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I was expecting that question. He wasn’t a stupid man.

I shrugged nonchalantly. “Like I said, it’s the perfect place. My mom once described this ranch as having all the natural beauty of the state rolled into one patch of land. The fields, the forests, the bayous… all right here. It’s incredible.”

Doubt flickered in his eyes. “There’s a lot of land available in this parish right now. There must be some other reason you went to all the trouble of getting a meeting with me, which you know is not an easy task, and then coming all the way out here to ask me for a pocket of land that isn’t even for sale,” he said bluntly.

I suppressed a smile. I knew he’d say something like that. He’d stepped directly into my snare.

I feigned contrition. “Okay, sir. I’ll admit, I did have another reason for wanting to come out here.”

A triumphant gleam lit his eyes. “Well, go ahead, son.”

I opened my mouth as if I were about to say something, and then I shut it again. I waved a hand. “Never mind. I really shouldn’t say. You’d probably think it’s ridiculous.”

“Tell me.” His voice was dead-calm.

I took a deep breath as I readied myself to lie through my teeth. “I really do want to work on land conservation out here in my spare time, seeing as this is the parish my mom grew up in, but I also wanted to come here and check out your commune. I admired you so much when I met you all those years ago. The way you spoke, the things you said, the way your people were so enraptured… I’ve always thought about it and wondered how you’ve developed it over the years.”

“You’re interested in my church?” he said disbelievingly.

“Yes. I’ll be frank. My current one is far too liberal. They’re all like that in the Northeast.”

Jacob leaned back and regarded me through narrowed eyes. I feigned contrition again and lifted my palms. “Sorry. I shouldn’t have assumed you aren’t liberal.”

“No, you’re right. We aren’t the type to promote women whoring around or boys kissing other boys. But I have to say I’m quite surprised to hear this coming from you. Your family never struck me as devout.”

“My father isn’t religious at all,” I admitted. “But my mother was raised as a Christian. She used to tell me about it as a kid, and I guess it stuck with me.”

“Which church do you attend in New York?”

Shit. I didn’t think he’d ask me to be that specific. “Uh, the one on West 74th St,” I said, hoping he didn’t realize how full of shit I was. Was there even a church on 74th? I had no fucking idea.

“I haven’t been to New York in a long time, but if my memory serves me correctly, that church is Episcopalian. I also remember your mother telling me she was a lapsed Catholic when we had a brief conversation about religion once. We have a lot of Catholics in this part of the state. But not so many Anglicans.”

Christ, this man was shrewd, and he had the memory of a fucking elephant.

“You’re right,” I said, forcing a smile. “She was raised in the Catholic faith. But it wasn’t for me. In fact, none of them seem to be for me. The church I’m at right now is probably the seventh I’ve tried in the last few years, and it’s still not what I want. So I’ve ended up here, just hoping and praying you’ll give me some advice.”

“Well, I’m sorry, son. I’m not sure you’ll find what you’re looking for in New York, to be honest,” Jacob said. “But you won’t find it here, either. Our commune is very exclusive. We only accept new members on the rarest of occasions, and it takes a lot more than simply showing up on my doorstep.”

“Oh, I understand. I wasn’t looking to join. I was just hoping you’d tell me a bit about your way of life, that’s all. Perhaps one day I can start my own little commune, inspired by you.”

“That’s something that interests you, huh? Creating your own church?”

I nodded and pasted on a bright smile. “Oh, yes. I know it’s a pipe dream, and it’ll probably never happen, but I’d love to do something like what you’ve done out here. I want to have people worshiping their God and living off the land, well away from the toxicity of the cities.” I leaned forward. “And I don’t mean the pollution.”

“I know exactly what you mean.”

“Anyway, let’s get back to our discussion about the land,” I said, waving a hand. If I seemed too interested in the commune, Jacob would get suspicious. I’d given him a taste of the bait. Now I just had to wait and see if he swallowed it.

He smiled and opened a desk drawer. Unfurling a large map over the desk a moment later, he pointed to the far south side of it. “There’s a chunk of land around there which you might like, and I might be interested in parting with it.” That toothy grin again. “It’s a very swampy spot, but that’s what you’re looking for, isn’t it? For all that displaced wildlife you were hoping to find a home for?”

I nodded. “Yes. I’d want to see the land, though.”

“Of course. I wouldn’t expect you to buy it without getting a decent look at it,” he said with a chuckle. “How about I take you down there and give you a tour?”

“I’d love that. Thank you, sir.”

We went back outside, and he directed me over to a white truck which was parked near mine. “Hop in. It’s a bit of a trek.”

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