The next morning, John stood inside the main doors to The Connect Church, welcoming the community to the Sunday church service. After a late night, he wasn’t the only person who looked as though they would have appreciated another couple of hours in bed.
And his busy day wouldn’t end after this morning’s service. After church, he was heading to the Colemans’ ranch with fifteen other people to clean the barn and remove the temporary fencing.
His eyebrows rose when he saw who was walking through the main doors. “Shelley?”
“Good morning. I thought it was about time I came to one of your services.”
Bailey, Steven, and Mila were beside her.
“Hi, Pastor John,” Mila said. “I really enjoyed last night.”
“That’s great. Did you get your photo taken with Santa?”
Mila nodded. “He was really nice, but Charlie said he was a pretend Santa. I don’t mind ’cos the real Santa will be coming to our house soon. Does Santa visit you?”
“I hope so.”
Steven placed his hand on his daughter’s shoulder. “Come on. Pastor John has a lot of people he wants to welcome to the church.”
“I’ll see you after the service,” he promised Mila.
“Okay. You could see Shelley, too.” Mila leaned close and whispered, “She likes you.”
John knelt beside his little friend. “I hope so, because I like her, too.”
The smile Mila sent Shelley was sweet. “Pastor John likes you.”
Shelley blushed. “Come on, short stuff. We’d better find somewhere to sit.” She looked at John and smiled. “Good luck with your service.”
At the rate he was going, he’d need it. “If you don’t want to be blasted out of the room by the sound system, sit on the left-hand side of the room.”
“Okay.”
And before he could say anything else, she joined the line of people walking into the large meeting room. He wished Shelley had warned him she was coming. What if she didn’t like what he said or didn’t appreciate his sense of humor? What if she decided that having a relationship with a pastor was like swallowing the worst-tasting medicine you could imagine?
“Cheer up,” Caleb said from beside him. “It can’t be as bad as that.”
“You’re here, too? Is this some kind of family conspiracy?”
“What are you talking about? I just do as my wife tells me.”
Sam poked him in the ribs. “You only do what I tell you when it’s in your best interests.”
John frowned. “Don’t take this the wrong way, Sam, but you hardly ever come to church. What made you change your mind?”
“You. If my sister is falling in love with the only pastor in town, I want to make sure you’re good at your job.”
Caleb sighed. “See what I have to put up with? And it’s been worse since Sam found out she’s pregnant.”
Sam pushed her husband forward. “Come on. We won’t get a seat beside the rest of our family if we don’t move.” She smiled at John. “Mom and Dad are coming, too.”
John didn’t know whether to be worried or humbled. After six years of preaching about God’s love and kindness, he was having his worst case of pre-service nerves—and there wasn’t a thing he could do about it.
Shelley sat on the left-hand side of the room and the rest of her family joined her. She wasn’t sure what they would think of the service.
Whenever their mom had taken them to church in Bozeman, Sam fidgeted like crazy. Bailey’s mind tended to drift into other worlds, and Shelley got through the sermon by imagining what she’d do with a complicated income and expenditure statement.
Unlike her stepmom-to-be and aunts-to-be, Mila didn’t have the same problem. Although that was probably more to do with John than being in the church. She listened attentively to what he said and sang all the songs, proudly telling everyone she’d learned them at The Welcome Center.
Shelley hadn’t thought of one financial document during the entire service. John’s jokes made everyone laugh, and his sermon about being kind to each other brought tears to people’s eyes.
When he talked about the Christmas fundraising events, Shelley felt a tingle of excitement. She’d been part of something amazing, and it felt wonderful. She glanced at her parents, wondering if they’d enjoyed being here.
Before she could speak to her mom and dad, someone opened two sets of large bifold windows at the back of the room. Hot drinks, cake, and cookies were set on the sparkling stainless steel counter. At least that would be a familiar ending to the service for her family.
Shelley looked at her parents. “Would you like a cup of coffee?”
“That would be lovely,” Elena said.
“I’ll go with you,” her dad said. “What about everyone else? Would anyone like a drink?”
Bailey nudged Sam. “You sit here, dad. We’ll bring something back for everyone.”
“Are you sure?”
Sam nodded. “Positive. We won’t be long.”
Halfway across the room, Bailey pulled Shelley to one side. “This might be the only chance we get to speak to you.”
Shelley sighed. “What do you want to know?”
“Nothing,” Sam said as she looked over her shoulder. “This isn’t about you and John. It’s about Jarrod.”
“What are you talking about?” Shelley frowned at her sisters. “I haven’t heard from him in weeks. It’s been great.”
Sam looked nervously at Bailey. “You’d better tell her.”
Bailey frowned. “Jarrod called me yesterday.
“Why did he do that?”
“He said he’s been calling and texting you, but you haven’t replied. I told him there was a reason for that, but he wasn’t listening. He wants to apologize.”
Shelley snorted. “I don’t believe him.”
Sam pulled Shelley even closer. “It doesn’t matter what you believe. He’s coming to Sapphire Bay.”
“He’s what!”
“Ssh!” Bailey warned. “There’s more. Mom and Dad aren’t happy with the way he’s been treating you.”
“How do they know what he’s been doing?”
Sam blushed. “I might have said something about how he won’t stop calling and texting you.”
“Why did you do that?” Shelley lowered her voice, hoping no one else heard what they were saying. “You know what Mom and Dad are like.”
Bailey frowned. “It doesn’t matter why Sam told them. All we need to worry about is keeping Jarrod away from our parents.”
Shelley moved out of the way so another family could head toward the kitchen. “That won’t be hard. Mom and Dad are going home this afternoon.”
“Jarrod will be here soon,” Bailey said. “He flew into Kalispell this morning and he’s hiring a car to drive here.”
“How does he know where I am? I never told him I’d moved to Sapphire Bay.”
“Don’t look at me,” Sam said indignantly. “I didn’t tell him.”
“Neither did I,” Bailey said. “I wouldn’t touch him with a barge pole. Anyone who harasses another person has big problems.”
Sam sighed. “Is that your professional opinion?”
“It’s as professional as I’ll get with him. Maybe his sister talked to Mom?”
Shelley looked around the room, half-expecting Jarrod to walk through the door. “I’m surprised Mom’s talking to any of his family.”
“What can we do?” Bailey asked.
“If you see him before I do, tell him to go home. I’ll give you a call if he finds me first.”
“Will you tell John about him?” Sam asked.
“I already have. When Mom and Dad are ready to leave, we’ll drive to the Colemans’ barn. Even if Jarrod comes here, he’ll never find us in White Bay.”
“Unless he talks to Mabel,” Sam muttered.
“Don’t worry about her,” Bailey said. “I’ll speak to Mabel and tell her about Jarrod. She won’t tell him where you’ve gone.”
Shelley hoped that was the case. Staying in White Bay for the afternoon might keep her parents away from Jarrod, but it was only a small reprieve for her.
After a month of feeling like a free woman, she was back to feeling trapped by a delusional former fiancé.
John looked around the church meeting room for Shelley. Her mom and dad were sitting with Caleb, Steven, and Mila. But the Jones sisters were nowhere in sight.
He said hello to another family, then walked across to Elena and Ted.
“What a wonderful service,” Elena said. “I’m glad we came.”
“I’m happy you enjoyed it. We try to include as many people from the community as we can in each service.”
Caleb stood. “Bailey, Sam, and Shelley left ten minutes ago to get coffee for everyone. Can I get you a drink?”
“I’ll come with you,” John said to his friend.
Caleb grinned. “If we’re together, we might get preferential treatment and not have to stand in the line.”
“Don’t count on it. Even the pastor has to wait like everyone else.” With a smile, he stood behind the last person in the line.
“Ted and Elena were impressed with your sermon,” Caleb said. “If Shelley decides she’s had enough of you, Elena wants to adopt you into the family, anyway.”
“I’m hoping Shelley wants to keep me around.” John looked over the heads of the people waiting for coffee. “Shelley and her sisters aren’t here.”
Caleb scanned the crowd before pulling out his phone. “I’ll call Sam. I hope nothing’s happened.”
John waited beside his friend. Maybe they were using the bathrooms, but it sounded as though they’d been gone for a while.
When Caleb ended the call, he sighed. “Sam isn’t answering her phone. That isn’t like her.”
John wondered where they could have gone. “They would have said something if they were leaving. I’ll call Shelley. They must be somewhere around the church.” Even if they were at The Welcome Center or the tiny home village, Shelley would answer her phone.
John waited for her to answer and frowned when she didn’t. “She isn’t answering, either.”
Caleb looked as though he was about to stand on a chair and holler across the room for his wife.
John placed his hand on his friend’s arm. “It will be okay. Shelley and Bailey will look after Sam. They’re probably talking with someone outside and are ignoring their phones.”
“It’s cold outside and more snow isn’t far away. Sam and her sisters wouldn’t be standing anywhere that wasn’t close to a fire.”
John saw a flash of red. Shelley was wearing a bright red, fluffy sweater. “I think I see them.” He maneuvered around the line of people and breathed a sigh of relief. “They’re over here.”
Caleb no longer looked like the easy-going IT genius who spent more time behind a computer than in the gym. He looked like a man on a mission, ready to protect the woman he loved.
He walked toward his wife with a huge scowl on his face. “Where have you been? I’ve been worried sick about you.”
John winced. They weren’t the words he would have used, but Sam looked suitably contrite.
“Bailey and I were warning Shelley about—”
“Nothing important,” Shelley ended. She showed John and Caleb the coffee cups she was holding. “These are for Mom and Dad. After they’ve finished their coffee, we’ll leave for White Bay.”
John studied Shelley’s face. Something wasn’t right. “Is there something you aren’t telling us?”
Shelley glanced at her sisters. “I might have a little issue on my hands, but it’s nothing I can’t handle.”
Bailey and Sam nodded in solidarity. Their sister’s stubborn pride would get them all into trouble.
John focused on Shelley. “I’d suggest sharing your issue. You never know—we might be able to help.”
Bailey nudged Shelley’s arm. “Tell him.”
“Not here,” she whispered.
John glanced at Caleb and received an understanding nod in return. It was tricky enough dating a Jones sister. Being married to one would be an even bigger challenge.
John held out his hand. “There’s a smaller meeting room not far from here. Shall we?”
“Shall we what?” Shelley asked.
“Go to the meeting room to discuss your issues.”
“I don’t—”
“Yes, you do,” Bailey insisted. “You can trust John.”
Caleb cleared his throat.
“Okay. We can trust you, too.”
“It’s nice to be appreciated,” Caleb grumbled as they walked across the foyer.
It was more than John felt at the moment. Shelley was hiding something from him and, whatever it was, wasn’t good.
Shelley stood with her arms crossed in front of her chest, glaring at her two sisters. She really didn’t want to tell John and Caleb about Jarrod.
Phoning and texting her wasn’t a crime. He was just grabbing hold of something that had ended a long time ago. Once he saw how happy she was in Sapphire Bay, he’d leave her alone. And maybe Bailey was right. Maybe all he wanted to do was apologize. In that case, this discussion was a waste of time.
John tapped his watch. “We don’t have all day.”
“I left Boston because of Jarrod.”
“Your ex-fiancé?”
Shelley nodded.
“He was stalking her,” Bailey said unhelpfully.
“It wasn’t stalking. There was no malicious intent. He was being a pest.”
John’s eyebrows rose. “A pest who drove you out of Boston?”
Shelley frowned. “When you put it like that, it sounds worse than it really was.”
“Because of him, you worked long hours to finish a contract early. You can’t get much worse than that.”
“That’s what I said, too,” Sam said. “He’s a loser with a capital L.”
“A loser who’s coming here,” Bailey added.
Caleb and John both turned to Bailey.
“Why is he coming to Sapphire Bay?” Caleb asked.
“That’s what I wanted to know,” Bailey said. “He said he wants to apologize for how he behaved.”
John frowned. “I’m confused. If Jarrod was stalking Shelley, why did he talk to you?”
“Because he couldn’t get hold of Shelley. She refused to answer any of his phone calls or texts.”
Shelley needed to stand up for herself. Otherwise, her entire family would steamroll her into something she didn’t want to say or do. “That was your idea.”
“No, my idea was to go to the police. But you said he wasn’t doing anything illegal.”
Caleb stood taller. “Why didn’t you tell me? I would have sorted him out.”
“That’s exactly why I didn’t tell anyone—except my two sisters who should have known better than to tell everyone else.”
Sam gasped. “That’s so unfair. I only told Mom and Dad because I was worried about you.”
“It doesn’t matter who knows,” John said. “What matters is what we’re going to do about it.”
“We aren’t doing anything about it,” Shelley reminded everyone. “This is my problem and I’ll sort it out.”
Caleb made a scoffing sound.
Shelley’s temper rose. “This is my life. I need to stand up for myself. If Jarrod doesn’t apologize within the first five minutes of meeting him, I’ll tell him to leave me alone.”
John’s face was set in a frown. “It sounds as though you did that in Boston. How has that worked out for you?”
“You’re a pastor,” Shelley reminded him. “Where’s your compassion for the underdog and your ability to judge the situation, not the person?”
“I am judging the situation and it’s not something you should sort out on your own. You need someone with you when you talk to Jarrod. And as your boyfriend, I take my responsibilities very seriously.”
Shelley’s eyes widened. “I don’t need a bodyguard. I can be assertive all by myself.”
John followed her lead and crossed his arms in front of his chest. “If you’re so confident about standing up for yourself, why did you add it to your personal improvement plan?”
Sam looked between her sisters and John. “Have I missed something?”
Bailey took a sip from one of the cups of coffee that Shelley had left on the table. “Shelley recognized that she has certain…deficiencies that could be standing in the way of reaching her full potential.”
Shelley’s mouth dropped open. “I don’t have deficiencies. I have a few minor areas that I want to work on. And I’d like to highlight the word minor.” She sent Bailey a pointed stare. “Everyone has things they could improve in their lives.”
“Not me,” Caleb said confidently. “I’m pretty much perfect.”
That earned him a swipe on the arm from his wife. “That’s not helpful.”
Thankfully, Caleb didn’t respond.
John turned to Shelley. “When will your ex-fiancé arrive in Sapphire Bay?”
“Soon.”
“Would you care to elaborate on that word?”
Shelley sighed. “Soon as in sometime today.”
“And you didn’t think to tell anyone before now?”
“I’ve only just found out.” Shelley turned to Bailey. “My sister is the one who was speaking to Jarrod.”
Bailey stuck her hands on her hips. “You were busy organizing The Santa Express. If I’d told you about Jarrod, it would have distracted you from what you were doing.”
“I can think of more than one thing at once.”
“Not where Jarrod’s concerned,” Bailey muttered. “He might look like a charmer on the outside, but beneath his city slicker exterior, he’s a warped and twisted Neanderthal.”
“He’s not a Neanderthal,” Shelley said with a hiss in her voice.
“Have you told your parents he’s coming here?” John asked.
Shelley shook her head.
Bailey sighed. “But they know he’s been harassing her. They were so glad Shelley didn’t marry him.”
John made a satisfied grunting noise. “I told you it was better to talk about an issue in a group. You’ve just found the answer to your problem.”
Shelley replayed the last few parts of the conversation and frowned. “What are you talking about?”
“Getting married. I’m forty-two years old and you’re thirty. We don’t have a lot of time left, so let’s get married. There’s nothing like a wedding ring to give another man something to think about.”
“You’re crazy.”
Sam frowned. “I don’t think you’re supposed to say that to a pastor.”
“John’s mental health has nothing to do with his dubious moral character.” Shelley picked up the coffee cup Bailey hadn’t touched. “I’m not telling Jarrod I’m getting married, and that’s final. Now, if you’ll excuse me, Mom and Dad are waiting for their coffee and I’ve got a barn to clean.”
“What are we going to do about Jarrod?” Bailey asked.
“Nothing,” Shelley said forcefully. “Absolutely, positively, nothing. I’ll sort out my own problems.” And with those famous last words ringing in her ears, Shelley went in search of another cup of coffee.
“What will we do about Jarrod?” John asked.
“Run him out of town,” Caleb said. “Or better yet, I could develop some kind of coding that fries his phone the next time he calls or texts Shelley.”
Sam looked impressed. “You didn’t tell me you could do that.”
Caleb shrugged. “It’s only theoretical at this stage. I’ve never overwritten someone’s personal contacts, but—”
Bailey cleared her throat. “As much as that might be helpful, it would have been better six months ago. Blocking Jarrod from calling Shelley won’t make any difference now. What we need is positive action.”
John looked at Bailey with a healthy dose of respect. “You should have joined the army.”
“I don’t think so. I would have missed my family too much.”
Sam pulled a chair closer and sat down. “Don’t mind me. I just need to rest for a minute.”
Caleb took one look at his wife, then knelt beside her. “You’re as white as a ghost. Do you want me to find Zac? I saw him at the service.”
“Don’t be silly,” Sam said weakly. “It must be my blood sugar level. It’s probably a little low, that’s all.”
“You’ve fainted a few times. Zac won’t mind seeing you.”
Bailey walked toward the door. “I’ll find something sweet for Sam to eat.”
Caleb held his wife’s wrist. “Your pulse is too fast. I’m getting Zac.”
Sam grabbed his shirt. “Don’t bother him. I’ll be fine.”
“You’re not fine.” He looked at John. “Look after Sam.” And before Sam could stop him, Caleb hurried out of the room.
Sam sighed. “It looks as though it’s just the two of us. What will you do about Jarrod?”
“I’ve got no idea. What do you think I should do?”
A small smile settled on Sam’s face. “Follow your heart. And now, if you don’t mind, I think I’m going to…”
John shot forward and caught Sam just as she fainted.
With a pounding heart, he gently lay her on the floor and pulled out his cell phone. If Caleb didn’t find Zac in the next ten seconds, he was calling 9-1-1.