Page 39 of Gideon

“I’m gonna come out and say this next part real fast.”

“Please do.”

“Eric told me God sent me here to rescue the town. Also, I’m pretty sure He—as in God—wants me to tear down the totem poles.”

Nikki licked her lips, trying not to let her face showthat her heart was exploding. After all her back-and-forth expectations about Gideon, he was saying exactly what she’d longed to hear for so long. “So,” she swallowed to steady her voice, “God told you to tear down the totem poles in order to save the town?”

“I told you I would sound crazy. It’s okay if you don’t believe me. I wouldn’t if I were you.”

“It’s not that I don’t believe—in miracles.” To have the thing she’d prayed for for so long now standing in front of her, she was afraid to believe it was true. Or that taking down the totem poles would have any lasting change in the town. She hated them, but they were only things. “Can you give me some time to process?”

“Actually, I was hoping you’d tell me it’s all in my head and to get over myself.”

“If I’m going to do that, I still need to process. Can I ask you a question?”

“Sure.”

“Hasn’t your leg been improving over the last few weeks? I’ve noticed the difference. You said yourself you thought he might be a con man. Forgive me for asking, but he’s not playing you, is he?”

“The fight I had with Cole definitely re-injured it bad. One minute, it was blown up and I could barely walk, the next, it was as good as before the accident.” He bounced on his toes to make his point. She nodded slowly.

“I believe you, and that’s great. But I have another question.”

“Shoot.”

“It’s about the totem poles. Are you one hundredpercent positive it’s what God wants? I’m concerned that’s not the best place to start. If we change the heart of the people, they’ll want to take them down themselves.”

“You don’t want to get rid of them?”

“I do. They’re horrible. But I want to make certain you’re sure. There are too many people here who rely on them, whether they know it or not. This town has gotten superstitious. If you take them down, they’ll probably freak out, thinking it’s the end of the world. And that’s if you even have the chance to get them down before they stop you.”

“I know. That’s why I thought maybe I’d do it at night.” He looked at her, hopeful, then shook his head.

“What? I’m sorry I’m not being more supportive.”

“It’s not that. I came here wanting you to talk me out of it, but now that you are, I find myself more certain than ever. I’m gonna do it. I have to. I don’t expect you to understand. But would you do one thing for me? Would you pray?”

“You want me to pray?”

“Yeah. If you believe I’m doing the wrong thing, then you can pray God stops me before it’s too late. But please pray.”

She believed in the power of prayer, but it was such a benign offering under the circumstances. Gideon was giving her exactly what she wanted, but because God didn’t deliver the way she’d expected, she was about to miss it.

“What if I helped you instead?” she said.

“Praying would be helpful.”

“I know. But I want to come with you.”

“No. No way. I don’t want you getting into trouble with these people. If I go too far, I can leave. You can’t. You’ll have to live with the ramifications.”

“I won’t sit around doing nothing. I’ve been begging God to do something for years. Now you come along with your nuts ideas. And I mean, you’re right, it’s crazy. Part of me thinks you’re out of your mind. And that’s exactly why I’m not gonna stay out of it.”

“Nikki.”

“I’m a grown woman. This is my decision.”

“I just want to make sure you’re considering the consequences.”

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