The Small Town Preacher's Fake - Lucy McConnell Page 0,16

hats! She’d loved to see the different styles, accessories, and bright colors every week when she did attend. There were several beautiful hats today with black lace and flowers.

She regretted letting Owen influence her so much. She’d thought she was making sacrifices out of love, but looking at it now, she realized how desperate she’d been to keep his attention, and she felt sick and stricken that she’d changed so much about herself for him.

Her feelings must have been written on her face, because when Seth spotted her, he lost his place, stopping mid-sentence. She nodded for him to continue, feeling awful for distracting him in the first place. It seemed she was failing at wifery all over this morning.

He glanced down at his notes on his phone and picked back up again. He spoke of heaven and God’s love for His children, of life being but a small part of eternity and how beautiful it would be to praise the Lord forever.

His words were poetic and from the heart, and she found herself floating away on the images he painted of angels guiding this dear woman to her mansion in heaven. She wasn’t perfect—none of them were—but God’s grace was bigger than their imperfections.

Evie took a deep breath, drawing upon the Lord for strength to be better, do better. This was what a funeral should be. A place of refuge. A place to remember the past and for the living to want to do be—

Bring. Bring.

Evie’s thoughts were yanked about by an obnoxious ringtone.

Everyone glanced about to see who hadn’t silenced their phone. People whispered. Through it all, Seth maintained his composure and continued on as if nothing had happened.

Evie refocused on him, ready to welcome the strength his deep voice welled up inside of her.

A man sitting in the pallbearers’ section put his phone to his ear. “Al? Can ya hear me?” He spoke as if he were the only person in the room and Al was back in the kitchen.

The attendees collectively gasped. All thoughts of communing with the Spirit fled the room. Evie’s mouth dropped open, and she stared at the back of his head.

Seth stumbled over his words and tapped his screen to bring it to life. He’d been on a roll but must have lost his place. He cleared his throat, but the man didn’t put his phone away.

“Yeah, Mom died last night. … No … I know … Well, there’s not much I can do about it, is there? … She was always late to everything.”

Seth’s eyes widened, and he looked at Evie as if asking, Can you believe this guy?

She put her hand over her mouth to stifle a giggle. It wasn’t funny. The woman’s son was rude. It was just … did he not know? She schooled her expression into a proper one of respect.

Seth looked down and smoothed his tie before looking back at the congregation. “Jesus said—”

“Dagnabit! A thirty-incher. I knew I should have gone fishing with you guys.”

One of the other pallbearers elbowed the guy on the phone.

He pulled the phone away from his ear and glared at the guy. “Al caught a thirty-inch rainbow—trip of a lifetime.” He moved his phone back to his ear. “Send me the video. I’ll have Karen help me load it. She owes me after I put on this suit. Haven’t worn a suit in six years, but she said if I didn’t wear a tie, I’d be scooping dog poop off the lawn for the next month.”

Shoulders began to shake as others in the congregation worked to control their laughter. One woman squeaked loudly, her head down.

Seth looked to the side, his lips pressed together in an effort at self-control. To his credit, he jumped back into his speech. Evie clamped both hands over her mouth to stifle her giggle.

“We’re here to—” Seth started.

“Reel it in. Come on, buddy, you got this,” the man said to the video, which he apparently didn’t need Karen to help him view.

Giggles escaped through hands over mouths like they came from balloons—high-pitched and fast. The beautiful hats Evie admired quivered with silent laughter. Men coughed to cover up their chortles, and children looked around, wondering what they’d missed.

Seth brought his eyebrows together in a bemused expression. Their eyes met, and he shook his head and lifted his shoulders slightly, asking Evie what he should do.

She shrugged and sliced her hand across her throat, telling him to call it.

Seth took her advice. “The closing hymn will