Page 78 of Knox
I glanced over and recalled the telephone call from my mother back in December, when she had shared the small town’s latest gossip ...
“Crew, you’re not going to believe this. Pastor Sexton is in a whole heap of trouble.”
“Pastor Sexton?”
“Yes! Levi and his boyfriend came to town and barged into the church this morning.”
“Wait. Levi and hiswhat?” I couldn’t believe my ears.
“Boyfriend,” she repeated, like she hadn’t just dropped a bomb. “Tall. Broad. Looked like he could break a man in half just by blinking.”
I adjusted my grip on the phone. “That’s probably Austin Butcher. Levi never said anything when I saw him last, but they seemed pretty close.” He’d also introduced the woman they were with as his girlfriend. Did they break up, and was he now with his teammate?
“Well, Levi made sure the whole congregation knew. When Pastor Sexton tried to come at him about bringing a teammate for backup, Levi just smirked and said, ‘No, I brought my boyfriend as backup.’ You could’ve heard a pin drop after that.”
I blinked. “He said that in church?”
“Clear as day. The room went dead silent except for Helen Parsons, who let out a little gasp like someone had slapped her.”
“And Pastor Sexton?”
“He turned the color of a ripe tomato and tried to shut it down, told Levi to watch his mouth, but Levi didn’t stop. He went on to say his father had cheated on his mother, knocked up an eighteen-year-old girl, and used church funds to support his other family.”
“Holy—” I dragged a hand down my face. “That’s insane.”
“It was a circus. Pastor Sexton started coming down from the pulpit like he was going to do something to Levi, but the boyfriend stepped in front of him and said, ‘I suggest you think twice about whatever you plan to do.’”
“Damn.” I blew out a breath. “And then what?”
“So, then Pastor Sexton told Levi to get out and called him a disgrace. Levi shrugged and said he had one more thing to say.”
“What was it?”
“Said he gave the cops a heads-up that the relationship with that girl started when she was still a minor.”
“He called Finn?” I wondered. My brother was a deputy in Harvest Ridge, and I figured Levi would call someone he knew and trusted.
“Probably.”
“Wow. Guess I missed quite the sermon.”
“You did. And you better believe the church group text is still going off. I just wanted to call and tell you because I know Levi’s your friend, and well … I figured you’d get a kick out of it.”
The last notes of the song ended, and Mallory stepped forward with a small smile. Her gait was still cautious from the accident, but she was steady enough to make it on her own. “Mind if I get a turn? Just one before I sit the rest out.”
I held out my hand to her, and she stepped in close after my mother kissed my cheek and walked off to dance with my father. Mallory and I settled into a rhythm to “Never Alone” by Lady A.
She looked around the yard and gave a small smile. “I wasn’t sure I’d make it here, you know? Not after everything.”
“You mean the wreck?”
She nodded. “That and life in general,but I’m glad I get to celebrate your special day with you.”
“Crazy how things turned out, huh?”
“Yeah,” she said softly. “I never pictured this, but somehow it fits.”
I glanced over at Knox dancing with Grady and his two sisters in a small circle. “Feels like this is where I was always meant to end up.”
