Page 16 of Deliver Me

“He doesn’t look at me like that,” Mia sputtered.

“He has no reason not to,” Lilly reminded her with a pointed look. “And I wouldn’t be surprised if your dad was really supportive. He loves James, and he knows James would be a good husband. He’s always been nice and he’s a stable guy, isn’t he? You’d have a good life.”

She absolutely would, Mia knew that. James wasn’t the kind of man to raise his voice or his hand. He was great with kids and loved animals. He worshiped God and respected his mother and would provide his wife with a nice house and a large family. Mia had always wanted that—a home and kids of her own.

Lilly’s expression was grave as Mia nibbled uncertainly on her bottom lip. “You know how he’d feel about Gabriel and this law school stuff. If he’s going to be the pastor at a church of his own, he’s going to need a wife that can help with that. It’s something for you to think about.”

Chapter Eight

She thought about her uncertain future for weeks, in the quiet spaces between her classes when she was alone and late at night as she lay awake and watched the moonlight and shadows dance across her ceiling.

There was no denying the joy she experienced as she worked her way through the research for her paper. She was fascinated and horrified by the things she discovered as she dug deeper into the processes of the criminal justice system. It was large and lumbering and unequal in ways that she found incredibly frustrating. It was clear that there was a desperate need for change and for people willing to fight for those who were treated unfairly or did not have the means to escape their circumstances. It would be a difficult career and require years of investment in her education, but it would be deeply rewarding.

The work she put into her class paper was equally emotionally draining and mentally stimulating. She passed hours alone in the library soaking up all the knowledge she could and huffing in frustration as she encountered case after case of kids who deserved so much better than the fate they had been dealt. Some days she wept quietly, but she always wondered if she might be part of the change that was so clearly needed.

She came home energized and excited from her schoolwork but even her new distraction couldn’t keep her from noticing how often she now found James at her house. Nothing significant had changed in his behavior toward her, but she watched him closer now and she soon realized that Lilly and Bryce may have been picking up signs she hadn’t been experienced enough to see. He smiled at her whenever she entered a room, made excuses to stay close to her while she was there, and watched her intently whenever she left. The Wednesday before Halloween he volunteered to help set up for their annual trick-or-treat event, something that she was nearly certain he had done only because he knew she would be there.

Some of the other local churches frowned on their participation in a holiday with such pagan origins, but Mia always loved seeing the kids in their costumes. They were adorable dressed up as superheroes and bumblebees. She’d always been grateful that her father believed in accepting the idea that you couldn’t stop people from celebrating, so you might as well join in on the fun. All he asked was that they refrained from dressing as monsters and devils, and most were happy enough to show up in more wholesome costumes.

Mia had already spent over an hour attaching slips of paper with encouraging bible verses to the sticks of black and orange suckers that put temporary spider tattoos on your tongue, when Lilly showed up with several more huge bags of candy.

“We can’t forget to pick up the apples on Saturday,” she said, her smile big as she dropped the bags on the table with a thump and looked around. “The kids really enjoyed bobbing for apples last year.”

“It’s on my list of chores for that morning already,” Mia reassured, dropping the last sucker in a big orange bowl and opening the first bag of Lilly’s candy. It was chocolate, and she grabbed a piece for herself once she had emptied the contentsinto the next bowl. She was going to end up eating her weight in candy this week, but she had no regrets.

“Any problems so far?” Lilly asked, grabbing a candy and biting into it with a satisfied hum.

“Not really. The usual complaints from Mrs. Newberry, same as every Halloween.”

“We told her she could stay home.”

“I wish she would have,” Mia sighed. She was already tired of listening to her complain about how they were all celebrating the devil’s birthday and corrupting children in the process.

Lilly was the new co-leader of the bible group, and Mia wanted tonight to go especially well since she was eager and excited about the first task in her new role. Her father had been surprisingly supportive of the change once she explained how much work Lilly had put into the group, and he hadn’t questioned Mia’s own commitment as she feared he might, but she still wondered if she had let him down.

“I see you’ve brought company,” Lilly said, interrupting Mia’s worries and tipping her head across the room to where James stood on a small step stool with his arms stretched high to hang orange and black streamers from the ceiling.

“He offered to help carry all the decorations from the attic,” Mia said, a blush riding hot on her cheeks. “He was at our house anyway, so he said it wasn’t a problem.”

“Yeah, I’m sure he had nothing better to do tonight,” Lilly giggled. “Itoldyou.”

“I know you did. Now,hush, before someone else hears you,” Mia looked around to make sure no one else was close enough to eavesdrop, but she knew she was smiling. “What do I do?” she whispered frantically.

“Go offer to help him hang those streamers.”

“I mean, he’s been doing it himself for ten minutes …” Mia said, glancing at him again and then away just as quickly when she found him already looking at her.

Lilly rolled her eyes. “He doesn’t actually need help, just go hold the tape and streamers and don’t forget to smile!”

Mia was afraid it would be awkward, but it was easy to hold the supplies and smile when he looked at her. His hand brushed hers every time she handed him a new piece of tape, soft and warm where it skimmed hers.

By the time the decorations were hung, and James went home, she was riding high on excitement and success. Almost everyone had already left, the rest were standing around in small groups chatting as the evening wrapped up. It didn’t take her long to spot Lilly on the other side of the room, fixing a cheap plastic tablecloth with smiling jack-o-lanterns on it over where it had fallen off their folding dessert table.

Mia hurried toward her, but her steps faltered when she overheard Mrs. Newberry whispering loudly to a group of the other women, all of them clearly unaware that she wandered so close. “She hardly participates,” the older woman sniffed disdainfully. “Her mother never had such problems. Kate Anderson was devoted to the church, and she would have been ashamed of that child if she had lived to see this. Did you see the way she was throwing herself at Mr. Prescott tonight?”

Unable to listen to another word, Mia turned and fled, tears blurring her vision as the words she had not been meant to hear amplified her own self-doubts. Mrs. Newberry was mean and a terrible gossip, but maybe she was right, maybe she would have disappointed her mother.

She sank down in her father’s chair, hiding in his office in the dark as she let the tears flow. She was crying so hard she didn’t hear the door open.

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