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"I get it. You don't have to explain it to me, Harper. You should know that God doesn't barter. Volunteering isn't a substitute for attendance, but you should also know that neither is a requirement to have a relationship with Him."
"Wow, I never thought I'd hear a priest say attending mass isn't a requirement."
I shrug. "I just want to be honest with you. A place of worship is a beautiful way to bring the community together. It's supposed to be a safe haven for all whether they believe in God or not. Our doors are always open, and there's a seat in any pew for those who seek comfort."
She sighs and returns to rubbing gentle circles across my chest. "You have such a gift for speaking about God and the church. You feel so welcoming."
"Thank you, baby girl. It's vital to the church that I make everyone feel welcome."
"I wish your deacon behaved the same way."
"Oh?" That gets my attention. "Has Dennis bothered you before?"
"Outside of his creepy existence, not really. He made a lot of spam calls to my mom's house. My mother said he called everyone in the member directory several times a week. It was getting to the point where my dad had to personally tell him to stop."
"Do you know what the calls were about?"
She shrugs slightly. "Something about donations for the renovations. My folks gave a hefty donation because my dad felt bad for scaring the piss out of the last priest, Father Kosloff."
That gets a laugh out of me as we sit up to continue our conversation. "Ah yes. The Archbishop mentioned that there were some complaints about Father Kosloff. I'll have to ask Dennis about those renovations and when they were supposed to begin."
This time Harper laughs. "That's a running joke according to my mom. The church is always collecting for the building fund but nothing gets built."
I don't like the sound of that.
"Since we're going to be looking over the books, how about we make a note to look through the building fund?"
Harper shifts to face me. There's worry in her eyes. "What happens if we find something wrong?"
"I can speak with the Archbishop and schedule an accounting firm to come in to go over everything. We should have had an audit when I took over, but Dennis insisted we wait for the year to end. Don't worry, baby girl. I'm not going to let anything or anyone hurt you. Right now, I'm just a friendly priest helping you get the experience you need for your project."
"You're giving me a bunch of experiences that go above and beyond getting a good grade on a final exam," she says, giving me a soft kiss.
The kiss reignites our passion for us to go another round. We eat, sleep, and fuck through the weekend. By the time I emerge from her house, there are about two feet of snow on the ground, and I desperately need to change my clothes. After finalizing our plans to meet later in the afternoon, I finally head home.
The humble house is down the road from the church and it's one of the benefits of being a priest. It allows me to walk to the church when the temperatures aren't frigid either. However, stepping inside leaves me wishing I shared my home with Harper. I don't want to make any rash decisions, but I know I'm okay with abdicating my role in the church.
The future I see and want with Harper is something I'll never stop striving for. The meager house is a blessing, but it's not somewhere I want to build a family. There's not enough space.
After I speak with Harper's family, I'll talk to the Archbishop and take it from there. I'd love to continue my role here, buteverything we've done is enough to get me removed. I let my urges guide me instead of doing what's right as a priest.
There are too many thoughts roaming around my head, and I need to focus on getting ready for the day. The first day after the roads are clear is normally the busiest for the church's food pantry. It doesn't take long for me to get ready and head to the church.
There's already a line gathering outside of St. Alban's as I walk down the street. There are a few familiar faces and others who look like they can use a warm meal. The amount of snow mounted on the side of the building looks monstrous, but at least the parking lot and doorways are clear.
I do my best to put on a smile and greet everyone. "Good morning, everyone. Please, come inside to stay warm while you wait."
Everyone files in behind me. I expect to see Dennis, but he's not around. Instead, Irene Templeton, the church's Director of Ministry Outreach, is assigning volunteers different roles before we begin the morning kitchen and pantry service.
"Good morning, Irene," I greet her as I make my way to the office.
Irene's a sweet older woman with wispy gray hair, but her enchanting personality isn't one to be toyed with. She holds a lot of power and respect among the members of the church, always helping whenever anyone is in need, much like this morning.
"Morning, Father Hudgens. I'm so happy you were able to come in as early as you have. We have the chef preparing breakfast and volunteers ready to serve. We also have two volunteers in the pantry right now. Is there anything you need, Father?"
"Actually, I have a volunteer coming in later this afternoon to help me go over the books."
"Oh, that's wonderful," she exclaims, clasping her hands together. "Does that mean we're getting a full-time Director of Finance?"
