secure a limited saddle on the old mule train, and what time the visitors needed to be seated on the return bus if they wanted to avoid a ride back on one of those mules, which would take three days to reach the bottom of the mountain. The large-hat woman was the only one who didn’t reward Trey with a smile. Her posture was distressed. Hank kept discreetly scooting away from her; she kept not-so-discreetly matching his step and closing the gap, like a terrified child who had been refused the comfort of holding her father’s hand.
Then Trey handed the group off to Hank, and the pastor-retailer stepped out of the woman’s personal space as if he’d been freed from prison.
“This way to a great tale of signs and wonders!” he said, leading the cluster of people to a smaller bus provided by Dotti Sanders’ rafting company. “Sorry to seat you again so soon, but trust me—you’ll prefer this to the two-mile hike uphill. This way, you won’t be too tired to partake of all the blessings that await you. So if you come now with an open mind, you might leave today with a lighter heart.”
In front of Garner, a kid who had to keep hiking up his overlarge pants whispered to his buddy, “Did he say, ‘come now with an open wallet’?”
“Yes, and you’re guaranteed to leave with it lighter.” The friend smirked.
Garner stood aside and Trey joined him as they waited for the tourists to determine whether to go to church or out for coffee.
“Hey, old man,” Trey said, extending his hand in greeting.
“Hey, young pup.” Garner accepted the strong grip. “You spending your break on this sideshow today?”
Trey nodded and tipped his head toward the blinking woman. “Think I’d better keep an eye on her. She went pretty green on the way up, and it looks like she’s alone.”
“She sick?”
“I don’t know. She ignored me when I asked if she was feeling okay.”
“Women don’t like anyone to call out their weaknesses.”
“I don’t think that’s what I was doing,” Trey said. “I’ve been praying for her. And I feel the Spirit telling me she needs God’s healing touch.”
“For goodness’ sake, you didn’t tell her that, did you?”
“Of course not. I don’t proselytize on the bus. They’re a captive audience. But if someone needs help I’m not just going to leave her at the curb, because in my humble opinion, that assembly doesn’t represent anything truly Christian. It’s come so far from what it was to Mattie and Jonathan. Want to join me? There’s room on the shuttle.”
Two trips to the Sweet Assembly in one week couldn’t hurt Garner’s case before God. Money, attendance—whatever he wanted, he could have. Even if Trey was right about the place not being a legitimate church anymore.
Garner gestured in the direction of Cat’s offices. “Why don’t we take her over to Dr. Ransom’s? She’s right across the street.”
“This woman might be better off at Mathilde’s.”
Garner was taken aback. “What do you have against Cat?”
“Nothing specific. Just a gut feeling. You could try to see if the lady will go, but she’s sticking pretty close to Hank. She might have to be disappointed by him before she opens up to other options.”
Hank was waiting to board the shuttle last, and it seemed the woman was determined to do the same.
“Well, let her have that then,” Garner said. “God can heal anywhere—you believe that even more than I do.”
“True, but I’ll say it again: that place up on the hill isn’t exactly a paragon of holiness.” Trey locked up his bus while Garner waited.
“Does it matter? Jesus didn’t do any of his healing in a church, did he?”
“Or in a doctor’s office, now that I think of it.”
Garner laughed and clapped Trey on the back. “Okay, okay.”
The blinking woman in green held her hat down atop her head, though there was no breeze to blow it off, and studied the steps of the bus as if they were Mount Evans. Hank offered her a hand, and she accepted his assistance with effusive thanks.
During the bumpy, jarring two-mile ride up the mountain she stared at the floor, though the stark ridges and sharp blue skies captured the attention of everyone else. Garner and Trey sat together in the back, bumping shoulders as the shuttle hit ruts and rocks. Garner felt pretty confident that Trey was spending the journey in prayer.
As they disembarked at the path that passed under latticed shelters and into the Sweet Assembly