Thirty and a Half Excuses
Page 26
“Bruce Wayne is determined to do a good job.”
“I can tell,” Jonah cast a glance at the guys under the tree before turning back to me. “I found his desire to impress you rather curious. It didn’t seem to be something as innocent as a crush.”
I wasn’t sure why his announcement ticked me off so much. Perhaps because Bruce Wayne’s motivations weren’t any of Reverend Jonah Pruitt’s business.
“I can see I’ve upset you, Rose. That wasn’t my intention.”
I exhaled, trying to keep my cool.
“It’s my business to know what makes people tick.” He paused. “I know it seems nosy, but that’s how I figure out what people need.”
“I’m not sure why you care what his reasons—”
Jonah’s voice lowered. “Rose, a pastor takes care of his flock. To do that, I have to know how they’re hurting. Otherwise how can I heal them?”
“With all due respect, Jonah, isn’t it the Lord’s job to heal them? And technically neither of us are part of your flock.”
To my surprise, he laughed. “You are like a breath of fresh air, Rose Gardner, just sayin’ what you think.”
I wasn’t so sure about that.
He sobered. “I know about your connection to Bruce Wayne Decker.”
My chest tightened. “What does that mean?”
“I know you were responsible for getting the murder charges against him dropped.”
I felt like my privacy had been invaded, but I wasn’t sure why. It was public knowledge. Jonah had moved his church to Henryetta at about the time of Bruce Wayne’s trial. For all I knew, he remembered the trial. But it was far more likely he’d been snooping.
Jonah sensed my train of thought. “Rhonda made the connection. I swear I wasn’t prying. But I confess that I did do a bit of investigation after I found out.”
I spun to fiddle with the shovel some more.
“Can you tell me why you did it?” He asked, his voice softer and more anxious than I’d expected. “You were put in jail for trying to prove his charges should be dropped. What convinced you he was innocent?”
I put my foot on the shovel and pushed it deep into the dirt, then twisted to glance up at him. “I just knew. And because I knew, it was the only right thing to do.”
“I hear you know things.” He was behind me now, so close I’d elbow him if I put some effort into turning over the dirt.
Icy dread slid through my veins.
“How do you know things, Rose?” he said, pushing me with his words.
Suddenly Bruce Wayne was next to me, picking up a shovel. “I’m ready to get back to work now.” He turned to Jonah. “It’s coming along, ain’t it?”
Jonah smiled, but for the first time, it wasn’t genuine. “That it is,” he said, then turned around and went back into the church.
What had Jonah Pruitt heard about me, and why was he so interested? Was he just another in a long line of preachers determined to rid me of my demon?
“Are you okay, Miss Rose?” Bruce Wayne asked in a hushed tone.
I released a nervous laugh. “Of course. Why are you asking?”
“It looked like he was upsetting you.”
Suddenly, I felt foolish. Everyone in town knew I’d helped free Bruce Wayne. Of course the reverend had been curious. “I’m fine. Men of the cloth just seem to find me lacking.”
“Me too,” he said quietly before he pushed his shovel into the dirt.
Bruce Wayne and I had more in common than being accused of murders we didn’t commit.
I had planned to stay for the rest of the afternoon, until Violet needed to leave the store, but I was worried Jonah would come back and try to continue our conversation. What did he think he knew about me? I told Bruce Wayne to finish the east side, then show up early tomorrow to receive the flower shipment and start on the west. We’d tackle the short south and north sides on Saturday and Sunday afternoon if needed.
Violet was surprised to see me when I walked through the door. “I thought you wanted to help with the planting.”
“I did. But I changed my mind. They’re making good progress without me.”
Violet took me at my word and turned her attention to some paperwork on the counter. I went outside to check on the flowers. To keep the plants in the flats looking lush and healthy, we had to water them multiple times a day. Watering them now seemed like a good time filler since I didn’t feel like telling Violet about my interaction with Jonah. If I hung around inside, she’d be able to tell something was eating at me, and she’d pry it out of me. I really needed advice on how to handle the situation, but Violet was the last person I wanted to talk to about it after our earlier interactions, and Joe was unavailable for who knew how long. Besides, I knew perfectly well what he’d say. Quit. But the money was too good to pass up, and Jonah hadn’t done anything bad. He just made me feel uncomfortable. I was probably being too sensitive.
When I went inside, I leaned against the counter. “Vi, maybe you should go out to the church tomorrow to check on the progress.” If she went, I wouldn’t have to see Jonah.
Her head lifted, surprise in her eyes. “Why?”
“Well…it’s your name and reputation on the line too. Maybe you should give it your stamp of approval.”
She laughed, pulling off her apron and washing her hands in the nearby sink. “I saw the plan you drew up. It was great. Why wouldn’t I like it?”
“I can tell,” Jonah cast a glance at the guys under the tree before turning back to me. “I found his desire to impress you rather curious. It didn’t seem to be something as innocent as a crush.”
I wasn’t sure why his announcement ticked me off so much. Perhaps because Bruce Wayne’s motivations weren’t any of Reverend Jonah Pruitt’s business.
“I can see I’ve upset you, Rose. That wasn’t my intention.”
I exhaled, trying to keep my cool.
“It’s my business to know what makes people tick.” He paused. “I know it seems nosy, but that’s how I figure out what people need.”
“I’m not sure why you care what his reasons—”
Jonah’s voice lowered. “Rose, a pastor takes care of his flock. To do that, I have to know how they’re hurting. Otherwise how can I heal them?”
“With all due respect, Jonah, isn’t it the Lord’s job to heal them? And technically neither of us are part of your flock.”
To my surprise, he laughed. “You are like a breath of fresh air, Rose Gardner, just sayin’ what you think.”
I wasn’t so sure about that.
He sobered. “I know about your connection to Bruce Wayne Decker.”
My chest tightened. “What does that mean?”
“I know you were responsible for getting the murder charges against him dropped.”
I felt like my privacy had been invaded, but I wasn’t sure why. It was public knowledge. Jonah had moved his church to Henryetta at about the time of Bruce Wayne’s trial. For all I knew, he remembered the trial. But it was far more likely he’d been snooping.
Jonah sensed my train of thought. “Rhonda made the connection. I swear I wasn’t prying. But I confess that I did do a bit of investigation after I found out.”
I spun to fiddle with the shovel some more.
“Can you tell me why you did it?” He asked, his voice softer and more anxious than I’d expected. “You were put in jail for trying to prove his charges should be dropped. What convinced you he was innocent?”
I put my foot on the shovel and pushed it deep into the dirt, then twisted to glance up at him. “I just knew. And because I knew, it was the only right thing to do.”
“I hear you know things.” He was behind me now, so close I’d elbow him if I put some effort into turning over the dirt.
Icy dread slid through my veins.
“How do you know things, Rose?” he said, pushing me with his words.
Suddenly Bruce Wayne was next to me, picking up a shovel. “I’m ready to get back to work now.” He turned to Jonah. “It’s coming along, ain’t it?”
Jonah smiled, but for the first time, it wasn’t genuine. “That it is,” he said, then turned around and went back into the church.
What had Jonah Pruitt heard about me, and why was he so interested? Was he just another in a long line of preachers determined to rid me of my demon?
“Are you okay, Miss Rose?” Bruce Wayne asked in a hushed tone.
I released a nervous laugh. “Of course. Why are you asking?”
“It looked like he was upsetting you.”
Suddenly, I felt foolish. Everyone in town knew I’d helped free Bruce Wayne. Of course the reverend had been curious. “I’m fine. Men of the cloth just seem to find me lacking.”
“Me too,” he said quietly before he pushed his shovel into the dirt.
Bruce Wayne and I had more in common than being accused of murders we didn’t commit.
I had planned to stay for the rest of the afternoon, until Violet needed to leave the store, but I was worried Jonah would come back and try to continue our conversation. What did he think he knew about me? I told Bruce Wayne to finish the east side, then show up early tomorrow to receive the flower shipment and start on the west. We’d tackle the short south and north sides on Saturday and Sunday afternoon if needed.
Violet was surprised to see me when I walked through the door. “I thought you wanted to help with the planting.”
“I did. But I changed my mind. They’re making good progress without me.”
Violet took me at my word and turned her attention to some paperwork on the counter. I went outside to check on the flowers. To keep the plants in the flats looking lush and healthy, we had to water them multiple times a day. Watering them now seemed like a good time filler since I didn’t feel like telling Violet about my interaction with Jonah. If I hung around inside, she’d be able to tell something was eating at me, and she’d pry it out of me. I really needed advice on how to handle the situation, but Violet was the last person I wanted to talk to about it after our earlier interactions, and Joe was unavailable for who knew how long. Besides, I knew perfectly well what he’d say. Quit. But the money was too good to pass up, and Jonah hadn’t done anything bad. He just made me feel uncomfortable. I was probably being too sensitive.
When I went inside, I leaned against the counter. “Vi, maybe you should go out to the church tomorrow to check on the progress.” If she went, I wouldn’t have to see Jonah.
Her head lifted, surprise in her eyes. “Why?”
“Well…it’s your name and reputation on the line too. Maybe you should give it your stamp of approval.”
She laughed, pulling off her apron and washing her hands in the nearby sink. “I saw the plan you drew up. It was great. Why wouldn’t I like it?”
