Page 150 of Forbidden Harmony

“Ex-fiancé,” she said. “How do you know hetold other people in town?”

“Oh, I don’t know, maybe the dozens of phonecalls from people asking me if what Harrison said is true and if they needed tobe worried about a man like Preacher in their town.”

She rubbed at her forehead. “Has itaffected his business?”

Gideon laughed bitterly. “No. If anything,it’s fucking increased business. I guess for some folks, the idea of being tattooedby an ex-convict gives them a fucking thrill.”

She could see his anger seeping back into him,and he tapped his fingers on the table with a hardrat-tat-tat. “I knewit was a bad idea for the two of you to get together. I knew you’d break hisheart, but I thought it was because you weren’t over Harrison. I neverimagined it would be because you judged him for his past.”

“What exactly did he tell you?” she said.

“He won’t tell me shit,” Gideon said. “He’sbarely fucking talking at all. He just said that you found out he was an ex-convictand that it was over between the two of you. Did you even give him a chance toexplain or -”

“Gideon, he broke up with me,” she said. “Itold him I didn’t care about his past and that I loved him. He said it wouldn’twork and that it was over.”

The hard rhythm of his fingers slowed onthe table. “I – what?”

“Simon ended it with me,” she said.

He scrubbed his hand through his hair. “Fuck!Jesus Christ, I’m sorry, Addie. I shouldn’t have assumed like that, but I…”

“You see your best friend hurting,” shesaid, “and you want to protect him.”

She squeezed Gideon’s forearm. “You’re agood friend, Gideon.”

He shook his head. “Not that good of a friend.I told him repeatedly not to get involved with you.”

That stung, but she knew why he’d done itand she tried not to take it personally. “You were just trying to protect him.”

“I was, but it was still a shit thing todo. I could see how much he liked you,” Gideon said. “Did he tell you anythingabout his past?”

“No,” she said. “Harrison said he went toprison for armed robbery but that’s all I know.”

“He was the driver,” Gideon said. “Henever went into the bank and he never had a weapon on him. He fell in with thewrong people and they convinced him to do the job with them. They were arresteda few days later. Preacher was given ten years but released after four forgood behaviour. He kept his nose clean and he finished his parole. He’s agood man who made a mistake, Addie.”

“I know,” she said. “Kira told me oncethat Preacher told her you saved his life. Will you tell me how?”

He hesitated, a look of discomfort crossinghis face. “Did Simon ever tell you why he’s called Preacher?”

“I asked him, but he avoided the question.”

“He got the nickname in prison. Hiscellmate was an old man who went by Preacher. He used to be a pastor back inthe day, I guess. He got into drugs, did some robberies to pay for the drugs,and in one of the robberies, a man was killed. He’d been clean for years bythe time Simon met him, and he ran the church group in the prison which is howhe got the nickname Preacher.”

Gideon leaned back in his chair. “One ofthe other prisoners started after the pastor. No particular reason why, justdecided he could make his life miserable, so he did. Eventually, it turned to physicalviolence. He went after the old man and Preacher stopped him. Beat the shitout of the guy and threatened to kill him if he ever tried to hurt the pastoragain.”

“Simon didn’t get in trouble with theguards?” Addison said.

“None of the other prisoners ratted Simon out.This guy was a real shit and Preacher said he’d had the beating coming to him fora while. Anyway, they started calling Simon the preacher’s son because of theway he looked out for the old man.”

“What happened to the pastor when Simon gotout of prison?” Addison said.

“He’d died two years before, colon cancer.After he died, Simon went from the preacher’s son to just Preacher. One of hisfellow inmates got out on parole around the same time as Simon. They actuallyworked at the same tattoo place together until the guy went back to prison fordrug trafficking. But he called Simon by his nickname at the shop and it stuck.He’s been Preacher ever since.”

“How did you save his life?” She knew Gideonwanted to avoid the question, but she needed to know.

“He’s a good man, Addie. He just made abad decision, okay?” Gideon said.

“I know. Tell me the story,” she said.

---