Lovers at War - (A.R.)

Chapter 19

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Sin and Sinuous

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AFTER THE SESSION was over, I felt like time had passed by smoothly. Thankfully, the suspicious preacher didn't make any other crude comments after whatever he said about Emma's food, and I was able to spend the rest of the session in peace. Or however peaceful it could get given the circumstances.

I sat in the backseat of Arvin's car with Wesley and Lenora after being insisted by Emma that they'd drop us home in their car. Emma sat in the passenger seat: she was still upset about what happened inside the church. I mean, why shouldn't she have been? If anything, she was the most excited about meeting the new preacher this morning, and to be embarrassed in front of everyone like that -

"Don't you worry about that pus-gutter blowhard," Arvin told Emma, trying to reassure her. "I bet he ain't got two nickels to rub together."

I reached forward and put a gentle hand on Emma's shoulder. "That man could be living on the streets, and we wouldn't know."

"I've never been more embarrassed in my life." Emma frowned. "I could've crawled right under the table."

Arvin opened up the car door. "I'm gonna go talk to him."

"No, Arvin," I interrupted quickly. "You don't want to go picking up a random fight."

"She's right, son," Emma said quietly. "He sure ain't the preacher I was hoping for."

He huffed lowly and begrudgingly got back in the car, closing the door and turning back to her. "Grandma, that ain't no preacher. He's as bad as they got on the damn radio." She stared ahead wordlessly and he continued, "Heck, I bet he just wanted all them chicken livers for his own self. That's why he did that. You saw the way he was gobbling all of 'em down."

This time, Lenora cut in, "Don't talk like that, Arvin. Preacher Teagardin wouldn't be here if the Lord hadn't sent him."

Suddenly remembering that I had forgotten my coat inside the church, I hurriedly excused myself despite the confused stares and told Wesley that I'd be right back. I could trust him with this family, we'd been through so much together anyway.

Walking up to the church, it surprised me to see that the area was practically empty now. The remaining families had parted their ways and there seemed to be nobody inside anymore. Shaking my head at the thought, I began searching for my spring coat: it was mother's - she used to wear it everywhere she went, and if I lost that coat, then it'd be like losing a part of her.

"Nice to meet 'ya again," a voice said, surprising me slightly as I jumped up. Preston.

"Oh, hello," I nervously said, nodding to him curtly. Didn't think there was still anyone inside the church. I was clearly wrong.

"What you looking for, lady?" he asked, slowly approaching closer. I instinctively stepped further back.

"My coat. A blue one. I accidentally left it here."

Teagardin smiled, but it looked more like a smirk to me. I found it difficult to meet his eyes, but then he quickly motioned his gaze to my coat on a chair outback. I made my way over there and grabbed it, the fabric soft between my fingers.

"What's your name?" Preston asked, scooting forward.

"Faye, preacher. Faye Irving."

"That's a beautiful name you got there," he said and I fought the urge to roll my eyes. I barely knew this guy, and he was already getting on my nerves. I wasn't even sure if he was being sincere. "Maybe even more beautiful than the one who harbours it."

"Uh, thanks. I appreciate it." For some reason, I didn't know, but I paused in my steps, not moving away from him like earlier. It may have been because I liked that this man knew how to keep a conversation going, or likely because he definitely knew how to butter someone up. Whether any of those reasons were justified, that wasn't for me to answer.

Preston hummed inquisitively, looking around himself for a moment and then landing his gaze back on me. "You busy? Maybe I could take you on a drive. There's a nice place that I'd like to show 'ya, it'd be worth the time if you're in."

"Uh, no thanks. I have somewhere to be . . ." I still wasn't entirely comfortable with this strange man and his predatory gaze. Maybe I could've been wrong, but I really did have somewhere to be that day. Back home where it was safe?

"Such a shame," he cooed, moving even closer to the point that we were barely a foot away from each other. "How about -"

"Oh, there it is!" Another person loudly said, and I turned to find Arvin crouched down to pick his cap up from off the floor. He stood up and looked at me directly, not paying even a single glance to the preacher. "You got everything?"

"Uh, yeah. Yes," I repeated hesitantly and hurried over to Arvin, beckoning us away quickly and out of the church before he could question any further.

"Why were you inside?" I asked as we stepped out of the door and over to his car.

"Forgot my cap," he explained. I frowned. "What was taking you so long?"

"Uh, the pre--" I shook my head and started anew, "It took me a while to find my coat."

There was a question in my mind, and yet, before I could clarify with him the answer to it, we'd reached his car and sat back down in our previous seats. Without another word, Arvin began to drive us away back home, and I was left hanging, off to wonder the possible answer myself.

I remembered that Arvin was already wearing his cap before I left, so why was he . . .?