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The priest scrunched up his nose and scratched his head. “Ah, Catherine. I’ve lived a long time. So I suppose I’ve seen more than most. Your Jason is a fine man. It takes guts to follow your convictions.”
Which wasn’t really an answer. And there it was again. Another person taking Jason’s side. Wasn’t there anyone she could find to curse him and call him names?
She finally formulated the thought that had been nagging at her all week. “I suppose he knew this was a holy place. And he couldn’t bring himself to speak vows that weren’t true.”
“Perhaps.”
Cate twisted her hands together. “Was it my fault? Did I somehow disrespect the covenant of marriage?”
“Don’t be daft, child. You acted in good faith. And so did your young man. Certain things happen in our lives that pull a thread from one tapestry and begin to weave another.”
She frowned, irritated. “Is this where you tell me that everything happens for a reason?”
He straightened an inch and glowered as much as a benevolent gnome can. “Not even for a moment, Catherine. God isn’t some manipulative puppeteer who throws disaster our way to teach us things.”
Something inside her chest loosened...a stifled breath she hadn’t even known she had been holding since Saturday. “Can you be absolutely certain about that, Father?”
He patted her shoulder but reached up to do so. Cate had a good six inches on him. “I may not have all the answers, young Cate,” he said firmly. “But I do know that.”
“So you’re saying when we screw up our lives it’s all on us?”
His grin was oddly youthful. “Sometimes yes. And sometimes, it’s pure bad luck.”
“Then what’s the point of church and all the bells and whistles?”
“Ah, now that’s easy. It keeps us from being alone on the journey.”
Before she could absorb that bit of homegrown theology, the old man ambled away, leaving Cate alone again in the echoing room.
She pondered the priest’s last statement as she walked back down the aisle. The symbolism wasn’t lost on her. The original plan had been for her to exit the sanctuary on her husband’s arm. Yet here she was. Walking alone.
But when she opened those heavy double doors, the sunshine outside was still as warm and the day still as bright. For the first time, she felt a flicker of hope. Not that Jason would change his mind. That was done. She had no illusions about her ex-fiancé and their relationship.
No, the hope was forher. She was going to start over. No matter that Saturday had been the worst day of her life. No matter that she had lost her best friend. She was not going to let life stomp her into the ground.
There were plenty of people in the world withrealproblems. Hunger. Homelessness. All kinds of terrible challenges.
Cate was lucky. She had a stable family, dear friends who loved her. Good health. Financial freedom. And then there was Harry. Harry, who had gone out of his way to look after her when she was at her lowest point. Harry, who had given her space and privacy, but hadn’t been afraid to employ tough love when she spent too much time feeling sorry for herself. Thinking of him gave her the oddest feeling.
She had to resist the urge to cling to her benefactor like a port in a storm. Taking advantage of his kindness would be cowardly.
By now, it was late afternoon. Atlanta at rush hour was a challenge on the best of days. She steered the little car in the direction of home... Harry’s home. The place that had been her sanctuary in recent days.
At a stoplight, when her phone dinged, she risked a glance. It was a text asking when to have dinner ready. Since the light was still red, she tapped out a reply.On my way now. Starving.
Harry responded with a thumbs-up emoji.
As Harry had promised, the garage attendant waved her through when she arrived. Cate parked, retrieved her purse and suitcase, and made her way upstairs. At Harry’s door, she dithered. He had given her a key. There was no reason she couldn’t walk right in. But it felt weird. On the other hand, if she knocked, he would probably want to know why.
Either way, she felt awkward.
In the end, she put the key in the lock, knocked quietly and let herself in.
Harry met her in the foyer with a bemused look on his face. “You’re free to come and go, Cate.” He glanced at the suitcase. “Although if you’re planning to stay till Christmas, we may have to talk.”
His gentle teasing flustered her. She dropped the purse and bag. “I needed more stuff. I’m going to Blossom Branch sometime soon to visit my grandparents.”
“Ah.” He rubbed a hand across the back of his neck, his gaze hard to read. “I had another note from Jason. He suggested you might want to get the last of your things out of his place while he’s gone. I’ve always had a key for emergencies. I’ll be glad to help.”
