Sterling's garage this time,
Tony jumped from his seat on the floor. He leapt over the pile
of engine parts surrounding him and rushed over to greet her.
She nodded. "Hi, Tony."
He looked down at his shirt. Apparently satisfied with its
cleanliness, he threw his arms around her and squeezed tight.
"It's great to see you."
"It's great to see you, too."
"How're you making it? You doing okay?"
"Fine." Her answer came out wheezy and choked.
He released her and smiled sheepishly. "Sorry about that.
Got a little carried away."
"Tony, the good you do my heart is worth the damage you
do my ribs. I know those hugs are because of Jeff. That means
a lot."
His face turned pink and he looked over his shoulder. "Jake's
waiting for you in his office. He said to send you right in." He
wiped his hands against his work pants. "Probably thought I'd
keep you out here all night talking to you."
The door to the office was open. Jake sat with his back turned,
filling out paperwork at his desk. He looked busy.
Melanie tapped on the open door. "Knock, knock."
Jake swiveled in his seat. "No need to knock around here.
Open door policy, you know. How are you doing?" He smiled at
her and his eyes glowed with a hint of something tantalizing.
Melanie wanted to know more about what went on behind
those eyes. She dismissed the thought. "Thank you for what you
did at your church last night. Sarah told me about it. It means
a lot to her-and me."
He shrugged one shoulder. "Someone needed to stand up
and say it."
Melanie nodded in full agreement. "Will it solve the problem
about the mission trip? Sarah befriended this little girl last year.
Just the thought of not going is eating her up with guilt."
Jake tilted his head thoughtfully to one side. "It won't solve
the problem, but it certainly can't hurt. I've been thinking a
lot about that. You know what might? If you were to come to
church a time or two."
She should have known. It had to come around to religion
sometime. Melanie felt the heat rising in her face and willed
herself to maintain control. "What kind of hypocrite would
that make me, if I came to your church just so they'd give my
daughter money to go on a trip with the youth? A mission trip!
My lawsuit is not about the money. If I won't go to court for the
money, I certainly will not go to church for it."
He held up his hand to stop her. "I didn't mean it that way. I
think it would help all the people there to see that you are just
like them. Let them see that you are not the ... uh ... financially
motivated person they might think you are."
Melanie felt her anger fade, and in its place shame took what
remained of her will to fight. "I know you read the article."
He blinked an acknowledgment.
"It's all true, you know. Every detail about my past life that
was spelled out for all of Santa Barbara to read is true. Why would it help my daughter if a woman with my past showed
up at your church?"
"Melanie, your past is just that-past. No one is perfect.
We've all sinned, all made mistakes."
"That may be true, but most people don't make mistakes as
big as mine were."
"I did. Bigger. It's only through God's grace that I'm where I am
today, and that I will one day stand before Him-forgiven."
"Jake, like I used to tell Jeff, If it works for you, that's fine
with me, but it doesn't work for me.' Besides, you and I both
know everyone in the church would be talking and whispering
if I walked in."
"Not everyone. Some would-I can't deny that. But the ones
who would talk and whisper will do it anyway. Do you want
Sarah to endure their talk, or do you want to do it for her? Just
show up once-give it a try, and see what happens."
Melanie stood. She couldn't think of anything else to do. "As
I said before, I'm glad that stuff works for you. Thanks again for
helping Sarah." She rushed out the door and out of the shop,
thankful Tony was occupied elsewhere.
Blair Phelps forced himself to dress for
Tony jumped from his seat on the floor. He leapt over the pile
of engine parts surrounding him and rushed over to greet her.
She nodded. "Hi, Tony."
He looked down at his shirt. Apparently satisfied with its
cleanliness, he threw his arms around her and squeezed tight.
"It's great to see you."
"It's great to see you, too."
"How're you making it? You doing okay?"
"Fine." Her answer came out wheezy and choked.
He released her and smiled sheepishly. "Sorry about that.
Got a little carried away."
"Tony, the good you do my heart is worth the damage you
do my ribs. I know those hugs are because of Jeff. That means
a lot."
His face turned pink and he looked over his shoulder. "Jake's
waiting for you in his office. He said to send you right in." He
wiped his hands against his work pants. "Probably thought I'd
keep you out here all night talking to you."
The door to the office was open. Jake sat with his back turned,
filling out paperwork at his desk. He looked busy.
Melanie tapped on the open door. "Knock, knock."
Jake swiveled in his seat. "No need to knock around here.
Open door policy, you know. How are you doing?" He smiled at
her and his eyes glowed with a hint of something tantalizing.
Melanie wanted to know more about what went on behind
those eyes. She dismissed the thought. "Thank you for what you
did at your church last night. Sarah told me about it. It means
a lot to her-and me."
He shrugged one shoulder. "Someone needed to stand up
and say it."
Melanie nodded in full agreement. "Will it solve the problem
about the mission trip? Sarah befriended this little girl last year.
Just the thought of not going is eating her up with guilt."
Jake tilted his head thoughtfully to one side. "It won't solve
the problem, but it certainly can't hurt. I've been thinking a
lot about that. You know what might? If you were to come to
church a time or two."
She should have known. It had to come around to religion
sometime. Melanie felt the heat rising in her face and willed
herself to maintain control. "What kind of hypocrite would
that make me, if I came to your church just so they'd give my
daughter money to go on a trip with the youth? A mission trip!
My lawsuit is not about the money. If I won't go to court for the
money, I certainly will not go to church for it."
He held up his hand to stop her. "I didn't mean it that way. I
think it would help all the people there to see that you are just
like them. Let them see that you are not the ... uh ... financially
motivated person they might think you are."
Melanie felt her anger fade, and in its place shame took what
remained of her will to fight. "I know you read the article."
He blinked an acknowledgment.
"It's all true, you know. Every detail about my past life that
was spelled out for all of Santa Barbara to read is true. Why would it help my daughter if a woman with my past showed
up at your church?"
"Melanie, your past is just that-past. No one is perfect.
We've all sinned, all made mistakes."
"That may be true, but most people don't make mistakes as
big as mine were."
"I did. Bigger. It's only through God's grace that I'm where I am
today, and that I will one day stand before Him-forgiven."
"Jake, like I used to tell Jeff, If it works for you, that's fine
with me, but it doesn't work for me.' Besides, you and I both
know everyone in the church would be talking and whispering
if I walked in."
"Not everyone. Some would-I can't deny that. But the ones
who would talk and whisper will do it anyway. Do you want
Sarah to endure their talk, or do you want to do it for her? Just
show up once-give it a try, and see what happens."
Melanie stood. She couldn't think of anything else to do. "As
I said before, I'm glad that stuff works for you. Thanks again for
helping Sarah." She rushed out the door and out of the shop,
thankful Tony was occupied elsewhere.
Blair Phelps forced himself to dress for
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