Love Like Hallelujah (15 page)

Millicent bounced out of the locker room. She’d had a great workout, spent a half hour in the sauna, then relaxed in the whirlpool. Now that her plans were in motion, she’d stepped it up in the gym, wanted to look her very best when she ran into Cy and his bride in Mexico. Her very best.

Millicent was going to see Cy again. The more she thought of the idea, the more she felt it was the right thing to do, to coincidentally bump into them while on vacation. It had taken a bit of detective work, and a bit of luck, to find the resort where the Taylors were staying. A year ago she would have given the credit to God, but she had purposely not sought his advice on the matter. She’d spoken with a wealthy ex-boyfriend who used to do business in Mexico, had asked him about the high-end resorts. Armed with that list, she’d researched each one, looking at their amenities and trying to figure out which had the ones that would suit Cy’s taste. And finally, she’d worn Leah down, mentioning a couple of the resorts and dropping Cy’s and Hope’s names, acting like her friend had already told her. Leah confirmed that yes, the Taylors would bring in the New Year at the Rosewood Mayakobá Resorts in Riviera Maya, Mexico. “You didn’t hear it from me,” she had added.

“No matter,” Millicent had responded. “I know where I’ll be for New Year’s…at Open Arms.”

“Me, too,” Leah agreed.

Millicent had already thought about it. Open Arms would be the perfect cover. No one would suspect a thing.
But the next day, I’ll be on a plane
.

Millicent stood at the juice bar, viewing the healthy choices on the menu. They all sounded good. But she was hungry and decided to skip the smoothie and go for an all-out brunch somewhere by the ocean.

“Which one should I get?” Jack stood a foot or so behind Millicent, viewing the menu easily with his six-foot-three frame.

Millicent recognized that voice. Now a regular at Open Arms’ Sunday service, she’d probably recognize Pastor Jack’s deep tremor in a choir of hundreds.

“Hey, Pastor Jack!” Millicent had run into her pastor only occasionally since changing her workout from afternoons to mornings. But on this particular Saturday, she’d gotten a late start. It was now almost noon.

Jack rolled his eyes in mock chagrin. “When do I get to be just Jack with you, geez!”

“Old habits die hard,” Millicent responded. “It’s hard for me to call a pastor by his first name.”

“But everybody does, except my kids, that is.”

“I know, it’s just awkward for me.”

Pastor Jack motioned toward the juice bar menu. “So, what are you getting?”

“Nothing. I’ve changed my mind and decided to replace the calories I just worked off with a real meal.”

“That sounds delicious,” Jack said, thinking that Millicent’s slender frame could handle several real meals. “Can I join you?”

Millicent eyed him critically. “It looks like you just got here.”

“All the more reason for me to leave with you.” They started walking toward the exit. “Besides, Leah’s been telling me about the plans for our girls, the Divine Daughters Celebration. It sounds great, and I’d love to hear more about it.”

Millicent was excited about her plans for the teen girls at Open Arms Church and agreed to lunch.

“You can follow me if you’d like,” Jack said, after suggesting a seaside inn for their decadent dining getaway. He walked to his Navigator a few spaces away. “Don’t worry, I’ll go slow enough for you to keep up with me.”

He jumped in his car before Millicent could respond to the jab. Within minutes, they’d left the main avenue and were twisting up a smaller, tree-lined road that bordered the ocean. Millicent tried to take in the scenic route as she easily kept up with Jack. Here, months after her spectacle at Kingdom Citizens, she was almost remembering what it felt like to be carefree. Millicent hadn’t felt this way in a long, long time.

Jack slowed and they pulled into a small, beachfront property that looked to be a sixties throwback. It was quaint, brightly painted white and coral with a sea-blue-colored roof. The parking lot, which held no more than ten cars, was full. Jack pulled his Navigator past the lot to a small, grassy area just beyond it, where a couple other cars had squeezed in. He met Millicent at the door. She’d tried to hide it, but he caught the skepticism with which she surveyed the old, yet well-kept restaurant that resembled a small house.

“Take my word for it,” he said, holding the door open for her, “you’ll enjoy it.”

They entered a small dining room with typical beachfront decor: weathered wood tables, snorkel gear and surfboards placed precariously around the room. Bright red life buoys hung from the ceiling. Pictures of former diners hung on one wall, next to a large window with a view of the ocean. As they neared it, Millicent noticed Jack’s was one of the photos hanging.

“Well, look who we have here,” she said, as the waitress came over with water and menus.

“So, Jack, what will we have?” the waitress asked, with a rough, smoky voice. “Your usual?”

“Sounds like a winner,” Jack answered. He explained his usual to Millicent: two eggs sunny side up, a large pork chop, hash browns with onions, and toast.

“Oh, my,” Millicent exclaimed. “You took me literally at the gym, huh?”

“Absolutely,” Jack said, grinning. “Are you game? Can you handle it?” His piercing blue eyes sparkled.

“Absolutely,” Millicent said, echoing Jack’s answer. “Except,” she paused, “half the order of potatoes and hard-boil my eggs.”

“Hey, there’s no grease on a hard-boiled yolk,” Jack teased.

“I think the pork chop and hash browns will cover my grease quota, thank you.”

“I think you’re right.” He turned to the waitress. “That’s it, Tenny. And bring us two tall glasses of that deliciously fresh-squeezed citrus tree you have growing out back.”

“Coming up, Captain.” Tenny winked at Millicent before walking off.

Millicent watched the waitress slap the order down in front of the short-order cook, then walk around to a large refrigerator for the orange juice. “Did you say ‘Tenny’? That’s an interesting name.”

“No one knows her real name. Everyone calls her Tenny because she comes from Tennessee. The menu is straight out of the hills of Nashville.”

As Millicent listened, she did hear the strains of country music playing in the background. “Funny, I didn’t take you for a country boy.”

“I’m California born and bred, but spent many summer nights at my grandparents’ farm in Indiana. They’d settled there after trekking from South Carolina, brought the South to the Midwest with them. Guess a bit of that crawled up in me and stayed.”

“That’s where you get your friendly personality, that polite, easygoing style you have with everyone.”

“I guess.”

Jack placed his chin in his hands and stared at Millicent, a polite grin on his face. She smiled, then became uncomfortable. “Okay, Mr. Kirtz, staring at people is not all that polite.”

“Lord, I’m Mr. Kirtz. I must be in real trouble. Excuse me, ma’am,” he said with a drawl. “I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable. I just like looking at you. I’m sure you know you’re a beautiful woman.”

“Thank you.”

Tenny brought the orange juice. Millicent took a drink and exclaimed, “This is delicious.” She hoped the conversation could return to food or states or the weather, anything that wasn’t on such a personal level as her looks. She was becoming more comfortable with Jack, but still reserved.

“I wish I had the outline of the Divine Daughters Celebration with me. I’ll be sure and get a copy to you next week.” Millicent gave him the rundown, and explained the topics for the three seminars. “That Saturday will be a full day,” she concluded, “starting with breakfast, a four-hour seminar with lunch served between topics, then an afternoon of play and pampering before the commitment ceremony and dinner in the evening.”

“This sounds like a lot of work,” Jack said.

“It is, but the ladies are excited and believe we can pull it off. We’re keeping the group small. There’re only twenty girls, and almost that many adults helping, so it should be fairly painless. Organization is the key.”

Jack knew he was staring at her again, but he couldn’t help it. “You know, God really smiled on us when He brought us you.”

“Oh, Jack…”

“No, seriously, the women speak highly of you. They say you’ve really contributed and have bright, innovative ideas. It’s just what we’ve needed.” From her smile he knew she was warming to him. She’d even called him Jack.

“I admit it feels good to be doing this kind of stuff again. I’ve missed it.”

“Was it a big church where you were active back in Portland?”

Millicent had initially told the members she was from Portland, had left out the decade-long stop she’d made in Los Angeles. She hadn’t corrected Leah, who thought her work with Ladies First in Los Angeles had been something she’d been called in specifically to organize. She felt that one day that omission might come back to haunt her. But until then, she divulged little, while speaking as truthfully as possible. “It was a small church actually. My mother’s been there since I was young. But I’ve worked with larger ministries, helped out with seminars, things like that.”

“Oh, I see.” Jack had astutely picked up on the evasiveness Millicent was trying so hard to cover. He’d had the knack since he was a boy, could almost know what people were thinking sometimes. He felt there was a lot Millicent wasn’t telling him, felt there was much she was keeping to herself. Everyone had baggage, a past. He hoped in time she would feel comfortable enough to share some of it with him, especially the part that kept her so guarded, so reserved, even when she donned an open, friendly facade.

Tenny walked over with two huge platters. She sat them down and returned with toast, extra butter, and a carousel of jellies. The aroma that drifted up from the plate was tantalizing. Millicent hadn’t eaten a meal like this since she’d left her mother’s house.

“Wow, I’m getting full just looking at this,” she said as she picked up her fork and dove into the crisp hash browns and onions. “Oh my goodness,” she said, savoring the mouthful. “This is heaven.”

“I thought you’d like it,” Jack replied, dousing his pork chop with ketchup, before slicing off and devouring a huge piece. “It’s the best food like this on the coast. And it’s all organic.”

They ate and talked and laughed and ate some more. Millicent was full after barely eating a third of the meal, but enjoyed it. She pushed back her plate, satisfied yet guilt-free for not eating more than was comfortable for her flat stomach.

Jack stopped, fork in midair. “You’re not done.”

“I’m stuffed. But it was delicious, thank you.”

“May I?”

Millicent nodded. Jack reached over and placed the remaining piece of pork chop on his plate. An idea came to him in that instant. “Sounds like after all the hard work for this commitment ceremony, you might need a little vacation.”

Millicent looked up quickly.
Does he know about my plans for Mexico? No, surely not. Play it cool, girl
. “You’re absolutely right. In fact, I’ve planned one for right after everything’s done.”

Jack’s heart dropped. He’d planned to ask Millicent to go away with him. He covered his disappointment with a smile. “Oh, really? Where are you going?”

“Hawaii,” Millicent said, without hesitation.

“One of my favorite places. The big island?”

That was general enough. “Yes.”

“I know a great resort there. It’s—”

“Not to cut you off,” Millicent said, effectively cutting him off, “but we’ve already planned everything.”

Jack’s heart dropped further. He’d assumed Millicent was unattached. “Sorry, didn’t mean to interfere. I hope you and your, uh, friend enjoy yourselves.”

“Thank you.” Millicent didn’t comment on Jack’s assumption. The less he knew about her, the better.

“I was just going to invite you to take a trip with me….”

Millicent raised her eyebrows.

“Separate rooms, of course. My travel agent is surprising me with some kind of exotic package she’s putting together, said I was long overdue for a break. And she’s right.”

Jack went on to tell Millicent how he’d worked almost nonstop since his wife, Susan’s, passing, and how the strain of continuing on as a single dad and maintaining the ministry had taken its toll. He wanted to go someplace and renew himself, physically, mentally, and spiritually.

It had been two years since Millicent had taken a trip with a man, and over a year since she’d had sex. A longing she didn’t know existed sprung up from nowhere. Maybe after she saw Cy and Hope together, saw him face to face one final time, she could move on to someone else. But not Jack. Not her pastor. Still, his invite had been a nice gesture.

“Where are you going?” she asked.

“Probably the Caribbean,” Jack responded. “Leah knows how much I like the islands.”

“Leah’s your travel agent?”

“Yes.”

Millicent was impressed. If Leah was handling Jack’s travel plans through Exquisite Journeys, his was going to be an expensive vacation. “Well, you’re in good hands,” Millicent said, reaching into her purse for her wallet. “I hope you have a nice, relaxing time.”

“Please, allow me,” Jack said, reaching into his pants pocket and pulling out a money clip bulging with cash.

“No, it’s okay,” Millicent said.

“Look, I think I can handle potatoes and eggs. This is my treat. Next time can be on you.”

Millicent didn’t miss the presumption that there would be a next time. Jack seemed nice enough, but even thinking about dating someone in church made her nervous.

Millicent stood. “Thanks again for the wonderful meal.”

“You’re welcome.”

Jack paid the check and walked Millicent to her car. He gave a smile and wave, watching as she maneuvered out of the full parking lot and started down the winding road. Today was a big advance. He’d spent over an hour with this marvelous woman, alone. She’d been just slightly skittish and had conversed quite easily. But considering the cold shoulder he’d gotten that first day on the beach, she’d been a siren. He had a feeling that there was a lot of passion beneath that cool exterior. Yes, he’d be patient with Millicent Sims. A scripture floated across his mind, Romans 5:3:…
But we glory in tribulations also, knowing that tribulations worketh patience, and patience, experience, and experience, hope
…. Jack had high hopes for his future, and with whom he could spend it.