Page 91 of Time Out

“The Blessed Movement.”

He scoffed. “Don’t know a man who can truly believe he’s blessed and treat others the way I hear those men treat your families. How do they get away with not getting this stuff on camera?”

“I don’t really know how my uncle treats his kids. He didn’t have any girls my age, mostly boys, so it’s not like I had anyone to talk to over there, and for the most part, my uncle’s the one with the show. My family’s on it occasionally, but one of the rules has always been no cameras inside the church or studies. They mostly record the daily life and good times.”

“Makes sense why your dad would want that rule in there, then, huh?”

“Honestly, I’m not sure my dad cares. He’s not worried about anything. He’s the shepherd of a flock that since I’ve left, learned might be small, but the families involved carry a lot of weight in our county and some even in the state. There are senators, mayors. Business owners. I’m not sure how strictly every family follows Dad’s teachings, but very few families have ever left.”

“This Clancey family?”

Her eyes widened in surprise. If she was shocked, I told my dad everything, she shouldn’t be. Why would I hold anything back from one of the best men I knew? In truth, only Cole and Dave Buchanan and my sister’s brothers rivaled him in down-home goodness.

“Yeah, they’d heard about a teaching my dad gave me, said they had daughters and wouldn’t ever let a boy or man in that church touch them like that, even once they were married.”

“What about your mom?” I asked.

“What about her?”

“Does your dad….?” I couldn’t finish the question. Couldn’t consider it.

“I guess she learned early on to submit and follow the rules, but no, I never saw him mean to her. He’s actually really nice to her. Polite and sweet most of the time.”

“He’s still evil,” Dad muttered, and Maggie’s phone rang.

Maybe: Elizabeth Clancey lit up on the screen, and Maggie croaked. “Oh god. She made it. She actually went.”

Tears were already falling down her cheeks as she answered the phone, putting it on speaker and thank God, because if I only had to listen to one side of this conversation, I was screwed.

“Hello?”

“Magdalene. How are you?”

“I’m good, Mrs. Clancey. I’m okay. How’s Ruth?”

“She’s here, sweetie. Told me to call you. I have Jenna getting her packed. She’s grown so much, well you all have since we haven’t seen you, but she and Jenna are just about the same size. Mark and some of his friends are outside, keeping an eye just in case we see them coming. You sure it’s okay for her to go to you?”

“Yes. Absolutely, yes, please.”

“‘Cuz we can keep her. Trust me, I can still get so angry when I think about what your father… well.” She sniffed, and it might not be only the women who were crying by the end of this phone call.

Ruth was coming here. It was all that mattered.

“I won’t speak poorly of the man. But let’s say Mr. Clancey and I and our kids, all of them, have never felt so free since we left. The stories we know now, the things we’ve discussed. Wish I could walk right over to his land and scoop all of you young ones up.”

“Thanks, Mrs. Clancey. That means a lot.”

“You and Ruth need any help, you let me know, okay? We’ll send you a text once we’re on the road. Should be a few hours, but if you can text me the address where we’re headed, that’d be great. It’s only about five hours, so we’ll be there by dinner if we leave soon. I just thought you’d want to know we have her, and she’s safe. Scared, you know, and questioning if she should be here or go back home, but I’m gonna do everything to keep her from doing so.”

“Good. That’s really good. Thank you, I was hoping you’d help her.”

“Oh, sweet child. We should have caused a bigger fuss over what’s going on in that church and in your family much sooner. The fact we can help now is a blessing. Mark beats himself up all the time, wondering what’s happening to y’all and not knowing how to fix it, so you let us know. You want our words or witness or anything, you come to us, okay?”

“I will. Thank you, Mrs. Clancey.”

“Don’t thank me. Day we heard you were kicked out and were taking off was the best news we’ve ever heard. And from what Ruth says, sounds like you got yourself a pretty good man there. Mark says he’s a great ballplayer and everything, really nice and good. Seems to have his approval. Not that you need ours or anything.”

Maggie laughed into the phone, and when she caught my smirk, rolled her tear-filled eyes.

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