Free The Pastor's Wife by Reshonda Tate Billingsley Page A

today.”
    Terrance walked around to the front of Raquel’s desk. She definitely wasn’t a good liar. She couldn’t even look him in the eyes.
    “Raquel, you know you can always talk to me.”
    She nodded but still didn’t look up. Terrance reached out and put his hands on top of her arms to get her to be still. “Raquel, look at me.”
    She kept her head down; heaviness seemed to set in her shoulders. That’s when he noticed the tears. “What is going on? Did Dolan do something to you?” When she didn’t respond, Terrance said, “He did, didn’t he.”
    “No, I’m fine.”
    “No, you’re not. And I can’t believe you’re sitting here lying to me.”
    Raquel finally slowly raised her head. “Pastor, I really appreciate your concern. But this is a private matter that I can handle.”
    “Did he put his hands on you?”
    “I can handle this,” Raquel said, desperation in her voice.
    “I don’t care. That doesn’t give him the right to put his hands on you, let alone hurt you.”
    Raquel looked away. “I don’t mean to be rude, but I have a lot of work to get done, so if you don’t mind…”
    Terrance stood back. Raquel was pretty, intelligent, definitely not the type of woman he would ever have thought would endure physical abuse. “Fine. If I can’t get answers from you, I’ll just go ask Dolan.”
    “No, wait!” Raquel cried, stopping him just as he reached the door. “Please don’t do that. It’s only going to make things worse.”
    Terrance slowly turned around. “Then tell me what’s going on.”
    Raquel sighed as she fell back in her chair. “I told you. Dolan gets out of control sometimes. But when he’s himself, he’s the sweetest man I’ve ever met.”
    Terrance walked over and sat down across from her. “I can’t believe you’re staying with a man who would put his hands on you.”
    “I couldn’t believe it either. At first, I believed his promises that it would never happen again. But then it kept happening again. But don’t worry, I’m working on an exit plan. Just one more month and I’ll have enough money to get my own place.” She sounded like she had thoroughly thought this through. But it wasn’t enough for Terrance.
    “Yeah, a month. That’s plenty of time, if he doesn’t kill you first.”
    That thought didn’t seem to come as a shock to her. She hesitated before saying, “Look, Terrance. Please, let me handle this. I’m not a weak woman. I know it may seem like it, but I know what I’m doing, okay? Just trust me.”
    Terrance just stared at her. No way could he support her in her decision to stay with Dolan, for any amount of time.
    “It’s my life,” she reminded him. “And I’m going to ask you to respect that.”
    Terrance sighed in defeat. Fine. He’d respect it for now. But he knew deep down, things with Raquel would get a lot worse before they got any better.

chapter 17
    T errance said a silent prayer that he wouldn’t see anyone he knew.
    “I told you, I’m the bowling champion!” Savannah loudly proclaimed as she pumped her fist in the air. People were starting to stare, but she didn’t seem to care. “Get back, get back, you don’t know me like that,” she sang.
    Terrance flashed a forced smile. He couldn’t help but notice how the woman next to them outside of Dave & Buster’s Entertainment Restaurant kept staring at them. She looked at Terrance and recognition seemed to set in. Then she turned to Savannah and a look of disgust flashed across her face as her eyes roamed up and down Savannah’s tight capri pants and black, tight, diamond-studded T-shirt that was cut too low at the top and too high at the bottom.
    As much as he enjoyed her company, her attire—and moments like this—had him questioning what he was doing with Savannah.
    Terrance was all too relieved when the parking attendant pulled around with his car. He held Savannah’s door open while she climbed in his Land Rover.
    They had been in the car less than