Page 71 of Beautiful Harmony

“You’re welcome. Let’s go.”

She blinked at him. “I’m sorry?”

“I’m driving you home,” he said.

“I’m not done my ministering,” she said.

Nix scowled at her. “I think you’ve done enough of God’s work for today.”

She hugged her packet of paper to her chest. “I appreciate your help, but my father will be furious if I let something like this scare me away from showing others God’s love for them.”

“I don’t think these folks are interested in hearing about God,” Lucas said.

“Which is even more reason I need to stay,” she said.

“What if those men come back?” Lucas asked.

Her face paled, and her arms tightened around her torso. “I’m sure they won’t. Besides, my father will be here soon to pick me up.”

“Fine,” Nix said. “We’ll stay with you until he does.”

“What?” A look of real panic crossed Nola’s face. “No, oh no, you can’t do that. I mean, it’s fine, okay? I’ll go into the Sip and Gulp and wait for my father, so you can, um, be on your way now.”

Nix shrugged. “I’m not leaving until you do.”

A flash of defiance crossed her face. “I don’t need a babysitter.”

“Nix is right,” Lucas said. “You shouldn’t be -”

Nola’s face turned white, then red and finally settled on light green. Looking like she might throw up, she stared at the car that had pulled into the Sip and Gulp parking lot.

A silver-haired man with a big belly and a mean face jumped out of the car and stalked toward them. He grabbed Nola by the upper arm and gave her a shake. “Nola! What is this you’re wearing?”

“Let her go.” Nix’s voice was calm, but Lucas’s adrenaline punched into high gear again. Shit, he was about to watch an old dude get his ass kicked.

“Excuse me?” The man stared at Nix. “What did you just say?”

“Daddy,” Nola said quickly, “this is Nix and Lucas. I was just, um, speaking with them about our church services. Nix and Lucas, this is my father, the Reverend Norwood. He’s the head minister of our church.”

“Nice to meet you, Reverend.” Lucas held out his hand, mostly hoping it would make the pastor let go of Nola. He had a feeling Nix didn’t give one fuck that he was Nola’s father. He’d beat the shit out of him if he kept touching Nola.

To Lucas’s relief, the pastor released Nola and shook his hand before looking Nix up and down with barely-concealed contempt, his gaze lingering on Nix’s full-sleeve tattoos.

“You shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor tattoo any marks on you: I am the Lord. Leviticus 19:28,” the pastor said.

Nix stared silently at him, and Nola said, “Daddy, Nix and Lucas were kind enough to help me out of a scary situation with some men who were being very coarse about my - my looks.”

Her father turned to her, his gaze lingering on the gloss on her mouth. “Perhaps if you didn’t wear whore’s makeup, men would not be tempted by your flesh.”

Lucas stared in disbelief at the pastor. “Dude, you’re her dad, for God’s sake.”

Reverend Norwood ignored him and poked at Nix’s leather jacket instead. “Why are you wearing this?”

“Because you sent her out here with no jacket, and it’s goddamn freezing out?” Nix said.

“Do not use His name in vain!” Reverend Norwood roared.

Nola flinched and stumbled back, but Nix stared the pastor in the face. “Don’t send your daughter to South Falls alone again.”

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