“That went well,” Cash said drily.

“Did you expect any different? You four have spent years pissing each other off. It’s going to take more than a meet to change that.”

Cash studied Shade speculatively. “I gave Lily my vote for your marker.”

Shade’s amusement died. “Yes, you did. So?”

“I want your help to bring those assholes around,” Cash laid out his terms.

“I promised you my marker, not a fucking miracle.”

“Shade, you’re the most manipulative bastard I know. If anyone can get those assholes to tolerate me, it’s you. Can you think of a bigger challenge for your skills?”

“Actually, no.”

* * *

Rachel opened the door to Pastor Patterson and his wife.

“Good morning, Rachel.” Pastor Merrick led Brooke inside the small house. Rachel closed the door behind them; she had dreaded this day.

Once a month, the pastor visited Mag. He ritualistically visited all his homebound parishioners to talk and pray with them.

Rachel led them into the kitchen where she had already prepared sandwiches and ice tea for them.

“Afternoon, Pastor.” Mag’s jovial greeting lightened the atmosphere as Brooke’s superior gaze lit on the simple food.

“Good afternoon, Mag. How are you feeling?”

“Right as I can be.”

Rachel had to keep her temper under control at Brooke’s slight wince.

They sat at the table, the pastor graciously eating a few of the sandwiches while Brooke refused. To give Mag credit, she ignored the cold reception of Brooke, concentrating her attention on the pastor.

“May I use the restroom?” Brooke interrupted the conversation.

“It’s around the corner. The door’s open,” Mag directed her.

Brooke rose from the table and the conversation resumed. Rachel enjoyed listening to Pastor Merrick discuss the Bible so much she became lost in the conversation. It took several minutes for her to realize that Brooke had not returned to the table. She was about to go check on her when she returned, retaking her seat.

Rachel took another sandwich and had just taken a bite of the roasted chicken salad when the front door opened and Cash walked into the kitchen. He was shirtless and his jeans clung low on his lean hips. Why was he showing so much flesh when the weather outside was frigid?

While Rachel almost choked on her sandwich at his appearance, Brooke’s veiled eyes did little to hide her appreciation of his masculine appeal.

Mag introduced the Pastor and Brooke.

“Want to join us?” Mag invited.

Rachel expected him to refuse and had to hide her surprise when he accepted.

“Let me get cleaned up; I’ve been working on my truck.”

Cash left, returning within minutes, freshly showered and having changed his clothes. He sat down next to her, grabbing several sandwiches and pouring himself a glass of tea.

“You don’t attend church, Cash?” Brooke spoke for the first time, actually trying to participate in the conversation.

“Afraid not. It’s still standing, isn’t it? I would hate for the pastor to have to rebuild just because I walked through the door,” Cash joked.

“You can’t be that bad.” Brooke’s voice lowered with innuendo.

As Cash’s hand paused halfway to his mouth, Rachel’s stomach churned at his recognition of Brooke’s interest in him.

“My wife has a true calling to get new members into our church.” The pastor patted his wife’s hand affectionately.

Seriously? Surely the pastor couldn’t be as dense as he seemed not to recognize his wife was coming on to Cash in front of him. The woman had unfortunately underestimated Mag, however.

“She’s calling for something that’s going to get her an ass-whooping if she doesn’t stop.”

Rachel’s mouth dropped open at her sarcastic remark, and Cash broke into laughter.

“What she means, Pastor, is that people around here take church seriously, and I happen to be one of Treepoint’s citizens who isn’t very well liked,” Cash tried to explain his grandmother’s lack of manners. Rachel, personally, thought Mag was the only one in town who had the nerve to call Brooke out.

“‘We’re all God’s children in the search for salvation,’” Pastor Merrick quoted.

“Some need salvation more than others,” Mag agreed.

Rachel wanted to slide under the table, praying Brooke would be wise enough not to set Mag off again. Luckily, Cash changed the subject to fishing, which was one of the pastor’s favorite topics. Rachel was able to relax until the Pattersons rose to leave.

At the door, Cash shook the pastor’s hand as he went out.

“It was nice meeting you, Cash.” Brooke waited until her husband stepped out the door, blatantly ignoring the two women also by the door, taking Cash’s hand in hers. “If you need any help getting caught up in your Bible studies, give me a call.” She then released his hand, following her husband out the door.

Rachel had to grab onto the handlebars of Mag’s wheelchair to hold her back.

“Let my chair go, Rachel. That good man needs to know what kind of woman he’s married to.”

Cash quickly closed the door, standing in front of it with his arms crossed in front of his chest. “Calm down, Mag. You’ll give yourself another stroke.”

“That’s okay. The good Lord will reward me for shining a light on that bitch’s behavior. No Christian woman would behave like that.”

Rachel rolled Mag into the living room before getting her some tea. It took several minutes for the old woman to calm down. She sat down next to her until the anger passed and Mag decided to go take a nap.

“Don’t forget to pray,” Cash said as she rolled herself out of the room. Mag turned to face him, pointing a long, bony finger at him.

“You stay away from that skinny bitch; she’s trouble. That God-fearing man has no idea what he got himself tied to.”

“I’ll stay away,” Cash said solemnly with twinkling eyes.

Rachel had learned that Cash liked to rile his grandmother and couldn’t help her own lips twitching in amusement at Mag’s anger.

“You should be ashamed of yourself. If she had a stroke, it would be your fault,” Rachel accused as soon as Mag left.

Cash leaned back against the couch, putting his booted feet up onto the coffee table. “I couldn’t help it. When she gets like that, it reminds me of when she was younger and she was like that all the time. I’ll never forget when two drunks got in a fight in her back room on moonshine. She broke them up by beating them half to death with a mop handle. Even drunk, they didn’t want to hit a woman, and she took advantage of it. She’s got a mean streak a mile wide. Don’t let her fool you.”

“I won’t. I remember her before she had her stroke, too. My brothers are scared to death of her. They broke her window out one time when Dad took them to her house, and she wore them out with a switch. They never went with Dad again; they were too scared of her.”

Cash laughed until he couldn’t breathe at the idea of his grandmother spanking Rachel’s brothers. Mag had been the biggest bootlegger in the county for decades until the county went wet. Shortly thereafter, she’d had a stroke. She had barely survived, only to be left in a wheelchair, but her fighting spirit had accepted it and had adjusted.