Chapter 2 - Deacon/James - Man on a Mission

 

Chapter 2 - Deacon/James - Man on a Mission

Deacon, Present Day

A knock came at my office door and Faith poked her head inside. “You about ready to go?”

I paused and surveyed my surroundings. “No, I have a few more things to take care of. I’ll have James take you home.”

She nodded and left just as James entered. “What are you doing, man?”

“What do you mean?”

“Faith. Can’t you see how sad she is? She can feel you pulling away from her.”

“I have work to do.”

James grunted in disapproval. “Keep telling yourself that. Someone’s going to realize you’re not invested and go after her.”

Deacon eyed him suspiciously. “Seems like somebody’s already noticed.”

“Don’t put this on me. It’s all you. Me and Hailey may not be at the best place in our marriage, but I am not the one who lied to her for months making her, and everyone else, think you were still married when you weren’t.” James got up to leave. “Not my circus, not my monkeys.”

Deacon watched him walk out. The man had a point but there was nothing he could do about it right now. The financial issue they’d uncovered went way deeper than they realized. He needed to figure this out before the entire church went under.

He had a fearful thought that he was going to have to choose between Faith and the church. And right now he wasn’t strong enough to consider all the consequences of whatever actions he might take in the future.

***

James, Present Day

“Are you all right?”

Faith shrugged. “I think I made a mistake coming back.” Her voice sounded choked up. “I’m not sure I can do this.”

“Don’t say that. You are doing great things for the church,” James said turning onto her street and parking in the driveway next to her house.

She gave a humorless laugh. “I’m not worried about the church. God’s got their back. Sometimes I don’t think Deacon believes that. I’m worried about me, us. I cry out to God but I still can’t get my own cup filled. I’m always exhausted and sleeping. I’m kind of a mess if you haven’t noticed.”

“Oh, I’ve noticed That is part of the reason Hailey has been so distant from both of us.”

“But we’re just friends. People need friends.”

James sighed. “I know that and you know that, but they are both in their own little worlds right now distancing us from them. One day they might wake up and find us both gone. Sometimes a cycle has to be broken for people to wake up.”

“Thanks for driving me home, James. I should probably just drive in with you since you always seem to be the one on courier duty.”

She gave me a half smile and I grabbed her hand, squeezing it gently, holding on to it a little longer than really appropriate.

“It’s going to be okay. God has a way of making these things work out.”

“From your mouth to God’s ears.”

I watched her walk into the house and knew that if Noah wouldn’t step up to fill Faith’s cup, he knew of a few people who would be willing to help her with that no questions asked. Noah didn’t know how close to disaster his relationship really was.