Page 6 of At Her Will

“Boy, I’m man enough for anything. Lay it on me.”

“She say she put in her time, caring for a man and getting their children off on their own lives. She don’t want to be saddled with another man who wants a maid, a nurse and someone to ‘stroke his ego.’”

“Ouch.” Beau winced.

“Yeah.” Rev shrugged. “So prove her different. She running the church luncheon this Sunday and two volunteers bailed on her. Step in and prove you a man who’s interested in taking care of a woman, not just finding one who’ll do for you. Do what she needs.”

Beau eyed Rev. “Sounds like a lot of work for my day off.”

“If it not worth doing one Sunday, it not worth doing for a lifetime, is it?”

“But the heart wants what the heart wants.”

“If that’s how you feel about it, ain’t the heart we’re talking about.” Rev gave his boss an even look. He liked Beau, but he’d already gone through two marriages. Rev had faith Beau would figure it out, and maybe Theresa could be that woman, but Rev wasn’t going to let her be trifled with.

Beau pursed his lips. “You always tell it straight to me, Rev. You’re a good boy. Okay, I’ll think about it. I’m going to go check the east bathrooms. You got the west ones?”

“You know it. Yes sir.”

Beau moved on, his comfortable rolling gait and the squeak of his rubber-soled shoes a contrast to the brisk get-it-done stride and tap-tap of Veracity Morgan’s heels. She’d had rings on her elegant fingers, a bracelet that jangled with some delicate charms. It was nice, being able to call up so many details afterthe fact, especially when he thought he’d lost a lot of them, the moment he looked at her face.

Rev glanced back at the parking lot. His mind was full of that last thing she’d said. He didn’t think she was the type of woman who said stuff casual, without meaning.

“I’ll see you later, Rev.”

He didn’t question his thoughts much. They were pretty clear on most things. Mostly he waited for things to reveal themselves to him, show him the path. Right now, he had a feeling he’d arrived at an important fork in the road. So he’d wait. But he had a feeling he wouldn’t be waiting for long.

CHAPTER TWO

Vera’s route from the school to work took her through the business and industrial districts of New Orleans, and to the heart of the city. Mardi Gras World passed on her right, followed by Harrah’s Casino. A freighter was heading down the Mississippi, and had just passed the Aquarium. Tourists strolling the parallel sidewalk headed for the Jackson Square overlook.

When she ended up behind a horse-drawn carriage, traffic was too congested to allow her to pass, but she enjoyed the people-watching around the French Market.

She pushed the preset for Mavis’s number on her dash mounted cell phone.

“Hey, girl,” the principal greeted her. “I have about three minutes.”

“Two more than I expected. So in sixty seconds, tell me about Rev. Don’t ask me why I’m asking, because I really don’t know how to answer that. Yet.”

Mavis’s chuckle held no note of surprise. “He’s something else, isn’t he? He has that effect on women.”

“So he’s a player.” But even as she said it, Vera knew he wasn’t. Mavis confirmed it.

“I’ve never even heard him talk about dating. Beau says Rev spends his time at our school or the church his aunt founded. God’s Light and Voice, just outside of the town limits. She raised him, but passed away about a year ago.”

A different emotion touched her voice. “It was a tough loss for him. He’s smiled a lot less since, but bless the kids. When they found out, they were so good to him. Brought him cards. He keeps the whole stack of them in his locker, a couple of the homemade ones taped to the outside.”

Vera remembered his gaze lingering on her pentacle and Isis pendant, but she hadn’t seen any disapproval. Only curiosity, about every detail he saw. Just recalling it speared heat through her.

“What does he do at the church?”

“Beau says he’s got a hell of a singing voice, and does a little preaching, when the spirit moves him.”

An edge entered Mavis’s tone. “Rev moved out of the aunt’s house when her sister and her son Witford, Rev’s cousin, sold it. They run the church now. Rev lives in a rented room near the school. I don’t always know that they have Rev’s best interests at heart.”

“Do they have too much control over him?”

“It’s a peculiar relationship, but no,” Mavis admitted. “I had my concerns when I interviewed him, but Rev’s autonomy was out front and strong. When he told me he wanted the job, his interest was whole-hearted. Witford visited me face-to-face before that, to get Rev the interview. He wanted to warn me that Rev’s reading and writing skills weren’t great, but that shouldn’t count against him.”

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