The Small Town Preacher's Fake - Lucy McConnell Page 0,32

through her door. It was unlike any song she’d heard before, and she wondered if he’d written it. He was so quiet about his music, not bragging or begging to show her what he was working on. Maybe one day he’d open up that part of himself to her.

The opening song and prayer passed as she settled more comfortably into her seat. Seth started with a question. “What is the worth of a soul?”

Her mind skipped over several answers, none of them seeming big enough.

Seth continued. “A soul is precious. If I offered Mrs. Mitchell a thousand pounds of gold for her baby, do you think she’d hand him over?”

Heads swiveled in the direction of the youngest member of their congregation. Mrs. Mitchell smiled wide and tugged her baby closer to her chest. “Not on your life.”

Everyone chuckled.

“What about your soul?” Seth asked. “Do you see it as valuable as this baby? God sees each one of us with the same love, the same acceptance, the same joy as Mrs. Mitchell has on her face when she looks at little Tayson.”

A man in a dark shirt and pants dashed past Evie. She pulled her arms into herself, surprised, and jumped in her seat. He grabbed Scott and yanked him to his feet before throwing him to the ground in the center aisle.

It all happened so fast, Evie didn’t have a second to cry out.

With a zipping noise, Scott’s hands behind his back were secured with a zip tie.

“What on earth?” Evie half stood, staring in disbelief as an officer read Scott his rights.

“What’s going on?” Seth asked, his voice ringing with authority.

“We’re sorry for interrupting, Pastor, but we’ve been after this guy for weeks. He’s a slippery one.” The officer’s partner sauntered down the aisle. He hooked a hand under Scott’s arm and helped lift him to standing. His face had a carpet print, and he looked ready to spit nails.

Evie’s mouth dropped open. She glanced at Seth only to find herself looking in the mirror; his shock was as deep as her own.

“You’re telling me.” Terri tucked a hand into her hip and glared at Scott. “What’d you do?”

Scott glared at the officer. “I ain’t saying anything until I get a lawyer.”

“You’ll get your phone call,” the officer said as he started muscling Scott down the aisle.

“Wait,” Evie called out, halting the procession. She turned to Terri, and her heart went out to her. What this woman must be going through was well beyond her. She might not have ever seen someone she loved hauled off to prison, but she did understand betrayal. There must be so many emotions rolling through Terri right now. “I can give you a ride to the station if you’d like.”

Terri pressed her lips together and sat down with purpose, her back straight. “If it’s all the same to you, I don’t want to talk to Scott until I get a little Jesus in me.”

Did that mean she was staying? Evie looked at Seth for help. He lifted his shoulders, and she could hear him say I’m not in charge of Jesus with just a look.

Which almost made her laugh out loud. “Okay, I’ll just sit here, then.” She moved around and took Scott’s spot on the bench. They’d be lucky if she ever came back after this. So many people watched her in her dark, embarrassing moment.

The police continued on, pushing Scott ahead of them. He was true to his word and didn’t say anything more, didn’t even ask his wife to come with him, and didn’t seem surprised that she chose to stay.

Whispers danced about like bats in the rafters.

Seth patted Evie’s shoulder. She looked up and saw something in his eyes—admiration, perhaps? She wasn’t quite sure. The look filled her, though; it made her feel like she could fly.

The rest of the meeting passed quickly, but Evie couldn’t remember any of Seth’s sermon. She kept thinking about the woman next to her, who seemed so hard but was probably hurting. They finished the closing hymn, and Terri’s shoulders shook with emotion.

“You just sit right here, and Seth and I will go with you—okay? You’re not alone.”

“You don’t have to. My car’s here …” She sniffed and straightened her back. “I should have known better than to bring that man to church.”

Evie patted her shoulder, took a few minutes to say goodbye to her new friends, and then gathered up her things. “Seth said he’d meet us outside. He has to lock