Free A Younger Man (Mount Faith Series: Book 7) by Brenda Barrett Page A

orchard.
    Carol poured some orange juice in his glass and sat down across from him, her brows raised in query. "So, are you sure you are a pastor?"
    Vanley nodded. "I am quite sure."
    "How old are you?" Carol asked, sipping her juice and looking at him inquisitively.
    "I thought it was rude to just ask someone their age like that."
    "I am rude." Carol retorted. "So how old are you?"
    Vanley grinned. He could see that Carol was quite a character. Her inquisitive face had a childlike curiosity that he found appealing. Usually adults shrouded their curiosity under polite banter. Carol was obviously having none of that.
    "I am twenty-five."
    Her eyes widened. "I would have guessed thirty; no wonder Anita didn't want to tell me about you. You are much younger than she is."
    "So, you live here or are you just dropping by?" Vanley asked, not wanting to dwell on any age related conversation.
    "I am just here for a while," Carol said, "waiting for a friend of mine to return to Jamaica."
    He nodded. "So how do you know Anita?"
    "Long story." Carol frowned. Then she laughed. "I think she would be mortified if she knew you met me."
    "She would?" Vanley asked curiously. "Why?"
    "Because I belong to her forgotten past," Carol said drolly. "I swear; Anita has gotten so weird and tetchy."
    Vanley's curiosity was stirred. "How was she before?"
    Carol laughed. "Personality wise, reserved, but then again, you would expect that after her er...thing."
    "What thing?" Vanley felt like wringing the information from out of Carol's mouth. She had paused as if realizing that she had given away too much information and was staring into space with a zombie-like expression on her face.
    "Do pastors have sex outside of marriage?" Carol asked quickly.
    "They are not supposed to," Vanley frowned. "That's a really abrupt change of topic."
    "And you haven't... you know... gotten your groove on with Anita?" Carol asked.
    "No." Vanley shook his head. "I haven't."
    Carol sighed. "You are one of the good ones, huh?"
    Vanley raised his brow. "You know of some bad ones?"
    "Gosh, yes!" Carol laughed. "I seem to attract some really weird people, usually the bad boys. I have never had a toy boy pastor before though. Anita beat me to that one."
    Vanley chuckled. "Toy boy pastor? Has a certain ring to it. You were telling me something about Anita. She had a 'thing' you said."
    Carol shook her head. "If I tell you anything she'll kick me out. I really need to stay here for a while."
    Vanley sighed. "I see." He was dying to know though. He was this close to hearing about Anita's secret, and from an unexpected source. He was musing so much about it that he almost missed Carol's change of topic.
    "Did you know Anita means grace or favor, in Hebrew?"
    Vanley shook his head. "No, I didn't."
    "I researched it," Carol said wistfully. "In some Hindu cultures it's also a boy name. I was heavily into names and their meanings one time. Actually, Anita was the one who got me into it."
    Carol got up and walked over to the steps and inhaled. "I am feeling so old telling you this, but," she winked at Vanley, "life is always full of surprises."
    Vanley nodded. "I know."
    Carol shook her head. "You have no idea." Then she switched back into Carol mode. "Do you see any gray hair in my 'fro?"
    Vanley laughed. "No, I don't. Tell me more about Anita. I mean the stuff that you can tell that won't get you kicked out of the house."
    "It's so sweet how earnest you are about her," Carol said, looking back at him.
    Vanley leaned forward and raised his eyebrow. "Are you going to tell me?"
    "Sure. Why not?" Carol had a far away look in her eyes. "I fancied myself a model back in the days. You can see that I had it, can't you?"
    "You still have it," Vanley said, looking at her smooth nut-brown skin and her wide expressive eyes, her straight nose, and her plump lips that looked like they were on the verge of a smile.
    "Good answer," Carol laughed, "but then again you like older women, don't