Dustin lowered his head as they drew closer, pressing his mouth to her ear. “Lucky volunteered to take the DNA test three times, and I watched them take the last sample myself.”
If there was one man in Treepoint who she had never believed could hurt her, it was her pastor.
Lucky and Willa came to a stop in front of her. Then Willa stepped forward to give her a quick hug before stepping back to her husband’s side.
“It’s a beautiful day.”
“Yes, it is, Pastor.”
“We’ve missed you in church.”
Jessie swallowed the lump in her throat. “I’ve missed being there.”
“The congregation thought it was too beautiful to have the service inside today. Dustin has offered a spot on his property where Greer and Holly were married to have the service today. Will you join us?”
Afraid she would break down in tears again, she nodded.
“Logan,” Pastor Dean raised his voice, so everyone in the crowd could hear, “would you lead the way and start our opening hymn?”
“Yes, Pastor Dean.” Logan proudly moved around her to sidle through the crowd. At first, you could hear the first notes they sang at the beginning of every service, but then, one by one, each woman started following Logan, their voices joining in.
“Amazing … Grace …”
As Jessie stepped off the porch, one arm still wound through Dustin’s, she held her free hand out to Bliss.
Giving her a trembling smile, Bliss took it and Darcy’s hand. The four of them walked to the edge of the woods where Logan had disappeared, the raised voices floating through the woods.
“ … to sing God’s praise …”
If she never lived another moment, the coming together of the women in her church so she wouldn’t miss service was the most humbling experience she had ever experienced and one she would never forget. At least half the women didn’t even belong to her church. Some were the mothers from her daycare, others she had met in town, and still others were only acquaintances that she knew only by name.
“ … I was lost, but now am found.”
She had been lost when she returned. Now she could understand why the wrenching loneliness had grown after she left the hospital. She had kept away from her friends and the church when she needed them the most.
She learned early on that her daycare wouldn’t survive if she didn’t find help. She had more business sense than common sense. As much as she believed she could recover from her rape and kidnapping, she needed help and support from her friends, the church, and the one person who had never failed her.
The leaves of the tall trees swayed as they passed underneath. A feeling of homecoming soothed her soul that no one person could.
Jessie’s voice rose to sing with the others.
“… lead me home …”
As they walked closer to the fence, she saw the women weren’t having to climb over it. They were walking through a gate to pass through the field where Greer and Holly had been married.
There were blankets of every color waiting for everyone to sit down on. Sinking down onto a blue blanket where Logan was, Dustin settled down next to her as Bliss and Darcy joined them. Sutton, Tate, Greer, and Holly were already seated on the blanket beside theirs with Rosie crawling around, trying to escape Greer’s grip.
Pastor Dean waited until everyone was seated before raising his hand to end the hymnal. When the field went silent, he dropped his hand to his side as he raised his eyes heavenward.
“Father, we’re here to praise You in the church of Your own making for returning one of Your children back into the fold where she belongs. Philippians 4:13: I can do all this through Him who gives me strength.”
Pastor Dean lowered his eyes to her. “Jessie, not only can you count on God to give you strength, but you can count on every person in this field to be here every Sunday until you’re ready to come back to church. Don’t think I’m forgetting about our regular service at ten. Everyone here knows I’m longwinded enough to give two sermons.”
Those listening laughed. Her pastor regularly went past the allotted time that services were scheduled.
“You will not walk this path alone. We will be with you. There will be no shadow of evil that we cannot overcome together, because what holds us together cannot be broken by evil. While evil intentions can hide their appearance from us, God sees the marked soul underneath, not letting it escape His notice ….”
As the pastor spoke, Jessie saw Holt and Asher walk through the fence separating the two properties and families.
Seeing who she was staring at, Dustin took her hand and placed their joined hands on his thigh, linking their fingers together.
Her brothers took an empty blanket on the other side of them, listening to the sermon. A few minutes later, Jessie saw a group of men coming from different parts of the woods on the Hayes’ side to file through the gate. Her burly, back country cousins took off their hats as they sat down on the blanket with Asher and Holt. Those who didn’t have enough room just found a patch of grass nearby.