The Small Town Preacher's Fake - Lucy McConnell Page 0,58

As before, her feet seemed to have a mind of their own, and she was soon standing at the glass doors. She pulled one open, expecting to see the board standing there watching her.

Her mind was a blank. If they asked what she was doing, she wouldn’t have an answer.

The foyer was empty. The whole building felt evacuated with lights on but no sound. She hadn’t been here with it this quiet since the day she and Seth had shown up. Even then, Mr. White’s booming welcome had filled the space. She shivered. His voice had been cold and calculating during the call, as if he were throwing out the invitation without expecting Seth to appear.

She crept forward, thankful she’d changed into her running shoes. The stairs protested her advance with a groan. She held her breath, waiting for someone to come out of the room at the top and tell her to leave. God’s house had never felt so unwelcome before.

Once she made it to the doorway, she pressed her back against the wall and strained to hear the voices inside. She shouldn’t eavesdrop—she knew that. But her curiosity was bigger than her common sense, and her need to know if Seth had been holding out on her caused her hands to tremble.

If he’d lied … Well, she didn’t think she could handle that. He was supposed to be the good guy in her life—the best guy. She didn’t want to lose that—to lose him.

Chapter Twenty-Four

Seth

Seth shook Mrs. Green’s hand. She glanced down at the grit he left behind and brushed her palms together.

“Sorry. I was doing yard work when I …” The room was so quiet that he sounded like a prisoner on the stand, begging forgiveness. He lowered his voice. “I’m lucky to be here.” He glanced at the chairs, arranged as they had been before, with his facing the group. He gritted his teeth. Must he always be on trial? Did he have to prove himself time and again? Or was this a mockery, a formality before sending him packing?

“Let’s sit down,” griped Mr. Green. He’d recently been diagnosed with gout. The doctor said it was due to the fish oil pills he’d been taking to help his heart. Some people had a strange reaction to them. He’d stopped, but it could take a few days for the symptoms to go away.

They took their seats, and all eyes went to Mr. White. He was all hard looks. “I don’t like to have to do this, but it appears that the lot has fallen to me.”

More like you grabbed the stick and took off running. He hadn’t let up on Seth, not even breaking into a smile on Sunday. When so many people had told him their hearts had been touched by his song, that they felt closer to God because of it, and they wanted copies of the words to read with their daily devotionals, Mr. White had alternated between glaring at the floor and glaring at the ceiling.

“Seth Powell is not who he says he is.” Mr. White announced.

“Excuse me?” Seth was most definitely Seth. He had the driver’s license and birth certificate to prove it.

“He came to us professing to be an honest man, a man who would preach the word and work with the board to watch over this parish. But he’s argued during meetings, and I found out this week that he has already started the youth program he’s determined we need without considering the larger needs of our regular worshipers and against our direct orders. I submit he be dismissed and a search for a new pastor commence at once.”

There was a tiny gasp from behind him, one that sounded so much like Evie that Seth’s heart lurched in that direction. He must have imagined it, because when he turned, there was no sign of her.

“Those are some pretty big accusations.” Mrs. Green sniffed. “I’d like to hear the pastor’s side of things.”

Seth drew himself up. “I never professed to be a perfect man. And yes, I did present a counter plan for the money received from Mr. Wellsprings’s donation. However, I have not gone behind anyone’s back to start a youth program. Evie was helping a couple of girls with their homework.”

“On church property.”

Seth bit back his argument. He and Mr. White had gone the rounds on that before. He would not stand by and let Mr. White dictate what he could and couldn’t do on the property that had