Thou Art With Me Read Online Free PDF Page B

control.”
    “I had no idea.”
    “Yeah, hazards of the job. Look, if you need my help, you’ve got it.”
    “Thank you. Could you come over and help me pack?”
    “No.”
    “No? Why not?”
    “Cindy. Between work and church I’ve seen all your clothes. Unless you’re hiding some crazy things in the back of your closet none of it is going to work for what you want.”
    “Well, what am I supposed to do?” she asked, struggling with the fact that she felt a bit embarrassed. She took a deep breath and reminded herself that she had nothing to be embarrassed about. Her clothes were neat, nice, and completely appropriate.
    For church.
    Because for years that had been her entire world.
    “I’ll meet you at the mall in half an hour. Be outside Trendies. Bring your credit card and wear pantyhose.”
    He hung up and she sat for a moment, wondering if calling him had been a huge mistake. Her finger hovered over his name, ready to call him back and tell him to forget it, that she’d make do with what she had.
    She took a deep breath. She had asked him. She was responsible for opening Pandora’s box. Now it was time to deal with the consequences.
    When she arrived outside Trendies half an hour later Dave was already waiting for her. He smiled when he saw her, but it didn’t reach his eyes. There was something going on with him, but he really didn’t seem to want to talk about it. Now was probably not the time to push, though. They were in a public place and she needed his help so she couldn’t risk alienating him.
    “You ever been in here?” he asked.
    “No.”
    “Why?”
    “I guess the name kind of scared me off,” she admitted. “I’m not exactly a fashion follower.”
    “Neither is Trendies. It’s a fashion creator. More than that it’s an eclectic blend of old and new. Whatever your style, you’ll find things in here for you.”
    “How do you know so much?” she asked.
    He rolled his eyes. “Youth pastor. I know more about most things than I want to. Last year three of our girls who attend Christian high schools asked me to come homecoming dress shopping with them to make sure their dresses would conform to the school’s decency standards. I’ll never get those five hours of my life back, I’ll tell you.”
    “I thought you loved being a youth pastor, dealing with the kids.”
    “The kids, yes. Some of the drama, no.”
    She followed him into the store which had a warehouse kind of vibe to it, complete with a second floor that had a catwalk criss-crossing overhead. Everywhere she looked there were racks and racks of clothes representing so many different styles and decades that it boggled her mind. “Are these consignment clothes?” she asked.
    “Nope, they just look vintage. Everything is new, made for this store. It’s what they’re known for.”
    “I don’t even know where to begin,” she admitted.
    “How long are you going to be gone?”
    “It could be six days, although hopefully we’ll find what we have to and be out of there before then.”
    “Did they give you any kind of itinerary?”
    “No, I just know it’s some sort of retreat to promote intimacy.”
    Dave actually smirked at that. “Oh, you’re going to have a good time. I’d pay money to see which of you freaks out and blows your cover first.” He chuckled and he seemed suddenly more like himself. “So, tell you what, let’s try to make Jeremiah blink first in this game of chicken you’ll be playing with him,” he said.
    His eyes were sparkling now and he seemed to be thoroughly enjoying himself.
    “I’m not sure I like where your mind is going.”
    “Oh, trust me, Jeremiah will.”
    “What do you have in mind?”
    “Cindy, we’re going to show him a whole new side of you. And it’s going to drive him bananas.”
    She found herself starting to smile at the thought. She wouldn’t mind driving Jeremiah a little crazy. Ever since Israel he had been subdued around her most of the time and it was becoming