LITMIR.BIZ

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with his wife and family. The wife looked disgruntled and the children tired.

      It had been a long day.

      “Are you going to the fireworks later?” Gabriel asked.

      “We’ve had about all we can take for one day, Pastor,” the woman said. “These guys have school tomorrow.”

      A chorus of “aw, Mom” followed that pronouncement as the family moved toward the parking lot.

      Gabriel smiled. He’d expected to have trouble landing a pastorate the size of Good Shepherd because, at thirty-eight, he remained a single man—unusual, but not unheard of. Most congregations preferred that their leader come as a package: a lovely and devoted wife who would be expected to either sing in the choir or teach Sunday school, along with one, two or three perfect or near-perfect children rounding out the Christmas card picture. Though he didn’t have that—yet—he’d been remarkably blessed. And he loved the people of Good Shepherd—even if he couldn’t come right out and say that the thing congregations wanted for their pastors he also wanted for himself.

      His gaze drifted back to Susan. She hugged the girls close to her and then appeared to wipe their eyes as she stood up.

      “Pastor Gabriel!” A husky eleven-year-old tackled him in a bear hug.

      “Tommy! You’re going to knock the man down.”

      “He’s fine, Mrs. Anderson,” Gabriel said, giving the child a hug in return, the Down syndrome boy one of the most loving and gregarious members of the church.

      “Did you have a good time today?”

      “The best!”

      “Gimme five, my man,” Gabriel said, holding up his hand.

      The two slapped palms and laughed at the ritual they shared.

      “Thanks for everything, Pastor,” Mrs. Anderson said. “Come on, Tommy. It’s time to head home.”

      “Okay,” the boy said, giving Gabriel yet another hug. “Had fun, Pastor Gabriel.”

      “Me, too.”

      The encounter left Gabriel smiling. Not two minutes ago he’d been standing here having a private pity party, only to have the reason for his being at Good Shepherd show itself moments later. It wasn’t about him. It was about spreading the Gospel and being a good shepherd.

      “Okay, Lord,” he said with a chuckle after the two moved on. “I hear You.”

      Later that night, before turning in, Susan looked in on Hannah and Sarah. Their distress still weighed heavily on her.

      Proud of her six-year-olds for having the courage to tell her their fears, Susan at the same time felt a sense of remorse over the impact her life work seemed to have on them. It was one thing for an adult to worry about issues like domestic violence, abuse, poverty and homelessness, and another issue entirely for two otherwise healthy, happy and secure children to spend their days constantly on the lookout for trouble.

      Susan thanked the Lord that they were too young to remember their father. If they ever asked—and she could frankly say she didn’t look forward to that possibility—she’d be honest with them.

      For now, though, as far as the twins were concerned, Reggie Carter was merely a man they didn’t know who smiled at them from the pages of a photo album. Photographs were all Susan had left of their father to share with Hannah and Sarah. Everything of value that she and her husband once owned had been hocked, traded or sold to support his drug habit. He’d been an all-star on his high school track team, but even the mementos of that brief glory period disappeared after he died. Susan always suspected his mother of clearing out their apartment before Susan had a chance to save anything for her daughters.

      Now, as she looked in on the twins—both sleeping peacefully in twin beds, their pink-and-purple bedroom a little girl’s haven of comfort and toys—Susan fretted about how they were growing up.

      Granted, the home she’d made for them was comfortable, filled with books, plants and country crafts that Susan either bought or made. “Cozy and inviting” is how her friend Tina described it. But Susan and her girls lived on Galilee Avenue, right next to the shelter that claimed so much of Susan’s heart, soul and time. Right in the heart of the city’s most drug-and gang-infested blocks.

      The women who resided at Galilee on a long-term basis all struggled. Some still lived in fear of the husbands, boyfriends or other family members who beat or threatened them and their children.

      Was this any place to raise her own?

      She’d negotiated into her compensation package the apartment located above the Galilee Foundation’s office.

      Grateful for a home, Susan still wondered if maybe it was time to move away to one of the city’s better neighborhoods. She’d diligently saved money from the first opportunity she’d been given. Interest rates weren’t too bad. Maybe the time had come to start looking at homes. She had halfway decent credit, though the time with Reggie and the debt that he’d racked up and she wound up being responsible for would in all likelihood count against her.

      She’d like to find a place where she wouldn’t have to worry if the girls played out front, someplace that had a backyard, room for a dog to run and maybe for Susan to plant a garden, some flowers and vegetables.

      Unable to resist, she tiptoed into the room again and placed a kiss on each girl’s forehead.

      “Thank You, Lord, for giving them to me,” she whispered. “Thank You for keeping them healthy.”

      The prayer of thanksgiving, a frequent one, always crossed her heart and her lips when she gazed at her daughters. At the time of her pregnancy, Reggie had been using drugs a lot. She had worried for the entire nine months that he may have passed on something to her that she in turn might transmit to the babies. That hadn’t been the case, and Susan remained ever so grateful.

      These children, her precious, precious gifts from God, brought joy to her each day. Susan didn’t know what she’d do if harm ever befell them.

      That thought made her think of Jessica and her daughter Amy. “Thanks for bringing Amy back, too,” she added to the casual prayer.

      With a final look at Hannah and Sarah, Susan slipped from the room and sought her own rest.

      By Wednesday, her mind still on doing right by her girls, Susan decided to take a look through the real estate ads in the Colorado Springs Sentinel. A headline on the front page caught her attention before she could turn to the inside section. The mayor and police spokesman provided an update on the crime wave and the city’s effort to stamp out what one source in the story said were the signs of an organized crime group seemingly overnight claiming a chokehold on Colorado Springs. The mayor refuted that theory, though.

      “That’s the problem,” Susan said, tapping the newspaper with her pen.

      “Talking to yourself again, boss?”

      Susan looked up to see Jessica standing in front of her desk, a Cheshire-cat smile on her face.

      “No,” Susan said. “And what are you up to?”

      “Oh, nothing. Just a few last-minute things before I leave.”

      “You shouldn’t even be here today,” Susan said. “Your wedding is on Saturday. That’s just a few days away, you know.”

      Jessica waved a hand. “With all I’ve been through, the wedding is going to be the easy part.”

      It had been an incredibly stressful few weeks for Jessica. Recovering from surgery and dashing to New Mexico with Sam to reclaim her kidnapped daughter had just about done Jessica in. Now, however, all seemed right in her world. No one deserved happiness more than Jessica, Susan thought.

      She came around her desk to give Jessica a hug. “You’re going to be a beautiful bride, and this time, the happily-ever-after will be for a

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