Jake grinned. “You’ve threatened to withhold more than that a time or two.”
His wife pushed at him. “Please. People can hear you, and we’re on our way to church, for heaven’s sake.”
“You’re on your way to church. I’m not.”
Randy gave him a disappointed look, and Jake seemed to regret the remark. He reached out and put an arm around her. “Okay, I won’t mess his hair up again.”
Randy moved an arm around her husband’s back and they stayed that way until they reached the church.
Jeff took notes. Incredibly stark contrast to yesterday. The man brings in four killers and rapists, then beats on a young man half his age and throws him into the street, and today he’s playing with his grandsons and walking to church. He looks so relaxed today.
He looked up then, watched Miranda say something to Jake when they reached the church steps. She told both boys to go inside with Evie and Brian, but first Evie walked up to her father.
“Daddy, please come inside.”
Daddy? Jeff had trouble picturing Jake Harkner being called Daddy.
“Baby girl, it’s just not going to happen. Church is for angels like you and your mother.”
“But you’re an angel too—maybe an avenging angel, but you have every right to go inside.”
Jake leaned down and kissed her cheek. “You know how I feel. Go on now. They are already starting a hymn.”
Evie glanced at her mother, who put an arm around her and cast Jake a pleading look before going inside. Latecomers greeted Jake on their way in, and one older, heavyset man jovially invited him to join them.
“I’ll wait out here like I always do,” Jake told the man.
The older man kept hold of his hand a moment longer.
“Jake, you know you’re always welcome.”
Jake nodded. “Maybe so—maybe not.”
The older man patted his arm in what Jeff thought was an amazingly kind gesture that Jake actually didn’t seem to mind. The man turned and went inside the church. Jake waited until the front door closed, then went to the steps and sat down. Moments later, everyone inside began singing the hymn “Rock of Ages.”
Jeff waited a moment, studying Jake, thinking how lonely he suddenly looked sitting there on the church steps.
Let me hide myself in thee…
Did he think he wasn’t good enough to go inside?
Let the water and the blood, from thy wounded side which flowed…
Jeff took a deep breath for courage and approached him. He couldn’t resist this chance to talk to the man, even though he’d been warned to talk to his wife first. After all, Harkner seemed in a better mood today, and he was rested up from his encounter with the outlaws he’d brought in. Jake caught sight of him right away and watched him closely as Jeff pointed to the steps. “May I?”
Jake removed his hat and ran a hand through his hair, then put his hat back on. “I don’t own the steps, Trubridge. Go ahead and sit.”
Jeff sat down, leaning against the wooden railing. “You’re not going inside?”
Jake took a cigarette from a shirt pocket. “No.” He lit the cigarette.
“May I ask why? Your whole family is in there.”
Jake rested his elbows on his knees. “I’m beyond salvation, Trubridge, and my final destination sure as hell isn’t heaven. I don’t think the good Lord needs someone like me defiling his place of worship.”
“Your wife doesn’t believe that, does she?”
Jake smoked quietly for a moment.
“I was wondering when you’d show up again. Brian told me you were snooping around the jail last night and asking him a lot of questions. I told you to wait and talk to my wife first.”
So, you intend to change the subject. “Oh, I will do just that. The reason I went to the jail was to see what those men had to say about what happened. Your son-in-law just happened to be there.”
Jake took a drag on the cigarette and took it from his mouth as he exhaled. “And I’m sure the men I brought back had some glowing things to say about me.”
Jeff grinned. “Oh, they are very fond of you.”
Jake actually laughed lightly. Jeff was struck by how different he looked when he smiled. A damn handsome grin it was, and it seemed to change the whole nature of the man. “Yes,” he answered. “They said you’re the most wonderful man they’ve ever known, and they’re glad you made them see the wrong in what they did.”
Jake laughed again. “Trubridge, I don’t want to like you, but I kind of do.” He looked Jeff over. “I’m a pretty good judge of men, and something about you says I can trust you.”
Jeff nodded eagerly. “Oh, you can!” He removed his wire-rimmed glasses and cleaned them with a handkerchief. “I’m sincere in wanting to do this right, Jake. I put in my notes last night what an enigma you are.”