Elly wasn’t surprised at his frankness. This was how her pastor in Georgia had been – brutally honest and raw. It was nice.
“I think so. Yes. I never really lost my faith, but I just didn’t….” Rev. Harris leaned over and gave her a quizzical look. “Work on it. Or think about it. I let it get overgrown, in garden-speak.” He smiled and Elly found herself tangled in unexpected emotion. “I know it’s been awhile, but I feel like this is coming home. My soul is recently…” Her eyes clouded with tears. “Free.” He stood up and brushed off his pants. “Well Elly Jordan, that’s good to hear.” He looked around. “Here we go, another beautiful day in the Lord’s Kingdom. Got a service to lead God’s people, even though I really would like some lunch.” He paused and studied her face. “It was nice to meet you Elly.”
Elly nodded. “It was nice to meet you too.”
“I better see you here next week Elly Jordan. Our morning services start at 9 am. You better put your money where your mouth is. Jesus misses you, child.”
Elly smiled in spite of herself. “I’ll be there.” My gosh, she thought, I will be. I actually mean that.
“Good. By the looks of it, you like a good meal. We have a potluck after each service. Bring something to share.”
Elly nodded. She knew exactly what she was going to bring: her mother’s pancakes. Cadbury huffed to his feet and wagged his tail. He was ready to head home.
“I’m glad you stopped by my little church, Elly Jordan.”
Elly grinned. “I think I was supposed to.” She headed down the block and gave a quick backwards squint at the sign out front. Grace Baptist Church of Clayton. Grace…how perfect. She heard the beginning poundings of the organ inside, along with the raising of dozens of thick gospel voices. Joy coursed through her veins at the sound – it was a song that she had heard her Mother sing, many times.
“Mama, I’m coming home”, she whispered.
Elly took a short-cut home, cutting through several neighborhoods to bypass the main streets. Coming over a hill, she could see a tiny pathway twisting off to the right. She didn’t take it, but she knew where it led: the hidden garden where Keith had taken her that day, the day he tried to convince her to do the wedding. Elly ran her hands through her hair and raised her face to the sun. He had been right. He had been right about everything. Elly gave a sigh of resignation. She knew what she had to do.
CHAPTER
THIRTY-FOUR
It was 6 pm on Monday, and Elly couldn’t sit still. She drummed her fingers anxiously on her kitchen table, glancing at the clock every five minutes. Dinner was laid out on the table: elaborate and hearty. It was guilt food. Elly had spent the evening cooking up a fury, rushing around the kitchen covered in sweat and throwing one thing after another on the table. Homemade spinach lasagna, honey wheat bread, a Greek salad and coconut malted cookies lay steaming on the table. The spread was beautiful and Elly was a wreck. Cadbury lay in the corner, totally uninterested in the proceedings. When the doorbell rang, he simply turned over and licked his lips.
“You are a horrible guard dog,” Elly mumbled as she opened the door. Isaac’s face smiled down at her, brilliantly tan. He was wearing the tight jeans that Elly loved and a black t-shirt. His hair fell messily over his eyes. Elly couldn’t pull her own eyes away, he was so delicious. She suddenly found it hard to breathe.
“Come in, come in.”
Isaac pulled his hands out from behind his back and handed her a small bunch of flowers. “I bought these for you.”
Elly looked down into the paper, trying her best to hold back a gag. Half dead dyed purple carnations peeked out from behind dry caspia. It was horrendous. Why in the world would you buy a florist flowers? Especially BAD flowers?
“Thank you.” Elly set them on the table and reminded herself to be thankful for the sweet gesture. Still, there was no way they would make it into a vase.
Isaac wrapped his arms around her waist and spun her around so that his face lightly brushed hers. “I missed you” his whispered. “I couldn’t stand the idea of you being mad at me.” He let his lips travel slowly over hers, teasing every inch. Elly knew she should resist, but what was just one more kiss? Or two?
After a couple of minutes she pushed him back, laughing nervously. “Enough! I made all this food and we’re going to eat it.” She paused. “I think we should eat on the patio upstairs. We can bring blankets.” Elly instantly regretted her words. Blankets implied closeness, which to Isaac always implied intimacy. She was giving him the wrong idea, which was obvious by the way he wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.
“Blankets huh? Definitely.”
Elly sighed. “Grab your food.”