“How did he take it when you all told him about the baby?”
“He cried. It was the first time Mandy has been upset about the baby. He said he was disappointed, but that he loves us, both of us, and already considered me a son. He said he is excited about being a grandpa. I think part of what makes him sad is that Mandy’s mom isn’t here to be a grandma with him.” He shook his head as he continued, “He’s taking it a lot better than Mom is. She is beside herself. She can’t quit crying. She keeps asking me if I am sure I have really repented and am okay with God.”
“For Pete’s sake!” Maudra clucked her tongue. “I’m gonna have a talk with Sue. She needs to get ahold a herself.”
Donnie held up a hand toward her. “Oh, please don’t. It’ll only make it worse. Both Dad and Della are trying to calm her down. She’s just so worried that her only boy is gonna end up in Hell.” He let out a moroselaugh. “I hate that I am hurting her so much. What also doesn’t help is how excited Zephyra is. She is absolutely beside herself. She is hoping it’s a boy. She’s already picking out boy names and talking about buying baby tennis shoes. Mom, of course, is worried about her too, not that that’s anything new.”
I smiled. Zephyra had always been the “wild” one. I wished she were here right now. The thought surprised me. “And how are you? You look a lot better.”
He grinned. “Now that I have theconfessionout of the way, I actually feel great. Yeah, I wish I could go back and change things, do things the right way, but I can’t. I know God has forgiven me, and I am confident in Him. Last night, after we got home from church, it was the first time I really thought about being a dad.” His face broke into a huge smile, and he beamed, making him more beautiful than he usually was. “I’m going to be a dad! Can you believe it!” He let out a little whoop.
Maudra grinned and patted him on the knee. “I’m glad fer ya, boy. Yer gonna be a great dad. ’Tween you and Mandy, you gonna have one good-looking kid.”
“Thanks, Maudra. We’re expecting you to be the other grandma since Mandy’s mom is gone.”
A look of pride radiated from her. Maudra just nodded, giving a smile that almost matched Donnie’s. She stood and announced that she was going to get a second cinnamon roll and get one for Donnie. She glanced down at mine, still untouched, and gave me a warning look. We could hear her blowing her nose in the kitchen. When she came back in, it was obvious she had splashed water on her face. Her lace choke collar was damp, but her eyes were clear.
As they ate, I picked up my cinnamon roll and took a bite. It was flavored with orange, and it was delicious. I felt better almost instantly. Between the sugar and Donnie’s excitement, life was looking a little more hopeful. I should have known better than to ask the next question. “What are you going to tell the youth group?”
His face fell. “Most of them already know, of course, the ones whose families go to church. I’m sure the rest found out as soon as they got the call. Not only did we announce Mandy’s pregnancy, but I also let everyone know you would no longer be a part of the youth group.” He continued quickly before I could ask any questions. “Nobody mentioned the news from Denver. I simply said that you didn’t do anything wrong, but due to parental concerns, you had stepped down.” I looked down at his feet. “I also let them know that Wednesday would be my last night with the youth group.”
“What!” Maudra yelped before I could react.
“Maudra, I had to. You know that. Tyler agreed too. I am in a leadership position in charge of leading the kids’ spiritual journeys. Obviously, I am not the best role model for the job.”
“Yer human. Couldn’t ask fer better. Ain’t they never read the story of King David?”
It was his turn to pat her on the knee.
“Donnie, what are the kids going to do? You can’t just leave them.” I thought I was going to be sick.
“Well, I don’t have much of a choice, do I? Somebody will fill in for me. I am sure Tyler will try to get a real youth pastor this time. Someone who has a paid position on staff.”
“I’m so sorry, Donnie. I didn’t mean for all this to happen. I should have told you guys about what happenedin Denver. It just never entered my mind that it would come back here. I should have known better.”
“Don’t be stupid, Brooke.” Donnie heaved a sigh. “It would have happened anyway. You didn’t make Mandy get pregnant.”
Maudra let out a huge laugh.
We both looked at her like she was crazy. “What?”
She managed to stop laughing long enough to speak. “Well, if Brooklyn could get some girl pregnant, only half a this silliness would be happenin’, wouldn’t it?”
Donnie and I looked at each other and joined in Maudra’s absurd laughter.
Thirty-Five
Irislooked around in a panic when she rounded the corner to answer the entrance chimes and saw me standing in the doorway of Rose Petal’s Place. I saw her glance toward the phone on the counter, as if she were trying to discern if she had enough time to call the police before I attacked her. Inwardly, I let the thought flit through my head, enjoying the vision of shoving her head in a rose bush.
I strode over to the counter and slammed theWeekly Planetin front of her. Somehow, her eyes grew wider. As if she hadn’t known why I was here in the first place.
Maudra had shown me the town’s newspaper that morning. It came out every Tuesday. Every week, on the front page, down the right-hand column was a section called The Brick Yard. They would publish letters sent in from the locals. If there weren’t any good letters that week, the editor, Justin Coleman, would write a letter of his own, commenting about certain events happening in El Dorado. More often than not, The Brick Yard was little more than a place for people to gossip about one situation or another under the guise of need for public knowledge.
I had thought about reading it to her, making her listen to her own words, but I didn’t think I could get through it without yelling. Even as it was, there was a very good chance that by the time I left her shop, I would tell Iris exactly where she could shove her fat ass and her horribly painted store.
When she handed it to me, Maudra said she’d debated telling me, but figured it would be worse to have me find out at some other time when I wasn’t prepared or when I was in public. By the time I had finished reading it a second time, I was shaking in fury.
Corruption in the Church
