Arizona Pastor

by Jennifer Collins Johnson

  Mel shook her head. “I feel pretty good. Just a little nausea.” She placed one hand on her stomach. “I go to the bathroom. Like, a lot.” Her face reddened, and she glanced at Joel, then turned away quickly.

  “That’s perfectly normal.” The nurse flipped a paper over. “Your chart says you should be about eleven weeks. We should be able to hear the baby’s heartbeat today.”

  “That’s why we’re all here,” Joel piped up. His face shone with pride as he pushed a strand of hair behind Mel’s ear.

  The gesture was so natural and sweet, Kristy felt as though a fist clenched her heart. It was obvious Joel loved Mel. Would that love last forever? Was he mature enough to make a commitment to her and keep it? She thought of all the coworkers, even fellow church members, who’d got divorces. Some had married young, but some hadn’t. What was the key to staying married?

  She knew what her parents would say. You stay together and work it out. Just thinking about it, she could almost hear her mother’s voice when Carrie and Michael had got engaged. You won’t like him every day of your marriage, but you stick it out with him until you do like him again. And don’t worry, you will. A grin split her lips at the memory.

  The door opened, and the doctor walked in. He extended his hand. “How are we doing, Mel?”

  “Anxious to hear the baby’s heartbeat,” she responded.

  He shook Joel’s hand, then Kristy’s. “I bet you are.”

  Turning away from them, he washed his hands, then put on latex gloves. He picked up the Doppler machine and then instructed Mel to lie back on the table. After applying gel, he placed the Doppler monitor on her belly.

  Mel released a slight gasp, and Kristy placed her hand over her mouth. She felt as though she were in someone else’s body. Her daughter wasn’t lying on a table with a monitor on her abdomen. Her daughter was going to college. Her daughter was going to make perfect grades. Become an amazing lawyer.

  Then a rhythmic beat filled the room.

  “Found it,” said the doctor.

  Tears streamed down Mel’s temples, and using tender motions, Joel brushed them away. Kristy felt her own heart beat faster as the doctor turned up the monitor and the sound grew stronger. That was her grandbaby.

  * * *

  Wade motioned for Mel and Joel to have a seat on the couch in his living room. “Thanks for being willing to switch locations. The church’s air-conditioning should be fixed tomorrow.”

  “Mom said the committee meeting was postponed for tonight.” Mel sat down and crossed one leg over the other. She seemed more at peace than the previous time he’d seen her, which had been when she and Carrie had battled about Mel’s choices for the future. Joel sat beside her and took her hand in his. Every time Wade saw the two of them, Joel was reaching for her hand.

  Bo scratched at the back door, then whined a wounded plea. The overgrown pup knew Wade had guests, and he’d probably cause a ruckus the entire counseling session.

  “I forgot you had a dog,” Joel said.

  “He’s such a cutie. Let him in, Pastor Wade.” Mel jutted her thumb toward Joel, then herself. “We don’t care if he jumps on us.”

  “I don’t want him to be a distraction.”

  “Don’t worry,” said Mel. “We’ll focus.”

  “Yeah. I’ll just pet him and listen at the same time,” added Joel.

  The two sounded like young teens begging their dad to let them see the new puppy in the house, and yet in a month’s time, they’d be newly married. They’d be parents in January. They’d grow up with their son or daughter, but they could still be good parents if they kept their focus on God’s will for their and the baby’s lives.

  Wade let Bo in the back door. The dalmatian’s tail wagged as he dashed into the living room to sniff out the guests. “Sit, Bo,” Wade instructed.

  The canine plopped down beside Joel. “What a great dog!” Joel petted his head, and Bo offered his paw. After shaking, Joel laughed. “He’s smart, too.”

  Wade clapped his hands as he took the chair across from the couple. “How have you been the past couple weeks?”

  “Great,” said Joel.

  Mel added, “We finished the reading and questions you gave us, based on 1 Corinthians 13.”

  “What did you think?”

  Mel’s eyes twinkled with delight. “It was really cool to read the Bible and pray together. We’ve never done that before.”

  “I liked the part where we talked about keeping no records of wrongs.” Joel elbowed Mel. “She’s not supposed to badger me about my mistakes.”

  “And he’ll have to be patient when I accidentally spend too much at the mall.”

  Wade furrowed his brows. “Let’s not focus on what you shouldn’t do but rather on what love means. You’re human. You won’t be perfect, but you can strive to love and think of the other first.”

  “We’re just teasing, Pastor Wade. Actually, this weekend I had the opportunity to show love through patience,” said Mel.

  “She did.” Joel nodded. “We’d planned a date last Friday. She’d got all fixed up, but one of our customers had a plumbing emergency. None of the other guys were able to take the job on short notice.”

  “So he went, and I stayed home with a movie rental and a bag of microwave popcorn.”

  “And she wasn’t mad,” said Joel.

  Mel shook her head. “I really wasn’t. I knew it wasn’t his fault.”

  Wade smiled and nodded his head. “That’s a great example. There will be many times in your marriage when plans will go wrong or one of you will let the other one down. You have to stay committed despite the challenges.”

  He picked up the folder off the coffee table and pulled out the two questionnaires they’d filled out two weeks ago. “Have you discussed your answers?”

  Joel shook his head. “We waited. Just like you suggested.”

  “I tried to get him to talk.” Mel twisted her mouth and rolled her eyes. “But the guy was like a steel trap.”

  Wade chuckled. “Okay. You both answered some basic questions about your preconceived ideas about your roles after marriage. Who does the laundry, the cooking, pays the bills and whatnot.” He handed the papers back to them. “Read over your fiancé’s responses. Do you have like-minded expectations?”

  Wade patted his leg, and Bo sat beside him while the couple looked at each other’s answers. Mel hadn’t mentioned anything about if she’d considered Carrie’s suggestion to wait a while to have the wedding. He wondered if Mel had even told Joel about the confrontation she’d had with her aunt. He glanced up at the clock on the wall. Kristy had agreed to meet him for dinner after the session. Though he conceded to the possibility that she might try to pry information out of him, he hoped she genuinely wanted to spend time with him, as well.

  “You expect me to do all the laundry?” Mel’s question interrupted his thoughts.

  Joel shrugged. “My mom always has. I just figured that’s the way it would be.”

  “I’m fine with doing it, but I want you to take care of cleaning the toilets.” She wrinkled her nose. “They truly make me want to barf.”

  “I don’t have a problem with that. I spend a good part of my day looking at toilets. What’s one or two more?”

  Wade rubbed his hands together. “This is great. You’re doing exactly what this activity is meant to do—look at what the other expects and then compromise on the expectations.”

  Mel flipped the paper over. “Looks like we thought the same things about most of these questions.”

  Wade affirmed her remark. “Actually, I was surprised at how well you seemed to know each other.”

  “We’ve dated two years,” Joel commented.

  “True, but most teenagers don’t seem to understand each other that well.”

  “That’s why we’re going to make it.” Mel stomped her foot and added a single, definitive nod of her head. “Joel and I talked about my—” she cleared her throat “—discussion with my aunt Carrie.
We’re not going to put off the wedding.”

  Wade didn’t comment. Besides their ages, he didn’t have any real objections. They wanted to follow the Lord, and they were already going to have a child together. He wondered if she’d shared the decision with Kristy.

  “Did you see the last line?” Joel pointed to the paper in Mel’s hand. “I want to get married, but I agree with Carrie on one thing.”

  “You want me to go to school?”

  Joel raked his fingers through the mop of hair on his head. “You’re too smart, Mel. You have too much potential. I want you to start school this fall. Just take off spring semester when you have the baby.”

  Tears welled in Mel’s eyes. “You think we can do it? I want to. But I didn’t want to put extra pressure on you.”

  “Of course we can. I’ll be more stressed if my brilliant wife doesn’t go to college.”

  Wade scratched behind Bo’s ear and chewed the inside of his lip as the young woman wrapped her arms around Joel’s neck. They were young, but they understood what love was. With God’s guidance, they would be just fine.

  Chapter 13

  Kristy pressed her back against the wall that had a green bull’s-eye in the center and various angular red fluorescent shapes around the corners. She looked down at the flashing purple vest adorning her upper body and the laser gun, which glowed the same bright purple each time she pressed the trigger. How had she been talked into this?

  A brown-haired boy who couldn’t have been older than nine spied her again and started shooting his red rays at her. She jumped and ran around the walls in search of another hiding place. Aliens with oversize heads and bulging eyes stared down at her in the Area 51–themed arena.

  Tilting her head, she wished she could hear someone drawing near her. From this angle, she felt sure she could do some laser-tag damage. Especially to the nine-year-old. Or Wade. She still wasn’t sure what he’d said to get her to agree to this.

  The boy jumped out from behind a wall to her right. Another person hopped out from the left. The two blasted her at the same time until she lifted her hands in the air. “I’ve never been a fighter,” she squealed.

  The game ended, and she saw that her second attacker was Wade. He laughed. “I don’t know if I agree with that statement. You’ve got a lot of spunk.”

  They turned in their equipment. The group of children who’d been stuck with her on their team scowled when she passed by them. She shrugged and motioned to Wade. “I knew I’d be awful. He made me do it.”

  Though Wade laughed, the children’s expressions didn’t change. He pulled a few bills out of his jeans’ pocket. “Here. Play another couple games. I’m not surprised she was awful. I take full responsibility for your loss.”

  The kids cheered, and Wade leaned back in a full belly laugh.

  Kristy narrowed her gaze and punched his arm. “Hey! This was all your idea. I’ve never been in a laser-tag arena, much less participated in one.”

  He continued to goad her. “You should have seen yourself. Hiding in all the corners.”

  She pointed to the Cosmic Golf game. Unlike any course she’d ever seen, this one was played in the dark. The course, clubs and balls were lit up with fluorescent lights. This was her first time to Wazee’s World. The place was terrific for kids. In addition to the laser tag and miniature golf, there were inflatables and a snack bar. “We gonna play?”

  Wade lifted his right shoulder. “If you want.”

  Kristy clapped her hands and then rubbed them together. She might not have played at this miniature golf course before, but she’d mastered others. “Let’s see who’ll be the big loser now.”

  He clicked his tongue and winked. “You’re on.”

  The course was only nine holes, half the length of a regular one. Adjusting to aiming at lit-up holes was a bit trickier than Kristy had originally thought. The first hole, she putted twice, and Wade made it in one.

  “Oh, Kristy, Kristy.” He shook his head and puckered his lips in feigned pity. “I should have told you my nickname before we started.”

  “What’s that?”

  “Winning Wade.” He made a muscle and twisted his fist left to right. “I can’t even remember the last time I lost.”

  “Well, Mr. Humility. Mark my words. Tonight is the night.”

  With determination, Kristy analyzed the second hole. She mentally calculated the best angles and the amount of strength to put behind the swing. This time she made a hole in one. She gave Wade two thumbs-up. “It’s on.”

  They continued to banter as they made their way through the holes. Kristy busted out laughing when Wade snorted after he missed an easy putt. Her gut ached from the muscle strain, and she realized she couldn’t remember the last time she’d had so much fun.

  The game ended in a tie. Wade offered his hand. “Truce?”

  Debating if she wanted to challenge him to another round or accept his gesture, she tapped her finger against her cheek. Wade stuck out his lower lip and blinked several times. She chuckled and accepted his hand. “Truce.”

  Before she had time to respond, he pulled her close and wrapped his other arm around her. His warm breath tickled her ear as he whispered, “I still beat you at laser tag.”

  A chill rushed down her spine. He must have realized their closeness, because the blue of his eyes seemed to darken with the intensity of his gaze. He looked down at her lips, and she sucked in her breath. What would she do if he kissed her? She wanted him to kiss her. Wanted it so much she leaned forward.

  Wade jumped back and scratched his stubbly jaw. “What do you say we go get something to eat?”

  Kristy’s heart plunged. She couldn’t tell if he was nervous or if he really didn’t want to kiss her. He was the pastor of the church. She shouldn’t want him to anyway. “That sounds good.”

  They headed to the snack bar and ordered slices of pizza and soft drinks. Sliding into the booth, Kristy decided not to worry whether or not he wanted to kiss her. He was her pastor, new to the community, hadn’t made a lot of friends, had a lot to deal with at church... Just a plethora of adjustments. He’d become a good friend. She didn’t want to think about romantic interests anyway. Her daughter was getting married and having a baby. She was about to be a grandmother. The last thing she needed was a boyfriend.

  Kristy picked up her slice and blew on it for several seconds. She had such a good time with Wade. He was easy to talk to. He truly cared about things, including her daughter and the church, specifically. When she felt overwhelmed, he seemed to sense it.

  She kind of hoped he wanted to kiss her.

  * * *

  When the church service ended, Wade asked one of the deacons, Ron Rice, to close in prayer. Wade made his way to the front door so he could shake hands with the parishioners as they left. He pulled a mint out of his pocket, took off the wrapper and then popped it in his mouth. The piano came alive, and he straightened his posture and smiled.

  “Wonderful message, Pastor,” said a woman. She took his hand and patted the top a couple of times before releasing him. Her husband nodded as they moved out the door.

  “Hey, Pastor Wade.” One of the preteen boys skittered past him and then ran to the play area at the side of the church.

  “Be careful,” Wade called when two more boys raced past him to follow the first.

  Holding her five-year-old daughter’s hand, Becca shook Wade’s with her free one. “I’ve noticed the sermons have been a bit shorter.”

  “Has that helped the nursery workers?”

  She nodded. “It really has.” She released his handshake and brushed a stray hair away from her cheek. “I didn’t mean you shouldn’t preach what God calls you to—”

  Wade stopped her. “I understood completely. I have no intention of hindering the Holy Spirit, but I don’t want to wear out our volunteers, either.”

  “I’m glad you understand what I meant.”

  Her young daughter tugged Becca’s hand as she grabbed the front of
her dress. “Mom, I gotta go to the bathroom.”

  Wade tapped the little girl’s nose, then pointed to the restroom and looked at Becca. “You better listen to this cutie.”

  While they scurried down the hall, he saw Michael and Carrie approaching him. He lifted his arms, palms up. “Where’s that sweet baby?”

  “He’s here.” Michael took his hand in a firm shake.

  Carrie motioned around the corner. “He started to fuss during the service, so Kristy took him to the nursery for us.”

  “Which was very nice, because we haven’t been able to attend an actual church service in over a month,” added Michael.

  A vision of Kristy holding baby Noah to her chest traipsed through his mind. She was such a naturally beautiful woman, and she loved so completely. And at only thirty-six, she wasn’t too old to have another child. One

  who shared his last name.

  He blinked several times to push the thoughts away. He was thankful Michael and Carrie couldn’t read his mind.

  He glanced at Carrie and noted her sly grin. He furrowed his brows. At least, he was pretty sure they couldn’t read his thoughts.

  Carrie tilted her head. “Kristy mentioned the two of you went to Wazee’s World yesterday.”

  Michael’s jaw dropped. “You did? I’ve been wanting to check out that place. The owners are big military supporters. You know I’m still in the National Guard.”

  Wade hoped Michael would keep talking about the military so that Carrie didn’t ask any more questions. By the mischievous expression on her face, Wade felt sure she planned to say more.

  Carrie wrapped her arm around Michael’s elbow. “She called last night. Said she had a terrific time. That you’d even tied her at miniature golf.”

  Michael’s eyes widened. “Wish I’d been there. I’d have loved to see Kristy lose.”

  “Tie,” said Carrie.

  Wade winked. “I went easy on her.”

  Carrie blew out her breath. “I doubt it. I think she was just distracted.”

  Michael wrinkled his nose. “Yeah, I heard the course has all black lights. That could throw a person off.”