Pretense (73 page)

"I think I've heard that. I mean I've heard of the Kingsbury church and seen their sign, but I guess I've never made the connection to our church."

"The Kingsbury Bible Church was planted by our church about five years ago. We were getting quite big, and some of our people were coming from very far away, so two of our pastors went there. They now have a strong leadership group and their Sunday attendance is only about 75 people fewer than our own. Just like us, their emphasis is on male leadership, accountability, blamelessness, evangelism, and discipleship."

"Okay."

"I'm telling you all of this because I think you should start attending there."

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Mackenzie blinked at him and was surprised by how instantly angry she felt inside. Even after attending church with Delancey, it had taken until the middle of January for Mackenzie to start attending all the services at Meyers. Now that she was settling in and getting to know people more each week, he wanted her to leave!

Adam had come to know Mackenzie very well in the past eight months and knew the expression she used to cover her feelings. She was either angry or shocked, or quite possibly both. Roz joined them just before Adam began to speak again.

"What are you thinking?"

"I'm trying to think what your reason could be."

"I'm sorry, Mic. I should have explained. You could have neighbors that are believers. You might be shopping at the grocery store with people who attend Kingsbury. The close proximity from your house just makes it something I think you should consider. The fellowship could be very special."

Mackenzie no longer hid her feelings. She turned angry eyes to Roz.

"Did you know he was going to say this?"

"He told me, yes."

"And what do you think?"

"I think we'll still see you almost as much as we do now, but you'll have a chance to fellowship closer to home."

"I have to go." Mackenzie stood, completely bent out of shape.

"So there are areas of Mackenzie's life that we have to tiptoe around," Adam said quietly, and Mackenzie stopped but didn't look at him. She could see his face in her mind. He wouldn't be angry-just looking at her with those dark, thick- lashed, direct eyes.

"I never said you had to do this," Adam reminded her, his voice as kind as his expression. "I just wanted you to think about it."

"Delancey's coming, Adam," Mackenzie turned to remind him. "What about that?"

"Delancey's house is one mile from ours and two miles from the church. You're a 40-minute drive in good weather. As I said, I just want you to consider it."

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Mackenzie returned to her seat, apologizing for her outburst and trying to strip the feelings away so she could think well. She felt so let down and rejected that it hurt. Roz had begun to say something, and Mackenzie made herself attend.

"The pastors at Kingsbury are wonderful, Micki. The churches used to get together for functions, but we're both too big for that now. We can't find a hall to hold us. I know dozens of people at Kingsbury, and you ought to know Adam and me well enough by now to see that we would never suggest something that would hurt you."

Mackenzie felt ashamed, and her face showed that.

"I need to repeat, Micki, that you don't have to go anywhere," Adam reemphasized. "Just keep it in mind. Be open to what the Lord might have for you."

"All right. I'll do that." And she planned on it, not knowing how hard it would be.

"Why did you come by, Micki?" Roz suddenly wanted to know, but Mackenzie no longer wanted to talk about
The Parchment Soldier.

"I mostly needed to get out of the house," she said, telling a half-truth and then mentally wondering whether there was any such thing as a half-lie. Wasn't any lie a complete lie?

"Can you stay for dinner?"

"No," Mackenzie declined. She was no longer irritated, but she didn't want to think about Adam's suggestion either. She cut her stay short and argued with the Lord the whole way home.

Do You know how many years it's been since Delancey and I have lived in the same area? I can't believe You would ask this of me. She's the reason I started attending on Sundays, hoping that she would come someday and knowing I would need to be a good example. Some weeks I want to bawl my eyes out, but I still go, and now Adam wants me in a different church. I want to run and hide at the thought of trying to make new friends. Don't they understand how hard that is for me? I don't exactly have friends breaking down my front door, You know. I just can't do it, and that's all there is to it!
In Mackenzie's mind, the matter was settled. She put the subject conveniently into a far corner in her mind and left it there.

Delancey came at the end of May, and all thoughts of changing churches faded from view. Mackenzie was living her dream.

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Her sister's house was 40 minutes away, and they saw each other weekly. It had been so long since they were this close, and their relationships with the Lord only enhanced the bond they had always shared. They spoke of spiritual matters often, and neither sister could think of anything else they needed. It seemed to them that God had blessed them for life.

The cool October air pulled at Delancey's lungs as she ran. Her lungs were starting to ache, but her mind was so intent on Chet that it took awhile to notice. Almost a year ago she had stood in the airport in Chicago and watched him with his wife. It still hurt to think of that scene. Before leaving Chicago, however, and on the advice of Woody, she'd written him a long letter, telling of her own conversion and how she hoped he would someday see his need for Christ and would make things right with his wife. When she left, she did so without giving the post office her forwarding address. The Carlisles had suggested this and also that she route her mail through them. If Chet did come looking for her, he would have to face Pastor Woody Carlisle. Delancey hoped he would, only because she knew what a help Woody and Paula could be.

Wrongly as he had treated her, having Chet leave her life was like experiencing the death of a loved one, and at times she still grieved. But not in a hundred years did she believe she would be doing so well a year after that fact. She didn't think she would ever love again, not because she still pined for Chet, but because she didn't honestly believe that there would be a man out there who would understand. It would seem that God would want her to be alone and enjoy only Him. When she ached for things that she could not have-a man's touch and someone to hold-she applied the truth of the Scripture and did her best to deal with it when it came.

Her lungs finally got her attention, and she slowed to a walk. Five minutes later she caught sight of her house. Seeing its neat frame and perfect setting always made her smile. She jogged up the steps of her front porch and opened the door to the ringing of the phone. She dashed to get it.

"Hello."

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"Hello, Delancey? This is Rachel Brinker. Am I getting you at a bad time?"

"No, this is fine." She worked to catch her breath. "How are you, Mrs. Brinker?"

"I'm fine, but I'm calling for a favor, and I'm afraid you'll feel I'm taking advantage of you."

"I don't think I will," she said honestly.

"Well, if you have other things going on, deadlines and such, and can't do it, just tell me."

"I will."

"Good. Gary and Mary Beth O'Hara have been married 25 years, and we're giving them a party on the first Saturday in December. Gary was the first pastor here at Meyers, even before Dave. We'll have a general announcement and so will Kingsbury, but we want to do up some invitations since there will be folks- you know, family and such-who don't attend either church. We have someone with a scanner and all that fancy computer stuff to put the invites together, but we all thought it would look so nice if the invitation had a little floral design or something, maybe even pinecones to go with our trees. What do you think, Delancey?"

"I think it sounds wonderful. I would feel honored to help. I work best when I know just what a person wants, so if you could be specific with me, I'll put something together."

"Oh, all right. I'll talk to the committee and get back to you. From there, however, could you go directly to the person with the scanner? That will make for fewer phone calls, I think, and things will be smoother."

"Of course. Whom shall I check with for approval of what I come up with?"

"I've seen your work, Delancey," she said with a smile in her voice. "We'll love whatever you draw."

"Thank you, Mrs. Brinker," Delancey said warmly.

The women were off the phone not long afterward, but Delancey thought about the conversation for a long time. Her mother had commented often about God's gifts, and even said as much about Delancey's art, but Delancey had never taken it in until recently.

It's such a privilege to do something for You, Lord. I wish that every Micah Bear book told children about Your love. I'm glad to

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do this for the O'Haras, Lord. I feel I'm honoring You with my work.

Delancey climbed into the shower then, her heart still thankful for all God's blessings. It would take a little more time before she understood that whenever she gave God the glory, even for a Micah Bear book, she was honoring Him. And it would be several weeks more before she saw that she could do other children's books, books that would tell about the love of God.

Having not bothered with a very accurate shopping list, Mackenzie threw a box of rice pilaf into her shopping cart, trying to remember if she had any in the pantry at home. She looked down into the basket at the odd selection of food and mentally shook her head.

I
could help you pay off your debts real fast, Roz. You can cook for me as well as clean
-
even once a week would be welcome. I tell You, Lord,
she said changing her thoughts to prayer,
cooking is just not my strong point. That's no excuse, but it's so hard when I ruin everything I make. I've also decided I don't like eating alone. I do so much better at Delancey's or when we go out.

"Mackenzie?" a voice called so softly that for a moment she thought she imagined it. She was going to move down the aisle but thought she'd better look. Her hands still holding the bar on the basket, she glanced behind her and froze. Jack Avery was standing ten feet away from her. His hair and mustache were grayer now, but he was still remarkably youthful for a man who had just turned 50. Not even remembering why she was in the store, Mackenzie turned and walked slowly toward him. She stopped when they faced each other.

"I tried to call you," she whispered, thinking of all the things she'd mentally said to him since coming to Christ. "I've wanted to talk to you for so long, but the phone-the number was a recording." He wasn't saying anything, only staring at her. "I'm so sorry, Jackson," she finished. "I'm so sorry about the way I treated you."

Too emotional to speak, Jack reached and pulled her into his arms. Mackenzie wrapped her arms around him and held on for dear life. Jackson! She'd found Jackson.

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"I'm sorry," she said again.

"It's all right," His voice was hoarse and choked.

Mackenzie looked up to see tears coming down his face which started her own.

"I'll never treat you that way again, Jack. I promise I won't."

"It's over now, Mackenzie." He smoothed the hair from her face. "We don't need to talk about it anymore. All is forgiven."

"Jack," Mackenzie grabbed his arms. "I believe now. Jack, I came to Christ a year ago in September."

Mackenzie watched him work to maintain control.

"Delancey too," she managed. "She made a decision a few months after I did. She just moved here."

"Delancey lives here?" He said, wishing he carried a handkerchief. Every day since he met Marrell and her daughters, he had prayed for Mackenzie and Delancey, and since Marrell's death, he often asked God to reunite them. But the event happening in a grocery store in Lake Tahoe never occurred to him.

"We both live here," Mackenzie was saying.

Jack took a breath and tried to think. "Do you live together?"

"No. D.J. is at Christmas Valley. I'm at Zephyr Cove."

Jack stared at her. "I live at Kingsbury."

Mackenzie's mouth opened. "Do you go to the Kingsbury Bible Church?"

"Yes. Are you and D.J. at Meyers?"

Mackenzie could only nod.
You tried to tell me, didn't You, Lord? but I was so stubborn. If I'd changed churches I would have seen Jack months ago!

"I want to talk to you, Micki. I want to know everything."

"Sure."

"Let me make a phone call, and, well, we could sit in my car."

"Or go to my place. I'm just up the road."

"Okay. Wait for me, and I'll follow you. What does your car look like?"

Mackenzie smiled. "I'm still driving the Jeep."

"I've gotta get out of here." Jack was tearing up again. "Wait for me up front. Oh, do you need to finish?"