Page 55 of Relentless

Maeve tried to imagine Dallas preaching in the modern rustic, yet beautifully ornate pulpit. She was reasonably certain the former rodeo chaplain wouldn’t be caught dead wearing a suit and tie. His cowboy aesthetic and relatability were why the locals had connected so well with him. They felt as though they could come to Jesus as they were and be accepted.

Dallas had a gift of making people feel welcome and cared for, and Maeve wouldn’t trade that for any amount of suit and ties.

Pulling out her phone, she sent a quick text, letting him know the church was ready to go.

Thankfully, right on schedule.

She had hardly pressed send when her phone chimed with a response that drove an amused twinkle to her eye.

Dallas—typing…

All business today I see. Don’t you miss me???

She couldn’t even put into words how much it ached to be apart from him, but Maeve didn’t have the luxury of unraveling. Before she had the chance to respond, her phone began to ring.

“Hey, hun,” she answered, scuffing the heel of her boot into the brand-new flooring. “Everything okay?”

“Fine here,” Dallas replied. “I just needed to hear your voice.”

She pulled her fingers across her brow, considering how she needed much more than just his voice. She needed him by her side.

“A lot going on here, Dal,” she mentioned, hoping she wouldn’t alarm him.

“I’m trying, darlin’ — it’s slow going with this weather,” he responded sincerely, his tone conveying just how much he missed her too. “You’ll never believe this, but guess who we found stranded up in the pass.”

Maeve rolled her eyes. “Not Melody Fields.”

His deep chuckle resonated through her phone’s speaker, sending a broad smile across her face.

“You guessed it,” he confirmed. “Tucker was in a panic, but we got him back on the road. He told me to let you know that heowes you one.”

“Yeah, I’ll believe it when I see it,” Maeve laughed.

It felt good to laugh.

There was a long, desperate silence between them. Maeve couldn’t find the words to convey the feelings that had welled up and lodged in her throat. She felt the drive to be self-sufficient but couldn’t help but feel off-kilter without him there.

“Peaches is doing good,” Dallas chimed in, attempting to lighten the mood. “Cantankerous, though. I’m guessing she’ll give Lil’ Slim a run for his money.

“That’s good,” she remarked, trying to keep her voice steady.

“I’m going to be home in a couple days, Maeve,” he firmly promised.

He could always see through her strong facade, and she loved him for it.

“I’ll be okay, Dal,” Maeve reinforced. “Don’t you worry about me.”

“I’m afraid, my dear,” he chuckled again, “worrying about you is just what I signed up for.”

They said their goodbyes.

Before Maeve could even process her emotions from the brief phone call with her husband, her phone began to chime with frantic, angry text messages from Oakleigh. Maeve closed her eyes and ran her fingers over her brow.

Lord, I’m tired of putting out fires.

She hadn’t even the chance to read why Oakleigh was so hot under the collar before the heavy church door swung open. By the aggressive slam, Maeve knew precisely who it was.

“Harper?” she inquired. “Was there a problem at the shop?”

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