Chapter 15
Chapter Fifteen
FAITH
“ Y ou and your sister have been nothing but disappointments to your parents and the congregation. And you’re both going to be eternally punished for it.”
I stare at the two elders from my soon-to-be former church unsurprised. They always were straight to the point with declarations of eternal damnation. And they couldn’t have caught me at a worse time, with everything so unsettled between Travis and me.
They also make me realize something about myself—how judgmental I’ve been of Birdie and Travis in the past. Even recently.
Seeing my nature reflected in their words and demeanor touches a nerve. How dare they threaten me, especially without even knowing the half of what’s going on. “And exactly what are we going to be eternally punished for?”
Elder Thompson has orangish white hair and a beard with no mustache. Elder Monroe has large ears and an underdeveloped lower jaw that makes his hawkish nose all the more prominent .
So far, Elder Monroe has done all of the talking, a trend he continues.
“I don’t know where to begin with Birdie.
What with her turning her back on the congregation and all.
But you, Missy? We’ve seen you carousing with that Cartwright boy.
He’s unchurched and unsaved, and you know what the Bible says about being unevenly yoked. ”
“Yes, and I know what it says about a religious spirit, too. Let he who is without sin cast the first stone.” I can tell by the way their eyebrows shoot up, they’re not used to having the Bible turned on them.
But who are they to wield God’s justice? Or to call Travis unchurched and unsaved?
“You don’t have the training to wield scripture against us, young lady. What gives you that kind of authority?”
I know this is it. The final straw. I can’t stop myself, though. “A free-thinking mind and a will of my own.”
Stony silence crashes into the store. I’m done trying to please them and make nice. Realizing I’m carrying a child they would condemn in an instant only quickens my resolve.
“How dare you!” Elder Monroe spits, slamming his foot on the ground for emphasis. The gesture makes me jump a little and my heart races.
I’m not entirely sure what these men might be capable of given the right circumstances. I stare past them out the feed store window, hoping somebody … anybody will show up to interrupt this confrontation.
After all, they would never act this way publicly. I’ve never seen Monroe’s face turn redder. If I didn’t know the context of our conversation, I’d have half a mind to call 9-1-1 to get him medical intervention.
Thankfully, Elder Thomspon steps in. “We’re wasting our breath, Ebenezer. You heard the girl. She’s made up her mind. Now, it’s time for us to make up our minds.”
Monroe nods grimly. “Faith Jenkins, as much as this pains me, you are no longer welcome in the House of the Seven Prophets. You understand? That’s five generations of faithful devotion squashed by one selfish girl.
Oh, and you can close your tab with the congregation.
None of our farmers will be frequenting your feed store again. ”
I watch as the men turn on their heels and storm out. Catching my breath, I realize this is the final nail in the feed store’s coffin.
Business from farmers and homesteaders associated with the House of the Seven Prophets makes up a good quarter of my monthly revenues. Unable to touch me in the afterlife, they’ve found a way to destroy me in the current one.
Ten minutes later, the bell on the feed store door jingles, and I look up, watching Zane walk up to the counter carrying a takeout bag from the Silver Fork.
I burst into tears as soon as I see him, which I know throws the reticent cowboy off guard.
He rushes around the counter to give me a side hug and immediately dives into telling me that no matter what happens with Travis, the entire family will be behind me.
I’ve known Zane most of my life, but this is the longest conversation we’ve ever had. He’s truly a man of few words.
I feel overwhelmed, especially in the face of what went down minutes before with the elders. Between that and my conversation with Travis earlier, I can’t stop crying, and I feel bad for Zane.
I can tell by his tense face he doesn’t know what to do. But he does his best at muddling through congratulating me and making it clear his family will support me no matter what.
A sick feeling rises in my stomach. Does he know something about the way Travis is reacting to all of this that I don’t?
If I’ve learned anything from my conversation with Jess, though, it’s to stop jumping to conclusions. After all, I know Travis well enough to believe he’ll stick by me, even if the news caught him out of left field.
Zane’s kindness inspires intense guilt because of something I did to him and Birdie in the past. Now that I’ve found my voice, I have to confess. “I can’t thank you enough for your kindness. It really means a lot to me, especially after what my mom and I did to you.”
After a couple of tense questions from him, I explain how I helped my mother break he and Birdie up. While he tries to reassure me it’s water under the bridge, I can tell by the stricken look on his face he’s still in love with her.
It both shocks me and gives me hope for them. After all, I know my sister is far from over him, even though she delights in telling me how much she hates him.
Before he leaves, I order, “Ask her about the necklace she wears around her neck.”
He plays it off with a shrug, but I sincerely hope he will.
I never see Birdie without the necklace, although she keeps it tucked under her shirt and out of sight. It has a silver and turquoise promise ring on it that Zane gave to her when they were teens.
As I’m closing up the feed store at the end of the day, I get a call from Travis.
“Hello,” I answer breathlessly.
“God, it’s good to hear your voice.”
“Where are you, Trav?
“I just got back, and I need to see you, Faith. We need to talk, and I don’t want to do it over the phone. Should I come down to the feed store?”
“No, I’m locking up now. Let’s meet at your cabin.”
“Yes,” he replies with a need in his voice that matches the lump in my throat.
I know his fridge must be empty at this point. So I offer, “I’ll stop and grab something for dinner on the way.”
“Thank you, sugar. I’ve missed you so fucking much. ”
His words lift a weight off my heart. “I’ve missed you, too.”
I pick up a to-go bag from the Silver Fork Diner. Even though Zane brought me food from the diner for lunch, I can’t get enough of the place.
I order barbecue, knowing it won’t be as good as what Travis and I had the night we went to the hot springs. But I hope it’ll remind him of good memories.