Preacher in Her Garden

"You're Chet, ain't ya?"

The trio turned at the new voice and saw Ralph Chisom standing in front of them once more, only this time his cheek bulging with a generous wad of chewing tobacco, obviously oblivious to church etiquette, which would normally prove sufficient enough to dissuade any church goer from partaking in such a habit within the Lord's house.

"Yes, that's me, in the flesh. And how are you today Mr. Chisom. I must say it's been a while since I have seen you in service."

"Well, the good Rev here makes persuasive arguments for it when 'e 'as ta. Er...just popped by to say I heard ya was startin' da service."

"Yes, as a matter of fact I-"

"Jus' wanted ta letcha know I take it as a sign. A sign from God, I mean. Ya know, dat yas startin' 'n all. Ya see, ya shares the same name as ma dead dog, Chet."

"Is that a fact, your dog's name was Chet as well? How interesting. I-"

"Jus' wanted ta let ya know, dats all, thit ya has a great name. I wouldn't of named ma dog Chet ifin I thought the name wasn't great."

"Well, I can't tell you how special that makes me feel, to be in the same category as your beloved pet. I shall cherish the honor."

"Ya do dat. Well, I'll let ya all git on wid it. Da sooner yas begin is the sooner we gits ta leave."

"That much is true, Mr. Chisom and thanks ever so much for the kind words."

A sudden cackle of thunder permeated the church and left parishioners feeling rattled and nervous.

"Storms getting worse," sighed Lynn matter of factly.

"Good morning Lynn."

"Ah, Frances, how are you?"

"Not quite as good as you, it would appear. I don't suppose you would care to introduce me to the new pastor? Rumor has it you already have him wrapped around your little finger. I also don't suppose you would care to share him with the rest of us?"

"Pastor Harkins, this is Frances, Frances Cowler, Suzan's sister. And right behind her are her two sons, Matthew, the tall one and just next to him David, the shorter."

"Pastor Harkins? Can't we know and call him by his first name too, like you do Lynn?"

"That would be lovely, Steve is my name and I am so very glad to meet you, although I'm not so sure I agree with you about being wrapped around anyone's finger."

"Well, I suppose all the gossipers and busy bodies of Forest Grove could have gotten it wrong. It won't have been the first time that they have, mind you. Not that I'm a follower of such things."

"I'm sure you're not. You strike me as the sort to mind her own affairs and it's a real pleasure to meet you, and your sons Matthew and David."

"I named them after characters in the bible, but unfortunately they don't behave as do folks in the bible, unless of course you are talking about the devil. I had them out of wedlock and so they don't have a father to spank them. They seems to always be getting in trouble like they're possessed or something. Perhaps your preaching will be much more effective than the last pastor's was in bringing them into line."

"Well, we shall see."

"I'm sure we shall. Well I suppose I should get seated in my class. By the way, good luck to you on the floral contest next week Lynn. If your influence on the judges will be anything like it has on dear Steve here, then I am sure you will be a shoo in to win."

"I'm sure the only thing the judges will need to be influenced in is the perfection of my flowers, and the hand of God, in making them grow so spectacularly."

"And our new pastor here, did he also have a hand in growing your flowers?"

"Really Frances, you know fine well, Steve here just arrived in Forest Grove a week ago."

"Well, a lot can happen in a week it seems Lynn dearie."

The bell on the Sunday School desk suddenly rang, signaling a start to classes. Lynn felt as though she had been granted a reprieve and headed off to teach her class, declaring, "oops, there's the bell, gotta run."

Chet Haughton was busy pointing out the various signs that announced to the crowd how they should disperse into their designated classes, at the same time anxiously steering all those between ages eleven and seventeen into the back of the church and into his class. Lynn stood next to a sign pointing to the balcony, declaring all children ten and under should find themselves there. Ted Johnson, the Brotherhood President was scampering to gather all adults into his class while Steve remained at the front, chatting with the many seniors assembled to hear him teach. He flipped open his seniors book and was dismayed that the day's lesson dealt with "Christians interacting with Christians. A guide to loving each other in the house of God."

A sigh emanated from his lips as he realized a lot of his students would no doubt equate the lesson to Steve's lightning quick, blossoming friendship with Lynn.

Lynn's children's lesson dealt with "The Ten Commandments. Knowing the rules of God." She easily tossed the book aside, disregarding its words. She had already promised the twins a lesson on Noah's Arc and thought it a much more appropriate teaching, given the horrendous rainfall still mercilessly pelting the church roof.

"Tell us 'bout the colors," piped up Madeline.

"Yeah, the colors," echoed Melanie.

Lynn looked puzzled at their request. "The colors?"

"Yeah. The colors of God's rainbow. It doesn't say in our kid's bible what the colors were."

"You's two is just plain stupid," spoke up Matthew, adding. "If ya wanna know the colors ya just look outside after it rains today and see the rainbow. Then you'll know what the colors are."

"It's not polite to call people names," spoke up Lynn, clearly horrified at the insult.

"It's okay when the peoples yous insulting is stupid," corrected Matthew, adding, "you gonna make me sit in the corner, at the other end of the balcony? Our regular teacher always makes me sit in the corner when I misbehave."

His brother Dave, not to be outdone, gazed hopefully in Lynn's direction. "Yeah, and she always makes me go over dere 'n sit wid 'im, kin I go over 'n sit wid 'm ifin you send 'm? I thinks theys is stupid too," added his brother Dave.

Lynn rolled her eyes at the ceiling and then waved her arms in frustration. "Your mother just finished saying you two love to emulate the devil and here you are, doing just that. So yes, you should both go over and sit in the corner."

The two young boys scampered quickly into the far corner of the balcony as Lynn turned her attention back to the ten remaining children.

"What's imyoulate mean?"

"It means I need to have a chat with their mother after service about not sparing the rod."

Another blast of thunder cackled loudly, defiantly sending chills into some of the worshippers, most of whom wondered what the drive back home might be like if the vicious downpour did not dissipate in time. Still, there was a sense of excitement in the air, what with two fabulous TV's to be given away and the aroma of Suzan Cowler's heavily sauced chicken wings baking in the large church ovens. Steve had promised to have dinner available after church and had promised Suzan, the church chef, she would be reimbursed for any monies spent purchasing food for the dinner. The wings had been on sale for half price and so she had decided to purchase twice as much as usual, a wise decision considering about twice the normal crowd were in attendance.

Lynn was now heavily into the lesson and failed to notice Matthew and Dave immersed in a nefarious plot to end the new pastors debut before it could begin.

"Ya figure ya can hit 'im from 'ere?"

"Hit old man Perkins right down the throat pipe when he was at de pulpit readin' da days lesson didn't I?"

"Yeah."

"Stopped 'im from sayin' 'nother word, didn't I?"

"Yeah, ya sure did at dat."

"Well dis 'ere preacher 'ill be no different. I'll stop 'im from yakkin' jus' like I did dat time wid old man Perkins, you'll see."

"But how da ya know dat wasn't just a fluke?"

"Don't say dat, Davy, ya know I got a brain like a calculator. I done tol' ya 'afore, it's science. Busides, dis new pee shooter is twice as long, 'n made outta plastic. Plus I watched the new pastor when he was a talkin' wid ma dis mornin'. He doesn't mumble. Opens 'is mouth wide like a crater ta git da words out. I kin hitim right down da throat from 'ere fer sure."

"Wow, dat'll stop 'em from preachin'."

"Sure will. Gimme yer pocket knife. I gotta carve a groove in da wood ta cradle da shooter."

"'Now 'ere, chew on some o' dese 'ere song book pages ta make some wet wads."

Chapter Four

The big day of the floral judging had finally arrived. Steve had come out early to help Lynn with some last minute tidying up of her garden. Swirls of wind coming in off the highway would often bring with them, paper cups, food packaging and long ago discarded cigarette packages from as far away as Houston.

Steve was busy bending over to snap up any recently wind carried garbage, while Lynn repaired a few fallen over giant tulip support sticks. Steve's twin daughters were tucked away safely inside, sitting on Lynn's love seat, watching Sesame Street, far from the reaches of the early morning blistering sun.

"I'll try not to purposely trample any of your prized tulips this time," offered Steve wryly, pretending not to secretly notice how wonderfully curvy Lynn looked in her new summer dress.

"Just like how you tried not to purposely kiss me that day in the restaurant?"

Lynn's words caught him off guard. Again with the kiss that wasn't.

"That must be the fifth time you've brought that up in as many days," groaned Steve, his voice suddenly anguished. "I wish you wouldn't remind me, I...I...I'm only human and you are just so completely gorgeous. Besides, kissing you would probably be just like eating cashews, how could I settle for only one?"

"We're two adults," whispered Lynn, her voice suddenly choked with emotion.

He didn't dare answer, recognizing her words had broad ranging implications that might easily be misunderstood. Instead, he merely reached for an empty marshmallow bag, blown in from miles away from a weekend campfire sing along.

She sighed at his inaction and suddenly walked towards him, her stunning, long silky chestnut hair flowing alluringly on her silky smooth dark chocolate shoulders. He dropped the marshmallow bag and stood to await her, noting how her hypnotic brown eyes sparkled and shimmered in a dazzling sun.

She was now only a few feet away and it was suddenly like he was in a movie, watching someone else stand there and tremble with wild anticipation, unable to stop imitating a statue. Her hand with the glorious long red painted nails was now resting on his shoulder and her fingers toying with the hair behind his ears, readying his neck with signals she intended to pull his face close.

She glanced over to the house to make sure the twins were not peeping through the living room window. She stared into his stunned, uneasy face and allowed his tongue hanging gaze to remain locked onto her full, lush, pretty red painted lips.

"You act like you've never contemplated kissing a black woman before," she whispered temptingly, moving her astonishingly pretty face closer. She knew now there would be no going back, that she had led him on, and she let him know with purposeful, sensual eyes that she was now believing in her heart God had sent him to her.

Her moist, sensational lips suddenly pressed onto his handsome, apprehensive mouth, leaving him no choice but to respond to the moment.

He instinctively slipped his arm around her tiny waist and she immediately felt exhilarated. Next he pressed his mouth against her lips in a way that sent shivers of intoxicating ecstasy floating along her thrilled spine, proving to her unequivocally that he was a far more skillful kisser than she could ever have imagined.

As they embraced they suddenly heard a click and a wry uninvited voice spilling into the dry Texas air.

"That'll make a great shot for the front page of the 'Forest Grove Daily Chronicle,' and for my weather forecast this afternoon."

Lynn gasped and broke off her embrace with Steve, turning around in a panic until her eyes fell wearily on Freddy Austen, the local weatherman.

"Didn't mean to sneak up on you folks. Only meant to get a few shots of your garden for my weather broadcast later this afternoon. We all figure you're a shoo-n to win the floral contest this year so I wanted to spice up my weather forecast."

"Freddy Austen, you give me that camera this minute. You are going to hand over that film and you are going to promise to keep your mouth shut about what you just saw or so help me I'll pay your station big bucks to have them replace you with someone else."

Freddy looked indignant, and bristled worriedly at her powerful threat.

"I was only trying to make a prediction that might actually be accurate, for once, that's all."

"Hand over the camera, you little snake."

"Ahhh, come on Lynn, you of all people know how the townsfolk is always saying I never get anything right? Well, you're bound to win the contest later today, and if I can predict that on my next broadcast, then-"

"What?! And let you jinx me?! You must be outta your mind, Fred. Everything you say never comes true. You leave my garden out of your predictions, you hear? And if you dare publish that picture I'll, I'll-"

"The God we serve is not a believer in spreading rumors," spoke up Steve. "I for one would be quite upset if a picture of her and I kissing were ever to be made public."

"Don't see what the big deal is," spat out Freddy, his face starting to turn red with some frustration of his own. "Everyone in town knows you're sweet on Lynn here and how Lynn here adores you. Why just down at the barber shop they was saying-"

"I don't think I care to hear all the sordid little details," sighed Steve, his eyes rolling towards the heavens. "And rest assured it wouldn't promote your cause any to go publishing that picture. God is a swift avenger for all those that are maligned by the evil intent of others."

"I don't believe much in your God," retaliated Freddy. "But I do think the world of your Lynn here. Everyone knows she is a very caring person, so I tell you what. I will make sure the caption under the pic on the front page of the paper, and in my broadcast, puts Lynn and yourself in a favorable light, nothing tawdry, just quality journalism."

"Then you are going to publish the pic?"

"You're making too much out of one little pic Lynn, besides you look very beautiful in that dress and I did get a lot of your lovely garden in the background."

Freddy turned abruptly with Steve and Lynn just watching him incredulously. He then marched to his car, leaving them to glance at each other in bewilderment as he drove off. Both were nervously aware that the level of gossip concerning them was about to soar into the stratosphere.

"What do we do now," sighed Steve, looking at Lynn glumly.

"We kiss again," whispered Lynn, her entire body still tingling from the wonderful effects of his handsome, moist mouth overtop of her full, luscious, red painted lips. "Freddy interrupted the first kiss. I mean, if we're going to have the entire county thinking we kiss, then we might as well go ahead and plant our lips together."

Her logic was baffling, but her raging, rising passion was not. He had stirred in her the fires of a passion that now threatened to burn out of control.

Still, her words declaring a need to kiss again had nonetheless caught Steve wildly off guard. He was wanting to formulate a strategy for damage control, not duplicate the sensational burst of pleasure his lips had just so heavenly experienced only moments earlier. But Lynn's desire to taste that same heaven yet again was uncontrollable.

She could feel her pulse quicken and her gigantic chest heave up and down with rapid breaths as her face became flush with savage anticipation. She had kept herself away from most relationships all these years, careful to distance herself from men in general until the right one would finally come along, and now...and now...

She closed her eyes as her lips moved closer to his, unable to resist a second taste of the thrilling ecstasy that had so tantalized her senses just moments earlier.

"Wait," he begged, frozen like a statue as only a mere inch now separated his moist handsome mouth from also being plunged into paradise for a second glorious time.

He wanted to tell her how inadvisable it was to get romantically involved, how irresponsible and dangerous. What if he couldn't stop at a kiss? He was only human.

But she would have none of his 'let's back off while there's still time' lecture. She forced her stunning lips an inch closer, causing his own eyes too close also at the heart stopping impact, as her long, slender arms dared to wrap around his broad, muscular shoulders.

He kept his arms at his side as the passion flared uncontrollably within every fibre of his being. "Stop, please...it's...it's..."

"Put your arms around me Steve. Please don't make me beg."

He did as she asked, holding her first around her tiny waist and then higher up, with his hands pressed lightly to her shoulder blades.

"Look Maddsie, theys kissing. I told you she wanned ta be our mommy."

Lynn's heart sank at the intrusion. She had finally gotten Steve where her heart desired him, experimenting with that exploratory, prolonged kiss, but his twin daughters were suddenly in the way, cutting her feelings of escalating pleasure far too short. She reluctantly allowed him to break free immediately after hearing Melanie's voice.

"Haven't I taught you two young ladies that it is not polite to sneak up on people," he sighed.

"We were waiting for Miss Lynn to bring us chocolate milk," offered up Melanie, somewhat indignantly.

"And ice cream," added Madeline.

"Two scoops, not one," clarified Melanie.

Lynn couldn't help but smile at their adorable, innocent faces, despite the disappointment her gorgeous, pretty glossy lips now felt at being so quickly separated from his moist handsome mouth.

"Perhaps we could do this again some time," she whispered in his ear just before she marched happily towards the beaming, yet apprehensive twins.

Her words, although enticing, stung his ears. In a perfect world, preachers didn't get themselves on front pages smooching with their church secretaries. In a perfect world, disciplined, Christian fathers also did not go around kissing church secretaries in front of their young, impressionable daughters. What the heck was going to be next, he wondered? He rolled his eyes to the almighty and whispered a quick word of prayer for himself.

Lynn was already opening the screen door as he prayed, and the smiling twins she was growing to love bounded inside ahead of her, their lips smacking at the thought of yet more chocolate milk and two scoops of ice cream.

He was suddenly alone and yet, he could sense the presence of the almighty somehow close by, somehow reassuring him that Lynn had been specially hand picked for him. He rubbed his chin philosophically at the thought. Yes, she seemed so incredibly perfect, but it was all happening so fast, so very, very fast and not just in front of his daughters or the wildly predictable weatherman. It was happening in front of the whole town, indeed, the whole county! He had come out to shepherd a flock, not entice a beautiful woman into wanting to kiss him, and yet...and yet...

Three excruciatingly slow hours had gone by since their lip locking incident in her garden, and yet, Steve had still not been able to wrap his mind around the notion that seemed so undeniably crisp and clear to not only the observant townsfolk of Forest Grove, but to the entire population of the surrounding county as well. Steve and Lynn were undoubtedly going to get married!