist.

  Chapter Six

  The crowd erupted into cheers. Kate looked up again. Someone must have scored a basket, but she couldn’t have told which team it was. She checked the scoreboard: Faith Briar, 8; Copper Mill Presbyterian, 6.

  When did all that happen? She took a deep cleansing breath and made a deliberate effort to regain her focus on the game.

  Instead, she noticed for the first time the number of faces that turned her way, then quickly averted their eyes when they saw her looking back.

  She leaned to her left and murmured in Livvy’s ear. “Are you sure you want to be seen sitting with me? I seem to be drawing as much attention as the game is.”

  Livvy tore her gaze from the court, where Morgan Carlyle had just blocked Paul’s shot.

  “What are you talking about? Just because a few people decide to gossip—”

  Kate shook her head. “It isn’t just that. Take a look around the bleachers. People are staring, and it isn’t at the action on the floor.”

  “I think your imagination is working overtime.” Livvy shot a quick glance around the rows of seats below them. Suddenly Kate saw her stiffen, and the rest of her protest died on her lips.

  Livvy drew in a breath. “I see what you mean. I’m sorry I didn’t take it seriously.” Her face tightened, and she reached over to squeeze Kate’s hand. “Do you want to leave? I’ll go with you, and we can find someplace quiet to talk things over.”

  “No.” Uttering the brief word took a surprising amount of effort. “That would only stir up more speculation.”

  Livvy looked doubtful. “If you’re sure.”

  Kate squared her shoulders and assumed an air of confidence she didn’t feel. “I haven’t done anything wrong, and I’m not going to slink away like I’m guilty.”

  “That’s probably the best way to deal with it,” Livvy agreed. “It’s sure to blow over soon.” She patted Kate’s hand, then turned her attention back to the game.

  Kate ordered herself to ignore the whispers and furtive glances but found that was easier said than done. She remembered her childhood fascination with looking through a pair of binoculars from the wrong end, and the way it made objects close-up appear to be at a great distance.

  The same thing seemed to be happening now, without the need for a pair of inverted lenses. Though seated in the midst of a cheering throng, she had the odd sensation of being set totally apart from it all, of looking at familiar things from the far side of a gap she couldn’t hope to bridge.

  Unbidden, thoughts of all the things she and Paul had done since coming to Copper Mill paraded through her mind. How many times had they reached out to help people in the community? How many times had they encouraged and believed in people everyone else had given up on? Her throat thickened, and she tried to swallow the obstinate lump away. Instead, her throat tightened, and tears threatened to spill over. Kate reached up to dash the moisture from her eyes, hoping Livvy wouldn’t notice.

  She should have known better. No sooner had she wiped her cheeks with her fingers than Livvy fixed her with a compassionate look that threatened to start her eyes brimming over once more.

  Livvy seized Kate’s wrist and tugged her to her feet. “Come on,” she ordered. “I know you don’t want to slink away, but you do need a break from all these prying eyes.” She led the way down the bleachers and out to the short hallway that led to the restrooms.

  Kate leaned against the wall and attempted a smile. “Just for the record, I feel utterly ridiculous. I didn’t mean to make a scene. It’s just that...”

  Tears stung her eyes again, and Kate blinked rapidly to keep them at bay. “It’s just that we’ve worked so hard at fitting in here. Living in Copper Mill is so different from what we knew in San Antonio, but we’ve tried our best to adapt.”

  “And you’ve done an admirable job of it.” Livvy spoke with the conviction of a true-blue friend. “I know it hasn’t been easy for you.”

  “No,” Kate admitted, “it hasn’t. But we truly believe this is where God wants us to be.” She drew a long, shaky breath. “Now that we finally feel like we’re fitting in, I can’t help but wonder if this episode with the runaway Mustang will be the undoing of all our efforts?”

  Livvy’s eyes widened, and she planted her hands on her hips. “Don’t you let yourself think that for a moment, Kate Hanlon! God isn’t about to let that happen. Do you really believe he’s going to let some crazy incident interfere with his plans? You had nothing to do with what happened at the diner.”

  “Whether I did or not isn’t the point. The point is whether everyone believes I did. Once a notion gets planted in people’s heads—whether true or not—it’s as hard to uproot as...as kudzu.”

  Livvy clicked her tongue. “But all anyone has to do is look at what you and Paul have done since you came here. Look at all the ways you helped rebuild the church. And you were responsible for buying the property next door to set up the food pantry. You’re both available to anyone who has a problem, regardless of whether they’re a member of Faith Briar. If you weigh all that against one isolated event, any fair-minded person can see which is a true picture of your character.”

  “But life isn’t always fair.” A sigh escaped Kate’s lips. “Think about it, Livvy. If we’ve overheard two snippets of gossip just sitting in the stands at a church league basketball game, how much more is being said out around the community?”
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br />   Kate’s shoulders slumped. “And all because my wallet wound up in a place it shouldn’t have been.”

  Livvy wagged her head back and forth. “I still think you’re making mountains out of molehills. You and Paul are doing your best to do God’s work and God’s will in this place, right?”

  Kate looked down at her tightly knotted hands, then back up at Livvy. “Right, but no matter how hard we try, that doesn’t mean things will always go the way we want them to.”

  Livvy’s hazel eyes shone with compassion, and she reached out to grip Kate’s shoulders. “No, but it does mean this is God’s work, not yours. Quit beating yourself up for things you can’t change, and let him take care of it. He knows what he’s doing.”

  This time the tears that sprang to Kate’s eyes were tears of joy. She gave Livvy a quick hug. “Thanks for the reminder. You’re such a wonderful friend.”

  She followed Livvy back to their seats with a far lighter heart. God was in control; all she had to do was follow his lead. How had she lost sight of that simple truth? He had brought them to Copper Mill. She knew that beyond the shadow of a doubt. His plans and his timing were perfect.

  A sudden thought dimmed her optimism. What if she and Paul had been placed in Copper Mill for a season and were meant to move on from there to start over again somewhere else?

  Her throat tightened again at the idea. As different as Copper Mill was from anything she had known before, the thought of leaving hurt more than she ever would have dreamed.

  But what if that proved to be the case? Maybe their stay in Copper Mill had only been a time of testing. And what a test she was going through right now!

  How am I supposed to handle this, Lord? Never before had she faced dealing with people who questioned her integrity or wondered what kind of shenanigans she had been up to.

  “Way to go, Pastor Paul!”

  Kate jerked her head up in time to see the ball swish into Faith Briar’s basket. Paul had just made a three-point shot.

  The halftime buzzer sounded, and the jubilant Faith Briar team gathered around Paul, pounding him on the back. Wearing a victorious grin, he looked up, his eyes searching for Kate in the bleachers.

  She fixed a bright smile on her face and clapped enthusiastically, determined to hide her bleak thoughts. The idea that something she hadn’t done, but was being blamed for, had the potential to hurt the man she loved wrenched at her heart.

  It had been a big decision for Paul to make the move to Copper Mill, but once the choice had been made, he’d thrown himself, heart and soul, into his new position. What would the cloud of suspicion brought on by all the gossip do to him?

  Maybe he would never have to deal with it. Not if she could solve the mystery before the whispers reached him.

  Around her, people got to their feet and headed for the gym floor. Livvy stood and grinned at Kate.

  “How about some popcorn? All that talking has made me hungry.”

  Kate started to rise, then decided against it. If she stayed put, she wouldn’t be forced to mingle or talk to anyone.

  “I’m fine,” she said. “But you go ahead.”

  Livvy nodded and hurried to join the throng heading toward the concession stand.

  Kate pulled her coat up over her shoulders again and looked around the gym. Everyone else in the building, it seemed, was talking, joking, enjoying the evening and the companionship of friends.

  Down at the Faith Briar bench, Paul was laughing at something with the rest of the team. Only Kate sat in solitude, an island of loneliness in a sea of conviviality.

  She hadn’t felt so isolated since they left San Antonio.

  BY THE TIME the buzzer signaled the second half of the game, Kate had determined to pull herself out of her doldrums by choosing a brighter attitude. She would ignore what was going on around her and pay more attention to the rest of the game. It was the least she could do for Paul. For Livvy.

  For herself.

  To her relief, the ploy worked, boosting her spirits enough so that she was able to concentrate on the action on the court and join Livvy in shouting encouragement to Faith Briar’s team. Thankfully, the rest of the crowd appeared just as caught up in the intense action, focusing more on the game than on speculation about her wayward wallet.

  Kate watched the score seesaw back and forth, shaking off her blues enough to cheer wildly when Paul scored two more baskets.

  The clock on the scoreboard clicked off the remaining minutes in the game, with Faith Briar hanging on to a scant lead.

  Then Copper Mill Presbyterian made a desperate last-ditch rally, increasing their score until only two points separated the teams.

  The players raced up and down the court, the tension growing by the second until, with a mighty effort, Paul blocked a three-point shot that would have won the game for the Presbyterians.

  The crowd roared and rose to its feet as the final buzzer sounded.

  Down on the court, members of the opposing teams shook hands, with a few good-natured jibes thrown in from both sides. As the players filed away to the locker rooms, the Copper Mill Presbyterian coach struck a pose and grinned.

  “We’ll be back,” he yelled, doing a bad Schwarzenegger imitation. His jibe got the desired response, as laughter rose around the gym.

  Kate took her time slipping her arms into her coat and gave the bleachers a chance to clear out. Livvy lingered beside her, as if sensing Kate’s desire to keep her distance from the rest of the spectators. Together they descended the bleachers and waited while the crowd filtered out of the gym.

  Danny and Justin emerged from the locker room. Livvy waved but didn’t move to join them.

  Kate chuckled and nudged Livvy with her elbow. “You don’t have to hover over me, you know. I’ll be fine...really. Go on and celebrate with your family.”

  Livvy’s eyes sparkled. “I’m glad you’re feeling better. Have a great evening, and we’ll talk soon.”

  A short time later, Paul appeared from the locker room, carrying his sports bag in one hand. Feeling carefree for the first time since she entered the gym, Kate hurried over to him and planted a kiss on his cheek.

  “Congratulations. That was quite a game.”

  “Wasn’t it great?” Paul pumped his fist into the air. “If I hadn’t been able to block that shot, it might have gone the other way.”

  “You’re right! They couldn’t have done it without you.” Kate slipped her arm around his waist and snuggled against his side, feeling as though she had finally reached safe harbor after the storm of suspicion.

  Paul pushed open the outer door with his free hand, and their feet crunched across the gravel parking lot. He tossed his sports bag onto the seat of his pickup.

  “Some of the guys are going to JD’s Smokeshack to celebrate. Are you in the mood for barbecue?” He waggled his eyebrows. “I’ll even let you ride along with me, and we can pick up your car on the way back home.”

  Even by the dim glow of the parking lot lights, Kate could see the excitement in his clear blue eyes. He looked like a little boy offering to share his favorite toy. But she didn’t think she could endure being the target of more stares and whispers this evening.

  “The Smokeshack is going to be awfully crowded on Friday night,” she hedged. She didn’t want to dampen his joy by telling him about the speculation swirling through the community or the dark thoughts clouding her mind.

  She fixed a bright smile on her lips. “And barbecue sounds a little heavy this late, anyway. What do you say to going home and letting me whip up a frittata for you? We can talk about the game, and you can give me all the details from the player’s point of view.”

  She held her breath, wondering if he would see through her subterfuge.

  “An evening talking basketball with my favorite girl?” Paul dropped her a wink that sent a pleasant shiver down her spine. “That sounds like a plan.”

  He reached for the driver’s door of her Accord, parked next to his pickup, and helped her i
nside. Leaning over, he tapped his forefinger on the tip of her nose. “I’ll see you at home.”

  Relief swept through Kate, and she grinned back at him. “I’ll be right behind you.”

  She waited for him to start his pickup and followed as he turned left onto Smoky Mountain Road, breathing a prayer of thanks for his willingness to leave the celebration to the others. An evening at home together would be just the thing to dispel her gloom.

  Chapter Seven

  T rust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.

  Kate stared at the familiar words in Proverbs and traced them lightly with her forefinger. She had committed those verses to memory many years ago, but that particular morning they seemed to take on a deeper meaning in light of her current situation.

  She took a long sip of fresh-ground coffee, then rested her elbows on the arms of her rocker. She leaned her head back against the chair and closed her eyes.

  Lord, I really do need to lean on you. I hate not knowing what’s going on here. Please help me find out the truth. Give me guidance and make my paths straight.

  He would do just that; she felt sure of it. Kate closed her Bible with a renewed feeling of direction, a sense of purpose she hadn’t felt since LuAnne’s call interrupted her sleep three nights earlier.

  She padded to the kitchen, rinsed her coffee mug, and set it on the countertop, optimism welling up within her. God would direct her steps, and it would all work out in the end.

  She would follow her instincts, poke around a bit, and see what she could find out. Maybe she wouldn’t be able to track down the identity of the Mustang’s mystery driver, but with God’s help, she would at least see her name cleared.

  But where to start? She had solved a number of puzzles for others since coming to Copper Mill, so a bit of sleuthing was nothing new to her. But this time she would be doing it on her own behalf.

  Kate pulled out the notepad she used two days earlier when calling the credit-card companies. Carrying it to the kitchen table, she tore off the top sheet and started a new list.