Page 73 of Let Me Hold You

“Are you good friends with Colette?” Maggie asked. Not playing matchmaker, but curiosity got the better of her. Malachi’s words made her wonder how he knew Colette that well.

“We’re friends at church, if that’s what you’re asking.” Malachi drank coffee and stared at his phone camera that seemed to be on a stand in front of him. He leaned toward the camera. “And that is all. Please, don’t try to set us up. It won’t work. There is no chemistry between us.”

“Oh, you checked.”

“I checked. Don’t worry about me. I’m happy being a single pastor right now. I might be unmarried for the rest of my life, and I’ll be totally happy.” He reached for something outside the camera range. It turned out to be a towel. He put that over his head, dried his hair a bit, and then put the towel on the coffee table where the phone apparently was.

“Are you alone this morning?” Maggie asked. It was about nine o’clock, and Levi was picking her up at eleven for their Christmas luncheon at Midtown Village. She had two hours to talk with Malachi and call her parents on their cell phones before she would need to go out.

It was a good thing that she had showered and dressed. That way, she could stay longer on the phone with her family without worrying about not having enough time to get ready.

“Only for this morning. I slept in a bit. Woke up at eight. Read my Bible. Made some coffee.” He lifted his coffee mug in the air. “I’m taking it easy and enjoying the peace and quiet in my log cabin for a couple of hours.”

Maggie felt bad that she wasn’t there to keep her only brother company.

“Later this morning, I’m going to have Christmas brunch with the Fitzpatrick family at Lakeside Resort,” Malachi said.

“Good. I don’t feel so bad anymore.”

Malachi laughed. “I’m older than you by four years, and yet why do I often get the feeling that you want to care for me like I’m your lonely little brother?”

“Because I love you, Mal.” Maggie blew him kisses on the screen. She tapped on her screen and hearts filled the video app.

“Sappy, Mags. Stop it.” Even as he said it, he laughed, and Maggie knew he enjoyed the display of sibling affection over the video.

“I wish I could be together with you at Christmas,” Maggie said.

“But you’d rather be with Levi.” A sly smile plastered on Malachi’s face.

Maggie didn’t say a word. Today was the eighth day of her relationship with Levi. Wasn’t it too premature to announce it to her family?

“I already know,” Malachi said quietly.

“Know what?”

“About you and Levi. He called me yesterday after church and told me.”

“What did he say?” Nothing ventured, nothing gained. She had to ask.

“He wanted to make sure it’s fine with me if he dates my favorite sister.”

“Your only sister.”

“My only favorite sister.”

Maggie wondered if Levi should have discussed with her first about what he was going to say to Malachi. Perhaps they could have prepared for the other potential eventuality. “Did he actually say ‘fine with you’ or were you summarizing?”

“A bit of both. He basically said something like—he found the person he wants to spend the rest of his life with and it’s my sister. Is that fine with you?”

“What did you say?”

“I told him I approve—because I like him—but if he hurts you in any way, I’m going to put aside my pastor hat and put on my big brother hat and give him a what’s what.”

Maggie didn’t want to tell Malachi that she had hurt her own self more. All that time she had been in love with Levi and never told him. All that time he hadn’t been aware of her love for him. And all that time he made her find a potential girlfriend for him.

Her own angst had caused her to take matters into her own hands. Fleeing Atlanta was her own choice. It was a way for her to avoid having to confront Levi and potentially get rejected.

That one decision had a profound effect on her calling. Then again, abandoning God’s call had made her reassess her true calling and caused her to realize her real skillset.

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