Page 8 of Second Chance Fate

A few dozen people stood and moved to the closest aisle to line up as he led the closing prayer before he dismissed everyone. When he saw the mystery woman stand and sneak out the same way she’d snuck in, adrenaline spiked through him. It took every ounce of self-control he had not to shout, “Stop!”

He knew that the prayer was more important than his personal obsession, and he managed to focus and keep his head in the game until he said amen. But after that four-letter word left his mouth, all bets were off. People stood and started to collect their things before filing out of the sanctuary. Instead of heading to the sound booth so Peter, the sound tech, could take off his lav mic like he normally did, he ducked backstage and then used the side door to access the hallway that led to the front lobby, where he hoped he’d find the woman who had been living in his head rent-free for months.

He walked with purpose, hoping anyone who saw his stride would pick up on the clue that he didn’t want to be disturbed.His plan did not work. Halfway down the side corridor, he heard the name that still caused him to look around for his father.

“Pastor Harrison!”

His head turned, and he saw Debbie Warner, owner of The Barky Brush Dog Grooming. Debbie was a celebrity in some circles. Her dog, Lucille Ball, was a three-time “Best in Show” winner at the Westminster Kennel Club, and Debbie and Lucy had been featured in several publications, a late-night talk show, and in the Guinness Book of World Records for people who look like their dogs. Debbie was a redhead with curly hair, and Lucy was a standard red poodle; the resemblance was uncanny.

Lucy was a sweet, angel of a dog who had helped socialize Minnie after Caleb rescued her. Prudence got Ballerina after falling in love with Lucy. She had no idea that poodles could be high-strung.

“Caleb, please,” he gently corrected her. He really wished everyone would just call him Caleb, but especially people who had known him since he was in diapers.

She ignored his request as she shoved an attractive, petite brunette toward him with much more force than seemed necessary, not that any force was necessary. “This is my goddaughter, Darcy. She just moved here from San Francisco.”

“Hi, Darcy. Welcome to Hope Falls.” Caleb gave a quick, friendly nod, barely slowing his pace.

“We were hoping you’d come over for dinner Tuesday,” Debbie followed up eagerly.

“I’d love that, but I’m not sure what my schedule looks like,” he called over his shoulder, weaving through the crowd. “Check with Judy.”

He turned and continued down the hall, a man on a mission. People were still filing out of the auditorium, merging into the hallway, but he didn’t see them. All he saw were those doors. He just needed to get on the other side of them…

“Caleb!”

He heard his name and didn’t need to turn to know who that voice belonged to. Sue Ann Perkins, owner of Sue Ann’s Café, was one of the residents who hadn’t insisted on calling him pastor when he took the role, which he appreciated.

When he turned his head, he saw she’d taken a note from the Cameo song; her hand was high in the air, waving like she just didn’t care. Caleb cursed his single status as the café matriarch approached with a knowing smile. Out of everyone in town, Sue Ann had the most notches on her matchmaker belt. For whatever reason, she was hell-bent, excuse the phrase, to see him wifed up. He wasn’t mad at the sentiment. He appreciated that she wanted the best for him, but it had put him in some very awkward situations spending time with people he had zero—scratch that—less than zero interest in.

“I’ve got someone I want you to meet.” The apples of her cheeks were as rosy as Mrs. Claus’s as she smiled from ear to ear.

“Can you just give me one minute?” He held up his pointer finger and flashed a hopeful grin, but his request was denied.

“No, butyoucan give metwo,” Sue Ann countered, shaking her head and signaling to a stunning young Brooke Shields look-alike, waving her over.

“I’ve been trying for months to get you two in the same room!” Sue Ann clapped her hands together.

Caleb was typically a very patient, easygoing man. But at this moment, he was neither of those things. Every second that passed was a secondshecould be getting farther away.

When the green-eyed stunner got within introduction distance, Caleb tried to move things along.

“Nice to meet you,” he said, shaking the woman’s hand impatiently.

“Lyric is my cousin Joan’s granddaughter. So I guess that makes her Ryan’s second cousin once removed,” Sue Ann explained.

Ryan Perkins was Sue Ann’s grandson. He was married to Karina Black, who had started the whole viral “Hot Pastor” thing.

“She’s here visiting from?—”

Caleb pretended his Apple phone buzzed and looked at his watch. “Oh, I actually need to go take this.”

Sue Ann gave him a look clearly communicating she wasn’t born yesterday and that she wasn’t buying his excuse.

Caleb chose to ignore her pointed glare. Instead, he smiled at her cousin’s granddaughter. “Nice to meet you, Lyric.”

“You, too.” A slight blush rose on Lyric’s cheeks as she dipped her chin.

He turned and walked away and thought, in that brief exchange, that unlike a lot of the other women who had been thrust upon him either voluntarily or involuntarily, she was truly shy and sweet. She wasn’t putting on an act. If he wasn’t on a mission not to let the woman who had been slipping through his fingers like grains of sand through a colander for the past six months get away, he would have actually stopped and spoken to her. But he didn’t because every second that ticked by, Caleb felthergetting further from his grasp.

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