Page 78 of A Twist of Faith
“I heard it from this cattle farmer I know.”
“I don’t think his vowels and consonants were as eloquent as all that.” He placed his arm on her back and steered her toward the church. “He’s a little slow up here sometimes.” Reese tapped his forehead.
Dee looked up at the sky as if considering his statement, then she linked her arm through his. “Better to be slower up here.” She tapped her head. “Than here.” She placed her palm on his chest. “And that’s certainly not the case with you.”
He opened the church door for her and leaned close. “So you’re saying I’m thickheaded but warmhearted?”
She laughed. “Definitely. And good.”
Too good.
Suddenly her feet grew sluggish. She didn’t belong in a church or with someone as generous as him. She was blatantly living a lie. To a great guy. Why would Reese want someone like her and why would God ever let a liar into His Heaven?
Dee askedRainey to drop her off at the end of Mrs. Mitchell’s driveway so she could use the walk to call Alex in privacy. He’d texted her three times during church with enough exclamation marks to impress aCalvin and Hobbescomic strip. The quote for the day further humiliated her by reminding her about wishing for the impossible. Which is exactly what she’d done the entire church service. Wished for a wholesome past to match Reese’s, wished for a clean slate to offer God, wished the wager was nothing more than a happy memory, but no. The sting of her own conscience paired with Alex’s annoying texts reminded her of her broken past and current poor choices.
The phone barely rang before his voice came on the other end. “Where have you been?”
“In church.”
“Wh—” The statement caught him off-guard. Good, she needed the upper hand for this conversation.
“Listen Alex, I’m finished with the wager. Whether you like it or not, I just can’t go through with it. It’s wrong to use some innocent person to promote myself.”
“That’s the problem, Adelina. You’re not taking opportunities when they arise. You’d be a perfect match for Charlottesville, and now’s the time to take advantage of your success.” His voice held a frantic quality, pleading. Very strange. “Do you realize what sort of team we could make up here?”
“I’m finished.” Her feet dragged along the gravel, heavy with the effort of fighting him—and herself. “If I can’t prove myself in the usual ways, then Charlottesville isn’t for me.”
“That could take years. This is your opportunity to jump above the curve.”
“I won’t do it.” She stared down at the phone a minute, frustration with herself morphing into an Alex attack. “What is it with you and this wager? It’smychoice. You win. You should be thrilled to steal my research.”
“Adelina, I don’t wantyourresearch.” The panic in his voice chilled to anger. “I’m not trying to steal anything. I’m trying to help you.”
Help her? By taking her research and using it as his own? By pushing her so hard she agreed to a ridiculous bet which could ruin her relationship with Reese?
“Our conversation is over, Alex. I’ll see you on Friday.” She hung up on him mid-sentence.
She turned her phone off to remain blissfully unaware of Alex’s attempts to call back. From this point on her efforts and energy stuck to building a future out of a desire for relationships and love not fueled by guilt and control.
Reese’s grin came to mind. Her quality of life tripled with the proper priorities … and influences.
The aroma of brown sugar and butter drew Dee through Mrs. Mitchell’s front door. Heaven in a kitchen. Mrs. Mitchell offered a toothy grin and a brimming spoon. Family, romance, food. One of the best lists she’d made in a long time.
“Perfect timing, Dee. I need a taste tester.”
Dee liked the idea of providential circumstances all the more.
“What am I testing?”
“Blackberry cobbler. I’d frozen berries earlier this year and decided we needed something different than apples for a change.” She nodded toward a barstool. “Sit on down here and let’s see what we got before the rest of the folks come in from church.”
Dee followed her directions and took the heaping spoon. She closed her eyes and let the wonderfully warm blend of sour and sweet melt over her tongue. The sugar coated bread made a slight crunch before softening into the juices. “Mmm … I think you have another winner.”
Mrs. Mitchell’s wink emerged. “I reckon a little ice cream wouldn’t bother it none, would it?”
Dee laughed, the homemade charm in this woman even more appealing than the desserts. “Not a bit.”
“Reese and Trigg stayed behind to help Pastor with unloading the new hymnals?”
