Frank set his hands back on his knees and scooted his chair closer to his desk, his playful demeanor gone. “It’s not worth worrying about. It’s just money. God will provide.”

“That doesn’t make it right, what they’re doing.”

“Maybe not. But—”

“You’re not going to at least tell them how you feel?” Mitch waved a hand. “Ask them to reconsider?”

“I might. I haven’t decided. But at the end of the day, my relationships are more important to me than my finances.”

“That sounds like a standard pastor cop-out.”

“Well, I am a pastor. But it’s not a cop-out; it’s the way things are.”

Mitch huffed. Even though they’d been estranged for two years, Frank was still his best friend. He wanted him to be treated fairly. And it wasn’t just the pay cut. How many times in the past twenty years had Frank gotten the short end of the stick from these people? How many times had he been taken advantage of and taken for granted?

“I just don’t know how you put up with them.”

Frank sighed, sliding over a to-go box from The Baked Potato so he could rest his elbows on the desk. “How did you put up with Caroline?”

The hairs on the back of Mitch’s neck rose. “What the heck—”

“No, listen.” Frank cut him off, serious now. “Caroline was an amazing woman, but she wasn’t perfect, was she?”

“Yes.” Mitch stumbled over the words. “She was.”

“No. She wasn’t. But you loved her anyway. More than anything or anyone else. Right?”

Mitch’s blood raced through his veins. How dare Frank bring Caroline into this? “Of course.”

“Even if she made a mistake or acted irrationally or was selfish sometimes, you loved her. You still do.”

Emotions clawed at the back of Mitch’s throat. Grief. Anger. Confusion. Sorrow. He would never stop loving her. Ever.

“It’s the same with the church.” Frank’s voice softened. The wrinkles on his forehead smoothed out. “She isn’t perfect, and she never will be. But I love her anyway. Warts and all.”

Mitch stared at the box of takeout food on Frank’s desk. Studied the potato lying on a towel sunbathing, which was The Baked Potato’s logo. He understood what Frank was saying. Sort of. But it was hard to keep loving someone who hurt you over and over. Hadn’t Caroline done it, though? How many times had Mitch hurt her over the years with his stupidity and pride? Yet her love for him had never changed.

“Well,” he grumbled. “None of that means I have to like what they’re doing.”

Frank raised an index finger. “Like is a feeling. Love is a choice.”

“Yeah, yeah.” Mitch rolled his eyes. “But for the record, Caroline didn’t have any warts.”

Frank chuckled. “I’ll take your word for it.”