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engine and stared at Landon
before nudging his shoulder. “We’re here. Ready?”
    He snapped awake and grumbled, “No. Thanks
for asking.” He got out first, and with a proud stride came around
to her door and assisted her.
    His persona was that of an heir to a fortune.
Despite the present condition of his clothes, they appeared to be
good quality fabrics. The question nagged her again. If God’s grace
was tangible like clothes and shoes, when and where did Landon fall
from it?
    “So when was the last time you were in
church?”
    “A while.” Landon shrugged. “I haven’t kept
track.”
    That sense of humor again—Octavia was
starting to expect it. Landon was easy to be around. She was
comfortable. On a first date, she was usually guarded around a man,
but this wasn’t a date. Still, she liked Landon—as a person, not
boyfriend.
    In the foyer, the pictures and plaques on the
wall seemed to draw in Landon. “Those are from community outreach
events,” she said, pointing at photographs of children at summer
camp, vacation Bible school and an elderly health fair. She steered
him inside the sanctuary where the other two praise dancers were
talking in front of the pulpit. Landon went no farther than the
back row, and he immediately took a seat.
    Octavia waved as she approached Kai Kelly and
Deb Beavers. The trio rehearsed once a month and danced every other
Sunday.
    “Who is that?” Kai whispered when she was
within hearing distance, peeping over Octavia’s shoulder. Men
didn’t go unnoticed at any church, including hers.
    Although their church had an evangelistic and
community outreach team that ministered to shelters and families,
Octavia wasn’t sure how receptive they would be to Landon’s plight.
She did a speed dial through her mind for an acceptable excuse.
“That’s Landon. I saw him at one of my properties—” versus found
him, she thought. “—and we chatted. He’s tagging along because
we grabbed a bite to eat.” She exhaled. “Now, come on, Sister
Nosey, let’s change so we can practice.” She looped her arm through
Kai’s.
    Kai wouldn’t budge. “Is he married? Children?
Job? What kind of car? And yeah…saved? He looks like a hunk from
here.”
    Octavia shook her head. The two had had
conversations in the past about men in the dating pool.
Unfortunately, Kai was of the mindset that if the man didn’t make
more, possess more goods and had a better paying career with a
higher education level than her, then he was disqualified from the
pool. Octavia always argued, “What about love?” but she never won
with her.
    Deb squinted at the back of the sanctuary.
“He looks kind of suspect to me. Maybe he’ll look better in the
light.”
    I wouldn’t count on it . “Come on, let’s dance.” Octavia playfully nudged
her. Landon Thomas definitely wouldn’t make the cut. In the back
dressing room, Kai was like a mouse with a piece of cheese—she
wouldn’t stop asking about Landon. “Listen, I’ll introduce you
after practice.”
    They changed, re-entered the sanctuary and
poised at the altar as they waited for the engineer in the sound
room to play the first of two of gospel songs by artist LaRue
Howard for them to interpret in dance.
    Shutting out everything around her, Octavia
worked through the routine. If Landon didn’t feel the presence of
the Lord through this song, then his bones were truly dry. “Lord,
let him live again,” she whispered, referring to Ezekiel 37.
     
    ***
     
    The sound of congas filtering through the overhead
speakers reminded Landon of home. Reared in a musical family,
everyone could either sing or play an instrument, many of them
both. Only two people in his family played the congas, one being
Jamal—Garrett’s nephew. The boy could put any adult to shame with
his artistic ability. As the music crescendoed, Landon zoomed in on
the expression of Octavia’s smiling face. It glowed as if God had
dusted His anointing on it.
    The ladies’ movements were