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Ron got into he SUV and slammed the door. He put down the window and glared at Elijah. “This isn’t over,” he said.
“I’m sure it’s not,” Elijah replied.
Then Ron backed up and pulled away just as Rachel parked beside Jenny’s car. When he was safely out of the parking lot, Elijah walked to AJ and handed him the assault rifle. “Get rid of this.” The disgust was evident in his voice.
Then we heard her. The voice of Rachel Hatfield. When we were small boys and heard that bellow, we were in big trouble. “Boys,” she shouted. We turned in her direction and saw her standing with Jenny who was holding Jeremiah. Her hand was over her eyes shielding them from the sun. “What just happened here?”
AJ ducked into the truck and stowed the two weapons he had. Matt stowed his rifle. Then AJ being the smart ass that he always is said, “We’re just having a bit of fun before church.”
Matt looked at AJ. “I wasn’t planning on attending church.” He looked at himself dressed in jeans and a t-shirt. “But you have fun AJ.”
“God doesn’t care how you are dressed my son,” AJ replied. I shook my head at my brother.
Matt snorted at AJ. “By all means brother,” he replied. “I’m going home to Seth and Justin.” He climbed behind the wheel of his truck and shut the door.
“Pussy,” AJ snapped at him which only made Matt laugh at him. “I guess I’m going to church with you guys. He leaned into his truck and turned off the ignition then he locked the truck and shut the doors.
Rachel and Jenny approached our small group waiting in front of the church. Disa got out of the truck and came to my side. She laced her fingers in mine. Mom stopped in front of AJ. “You boys know better than to draw guns on church grounds,” she growled at him.
“Ron started it Mom,” he said not sorry at all that he had defended me and Disa when he thought we were in danger.
“That may be the case but…”
Then the pastor shouted for us to come inside, “Rachel, both Ben and AJ are coming to church. What a pleasant surprise.”
AJ smirked at her. “You aren’t off the hook yet,” she warned him.
“Isn’t it, Pastor? AJ will be coming every Sunday,” she informed him.
“Want to bet,” he said under his breath.
Rachel glanced over her shoulder at him. “I’ll take that bet,” she replied.
“Shit,” he answered. Then he followed her up the walkway to the entrance where he shook the Pastor’s hand.
“Good to see you sir,” AJ might be an asshole, but he was respectful when he needed to be.
“Nice seeing you too son,” he replied. “Glad you had things under control out here. Any longer and I was calling Hawk.”
Hell, he had seen us.
“I never did like Ron Parson. He’s bad news but it wouldn’t sit well for everyone to arrive for Sunday service seeing the Hatfield boys holding him at gunpoint.” He chuckled.
AJ groaned.
The pastor slapped AJ’s back as he passed by. “Ben, Disa called this morning. She said you two would like to talk to me. I have a few minutes before service starts.”
“Thank you, sir. If we could step aside for a moment, that would be great.”
Rachel didn’t like being kept in the dark. She raised an eyebrow at me. Shoo woman, I wanted to tell her. I didn’t need to. “Rachel, I’ll send them your way, shortly,” our pastor told her. She huffed at us, but she went to her usual seat.
Nothing had changed since we were kids. She didn’t want to be in the front or the back. We were the first to arrive, so she had her pickings of where to sit and she chose the same seat as always, smack dab in the middle. Elijah, Jenny and AJ followed her into the row and sat down. My mother bowed her head in prayer. She was most likely praying for her sons to not get themselves killed.
I let Disa do the talking since I hadn’t been to church in years. Ten to be exact. The pastor was looking at me though while she talked. Then he asked her to let us talk.
“Ben,” he said. “I’ll be honest with you. I’m surprised by this.”
I wasn’t sure what I was supposed to say to that, so I was honest. “I have loved Disa since I was twenty-two, Pastor. Something tore us apart. I’m not right without her. If you’re referring to my reputation, being without her and the hurt I felt well…we’re not letting that happen again.”
