27

Jake threw wooden pallets from Contact Point’s basement into the alley. Technically, the clutter in the pool hall still belonged to Mom, but she wouldn’t be able to take care of all of this, and he boiled with too much anger to do desk work. If the project didn’t take all day, he’d head over to Hillside and see if there was something he could throw around there, too. He returned to the basement for another load.

“Are these going, too?”

He turned.

Caleb stood behind him, peering into a box.

Jake hadn’t heard of plans for him to be in town this weekend, which hinted that he knew about the video.

“Brook called last night,” Caleb said.

Brook. How close were those two? But Caleb had come to help, and Jake was short on allies. “It’s all got to go.”

Caleb grabbed the box, and they climbed back upstairs.

“I don’t know why people think I’m the next best thing to you. But when they want to talk about you, they call me.” He hefted the box into the dumpster. “So keep it together. I’m not qualified to take over all your people.”

“People?” Jake led the way back inside.

“Devin.” The old stairs creaked beneath their feet. “Brook.”

“What’d they say?” Jake grabbed the next box.

“Devin mostly had questions.”

“I bet.”

Devin had only met Caleb a handful of times. He must’ve been desperate for help.

“He’s going to be a dad. He tell you that?”

Caleb sucked in a breath. “No, he asked about you and Brooklyn. I told him to call you.”

“What about Brooklyn?”

“She’s embarrassed. And worried.”

They pounded back up the steps.

“About?” Jake asked.

“She thinks you don’t know what you’re up against. She said something about dragging you into this and how she’s interfering with God’s plan for your life. She thinks it’s her fault.”

“Harold dragged us into this.”

They lifted the boxes into the dumpster.

Caleb turned his head from the dust cloud that rose and swiped a hand over his hair. “What about you?”

Jake sat on the cement stairs. The blue sky overhead stretched pale and clear. A nice day, wasted in an alley with a dumpster. “I quit church today.”

“What’s that mean?” Caleb folded his arms. “It’s not a job.”

What little peace he’d retained scattered. “I went to talk to Pastor Simeon this morning.”

“With Brooklyn?”

“She didn’t answer when I invited her. I told Pastor I’m not the father. He said if he let me keep leading the high schoolers, he’d look like a gullible old man. Then he said Devin and Lauren are having a kid. Her mom came storming in, said I was lying about Brooklyn being raped and my example is why Devin and Lauren slept together. She wanted someone to blame, and I’m that scapegoat. I resigned and left.”

“So you’re letting Harold win.”

Jake scowled.

Caleb splayed his hands. “This is exactly what he was going for, right?”

“This isn’t Harold. This is church. Deanna probably would’ve believed me over Harold, if it weren’t for Lauren being pregnant. To get this from the church after all the work I’ve done is a slap in the face. That’s what I can’t stand.”

“But you know how that’ll look to Harold.” Caleb sat next to Jake. “Besides, you’ve got a million other reasons you need to clear your name, not the least of which is Brooklyn. If you clear your name, you clear hers, and she deserves that. Plus, she’s already talking about how she’ll walk away before she ruins your opportunity to carry on your dad’s legacy.”

“What?”

“She said she’s not letting you sacrifice your calling. Said she’d break ties with you to prove you don’t have that kind of relationship, if she had to.”

“She’s always ready to run, isn’t she?”

Caleb’s shoulder hit Jake’s. “That’s only a problem if you’re suddenly tired of chasing.”

He had to believe someday they’d be side-by-side, no one running, no one chasing. “She doesn’t have to worry about Contact Point. Mom won’t change her mind over this. She knows the truth.”

“Yeah, but what’ll that look like if none of the good Christians think you’re a good Christian? Who would the pool hall be for?”

“Christ came to save the lost. Seems logical that’s where I should focus, too.”

“How’re you going to get the lost teens in if the found ones aren’t bringing them? If you lose your reputation, you lose the outreach. You’d lose Brooklyn. And don’t act like acceptance from the Christian community doesn’t help Hillside, too. How many Bible studies meet there? How many people from church go there just because it’s yours? If he wins this, he’s got you in checkmate. You can’t just roll over.”

“Leaving wasn’t rolling over.”

“Yeah. You’re angry, and I get that. But the church has to be careful with its leaders. There’s accountability. Aim that anger at Harold, and get justice there. But don’t throw your life away. Don’t quit.”

Jake stood. “How do you get justice for what he’s done? Especially when his family’s in a position to make problems go away.”

“Put him out of business.” Caleb laughed.

“You let me know when you figure out how to do that.”

They each claimed another box for the dumpster.

“As long as you don’t let him ruin your life in the meantime.”

“Deal.”

~*~

Brooklyn wore a short-sleeved top in her favorite shade of emerald green. The thin fabric didn’t hide her pregnancy, but it was modest. If her time with Elizabeth this morning was any indication, the truth, once out, would bring relief. And support. She didn’t need to break up with Jake, and she didn’t need to cook under sweaters that were never intended for May.

She heard the bell and went to open the door.

Jake’s neat, damp hair suggested he’d just showered. His gaze brushed the shirt. “You look nice.”

She stepped out to join him in the sunlight. The temperature hovered in the mid-sixties. She could do this, face telling Pastor Simeon her story. “Are we meeting him at church?”

“We should talk first.”

The grass stretched away from the parking lot. The weathered wood of a picnic table beckoned in the sunshine. She sat on the bench.

“I need to know you’re not going to give up on this.” Jake stood in front of her.

Caleb must have talked with him.

“I’m not going to give up on you, but it’s important to me that you get to do the things you’re meant to do, too.”

“You have to let go of this idea of what you think I’m meant to do.” He paced. “If it turns out that I don’t work with the youth anymore, is that it? Is that the only thing you think I’m good for? I’m not going to be in that role for the rest of my life. What about then?”

Thank God for Elizabeth’s advice. Without it, she wouldn’t have answers for him. “When God gives us orders, we have to follow. That’s what our relationship depends on, not what ministry you’re involved in at any given time.”

“I’m sick of being underestimated.”

“Who’s underestimating you?”

His chest broadened with a deep breath. “Lauren’s pregnant.”

Oh. Oh, no wonder. She stood and placed her hand on his shoulder. The tensed muscles didn’t relax under her touch. “That doesn’t mean it’s time to give up. You make a difference. And Devin needs you now more than ever.”

His eyes, a mossy green, focused on her abdomen for a moment. The anger that drew his eyebrows together lessened. In its place, either regret or worry drew his mouth down. “You were right. It’s going to be more of a battle than I thought. Deanna Mulvey’s demanding that I step down from the youth group. Which I did. This morning.”

“Jake. Devin needs you.”

“I called you so we could go set things right. I’ll apologize for being rash.” His voice lowered, tired. “I just don’t want to worry about losing you, too, if this doesn’t work out.”

“When you say you stepped down, you mean you already met with Pastor?”

“Yeah. I told him and Deanna that you were raped. I was trying not to, but…I got frustrated, and I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to go behind your back.”

He shouldn’t have taken matters into his own hands like that, but at least Pastor was primed with the news.

“Deanna said I was lying about you. I lost my temper. That’s why we have to talk to him. Together. We can explain the truth. He’ll listen.”

She’d have to believe Jake’s words and ignore his defeated tone. It was the only way to maintain her courage.