Page 92 of Too Old for This
“I’m sorry?”
“Our pastor likes to flirt. Every Sunday, we bet on who he’s going to flirt with. I picked you.”
Sheila pointed to a woman dressed in green from head to toe. “I picked her.”
That day, First Covenant became my church. It had nothing to do with Pastor Matthew.
Tonight, Sheila and Bonnie are already sitting at our usual table. I head straight for Glenda. She is wearing her lime green floral dress, the one that makes her look a bit ill. She is surprised to see a whole platter of sushi.
“This looks so much better than the last tray you bought,” she says.
“Thank you, Glenda. I do try not to be cheap.”
I don’t wait for her to respond. I head toward Bonnie and Sheila, ready to hear the latest gossip.
“Lottie?”
The voice comes from Pastor Doug. He is standing near the bingo wheel at the front of the room, ready to start the first game.
Morgan is standing next to him.
CHAPTER 50
My first thought: Morgan lied.
She told me she was having dinner with a friend in Portland tonight. And because she is scheduled to leave early tomorrow morning, we said our goodbyes today at lunch. We ate at a restaurant downtown, near a bakery she wanted to check out. I kept waiting for her to bring up the finger, but she never did.
“Thank you for all your help the last couple of days,” she said. “And again, I apologize for just landing on your doorstep without any notice!”
Morgan was still embarrassed about that, and she was still angry with Archie for not calling. A good thing for me. I hoped it would make her stay quiet about the finger. I didn’t want to have to lie to Archie about that.
But now Morgan is here, at my church. I don’t know what that means, but I don’t like it.
“I’ve just met your future daughter-in-law,” Pastor Doug says. “You didn’t tell me she was in town.”
Before I can answer, Morgan jumps in. “My dinner was canceled tonight, so I dropped by to see this incredible church you’ve told me so much about.”
Doug’s eyes appear to twinkle. He looks a little mesmerized by her, and I can’t blame him. She is wearing a beautiful silk dress. High neck, long sleeves, the dress skims over her curves but doesn’t accentuate them. Her hair is pulled awayfrom her face. A mound of curls hangs down her back. She is glowing, though you can’t tell she is pregnant.
I also can’t tell what she has said to Pastor Doug. So for a moment, I freeze, staring at both of them as I consider all the possibilities.
“What a wonderful surprise,” I finally say. “You must come over and meet my friends.”
“Are they working on the play as well?” Morgan asks.
“Play?” Doug says.
Dammit. I wish I could say this is all Morgan’s fault, but that’s not true. It’s not her fault she found a finger in my freezer.
“Let’s get you some bingo cards!” I grab Morgan’s hand and lead her away from Pastor Doug before she can say another word.
Sheila and Bonnie raise their penciled eyebrows at me as I bring Morgan over to our table. I motion to Glenda to get us another chair. After a few quick introductions, during which Bonnie and Sheila exchange shocked looks, we all get settled down to play a little bingo.
“Morgan has been up here for a couple of days, taking care of the wedding plans,” I explain.
“Isn’t that lovely,” Bonnie says. “Tell us all about it.”
The wedding dominates our conversation right up until the first break, when Morgan takes out her phone and shows everyone the dresses, her aesthetic wall, the venue she just picked out, and her flowers. Sheila and Bonnie ooh and ahh in all the right places.
