by Gail Sattler
“I left a message on your answering machine last night, just to be sure I copied the right file for you, but you never called me back.”
Patricia faltered for just a split second. “Sorry, I didn’t get home until late. I must have forgotten to check for messages.”
“Oooh,” Bruce drawled, then leaned back on the filing cabinet. “Hot date?”
“Not really. I just went out to dinner with Mike.”
Bruce froze. “Mike who?”
“Which Mike were we just talking about? Mike Flannigan.”
“You went out on a date with him?”
“It wasn’t a date. It was just dinner.”
“Patty, going out to dinner with a man on a Saturday night is a date.”
She muttered a denial under her breath but doubted he heard.
“Okay, I can see you don’t want to talk about it. That’s fine.” He turned his head to gaze out the window and study the parking lot. “I was surprised to see you here this morning. I didn’t see your car in the lot.”
“I didn’t bring my car.”
“Is there something wrong with that hunk of junk again? Do you need a ride home?”
Patricia closed the desk drawer and walked toward the door, en route to the foyer. “I haven’t made an appointment with the mechanic yet, but for now it’s still driveable. Thanks for the offer, but I don’t need a ride home. I brought Mike’s car.” At the beginning of the week, she didn’t want anyone to see her driving it, but as time went on, she enjoyed it so much in comparison to her own car that she found herself not wanting to give it up. Besides, the use of it now had become very convenient, since her car needed a trip to the repair shop that she wanted to put off paying for.
Bruce quickly caught up with her, then stopped her about a foot out of the office doorway. “Mike’s car? What are you doing with Mike’s car?”
“I helped him pick it up after it was fixed, and the right moment hasn’t come up to give it back.”
“Right moment? How long have you had it?”
Patricia counted on her fingers. “Eight days.”
Bruce sputtered and pulled her back into the office then shut the door behind them. “What’s going on? Why has he given you his car? Do you know who he is?”
She blinked and stiffened her back. “He’s just an ordinary guy who needs a little help to get his life on the right track.”
“He’s no ordinary guy. He has a history of drinking and I suspect some drug abuse even though this is the first time he’s been officially charged. The fact is that he’s in big trouble, and I don’t think he’s taking it seriously. He’s rich and spoiled and manipulative, and he eats innocent women like you for breakfast.”
She crossed her arms and stared at her brother. “I think you’re getting carried away.”
“He’s bad news, Patty. Stay away from him. I mean it.”
Patricia narrowed her eyes. She couldn’t believe the way Bruce was behaving. “Aren’t you being rather judgmental?”
“I’m his probation officer. It’s my job to be judgmental. And I’m his probation officer for a reason. This isn’t just a parking ticket. He deserves the charges he’s been given.”
“Maybe so, but whom I see is not your concern.”
“It is when you’re wrong. He’s not the kind of man you should be seeing. Most of all, he’s not a Christian.”
“You don’t know that.”
“Yes, I do. I’ve seen him in action under pressure. You didn’t see him the night he was arrested. I had to go down to the police station in the middle of the night when his rich daddy posted bail. He’s not only a drunk, he’s an arrogant drunk. Also, I’m not convinced that his performance at AA meetings isn’t just an act because he thinks he can manipulate the justice system. He thinks if he shows the judge he’s reformed, he can get a lighter sentence. I’ve seen it before with his type.”
She couldn’t deny that Mike had a bit of an attitude, but she refused to listen to Bruce insult him any longer. She really believed that Mike was trying. He’d started reading her Bible, even if it wasn’t the way she’d told him to do it. It also shocked her to hear Bruce talk that way about anyone, especially Mike. She could understand how his experiences with people at his job would harden him to some degree, but she didn’t want to think her brother could be so unforgiving and unwilling to give Mike a chance to redeem himself.
“I can’t believe the way you’re acting. Aren’t you the one who pushed him into going to AA meetings so he could straighten out?”
Bruce dragged his palm over his face. “I’m sorry. I’m not usually like this. You’re my sister. I don’t want to see you get mixed up with the likes of Mike Flannigan. I don’t want him to take advantage of you or hurt you.”
“So far, I’m the one taking advantage of him. Have you had a look at that car he’s let me borrow without asking for a thing in return?”
“Don’t think he won’t. He’ll ask for something in exchange when he knows you can’t turn him down.”
Mike’s silly comment about taking his car versus his heart crashed to the front of her mind with a thud. She knew he was only teasing, but still, the remote possibility that he wasn’t scared her. “I plan to give the car back as soon as I can, today if possible. But I don’t want to hear you telling me who I can and cannot spend my time with. That’s my business, not yours.”
Bruce’s face paled, and he backed up a step. “Sorry,” he mumbled, and without further comment, he walked away.
Patricia felt sick. She’d just had a fight with her brother, whom she loved, over a man she barely knew.
What bothered her most of all was that Bruce was right. Mike wasn’t her type. Mike was rich and spoiled, and he did have a bad attitude, and she could tell he was a ladies’ man. Worst of all, she kind of liked him anyway, although she couldn’t figure out why. If all that wasn’t bad enough, even though she’d known all along that, according to all the rules, it wasn’t a good idea for her to minister to him, God kept throwing Mike in her path.
Therefore, she would obey, and she would do what she could to guide Mike in a path to knowing Jesus Christ as his Savior, if that was what Mike chose to do.
She sucked in a deep breath, absently ran her hands down her sleeves to push out some imaginary creases, and returned to the foyer to chat with some friends who had just arrived.
Mike held himself straight and tall and walked into the church building. Even though it had been over three years ago, it wasn’t like he’d never been to church before. He’d already been to this one a number of times, although it was during the week when it was quiet and business as usual, whatever that meant in a church. However, today it felt different with the buzz of people around him and music in the background.
It didn’t take him long to find Patty. Her joyous laugh warmed him deep inside and drew him like a magnet.
He joined the small group she was with and stood beside her. He smiled, quickly nodded a greeting at everyone in the small circle, and moved closer to Patty when she noticed him. “Hi,” he said, grinning ear-to-ear.
“Mike! What are you, uh, I mean, it’s good to see you here.”
He could feel the other women in the group staring at him, which happened often when he joined a conversation already in progress. This time he didn’t care to smile back at the other ladies. The only person whose attention he wanted was Patty’s.
She looked beautiful. She wore a lovely spring-type dress in a soft, flowing blue fabric and matching shoes. It was feminine and pretty, and it suited her.
“These are my friends, Colleen, Nancy, and Fran. And this is Mike.”
He nodded at each as they were introduced. Nancy and Fran politely excused themselves and walked away together, peeking over their shoulders at him one more time before they turned the corner into the sanctuary.
Colleen stayed where she was. She glanced quickly at Patty then back to him. “So you’re Mike, the guy with the car.”
He would
have preferred to be thought of with a more personal connection to Patty than the car, but at least it proved she had talked about him to her friends to some degree. He was glad she hadn’t referred to him as the guy with the drinking problem. “Yeah. That’s me. The guy with the car.”
Patty shuffled her feet. “Maybe we should go sit down. If you’ll excuse us, Colleen?”
Mike followed Patty into the sanctuary where she selected a couple of seats near the back.
“I’m so surprised to see you here.” Her cheeks darkened. “I mean, not that I’m not happy you came, because I certainly am. I just didn’t think you’d come.”
“Life is full of surprises, isn’t it?”
“How did you get here?”
“I was a good boy and decided to save some money. Instead of taking a cab, I took the bus. They sure don’t run very often Sunday morning, so I had to get up really early. I guess I had better get used to it, huh?”
All she did was stare at him. Before she could say any more, the lights dimmed, the volume of the band increased, a man at the front welcomed everyone present, and the congregation began to sing.
Mike didn’t know the song, but he followed the words on the overhead screen. This church wasn’t much different from the other one he’d been to a few times several years ago.
Everyone sat while the worship leader mentioned a few newsworthy items, including a tidbit about a woman who just had a baby. They paused for a short prayer, everyone stood, and the music continued.
He’d never paid attention to the words when he’d attended services before, but this time he did. The message in the songs was simple and clear. One song in particular centered around grace, about God caring for every one of His children. Mike wanted to listen to the song again, but they moved on to the next one. He made a mental note to ask Patty after the service was over if that song in particular was available on CD.
When the songs were done, the pastor came to the front, welcomed everyone, and directed the congregation to open their Bibles and turn to the right verse.
He felt a nudge, so he leaned toward Patty.
She held her Bible open to the right place so he could read it with her. “Why didn’t you bring that Bible I gave you?” she whispered.
“I’ve seen before how quickly everyone flips through their Bibles during a service. I’d never find the right place before everyone was finished reading it, so I thought I’d just sit back and listen.”
The pastor read the verse and then began to expound on it, as well as a few others. The congregation and Patty faithfully flipped to the right verse as soon as he mentioned another reference.
The pastor’s voice boomed over the speakers. “John 3:14–15 says, ‘Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.’ ”
Mike stiffened in his chair. That verse was the one that he’d meant to ask Patty about, but he lost his place. He thought snakes were bad things when mentioned in the Bible, yet as far as he could tell, Jesus had just been compared to a snake.
The pastor continued, explaining that what Moses had actually lifted up wasn’t a real snake but one made of bronze, and the point was that those who looked up at it as instructed, believing that they would live, lived. Likewise, those who believed in Jesus as their Savior were saved from punishment for their sins because of their belief. The issue wasn’t the snake at all, but having the faith to do what God said.
Mike sat with rapt attention, soaking in every word. It was as if the pastor’s words of explanation and following practical application were meant just for him. A chill ran up his spine as he thought of watching Patty driving away last night, and how at the time he didn’t know why he wanted to go to church today, only that he did.
Mike forced himself to breathe as he listened, not allowing himself to be distracted by anything going on around him. The pastor ended the sermon, everyone bowed their heads for another prayer, and the band at the front finished off the service with one last song.
The people around them rose and began to circulate and talk, but Mike remained seated. He wasn’t in the mood to make small talk with strangers. A million thoughts cascaded through his mind.
“Well?” Patty asked beside him. “What did you think?”
Mike blinked and shook his head. “It was incredible. It was like he prepared that message just for me. That was the verse I wanted to ask you about and couldn’t find. Aside from that, his sermon was easy to understand, the presentation was interesting. He didn’t belabor the point too much, but still said all that was important to say. He made it so easy to understand. It sure didn’t come together like that when I was reading it myself. I’m really glad I came. I learned a lot.”
“Daddy is a very gifted speaker.”
“He sure is. And he …” Mike’s heart stopped, then pounded in his chest. “Daddy?”
“I wish I had the ability to deliver a message like that, but it’s just not my gift.”
His stomach tightened into a painful knot. “Daddy? The pastor is your father?”
“And every day he …” Her voice trailed off. “You mean you didn’t know?”
He stared unseeingly at the empty podium. Most normal fathers didn’t want him being in the same room with their daughters because he was such a bad influence, to say nothing of his reputation—especially in the past year. He could only imagine how much more so now that he was in trouble with the law.
Patty’s father would never have been in trouble with the law, or with anything. Being a pastor, he’d probably never done a bad thing in his entire life.
He knew Patty had been raised in a pure and righteous home, but he had no idea it was that pure and righteous. He felt himself sink to a few levels below the common earthworm.
Mike thought he just might throw up. He was in love with the pastor’s daughter.
Chapter 7
Mike? Are you okay?”
Patricia wanted to touch his forehead, but didn’t because they were still in church. All the color had completely drained out of his face, and he was staring off into nothing.
He nodded, then shook his head. “Yeah, I’m fine. No. No, I’m not fine. I didn’t know the pastor was your father. Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I thought you knew.”
She leaned back as Mike waved one hand in the air. “Of course I didn’t know! How would I?”
“But you’ve spoken to Dad so many times. He even gave you my cell phone number, which he doesn’t give out to just anybody.”
He bowed his head and pinched the bridge of his nose, which Patricia didn’t think was a good sign. “He calls you by your name, not by the title of Daughter.”
“But what about Bruce?”
He still pinched the bridge of his nose, plus he shook his head. “That’s a unique situation. We talk only about my personal life, not his—and especially not yours.”
Patricia gritted her teeth, then stiffened in the chair. “Does it matter?” Most people knew she was the pastor’s daughter before she met them for the first time. She didn’t always like it, but she had become accustomed to living in her father’s shadow. However, it was different when people got to know her first, especially out of church circles, and then found out she was a pastor’s daughter. Then the reaction was often mixed. She saw it in people’s eyes. Sometimes, the second they found out, suddenly she transformed from simply a nice girl to some deity of angelic perfection, especially after they found out she worked for the church. She was no angel, far from it.
Some of the color returned to Mike’s face. “I don’t know if it matters. I don’t want it to matter.” He glanced nervously around the room, then flinched when he saw her father. “Let’s get out of here. I’ll take you to lunch.”
Quickly, she gathered her purse and Bible and followed him into the parking lot. Rather than go to the usual church-crowd lunch hangout, they ended up at a pizzeria.
All went well
until the group at the table next to them ordered a pitcher of beer. She saw Mike staring at it and wondered what was going through his mind. She couldn’t personally fathom why anyone would continually drink to excess, knowing the damage it caused, especially after long-term abuse, but she couldn’t deny that it happened. After listening to the speakers at the few AA meetings she’d been to, she wondered if many of the people really could say exactly why they drank so much, because every single one of them openly admitted that drinking only made things worse.
She didn’t like the way Mike was staring at the beer. He wasn’t even looking at the people. All his attention was focused on the pitcher. For whatever reason people had for drinking so much, it didn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that stress made the desire to drink stronger. Judging from his reaction when he found out about her father and the way he scooted out of the church when they saw him, she knew Mike was stressed.
“Mike? Do you want to go somewhere else?”
He shook his head, his ears reddened, and he turned to face her. “I’m sorry. No. I’m fine.” He reached for the menu sitting in the middle of the table. “Let’s order.”
Curiously, not a word was said about her father, or the service, or anything about church or the Bible. She was dying to ask Mike what he found so captivating about her father’s sermon because she had noticed that Mike was glued to her father’s every word, but a voice in her heart told her to wait and bring up the subject at another time, after Mike had dealt with what he considered a shock. Restraint had never been one of her strengths, and every time a silence lulled in their conversation, Patricia struggled to let Mike speak first.
He said very little when she dropped him off at his house, so little that she was afraid to bring up the subject of returning his car.
Patricia decided that she would wait until Monday to return it, and since Monday was usually a slow day, a good time would be during her lunch break, since she knew she would be seeing Mike.
Patricia stood huddled in the church doorway, staring at the pouring rain. She didn’t know how it happened, but instead of missing her little brown squirrel, she missed Mike.
