The Pastor's Wife Read Online Free PDF Page A

say amen,” Terrance said as the choir began singing.
    “Amen,” the congregation replied.
    “I know someone out there is wrestling with something. I’m here to tell you, don’t worry about it. Pray about it. Come now, bring it to the Lord.” Terrance stretched out his arms.
    He smiled as he looked at Savannah in the second row, her eyes closed as she swayed gently to the sounds of the choir. She opened her eyes and he noticed that they were filled with tears.
    “The battle is not yours, it’s the Lord’s,” Terrance continued as he kept his eyes on Savannah. She inhaled deeply, then stood and made her way to the front.
    Several eyes were fixed on Savannah as she walked up the aisle. She kept her gaze focused straight ahead.
    Terrance waited a few more minutes before turning the microphone over to Raquel, who had been logging the names of the people who came to the altar.
    “Giving honor to God, Reverend Ellis, members, and friends,” Raquel began, “we have six people who come to join by Christian experience, and one person”—she motioned toward Savannah—“who comes for prayer.”
    Terrance didn’t know what, in particular, Savannah wanted prayer for, but he was pleased to see her come to the front.
    He said a few words to the congregation before offering up a prayer for Savannah.
    After he’d dismissed church and said his good-byes to the members, Terrance found himself looking around for Savannah. He wanted to talk to her privately and make sure everything was all right.
    “Hey, Brother Edwards,” Terrance said when he noticed Chester picking up discarded programs in the sanctuary. “Have you seen Savannah McKinney around here anywhere? She didn’t come out through the front and I was hoping to speak with her.”
    “Umph, I bet you were hoping to speak with her. I bet you was hopin’ for a whole lot more.” Chester chuckled.
    Terrance shot him a chastising look. “Now, now, Brother Edwards, get your mind out of the gutter.”
    “Come on, Pastor. Ain’t nothing to be ashamed of. That’s one fine young thang there.”
    “Have you seen her?” Terrance asked, trying to ignore the dirty look on Chester’s face.
    “Umm-hmmm. I saw her in the hallway in the back by the ladies’ room. Her equally fine grandmother was back there with her.”
    Terrance shook his head as he walked off laughing. “Thanks.”
    “Don’t do nothin’ I wouldn’t do,” Chester called out.
    Terrance waved him off as he headed through the sanctuary to the back hall to the ladies’ restroom. He had just turned the corner when he saw Savannah standing with her head lowered. Her grandmother stood over her, wagging her finger. Savannah looked like a child being scolded by her parents.
    “You’re just pathetic. How you gon’ let them women sit up there and talk about you like that?” Flo said.
    Savannah didn’t respond.
    “You gon’ learn. These people around this church ain’t nothin’ but hypocrites.”
    “Then what do you come for?”
    “To get under their skin.” Flo blew a frustrated breath. “I would’ve slapped that woman into next week if I was in a bathroom stall while she was talking about me like a dog. But what do you do? You come running out of the bathroom like a little girl. Crying like you crazy. They talked about Jesus. You think they ain’t gon’ talk about you? Especially because they jealous.”
    Savannah dabbed at her eyes. “I told you, I was just upset because I didn’t do anything to these women, and I was mad that they were talking about how Terrance would never want a woman like me.”
    “He won’t. But I told you that already. You need to get off that pipe dream. You’re good for one thing and one thing only with him, and that’s a romp in the hay. And quiet as it’s kept, ain’t nothing wrong with that. As long as at the end of the day, he’s the one who got used. You use men before they use you,” Flo warned again.
    Terrance could no longer stomach the horrible