Page 18 of The Preacher's Wife
“You talk about God lovingly. There was a kindness in your sermon that I’ve never heard before, and I suppose it overwhelmed me a bit.”
The sound of him shuffling had her spinning to look at him. There was a hardness in his face now, and instinctively she scooted away from him. This made his eyes narrow further.
“What did I do wrong?” she whispered.
Hubert shook his head, and his face shifted to a more passive look. “Why are you afraid of me?”
“I’m not.”
“The way you just moved as if I would strike you, tells me a different story.” Another shake of his head, and he continued.“God is a loving Father. All-powerful, yes, but we’re His children and He cares for us. There is a kindness there.”
“That is not the God that I know.”
She watched as his eyes flashed to the ceiling and his throat bobbed. This was not how she wanted her first day of marriage to be remembered. The momentary flash of fear was fading.This was Hubert.Her husband. He had shown her nothing but kindness. She had to remember that he wasn’t her father.
“I’m sorry, Hubert.”
She desperately fought the urge to flinch as his hand came up to cup her cheek. A smile teased the corners of his mouth.
“When I’m angry, I go for a walk. I’ve never hit a person in my life, and I do not intend to start now. God loves you, Prudence Fitzgerald. I have an obligation to love and care for you for the rest of our days. I will not strike you.”
His thumb reached out to swipe away the tears that fell onto her cheeks, and she sat, not knowing what else to say or do. This was not how she had intended the day to go.
“I’m going to run up to my parents and gather my things. When I get back, we can talk some more if you’d like. I’ll need to know if you’re not comfortable leaving with me for Sterling, or if I should plan for you to stay here longer.”
Blinking, the words swam in her mind. He was giving her a choice. That was something she’d prayed for almost since her mother died.
“Of course I’ll go to Sterling. I can’t say that I will not be a mess, but I trust you to do what you say. I’ve made a commitment.”
His hand fell away, but she didn’t have time to miss his touch before he picked up her hand, turning it palm up. He watchedher as he brought it to his mouth. “We will find our path, as long as we keep the Lord in front of us.”
The brush of his lips sent tingles racing up her arm, and then he was standing, withdrawing his touch from her once more.
“Finish your snack and I’ll be back soon.”
Prudence nodded and tried to calm her racing heart. The encounter had caught her off guard, stirring up memories she had long buried. Her father’s anger, his violent outbursts, had shaped her perception of love and God. She had carried those scars with her for far too long.
As she sat by the crackling fire, Prudence closed her eyes, summoning the strength to confront her fears. She knew deep down that Hubert was not her father. He was different, kind-hearted, and compassionate. Yet, breaking free from the chains of her past would not be easy.
Hubert’s jaw ached from clenching it tightly, trying to keep his emotions in check as his wife shared her life experiences. He didn’t pay attention to the people he passed on the way to see his parents. They could judge him all they wanted, but his marriage was off-limits.
As he walked, Hubert regretted not bringing Silas with him, as he was the friend who always seemed to know how to handle difficult situations. Hubert felt ill-prepared to comfort Prudence and provide her with the balance she needed.
When he finally arrived at his parent’s door, he released his jaw with a loud pop. Rubbing the side of his face, he lethimself into his mother’s kitchen, where he found his parents in the middle of lunch. Shaking his head, he didn’t stop for conversation, instead carrying on to his room and roughly shoving things back into his travel bag.
“What’s happened?” The sound of his father’s voice didn’t surprise him, but Hubert was almost afraid to speak for fear of shouting. “Is Prudence all right?”
Closing his bag, Hubert turned to face his father. “She doesn’t know a loving God, and when we were talking, she flinched as if I would strike her because we disagreed.”
His pa nodded, understanding shining in his eyes. “And you don’t feel you can do anything about it?”
“How does a man become a minister and not share the love of God with his people? How does he become a father and not share his own love with his children?” Hubert clamped his mouth closed once more, breathing deeply through his nose.
“This is not the first preacher you’ve come across with these beliefs. Remember the man you met on the trail to Sterling?”
Hubert nodded, thinking back to the fire and brimstone preacher. Immediately, he was overcome with the desire to pray for their congregations and communities. “But I could speak to him directly. Not seeing the carnage he’s left on a spirit.”
Pa’s hand came down on his shoulder. “Hubert, you’ve never wanted a bride. You were content to follow what God called you to do. Then you were called to take a wife and a helpmate. Now here she is. Can you imagine another man qualified in the eyes of the Lord, with a gentle spirit and a giving heart to nurture her back to her faith?”
