Jezebel (4 page)

Traynor stood in the pulpit preaching from deep within his soul. He had a gift—Jessie Belle could tell it right off. He wasn't one of those fire-and-brimstone, doomsday preachers screaming and jumping around. Instead, Traynor stood rooted in place, his sermon intelligent and eloquent.

“Think about the gifts the Queen of Sheba lavished on King Solomon,” he was saying. “The perfume, spices, gold and precious stones. She did all this to acknowledge his greatness—however, Solomon was only a man. Think about the many ways we can acknowledge the greatness of the Lord. I'm not talking about money. I'm speaking of worship, trusting Him…praying.”

Toward the end of his sermon, Traynor called a young man up to the front, saying, “God just told me to anoint your hands. He has given you a gift and God wants you to use it for His glory.” The boy began sobbing like a baby.

Traynor Deveraux was a truly anointed pastor. Jessie Belle could definitely see herself married to him. He was rich and he wasn't at all hard on the eyes. He was intelligent and well-spoken. She was pretty sure that Traynor had absolutely no idea of the power he held.
He needs a woman like me by his side,
Jessie Belle silently considered. Together, they could accomplish great things.

Traynor's words commanded the attention of everyone in the tent. People were wiping away tears and some were standing up, giving God praise.

Jessie Belle watched as fourteen people walked down to the front to give their lives to Christ. Even her own father didn't yield these kinds of results.

Traynor had a gift for sure.

“Oh my goodness, did you see what happened in there?” Anabeth gushed when service concluded for the evening. “People didn't want to leave. There was just a different feeling about tonight. The Holy Spirit was sho moving.”

Jessie Belle had to agree. “I kept saying to myself the whole time he was preaching, ‘That ain't no man up there talking'—it was God speaking through him.”

“The Lord walked into that tent tonight,” Anabeth stated. “Yeah…he sho did.”

“It's usually pretty quiet during tent-revival services, but not this time. People couldn't seem to stop all the crying, yelling and shouting.”

“We didn't need all that, Jessie Belle. I know for myself that God really dealt with me about some things,” Anabeth responded. “He wants me to be bolder when it comes to sharing my faith. I felt this sense of a divine presence—I've never felt this way before. I'm telling you—the Lord was here tonight.”

“Pastor Deveraux is gifted, that's for sure,” Jessie Belle murmured. She peeked inside. “What's taking so long? These mosquitoes are gonna eat us alive out here if they don't hurry up. I shoulda got the keys from Papa.”

Traynor was slowly making his way toward the opening, but he was being mobbed by some of the people, seeking prayer or just wanting to share their testimony.

“He's so handsome,” Jessie Belle whispered.

“He'd make a good husband for you.”

She looked over at her mother. “I know. I really like him, too.”

“I kinda figured you did. So do a lot of these gals around here. Look at that…. The poor man can't even get to the car.” Anabeth wore a look of disgust.

“At least you're the prettiest girl in Mayville, Jessie Belle. If the pastor is looking for beauty in a wife—he's sure to pick you. If he's looking for something more…well, we'll just have to make sure you have everything he's wanting in a woman. With him staying over at the Cotton Patch Rooming House, there's no telling what he'll hear about you. You know how much Mabel loves to gossip and I got a feeling she's gonna want him for that sour-faced daughter of hers.”

“He won't believe them, Ma. Traynor thinks I'm very innocent and probably even a little naive.”

“Traynor Deveraux won't think so for long if he hangs around here. Jessie Belle, you need to reel this boy in quick-like. But you gotta do it without looking like you fast. That's the key.”

“Ma, you taught me well. Traynor is mine for the taking.”

The second night that Traynor preached, even Jessie Belle could feel a presence surrounding them. It was something she couldn't describe or give a name to—it brought tears to her eyes.

Traynor was eloquent in his speech, but it wasn't phony or for show. He spoke from the heart, his words stirring an unidentifiable emotion throughout the congregation.

Jessie Belle watched in awe as people went in droves down to the front of the makeshift sanctuary, crying out to God in repentance and pleading for forgiveness.

This is the kind of moment that only God could create,
she thought to herself. A man destined to lead thousands to the Lord.

He's so amazing. I'd be a fool to let him get away,
Jessie Belle decided. Her eyes traveled the tent, bouncing off the faces of the young women hoping to catch Traynor's attention.

None of you have a chance because he's mine,
she wanted to shout.
Or he will be before he leaves Mayville
.

Jessie Belle escorted Traynor out of the tent.

“Look at that Jezebel,” she heard someone say as she passed by. “Ought to be ashamed of herself…”

She tossed her long, flowing hair over her shoulders in defiance. “I really enjoyed the sermon tonight,” she said loudly enough for the jealous crow to hear. “You're such a good preacher.”

He smiled. “I actually had something totally different prepared, but when I walked into the tent, the Lord spoke to my heart and gave me the sermon tonight.”

Jessie Belle was impressed. It must be something wonderful to have that kind of relationship with God. She'd never experienced anything like that in her life.

“Well, you did a wonderful job, Pastor.”

“Be careful, Reverend,” a young woman murmured as she strolled past Jessie Belle and Traynor. “You don't want to be catching nothing.”

“What did she just say?” he asked.

“Doris is an idiot,” Jessie Belle uttered. “I don't know why, but there are a lot of girls in this town who don't like me for whatever reason. I keep trying to figure out why.”

Traynor met her gaze. “You're a very beautiful young woman. I suppose some would be threatened by your beauty.”

“Oh, Pastor Deveraux, I sho appreciate you saying that. I kept thinking I'd done something wrong.”

“You've done nothing as far as I can tell,” Traynor offered.

When her parents joined them, Jessie Belle couldn't stop grinning. That night Jessie Belle dreamed of Traynor. She dreamed that when he left Mayville, he took her with him.

The next morning, Jessie Belle couldn't wait to share her dream with Anabeth.

“Ma, I dreamed that I married Traynor Deveraux. We had a small wedding right here and then he took me with him to Atlanta.
He's the one
.” Placing a hand over her heart, Jessie Belle said, “I feel it in here.”

Jessie Belle left the house an hour later to run some errands. She headed straight to the Mayville Diner, where Doris worked—she hadn't forgotten what the cow had said last night when she was leaving revival.

There were only two customers in the restaurant when Jessie Belle arrived. She sat down in the booth closest to the door.

“Good morning, Doris,” she greeted warmly when the woman approached.

“I'm surprised to see you up so early, Jessie Belle. I always figured you for the sleeping-until-noon type.” Doris pulled out her pad and asked, “So what can I get for you?”

“What I want is really something simple.” Jessie Belle's smile disappeared. “Doris, I can't help it if Kenny didn't want to be with you. People can't help who they fall in love with.”

“Considering Kenny left you behind and is engaged to marry somebody else, he must not have loved you as much as you think he did.”

Jessie Belle stiffened. “What are you talking about, now?”

“You mean you haven't heard? Kenny's marrying some model—gave her a huge rock. I think it was almost six or seven carats. It was on the news last night and this morning.”

Her words stabbed at Jessie Belle, but she refused to show her pain. “I didn't come here to discuss Kenny,” she stated without emotion. “I came to tell you to back off. Pastor Deveraux and I are getting to know each other, and I don't need you going around here trying to make me look bad.”

Doris had the nerve to laugh. “I don't have to try to make you look bad. You do well enough on your own.”

“I'm warning you, Doris. Another comment like the one you made last night, and stuffing your head down a toilet will not compare to what I'll do to you this time. You say another word about me around Pastor Deveraux, and I'll cut your throat without even blinking.” Jessie Belle eased out of the booth.
“I mean it.”

She strolled out of the restaurant, leaving Doris visibly shaken.

J
essie Belle worked her feminine wiles on Traynor and had him so smitten that when Elias invited him to stay on for another week, he jumped at the chance, saying, “It would be my pleasure.”

She was waiting for her daddy at the end of the hall. Jessie Belle's steady gaze bored into him in silent expectation.

He gave her an amused look. “Pastor Deveraux has agreed to stay one more week. People from surrounding communities are traveling here every night to listen to him preach. We had over a hundred last night.”

“Thank you, Papa,” Jessie Belle gushed, embracing her father. “The people all love him. Did you see all the folks that came to the Lord last night after his sermon? Pastor Deveraux is gifted. He seems able to reach even the most stubborn of folks.”

Elias nodded in agreement. “I suspect you've taken a strong liking to him,” he stated with a huge grin.

“I have,” Jessie Belle confirmed.

Gesturing toward the front of the house, her father stated, “I think he's outside sitting in the swing. Getting a breath of fresh air. Why don't you go keep him company? But you sit in the rocking chair—you never know who might be watching.”

“Thanks, Papa.”

Grinning, Jessie Belle rushed past her mother, wanting to get to Traynor. She needed to spend every available moment with him in order for her plan to work.

“Papa just told me the good news,” Jessie Belle announced when she saw him in the swing, floating back and forth. “I'm so glad you're not gonna be leaving just yet.”

She dropped her eyes and said, “I hope I'm not being too forward, Pastor Deveraux.”

“Not at all, Miss Holt,” he assured her.

“Please call me Jessie Belle.” She glanced over her shoulder, checking to see if her mother was lurking around somewhere, trying to listen to what they were saying. Her mother was nosy like that.

“Only if you call me Traynor.”

Recalling her mother's words to not behave brazenly, Jessie Belle uttered, “I can't. My parents would want me to show you proper respect—you being a pastor and all. They would allow me to call you by your birth name only if we were dating.”

Elias walked outside, joining them on the porch.

Traynor rose to his feet. “Reverend Holt, if it's alright with you—I'd like to take Jessie Belle on a walk. It's real nice outside. I thought we might have a picnic.”

Jessie Belle eyed her father, silently pleading with him to give his approval.

“There's some fried chicken, potato salad and biscuits in the refrigerator,” Anabeth stated from the doorway.

Jessie Belle had no idea how long she'd been standing there. Normally, it irritated her when her mother tried to keep close tabs on her, but not this time. She was in too good a mood. “Thanks, Ma,” she told her.

“I'll make y'all a nice basket of food. Jessie Belle, you go and grab a blanket.”

She did as she was told.

Jessie Belle returned to the porch, blanket in hand, to find Traynor standing on the bottom step with the picnic basket, waiting for her.

“I'm surprised that you're not dating anyone,” Traynor stated as they began their walk. “A woman as beautiful as you…”

“I'm very picky,” Jessie Belle responded. “I'm not the type of girl to mess around, so I'm looking for someone ready to settle down. And of course, he has to love the Lord.”

She wasn't completely lying. Jessie Belle truly wanted to be married—she wanted to be the wife of a man financially secure and very successful. Deep down, she believed she'd found that in Traynor. He already seemed devoted to her and he came from a well-to-do family.

Jessie Belle was enjoying their conversation immensely. She and Traynor discussed what they considered to be great literature, music and the current happenings in the Eastern Christian Convention. She hoped to impress him with her knowledge of church politics. Jessie Belle wanted to show Traynor how much of an asset she would be.

“My daddy was a big fan of Sam McCall until all this stuff came out about him stealing money,” Jessie Belle stated. “Papa admired the fact that Reverend McCall left Virginia and moved to Atlanta after becoming president. He felt like it showed dedication to the organization. He was so disappointed when all this stuff came out about Reverend McCall and that secretary and then that he'd stolen money from ECC.”

“My father was never a fan of McCall's,” Traynor responded. “I have to admit I had some questions about him myself. I've been in his presence only a couple of times and I can't explain it, but my spirit was grieved whenever I was around him. My father was one of the first to say that we shouldn't judge but offer to minister to McCall. ‘Hate the sin but love the sinner' is what he says.”

“Papa feels the same way. He even went down to the prison to meet with McCall and to pray with him,” Jessie Belle stated. Giving him a sideways look, she asked, “How is your spirit when you're around me?”

Traynor broke into a grin. “There's nothing to worry about. I enjoy your company, Jessie Belle. I enjoyed listening to you play the piano. You could be a concert pianist—you're that good.”

She was touched by the compliment. “You really think so?”

The smile in his eyes contained a sensuous flame. “I do.”

They found a spot beneath a huge shade tree and spread out the blanket. Jessie Belle and Traynor sat down. “I like playing the piano, but it's not something I want to make a career out of, Traynor. I enjoy using my gift for the Lord.”

“What do you want to do with your life?”

“I want a husband and a family,” Jessie Belle answered. “I don't mind working, but I feel in my heart that God has called me to be a helpmate to the man I marry.” Holding up the Ziploc bag of crispy fried chicken, she asked sweetly, “Would you like a piece of chicken?”

“Yes, please.”

Jessie Belle placed a drumstick on his plate. “Ma makes the best fried chicken in Mayville. She's even won a couple of medals at the county fair. She's taught me everything that I know about cooking. Matter of fact, I made the potato salad.”

Traynor finished off his soda. “I haven't met a lot of women who enjoy cooking the way you seem to,” he stated. “In fact, a couple of them didn't even know how to boil water.”

Jessie Belle handed him another. “I guess you could say that I'm very domesticated for my age. Most girls are thinking about parties and I'm thinking about making a red velvet cake or a lemon pound cake—I really love to cook.” She wasn't lying. Jessie Belle really did enjoy cooking—baking especially.

He smiled.

“Tell me about your church in Atlanta. Is it a big church like the ones I see on television?”

“Oh no, it's nothing like that, but it is a nice size. We have a membership of about five hundred.”

“Our church only holds maybe a hundred folk. Papa likes it that way, though.”

“I've never met a girl interested in the church like you are,” Traynor confessed. “You seem to know a lot about the inner workings.”

“You mean church politics?” Jessie Belle's mouth curved into a smile. “Church is all I know. I help out with the administrative duties and I play for the choir. I even help out in the kitchen. I'm there to serve.”

Traynor awarded her an irresistibly devastating grin. “You and I are a lot alike, I see. While my friends were going to parties, I was at the church with my father. When I was in college, my friends were hanging out in clubs, and me—I was either home studying the Word or in church.”

“The price for being a PK,” Jessie Belle murmured with a laugh.

Traynor enjoyed Jessie Belle's company immensely. Just the mere thought of leaving her behind saddened him. He considered traveling back and forth to Atlanta—the three-hour drive wouldn't be too bad, he rationalized silently. However, his father had often warned him that long-distance relationships never worked out.

“You're so quiet,” Jessie Belle said, cutting into his thoughts. “What are you thinking so hard about?”

“You,” he confessed. “Jessie Belle, I've become quite fond of you. I…I don't want to leave.”

Her gaze was as soft as a caress. “I feel the same way, Traynor.”

He reached over, taking her by the hand. “The truth is…I've fallen in love with you. You're everything I've ever wanted in a woman. You're very mature for eighteen, Jessie Belle. You have such a warm spirit and you love the Lord—I can tell. I love that you don't mind being a woman and you're not out there trying to wear the pants.”

She looked surprised by his admission. “Ooooh, Traynor, I had no idea you felt this way about me. You've made me so happy.” She paused a moment before saying, “But you live in Atlanta and I'm here in Mayville. I don't really see the relationship working out.”

“I've thought about that. I'm willing to drive down here to see you.”

“But with your responsibilities at the church…Traynor, you just started pastoring there. That has to come first.” Folding her hands in her lap, Jessie Belle added, “My parents won't let me come to visit you—they'd feel it was improper, you know. They're very strict.”

He was touched by her concern for his calling. “I don't want to lose you, Jessie Belle.”

“It's obvious that we both have deep feelings for each other. The challenge is gonna be in finding out how we can make this work.”

Traynor had to fight his overwhelming need to be close to her. It seemed like each day he spent with her, his feelings deepened and intensified.

Traynor silently considered his options. He was in love and there was only one thing to do.

Kissing the back of her hand, he said, “I'll speak with your father later.”

Her heart danced with excitement. Things were going according to plan.

“You want to tell me about that little secret smile you have on your face?”

Her eyes met his. “I'm just happy, Traynor. Happier than I've ever been. I've never felt so in love. I think I can truly say that you're my first real love.”

“It's the same for me.”

After they finished eating, Jessie Belle took Traynor over to the stables to meet her horse, Diamond. “I've had her a long time—since she was a pony.”

“I've never ridden a horse.”

“Really?” she asked. “I love it. One day I'd like to own a couple of horses. I've always had this dream that me and my husband will go riding in the mornings after breakfast and maybe in the evening right after dinner.”

Happiness filled Traynor as he listened to Jessie Belle talk about her dreams. He wanted nothing more than to make them come true.

“Would you like me to teach you to ride?” Jessie Belle asked him.

“One day,” he replied.

They walked back over to the huge oak tree to gather up the picnic basket and the discarded paper plates.

“I guess we'd better get back up to the house,” Jessie Belle announced. “I promised to help Ma with the washing.”

They walked hand in hand until they were within a few yards of the house.

Traynor summoned up his nerve and went in to speak with her father while Jessie Belle and her mother were out in the back of the house hanging the wash.

“Sir, I love your daughter.”

Elias removed his glasses, and then proceeded to clean them. “You hardly know Jessie Belle.”

Traynor became increasingly uneasy under his scrutiny. “I know enough about her that I want to make her my wife, sir. The truth is that I don't want to leave Mayville without her and we want to do it the right way. I'd like to marry her.”

“Does Jessie Belle feel the same way?”

“Yes, sir. I believe she does. Reverend Holt, we would like your blessing.”

Before Elias could respond, the door blew open and in rushed Jessie Belle.

“Papa, please say yes.” She squealed with delight and rushed over to wrap her arms around Traynor. “I can't believe this. I'm so happy we're getting married.”

He laughed. “I haven't formally asked you yet.”

“I don't care. The answer is yes.”

Anabeth rushed in behind Jessie Belle, grabbing her by the arm. “C'mon. We have more washing to do. Let the men finish their discussion.”

Shaking her head, Jessie Belle snatched her arm away. “No, this concerns me and my future. Traynor and I love each other and we want to get married.”

“How soon?” her father asked.

“As soon as possible,” they answered in unison, then burst into laughter.

“When Traynor leaves, I want to go with him, Papa.”

“What about Sunday?” Anabeth suggested. “Right after service?”

Traynor walked over to Jessie Belle. “Would you do me the honor of becoming my wife on Sunday?”