“Let’s get this done.”
Carol Ann pulled a compact out of her pocket and checked below her eyes for smeared mascara. “Just tell us what to do,” she said and snapped it closed.
“He’s right,” she said. “Max will do a great job. Shade and Kelly can sit this one out. Sometimes less is more in worship.” She headed for the keyboard. “Let’s give it a try and then we’ll pray.”
With each step, her pantyhose moved. She didn’t have to look to know the runner had come free and raced to her ankle.
Kevin came up beside her a moment later and tapped her shoulder, even though she knew he was there. “Hey, Candi.”
“Yes?”
“You have a hole in your hose.”
****
Shade piled two apple-filled jelly doughnuts on his napkin and joined Rocky in the corner of the hospitality room.
“One service down, one to go. How do you think that went?”
Rocky took a swig of water. “Great. You were right about In the Garden .”
Max and Kevin approached. They’d taken a whole box of pastries off the table.
“What’d we miss?”
Rocky changed positions in his chair. “Shade was just about to tell us about his fishing trip with our fearless leader.”
Kevin licked icing off his fingers. “You went fishing with Pastor Charles?”
“Not that leader, the other one. Candi.”
Kevin actually looked speechless.
Max leaned in. “How’d it go?”
“Had a good time. She knows what’s she’s doing. Caught some fish, too.”
“How many fish?”
“Not enough for dinner, but it was a respectable catch.”
“Anything good size in that pond?”
Shade leaned against the wall. “We didn’t catch anything worthy of mounting over the fireplace, but I think there’s some pretty big catfish in there.”
Max pulled another doughnut from the box. “You goin’ again?”
“Don’t know. She seemed OK about it yesterday, but she hasn’t said a word to me today. We’ll see.”
Rocky tucked his bottle of water into the side of his chair and motioned for Kevin to pass the box. “I wouldn’t let that worry you. She’s all business on Sunday mornings. She has a lot on her mind.”
“Same way on campus,” Kevin added. “Some students say she’s cold, but once they get to know her, they like her. She gets four and five stars on the Rate Your Professor website.”
“Out of how many possible stars are we talkin’ here?” Rocky asked.
“Five.”
“OK, just checking.”
Shade recalled the look on her face in the circle when he’d inadvertently challenged her. “I don’t think she’s too happy with me this morning, anyway. Like I said, we’ll see.”
“Aw, she’ll lighten up,” Max assured him. “She’s actually pretty funny. You’ll see today when we go out to lunch after church.”
“I can’t make it today.”
“Serious? This is your first Sunday. We were gonna buy you lunch.”
“I had something come up.”
“Next week, then.”
Rocky handed the box back to Kevin. “Hey, while we’re all here I need to ask you guys to pray about something.”
There was a sudden change in the men’s demeanor. Like the good friends they were, Max and Kevin trashed the box and turned their full attention to Rocky.
Shade was honored to be included. Having come from a place where everyone wanted to be his friend only to party with the band, he was genuinely moved to experience true camaraderie—and a connection he hadn’t felt since Pete died.
“What’s up, Rock?”
“I’ve been contacted by a counselor at a Christian youth camp. He wants me to come and talk about my injury, my recovery, my faith, and all that. He says the kids need to hear from Christian men with challenges. He says I’m a role model. Can you believe that?”
Max huffed out a breath. “What’s there to pray about? This is a no-brainer. You have to do it.”
“I can’t do it. I’m no public speaker. I’d forget to set my brake and roll off the stage or something embarrassing like that.”
“You’re
Carol Ann pulled a compact out of her pocket and checked below her eyes for smeared mascara. “Just tell us what to do,” she said and snapped it closed.
“He’s right,” she said. “Max will do a great job. Shade and Kelly can sit this one out. Sometimes less is more in worship.” She headed for the keyboard. “Let’s give it a try and then we’ll pray.”
With each step, her pantyhose moved. She didn’t have to look to know the runner had come free and raced to her ankle.
Kevin came up beside her a moment later and tapped her shoulder, even though she knew he was there. “Hey, Candi.”
“Yes?”
“You have a hole in your hose.”
****
Shade piled two apple-filled jelly doughnuts on his napkin and joined Rocky in the corner of the hospitality room.
“One service down, one to go. How do you think that went?”
Rocky took a swig of water. “Great. You were right about In the Garden .”
Max and Kevin approached. They’d taken a whole box of pastries off the table.
“What’d we miss?”
Rocky changed positions in his chair. “Shade was just about to tell us about his fishing trip with our fearless leader.”
Kevin licked icing off his fingers. “You went fishing with Pastor Charles?”
“Not that leader, the other one. Candi.”
Kevin actually looked speechless.
Max leaned in. “How’d it go?”
“Had a good time. She knows what’s she’s doing. Caught some fish, too.”
“How many fish?”
“Not enough for dinner, but it was a respectable catch.”
“Anything good size in that pond?”
Shade leaned against the wall. “We didn’t catch anything worthy of mounting over the fireplace, but I think there’s some pretty big catfish in there.”
Max pulled another doughnut from the box. “You goin’ again?”
“Don’t know. She seemed OK about it yesterday, but she hasn’t said a word to me today. We’ll see.”
Rocky tucked his bottle of water into the side of his chair and motioned for Kevin to pass the box. “I wouldn’t let that worry you. She’s all business on Sunday mornings. She has a lot on her mind.”
“Same way on campus,” Kevin added. “Some students say she’s cold, but once they get to know her, they like her. She gets four and five stars on the Rate Your Professor website.”
“Out of how many possible stars are we talkin’ here?” Rocky asked.
“Five.”
“OK, just checking.”
Shade recalled the look on her face in the circle when he’d inadvertently challenged her. “I don’t think she’s too happy with me this morning, anyway. Like I said, we’ll see.”
“Aw, she’ll lighten up,” Max assured him. “She’s actually pretty funny. You’ll see today when we go out to lunch after church.”
“I can’t make it today.”
“Serious? This is your first Sunday. We were gonna buy you lunch.”
“I had something come up.”
“Next week, then.”
Rocky handed the box back to Kevin. “Hey, while we’re all here I need to ask you guys to pray about something.”
There was a sudden change in the men’s demeanor. Like the good friends they were, Max and Kevin trashed the box and turned their full attention to Rocky.
Shade was honored to be included. Having come from a place where everyone wanted to be his friend only to party with the band, he was genuinely moved to experience true camaraderie—and a connection he hadn’t felt since Pete died.
“What’s up, Rock?”
“I’ve been contacted by a counselor at a Christian youth camp. He wants me to come and talk about my injury, my recovery, my faith, and all that. He says the kids need to hear from Christian men with challenges. He says I’m a role model. Can you believe that?”
Max huffed out a breath. “What’s there to pray about? This is a no-brainer. You have to do it.”
“I can’t do it. I’m no public speaker. I’d forget to set my brake and roll off the stage or something embarrassing like that.”
“You’re
Similar Books
