The Pastor's Wife by Reshonda Tate Billingsley Page B

having dinner with Savannah.” Mamie said Savannah’s name like it was an infectious disease.
    “I wonder if he’s with her again today,” Eva said.
    Dorothy Mae suddenly got an uneasy look on her face. “Well, I…ummm, I found out some information that we might be able to use to nip that relationship in the bud.”
    Both Eva and Mamie spun around. “What? And you’re just now telling us about this?”
    Dorothy Mae sat down, suddenly getting excited. “A little birdie might have told me that Miss Savannah McKinney might actually be a Mrs.”
    “What?” Eva exclaimed.
    Dorothy Mae reached over in her purse and pulled out a piece of paper. “I had a little background check done on Savannah, and as it turns out she married some hoodlum in 1999 and never got divorced.”
    “So you mean she’s married?” Eva asked.
    Dorothy Mae laid the marriage license on the table. “Yep. Her husband is in the pen for armed robbery. Shoot, they probably running a scheme trying to take Terrance for his money.”
    All three women broke out in huge grins. “A little detail I’m very sure she forgot to tell Terrance,” Mamie said as she picked up the marriage license and scanned it.
    “Then it looks like we’ll have to be the ones to break the news,” Eva announced.
    “And if this doesn’t get rid of Miss Thang, I don’t know what will,” Dorothy Mae added, finally feeling like they had Savannah beat. “And after we’re done with her, we’ll just see who’s showing who.”
     
    Mamie scurried into the kitchen. “Are you ready to do this?” she asked her sisters.
    “Ready as ever,” Eva proclaimed. It had taken a lot of coaxing to convince Terrance to come by. He especially thought they were up to something when Eva invited Savannah. But he’d finally agreed. They’d arrived over an hour ago, and it had been excruciating trying to make it through dinner without saying anything. Dinner had been pure torture. Savannah would smirk at them, then plaster on an innocent look whenever Terrance looked her way. She dabbed at his mouth and fawned over him like he was Jesus himself. The whole thing was sickening. Dorothy Mae had wanted to reveal Savannah’s scam the minute she walked in the door, but Eva had convinced her that they needed to tread lightly.
    But now was the time. They had wrapped up dessert and Terrance had leaned back in his chair, stuffed. He had his arm around the back of Savannah’s chair and she was eating it up.
    Eva, Dorothy Mae, and Mamie walked back in and stood over the dining room table.
    “Mrs. Lewis, thank you so much for that awesome meal. I wish that I could cook like that,” Savannah purred. “Specially since I see how much T-baby loves your cooking.”
    Eva didn’t respond as she struggled to keep a scowl from her face.
    Dorothy Mae began blurting out, “Terrance, we have something we’d like—”
    Eva held up her hand, cutting Dorothy Mae off. “We just wanted to talk to you guys a little bit, that’s all,” Eva said as she sat down. “Mamie, Dorothy Mae, sit down.” Eva shot them a glare to let them know she had things under control. They shot her a look back to let her know they were tired of waiting.
    “Well, Savannah, it looks like things are getting a little serious between you and my nephew,” Eva said.
    Savannah squeezed Terrance’s hand. “I hope so.” She smiled lovingly at him.
    Eva had to fight back the bile building in her stomach. “So, is he someone you could see yourself building a future with?”
    Terrance suddenly became uneasy and sat up. “Aunt Eva!”
    “I’m just asking the girl,” Eva calmly responded. “You wanted us to get to know one another.”
    “No, it’s no problem,” Savannah replied, thinking to herself, Are they actually finally coming around to give me a chance? “Terrance is definitely the type of man I could see myself spending the rest of my life with.”
    “Yeah, because Terrance ain’t never robbed nobody,” Dorothy Mae