The Shadow of Death (Psalm 23 Mysteries Book 9) (5 page)

“Then I’ll take that on as my job. You really should be taking it easier than you are.”

Traci rolled her eyes. “You’re beginning to sound like Mark. Honestly, I’m pregnant, not helpless.”

“I’ll try to keep that in mind.”

“What’s the deal with you and Jeremiah? Has he kissed you yet?”

The question caught Cindy off guard and she felt herself blushing. “No!”

“Then you should kiss him,” Traci said. “One of you has got to go first.”

“I would never kiss him first,” Cindy protested.

“You know, it always amazes me how many things people think they’d ‘never’ do. When the chips are down, that list is usually a lot shorter than people like to admit.”

“I wouldn’t. I believe the guy should make the first move. Besides, there are no moves to be made here.”

“You are such a liar.”

Cindy felt herself flushing more. “There are things that are in the way.”

“Like what?”

“Like religious differences for example.”

“Okay, what else?”

“Well, I don’t know...”

“Aha! Nothing else, just religion,” Traci said triumphantly.

“Isn’t that enough?”

“Not in my book,” Traci said as she got up and got herself a glass of orange juice. “Want some?” she asked, indicating the carton.

“Please.”

Traci brought two glasses of juice back to the table and sat down. “You know what my rule for dating was? Three strikes and they’re out.”

“What in your book would constitute a strike?” Cindy asked after taking a sip of her juice.

“Anything that for you would be a large negative. When I was dating I considered smoking a strike. Excessive drinking, considerable age difference, and being divorced were all strikes as well. There were others, too. If a guy had three of those strikes they weren’t worth pursuing. It sounds like Jeremiah only has one in your book.”

“Yeah, but it’s a big one.”

“Christians and Jews worship the same God, don’t they?” Traci asked.

“Yes, but-”

“Then what’s the problem? It’s not like he worships someone or something else.”

“The problem is that Christians accept God’s forgiveness through the sacrifice of Jesus who we see as the Messiah. Jews don’t.”

Traci frowned and took a swallow of her juice. “I thought some Jews did.”

“Sure, there are some who do and they’re called Messianic Jews. They accept Jesus as the Savior without abandoning their other religious traditions and beliefs. They’re certainly the minority, though.”

“And I take it Jeremiah isn’t one of those?”

“No, he’s not.”

“And this is an issue because if you got married and had kids how would you raise them, and then when you die will you see each other in heaven or not, etc.?”

“That pretty much sums it up.”

Traci took a deep breath. “Okay. I’ll give you two strikes for that one since it would also potentially impact your kids. But that’s it.”

Cindy sighed and drank some more orange juice. Traci and Mark weren’t religious. How could she expect them to really understand?

“Have you tried talking to him about Jesus? You know, get him to see things your way?”

“Not very much,” Cindy admitted.

Traci rolled her eyes. “What’s wrong with you? You Christians are supposed to run around converting anyone who will stand still.”

“I haven’t tried to convert you,” Cindy said, exasperated.

“Maybe you should,” Traci said, arching an eyebrow.

“I believe in leading by example,” Cindy said, suddenly feeling defensive.

“Which is all well and good, but what happens when someone wants to actually talk to you about your beliefs?”

“I’m always willing to tell people about God and Christ.”

“Really? Because here I am practically begging you to give me more information and you’re being pretty close-lipped about it.”

Cindy blinked in surprise. “You’re asking me about my religion?”

“Yes, and you’re not giving me a lot of information.”

“You know, pregnancy has made you a lot weirder.”

“And a lot more aggressive. Just ask Mark,” Traci said with a smirk.

“Okay, what do you want to know?”

“Everything. You’re the first close friend I’ve had who is a Christian. And, don’t get me wrong, I love the fact that you’re not all preachy, but I really want to know more about what you believe.”

“You know, that was an incredibly tortured way to get to that question. You didn’t have to tease me about Jeremiah first.”

Traci grinned. “Oh, I totally had to tease you. Besides, Mark and I have a bet going about you two and I was looking for some inside scoop.”

“Unbelievable.”

“Not really. Tell you what, let’s make some pancakes and you can tell me all about what you believe.”

“Deal,” Cindy said. The day hadn’t even really started yet and already this was shaping up to be the most eventful Fourth of July she’d ever had.

The two women talked as they made breakfast with Traci asking a lot of good questions. Just as they were setting pancakes and bacon on the table Mark walked into the kitchen still sleepy looking.

“Something smells good,” he said with a yawn.

“Breakfast,” Traci said.

“What were you two talking about?”

“Oh, you know, the usual kind of girl talk. Life, death, the afterlife and how God fits into it all,” Traci said with a serene smile.

“Wait, what?” Mark asked, squinting at her.

Cindy couldn’t hold back a laugh at his expression.

“Never mind, dear,” Traci said, kissing him on the cheek.

Breakfast turned out to be a hilarious event with Traci and Cindy teasing Mark mercilessly about anything and everything. Cindy couldn’t remember the last time she had laughed so hard, and it felt so good. She’d never realized just what a wicked sense of humor Traci had.

After they’d cleaned up, Cindy started setting up card tables and chairs in the backyard. It was a nice size and it was fenced so Buster split his time between running around the yard and trying to figure out what she was doing. She
tacked down the flag themed disposable plastic tablecloths. Thinking of the beautiful flower arrangement she had left at home on her coffee table she got permission from Traci to pick some flowers from the yard.

She soon had more than enough flowers and arranged them in vases as centerpieces on the tables. It was going to be a warm day. There wasn’t a cloud in the sky.

She headed back into the house to finish gathering together the rest of the things she’d need for the tables but wouldn’t be taking outside until it was almost time to eat. Mark was in the kitchen prepping the hamburger meat.

“What are you adding in?” she asked.

“Onion flakes, some garlic powder, and truffle salt.”

“Oh, wow, that sounds amazing.”

“They should be. It only took me seven years to get the recipe just right,” he said.

“I’m sure it was well worth the wait.”

The doorbell rang.

“That would be Traci’s older sister and her family. They are always on time for everything. No matter what,” Mark said with a sigh.

“I’ll get it,” Cindy said, heading off to the front door.

A woman with shoulder length chestnut colored hair looked shocked when Cindy opened the door.

“Hi, I’m Cindy and welcome to Mark and Traci’s home!”

“Cindy? The sister of
the
Kyle Preston?”

“The one and only,” she said, struggling not to grimace.

The other woman’s face lit up. “I’ve heard so much about you and your brother. I’m Amber, Traci’s older sister.” She held out her hand.

“Nice to meet you,” Cindy said as she shook hands with her.

“This is my husband, Doug.”

“Nice to meet you,” Doug said quietly as he shifted a serving dish to his left hand so he could shake with his right.

“And our twins Andy and Andrea. They’re six.”

The little boy and the little girl both said a shy hello.

“Well, come in everyone,” Cindy said, standing back. She closed the door after them.

“Hello!” Traci said as she came down the hall.

Andy and Andrea ran to get hugs squealing “Aunt Traci!”

After hugging them both Traci said, “Why don’t you two go say hi to Buster? He’s in the backyard.”

The kids hurried outside and Cindy smiled as she heard their shouts of joy and Buster barking excitedly.

Traci quickly hugged both Amber and Doug. “How are you both?”

“Doing good. I see that you’re about ready to pop,” Amber said referencing Traci’s belly.

“It certainly feels like it.”

“I’ll go put the green bean casserole in the oven to keep warm,” Bruce said as he headed for the kitchen.

“You haven’t heard anything from Lizzie, have you?” Traci asked her sister, her expression turning serious.

“I talked to her briefly a couple of days ago.”

“Any chance she’s coming today?”

Amber shook her head. “She’s doing something with her coven.”

Traci made a face. Cindy remembered that Traci had once told her that her younger sister Lizzie had started
studying Wicca but then had shifted into something darker, more dangerous. Cindy had been keeping Lizzie in her prayers off and on since then. She was secretly relieved, though, that Traci’s youngest sister wouldn’t be making an appearance at the barbeque.

From the kitchen she heard a sudden burst of laughter and couldn’t help but wonder what Doug had said to make Mark laugh. Outside the kids were still laughing. Amber was touching Traci’s stomach and talking about babies. For just a moment Cindy felt suddenly very alone.

The emotion somewhat blindsided her. She struggled to shake it off. She didn’t have a family of her own yet, but she would someday. Everything that Traci had said to her that morning about Jeremiah came roaring back into her mind.

A sudden knock on the front door startled her and she quickly moved to answer it. It was Liam, Mark’s partner, and he was carrying a massive bowl of fruit salad.

“I think it will take an army to eat all this,” Cindy said with a grin as she took the bowl from him.

“Well, I just doubled what I would normally make for myself,” Liam said with a wink.

Cindy carried the bowl into the kitchen and set it on the counter. It looked like Mark was just about finished with the hamburger patties and he had pulled some hot dogs out of the refrigerator. She felt herself salivating when she realized they were Casper brand hot dogs.

She headed back into the family room just in time to see Liam walk out into the backyard, a tennis ball in his right hand.

Traci just shook her head. “He’s going to get Buster and those kids riled up.”

“They’ve all three got energy to burn. Maybe this way Andy and Andrea will actually sit still through lunch.”

“Why, Amber, I never knew you believed in miracles,” Traci teased.

“Car just pulled up. I think it’s Jeremiah,” Mark called from the kitchen.

Excited, Cindy headed for the door. She walked outside just as Jeremiah was parking across the street. She walked up to the car and gave him a hug when he got out.

“Everything okay?” he asked as he held her tight.

“It is now,” she muttered against his chest.

“I’m not the last one here, am I?”

“No, you’re right on time.”

Reluctantly she pulled away, breaking the embrace. “Did you figure anything out...about the envelope?” she asked.

“No, not really,” he said.

She had been hoping for a speedy resolution so that life could get back to normal. She was probably foolish to think that there could be a simple answer.

“You were okay here last night?”

“Fine. Everything went according to plan.”

“Good.”

Jeremiah opened the driver’s side rear door. “I made a lot of deviled eggs,” he warned as he pulled out one tray and handed it to her.

“Great, I love them. They’re also excellent for throwing at people,” she warned.

“Not mine. They’re too tasty to throw,” he said with a smile. “Can you handle the other tray while I get Captain?”

“Sure,” she said, ducking her head slightly so she could see the big German Shepherd seatbelted into the passenger front seat.

She carried the trays of deviled eggs into the house and put them down on the counter near the fruit salad. She walked back into the living room just as Jeremiah was urging Captain out into the backyard to play with Buster.

Traci quickly introduced Jeremiah to her sister and brother-in-law who had wandered back in from the kitchen.

Mark appeared a moment later from the kitchen, drying his hands on a dishtowel. “The gang’s all here,” he announced.