Thoughts of Marcus made me smile, and thinking that God was taking pleasure in my humble offering gave me joy.
As I finished the last verse, I lowered my gaze from the back of the room to the faces of the audience. Everyone was watching me, but it was Lewis whose gaze held something more than appreciation for my song.
As soon as I thought I saw something deeper, though, he winked at me again and the moment faded. I could just imagine him pulling on one of my braids and telling me I needed more practice.
The song ended, and the studio audience clapped politely; then I went to the only open seat in the front row, which happened to be next to Lewis.
The row of chairs was snug, and I didn’t know the person on the other side, so I sat a bit closer to Lewis. Our legs brushed, and he grinned at me with a teasing smile.
Father approached the microphone and offered a prayer before he began his sermon.
Though I’d been listening to him all my life, I never tired of his voice. It was deep and rich and engaging. He spoke about sin and unrighteousness, but he never left it there. He always gave hope for the path forward. And just like the song, he promised there was grace for everyone. He didn’t seem a bit nervous, and for the first time, I wondered if perhaps he was preaching for an Audience of One, as well.
“I’m joined in the studio tonight by my loving wife, Marian, and our three children, Andrew, Thomas, and Caroline.” Fatherglanced at us, a rare light of pride in his face. “One of my mentors once told me that a preacher’s teaching is only as good as the fruit it bears in his own life. If you have no influence on the lives of your spouse and children, then you have no business influencing anyone else.”
There were murmurs of approval around us, but my chest tightened at his words. I glanced at my brothers, but neither one showed any sign of discomfort or shame.
“The Bible tells us that pride cometh before the fall,” he continued, “so I speak not with pride, but with humility when I say that I am blessed with the best wife and children a man can have. My wife serves sacrificially alongside me. My oldest son, Andrew, is an upstanding husband, father, and decorated war hero. My second son, Thomas, is a respected lieutenant in the Saint Paul Police Department, and my daughter, Caroline, who you just heard sing, is a godly young woman who joyfully uses her gifts to bless others.”
I couldn’t breathe as he spoke those words. Guilt washed over me as I thought about all the dishonesty in my life—in our family’s life. I secretly chastised my brothers, yet I was just as blameworthy as them in different ways. Ididn’tserve joyfully—at least, I hadn’t until tonight. And it wasn’t because of Father’s teaching, but because of a pirate’s simple faith.
Father’s sermon was all about moral character and righteous living, things my brothers and I lacked. How had we not heeded our father’s words? I wasn’t sure why my brothers rebelled against his teaching, but I knew why I did. I cared too much about what people thought of me, and I feared that the sins of Anne Reed and my grandmother in Salem had stained my soul. Was I destined to follow in their footsteps, whether I wanted to or not?
The thought of falling for a handsome pirate told me I wasn’t too far from their path.
A small caravan of cars left the parking lot of the Nicollet Hotel an hour later and moved toward our home on Dupont Avenue where Ingrid was preparing a late supper.
Father pulled into the driveway and let Mother and me out of the Chevy before he brought it to the garage in back. Andrew and Ruth’s car pulled up to the curb seconds later, followed by Thomas’s and then Lewis’s.
Another car I didn’t recognize stopped on the opposite side of the street. There were two men inside, both wearing their hats low on their foreheads. When the driver nodded at Andrew, my brother got out of his car and strolled across the street to talk to them.
Ruth didn’t move.
Thomas got out of his car and bounded up the sidewalk past me to the porch where he opened the door for Mother and then distracted her as he ushered her inside.
She didn’t seem to notice Andrew or the strangers in the other car, which was probably Thomas’s intention.
Lewis was the next to exit his vehicle. He glanced toward the meeting across the street, but he, too, ignored the situation.
I waited for him with a frown. “Who are those men Andrew is speaking to?”
With a shrug he said, “I don’t know.”
I tried getting a better look, but Lewis stepped into my line of sight and said, “It’s Andrew’s business. He’s a big boy.”
“You won’t tell me—even if you know.”
“Andrew’s making his own decisions, Carrie.”
“You’re a police officer, and if those are gangsters, you—”
“I’m off duty.”
I shook my head in frustration, but Lewis changed the subject as he started to coax me up the sidewalk toward the house. “I missed you more than I realized I would when you were in Paris.”
The sun was low on the western horizon, creating a soft glow on the yard, making his blue eyes sparkle.
“You missed me?” I asked, though he was only trying to distract me. I had my eye on Andrew, who was still across the road.
