Amanda's Wolves(39)
Mary’s soft voice came from behind her. “I didn’t think you would be supportive.”
“I’m not that judgmental, Mary.”
“I wasn’t sure. And it was easy to avoid. Only a handful of people know. If anyone found out in this town or Sojourn, we really could lose our businesses.”
Amanda grabbed her coffee and turned around. She took a long sip as she leaned against the counter. “I’m sorry. I can’t imagine how awful that is for you.”
Jazmine came from behind and wrapped her arms around Mary. “I’m so glad we don’t have to act anymore in the apartment. That was wearing on me.”
“Me too,” Mary added. “I was having trouble sleeping worrying about your feelings and keeping Jaz at arm’s length.”
“For a month,” Amanda said. “You’re both crazy.” An ache formed in the pit of her stomach for her sister.
“Yeah, it wasn’t pleasant,” Jaz added. “Inside the apartment is the only place we can be ourselves. And that disappeared too when you arrived. It’s put a strain on our relationship to say the least.”
Mary angled her face to meet Jaz’s. “My fault. I’m sorry.”
“It’s over now.”
Their plight might have been over, but from Amanda’s perspective, “it” was just beginning. “I need to shower and pull myself together. If I don’t find Logan and Sawyer soon, I have no doubt they will show up here, and you don’t want to see that.”
“Maybe I do,” Mary responded. “I should meet these men.”
“Suit yourself. I’m sure if I waste enough time primping, you’ll get your wish.” She headed down the hall toward the bathroom, sipping her coffee and praying the rest of the day didn’t drop any more bombs.
Chapter Twelve
Pastor Edmund listened to his wife, Ada, rant on and on without taking a breath. The others in the room listened to her with wide eyes, pursed lips, and nodding heads. Ada could be long-winded when she thought it was necessary. Edmund simply wanted to get to the bottom of the problem and move forward. His church office was small. She didn’t need to speak in such a loud voice to be heard.
Cecil interrupted her finally. “Ada, I don’t think it’s wise to get carried away here. If we go off half-cocked, somebody’s going to get arrested. The sheriff’s office is watching us closely.” Cecil had been a lawyer in town for many years until his retirement. He was wise, and Edmund trusted him.
“We need to do something,” Florence, another woman, complained. “We can’t just sit back and watch our town fall apart. If Mary thinks she can let her sister stir the pot, she will be sorely disappointed.”
Edmund cleared his throat. Florence was no better than his wife at ranting. “We need to be subtle. We also need to be careful. If we get caught, Cecil’s right, arrests will be made. We’re no good spreading the word of God if we find ourselves behind bars.”
“Dear, you know we can’t sit back and let this Amanda woman tear our town apart,” Ada said. “I say we let her know she’s not welcome and hope she’s bright enough to take a hint. If we do nothing, our way of life may crumble around us. And no offense to the sheriff and his team, but they’re heathens. They have no idea what God’s wrath looks like when he’s angry. It’s no different than last year. We can’t simply sit back and do nothing, or we risk offending God ourselves.”
Florence nodded. “She’s right.”
Edmund blew out a long breath. They were both right. He knew that. He just wasn’t sure how to proceed. There had to be a way to get their point across without breaking any laws. Starting with a boycott. “I say we encourage people to pull their children out of Mary’s preschool. How many members do we have using her preschool?”
“Five,” Ada responded. “Not enough to hurt her business.”
Edmund tapped his chin with one finger. “No. But it’s enough for her to realize we want something from her. It’s nothing more than a warning. We don’t have to say anything, and we aren’t breaking any laws.”
“I’ll make the calls.” Florence used the arms of her chair to haul herself up. She was getting older, and her knees weren’t in good shape. Edmund watched her hobble toward the office door and step out gingerly.
Maybe this would work. It was worth a try.
Edmund had another idea, and as soon as everyone left his office he picked up his phone.
∙•∙
“Hello. Caleb?”
“Yes?”
“This is Pastor Edmund. I want to thank you for coming by last night.”