by Lynne Gentry
“I’ll offer the info Amy gave me.” Maddie headed toward the swinging doors.
“You’ve got a good girl, Leona.” Maxine dabbed at her nose. “I know I’ve spoiled mine,” she sobbed. “Nellie’s bossy and pushy. I don’t know where she gets it, except that after Colton died, I just couldn’t tell her no...on anything...even a band on Christmas Eve.”
“Shhh.” Leona wrapped her arm around Maxine. “You had to do something with all that extra love. I would have done the same thing.”
“No you wouldn’t have, Leona. You’re a rock. A tower.”
“Maxine, I’m not.” Fresh tears sprang from Leona’s eyes. “Since J.D. died, I’ve wondered how you managed to get out of bed these last ten years.”
“I should have spent some of my love on you,” Maxine sniffed. “Can you ever forgive me, Leona?”
“There’s nothing to forgive, dear friend.” They held on to each other, both painfully aware of the fragility of life and neither willing to let another precious second slip away.
Arm in arm, Leona and Maxine waited, watching the minutes tick by. Finally, Amy, Maddie, and a serious-faced doctor came out.
Leona felt Maxine tense beside her as the three of them crossed the empty waiting room to where they huddled.
“Howard. Maxine.” The doctor planted his feet, a man prepared to deliver bad news. “Your daughter has a tumor on her thyroid. She’s signed the permission for me to operate.”
“Operate?” Maxine’s breath audibly caught in her throat. “When?”
“Now.”
“Is it cancer?” Howard asked.
“Cancer?” Maxine folded against Leona. “I can’t lose my girl.”
“Let’s not borrow trouble before the labs come back, Maxine,” the doctor said.
“I want Maddie to scrub in,” Maxine demanded.
“That’s not normal protocol.”
Maxine raised up to her full five-eleven height. “There’s nothing normal about my daughter.”
The doctor crossed his arms. “If Nellie gives her permission, then I’ll let this med student scrub in.”
Relief flooded Maxine’s face. “Top-of-her-class med student.”
The surgeon scrunched his hat down on his brow. “Fine.”
“Can I see her before surgery?” Maxine asked.
“We’ll call you before we take her back.” The doctor turned to Maddie. “Step it up, Harper.”
David was the first to speak after the doctor and Maddie left. “Guess I’ll go to the church and cancel tonight’s service.” Though his comment was meant for her, Leona couldn’t help but notice David hadn’t taken his eyes off Amy who was still hanging around the waiting room like she was waiting for a private moment to talk with him.
“Cancel?” Maxine said. “Mt. Hope Community has never cancelled a Christmas Eve service.”
“Maxine, David’s right,” Leona said. “Our lead singer is having surgery.”
“Isn’t there something you can do, Leona?” Maxine asked.
“I don’t know what.”
Maxine clasped Leona’s shoulders. “I’ve seen you take on a Sunday school room of toddlers with just what you happened to have in your purse.”
Leona shook her head. “Ivan offered to resurrect his role as Joseph but you and I both know it’s too late to round up some sheep, let alone drag the manger out of your storage barn. If we cancel now, people will have time to make other plans.”
“You mean let them go to the Episcopalian Church?” Maxine strode the waiting room, her finger wagging at David. “I can’t believe our interim pastor is just going to let all of my Nellie’s hard work to save his bacon be for—wait one cotton-pickin’ minute.” Maxine stopped ranting and marched over to Amy who seemed to be trying not to let anyone catch her staring at David’s distraught face. “There is one person who can keep Mt. Hope Community’s Christmas Eve service from being a bust.”
Amy backed up, her face suddenly pale and her palms in the air. “Maxine, I can’t.”
“Oh yes you can, young lady.” Maxine’s voice softened. “I heard you singing behind me Sunday, all soft and quiet like. For a moment I thought it was an angel, but then I remembered all those performance videos your mother used to make me watch and I realized it was you, Amy.”
Amy’s eyes darted between David and Maxine as she weighed her decision. “I’ll do it. Just this once. For Nellie.”
Maxine shook her head. “You’ll do it because it’s your gift.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
Leona returned to the waiting room with a cup of coffee she’d purchased from a vending machine. “Drink this, Maxine.”
She wrapped her shaky hands around the Styrofoam cup and gazed into the steaming contents. “You remembered.”
“Three creamer packets and two Sweet’N Lows.”
Maxine’s eyes clouded up again. “I’ve missed us, Leona.”
Leona sat in the empty chair between Maxine and Howard. “Me too.”
“I’m going to make it up to you.”
“Let’s focus on Nellie for now, okay?”
Maxine nodded and raised her cup. Before she took a sip she stopped, her gaze on the open waiting room door. “Sweet boy!”
Angus shivered at the threshold, a smile on his face and a plastic bag in his hands.
“Angus?” Leona went to him. “What are you doing here?”
“I couldn’t think of anything else to do for you, so Ollie said I should bring you some brownies. Especially since Miss Maxine liked them so much.”
“That’s so kind of you.”
He held out the bag. “Here.”
“Why don’t you give them to Maxine yourself?”
“I don’t want to bust in where I’m not wanted.”
“What’s going on?” Maxine had left her seat and had come to stand beside Leona.
“Angus was worried about you.” Leona passed Maxine the bag. “He brought brownies.”
Maxine’s face softened. “Where’s your coat, sweet boy?”
Angus zipped his hoodie. “Don’t have one.”
“Isn’t Ruthie going to buy you one?” Maxine asked.
“Soon as she can.”
Maxine turned. “Howard, give the boy your coat.”
Howard’s head popped up. “What?”
“You heard me. Give the boy your coat.”
Angus shook his head. “That ain’t necessary. I’ll be fine.”
“It’s freezing out there and I’m sure you walked here and you’ll have to walk all the way back to the church. Is that right?”
Angus nodded.
“Howard has a closet full of coats and he has a nice warm car.” She marched over to Howard, held out her hand until her husband gave up his leather jacket, then proudly marched back to Angus. “Button up, it’s cold out there.”
“Thank you.” Angus slipped the coat over his hoodie.
Leona and Maxine watched the lanky kid jog out of site.
“That was amazing, Maxine.”
“I can admit it when I’m wrong, Leona.” She held up the bag. “Let’s eat.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
David rushed to the church to tell the band they were on for tonight. He couldn’t believe how everything had worked out. His mother and Maxine had made up, the Harpers didn’t have to move, the doctor had gotten all of Nellie’s tumor, and Amy was going to sing. He could almost feel his father smiling at his newfound excitement for the mysteries of God.
“Amy must love you.” Bette Bob hooked her guitar strap.
David couldn’t stop the grin spreading across his face or the hope growing in his heart. “Amy loves this church.”
Bette Bob peered over the neck of her guitar. “Don’t let her stonewall you forever.”
Uncomfortable discussing his romantic possibilities until they became reality, David changed the subject. “I promised Maxine I’d check on the refreshments.” He left the band to warm up and headed for the kitchen. It was true
Amy hadn’t wanted Mt. Hope Community to fail on Christmas Eve, but he’d seen the way she looked at him when Maxine was twisting her arm. Amy was willing to risk her own failure to make sure he succeeded.
David pushed against the swinging door to the kitchen. “Hey, Ollie.” The old guy looked up from the buttery, green mixture he was pouring into a huge bowl of chocolate batter. “Where’s Angus?”
“At the hospital.”
“The kid left you to do all this alone?”
“I thought that tall lady could use a hot brownie.” Ollie gently stirred the batter. “Had Angus take her almost all of our first batch.”
David stared at one small brownie sitting on a paper plate. “So you’re telling me we don’t have enough refreshments?”
“Simmer down, pastor. I doubled this new batch. Got ’em almost ready to pop in the oven. Should come out about the time the show’s over.”
“Service. It’s called a Christmas Eve service, Ollie.”
“Call it what you want, but after y’all get through entertaining everyone, me and Angus will feed ’em.” Ollie lifted the last brownie from the plate. “Here, chew on this instead of me.”
David let the old man drop the brownie into his palm. “Sorry, Ollie. It’s just that there’s a lot riding on tonight.” He took a small bite. Rich chocolate melted on his tongue. “Maxine’s right. These are awesome.” He stuffed the whole thing in his mouth.
“Now all you need is a glass of milk.” Ollie offered him a toothless grin. “Go tidy yourself up, pastor. I got your back.”
David checked his watch. He didn’t have time to worry about brownies. He’d have to trust this man he barely knew. He’d have to live the very words he’d preached to Amy. David scrambled for the door. If he hurried he could shower and get back in time to greet people the way his father used to do. He plowed through the back door and ran smack in to Amy. “Sorry.” He reached out and steadied her. “You okay?”
She shook her head. Silent understanding passed between them. It was exactly as he’d thought. She was scared to death to sing. She’d done this for him.
“Look, Maxine shouldn’t have pressured you.” He couldn’t stand to see her so frightened. “It’s not too late to back out.”
“And what am I supposed to do the next time I see Maxine?”
“Hide.”
She whacked his arm. “Just because I said I would sing, that doesn’t mean I can.”
“Then lip sync.” He pulled out his phone. “I’ve got Pandora on speed dial and I’m not afraid to use it.” His joke rallied a fleeting smile.
Blonde strands swirled around her sober face. “What if wanting to sing isn’t enough?”
“Listen to me, Amy.” He pulled her to the side of the building and out of the wind. One hand holding hers, he used the other to tuck a strand of her hair behind her ear then frame her face. “You are enough if a single note never leaves that beautiful mouth of yours.”
“Really?” Her lips quivered.
“More than enough. For this church. For tonight’s service. For me.” He noticed her gaze slide to his hold on her forearm. He wouldn’t let go. Instead, he held tight until her eyes scaled slowly back to his face. Tears rimmed a faint glimmer of hope. His heart lurched. “I love you, Amy.”
“But you’re leaving—”
“You’re not getting rid of me.” David easily pulled her into his arms. Unable to stop himself, he kissed her. A kiss tethered by self-restraint so as to not scare her off, but a kiss intended to let her know he wasn’t going anywhere without her. She lifted her arms around his neck and pressed her lips hard against his as if desperate to suffocate every reservation. His and hers. This time she was the one making demands, crushing the walls she’d erected.
Everything he held back flowed from his heart to hers. She alone could taste his desire, his determination to sooth her fears. He moved his hand up her back until his grip cupped her neck. Bodies entwined, she melted against him and he knew his purpose for coming home was greater than saving his mother or this church. He’d come home so this woman could save him.
When their lips finally parted, David couldn’t contain his smile. “There’s a Christmas band waiting for an angelic appearance.”
“And there’s a church waiting for their new pastor.” Her fingers trailed the length of his arm searching for his hand. She linked her fingers with his, pulled him to her, and kissed him again.
Hands clasped, lips locked, they stole one more connected moment in the settling twilight. Joy flooded his soul as he watched Amy turn and smile one last time before she slipped through the door of the fellowship hall.
Adrenaline pumping, David raced home. The idea of teaming up with a feisty nurse to pastor a small town church was a thrill he’d never expected. But it was more than her kiss that had cemented the idea in his mind. It was her belief that he’d found his calling.
Taking the stairs two at a time, David yanked off his jacket and then his shirt. He was in and out of the shower in a flash. As he knotted his tie, he could feel his father’s hand of approval come to rest upon his shoulder.
He strode to the closet and pulled out his father’s shoes.
Tonight he would fill them and fill them well.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
The foyer was packed by the time David came rushing back to the church. Shirley wouldn’t open the doors to the sanctuary until he gave her the thumbs up. David cut around back and slipped into the fellowship hall to check on the refreshment crew. Angus had returned and he and Ollie were busy starting the coffee and putting out paper dessert plates.
David sniffed, “Do y’all smell something strange?”
“A bit of batter boiled over in the oven.” Ollie fanned the red and green napkins better than David had ever seen his mother do for one of her fancy showers.
“Sure stinks.” David sniffed again. “Smells more like a skunk.” David sniffed again trying to identify the source of the odor.
“Maybe you’re just paranoid.” Angus sprinkled salt over the fresh coffee grounds in the basket filter. “Like you said, lots riding on this night. If we’re going to be salt, we need to put our best foot forward.” He held up the coffee basket. “That’s why I’m breakin’ out my secret recipe.”
“You catch on quick, kid.” David dug a long-tip lighter from one of the kitchen drawers. “I’ll have an exterminator come after Christmas to make sure we don’t have a furry family living under the building.” David thanked Ollie and Angus again then hurried to the sanctuary.
After flipping the sound system to play pre-recorded Christmas carols until the service began, David stuck his head into the baptistry changing room to wish Amy and the band good luck. Wilma, Bette Bob, and Ivan were huddled around Amy and praying. Knowing his well-wishes couldn’t top the power from above, David backed out quietly. He couldn’t contain the smile on his face, the one his mother would recognize immediately as love. He didn’t care if the whole world thought he should still be mourning his father’s death, it was God who’d brought so much good out of bad and he was going to celebrate. Both during the worship service and after. He and Amy had a lot of kissing and planning to do.
David flicked the lighter. He hoped lighting the candles Momma and Nellie had placed around the sanctuary would eliminate the strange smell permeating the building. Once he had the stage lights set, he dimmed the house lights and stared at the twinkling effect of Nellie and his mother’s combined work.
Beautiful.
Maybe even the most beautiful holiday presentation Mt. Hope Community had ever offered its visitors. He jogged to the closed sanctuary doors and tapped out the signal alerting Shirley they were ready for business.
As usual, the Story twins were the first through the door.
“David.” Nola Gay Story tugged his suit jacket. “A little something for your family.” Nola held out a mason jar filled with her famous candied cucumbers and topped with a faded sticky green bow, the same gift they gave the Harpe
rs every year.
“Thanks, Nola Gay,” David said, admiring the dark red spears. “My favorite.”
Nola’s twin, Etta May, stepped forward. “Sister and I know this first Christmas without your daddy will be hard.” She slipped him an envelope sealed with several pieces of scotch tape. “Do something nice for your momma.”
From the bulk of the envelope, David suspected it was filled with a wad of at least fifty ones, money that had probably taken them a year to save. “I can’t take this, Etta May.”
“It’s ten percent of our windfall.” Etta May pushed the envelope back at him. “Cotton gave us a little tip that yielded more than our cucumbers ever have.”
“Then you should give it to the Lord.”
“Oh, we’ve put another fat check in the plate.” Nola Gay beamed. “This is for you and your family.”
“You girls are the best.” David slid the envelope into his jacket pocket and tucked the jar of pickles under his arm. “No wonder my father had a crush on you.”
The sisters blushed and giggled.
Nola Gay’s brow furrowed. “Smells like we have skunks.”
“Could be,” David admitted with a resigned sigh. “Wish they hadn’t picked tonight to make their presence known.”
“Parker will know what to do,” Etta May said before she and Nola Gay toddled off to their regular pew.
Of course, the county extension agent would know how to handle a varmint invasion. Maybe he should have Parker check it out before the service started. Wouldn’t want anything to spoil tonight.
David worked his way through the crowd while texting his old friend Parker.
Be there in 5. Parker texted back.
David put his phone away and decided to not worry about the skunks for now and enjoy the fruits of his labors. As members introduced him to the friends and neighbors they’d proudly brought with them, the thrill at how many had taken his Sunday sermon seriously put a bounce in his step.
“Grandmother!” David leaned down and kissed the glowing woman seated in the wheelchair Cotton pushed. “I’m shocked.”
