Arizona Pastor (10 page)

“Yes, I am.” Mel crossed her arms. “And Joel and I are getting married July 27.”

Carrie's jaw dropped, and she turned to Kristy. “And you're allowing this?”

Kristy grimaced, and Mel leaned closer to her aunt. “I'm almost eighteen, Aunt Carrie. I'm allowed to get married if I want.”

Carrie scoffed. “Did you hear that, Kris? Guess she doesn't remember the challenges you faced.” She glared back at Mel. “But then, why would she? She didn't have to be the caretaker.”

“I'm sorry I was such a burden,” Mel shot back.

“You were always worth it,” said Kristy.

Carrie threw her napkin on the table. “You know that we love you, but that doesn't mean your mother didn't have to make sacrifices. A lot of them.” Carrie's eyes widened, and her voice raised an octave. “How could you do this to your mother?”

Wade knew the discussion had the potential to get heated. One reason he'd hoped Michael and Joel would be here. As a lifelong bachelor, with only one sister whom he didn't see all that often, he had no idea what to say or if he should say anything to try to mediate the situation. Noting Kristy's anxious expression as her gaze bounced from her sister to her daughter, Wade reached across the table and placed his palm on hers. To his surprise and pleasure, she gripped his hand and held tight.

* * *

Finally! Someone with some reason.
Kristy bit her tongue as Carrie and Mel argued back and forth about the upcoming wedding and pregnancy. The baby
would
be a blessing. God would take Mel and the baby's life and do immeasurable good, but life wasn't going to be easy for her daughter. And she didn't necessarily need to jump into matrimony. Grandma Phillips had always said a person should make only one life-changing decision per year. Mel couldn't take back the pregnancy, but they could pray a bit more about the nuptials.

“What is that supposed to mean?” Mel bellowed. “I haven't done anything to Mom.”

Noah's cries echoed through the room. Carrie pursed her lips as she turned to undo the car seat straps. Kristy hopped up and released Wade's hand. “I'll get him. You finish eating.”

She flexed her fingers. She hadn't realized she'd been holding Wade's hand, and now she missed the comfort and strength of his grip. Unbuckling her nephew, she cooed at the boy, whose face was puckering. His bottom lip quivered, and she scooped his pacifier out of the seat and popped it in his mouth, then rocked the baby side to side.

“I'm not sure I'm hungry anymore,” Carrie barked. “What about school, Mel?”

Mel jutted out her chin again. “I'm not going. Going to college wasn't my dream anyway.”

Carrie narrowed her gaze. “Are you kidding me? Is this some kind of joke?” She turned to Wade and shook her head. “I'm sorry you have to witness this.” She pointed to Mel. “But my niece has lost her senses.” She stared back at Mel. “For years, this kid has practiced her arguing skills on me. Years.” She emphasized the word.

Kristy pinched back a grin. She glanced at Wade and saw his eyes danced with merriment, as well. With less than a decade between them, Carrie and Mel had grown up acting more like sisters than aunt and niece. Only Carrie could get away with ranting at Kristy's headstrong daughter like this. And maybe, when Mel settled down into bed and all was quiet, she'd think about some of the things Carrie was saying now.

“I've grown up,” Mel retorted. “I have responsibilities now.”

“That's right. You do. Now you get to go to school and raise a baby, just like your mama did.”

“I said I wasn't going.”

Carrie shook her head. “I've got half a mind to leave Noah with you more than just one night. How would you like to try a week?”

Mel jutted out her chin. “I can take care of him. Even if Mom isn't with me.”

Carrie snorted. “You're right about that. You're gonna learn firsthand what it's like to be completely responsible for another human being.”

Mel sucked in her breath and turned a glassy gaze toward Kristy. Her child's lower lip quivered, just as Noah's had only moments ago. She wanted to kiss away Mel's boo-boos, to make everything all right. And everything would be all right, but not without a lot of work.

“This is why I didn't want to tell her,” Mel mumbled.

“What? You were gonna wait until the kid got here? I'd have found out eventually.” Carrie crossed her arms in front of her chest. “Honestly, Mel. You're too smart for this.”

“I can't get unpregnant, Carrie.”

Kristy squirmed at the lilt in her child's voice. The mama bear within her wanted to protect her cub from the mean auntie bear.

Carrie lowered her voice. “Of course not. But you need to think about this marriage business. Are you ready for that? And school?”

Carrie took Mel's hands. Mel tried to pull away, but Carrie held tight. “I know that in your heart you want to go to school. You love to learn.” She smirked. “And argue. You get it from your aunt Carrie.”

Mel chuckled through her tears, and Kristy had to look away. Wade smiled at her, and she saw something she couldn't quite decipher in his gaze. Instinctively, she glanced down at her sweet nephew. His tiny fist gripped her shirt collar. He sucked his pacifier and looked up at her with big inquisitive eyes.

A new maternal urge washed over her. What would Wade's baby look like? Did he want to be a father? She relished the comfort of cuddling a newborn and dreamed of what it would be like to share the blessing of a baby with a man who loved her and the child as much as she had loved Mel.

She sucked in her breath at her wayward thinking. Her daughter was going to have a baby. She was going to be a grandmother. The last thing she needed to think about was having a baby with Wade. A man she wasn't dating. Her brand-new pastor, at that.

“I love you, Mel Bell,” Carrie crooned her personal nickname for the girl.

Kristy glanced up at the ceiling and blinked several times to keep tears from streaming down her cheeks.

“I know,” Mel mumbled.

“Come on. Let's go call Grandma and Grandpa and tell them. Then we'll Skype Kaitlyn in Japan.” Carrie wrapped her arm around Mel's shoulder. “No one is going to be as hard on you as me.”

Mel huffed. “That's for sure.”

“Just promise me you'll pray about the marriage and college.”

“Fine. I promise.”

Kristy closed her eyes, lifting a silent prayer to God that her sister had got enough through that Mel would consider He might have a different plan. A sudden thought occurred to her. Maybe God had a different plan for the rest of Kristy's life, too. And could it possibly include a handsome single pastor?

K
risty sat behind the large wooden desk at the community college, opened her laptop and logged on to the class. She clicked on the electronic Dropbox storage and checked that everyone had submitted the latest writing assignment. She frowned when she saw neither Hannah nor Curt had submitted their papers.

Curt's first assignment had been poorly done, and she wasn't overly surprised he might be late with the next one. But Hannah had done an exceptional job. Her paper had been well researched and insightful. Opening a new tab, she logged on to the class rosters. She noted that Curt was no longer listed and must have dropped the class. Not a shock. But Hannah was still there.

Kristy jotted a reminder on a Post-it note to speak with Hannah, and then she uploaded the presentation for the day. While she straightened the handouts, students filed into the classroom. She greeted them with a nod, then realized she'd forgotten to silence her smartphone.

Pulling it out of her purse, she saw a text message with only one word from Mel. Thanks. Kristy's heart swelled with gratitude. After Wade, Carrie and Noah had left, Mel had opened up about her fears concerning being a wife and mother. Despite Carrie's rebuke, Mel remained adamant in her decisions. After really listening to her daughter and praying over her own heart, Kristy wasn't sure what the best decisions were for Mel. Thankfully, Mel was open to heeding God's instruction, which meant Kristy needed to have faith and get out of the way.

“Good morning, Professor Phillips,” Hannah mumbled.

Kristy took in the young woman's messy ponytail, dark bags under her eyes and disheveled clothes. “Rough morning?”

“Jonah has the chicken pox. He's been running a fever and whining and trying to scratch at the sores. I finally got him to sleep at eleven last night. By the time I posted my assignment, he was up crying again.”

“You posted your assignment?” Kristy cocked her head. “For this class?”

Hannah nodded. “Yes, ma'am. It was eleven-thirty or later, but I got it in before midnight.”

“Your assignment isn't showing up.” She took the sticky note off her desk. “I'd even made myself a note to ask you about it.”

Tears welled in Hannah's eyes as she shook her head. “I know I sent it. I've been busy and tired, but I know—”

Kristy placed her hand on Hannah's forearm. “Don't worry. Just resubmit it after class.”

The young woman dug through her oversize blue-and-green tote bag. “I've got my flash drive right here. It's saved on it. I can do it right now.” Her voice cracked. “I don't want you to think I'm slacking.”

Hannah's fatigue was getting the best of her emotions.
Kristy understood. She'd been there a few times herself. “It's okay, Hannah. I believe you.”

“I'd still feel better if I submitted it right now. Is the computer lab open?”

Kristy pinched her lips together. The lab probably wasn't open yet, especially since most of the school was on summer break. She remembered times of panic when things hadn't gone as she'd planned. “Tell you what. I'll log out of my account. You log on and turn in your assignment.”

Hannah's eyes widened. “Oh, no. I couldn't do that.”

“It'll make you feel better, and I insist.” Kristy closed each tab on her laptop, then signed off. “Already done.”

She turned the computer toward Hannah and watched as her student worked. Within minutes, Hannah had uploaded the assignment, and Kristy was again using her own account.

“You're the most understanding professor I've ever had. I try not to use being a single mom as an excuse. Try to do the best work I can and not ask for special treatment.” Kristy looked into sincere and hardworking eyes. She could have been looking into a mirror eighteen years ago. “You haven't asked for special treatment a single time yet, and your last assignment was exemplary. You have nothing to worry about. I'm familiar with the challenges you're facing.”

Understanding wrapped the young woman's features. “Really?”

Kristy nodded. “And my advice to you is not to give up. You'll get there.”

Hannah smiled as she hefted her tote bag higher on her shoulder, then turned and took her seat. Kristy pulled up the presentation software once again and then distributed the handouts. As her gaze passed over Hannah, she
couldn't help but hope Mel would decide to take on the challenge of attending college.

* * *

Wade lifted his head and opened his eyes after leading the committee in prayer to begin their second meeting. Again, Freddy and Eustace sat on one side of the table, and Greg and Becca sat on the other. Kristy sat across from him. She looked especially beautiful tonight. Her tanned skin glowed beneath a short-sleeved, button-down white shirt. Short brown waves fanned and flipped around her face. Her blue eyes sparkled with a happiness he hoped to have the chance to ask her about after the meeting. He wondered if she and Mel had had a good conversation after the uncomfortable, unusual dinner he'd attended with her, Mel, Carrie and little Noah.

Forcing his attention to the meeting, he opened the notebook on the table. “How did everyone do with listening to different kinds of music and reading different translations of the Bible?” He tapped the table. “You know what? Let's start with one thing at a time. What did you think about different translations?”

Becca crinkled her nose. “I had a really hard time understanding the King James Version.”

“I don't think the youth would relate to the King James if you read it from the pulpit,” added Greg.

Freddy nodded. “I agree, Greg. I'm pretty sure my grandchildren would tune out.”

“I've gotten used to the NIV anyway,” said Eustace.

Wade clapped his hands. “Great. What about the New International Version and the English Standard Version?”

Eustace shrugged. “I suppose there isn't a huge difference.”

“That's true.” Freddy tapped the table. “But I'd want
to know what standard you were reading from, because I like to follow along.”

“Fair enough,” Wade said.

“I've been using the ESV with the youth for a while, so they are used to that translation,” said Greg.

“I prefer ESV, too,” said Becca.

Wade nodded to Kristy. “What do you think?”

She glanced from Becca and Greg to Eustace and Freddy. “We believe all of these translations are accurate representations of God's word, so I'm not sure why we're discussing it.” She opened her palms. “Please don't take my comment to be combative. I just think we've hired Wade to pastor our church. He should decide on the translation he preaches.”

Warmth wrapped around Wade's heart. He smiled and nodded. “Thank you, Kristy. I prefer preaching from the ESV.” He turned to Freddy. “It's a great idea that I will be sure to communicate with our congregation.”

“Oh, that reminds me.” Becca snapped her fingers. “I meant to tell you how much I enjoyed the newsletter.”

Eustace nodded. “Yes. I liked the addition of a devotional.”

“And it looked great at the beginning,” added Kristy with a sly smile.