Free The Pastor's Wife by Jennifer Allee Page A

place, but today, she appreciated it more than ever. A warm breeze danced through the trees, setting the daisies in a nearby flowerbed to bobbing. It felt so good to be out of that room and standing in the sunshine.
    “Ms. Sullivan, wait!”
    She turned to see Pastor Chris jogging up to her, his tie flapping off to one side. What was he going to spring on her now?
    She crossed her arms. “So you do know I prefer to go by Sullivan?”
    He nodded. His cheeks were just slightly pink, either from embarrassment or the exertion of his short run. “Pastor Nick told me, but it wouldn’t have helped your case with the others if I’d called you that.”
    Boy, did he have that one right. But what was he doing out here now? “Shouldn’t you have stayed till the end of the meeting?”
    Chris dismissed the thought with a wave of his hand. “They don’t need me for the rest of the stuff. It's all pretty basic. Besides, I’ve got a hospital visit to make, which was the perfect excuse to get out of there.”
    “You’re a smart one.”
    He grew serious. “I also wanted to talk to you before you left. To apologize for asking you all those questions. I know it couldn’t have been easy for you.”
    “Then why did you do it?” Her words came out sharp and bitter, not at all how she’d intended.
    “You know how it is with church grapevines. The Bible tells us not to gossip, but it seems most folks think that's just a suggestion. I figured the best way to squash the rumors and the talking was to let you address them straight out. If I crossed a line, I hope you can forgive me.”
    He was right about the gossip, and he’d found a way to defuse it for her. Apparently, her first impression of him had been right after all. Warmth wrapped around Maura like a blanket on a cold December morning. She wasn’t used to having an ally in the church, let alone one of the leadership. She liked this new feeling.
    “Now that you’ve explained, there's nothing to forgive. I appreciate your help in there.”
    He smiled. “You have more supporters than you might think. Not all of them will come right out and admit it, but I think most of the congregation is rooting for you to succeed. And for you to stay in town.”
    “And for Nick and me to get back together?” As long as they were speaking freely, she might as well address this.
    Chris shrugged. “That would be a natural reaction, don’t you think? I can only speak for myself, but I want to see the best possible outcome for both you and Pastor Nick.”
    A chill struck her as if someone had ripped away the blanket, leaving her exposed to the elements. The man standing in front of her was about her age, but Maura felt as if she could be his mother. His eyes were bright, his expression honest and open. In his world, the Lord worked all things together for good. There was a time when she felt the way he looked. But it seemed like a lifetime ago.
    Not trusting herself to speak, she patted his arm and turned, walking out of the parking lot. She couldn’t tell him why she and Nick could never truly be husband and wife again. How could she, when she hadn’t even told Nick the whole truth?

 
     
7
    N ick paced the floor of his office, prodding his brain for the right Scripture. This usually wasn’t so difficult. He’d always been good at memorization, particularly when it was something important or meaningful. His mother used to tease him, saying his brain was like a water faucet; just turn it on and the facts poured out. But today the faucet sputtered and spit, giving up only a drop or two at a time. Nothing was coming easy.
    Nothing except thoughts of Maura.
    He went back around the desk and looked down at his sermon notes spread across its top. What a mess. His thoughts hadn’t been this jumbled in years. Another image of Maura popped into his head. She was at the council meeting, her dark hair pulled back, sitting rigid in a metal folding chair, taking all the shots that were thrown at