too.”
Eve sighed as she slouched in a chair. “I don’t like the sound of that.”
“In order to get past what happened, I have to confront these people sometime,” Sophia said. “It might as well be now.”
Eve nibbled nervously on her bottom lip. “Then I’m going with you.”
* * *
Ted knew he had no business attending this meeting. He needed to stay as far away from Sophia DeBussi as possible. Maybe he didn’t like her, but he was still attracted to her, which was a dangerous combination. So when he first pulled into the church, he almost turned around and drove off—until he saw the number of cars in the lot. Once he realized how outnumbered she’d be, he parked. He didn’t believe in kicking people when they were down, even if they deserved it. Especially a woman. And, beyond that, a woman with a kid. He wanted to make sure this didn’t get out of hand.
It took a moment for his eyes to adjust. He’d been driving right into the sunset. But from what he could see when he walked in, she hadn’t arrived yet. He stood at the back of the church, listening as the boisterous, angry group congregating near the pulpit talked about her as if she were pure evil. They wanted to believe that she, and not Skip, had stolen their money. Ted heard Eric Groscost say that Skip never would’ve done what he did if she hadn’t demanded he keep her in luxury, and several others readily agreed.
Ted rolled his eyes. Although Sophia had no doubt enjoyed Skip’s money and the prestige it afforded her, he was pretty sure these people were conveniently forgetting how arrogant and egotistical Skip had been.
Reverend Flores spotted him before any of the others did. “Ted,” he said, hurrying down the aisle to greet him. “I’m so glad you could come. I had no idea you were caught up in this, too.”
He grunted so he wouldn’t have to explain why he’d decided to attend if he wasn’t an investor, and took a seat in the back row.
“Don’t you want to join us up front?” Flores asked. “Sophia should be here any minute.”
If she knew what was good for her, she wouldn’t show. But he’d had coffee with his friends this morning and Eve had mentioned that they were both planning to attend. “I’m fine back here,” he said. “Maybe you could just tell me... What do you guys hope to accomplish tonight?”
“What do you mean?” Flores replied. “We’re hoping to get back as much of our money as we can.”
Eve had made Sophia’s situation seem dire. Didn’t they realize that Skip had cheated her far more than he’d cheated them? “From where? You know the old saying about getting blood from a turnip.”
“She’s hardly a turnip, Ted. Her wedding ring alone has to be worth enough to pay off half the people in this room.”
“You expect her to sell her wedding ring? ”
“Yeah, I expect her to sell it. Why should she be walking around with a rock like that when I lost my life savings? She has other things she could sell, too.”
Ted gestured at the crowd. “Enough to satisfy everyone here?”
“ Something is better than nothing. It might sound cruel, but it’s only right that she try to make amends. That’s the Lord’s way.”
“I thought forgiveness was the Lord’s way,” Ted murmured.
“She has to bring forth fruit meet for repentance first.” He raised his chin as if he’d just put Ted in his place, but Ted wasn’t willing to let it go that easily.
“Which entails...”
“Doing what she can, like I said. What about the Ferraris Skip drove?”
“They’re probably encumbered. A man would have to be desperate to do what Skip did. I’m sure he exhausted all of his resources before giving up his house, his wife and his daughter to start a new life.”
“Maybe that’s true, but now we’ll at least have a chance to hear it from her own lips. You’ve got to be curious as to whether she knew what Skip was doing.”
“I am curious about how he got away with so much. But I
Eve sighed as she slouched in a chair. “I don’t like the sound of that.”
“In order to get past what happened, I have to confront these people sometime,” Sophia said. “It might as well be now.”
Eve nibbled nervously on her bottom lip. “Then I’m going with you.”
* * *
Ted knew he had no business attending this meeting. He needed to stay as far away from Sophia DeBussi as possible. Maybe he didn’t like her, but he was still attracted to her, which was a dangerous combination. So when he first pulled into the church, he almost turned around and drove off—until he saw the number of cars in the lot. Once he realized how outnumbered she’d be, he parked. He didn’t believe in kicking people when they were down, even if they deserved it. Especially a woman. And, beyond that, a woman with a kid. He wanted to make sure this didn’t get out of hand.
It took a moment for his eyes to adjust. He’d been driving right into the sunset. But from what he could see when he walked in, she hadn’t arrived yet. He stood at the back of the church, listening as the boisterous, angry group congregating near the pulpit talked about her as if she were pure evil. They wanted to believe that she, and not Skip, had stolen their money. Ted heard Eric Groscost say that Skip never would’ve done what he did if she hadn’t demanded he keep her in luxury, and several others readily agreed.
Ted rolled his eyes. Although Sophia had no doubt enjoyed Skip’s money and the prestige it afforded her, he was pretty sure these people were conveniently forgetting how arrogant and egotistical Skip had been.
Reverend Flores spotted him before any of the others did. “Ted,” he said, hurrying down the aisle to greet him. “I’m so glad you could come. I had no idea you were caught up in this, too.”
He grunted so he wouldn’t have to explain why he’d decided to attend if he wasn’t an investor, and took a seat in the back row.
“Don’t you want to join us up front?” Flores asked. “Sophia should be here any minute.”
If she knew what was good for her, she wouldn’t show. But he’d had coffee with his friends this morning and Eve had mentioned that they were both planning to attend. “I’m fine back here,” he said. “Maybe you could just tell me... What do you guys hope to accomplish tonight?”
“What do you mean?” Flores replied. “We’re hoping to get back as much of our money as we can.”
Eve had made Sophia’s situation seem dire. Didn’t they realize that Skip had cheated her far more than he’d cheated them? “From where? You know the old saying about getting blood from a turnip.”
“She’s hardly a turnip, Ted. Her wedding ring alone has to be worth enough to pay off half the people in this room.”
“You expect her to sell her wedding ring? ”
“Yeah, I expect her to sell it. Why should she be walking around with a rock like that when I lost my life savings? She has other things she could sell, too.”
Ted gestured at the crowd. “Enough to satisfy everyone here?”
“ Something is better than nothing. It might sound cruel, but it’s only right that she try to make amends. That’s the Lord’s way.”
“I thought forgiveness was the Lord’s way,” Ted murmured.
“She has to bring forth fruit meet for repentance first.” He raised his chin as if he’d just put Ted in his place, but Ted wasn’t willing to let it go that easily.
“Which entails...”
“Doing what she can, like I said. What about the Ferraris Skip drove?”
“They’re probably encumbered. A man would have to be desperate to do what Skip did. I’m sure he exhausted all of his resources before giving up his house, his wife and his daughter to start a new life.”
“Maybe that’s true, but now we’ll at least have a chance to hear it from her own lips. You’ve got to be curious as to whether she knew what Skip was doing.”
“I am curious about how he got away with so much. But I
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