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  Tim looked at her, this time slightly turning his body toward her. “Look, baby, that’s not what I’m saying. I was just curious about why you wanted to invite her. But if you really want to, please go ahead.”

  Traci smiled. “Are you sure? Because it’s only dinner, and it’s not like I’m planning to have her over all the time.”

  “It’s fine. Really.”

  “I’m glad, and just so you know, I also asked my editor to read Simone’s manuscript.”

  Tim unscrewed the top of his spring water and took a few sips. “And was she interested?”

  “I don’t know. She’s reading three of the chapters tonight, so we’ll see.”

  “I hope it works out.”

  “I do, too, because Simone really is a good writer. She has true talent.”

  Tim cut a piece of his chicken. “That’s great to hear, but enough about Simone. How is your own synopsis coming along? I know you were thinking about it this morning before I left.”

  It was clear that Tim still wasn’t all that happy about Traci inviting Simone and Chris over, nor did he understand why she even wanted to be friends with Simone. But it was the same as she’d been thinking before: Simone seemed lonely and unhappy. She didn’t sound or act that way, but it was just a feeling Traci had. And when she got those feelings, she was rarely wrong about them. She wouldn’t allow anyone to treat her the way Denise had, not ever again, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t be friends with Simone or that Traci couldn’t help her get published. It was true that Denise had caused Traci to lose all confidence in other authors, but it was time to move beyond that—it was time she practiced what she preached by forgiving Denise.

  It was time to admit that not all women were self-centered, insecure, jealous, and deceitful, the way Denise was.

  Chapter 15

  Simone gazed around the beautiful reception area of the pastoral offices. She and Chris had just arrived for their third pre-marital counseling session with Pastor Raymond. But instead of focusing on that, she thought about the way she’d lied to Traci yesterday about working, when she knew she’d never left the house. But it was just that she didn’t want Traci thinking she was some lazy slacker who couldn’t handle working full-time and putting in as many hours as possible toward her writing career. Still, she hated lying to her, even more so now that Traci had called her back last night to invite her and Chris over for Easter dinner. Simone hadn’t been able to believe it, and although nearly twenty-four hours had passed, she was still ecstatic.

  Sadly, though, Chris didn’t feel the same way she did, and he couldn’t stop whining about it.

  “I still don’t understand it.”

  Simone looked at him. “Don’t understand what?”

  “Why you want to go to Traci’s house for dinner when my parents invited us over two weeks ago. And you know it’s a holiday.”

  “I know, baby, and I’m sorry. But I really want to go, and I hope you can do this for me just this one time. Traci has been so nice to me. She’s gone out of her way to help me get published, and you and I will be spending every holiday with your family from now on. So all I’m asking is that we go over to Traci’s for Easter.”

  Chris looked away from her, straight ahead.

  Simone touched his arm. “Baby, are we good? Can you do this one thing for me?”

  “Fine, Simone. Whatever you want.”

  She grabbed his hand, but he didn’t react one way or another. Thankfully, it was only minutes before Pastor Raymond opened his door and walked out to greet them.

  “So how are the two of you doing this evening?” he asked.

  Chris got to his feet and shook Pastor Raymond’s hand. “Okay, I guess.”

  “How are you, Pastor?” Simone asked.

  “I’m doing well. Why don’t we go into my office and get started.”

  Simone and Chris followed him inside, and he took a seat behind his desk. The two of them sat in chairs in front of him.

  Pastor Raymond relaxed in his chair and clasped his hands together. “So, Chris, I missed seeing you on Sunday.”

  Simone looked at her fiancé and could tell he felt uncomfortable. Embarrassed, even.

  He pulled off his black leather jacket and laid it across the arm of his chair. “Uh, yeah. We visited another church.”

  Pastor Raymond looked surprised. “Oh.”

  “But it’s not like we’re looking for a new church or anything,” Chris hurried to say. “Simone just wanted to visit Pastor Black’s church.”

  “Most people do,” Pastor Raymond said. “He’s a great man of God and a good friend of mine.”

  “I know you’ve talked about that before. You were friends with him well before he turned his life around, right?”

  “I was. He’s one of the best men of God I know. He’s proof that all saints have a past and every sinner has a future.”

  “I agree,” Chris said.

  “So, Miss Simone, when are you planning to come to service here at Living Faith? And more importantly, when are you planning to join?”

  “I’m not sure,” she said, knowing that her heart was now set on becoming a member of Deliverance Outreach—Pastor Curtis Black’s church—the church where Traci and her family attended. She knew Chris would be hesitant at first and that it was going to take a lot of convincing for him to leave his current church, but eventually he would. He wouldn’t be happy about it, but he would soon realize that Deliverance Outreach was where she belonged. He would see that this was where they both belonged as a married couple.

  Pastor Raymond and Chris made more small talk, and then Pastor Raymond moved on to the topic of finances. This always made Simone nervous, because to this day, she still had Chris believing she was in management and that she likely earned thousands more than she did. Some men would have wanted to see her pay stubs, what with their preparing to get married, but Chris hadn’t seen anything. And Simone was going to keep it that way. Actually, now that she thought about it, with the exception of picking her up for lunch sometimes, he’d never visited her place of employment, something she was glad about because she didn’t want him thinking she didn’t earn enough money or that she didn’t have a prestigious enough job.

  “So, tell me, Simone,” Pastor Raymond said, “how do you feel about a married couple’s finances?”

  “I believe a husband and wife should pay their bills together but keep the rest of their money in separate accounts.”

  “I understand how you feel, but going into a marriage with a yours-is-yours-and-mine-is-mine sort of philosophy is a sure recipe for failure.”

  Simone stared at him with no emotion. “I disagree.”

  Pastor Raymond turned to Chris. “And what about you, son? How do you feel about it?”

  “I believe all our money should go into one account for bills, and that all the other accounts should be joint as well. I do think it’s good for each spouse to have their own retirement account, of course, and maybe one separate checking or savings account, but again, the majority of the money should remain together.”

  Simone had known for a while that this was the way Chris felt, but whenever he tried to bring it up, she changed the subject. She pretended now too, that she wasn’t aware of his feelings about any of this. “I didn’t realize you thought this way.”

  “Well, I do. It’s the way my parents have handled their money for forty-five years, and they’ve never had any money problems.”

  Simone wanted to tell him that not every married couple was his parents, but she knew he didn’t deserve that kind of disrespect. Nonetheless, she still wasn’t showing him her paychecks or depositing them into any joint accounts.

  Pastor Raymond looked at Simone. “Is this something you’re willing to reconsider?”

  “No. Not when I know we can still have a great marriage and good money management without pooling everything together.”

  Chris shook his head in frustration. “I don’t believe you.”

  Simone did
n’t even bother responding, so Pastor Raymond asked her something else.

  “So what about organized religion? Do you feel any different about that than when we first began your counseling sessions?”

  “No, not really. But I do want to join a church.”

  Pastor Raymond smiled. “A church or this church?”

  “I’m not sure.”

  Chris seemed dumbfounded. “Baby, what are you talking about?”

  “Honey, I’m sorry,” she said, “but I just don’t know if this is where God wants me to be.”

  Chris raised his eyebrows. “Wow, so let me guess: You now want to join Pastor Black’s church. That’s what this is all about, isn’t it?”

  “No,” she lied. “I don’t know where I want to join, and in all honesty, it could end up being right here. I’m just saying I’m not sure.”

  Chris sighed and leaned away from her, toward the other side of his chair. She waited for him to say something, but he didn’t.

  Pastor Raymond flipped through a couple of documents in their file folder. “Well, it doesn’t look like we’re making any real progress tonight, does it? But why don’t we talk about living arrangements. Have you decided where you’re going to live?”

  “This seems to be an issue, too, but I don’t see why,” Chris said. “Not when I have a nice three-bedroom brick home. So it only makes sense that Simone should give up her condo and move in with me.”

  “Yeah, but I don’t know if that’s the right thing to do, either. My condo is newer than your home, and it’s located in a much better neighborhood.”

  Chris frowned. “But you’re only renting it. I own my house, so why should I have to sell it?”

  Now Pastor Raymond sighed louder than normal and leaned back in his chair again. “I don’t really know how to say this any other way except to just say it: The two of you have far too many differences to be getting married. You’re what we ministers call unequally yoked. And in your case, it’s in more ways than one, which is never good.”

  Simone folded her arms and so did Chris. They just sat there, staring at Pastor Raymond in silence. He didn’t seem to know what else to say either, though, so after a few minutes, Chris scooted to the edge of his chair.

  “Pastor, I’m really sorry to cut this meeting short, but before we continue our sessions I think Simone and I need to discuss a few things.”

  “I think that’s a very good idea, and I certainly understand. Better to discuss your issues now than to end up in divorce court.”

  Simone squinted her eyes in anger before she could stop herself, but Pastor Raymond was getting on her nerves. And as she sat looking at him, she remembered something. She wasn’t joining his church anyway, so it wasn’t necessary to make a big deal out of this. Not when she knew Deliverance Outreach would become her church home.

  Not when she was planning to make that happen sooner rather than later.

  Chapter 16

  Chris still wasn’t all that happy about having Easter dinner with Traci, Tim, and the rest of their family, but Simone was glad he hadn’t changed his mind about going. As for her, she’d barely been able to sleep last night because of how excited she was.

  Chris turned into the subdivision and made a right at the first stop sign they came to. As they proceeded down the street, Simone looked from house to house, admiring every single one of them. She’d give almost anything to live in this neighborhood. She’d grown up with nothing, and to her, when a person had struggled and gone without so much as a child, he or she deserved to live the best life possible as an adult.

  They pulled in front of Traci and Tim’s home, and the first thing Simone noticed was how manicured the lawn was. The overall landscaping design was elegant, too, and their three-level brick home with a side-load four-car garage was breathtaking.

  Simone raised her sunglasses from her face to the top of her head. “Can you even imagine having a home like this? I mean, talk about being blessed. And did you see both their vehicles? A Mercedes S550 and a seven-series BMW.”

  Chris parked close to the curb in front of the house but didn’t say anything.

  “Baby, are you listening to me?”

  “Yeah, but I’m not sure what you want me to say.”

  “I’m asking if you saw their two cars before you parked.”

  “No, and I’m not sure how you did, either.”

  “The garage was wide open. And just look at this house. Just look at it.”

  Chris turned off the ignition and opened his door.

  Simone frowned. “Why aren’t you saying anything?”

  “Because I don’t understand why all this is such a big deal to you. Material things are nice, and I’m happy for Traci and her husband. But I also don’t see a reason to lose my mind over it.”

  “Really? So none of this makes you want a bigger house or a better vehicle?”

  “No, because unlike you, I don’t spend my time comparing myself to others.”

  “And what is that supposed to mean? I don’t compare myself to anyone, either.”

  “Whatever you say. Look, let’s just go in.”

  “I don’t, and I hope you’re not going to walk inside their home with this negative attitude.”

  “Then stop acting like material possessions are more important than people. Plus, all of this is the least of my worries. What I’m concerned about has to do with us. You and me, and all the differences we still haven’t worked out. So maybe I shouldn’t go in here at all.”

  Simone’s heart dropped, and she panicked. “Baby, please don’t do this. Not today.”

  “Well, you know it’s the truth. We have a lot of problems, and we can’t seem to agree on anything. And I’m not in the habit of pretending like everything is great when it isn’t.”

  Simone wasn’t about to let him ruin her visit with Traci, so she said, “Okay, you’re right. We do have a lot to figure out, so tell me what it is you want me to do.”

  “You already know.”

  “What? That you want us to live at your house instead of my condo?”

  “Yes, and I want you to join my church, and I want us to have joint bank accounts.”

  Simone sighed because she knew she would never agree to either of the last two. As it was, she didn’t necessarily want to give up her condo, either, but she could at least live with that decision. Still, she saw how serious he was, so she told him what he wanted to hear.

  “Fine. I’ll do everything you want, and the only reason I’ve been so guarded and hesitant about everything is because I’m afraid. You know I was engaged once before, and I was very hurt behind it. So it’s hard for me to trust you the way I know I can. But no matter what, I want you to know that I love you, Chris, and that I’ve never loved any man the way I love you.”

  At first Chris didn’t comment, but when he saw tears in her eyes she could tell he believed what she was saying. She hated using drastic measures to get what she wanted, but he hadn’t left her any other choice.

  Chris caressed the side of her face. “When are you ever going to get beyond these trust issues of yours? I’ve been honest and caring toward you since the very beginning. I’ve loved you since day one.”

  “I know, and I’m working on it. I really am.”

  “Okay, look. I know this is important to you, so let’s just go in and have a good time, and we’ll talk about our stuff later.”

  Simone kissed him, they both got out, and she opened the back door and lifted the German chocolate cake from the seat. Then they walked up the long driveway and down the short sidewalk to the front door. Simone rang the bell and could already see the gorgeous chandelier in the entryway.

  Traci opened the door and hugged both of them as they walked in. “Hey, you guys. We’re so glad you could make it.”

  “Thank you so much for inviting us, and here’s a little something we brought for dessert,” Simone said. “I’m sure you already have more than enough, but I hope you like it.”

  Traci took
the container from her. “I’m sure we will, and dinner is almost ready. Right now, everyone is in the family room.”

  Simone and Chris followed Traci, and unsurprisingly, the interior of the home was even more beautiful than the outside. It was, by far, Simone’s dream home, and if it took her the rest of her life, she would have one just like it.

  When they walked into the family room, Traci said, “I know you guys met everyone else when you visited our church, but my nephew, Ethan, was away at school.”

  Ethan got up and shook Simone’s and Chris’s hands. “It’s nice to meet you both.”

  “Nice to meet you as well,” Chris said.

  “Your aunt Traci was telling me that you attend Northwestern,” Simone said. “What a great school.”

  “That it is.”

  After that, Traci’s parents, Earl and Janet; Traci’s sister, Robin; and Tim said hello and shook their hands.

  But then Robin continued. “When we met you at church, your hair was different, right? You had this really cute cut, and it was very short.”

  Simone smiled. “Yeah, I’d been wanting to make the change for a while, though.”

  “So ironic that it looks exactly like Traci’s. Same style, length, and even the color.”

  Simone nodded. “I know, I keep telling her how strange it is that we have so many of the same tastes.”

  “Well, if that’s true, then pretty soon we won’t even be able to tell you guys apart,” Robin said, laughing.

  The room fell silent, but then Traci’s mom said, “Simone, it really is great to have you and Chris here. And actually, I just set the last of our dinner on the table.”

  Everyone began heading out of the family room, but before they left, Simone took note of the beautiful red leather sectional and two matching chairs. She also noticed all the ceramic accessories and contemporary figurines.

  Now, as they entered the dining room, everyone took their seats, and Tim said grace. Simone bowed her head and closed her eyes, but she felt a bit out of sorts. She wasn’t used to sitting down with a real family, the kind that loved one another and prayed together. She’d had dinner with her future in-laws plenty of times, but there was something different with Traci’s family. There was something special about the closeness they seemed to have and how they enjoyed each other’s company.