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“Mornin’, Cassidy. I was just about to knock on your door. I’ve got to head into town in a little bit to check in with the Sheriff’s Office.”
“How bad is the damage in town?” Although the harm to the Lynches’ ranch had been minimal, there was no telling what devastation had been inflicted in town or in other portions of Texas.
“There are lots of reports of downed wires, flash floods and property damage. Some people still are without power, and there’s no telling when they’ll get it back.”
The peal of her cell phone interrupted Tate. With a quick glance she realized it was her father on the line. She felt a twinge of guilt that she’d forgotten to call her parents this morning. Her thoughts had been so filled with the aftereffects of the storm and making her way back into town. It had totally slipped her mind.
“One second, Tate. It’s my dad,” she explained, quickly flipping open her phone. “Hey, Daddy. How’s everything?”
She wasn’t getting very good reception. Her father’s voice crackled on the line. She could barely hear him. “Things aren’t so good here, Cass.”
Her heart lurched. Had she heard him right? “Daddy. What is it? Is Mom okay?”
She felt Tate drift to her side. She clutched at his arm, afraid to even breathe until she heard her father’s news.
“Yes, she’s fine. It’s the storm.” The line continued to hum and crackle. “There’s just no easy way to say it, Cass. The roof of Main Street Church blew off during the night. And until we can afford a new one, our congregation doesn’t have a place to gather.”
Chapter Eight
Tate led the way into town, followed by Cassidy in her sporty little ride. Along the way they saw people cleaning up from the storm, home owners using wet vacs to empty flooded basements, downed trees impeding roadways and a few ranchers looking for missing cattle. A few times he’d pulled over to inquire about the well-being of elderly residents and a few shut-ins. All in all, the community of West Falls had bravely weathered the storm.
He could tell by Cassidy’s face that the news about Main Street Church had left her reeling. She was chomping at the bit to get back into town and meet up with her father at the church. As soon as they reached the corner of Oak and Main he could see the huge gaping hole where the roof had been. Not only was the roof completely missing, but the steeple had also toppled to the ground. It was now propped against the side of the church, split right down the middle. It was a jaw-dropping sight.
Before he could even park his truck, he saw Cassidy standing on the sidewalk gazing up at the church. Her hand was over her mouth, and she was shaking her head back and forth. He quickly got out of his car and joined her. A throng of people had gathered on the sidewalk, along with a camera crew for an El Paso news station. It seemed that everyone was taking stock of the damage.
“I can’t believe this. How did this even happen?” Cassidy threw her hands in the air. “Most of the structures in town haven’t even been touched by the storm. It’s like the storm focused all its wrath on Main Street Church.”
“I heard one of the meteorologists saying the winds were upward of sixty-five miles an hour. Those kind of winds wreak havoc.” Given what had happened to the church, he felt grateful that West Falls hadn’t suffered any loss of life or major injuries. It was certainly something to be thankful for when he knew other communities had suffered much greater losses.
Tate gazed up at the top of the church. This was much worse than he’d even imagined. A crew was going to have to get over here immediately and put a tarp over the missing roof. If it rained again the beautiful wooden pews and the interior of the church would be even further damaged. As it was, the damage to the interior amounted to minor water damage.
“There must have been some structural problems with the roof,” he explained. “Looks like the storm blew through town and cut a path straight through this area.”
He knew Cassidy was taking this very personally, but it was one of life’s random events. No one could have predicted it or planned for it. Simply put, Main Street Church had been in the direct route of the storm. The only one who knew the rhyme or reason for this was God.
Cassidy seemed to be listening to him, and he noticed she was nodding her head at all the appropriate times. But she still wasn’t talking very much. He couldn’t get past the wounded look in her eyes. Even though she hadn’t been part of the congregation for many years, Main Street Church still had a place in her heart. A lot of it was tied to Pastor Blake and his leadership role in the church, but many of Cassidy’s memories revolved around her singing in the choir, meeting Holly for the first time at Bible Class and playing Mary in the Christmas pageant. They were good, solid memories that had laid a huge foundation for her faith.
“Let’s go inside and find your father.” He led her by the elbow up the stairs and into Main Street Church. An eerie hush had fallen over it. Without its roof, the nave was bathed in natural light. It felt as if it had been cracked wide open. Tate wondered if the building was even structurally sound. Had the storm revealed some underlying weaknesses that needed to be brought to light?
It didn’t take them long to find Pastor Blake. He was inside, standing in a huddle with members of the congregation. Some of the parishioners were openly sobbing while others were peppering him with questions about how quickly the roof would be repaired. There was a sense of urgency in their voices. He had to hand it to Pastor Blake. Despite the chaos swirling around him, he exuded a calm and steady presence. As soon as he saw them in the aisle, he excused himself and beat a path toward them.
Cassidy met her father halfway and hurled herself into his arms. He pulled her close to his chest and ruffled her hair.
Tate detected a little moisture in his eyes as he watched the pastor whisper something in Cassidy’s ear. Whatever it was, it made her smile. Seeing the love between father and daughter touched Tate’s heart. He knew they’d been down a dark road in the past few years and that their relationship wasn’t what it should be. Perhaps Cassidy’s return to West Falls was providence.
As soon as he let Cassidy go, Pastor Blake reached out and shook Tate’s hand. Tate could see the look of fatigue on his face. In the past few months he’d had to weather his beloved wife’s illness, and now he’d been dealt this devastating blow to the church. Not that he would ever complain about it, but he’d been through the ringer. It was no small wonder that he had dark circles resting under his eyes.
“Thanks for coming so quickly. How did the ranch make out in the storm, Tate?” Pastor Blake asked, his warm gray eyes filled with compassion.
It was just like Pastor Blake to ask about the well-being of others. In the midst of his own crisis he was still reaching out to his congregation. He was still making sure the community was doing well and thriving. As he’d thought many times before, Pastor Blake was an amazing, compassionate man. He inspired Tate to do better, not only in his personal life but in his role as a law enforcement officer.
“Thankfully the ranch didn’t have any major damage,” Tate answered. “Matter of fact, I just checked in with the Sheriff’s Office and so far there’s only minimal damage being reported in town.”
“I wish I could say the same for Main Street Church.” Pastor Blake’s gaze shifted upward to the rafters where the sun was now streaming down on them. “I have a roofing company coming back later to give me some quotes. I can’t imagine how much it will cost to fix all this damage.” He let out a huge sigh.
“Won’t the insurance cover the storm damage?” He knew all policies were different, but most would provide coverage for this.
“Our particular policy doesn’t include roof coverage,” Pastor Blake answered, his mouth set in a grim line.
