The Pastor's Wife (14 page)

“Now we just have to keep it that way.” She looked at Rachel over the rim of her mug. “We’ve got to start bringing in revenue.”

Rachel nodded. “I’ve been thinking about that. Since we’ll be ready for business after the first of December, why don’t we have some screenings of old movies with Christmas themes?”

Maura sat up straighter in her chair. “Ooh, I like it. We could show
White Christmas
and
It's a Wonderful Life
.” Just saying the titles made her feel nostalgic.

They spent the next half hour talking about contacting film distributors, advertising, and spreading the word about the theatre/meeting center beyond the boundaries of Granger.

“And don’t forget,” Rachel said, “we’ve got to put together that Christmas pageant with Faith.”

How could she possibly forget? “Got it covered. Lainie and I already started working on it. We’ve got the youth doing a couple of skits, and the Sunday school kids singing some carols. I still need to flesh it out a bit, though. You wouldn’t happen to know any people with amazing hidden talents, would you?”

“I’ll give it some thought. But what about Nick?”

“What about him?”

“Just that you haven’t mentioned him. Since this is a joint project with the church, I assumed he’d be involved. Do you have a part for him?”

That was a loaded question. Ever since he came to her rescue with the men's breakfast group, she’d found herself thinking of Nick and what part they would play in each other's lives. It was as though some huge barrier had been torn down, and Maura could actually imagine a time when they might be able to repair their broken relationship and live as husband and wife again. But some doubt still lingered. Even though she’d forgiven Nick, she hadn’t been able to forget the pain of needing him and having him choose the church over her. And she was scared to death that if she gave him the chance, he’d do it again.

“Sure, there's a part for him in the gala,” she said, answering Rachel's question. “He's the master of ceremonies. He’ll kind of narrate it all and move us from group to group.”

“Great. It looks like everything is under control and we can consider this meeting adjourned.” Rachel began to gather up all the papers, putting them away neatly in file folders. “There's just one more thing we have to talk about.”

“What's that?”

“Have you thought about Thanksgiving?”

Oh, she’d thought about it, all right. It was just a week away, and she’d been mulling over the idea of cooking dinner for Nick. Sadly, her talents did not lie in the cooking department. The prospect of picking out a turkey, let alone cleaning it, stuffing it, and roasting it, was daunting.

Maura wrinkled her nose. “I’ve been trying not to think about cooking, but I guess it's time I Googled some turkey recipes.”

“Don’t bother. I want you to join us for Thanksgiving dinner. Nick too.” Rachel held up her hand before Maura could reply. “Think about how perfect it’ll be. You won’t have to bother with a big, fancy dinner for the two of you, but you’ll
get to spend a holiday together. And being here, there will be less pressure for you both.”

Why had Maura thought she could keep Rachel in the dark? “Just how did you figure out that Nick and I even want to be together?”

“I saw it the day of the infamous seat harvest, and you’ve been acting different ever since. You’ve been walking around like there are springs in your shoes, and he's been happy and whistling all the time.” Rachel shrugged. “The signs are there, if you know where to look. Most people don’t look.”

Maura laughed. “I’m glad you’re on my side.”

“You know it. So, what do you think about my invitation?”

“I think it's great. Let me talk to Nick, and I’ll let you know for sure.”

“Sounds good. Oh, and one more thing.” Rachel put her hand on Maura's, giving it a gentle squeeze. “If you think there's a chance for reconciliation, and I certainly am rooting for that, you might want to start letting people see the two of you together as a couple. It’ll be good for everyone concerned.”

So much had changed in just four months.

Maura stepped into the theatre, pride surging through her. It was a far cry from the place she’d first walked into. All the dust and dirt was gone. Instead of an unused, neglected theatre, the Music Box had been restored to its former glory. Maura had tried to remain as true to the original décor as possible, and the results were truly impressive.

She climbed up the steps to the stage and looked out over the clean, bright carpeting that covered the aisles, the newly varnished wood floor that was ready and waiting for
the installation of the freshly reupholstered seats. She’d accomplished so much in such a short period of time.

But her mind kept returning to her conversation with Rachel.

Could this be the right time to make her changing relationship with Nick public knowledge? If they kept moving forward, there was a good possibility they would get back together. If Maura only had herself and Nick to consider, the next step would be easier. But if she stepped back into her role as Nick's wife, as a pastor's wife, she’d have the congregation to deal with again. Was she ready for that?

But maybe that's what Rachel meant. Maura had already become more visible in the congregation. People saw her working with the youth and knew about the theatre project. While she redefined her identity in the eyes of the congregation, she was also setting down clear boundaries. If she let them see her with Nick, and they realized that he supported her, it might make the transition easier if she and Nick were able to completely reunite.

Maura glanced down at her watch. She had a meeting in fifteen minutes with a graphic designer to discuss promotional materials and logo design. At the moment, there was nothing more she could do about her situation with Nick. She’d put it out of her mind for now, but they’d definitely talk about it tonight. He’d promised to make dinner for them both, and now that she had a plan, she was looking forward to it more than ever.

Nick hurried up the front porch stairs, carefully avoiding icy patches as he went. What a day it had been. He’d jumped from one crisis to the next, and found himself alternating
between prayer and counting. Finally, his official work came to an end. At five o’clock he’d packed up and was ready to leave the office. All he had to do was walk next door, and he’d be home. Just as his hand touched the doorknob, the phone call came.

It wasn’t the first time he’d had to drop everything to help this family. In fact, he’d been on his way to their remote farm the day Maura left him. She’d called on his cell phone, but the reception was so bad, he’d only been able to understand part of what she said. Something about not feeling well and wanting him to come home. He’d told her to eat some soup, get some rest, and he’d be there as soon as he could. Then the line went dead. And when he’d gotten home, she was gone.

He came to a dead stop in front of the parsonage door. He’d done it again. He should have called Maura to tell her about the emergency. At least she could have made other plans for dinner. But he’d been so focused on what needed to be done at the time, he hadn’t thought of anything else.

Nick opened the door, not sure what awaited him on the other side.

He found her at the kitchen sink with her back to him. Music poured from the portable CD player on the counter. Maura hummed along as she rinsed off the dishes and loaded the dishwasher. Wearing simple jeans and a big sweatshirt with the sleeves pushed to her elbows, she was the prettiest sight he’d seen all day.

How he’d missed this … missed her. Yes, he found great fulfillment in his work, and he knew for a fact it was what God had called him to do. But without someone to share it with, without someone to come home to, he lived a life as hollow as that big empty theatre after all the seats were gone.

That day had been a real turning point. The constant tension that existed between them since Maura's return had gone,
replaced by the excitement of getting reacquainted. He just hoped he hadn’t blown it. Again.

“I’m so sorry.” Probably not the best opening line, but it was the first thing that came to mind. And he did mean it.

She looked over her shoulder. “Oh, you’re home. There's a plate for you in the fridge if you’re hungry. Nothing special. I just scrounged up some leftovers. But you can pop it in the microwave if you want.”

Nick wasn’t sure how to read the situation. She wasn’t yelling at him, which was good, but she didn’t look particularly happy, either. Her voice came out flat, not hinting at any emotion. Opening the refrigerator door, he took out the plate she’d fixed for him.

“How long should I heat this?”

Maura loaded the last cup and shut the dishwasher door. “Here,” she said, drying her hands on a towel. “Let me.”

Nick watched her take the plate to the microwave. She sounded calm and pleasant, but she shut the microwave door a little too firmly and punched the timer buttons on the front panel with a little too much enthusiasm.

Uh oh.

“Maura, I’m so sorry about dinner,” he said again. “There was an emergency with a member of the congregation. I had to take care of it. Do you understand?”

She leaned her hips against the side of the counter, her arms crossed in front of her. “Nick, I know you’re a pastor. And over the last month, I’ve finally taken a good, hard look at what that means. I know you love people, and you need to take care of them. It's built into your nature. So, yes, I do understand. But, I don’t think you understand.”

“What?”

She jabbed at her chest. “Yes, the congregation needs you. But so do I. When it gets right down to it, I’m also a member
of your congregation now, and sometimes, I need you just as much as they do. Not only as a husband, but as my pastor.”

He hadn’t expected this. “I’m sorry, Maura. I know I should have called and told you I’d be home late. But the call tonight was quite literally a life and death matter.”

She tilted her head to one side, her eyes narrowed. “Don’t you think you’re being a little overdramatic?”

“No, I’m not.” He struggled to keep himself calm, reminding himself she had no idea why he’d stood her up. “I responded to a suicide attempt. I can’t discuss the details, but I’ve been working with this person for years and I’ve never seen it as bad as today.”

Maura deflated. Her shoulders drooped, and she stared at the floor. “That's terrible. And definitely more important than dinner.” She looked back up at him. “But I’m not just talking about tonight. I understand missing dinner, although you’re right about calling. You should have.”

“Then what are you talking about?”

“There have been times in the past when I needed you, really needed you to support me and to comfort me, and you weren’t there.” Her voice broke, and Nick could see her fight to control her emotions. “I’ve forgiven you for the past. I was hoping we could move forward and maybe fix our relationship. I was this close.” She held her thumb and fingers so close together he could barely see light between them. “This close to trusting you again. But today just reminded me of how much it hurts to be forgotten. And I don’t know if I can open myself up for that again.”

The bell on the microwave timer sounded, but they both ignored it. Something else stood between them. Something she wasn’t telling him. Nick wanted to beg her to talk about it since it was probably what had motivated her to leave him. But
this was no time to grill her. He stepped closer to Maura and took her hands in his.

“You’re right about who I am. God called me here to this church and it's my duty to love the people and take care of them. But God also called me to be your husband, and that means I need to love and care for you too. I’m so sorry that I hurt you.”

“I know you’re sorry. But does that mean anything will change?”

“I’m telling you now that I intend to be more sensitive to your needs. I promise to do the best I can. But I’m just a man. I’ll make mistakes. And you need to realize there will be times, like tonight, when I have no choice but to go where I’m needed. Like it or not, I don’t have a clear-cut, nine-to-five job.”