Lucky straightened. “You didn’t.”
“I did.” Willa wiped her hands on the dishtowel then folded it neatly. “He’s going to pay you back. You know that, don’t you?”
“You’re taking the imminent demise of your husband pretty well.”
“He won’t kill you.” She went to the oven, pulling out the huge tray of meatloaf she had made and setting it on the stove. “At least, I don’t think so.”
Lucky watched her go to the two crockpots she had sitting out, stirring the contents of each.
“Siren, I know the club eats a lot, but you’ve made enough to feed an army.” Lucky stared at the huge amount of food sitting on the counter. Beth had also helped by making a fruit salad, which she was sliding on the counter.
“That’s it. We’re done.” Willa stared down at her watch. “With three minutes to spare.”
“What—” The sound of the front doorbell ringing had Lucky raising a brow at the two women’s expectant faces.
Viper opened the kitchen door. “You have company.”
Lucky shot his wife a curious look, as it was obvious she knew who was there to see him. “It better not be Diamond. You promised me no more wills for at least six months.”
“It’s not Diamond,” she said, pushing him through the door.
Lucky walked farther into the club room, seeing a crowd of people he had never expected. The room was filled to capacity with the church members. It was so crowded people were lined up on the steps to the upstairs, and all the members of The Last Riders were lined up against all four walls, wearing their cuts.
“What’s going on?” Lucky asked.
Angus Berry moved to stand in front of him, and the rest of the deacons lined up behind him.
“We’re here to ask you to return as our pastor.”
Lucky had felt the loss of the church to his being, but he couldn’t return to the life that would take his sanity.
Lucky cleared his throat. “I can’t—”
Before he could continue, Angus raised his hand.
“Hear us out before you make your mind up. When you returned to the church, you told us you loved being a pastor, is that true?”
“Yes. I never lied about my love for the church or God, only my inability to walk the narrow path a pastor must walk.”
“A nondenominational church doesn’t have a path that narrow. They make their own, don’t they?” Angus Berry’s white eyebrows rose.
“Yes…” Lucky agreed, staring at the faces surrounding him.
“We voted to give up the Baptist church and become a nondenominational church. It’s time you quit fighting that war with yourself and come home.”
Lucky battled back the tight feeling in his chest. “What are you saying?”
“We’re telling you that we can’t sit through another long-winded sermon from a self-righteous pastor who wouldn’t understand the scriptures of God if the Almighty came down and explained it to him. We wouldn’t expect anything from you except what you’ve done the last few years, and that’s to be there when one of us is in need and give us a better understanding of God two nights and one morning a week. In return, we promise not to care if you want to drink a beer or ride that bike up and down the streets.”#p#分页标题#e#
“It isn’t anything we aren’t doing,” Myrtle muttered. “Well, except for the motorcycle. We’re too old for that.”
Lucky laughed. “You’re all sure?”
“Yes. We already told the windbag he’s done. Wasn’t too Christian the way he took it, but like we said, we’re not going to judge another man, even though I have to admit, it’s hard to do when I see him taking a twenty out of the collection tray every Sunday.”
“We would love to welcome both you and Willa back, Pastor Dean,” Myrtle spoke up, handing him his Bible that Willa must have brought upstairs.
His wife had known what the church was going to ask him and had made a feast for celebration. His wife had also known the answer he would give in return.
Reaching behind his back for Willa’s hand, he pulled her to his side as he and everyone in the room bowed their heads.
“Heavenly Father, thank You for allowing me to serve you, for giving me not only Willa, who I will spend my life cherishing as my wife, but a holy home where we can share our love of You with others.
“John 4:18: ‘There is no fear in love.’ You have shown me that I do not need to fear losing my way. Your love will always light my path, carry me when I stumble, and You gave me Willa to walk it with until we find our way home to You. Amen.”