Grounds to Believe by Shelley Bates

Author:Shelley Bates
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Publisher: Steeple Hill
Published: 2004-03-21T23:00:00+00:00

Sunday was a day of rest. After Gathering in the morning from ten till twelve, lunch for eleven people at Madeleine’s house to celebrate the news that Ryan could come home the following day, an afternoon with an energetic three-year-old who simply would not go down for her nap, and the drive back home to change due to a mistimed sip of milk, Julia was more than ready for it. But there was no hiding from the current of nervous energy that started up inside her around five o’clock, when she was finally able to shut herself into her apartment.

This must be what drug addiction is like, she thought as she knelt by the bed, trying unsuccessfully to pray before Mission. Her skin felt as though it was just barely holding her together. Blood energized by adrenaline fled through her veins. She would never hear a word of Melchizedek’s sermon if Ross was anywhere in the room.

I hope he doesn’t come.

Oh, Lord, please let him come.

God didn’t listen to such selfish prayers. She got up and threw open the closet door. She didn’t have a thing to wear. All her clothes looked dull and monotonous and, well, black. It was hopeless. The women of the Elect dressed to symbolize sacrifice, not to be attractive. And not for the first time, Julia wondered if that was really what God wanted from half His creation.

The parking lot at the Mission hall was nearly full. She could get a seat on the center aisle, she thought as she hurried inside. He’d see her right away and come and sit with her.

Or maybe not. She’d forgotten about Derrick. He would see the seat on the aisle and assume it was for him. But even if he got there after Ross, he would spend the whole service staring at them, making sure Ross didn’t so much as bump her shoulder. People would notice. People would talk.

Oh, this was awful. She bowed her head and opened her Bible to Job and his patience during his trials.

The advantage of sitting on the aisle was that she only had to lift her head a little to see people as they came in. Here were Madeleine and Owen, with Hannah between them. Owen flashed her a smile as they made their way to the front row. Alma Woods and her bevy of cronies came in afterward, bulky clothes rustling, T-strap shoes clacking on the hardwood floor. They sat in the third row, gossiping about everyone they saw as if it had been a month instead of a week since they’d done it last. The room was filling up now, and still he hadn’t appeared. She closed her Bible and laid it on the chair beside her. Someone in flat heels tiptoed past, trying to be quiet. Dinah Traynell, in a new high-waisted dress with a—good heavens. It wasn’t even homemade. Who was she trying to impress?

A horrifying thought struck Julia. Her mother had quizzed her about Ross yesterday. Had

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