They had to sit in the second pew and were so cramped that Mack’s shoulder and hip pressed right up against Lily’s. Not that he minded, but it sure raised the temperature in the church by several degrees. His tie started to throttle him, and his pulse raced. He reached for the last hymnal at the same time Lily did. His hand closed over hers, and the sparks almost scorched the book.

“We’ll share,” he whispered.

She gave him a brief nod. Should he have offered to share with Braden, who was sitting on his other side? They sang a congregational hymn, and then the preacher started his sermon. Mack tuned him out and thought about how nice it would be to have a woman like Lily in his life—someone who would be willing to listen to him, and even more so one that couldn’t be swayed by Adam’s charms.

Mack had really enjoyed the routine that they’d all settled into the past couple of weeks. Mornings were hectic for the most part, with all of them getting ready for school or work, but in the evenings the kids spent time in their rooms pretty often, and he and Lily had wound up relaxing in the living room by themselves.

Could it be possible that he was ready to move on again? He probably shouldn’t be thinking of the Blake Shelton song he’d heard on the radio on the way to the feed store a few days before. He should have come to the realization long ago that Brenda and Natalie were as much to blame as Adam. If they’d really loved him, even just as another person, Adam wouldn’t have been able to seduce either of them. It was time to say a final goodbye to all the anger in his soul and let it go for good. The words of the hymn they’d sung that morning replaced Shelton’s song—one line said that we cannot see beyond the moment. With that in mind, he should make the most of every second he was given. A loud clap of thunder rattled the church windows, and Grandpa Wilson, who’d been snoring in the pew right behind Mack, sat up straight.

“God spoke pretty loud right then,” Drew chuckled. “Evidently, he wants all of y’all to hear my final words, and that is God has something for all of us if we’re patient. Now if Grandpa Wilson will deliver the benediction, we’ll try to get y’all home before the rain starts.”

The elderly gentleman rose to his feet and mumbled a short prayer, and then the rain started coming down in sheets. A strong north wind accompanied it, blowing it fiercely against the stained-glass windows and slamming it against the roof with so much force that it sounded like hail.