Page 20 of Gideon

“No, my dad kept fighting until his last breath, but he was worn out by then. Phineas had a way of smiling to his face while stabbing him in the back. About six months after that, he had his heart attack, and with no pastor, the wolves dropped their disguise and exposed themselves for who they were. They devoured the sheep. Most of the church left and started following this idea of a greater power than God. Then it rained for a couple of days. They took that as proof. The mayor paid to have the totem poles constructed. ‘To give people hope for the future and better times ahead,’ he said.”

“Wasn’t there someone else to step in at the church? What about the denomination? Surely they could have done something.”

“We were nondenominational. It didn’t start out that way, but they wanted my dad to move out of town to a different church. He wouldn’t go.”

“And you got to keep the church building?”

“We’d been meeting in the town hall till then. That church was built by the congregation and put into a trust that still stands.”

“I can’t believe I didn’t know any of that. But what now? It rained for a second, but then it stopped. How can they still believe?”

“People will tell themselves whatever they need to in order to get by. Like those who continue to believe Mayor Fairfax still has the town’s best interest in mind.”

“Why don’t you leave?”

“My mom doesn’t want to go. She was born and raised in this town. She’s scared to go anywhere else, and I won’t leave her.”

“I wish there was something I could do to help.”

She twisted her fingers around each other. “You do?”

“Of course. It’s terrible seeing what you’re all going through.”

“What if there was something?”

“Like what?”

She hesitated. “Do you still believe in God?”

He narrowed his eyes, but it was innocently meant. “Do IStillbelieve? I thought you said you remember me. I wasn’t a good kid.”

“I know.” Her cheeks reddened. “But I heard you.”

“Heard me what?”

“When you were at our house in the middle of the night meeting with my dad. I should have been asleep, but I wasn’t.”

“Oh. I remember that night. I was mess.”

“I know. At that age, I couldn’t fully understand what it was that you faced growing up, but I knew something really important had happened. I sat on the steps and cried.”

He nodded. “I owe your dad a lot. He never pressured me to start coming to church once I’d given my life to Jesus. I don’t think I could have. I carried so much shame back then. But he looked after me and encouraged me. He gave me my first Bible, which I still have.”

“That’s really nice. So, you don’t go to church?”

“I do now. But I couldn’t face it back then in Asher. Not when I knew what everyone thought of me.”

“You would have been welcome. Back then, church was great. It was after you left that things went downhill.”

“They may have been welcoming, but I couldn’t have dealt with it. God’s actually the reason I came back to town.” He saw Nikki’s sharp intake of breath. “It’s shocking, I know.”

She shifted on her stool. “So, you believe God sent you here?”

“In a manner of speaking.”

“Do you know why?”

“Yeah. My dad. My brother said he was fine after the stroke, but I couldn’t stop thinking about him andcouldn’t ignore the pull I felt to return. I didn’t want to come, but God wouldn’t leave me alone. I’ve been running away for a long time. I’m long overdue to face some stuff I’ve been putting off before I lose him.”

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