How many marriages could the guy have and barely look a day over thirty
, she wondered to herself.
"The wedding most people don't know about because the marriage was annulled the next day," Bryant continued.
"Sounds like Britney Spears." Trish looked at the others. "Wasn't her first marriage some kind of Vegas hoax?"
No one seemed to know the specifics of Britney's marital past. "I loved my first wife more than I've ever loved any woman," Bryant declared with feeling. "But she was pregnant when we got married and it turned out I wasn't the father. She left me for
him
the day after our wedding."
"That's awful!" Trish cried, while the rest of the members nodded in sympathy.
Savannah turned her face toward the seat where she thought Nathan was sitting. Nathan was actually in the next seat over, so when she said, "What about you, Nathan?" he waved his arms to indicate where he was in the room. Savannah adjusted her nearly blind gaze.
"Um." He tucked his feet a few inches farther under the chair. "This is a bit embarrassing, but my beginning is that I've joined an online dating service."
Trish licked her shellacked lips and leaned forward eagerly in her seat. "Which one?"
Nathan scratched his hair ingitation and mumbled, " [http://RichmondMatchmaker.com] RichmondMatchmaker.com." He then shrugged and looked over at Cooper. "I'm a Web designer and developer, so I spend most of my time in front of my computer. Figured I may as well date on the computer too." He clasped his long fingers together and raised his eyebrows. "Your turn, new girl."
Cooper traced the rim of her coffee cup. "I met a woman who's a member here. She invited me to come and it felt like something I wanted to do."
Jake leaned forward. "You lookin' for a church to join?"
The Sunrise members gazed at her expectantly. "I'm not sure what I'm looking for," Cooper answered truthfully.
"Today is a beginning," Savannah said and reached out until her hand brushed Cooper's fingertips. The blind woman then whispered, "No one will judge you here. You are among friends. What ever you may be trying to rise above, you are already on your way up. You're here because God brought you to us. You are already loved, my dear."
Cooper felt unwelcome tears fill her eyes as Savannah spoke. The kindness and sincerity of her words penetrated the layers of doubt Cooper felt. "The man I always expected to marry broke up with me. I'm trying to get over him--to move on."
"What happened?" Nathan asked sympathetically.
Encouraged by his tone, Cooper continued, pushing the words out rapid-fire. "My boyfriend was a home inspector. He liked to drink beer and toward the end of our relationship, he was drinking a lot of it. He started showing up to work late or sometimes not at all. One day he went to a home inspection totally drunk and that didn't work out so well."
Trish made a disapproving
tsk-tsk
noise with her tongue.
"Exactly," Cooper said to Trish. "Drew threw up all over the client's antique Oriental rug. Drew and the guy called each other some ugly names, punches were thrown, and finally a neighbor called the cops. Both men spent the night in jail and when it was time for their bail to be posted ... ah, now I'm at the hard part ..."
"You're doin' great," Jake coaxed. "Go on. Get it out."
Nodding her gratitude, Cooper rubbed the smooth surface of the desktop. "This gorgeous redhead named Anna Lynne White came to bail out the homeowner--her brother, Trent." Cooper fought to keep her voice even. "She also paid for Drew's bail and announced to both guys that the price for her having sprung them was that they would both have to go with her to church and ask for forgiveness for their unchristian behavior. They had to go right then and there. That was her deal. Trent followed his sister's instructions to the letter but the big surprise was that Drew did too. Apparently, Drew fell in love with Anna Lynne White the second he laid eyes on her. That spelled the end of us, all right."
The room was silent for a moment.
"Thank you for sharing that with us," Savannah said after several moments had passed and some of the other group members echoed their gratitude. "We welcome you to our group with open hearts and open hands. If you're ready for a new beginning, then we'll do our best to praise and support you as you step onto this unfamiliar road. Friends,"--Savannah held out her hands--"let us pray for our friend Cooper."
Cooper watched as the other Sunrise members bowed their heads and closed their eyes.
They're doing that for me
, she thought, amazed.
Just as the group finished praying, a plain-faced man in an expensive but rumpled suit and maroon loafers that didn't quite match the rest of his ensemble entered the room. Everything about him spoke of excess, including the gold rings stuffed onto his sausagelike fingers, the loose double chin, and the swell of an overfed belly that strained the rich material of his double-breasted blazer. But his face looked kind, though it was drained of color. The large man gripped a Tupperware cake holder in his free hand as if it offered protection. Cooper could detect smudges of chocolate frosting shadowing the inside of the lid.
"Quinton?" Savannah lifted her nose in the air. "Is that you?"
"Yes," Jake confirmed, his rough voice sounding worried. "What's wrong, big man?"
Staggering toward the closest empty seat, Quinton fell into the chair heavily, as though being shoved down by the force of a great burden. Cooper felt the atmosphere in the classroom transform. Gone was the light-spirited talk and the intimate banter. Every set of anxious eyes was glued to Quinton's troubled face.
"Savannah," he murmured in an anguished tone, "a member of our congregation has been killed." He put his face in his hands and, without looking up, said, "And Wesley Hughes has been arrested ... for murder." As a collective, the group gasped.
Quinton stared down at his doughy hands, which were trembling, and tried locking them together. His eyes shifted around the room, as though seeking a point upon which to fasten. They alighted on Cooper. "Forgive me." He spoke directly to her. "I'm afraid I'm still in shock."
Jake rose and left the room, returning seconds later with a paper cup filled with water.
"Who's been killed?" Jake asked, holding on to his friend's shoulder.
Quinton took a sip of water and seemed to draw strength from the cool liquid. He put down the cup and sighed. "I don't know how to tell you this, because she was such a kind, generous woman. Simple and lovely and ...," he trailed off and dropped his gaze.
Cooper felt a deep sense of dread creep into her belly and rise inside her chest. She could not tear her gaze from Quinton's pained face, even when the anguished man looked up and stared at Cooper's peculiar eyes.
"Oh, my friends." He sighed. "Wesley Hughes is being accused of murder. It's ... you see, it's Brooke. Brooke's the one who's been killed."
Trish closed her gaping mouth and then opened it again to speak. "Brooke! But, I just saw her at the Women's Fellowship luncheon last week. She was happy, healthy. This is insane. She can't be dead!"
Quinton nodded, reluctant to confirm what he knew. "One of the officers who responded to the 911 call goes to church here at Hope Street. I just overheard him in the teacher's lounge telling Pastor Matthews what he knew. Brooke is gone and Wesley's suspected of ..." He pressed his fingers into his eyes to stop his tears from escaping. "Sorry. But they think he's to blame. They think he murdered Brooke."
"Murdered his own wife!" Jake sprang to his feet, his face filled with fury. "Wesley Hughes wouldn't step on a snake even if it bit him. He's been an elder at this church for years. Those idiot cops have got the wrong man!"
"Friends, friends!" Savannah called out urgently, silencing Jake and causing everyone to turn to her. "Reach out to one another. Hold on tight. Now is the time for prayer."
Automatically, the Sunrise Bible Study members grasped one another's hands. Cooper hastily closed her eyes and took the hands of Jake and Savannah. They squeezed hers firmly and she took comfort from the warmth of their skin.
"Our Heavenly Father," Savannah whispered with her eyes shut against the fluorescent classroom lights. "Give us strength as we receive the terrible news of the loss of one of our sisters. Brooke Hughes had a compassionate heart and her soul was filled with grace and generosity. Place hands of comfort upon us as we try to absorb the idea of her being gone, even though she's left us to reside with You in a better place. And please look after one of your children this day Wesley. A good man has been arrested for a trespass I am
certain
he did not commit. Lend him your strength and let him feel the love of his friends during his time of great need. Amen."
Everyone, including Cooper, whispered a resolute "Amen," and then remained totally still. They did not release one another's hands, as if keeping their circle intact could somehow prevent the force of Quinton's words from penetrating into their hearts and lives. In the silence, no one let go.
3
He who finds a wife finds what is good and receivesfavor from the LORD.
Proverbs 18:22 (NIV)
Music began to float through the halls of the school wing. It had an uplifting and slightly frenzied beat, as though hurrying its listeners to quickly find seats in the chapel before its melody ended.
Trish raised her head in the direction of the muted strains and dropped her friends' hands. "The band's started playing. I was supposed to leave our study early today so I could greet people at the front door and distribute programs, but I don't think I can go out there right now."
No one moved. They all seemed paralyzed by the weight of Quinton's news.
Cooper felt as though her own limbs had turned to stone. Brooke Hughes was dead? How could it be possible? She recalled about the elation on Brooke's face a little over a week ago as the married woman envisioned celebrating her anniversary with her beloved husband. Her state of marital bliss was utterly genuine, of that Cooper was certain. And yet, Brooke had been upset too. She had behaved like a person on the verge of a significant and possibly dangerous act. Still, Cooper was certain that Brooke's agitation was work-related and that her proclamations about her wonderful relationship with her husband were true.
How could anyone harm such a caring and delightful person? Cooper felt the heaviness of grief spread through her body as she fixed her eyes at a spot on the floor and listened to the other members vocalize their feelings.
"I've only met the Hugheses a few times," Nathan spoke into the silence, clearly trying to distract Quinton from sinking further into a state of shock. "But I got the impression they were both really involved with Hope Street. I know that Brooke was devoted to our mission trips and isn't Wesley one of the church's stewards?"
Savannah nodded. "Yes. He's been on our Leadership Team for years." She offered Nathan a small smile. "You haven't been with us long enough to completely know what a giving and inspirational soul resides within Wesley Hughes. He and Brooke and I were in the Newcomers' Class together many years ago. We've shared many experiences since then, and I have cherished their friendship as one of the great gifts of my life."
Turning to Cooper, Savannah said, "Forgive me, my dear. I haven't introduced you to Quinton. It just didn't seem like the right time and oh, I'm sorry that your first experience with our church has been ... marred."
"I'm Cooper." She tried to muster a slight smile for Quinton, but failing to do so, returned her gaze to Savannah. "And you have nothing to apologize for," Cooper assured the group leader while thinking that she had never wanted a cigarette so badly in her life. "I just wish there was something I could say or do."
"Yeah, me too." Jake twisted his hands together on his lap. Cooper noticed that his nails had been chewed right down to the beds. The skin on his hands looked raw and the palms were covered with tough, discolored calluses. He picked at one of these and then his eyes flashed with anger. "This is crazy! Wesley wouldn't harm a hair on Brooke's head."
"It's true." Bryant sighed. "Unlike me, those two knew how to make a marriage work."
Trish shot him a surprised look. Then she smoothed her skirt and tugged on her form-fitting blazer as her face took on a determined expression. "Well, we can't help unless we're more informed. Do you know any details, Quinton? Did you hear exactly how Brooke was ... taken from us?"
Quinton clutched his thick study Bible as though he could draw strength from simply touching its worn and supple cover. I overheard "Jack Burgess--the policeman I mentioned before--telling Pastor Matthews that Brooke was shot. Wesley's prints were on the gun, though he swears they never owned one. He said he was the only one in the house with her. There were no signs of a struggle or a burglary or anything indicating that a stranger was involved."
"Where was Wesley?" Bryant asked.
"He was upstairs taking a nap and he slept very deeply because he had a cold and had taken a dose of Benadryl. When he woke up, he went downstairs for a cup of coffee and found Brooke." Quinton paused in order to control the tremble in his voice. "Wesley saw the blood around her head and the gun near her hand and he pushed it away--said it was like the feeling you get when you're near a snake or a rat. You just have to get it away from you. That's why he touched it."
Trish shook her head. "I can't see Wesley having a gun within miles of his home." She turned to Cooper. "He owns a store for wild birds. It offers all kinds of food, baths, houses, and ornamental things for the garden," she explained. "He's a really gentle man who loves nature."
