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  “Have a great weekend.”

  Traci set her phone on her desk. She could tell how excited Simone was, but what Simone didn’t know was that Traci was excited herself. Mainly because, as her mom had mentioned earlier, Traci had always wanted to find a local author to be friends with. She had her sister and a couple of other close friends, but she’d also wanted to connect with someone who had a passion for writing and the business of publishing. Plus, she truly liked Simone. She seemed kind and outgoing, and Traci looked forward to chatting with her again and also maybe getting together for lunch or dinner. It would be nice having a writer friend right there in Mitchell who wasn’t focused on trying to be in competition with her or trying to criticize or judge her. The whole idea of it was refreshing and a blessing, and Traci was glad to know Simone. She was glad God had allowed their paths to cross.

  Chapter 8

  As Chris slowed his SUV, waiting for security to direct him down a parking aisle, Simone pulled down the sun visor and looked into the mirror. They were only minutes away from walking inside Deliverance Outreach, where world-renowned reverend Curtis Black was pastor, and she wanted to make sure her makeup was perfect. She also checked her hair for any flyaway strands, but none were out of place.

  Chris rolled slowly behind a row of cars and then turned into a parking space on the end. “I still don’t understand why you were so adamant about coming here today—a church I haven’t even been to. As a matter of fact, you’ve only gone to my church one time, and I practically had to beg you to do that.”

  Simone stared straight ahead. “But I go there for our marriage counseling.”

  Chris turned off the ignition and looked at her. “Baby, please don’t do that. When I say you don’t go to church, you know what I mean. You never go on Sundays or to any actual service.”

  “I know, but lately I’ve been thinking a lot more about it. I’ve actually been thinking about it for a while.”

  “Yeah, okay,” he said, opening the door to get out.

  She rested her hand on the side of his arm, hating that she was getting ready to lie to him. “Baby, I’m serious. I know you don’t like the fact that I don’t go to church, so I’ve really been praying about it and asking God to give me the desire to go. That’s why I’ve been viewing videos of sermons online, and when I saw one of Reverend Black’s it really kept my attention.”

  “I have no doubt that Pastor Black is a great minister, but I also don’t see a reason to leave the church I’ve been a member of my whole life.”

  Simone could tell he was becoming upset, so she hurried to pacify him. “I know that, baby, and I don’t blame you. So all we’re doing is visiting. That’s all.”

  As they made their way through the parking lot toward the church, Simone couldn’t help noticing how beautiful Deliverance Outreach was. Then once they strolled inside, she saw that it was even more picturesque and spacious than she’d realized. For some reason, the idea of being there made her excited, which was strange, because with the exception of that one time she’d gone to service with Chris, she hadn’t attended church since she was a child, and that was only when one of her grandmother’s neighbors had taken her. Of course, there was a pretty important reason why she’d made up her mind to attend Deliverance Outreach today and why she’d likely be visiting from now on: After browsing more and more of Traci’s Facebook posts and tweets, Simone had soon discovered that Traci was a very spiritual person who wasn’t ashamed to let everyone know that she loved, honored, and trusted God. Traci also tended to quote much of what Pastor Black said on Sunday mornings. So when she’d finished speaking with Traci yesterday and had learned that Traci loved her first three chapters, Simone had known she had a lot to be grateful for. Which was the reason she’d then decided that going to church this morning wasn’t a bad idea. It was actually a brilliant one, particularly if it meant she would now have at least one more thing in common with Traci.

  Simone and Chris walked through the vestibule area, took a couple of programs from a friendly female greeter, and entered the sanctuary. Then, interestingly enough, as they made their way farther down the aisle and into a row of plush red auditorium-style chairs, Simone spotted Traci, Traci’s husband, her mother, her father, and her sister. Simone recognized all of them because of how well she’d studied Traci’s photos online. But what were the chances of her sitting so close to Traci and her family—just two rows behind and one section over—when the church easily seated two thousand people? This had to be a sign. What it clearly meant was that Simone was, in fact, supposed to be here today, and she was glad she’d followed her intuition. She was also thrilled that she’d changed her mind about waiting to send the rest of her manuscript to Traci next week, and that she’d spent all of yesterday afternoon and evening proofing it. She’d stayed up until just after midnight so that she could forward it to her new friend as soon as possible.

  Simone tried not to stare at Traci and her family, but she couldn’t help it—and part of her was hoping that, at some point, Traci would turn around and notice her. But soon Chris started talking to her, and she had to stop looking in that direction.

  Chris made himself more comfortable in his seat and scanned the room. “I’d heard a long time ago how nice the sanctuary was here, but it’s just too large for me.”

  Simone gazed at him for a couple of seconds but didn’t say anything. Finally, she returned her attention to Traci, and just as she’d hoped, Traci turned around at that very moment and did a double take. Then she smiled and waved at Simone.

  Simone smiled and waved back, and Traci got up and left the row she was sitting in.

  “Hey, how are you?” Traci said, hugging her, and now Simone knew Traci truly was as humble as she’d seemed.

  “I’m good. And this is Chris, my fiancé,” She said, turning toward him. “Chris, this is Traci.”

  Traci shook his hand. “It’s very nice to meet you, Chris.”

  “It’s nice to meet you as well.”

  “It’s really great to see you here,” Traci said. “Have either of you attended before?”

  Simone shook her head. “No, we haven’t.”

  “I’ve been a member of Living Faith Ministries since I was a child,” Chris added. “But Simone wanted to visit, so here we are.”

  “Well, it’s good having you both, and welcome.”

  Simone and Chris both said, “Thanks.”

  Traci looked toward the front of the church. “It looks like praise and worship is about to start, so I’d better get back to my seat. But take care.”

  “You too,” Simone said.

  Chris nodded. “It was very nice meeting you.”

  “It was nice meeting you also.”

  Simone watched Traci from the time she walked away until the time she slid back into her row and sat down next to her husband.

  “Did you know Traci was a member here?” Chris asked.

  Simone didn’t see why it mattered one way or the other. “No, so how ironic is that?”

  Chris looked straight ahead, his tone sarcastic. “It’s very ironic. Almost too ironic.”

  “What? You think I’m lying?”

  Chris quietly laughed under his breath, and thankfully the organist and musicians began playing their instruments. When praise and worship ended, Pastor Black walked up the steps of the pulpit and stood in front of the glass podium.

  “Today is the day the Lord hath made, so let us rejoice and be glad in it.”

  “Amen,” most of the congregation agreed.

  “As always, it’s great to be in the house of the Lord just one more time,” Pastor Black said, and now Simone understood why she’d heard others talk about how charismatic he was. He’d only said a few words and had only been standing before them for a couple of minutes, yet Simone couldn’t wait to hear what he had to say next. The way he looked and the way he spoke automatically held your attention.

  Simone scanned the sanctuary and didn’t see an empty seat. She’d never
attended a church this size before, and while Chris didn’t care for larger ministries, she didn’t see anything wrong with it. Regardless of how big or small a church was, to her, church was church, and she was definitely coming back here again.

  “In three weeks, we’ll be celebrating Resurrection Sunday, and I really hope all of you are planning to attend our evening Good Friday service. We’ll be reflecting on the seven last words of Jesus. By now, most of you know that when we say ‘Jesus’s seven last words,’ we don’t mean just seven words, but actually, it’s the last seven times he spoke separate sentences. Resurrection Sunday also marks the end of Lent, and I’m sure some of you are already thinking about the dessert, coffee, meat, and sodas you gave up.”

  Everyone laughed.

  Pastor Black laughed, too. “Believe me, I completely understand, but I hope you really are using this time to pray and meditate more than ever before,” he said, turning the pages of his Bible. “All right then…so if you would, please turn with me to first Samuel sixteen, seven.”

  Some members turned the pages of their print Bibles and some tapped their electronic tablets.

  “Do we all have it?” Pastor Black asked.

  “Yes,” most everyone answered.

  “Good, and the scripture reads as follows: ‘But the Lord said to Samuel, “Don’t judge by his appearance or height, for I have rejected him. The Lord doesn’t see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”’”

  Pastor Black stepped to the side of the podium and said, “So today, I want to speak on the subject Pretending to Be Someone You’re Not and the Ultimate Consequences.”

  Many of the parishioners chuckled and acted as though they could relate to the topic Pastor Black would be speaking on. Simone, of course, had no clue why, because she could never pretend to be something or someone she wasn’t. As a matter of fact, if there were people who actually lived their lives that way, she felt sorry for them.

  “Have you ever met a person who just doesn’t like themselves the way they are? Who can’t think for themselves? Who spends most of their days trying to figure out how to be like someone else? Who doesn’t feel validated or worthy unless they’re doing exactly what another person is doing and doing it exactly the way that person does it?”

  “Yes,” Simone heard many people exclaiming throughout the sanctuary.

  “And have you ever met someone who has put on such a noticeable façade for so long that not only do you not recognize who they are anymore, but they don’t even recognize who they are themselves? I’m pretty sure you have, and just like all of you, I’ve met many people like this as well. But I’m here to tell you that trying to be like someone else can only lead to three hundred and sixty-five days of misery, year after year after year. Forgetting about your own likes and dislikes—your own identity—and deciding that someone else’s likes and dislikes are better than yours can only lead to daily disappointment. When you stop focusing on your own God-given talents, gifts, and abilities, you will never find true happiness. You will never fully realize your passion, purpose, or the calling that God has on your life. Instead, you will struggle with pain and frustration until the end of time, and the only way to change that is to get back to being you.”

  Simone sat listening, and while she still thought Pastor Black was a dynamic speaker, she just couldn’t relate to what he was preaching about today. So it wasn’t long before her attention wandered away, and she glanced over at Traci. She stared at her hair texture and length and decided at that very second that she was getting hair extensions. She was also going to see if she could find that red sheath dress Traci was wearing. It looked so much better than the old-style suit Simone had on. Actually, Simone had just purchased this suit one month ago, but as soon as she walked inside her condo this afternoon, she was stripping it off and dumping it in the trash. What in the world had she been thinking when she’d bought it in the first place? Sheath dresses were so much more classic and fitted, and she was going to buy more of them…just like Traci. And after that, she’d have to find a way to tell Chris that she no longer wanted the two-karat diamond ring he’d proposed to her with. When Simone had met Traci at the salon, she hadn’t paid much attention to it, but a few minutes ago she’d seen the double-row diamond wedding band on Traci’s finger. Simone loved this idea more than she did wearing a round-cut engagement solitaire and matching gold band, and when the time was right she would tell Chris how she felt about it. She wasn’t sure if he’d be upset about it or not, but wearing only a double-row diamond band was what she wanted. It was what she needed…just like Traci.

  Chapter 9

  When the hostess at Three Rivers Bistro set their menus in front of them and walked away, Simone felt as though she were having an out-of-body experience. Meeting Traci Calloway Cole by chance at a hair salon, getting her to read her novel, and attending the same church with her was already more than Simone could’ve wished for, but having dinner with her at a popular restaurant was priceless. It was simply unreal, and Simone hoped this wasn’t some dream she’d eventually have to wake up from.

  But Simone knew it wasn’t a dream and now hung her brand-new Gucci handbag across the arm of the chair and got comfortable. As expected, her purse had arrived on Saturday, and she loved it. “Thank you so much for inviting me here.”

  “I’m glad we could get together,” Traci said, looking at the handbag. “Wow, I have that exact same purse. I don’t know if you saw it, but I was carrying it when we were at the hair salon.”

  Simone smiled. “Really? Talk about coincidences and having the same tastes.”

  “That’s for sure. It really is a nice bag, though.”

  “I know. And, hey, thank you for reading my book. I never imagined that you would get through it so quickly.”

  “Sunday afternoons are my favorite time to read. So once we left church and went to dinner with my family, Tim and I came home to relax. He turned on the game, and I printed out your manuscript.”

  “I still can’t believe you finished it, though.”

  “I read most of it yesterday and the rest this morning. It really is that good. Loved it.”

  “Wow, that certainly encourages and inspires me to keep moving forward.”

  “I’m glad, because you truly are a great writer. Your book is wonderful.”

  “I finally found a couple of freelance editors online,” Simone said. “So once I hear back from them, I’m going to hire one or the other.”

  “Good.”

  Simone actually wasn’t planning to do anything of the sort, not when a published writer had already told her how great her work was. But because Traci had suggested that she hire an editor, copyeditor, and proofreader, Simone didn’t want her to think she was ignoring her advice. She was planning to hire a proofreader, but that would be it.

  Traci sipped some of her water. “So, did you and Chris enjoy service yesterday?”

  “We really did. I’ve always loved going to church, even before I moved here, but I’ve sort of been looking for another one to join. I go with Chris all the time, but I just feel like I need to be somewhere different.”

  “Not every church is for every person, but I know you’ll find the right one. Although, how does Chris feel about that? Especially since he’s gone to his current church for so many years.”

  Simone had forgotten about Chris mentioning that to Traci yesterday when he’d met her. “Yeah, he has, but I’m hoping he’ll eventually be open to other options.”

  “I totally understand that, because I’m sure you don’t want to attend separate churches.”

  “No, definitely not. We’re getting married next year, and I wouldn’t want to join a church that he’s not a member of.”

  “Well, I’ll be praying for you to find exactly where the two of you are supposed to be.”

  “Actually, I really liked Deliverance Outreach. I also enjoyed hearing Pastor Black.”

  “He’s an exce
llent minister. He doesn’t have a perfect history, which I’m sure you know, but a few years ago he became a totally different person. He became a true man of God with real integrity.”

  “That’s amazing.”

  “He and his family have been through a lot and done a lot, but they’re still good people. And no matter what, they’ve always cared about the church and its congregation and wanted the best for us.”

  “That’s really good to hear, and I look forward to visiting again.”

  Simone scanned the Venetian-themed restaurant and saw a waitress heading toward them.

  “Good evening,” the caramel-skinned woman said. “My name is Lezlie, and I’ll be taking care of you.”

  Simone and Traci spoke at the same time. “Good evening.”

  “I see our hostess has already brought you water, but is there anything else you would like to drink?”

  Simone would have loved a glass of wine, but she watched and waited for Traci to answer first.

  “No, I’m good,” Traci told her.

  “Same here,” Simone said. “I’m good, too.”

  “Great. And are you ready to order?”

  Traci laughed. “Well, we would be except we’ve been talking so much, we haven’t had a chance to look at the menu. Although, to be honest, I always get the same thing every time I come here. So I’ll have your broiled salmon.”

  Simone had only been there twice before, but each time she’d ordered stuffed shrimp and had loved it.

  “What about you?” the waitress asked Simone. “Do you need more time to decide?”

  “No, I’d like to have broiled salmon, too. I had it the last time I was here, and it was delicious.”

  “Okay, then,” the woman said. “And would either of you like soup or a salad?”

  Traci nodded. “I’ll take a side Caesar.”

  “Me too,” Simone added.

  “Fine. I’ll get everything entered into our system.”

  “Thanks,” Traci said.