9

The massive brick building weighed heavily on his shoulders. Gabriel hadn’t stepped foot in this church since his doomed wedding day. Even now, months later, great effort would be required to make it through the morning.

“Hey, big brother. Didn’t think I’d ever see you here again.”

Garrett held open the front door as Gabriel stepped into the front entry. He tried to return the smile his brother gave him, but he’d just spent two hours trying to convince Slade to come along, only to be met with sarcasm and attitude. He needed some air before entering the church.

Sparrow passed by before entering the sanctuary. Her wavy brown hair bounced as she walked. Her beauty took his breath away.

“I didn’t think I’d ever be back. Truth is, I don’t know why I am. I just got this feeling I should be here today.”

Garrett nodded and smiled at several people as they passed. “I don’t see Slade. How are things going with him?”

Gabriel stepped into the foyer, and Garrett let the door shut. Though it had been months, some of the greenery and decorations from his wedding still remained, as they had borrowed some things from the church’s storeroom. Guess they were overdue for re-decorating.

“No change yet but miracles don’t happen overnight.”

“Well, I don’t know about that. I heard a miracle happened overnight with your yard.” Garrett quirked a quizzical eyebrow. “What brought that about?”

“Sparrow says I need to take care of some things in my life.”

“Since when did you start taking orders from Sparrow?”

“As much as she irks me, she also gives me a lot of hope. She offers solutions even if her ways are a little...unorthodox.”

“Like cleaning up your yard?”

“Exactly. And when we finished that, we stayed up late working inside the house. We got it all done, though.”

Following his brother into the sanctuary, Gabriel put on a happy face for friends and relatives. It was time to let go of the pain and move on. He didn’t love Lyra the way he once thought he had, but the whole ordeal had scarred him. He couldn’t forget about it, so he might as well face it head-on.

And there was something about the church that he relished. Its warmth was inviting. Natural sunlight streamed in through the windows and blended with the pot lights in the ceiling in a seamless balance. The people—many familiar faces, and some he didn’t know—were as warm and welcoming as the rush of air pumping through the ceiling vents. They blew in, surrounded him with the air he needed, and made him feel comfortable. He needed this.

“Good morning, Gabriel.” Micara joined Garrett and slid her hand in his. Her natural sweetness tugged at his heartstrings.

“G’morning.”

“You OK?” Micara looked at him through thick, dark lashes.

A nod and a half smile ended the conversation. He looked around for empty seats for the three of them, but the place was packed. A special speaker had attracted more people than usual. A single chair could be found here and there, but the only place he saw three empty chairs in a row was right next to Sparrow Walker.

How was he supposed to focus on the sermon with Sparrow beside him? She caused his thoughts to wander, and right now, he needed time with his Lord. This woman had once accused him of not walking the walk. He definitely had work to do in his life. How could one little bit of a woman bring about so much insight one minute then scramble his brains the next? The thought made him wonder what she was doing after church. After everything she’d done for him, he really should offer to treat her to lunch. It was the least he could do.

He admired the way she maintained her composure when Slade gave her attitude. No fight or flight reaction. She simply didn’t engage. She remained calm and stuck to the plan.

Given the state of his relationship with Slade, if he ever decided to get married, Gabriel needed a woman who could handle them both.

As the service went on, his mind continued to race. He offered up his thoughts as a prayer from the heart and looked to God for help. He’d finally reached a point where he had to admit the situation was beyond his control. Only God could mold something good of the mess he’d made of his life.

He shifted in his seat, still not hearing a word the preacher was saying but caught up in a private service all his own. For years, he’d been going through the motions, just as Sparrow had said, but now he wanted God to take control and guide him through this life.

When people around him started getting out of their seats, he realized his private service was running overtime. Amazing how quickly church ended when not paying attention. He stood and turned to Sparrow. “You visiting churches in Sweet Home?”

“This is my church home. Robin and her family attend here. And my parents.”

“I think you’ll be happy here. Great services and everyone is like family.”

She smiled and nodded.

Gabriel plowed ahead. “Thank you again for helping me. Slade hasn’t said anything, but I’ve noticed he’s been out of his room more. I think he likes the house now, too.”

“That’s great. Where is Slade?”

“I imagine he’s still buried under his blankets in his room. I couldn’t get him out of bed this morning.”

“He missed a good message.”

“Yes, he did, and he’s gonna miss a good lunch, too. Why don’t you join me instead?”

“I wish I could, but I can’t put off work any longer. I have a bunch of reports and schedules to work on.”

“I understand.” Disappointment bit at his good mood, but he didn’t let on. “Don’t work too hard. Maybe we’ll see each other around the yard later.”

“Maybe.”

The drive home was lonely, which he didn’t understand. An empty passenger seat sure wasn’t anything new. But he’d been around people so much lately—Sparrow in particular—that he noticed the silence now. Words kept escaping his brain, only to fizzle out when his gaze fell on that empty seat.

They’d accomplished a lot, so there wasn’t much left to do at home. He was tempted to let it go, but well, Sparrow wanted the rest completed. And he knew how persistent she could be. And demanding. And particular. And obsessive. And those were all the things he found most desirable.

From head to toe, she was fascinating. He loved the way she took control of situations when they were together. And the way she stood up for what she believed in even in the face of adversity. He liked her spirit. He liked her spunk. And he loved her character, which seemed far too big, too commanding, too just about everything for such a little bird of a woman.

Of course, she had no idea of these things. Always competing with her sister. She liked to do things her way. It wasn’t enough to win by following the rules. She needed to prove her worth. He’d been around her father long enough to know he wasn’t the type of man to appreciate these things.

Could Gabriel be the man for Sparrow?

Back home, he found his mind still consumed with his son’s principal. He cleaned the dust rag in the sink for the twentieth time. He’d never thought about dusting before Sparrow entered his home and made her assessment of what needed to be done. Yet here he was, pushing furniture aside to wipe away dust bunnies. He could just picture her now, probably curled up in her dust-free living room with one of the thousands of books she owned and her canine son warming her feet.

Given Sparrow’s persistent nature, he imagined it was difficult for Sparrow to stay away. There was a time when he would give anything for several weeks away from her. Now, he was surprised by how much it bothered him, but Gabriel needed time to focus on Slade.

He’d continued the pattern of giving a choice and consequence and attempting to get Slade to church. So far, the kid’s cell phone was obliterated, his bike donated to charity, and his video gaming systems and television were gone, too. Gabriel also waited in front of the school every day at three o’clock. Slade either saluted and walked off or pretended not to notice him altogether.

When the boy finally made it home each afternoon on foot, he had nothing to do but stare at the walls.

Gabriel had to hand it to Slade—he was as stubborn as his dad was.

While he wasn’t making much headway with his son, he was experiencing some significant changes in his own life. While a few eyebrows had been raised when he’d returned to church, making that decision was the best thing that could have happened to him. He was learning to trust again. He was finding answers for his many questions. He was restoring his faith. God would make a change in Slade’s heart, too.

Sparrow was one smart lady. And beautiful, too. She made it to church every week as well but sat with her family.

He said a silent prayer for God to make changes in his heart. He prayed for God to help Slade. And he prayed for wisdom to make the right choices for his son.

In addition to daily prayer, he made an effort to make contact with Slade each day, starting with an offer of breakfast in the morning and ending with homework assistance in the evening. No answer on both counts. He knew that answers to prayer took time. But what about Slade’s silence? He had no idea if it was a good thing or a bad thing.

~*~

Gabriel beat his thumbs to a rapid rhythm on the steering wheel, keeping time with the blaring country music on the radio. Before he realized what he was doing, off-key notes drifted out his mouth in a quavering pitch. His mood was as light and joyous as the song. He couldn’t wait to get home now that everything was clean and in order, but he was also eager to see Slade and find out how he did on his report card. He hoped it was good news.

He didn’t have to wait long. Slade arrived home shortly after him. A slamming door that rattled pictures on the wall announced his entrance. Stomping footsteps pounded across the living room and into the kitchen. Crisp paper crunched. Then a fist came down on the table.

“I failed Math, Reading, and Writing.” Anger and despair warred for supremacy in his son’s voice. “Now I can’t play baseball for three more weeks. And only if I bring up my grades.”

Gabriel’s spine stiffened, but he remained silent while he formulated his thoughts.

“Well, aren’t you going to say anything? Aren’t you going to do something about it?”

He shook his head calmly and shrugged. “There’s nothing I can do about it, Slade. I explained all that to you. Plus, we had a deal. What all did you do to pull your grades up?”

Slade ignored his question, and his face reddened. “Call your girlfriend and get her to reverse it.”

“There’s nothing she can do either. No pass, no play. That’s the law.”

The rage pumping through Slade’s veins wasn’t hard to see. His eyes bulged. His muscles tightened as the fury brewed. Then he lashed out, knocking over the chair he was leaning on, and kicked it across the room. “Shove all of it. You don’t care about anything I do. I’ve never been good enough for you. I don’t need you anyway.” In a rage, Slade stormed off to his bedroom and slammed the door.

Gabriel did his best to remain calm and allow his son to feel the consequences of his actions. Sparrow had warned him this would happen when the right consequence came along. He leaned back against the counter and took some deep breaths. What would he do with this boy? Let him accept the consequences of his actions. Sparrow’s words echoed in his mind. He sure hoped she was right. Gabriel prayed but still worried.

This was the part where Slade had to hit rock bottom before deciding on his own to make positive changes in his life. He was his own person with a will as free as a bird. If he chose to continue his negative behavior into adulthood, then Slade would have to pay for those decisions, too. If it came to that, was Gabriel truly prepared? If it came to that.

There was a part of Gabriel deep down that wanted to rescue Slade no matter what, protect him from the consequences of his actions, and do everything in his power to make decisions for him to prevent anything negative from happening.

Not a minute later, his cell phone rang. “Do not answer the phone. Do not answer the phone.” The words echoed in the quiet kitchen. Sparrow. He knew why she was calling. Still, he answered. “Yes, I heard the news.”

“Gabriel, I’m not calling about grades.” Her voice was high-pitched and shaky. Something was wrong. “Slade just threw a rock and busted out my kitchen window.”

“He did what?” He was frantic now and already heading toward the door.

“He yelled that it was all my fault. That I was the one telling you what to do.”

Her voice bounced as he ran faster and faster down the driveway. Glass littered the ground under Sparrow’s kitchen window, but Slade was nowhere to be seen. Gabriel hung up the phone as Sparrow came out of the house, visibly upset. “I’ll pay for everything and make sure that it’s fixed.”

“I don’t care about the window, Gabriel.” Her cheeks were flushed and wet with tears. “He said he was running away. I’ve only made things worse, and you have every right to blame me.”

“Listen, Slade’s run away several times. He always goes to the same places. The police pick him up and bring him home, or I do. Or he comes home on his own. He’s never gone more than a couple of days. I’ll go get him. Don’t worry.”

She shook her head. She didn’t believe him.

“Before you came into my life, I was a mess, and Slade was already on a path of destruction. So your program isn’t working on Slade yet. It is working on me. It’s already made me a better parent and a better person. I’m back in church and really absorbing the Word now. And I’ve been actively involved in my son’s life. I have no doubt—” He pulled her chin up so he could look into her eyes. “No doubt that this is all going to work out beautifully.”

Sparrow looked up at him, her eyelashes heavy with moisture.

He gently cupped the side of her tear-stained face with one hand, stroking her cheek with his thumb, and looked into her beautiful eyes. Without thinking of the consequences, he kissed her. A sweet kiss that calmed his whole world. Hers, too. He knew because she relaxed at his touch. He pulled away and pressed his forehead to hers. Even with their eyes closed, without seeing her face, he knew everything would be OK.