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  Across from him, Marvel Williams looked at his watch and sighed impatiently. “The church is set to go into foreclosure next month. How soon after then will you be able to convince Pastor Yvonne to sell the building to me?” Marvel asked.

  Clarence tried to come up with a time estimate. He hated himself for getting involved with Marvel Williams’s scheme, but since Detroit’s economy had bottomed out, Clarence’s realty company had been taking a slow walk towards bankruptcy. Marvel had offered him a sweet deal if he could get Pastor Yvonne to sell the church building to him. But now that Thomas was putting up money to cover the debt, there was no way Clarence would be able to convince her to sell. “We’ve run into some problems,” Clarence said without looking at Marvel.

  “What kind of problems?”

  Clarence took a deep breath and lifted his head. “Thomas Reed is putting up the money to pay off the church’s debt.”

  “Who is this Thomas Reed?”

  “An old friend of the Milners. But he has the money to pay off the debt, so there won’t be any foreclosure.”

  Marvel unbuttoned the jacket of his two-piece, gray pinstriped suit and leaned in closer. “I saw her out to dinner with some guy last night. The two of them appeared to be very comfortable with each other.”

  “It was probably Thomas. Pastor Yvonne has known him for more than thirty years. He was best friends with her late husband.”

  Marvel got a glint in his eyes. “Do you think they were fooling around before her husband died?”

  The slight frown that had been on Clarence’s face was replaced with a scowl. “Look. I might be trying to help you purchase my church building and the land it sits on, but don’t for a moment think that I will help you drag Pastor Yvonne’s name through the mud. She’s a good, godly woman, and I don’t appreciate your insinuation that she might have cheated on her husband.”

  “Spare me the loyalty speech, Brown. Business is business, and if I have to slander your pastor and tarnish her reputation to get what I want, then guess what? I’m not above doing that.”

  Clarence leaned back in his seat and studied Marvel. He was a well-dressed, good-looking young man with a confident—no, cocky—air about him. He couldn’t be more than thirty, but he had accomplished a lot in his life. Before his twenty-fifth birthday, he’d made his first million, and he hadn’t stopped making money since. Marvel could have chosen to build his factory on any side of town he wanted; the mayor of Detroit was behind him because the factory would create new jobs. So, he had decided that he wanted the land where Christ-Life Sanctuary sat, plus all the houses that surrounded the church. He’d also decided that he wanted Toya Milner.

  “Have you made any headway with Toya?” Clarence asked him.

  “I don’t want her to know anything about this until the deed is done,” Marvel said firmly.

  “I hope you know that Toya is not going to like the fact that you’re trying to destroy her mother’s church.”

  “You let me worry about Toya. Besides, I’m willing to pay a fair price for that land. Her mother can build another church in another neighborhood with the money she gets.”

  With that, Marvel stood up and walked to the door. He opened it, then turned back to Clarence. “Get this thing done already, all right? Don’t make me handle it my way. Because if I do, I guarantee you it won’t be pretty.”

  ***

  Yvonne gazed at her beautiful daughters, who were sitting in her church office talking about wedding plans. Tia and Toya looked almost like twins. They both had high cheek bones, big brown eyes, and full, pouty lips. The most salient difference was that Toya was high yellow, like Yvonne, while Tia’s complexion was more caramel, like David’s had been.

  “Do you girls want to take this discussion into the sanctuary?” she asked them.

  They stopped talking, and Tia shot her a puzzled look. “Why do we need to do that?”

  “So we can decide where you’ll put the flowers and the arch.”

  Shaking her head, Tia said, “Oh no, Mama. We’re not having the wedding here.”

  “What?” Now it was Yvonne’s turn to be puzzled. “Why on earth wouldn’t you want to have your wedding at Christ-Life?”

  “Well, for one thing, the members here are going to judge me for getting pregnant without being married.”

  Why was her daughter being so unreasonable? This was their home church, not to mention where the mother of the bride was senior pastor. Yvonne turned to her older daughter, hoping for some help. “Toya, can you please talk some sense into your sister?”

  “I don’t know, Mama. If I had gotten pregnant and wasn’t married”—she held up her hands in response to the warning glare Yvonne gave her—“which I would never do, of course, I don’t think I’d want to have my wedding here, either.”

  Yvonne had assumed that they’d planned this meeting to take place at the church so that they could walk through the sanctuary and come up with ideas for decorations and seating arrangements. She had assumed—foolishly, she realized—that Tia would dance excitedly around the sanctuary while deciding where to set up the bridal arch, the unity candle, and so forth. Instead, her wayward daughter had informed her that she didn’t want to get married at Christ-Life. And her sensible daughter agreed with her.

  Yvonne sighed. “I don’t understand either one of you. This is the church you grew up in. You’ve been away since you enrolled in art school, Tia, but I always assumed that you would return to this church, at least for your wedding. Was I wrong?”

  “I made a mistake, Mama, but I haven’t completely lost my faith. I have asked God to forgive me for my sins, and I believe He has. But I just can’t take seeing the looks of pity or contempt on everybody’s face on what is supposed to be the happiest day of my life.”

  “It’s not the church members’ fault that you’re pregnant, Tia.” Yvonne stood up and walked over to her window. She surveyed the unfinished Family Life Center, then turned back to her daughter. “Many of the people at this church have watched you grow up—some even taught you in their Sunday school classes—and they would be honored to attend your wedding.”

  Before Tia could respond, there was a knock at the door, and then it opened. Thomas walked in and grinned at Tia and Toya. “I heard that my girls were in here! I couldn’t let the two of you get away without giving me a big hug.”

  Tia and Toya jumped out of their seats and took turns hugging Thomas and giving him a kiss on the cheek.

  “I’m so glad that you’re here, Uncle Thomas,” said Tia, leaning back against Yvonne’s desk. “I need you to talk to Mama for me.”

  “What’s wrong?” Thomas asked her as he turned toward Yvonne, who folded her arms across her chest and gave him a steady gaze.

  “I don’t want to have my wedding at the church, and Mama is acting like I’m going to offend the entire church if I get married at another church,” Tia whined.

  “Getting married elsewhere would offend the members who have watched her grow,” Yvonne explained. “Tia is being selfish, and I’m hoping she’ll consider other people and change her mind.” She unfolded her arms and sat down in the black leather sofa.

  “Mama, this is Tia’s wedding, and she needs to feel comfortable when she walks down the aisle,” Toya commented.

  Thomas sat down on the sofa next to Yvonne. “Why do you think you’d be uncomfortable if your wedding was at Christ-Life?” he asked Tia.

  “I don’t want to walk down the aisle wondering if anyone is whispering about me. It’s my day, and I’d like to enjoy it without unnecessary drama.”

  Yvonne wanted to tell Tia that she was responsible for most of the “unnecessary drama” in her life, but Thomas came to the rescue before she could open her mouth.

  “If you’re willing to get married as early as next month, I think I may have a solution to this problem.”

  “Next month is too soon,” Tia said, shaking her head. “I don’t think I could plan the wedding of my dreams in such a short time, Uncle
Thomas.”

  “Girl, be quiet and let the man tell you what he has in mind before you say no,” Toya advised her.

  Yvonne looked over at Thomas. “What solution were you going to propose?”

  “Well, I’m scheduled to preach in the Bahamas next month, and I was just thinking that the members of Christ-Life would not be offended if they weren’t invited to a destination wedding. I would even pay for a honeymoon at the Atlantis in Paradise Island.”

  Tia’s mouth hung open for a moment, then her brow furrowed as she said, “Next month is July, Uncle Thomas, it’s going to be too hot in the Bahamas.”

  “It may be hot,” Thomas agreed. “But it will also be beautiful.”

  “Thomas, you shouldn’t. This really is not your responsibility, and I can’t have you dish out so much money for this wedding,” Yvonne said.

  “Trust me, Vonnie—it isn’t a problem. And Tia is like a daughter to me. It would be my honor to cover the expenses.”

  Tia grabbed her purse, pulled out her cell phone, and punched in a number. Seconds later, she said, “Robbie, how would you like to get married in the Bahamas and honeymoon at the Atlantis in Paradise Island!” She paused, then added, “Uncle Thomas is going to pay for it.” Her expression brightened as she listened to Robbie, and then she snapped the phone shut and beamed at Thomas. “We’ll take it!”

  Yvonne held up a hand. “Hold on, Tia. You told me you wanted to have eight bridesmaids and eight groomsmen. There’s no way you can expect eight of your closest friends and eight of Robbie’s to drop everything and fly to the Bahamas on such short notice.”

  Tia tapped her manicured nails on Yvonne’s desk as she took a moment to think. “You might be right about that,” she admitted. “But when you think about it, everybody I need is in this room. Toya can be my maid of honor, Uncle Thomas can walk me down the aisle, and you can marry us, Mama.”

  “Are you really willing to forgo the big wedding you’ve dreamed about since you were a little girl?” Yvonne asked her.

  “Mom, I’m getting married in the Bahamas. What woman wouldn’t want that? We won’t have as many guests, but we can take plenty of pictures, and I’ll share them with my friends. And if we have the wedding next month, I won’t be showing that much—an added benefit of rushing this thing.”

  Yvonne gave Thomas’s hand a squeeze. “I guess we’re going to the Bahamas! Thanks, Thomas.”

  “Sure. I’ll call a couple of churches down there and see which one will be available for the wedding.”

  Toya asked, “Can you have Dawn book several rooms for us at the Atlantis?”

  “You give me the dates, and I’ll have her get right on it,” Yvonne said.

  “I’m going to need an extra room,” Toya put in. “If I’m going to the Bahamas, I’m bringing a date.”

  Yvonne’s eyes snapped to Toya. She had no clue that she was dating anyone. It was definitely time for her to get involved in her daughters’ lives again. “I didn’t know you were seeing anyone, Toya.”

  Toya nodded with a shy smile. “We’ve been dating for only about a month, but I really like him.”

  “Does he have a name?” Yvonne asked.

  “This meeting is not about Toya’s love life!” Tia put in. “I’m getting married in a month. Can we stay focused, people?”

  “So sorry, Tia. We all know that this is your world, and we’re just taking up space in it,” Toya said. “What do you want us to do to help plan your wedding?”

  Tia stood up, then grabbed Toya’s hand and pulled her to her feet. “Let’s go shopping. We don’t have much time, so we are both getting something off the rack.”

  “You girls have fun. I’ll see you when you get back,” Yvonne said as they headed for the door.

  Tia stopped and turned around. “You’re not coming?” Her brown eyes looked sad, pleading.

  “I wish I could, honey, but Thomas and I have a meeting with his accountant. I can’t leave the office today, but you and I can get the plans moving this weekend, once we’ve secured a church for the ceremony.”

  Tia came over and gave her a kiss on the cheek. “Don’t stress too much about finding a church, Mama. Shoot, I’m getting married in the Bahamas. We can do this thing on the beach, for all I care.”

  “Tia!” Yvonne exclaimed. After her daughter had told her that she was pregnant, Yvonne hadn’t thought that Tia was capable of shocking her further. But getting married on the beach instead of in the house of God just didn’t seem right. And it wasn’t just because she was a preacher, either.

  She was getting ready to tell Tia as much when Thomas put a hand on her arm. “Can you tell us why you would want to get married on a beach rather than inside of a church?” he asked Tia.

  “It just seems so romantic.” Tia twirled in a circle with a dreamy look in her eyes. She stopped and looked imploringly at Yvonne. “It’s what I want, Mama, and I know that Robbie would agree. Can you please ask Dawn to see if we can do this wedding on the beach?”

  No, and I’m not even going to take part in this pagan marry-because-I’m-knocked-up affair, Yvonne wanted to say. But because her love for Tia was greater than her indignation, she opened her mouth and said, “I’ll have her check on it, sweetie.”

  “Thanks, Mama! You’re the best. We’ll see you later, okay?”

  As Tia and Toya marched out of the office, looking anxious for a day of shopping, Yvonne fell back against the sofa, balled her fists, and stomped on the floor with the heel of her shoe a few times.

  “Take a deep breath, Vonnie. This, too, shall pass,” Thomas assured her.

  No one had called her Vonnie for years. Brenda Reed had come up with the nickname, and David and Thomas had quickly picked it up. “Oh, yeah? How can you be so sure?”

  “My experience has made me believe the Bible when it says that ‘our light affliction...is but for a moment.’”

  Yvonne sat up straighter and turned to face Thomas. “I don’t know what I’m going to do. This Robbie guy that Tia is so excited to marry...he seems nice enough, but he’s had five different jobs in the last two years. I’m worried that they won’t be able to take care of themselves, let alone an innocent baby.”

  Thomas took Yvonne’s hands in his. “There’s no need for us to worry when we should be praying. Now, bow your head, and let’s take this situation with Tia and hand it over to God.”

  Yvonne was glad to comply. She bowed her head and echoed in her heart what Thomas prayed aloud.

  She was grateful beyond words that Thomas had decided to stay and work at the church, despite her attempts to dissuade him. He had given the bank the money he’d promised in order to keep the church out of foreclosure, and now they were getting ready to meet with his accountant, who would go over the church books. Yvonne wanted to reassure Thomas that Christ-Life was a good investment and that he would get his money back.

  “Amen,” said Thomas to conclude the prayer.

  Yvonne felt guilty for letting her mind wander while Thomas was praying, but she had so much on her mind that she found it impossible to focus on just one thing. “What time will the accountant be here, again?” she asked.

  Thomas looked at his watch and stood up. “We should probably head to the conference room now. I’m sure he’ll be here any minute.”

  Sure enough, there was a knock at the door. “Come in,” Yvonne said as she got to her feet.

  The door swung open, and Yvonne’s assistant, Dawn, poked her head in. “There’s a Mr. Samuel Johnson here to see you.”

  “Thank you, Dawn. Please show him to the conference room and tell him we’ll be right there,” Yvonne told her.

  “Certainly, Pastor.”

  “Oh, and when Deacon Brown gets here, please send him to the conference room, as well,” Yvonne added.

  “Actually, Deacon Brown won’t be coming,” Dawn said. “He just called to say that he’s got some type of flu bug, and that he won’t be able to make the meeting.”

  “Well, if he’s sick, he
did the right thing by staying home,” Yvonne replied. “I have way too much on my plate to get sick right now.”

  Dawn left, and Yvonne and Thomas made their way to the conference room, where a man in a checkered suit and a black bow tie was seated at the long table. He stood up when they entered. “Hello, Mr. Reed,” he said, holding out his hand.

  “Good to see you again, Sam,” Thomas said. “This is Pastor Yvonne. Yvonne, Sam Johnson.”

  “Nice to meet you, Pastor,” Sam said, nodding at Yvonne. He looked back at Thomas. “From what I hear, I guess I’m supposed to call you Pastor, too.”

  Thomas chuckled. “It’s true that we’ll be co-pastoring Christ-Life Sanctuary.”

  “For the time being,” Yvonne put in.

  Sam nodded and pushed his wire-rimmed glasses higher on his nose. “Well, shall we get started?”

  The three of them sat down, and Sam pulled a file from his briefcase and set it on the table. “When will the finance director be here?” he asked.

  “Deacon Brown is sick, so he won’t be able to meet with us today,” Thomas said.

  “Some surprise that is,” Sam said.

  “Excuse me?” Yvonne raised her eyebrows at him. “Why would you say that?”

  Sam pressed his palms to the table and leaned forward. “Let’s just say that if I were a thief, I would be real sick right about now, too.”

  Seven

  “To be honest with you, Mr. Johnson, I’m having a hard time understanding why you would come in here and malign a longtime member and deacon of this church,” Yvonne said.

  “I’m not trying to upset you, Pastor Yvonne, but the numbers don’t lie,” Sam replied.

  Yvonne had known Deacon Clarence Brown for twenty years. And although the man had wanted to oust her from the pulpit, she still couldn’t believe that he would steal money from the church. After all, it wasn’t like robbing the church was a way to get back at her—anyone who robbed a church had to know he was robbing God, not the pastor.

  Yvonne leaned over to reach the intercom telephone on the conference room table and dialed Dawn’s extension.