“Everyone must be having a bad day.” Shade sat down at the table, observing Rider. “What’s wrong with you? Someone steal one of your motorcycles?”
“Is Rider angry he couldn’t have one of those cupcakes Willa was carrying?” Lily asked.
“That’s it, exactly.” Lucky laughed at the glowering brother.
“I’m going to go find Jewell. Tell Willa I better see some peanut butter candy when I come down to dinner.” Rider stood up in a huff and was about to leave the room when Shade’s voice stopped him.
“Jewell’s at work and so are the rest of the women. Not everyone took a long lunch today like you and Lucky did. Whatever you’re packing will have to wait until they get off this afternoon.”
Lucky braced himself at the expression on Rider’s face. It wasn’t often the brother’s temper came out, but when it did, it made Willa’s look like a tornado in a bottle, while Rider’s were of hurricane proportion, leaving a path of destruction that took days to clean up.
“Tell Willa she better put extra peanut butter on my candy,” Rider snarled, leaving the kitchen with the door swinging angrily behind him.
Lucky didn’t have time to relax, and Lily was still sitting with her mouth open when Rider barged back into the kitchen, going to the counter and picking up the sword he had left behind, shooting Lucky a vindictive look before leaving the room with another swoosh of the kitchen door.
“Was that a sword?” Lily’s voice trembled in fear.
“No,” both Shade and Lucky answered at the same time.
The room grew quiet except for John playing with the small motorcycle that Shade had given him.
Lucky cleared his throat, broaching the subject that had been tearing at his conscious. “I talked to Beth a couple of days ago, but I haven’t had a chance to talk with you yet. I would have never married Beth unless—”
Lily raised her hand, stopping his next words. “I was going to leave Shade when Brooke threatened him. I can’t imagine you living with Bridge’s threats for years. You’re the one who guided Razer toward Beth. I know you, and you would never have done anything to make Beth unhappy, just like I always knew you would be my pastor again,” Lily said happily.
“Really? And how did you know that? I didn’t even know it myself,” he said wryly.
“I never lost faith,” she said simply. “You were always there for me, even when you left the church. You gave of yourself to everyone in town. You started a donation drive to fix the football field, went to the hospital twice a week to visit the sick patients, and if anyone lost a relative, you were the first one there by their side. You were also the one who organized the clean-up in town to help when homes were destroyed during the storm. Being a pastor is being more than standing behind a pulpit; it’s standing beside the parishioners in their time of need. You were always there anytime I needed you, not only as a pastor, but as a friend.”
Lucky lowered his head, looking down at the floor. “Lily, when I stepped away from the church, I did things no pastor should do…”
“Romans 12:2 ‘Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.’ You needed time to find out what God’s will was for you.”
Lucky’s hand went to the bridge of his nose, pressing hard to regain his composure. Lily, with one quote, had healed the last open, raw wound in his soul.
When he was sure he wouldn’t break in front of Shade, he walked forward to Lily’s chair, crouching down and taking her hand in his.
“You have the soul of an angel; do you know that?”
Lily stared down at him, her eyes brimming with tears. “Shade tells me that all the time.” Her impish smile was a thing of beauty.
Lucky said a silent prayer that he was fortunate enough to have this beautiful woman as a part of his life.
“Your faith gave you strength when you needed it most, Lily. I don’t know anyone who has a more beautiful, loving soul.”
Lily reached out to cup his cheek gently. “I do.”
Lucky saw Shade tense, but before he could say anything, he heard a sound at the door, and he turned, seeing Willa.
“I forgot my keys.”
Lucky rose as Willa went to the counter, avoiding his eyes.
“I’ll walk you to your van,” he said huskily, following her out the door.
They were halfway down the path before he took her arm and brought her to a stop.
“Willa, what I said to Lily—”
“Stop, don’t you dare take away from what I was just blessed to witness because you think my feelings are hurt. It was beautiful.” Willa swiped away a tear clinging to her lashes. “I don’t want to know what Lily’s had to endure in her life. I went to school with her, and there wasn’t a day that I didn’t see the pain in her eyes.” She leaned her head on his chest. “I honestly don’t know if I could have kept my faith like her. I pray to God I never find out. She’s stronger than I could ever be.”
“That’s not true,” Lucky replied.