The Consequence of Secrets - Part One

The Consequence of Secrets

PART ONE

Eve Cates

Copyright 2015, EVE CATES
 

All rights reserved

Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means without the prior written permission of the author of this book.

This book is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to any person, living or dead is purely coincidental. The church and its associated works mentioned are purely a creation of the author. Any actual places, products or events mentioned are used in a purely fictitious manner.  The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of various places/products referenced in this work of fiction, which have been used without permission and is by no way sponsored by the trademark owners.

Part ONE of FOUR, Eve Cates brings you her most forbidden romance so far...

A married woman. A devout man. Both have taken vows. Both will break them.

When new priest, Braden Daniels, meets his new congregation, he can't help but notice the beautiful young woman with the downcast eyes. There's something about her that calls to Braden, and he assures himself he just wants to help her - to find out what has her looking so melancholy.

Each day she prays, and each day he tries to talk to her. She resists until eventually she doesn't.

It feels good to talk, and Emma Walker can't seem to stop once she starts. Slowly, Braden begins to learn everything that troubles the beautiful Emma - he learns her secrets.

And with each passing day they grow closer, until they have a secret of their own.

But all secrets have consequences...

Synopsis

Dedication

One

Two

Three

Four

Five

Six

Seven

Eight

Nine

Ten

Eleven

Twelve

For everyone who is brave enough to try

Father Dunbar’s voice sounds as weathered as he appears. It echoes off the high stone walls of the old church as he recites the
Prayer of the Faithful.
He’s forced to pause as a hacking cough emanates out of his chest. That cough is exactly why I’m here. The old priest is too frail to continue, and the bishop has sent me, Father Braden Daniels, to fill the vacancy his retirement will create.

It’s hard for Father Dunbar to step down; he’s been at this church since he was first anointed back in 1972. But, age and ill health are forcing his hand. This will be his last Sunday Mass. It will be the last time he gives communion and cleanses the souls of the people of Newport. 

Deacon Christopher Salisbury, reaches out to hold the elbow of the old priest to keep him steady, and Father Dunbar pats his shoulder, nodding to show that he’s OK to continue. He manages to get through the Eucharist, and with the assistance of myself and Father Matthew, he gets through his final communion and thanks the entire congregation for allowing him to be a part of their spiritual lives for as long as he was able.

He hands everything over to me, and I offer the concluding rites, before leading the Recessional out the door where I stand with Father Dunbar and meet the members of my new parish one person at a time...

“Why is this taking so damn long?” my husband, Gabe, grumbles close to my ear as we wait in the line that is slowly wending it’s way out the large wooden doors of the church. There’s a new priest joining the parish, and an old one is leaving. Since he was the man who has guided our spiritual lives since most of us were born, everyone wants to say goodbye and see the new guy up close and personal, and being one of the largest donators to the church, my family always sits in the front pew, so we have a while to wait to get outside, but in return, we’ll be awarded the most attention. “We’ll see this guy every Sunday for the rest of our lives. He’ll drone and on then feed us those horrid wafers and wine just like the old one did. I don’t see what the big deal is.”

Despite claiming to be a devout catholic, Gabe hates coming to church every Sunday. In truth, he’d much rather be at home watching a game or doing something far less spiritual than attending mass. But, he works for my father who lives his life by the word of God, and expects those close to him to do that same. And being married to the daughter of Brent Williams means that attending Sunday mass is a must. Gabe would find his position in the company seriously compromised if he fell out of favor with my father.

You see, my father runs the largest, privately owned research center that holds the defense contracts for the ‘advancement of naval underwater resources’ – put simply, they build and test weapons that work under the water. It’s all very hush hush men’s business, and my father believes that it’s his devotion to the church that keeps him, his family and his company in the good grace of the lord, so he won’t allow a non-believer to hold any important role in his company.

Gabe wants that important role, actually, he has his eye on the entire company, and my father is only too willing to give it to him – as long as he gives him a grandson, which is of course where I come in. I can’t imagine I’d be quite as an attractive catch to a man like Gabe, if I didn’t come with an enormous trust fund and the key to my father’s kingdom. When we first started dating in my senior year of college, I believed that he was actually interested in me for me. But, I quickly found out how wrong I was; only then it was a little too late.

Brent Williams fathered two daughters before my mother passed away a short time before my eighth birthday – myself, and my younger sister, Jules. Jules is by far the more attractive of the two of us – she’s long limbed and graceful with beautiful blue eyes and silky chocolate colored hair. She has men falling at her feet, but she’s a free spirit, and she won’t be tied down, which is why I think Gabe chose me. I release a sigh as I remember how lucky I thought I was back then when the sandy blond hair Gabe asked me out. I remember coming home from our first date and combing through the details of our time together as Jules listened to me intently. She told me I was crazy going out with someone who worked with Daddy, but I just sighed and declared that he was perfect.

Before I knew it, we were married, and he was pushing to start a family. I wanted to work and put the years I’d spent at college studying investment banking to good use. But somehow, between both Gabe’s and my father’s insistence, I found myself at home, being a dutiful wife – although, after almost three years of marriage, there’s still no baby, and I can tell that Gabe wonders if he chose the wrong sister.

I glance back at her as she loops her arm through daddy’s and talks to him animatedly. When she catches my eyes, she gives me a wink then signals with her hands in a way that I think means she considers the new priest to be smoking hot. Even I have to admit that Father Braden Daniels is a very nice looking man. He’s tall, young – I doubt he’s even thirty yet – and he has this dark brown hair like the color of a coffee bean, pure blue eyes that you can catch the color of even at a distance and a strong looking jaw line with model like features. I’m sure every woman who knew him before he entered the church mourned the day he took his vows.

Jules continues to make appreciative gestures, and I stifle a giggle, imagining the scandal it would cause if she actually managed to lure the poor man away from his vows – and I wouldn’t put it past her. Jules has a certain way with men, and she’s not afraid to use her long legs and dark glossy hair to her advantage.

As I turn back, I catch Gabe scowling slightly at our exchange – he’s not too keen on Jules’s antics and thinks she’s a mockery of the Williams name. He says she needs a ‘good husband’ to keep her in line. I don’t think anyone could ever keep Jules in line. To distract him, I give his arm a squeeze with my hand and smile up at him sweetly. “The new priest seems a lot younger, I think he’s quite new to the order. Maybe he’ll make it a little more entertaining and change things up a little,” I suggest in a whisper, as he holds me firmly around my waist in his eagerness to get out.

He scoffs. “Nothing could make this entertaining.”

I nod. Gabe needs me to agree with him, although personally, I love being in the church. All of my fondest family memories are in here, and I love the architecture – the high ceilings, the wooden pews and beautiful stained glass windows that surround the upper level. I love coming here and remembering the time when my mother was alive – when everyone was happy. I feel myself renewed whenever I come to this church, and I do so every day. It’s not that I’m overly devout; it’s just that this is where I find enough peace to gather the strength to keep going, and I need strength. I need a lot of it.

“Almost there,” Gabe whispers, practically bouncing on his heels in his eagerness to get out. “I can see blue sky.”

I close my eyes and take a deep breath. Outside means I have to go home. I don’t want to go home.