Read Online 3 Gates of the Dead (The 3 Gates of the Dead Series) by Jonathan Ryan - Free Book Online

counseling. Most of the problems I counseled weren’t really problems, just people neck deep in their own selfishness. I thought married people forgot what it was like to be single and alone, so they stopped being grateful for the presence of the other person.
    “Jake, how would you respond to that?”
    “Well, she’s kind of let herself go a bit. I find myself not attracted to her anymore.”
    I fought the urge to strangle him. Julie was about five foot four inches, curly blonde hair, beautiful blue eyes, and weighed, maybe, one hundred and thirty pounds. I had seen their wedding pictures at a cookout they had at their house. She had probably gained ten pounds since they were married, if that.
    Jake had been pushing three-hundred and twenty pounds on his six foot frame. In the past year, he had gone workout crazy and shed eighty pounds, an amount that would have neared a hundred except for the muscle weight he had added. No doubt it improved his looks as women in the church were always fawning over him and giggling at his stupid-ass jokes. Personally, I liked him better when he was fat and not an asshole.
    Julie looked at Jake with hurt in her eyes. This conversation could spiral out of control if I didn’t get a handle on it. Although a part of me wanted to see Julie claw his eyes out, I thought better of it.
    “Jake, here is a good place for us to work on communication,” I said. “Do you think there might be a better way to say that?”
    He sat back in his chair, crossed his legs, and fixed his gaze on me. “I don’t know.”
    I fought the urge to roll my eyes. “Try speaking in a gentler tone for one, and use words like, ‘I feel like’ or ‘this is what I think.’ That way, it doesn’t seem like you’re attacking her.”
    “Seems kind of girly.”
    “There is nothing girly about treating your wife with gentleness and respect, Jake. The Bible says that…”
    I couldn’t bring myself to finish the sentence. My vacant faith wouldn’t permit the words to come out. I had been using the phrase “The Bible says” all my faith-filled life. Now, it felt like a curse. I coughed to cover it up.
    “I thought the Bible said that wives are supposed to submit to their husbands on everything.”
    Not when you are being a total shithead!
    “Not in everything, Jake, and it also calls you to gently love your wife.” I sighed. “I don’t want to put all the blame on you, but any sane person can see that Julie has not ‘let herself go.’ You have.”
    He looked down at his flat stomach and back up with a puzzled look.
    “I don’t mean in body. I mean in your personality and the way you treat your wife. It might be time to put your focus on pleasing her rather than yourself.”
    You would have thought that I slapped him and called him a bitch. He had this amazing and gorgeous woman who, for some reason, loved a total jackass. He should be thanking, well, someone , every day of his life.
    “You’re a preacher,” Jake said. “Aren’t you supposed to get her to submit to what I want?”
    “I…”
    The pager on my desk phone rang, and I answered.
    “Sherry, I’m in the middle of a counseling session.”
    “I know, Pastor Aidan, but this caller is very insistent. She called yesterday, didn’t you get the message I left on your desk?”
    The printed message. I had forgotten all about it. Damn, I wish Sherry would just use email. “I did, but I just forgot to read it. Who is it anyway?”
    “Detective Jennifer Brown from the Columbus Police Department.”
    Jake and Julie stared at me.
    “I’m sorry, Sherry, did you say the Columbus Police?”
    “I did.” Her tone rebuked me for my idiocy.
    “Okay, put her through.” I turned to Jake and Julie. “I’m sorry you two, this will only take a moment.”
    I held the phone back to my ear. “This is Pastor Schaeffer, can I help you?”
    “Pastor Schaeffer, this is Detective Jennifer Brown, Columbus Police Department. How are you this morning?” She