Riven by Jerry B. Jenkins Read Free Book Online

people determined to make them feel welcome and comfortable.
    The Jonah sermon had seemed to go over well, and the crowd was the biggest in a long time, according to Paul. People were already taking turns committing the Careys to meal invitations. Grace said, “Thomas, I may not have to cook for weeks.”
    Paul finally showed up late in the afternoon, dressed in a suit.
    “I thought you were retired,” Thomas teased.
    “And I thought you’d be ready,” Paul said.
    “For . . . ?”
    “The ride to Colfax. You’ve got just enough time to jump in the shower.”
    “We’re meeting them tonight?”
    “They’re having church tonight, Tom. And don’t worry, Jonah will suit ’em just fine, though you might want to shorten it a tick. We’ll meet with their board after the service.”
    “Paul, I wasn’t even aware—”
    “Come on, Pastor. You put me in charge of overseeing all these churches; you got to know I’m on the job.”
    Thomas stole a glance at Grace. “Why, I haven’t even eaten, and I’m bushed.”
    “We’ll grab something on the way,” Paul said. “And your wife ought to be there too.”
    Little Theater
    “I’ve got to run, Brady,” Mr. Nabertowitz said, looking at his watch, “but here’s how this works: Everybody who wants to audition sits in the house, and I talk about the play—in this case, the musical—from the stage. Then we switch places. I sit in the middle of the house, and everyone gathers backstage and picks a number. They audition in that order. Got it?”
    “I don’t even know what to try out for.”
    “Well, read fast. Look at the part of the father, like I said.”
    “I need more time. Is today the only day?”
    “Today and tomorrow, but there might not be much left by then.”
    “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

7
    Colfax
    There was no getting around it. The tiny flock of the faithful that met in the rec room of one of the parishioners’ homes seemed more than pleased to welcome the new circuit pastor and his wife, but the iciness between many of them and the Pierces chilled the room, not to mention the service.
    Thomas didn’t want to probe that history. He also decided that using the little music stand for a pulpit or even standing to preach seemed too much in the small space before so few people. So he remained seated and joined heartily in the singing; then he and Grace answered a few questions about themselves before he launched into Jonah going down to Joppa.
    Someone called out, “I hope you don’t see Colfax as Joppa!”
    Thomas laughed. “Anything but,” he said. “I’ve heard so much about you all. You know, the Lord’s not interested in numbers. He’s interested in souls.”
    “But the more the merrier,” Paul said.
    Thomas endured the awkward silence before continuing.
    Addison
    “Thought you got cut, Darby,” someone said on the activities bus.
    “You thought wrong. I quit.”
    “So now you’re in the chess club?”
    The laughter made Brady flush. “You lookin’ to get hurt?”
    That stopped the chuckling. The smart mouth, who would abandon the bus as soon as he was old enough to drive whatever car his parents gave him for his sixteenth birthday, held up both hands. “Relax, big boy. Just teasing.”
    Brady turned and stared out the window, trying to shut out the whispers. At times like this an ache washed over him for something new, something different, something better. Everybody else sat with a buddy or a cluster of friends. He was empty-train-depot lonely, and he hated everything about his life. Hated everybody.
    Except Aunt Lois and Uncle Carl. They were embarrassing and weird but hard to hate. And of course Brady didn’t hate Petey.
    Petey.
    What kind of a brother was Brady being to him? The kid was smart, that was clear, already starting to question everything. Used to be Brady could tell him anything, and Peter would buy it. Now the kid could see through Brady when he didn’t make sense. Peter wanted to know why he couldn’t do