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  There was something about her.

  Maybe it was the way she carried herself, shoulders back and chin lifted.

  Noticing him for the first time, she grabbed his hand in hers. “Pastor Mason, how nice of you to come.”

  Wade tried to ignore the jolt of electricity that shot up his arm and sent his heart pounding. He looked into her eyes and prayed she couldn’t see the attraction he felt. “Call me Wade.”

  He noted a glimmer of interest in her eyes before she looked away. “I’ve never called a pastor by his first name.”

  “You’ve probably never had a pastor your age.”

  Kristy gazed back at him, and he felt her scrutiny from his head to his toes. Finally, she smiled, exposing a dimple in her left cheek he hadn’t noticed before.

  Jennifer Collins Johnson and her husband have been married for over two decades. They have three daughters and one son-in-law. Jennifer is a sixth-grade language arts teacher. She is also a member of American Christian Fiction Writers. When she isn’t teaching or writing, she enjoys dates with her husband, shopping trips with her girls, dinners with her best friend and all-night brainstorming with her writing buddies.

  You can reach her at [email protected] or jennifercollinsjohnson.com.

  Books by Jennifer Collins Johnson

  Love Inspired Heartsong Presents

  A Heart Healed

  A Family Reunited

  A Love Discovered

  Arizona Cowboy

  Arizona Lawman

  Arizona Pastor

  JENNIFER COLLINS

  JOHNSON

  Arizona Pastor

  A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows

  is God in His holy dwelling.

  —Psalms 68:5

  This book is dedicated to an organization that taught me so much about writing, American Christian Fiction Writers.

  Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Epilogue

  Chapter 1

  “No matter what I do, I’ll always be a teenage-pregnancy statistic.” The words of the midthirties woman on the talk show whirled through Kristy Phillips’s mind. She couldn’t imagine why the television had been on, but she didn’t have time to worry about that now. She was in a hurry. Even if the words hit close to home.

  She rummaged through her closet to find something that would look like new for a very special event: her daughter’s high school graduation. She settled on a crisp white blouse with a ruffled collar and cuffs and a navy pencil-style skirt, accenting the outfit with oversize, bold green beads she’d discovered on clearance at one of her favorite department stores. In the background all the while was the attractive woman on the screen, close to Kristy’s age, wearing a pair of slacks Kristy actually owned and sitting beside a boy—a full-grown boy who was probably very close to Mel’s age. Kristy’s heart nearly leaped from her chest.

  Kristy turned off the television and dumped the contents of one purse into another one. She grabbed her keys off the counter and hustled out the front door. But the woman’s words stuck to Kristy like a rayon skirt in need of an antistatic dryer sheet, like gum stuck on the bottom of a new high heel. I’ll always be a teenage-pregnancy statistic. I’ll always…

  When she finally arrived at the auditorium where the school was hosting the high school graduation, Kristy hiked her name-brand-knock-off bag higher up on her shoulder. A plastered smile curved her lipstick-covered lips as she made her way through the sea of parents and family members scurrying to find the best seats in the packed place. Uneasiness quickened her heartbeat as she recognized a few of the faces on the stage. Her daughter’s principal had been Kristy’s principal. The assistant principal had been Kristy’s tenth-grade math teacher. Many things had changed, and yet many things had stayed the same. Of course, eighteen years isn’t much time for a complete faculty change.

  No matter what I do, I’ll always be a teenage-pregnancy statistic. The words taunted her. She glanced down at her skirt, hoping no one could tell she’d slip stitched a part of the hem, which had come loose on the left side. She’d had the skirt for several years, but it was a classic, never going out of style. Most of Kristy’s clothes were of that nature. After finally finding a seat, Kristy nodded to the older woman beside her. “Hello.”

  “Hello, honey.” The woman’s white hair was wound in loose curls atop her head. Though wrinkles trekked over the woman’s face and neck, her green eyes sparked with lively mischief. “My great-grandson is graduating today. Who are you here for?”

  “My daughter, Amelia Adams.”

  “My, my, but you don’t look old enough to have a child graduating high school.”

  Kristy’s smile wavered momentarily. That’s because I’m not. She blinked the thought away. “Thank you.”

  The older woman turned toward the teenager sitting beside her, probably another great-grandson. No matter what I do, I’ll always be a teenage-pregnancy statistic. Kristy let out a long breath, envisioning the much-too-young woman on the television screen no more than two hours before.

  Kristy tried to take in her surroundings. Academia was not foreign to her. She’d spent the past ten years teaching freshmen and sophomore English at the local community college. A not-so-glorious position in a not-so-prestigious environment, Kristy was still content with the strides she’d made since having Mel at the young age of just-turned-eighteen. Some people had doubted that she’d ever be able to get her college degree, but Kristy had proved them wrong. God had guided her every step, but Kristy had still worked many long and hard hours to enjoy a modest, yet comfortable life with her only child.

  Amid the bustle of graduation, Kristy’s gaze kept wandering to the sea of people around her. She assumed it was the English teacher in her, but Kristy always wondered what people were thinking. For the scowlers, had something happened to cause a possible rift in their daily schedule? For the smilers, were they genuinely that happy or putting on a facade? For the harried, were they notoriously late like Kristy? The last thought shifted Kristy’s gaze toward the door. Thankful that for once in her life, she had been on time, Kristy noted a frazzled mother with two younger children in tow, scanning the room for open seats.

  Kristy found herself looking for a place for the mother and her children, until the glare of a familiar face Kristy hadn’t seen in over a decade forced her to sink down in her metal, fold-up chair. With an instantaneous wave of anger and determination, Kristy sat up, pushed her shoulders back and lifted her chin. She forced herself to smile at the owner of the glaring eyes—her old and longtime-retired high school counselor. The woman nodded abruptly, then focused her attention back on the ceremonies.

  I’d forgotten that Ms. Judgmental’s granddaughter was in Mel’s class. It was funny, almost downright amazing, how the woman’s descendants could be so different from their grandmother. Maybe it was because the older woman’s influence was diluted after Ms. Jent, or Ms. Judgmental as Kristy preferred to think of her, had moved to sunny Florida almost nine years ago. Her granddaughter was one of Amelia’s sweetest friends and would probably be surprised at how hard Ms. Jent had been on Mel’s mom.

  But Kristy wouldn’t be able to forget. Had she known the school counselor
’s opinion—that pregnant girls shouldn’t be allowed in regular classes—Kristy would have never confided in her, especially at the end of her senior year. The counselor offered no other alternative for sinful, unmarried teens. Just GED courses. Ms. Jent’s efforts had been in vain. Kristy had had only four months of school left when she’d discovered the pregnancy and had been barely showing by the time she’d graduated.

  Determined to focus on something else, Kristy gazed at the podium, trying to grasp the words of the class valedictorian. That wasn’t easy, either. The young man at the stand had finally grown into his deep, rich voice and out of his acne-ridden face. Despite the improvement in his appearance, Kristy struggled, listening to the words. He and Amelia had fought neck-and-neck through high school to surpass each other in academics. When the points had been tallied, both had shared the same grade-point average. However, much to Kristy’s chagrin, Mel had missed the honor of valedictorian by scoring one point lower on her ACT. And for some reason, this high school had never deigned to allow the salutatorian—the second best—to speak, too.

  Ugh. Just listen to my attitude, Lord. I can almost taste the ugliness I feel. Resurrected insecurities from Ms. Jent. Frustration with Mel not being valedictorian. She clasped her hands together and placed them on top of her lap, allowing her right, newly manicured thumbnail to gently scratch the side of her left thumb. Help me think kind thoughts. Help me look at people as You do.

  Slim Jim finally finished. A chorus of applause erupted as he made his way off the stage and into the mound of fifteen hundred soon-to-be graduates sitting at the front of the auditorium. Navy robes and caps adorned with red-and-blue tassels filled the oversize space.

  Realizing her hands’ nervous motions, Kristy crossed her legs, unclasped her hands and rubbed her clammy palms against the smooth material of her skirt. She reminded herself not to tap her foot as the high school principal made his way to the podium. Kristy watched as Mel’s row filtered out of their seats and toward the stage. Mel would be first to receive her diploma.

  Kristy snatched a peek at Mel’s father, Tim Adams. Leah, Tim’s entirely-too-perfect wife of thirteen years, which also made her Mel’s stepmom for the same length of time, leaned forward, craning her neck to see over the crowd to find Mel. They’d probably gotten there early, but even that wouldn’t have guaranteed a perfect sight line. Their twelve-year-old and seven-year-old sons also strained to get a peek at their “sister.”

  Kristy bit back a snarl. It wasn’t that she begrudged Tim his happiness. Tim had always been a really nice guy, good-looking, too, which was one of the reasons she’d found herself pregnant her senior year of high school. At the same time, she hated that Leah was so good: Martha Stewart, Betty Crocker and June Cleaver all wrapped into one.

  Finally, the assistant principal spoke at the podium, introducing the class. His words jumbled in Kristy’s mind until she heard the words Amelia Adams.

  Cheers rang from the lips of Mel’s half brothers, but Kristy tuned them out. She watched as her precious one-and-only walked onto the stage. Mel’s curly dark brown hair hung in a shiny mass against the navy robe. Mel sported her new glasses and looked every inch like the beautiful, smart young woman she was. Pride enveloped Kristy’s heart. She’ll be an excellent lawyer.

  As quickly as Mel walked up on the stage, she walked off. A wave of emotion flowed through Kristy as an instantaneous memory of anxiety flooded her mind. When Kristy had taken those steps off the stage eighteen years before, she had been terrified. Afraid of what would happen to her. Afraid of what would happen to her baby. Ashamed of what she’d done.

  Thank You, God, that everything is so different for Mel.

  * * *

  The principal announced the new graduates, and family and friends swarmed the auditorium floor. Wade Mason stepped out of the way of an elderly woman shuffling toward one of them. He spied the young couple who’d sought his assistance only a few days ago. The girl, Mel was her name, waved as she made her way toward him. A bright smile lit her face, and long dark curls bounced below her shoulders. The tall and thin blond kid, Joel, followed behind her.

  “Thank you for coming to our graduation ceremony, Pastor Mason.” Wade shook Mel’s, then Joel’s, hand. “Please, call me Wade. No need for formalities.”

  Mel giggled. “My mom would keel over if I called our new minister by his first name.”

  Joel shifted his weight from one foot to the other, then raked his hand through his hair. “Yeah. Gotta show respect and all.”

  Wade cringed. They seemed like good kids, but obviously not ready for the adult life they’d saddled themselves with.

  “There you are.” Mel’s mother squeezed through the crowd, then wrapped her arms around her daughter.

  He’d met Kristy Phillips at the church’s welcome party a month ago and he’d noticed her at the services. How could he not? Deep blue eyes above the cutest splattering of freckles pierced through him whenever she looked at him. After that, he avoided eye contact with her every Sunday, when he scanned the crowd while he preached. She was just too distracting.

  Kristy released Mel, then offered a tentative hug to Joel as a tall dark-haired man, a petite blonde woman and two preadolescent boys pushed through the crowd, headed for Mel. Joel’s mother and his older and heavier look-alike father made their way to them from the side. Wade took another step back to give the families room, then shoved his hands in the front pockets of his khaki pants.

  He enjoyed his new pastoral position at the church in Surprise, and yet he’d spent most of the past few evenings praying and stewing over Joel and Mel. He glanced at Kristy, thinking she might be partly to blame for his sidetracked thoughts. He knew he’d have to talk with her, and she distracted him.

  She wasn’t the only beautiful single woman in his congregation, but there was something about her. Maybe it was the way she carried herself, shoulders back and chin raised. Or how she touched the base of her neck each time she stood to sing. Whatever it was, she made him lose his focus, and he didn’t like the feeling one bit.

  Noticing him for the first time, she grabbed his hand in hers. “Pastor Mason. How nice of you to come.”

  Wade tried to ignore the jolt of electricity that shot up his arm and sent his heart pounding. He looked into her eyes and prayed she couldn’t see the attraction he felt. “Call me Wade.”

  He noted a glimmer of interest in her gaze, then she looked away. “I’ve never called a pastor by his first name.”

  “You’ve probably never had a pastor your age.”

  She gazed back at him, and he felt her scrutiny from his head to his toes. Finally, she smiled, exposing a slight dimple in her left cheek he hadn’t noticed before. “I suppose Pastor James might have been a decade or two older than you.”

  “Or four.” Wade dipped his chin and lifted one eyebrow. “Just how old do you think I am?”

  “Fifty? Sixty, maybe?”

  He raised his eyebrows at her little joke, and she laughed. He shook his head. “No.”

  “All right, then. I’ll call you Wade.”

  “Pastor Wade—” Mel grabbed his arm “—I want you to meet my dad and stepmom.”

  He nodded and shook hands with Mel’s, then Joel’s, families.

  Leah wrapped her hand around Tim’s arm. “I hope you’ll come to our house for the graduation party.”

  Out of the corner of his eye, Wade saw Kristy stiffen and lift her chin. Surely she didn’t still have feelings for Mel’s father. But then, why wouldn’t she? Years had passed, but she was still single, and they’d had a child together.

  “He’s already said he would come,” said Mel.

  “Terrific,” responded Tim. “I’ve got the steaks and chicken marinating.”

  “And I’ve got everything else ready,” Leah added.

  “Thank you for inviting me. I’ll be there.” Wade looked at Kristy. Some of the color had drained from her cheeks, and he felt a sudden urge to wrap his arms around her and protect her
from the trials she faced. And he knew something she didn’t: this day was only going to get harder for her.

  Chapter 2

  Kristy inhaled a deep breath as she balanced the fruit tray on one hand, then pushed the doorbell with the other. I can do this. She brushed her tongue against her teeth once again, praying no lipstick was plastered on them. The door opened and Kristy forced a smile that she hoped portrayed genuineness. “Hello, Leah. Thanks so much for having Mel’s party here. Our place is so small, and Mel just insisted…”

  “No problem.” Leah opened the door wide, allowing a tantalizing French-vanilla aroma to escape the house.

  As she motioned Kristy inside, a niggling envy crept up Kristy’s spine as she took in the spacious foyer and living area. The kitchen opened up on the left, making the area exceptionally grand and ostentatious. Perfect for a large crowd. Kristy slightly lifted the tray and nodded toward a table piled with mountains of finger foods. “Where would you like me to set this?”

  “Mel didn’t tell me you were bringing anything. Thank you so much.” Leah took the offering from Kristy’s hands, setting it beside a watermelon that had been cut to look like a basket, which was filled with luscious-looking fruits of all colors. A much more beautiful display than Kristy could even dream up, let alone create. “Can I get you a drink?”

  Kristy’s gaze moved to the smaller table, which held soft drinks of all kinds and bottles of water. “I’ll just take a water.” She scooped one into her hand, unscrewed the top and took a quick drink. “Is Mel here yet?”

  “Yes. She and Joel are on the deck with several others. Grab yourself some food and go on out there.”

  “I might grab a bite to eat in a little bit. But thanks.”

  Kristy made her way to the back door. She had to hold back a gasp when she walked out onto an oversize deck connected to one of the largest aboveground pools she’d ever seen. The yard was perfectly manicured, with clusters of blackfoot and angelita daisies in various spots along the privacy fence. Finding an open chair, Kristy sat and watched her daughter talk with one of the guests.