Hiring this man had been a mistake. A big one. There was little she could do about it right now. But the next church council meeting would come, and in just days. Until then…
“Miss Cartwright?”
With a blink, Haley realized that a room full of teens waited for her to say something, to lead the discussion. Collecting her thoughts, she looked out at the expectant faces. “Thank you for reading, Josh. And you for sharing, Mr. Brandon. Let’s talk a little about the reverence of worship.”
From the corner of her eye, she saw Matt smirk. But he kept quiet during the discussion. Freewheeling, it ran the gamut from those who thought like Haley did, that worship service should be a time for quiet reflection, to a couple of teens who’d expressed an interest in the non-denominational but Pentecostal-type service held on the college campus during the year. Haley hadn’t heard anything about it, but that these teenagers would be interested in fellowshipping with other young people didn’t surprise her.
“Church shouldn’t be boring,” one of the teens said. “Why should I waste my time coming to something that’s going to put me to sleep?”
“Because your mother makes you.”
That got a laugh all around the room. Even Haley had to smile.
Community Christian Church had 250 members, most of them over the age of forty. The younger families brought their children though, so the congregation had a pretty good mix of both ages and races. Haley’s job as Sunday school director was to keep everyone, young and old alike, interested in the Sunday morning study of the gospel. She had some ideas about outreach efforts to draw more members to the Sunday school. But in the year she’d been in charge, the results had been mixed. Listening to the teens told her she might need to loosen up a bit and offer more activities that would appeal to them.
With just a few minutes remaining before the class ended, Haley breathed a sigh of relief that Matt hadn’t challenged her again. Her relief was short-lived, though, when one of the guys turned toward Matt.
“You’re the new choir director. What do you think about all of this?”
Matt leaned forward. Haley held her breath.
“I think everyone praises God in his or her own way. For some, it’s quiet reverence, as Miss Cartwright puts it,” he said with a nod toward Haley, who sat erect in her chair. “For others though, praise may come with a waving hand, tears, a shout of hallelujah or dancing.”
“Dancing?” Cindy said.
Matt chuckled. “Not that kind. There are many Christians who believe that holy dancing is a form of divine worship and praise.”
“We’re out of time,” Haley quickly interjected before this got out of hand.
“Oh, man,” someone complained. “It was just getting good.”
They said a final prayer; Haley then passed out a sheet with home Bible study suggestions and activities for the coming week and they began to disperse for the unity gathering.
Haley had smiles and hugs for the teens as they filed out of the classroom. She complimented Shannon on her new braided hair, and again thanked Josh for volunteering to read the Scripture in class and during the closing. She offered Miguel a word of encouragement as he left and overhead Jacob still talking about the end of their discussion.
“Jacob,” Haley called, with the intent of answering a question he had about a scene in a movie that showed women dancing around a golden idol. But Matt touched her elbow. She knew it was him because the hair at her neck prickled with an uneasy awareness.
She whirled around, soundly closing the classroom door behind her. “How dare you?”
In the face of her anger, Matt took a step back. “Whoa, Haley. What’s wrong?”
“How dare you bring something like that up in here? We’re a conservative congregation, Mr. Brandon. If you think you’re going to come in here and just turn things around and have people shimmying and shaking in the aisles, you’re gonna be out of a job faster than you can say ‘What happened?’”
“You know,” he said, his voice a slow drawl. For the first time, Haley heard a bit of his Louisiana heritage in his voice. “I’ve typically found that the people who are most resistant to change are the ones who have the most to lose. What do you have to lose, Haley? I’m not here to take your position if that’s what you’re worried about.”
“What I’m worried about is you putting thoughts and ideas in those kids’ heads. Things that will confuse them. This isn’t a seminary. It’s Sunday school.”
“Oh, well perish the thought that they might think and evaluate anything for themselves. Who died and made you gospel queen?”
Before she realized it, Haley’s hand connected with his face. The slap resounded in the classroom.
He caught her hand in his, his grip strong and sure.
Mortified, Haley stared at the red imprint on his jaw. She’d never in her life hit another human being. Her mouth trembled and tears filled her eyes. But she didn’t apologize.
She tried to tug her hand from his, but Matt held on, his blue eyes locked with hers.
“You try me,” he said. His voice, while not cold, didn’t hold any warmth either. An indefinable something gleamed in his eyes, though. A shiver raced through Haley.
“Let me go.”
His grip loosened a bit, but he held fast. Slowly, he turned her hand until her open palm was exposed. He bent his head, his eyes never leaving hers. And then he pressed a kiss to her hand.
“Jesus taught that we should turn the other cheek,” he said.
He released her so quickly after that that Haley stumbled. By the time she got her bearings, the door had clicked closed behind him.
Chapter Four
He hadn’t lied when he’d told her she tried him. Around Haley it seemed Matt’s patience and his new-found peace was tested at every turn.
Did she do it deliberately? Or in some way was she yet another test of his faith, of his commitment to this new life he’d forged from the ashes of his disastrous past?
Today, right now as a matter of fact, his mind should have been on his formal introduction to Community Christian’s full congregation. He was instead focused on the passionate blonde who sat on the right side in the fifth pew. The daggers she sent his way probably would have discouraged a lesser man. But Matt, in his day, had faced worthier and more formidable opponents. And that, unfortunately, is what Haley seemed to be…an opponent.
He still didn’t know what had possessed him to place that kiss in her palm. It was there, her hand soft in his, her righteous indignation fueling the room with heat. He’d stared into her eyes and saw reflected there things she probably didn’t want him to see: fear, yes, and shock that she’d actually struck him, but also longing and more than a touch of confusion.
As he waited for the cue from Reverend Baines, he wondered what made Haley so hostile toward him. Why she, one of the people he’d initially thought would be open to new ideas, so fiercely clung to tradition. She didn’t even see that her outmoded ideas were sending her precious young people in search of something more in places other than the welcoming arms of Community Christian.
“This morning, it gives me great pleasure to introduce to you our new choir and music director,” Reverend Baines told the congregation. The smiling minister turned to face Matt. “I think Community Christian has been blessed. We’ve grown so much that we now need a music director.”
People in the congregation chuckled. “He comes to us from Portland where