Read Online A Younger Man (Mount Faith Series: Book 7) by Brenda Barrett - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Brenda Barrett
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her.
"Hey," he said softly, "nice spot to watch the sunset."
"Hey," Anita smiled at him. She pushed a shiny strand of her hair behind her ears and inhaled, "I love this. I must do this more often."
"What?" Vanley asked, watching as a shaft of golden sunlight highlighted her brown irises.
"Sit and be still." Anita smiled sadly. "I have become this driven person who rarely sit and take in a sunset. I have forgotten to really live."
Vanley watched her intently. "How did that happen?"
Anita looked at him and grinned. He was in full black. His shirt was opened at the neck. He looked so manly and handsome that for a moment she forgot what he asked.
"Huh?" she asked for clarification and watched as his eyes lit up in mirth.
"How did you become such a workaholic?"
"Oh, I... er... moved to Mount Faith at a time in my life when I was going through a lot of changes, and I had to deal with those changes." She looked at him, contemplating whether she should say more. "I was about your age. I was determined to move up through the ranks of the institution, you know. That took a lot of work and energy."
"Is that why you aren't married?"
"No." Anita looked down at her fingers and wiggled them, suddenly nervous. She had already blurted out to him that she couldn't have children. Couldn't he have been satisfied with that?
Why was Vanley so determined to delve into her back-story? Usually, when anybody tried to delve into her back-story, she redirected the question and asked him or her about his or her story.
She opened her mouth to do the same to him, but he was looking at her with genuine speculation in his eyes. She knew he was not going to give this up.
"What about you?" Anita said cowardly. "Why aren't you married yet? Most young pastors your age are already married?"
Vanley grinned. "Nice try. I am not married because I met you. You are not married because of some big secret. I want to know what it is."
"I am not married yet," Anita struggled to come up with a reason, "because I...I guess nobody has asked..."
"I have," Vanley said, swiftly cutting her off before she could continue.
"I mean serious offers." Anita touched his hand. "It's not just your age Vanley; the whole thing gets complicated beyond that."
Vanley covered her fingers with his. Her fingers were long, elegant, and soft.
"That terrible secret?"
Anita nodded.
"So without that secret, we could be married?" Vanley asked her, turning over her hand and caressing them softly.
Anita cleared her throat. "Something like that."
"So, you wouldn't mind being a pastor’s wife? He asked softly. "My wife?"
Anita's fingers were trembling she nodded. "I wouldn't mind."
Vanley grinned at her, his dimples giving his grin a boyish charm. His light brown eyes were sparkling like a light brown agate gemstone.
Anita nodded, as if mesmerized. The darkness surrounded them as the sun sunk low into the horizon.
Vanley squeezed her fingers and leaned in close to her; they were nose to nose. "Then I don't care what your secret is." He pressed his lips on hers. It was a soft kiss: light and fleeting.
Anita touched her lips when he moved away. "Vanley..."
"Just tell me what it is," Vanley whispered, "no judgment, no recriminations. Just tell me."
"So here you are," Dexter said, coming up to them. "We are about to start the first session. Pastor Vanley, you are giving the opening prayer."
Vanley got up and held out his hand to Anita who took it and got up with him, their bodies almost pressing together.
Dexter cleared his throat.
Vanley held her closer for a few seconds more. This was his dream in his arms. He reluctantly allowed her to step away and watched as she walked toward the pool area.
Dexter shook his head and whistled as they walked behind Anita. "You need serious prayer and fasting my friend."
"Shut up!" Vanley said, without heat in his voice. Then he realized that Anita had said she would marry him if she didn't have an issue. He was going to find out what
"Hey," he said softly, "nice spot to watch the sunset."
"Hey," Anita smiled at him. She pushed a shiny strand of her hair behind her ears and inhaled, "I love this. I must do this more often."
"What?" Vanley asked, watching as a shaft of golden sunlight highlighted her brown irises.
"Sit and be still." Anita smiled sadly. "I have become this driven person who rarely sit and take in a sunset. I have forgotten to really live."
Vanley watched her intently. "How did that happen?"
Anita looked at him and grinned. He was in full black. His shirt was opened at the neck. He looked so manly and handsome that for a moment she forgot what he asked.
"Huh?" she asked for clarification and watched as his eyes lit up in mirth.
"How did you become such a workaholic?"
"Oh, I... er... moved to Mount Faith at a time in my life when I was going through a lot of changes, and I had to deal with those changes." She looked at him, contemplating whether she should say more. "I was about your age. I was determined to move up through the ranks of the institution, you know. That took a lot of work and energy."
"Is that why you aren't married?"
"No." Anita looked down at her fingers and wiggled them, suddenly nervous. She had already blurted out to him that she couldn't have children. Couldn't he have been satisfied with that?
Why was Vanley so determined to delve into her back-story? Usually, when anybody tried to delve into her back-story, she redirected the question and asked him or her about his or her story.
She opened her mouth to do the same to him, but he was looking at her with genuine speculation in his eyes. She knew he was not going to give this up.
"What about you?" Anita said cowardly. "Why aren't you married yet? Most young pastors your age are already married?"
Vanley grinned. "Nice try. I am not married because I met you. You are not married because of some big secret. I want to know what it is."
"I am not married yet," Anita struggled to come up with a reason, "because I...I guess nobody has asked..."
"I have," Vanley said, swiftly cutting her off before she could continue.
"I mean serious offers." Anita touched his hand. "It's not just your age Vanley; the whole thing gets complicated beyond that."
Vanley covered her fingers with his. Her fingers were long, elegant, and soft.
"That terrible secret?"
Anita nodded.
"So without that secret, we could be married?" Vanley asked her, turning over her hand and caressing them softly.
Anita cleared her throat. "Something like that."
"So, you wouldn't mind being a pastor’s wife? He asked softly. "My wife?"
Anita's fingers were trembling she nodded. "I wouldn't mind."
Vanley grinned at her, his dimples giving his grin a boyish charm. His light brown eyes were sparkling like a light brown agate gemstone.
Anita nodded, as if mesmerized. The darkness surrounded them as the sun sunk low into the horizon.
Vanley squeezed her fingers and leaned in close to her; they were nose to nose. "Then I don't care what your secret is." He pressed his lips on hers. It was a soft kiss: light and fleeting.
Anita touched her lips when he moved away. "Vanley..."
"Just tell me what it is," Vanley whispered, "no judgment, no recriminations. Just tell me."
"So here you are," Dexter said, coming up to them. "We are about to start the first session. Pastor Vanley, you are giving the opening prayer."
Vanley got up and held out his hand to Anita who took it and got up with him, their bodies almost pressing together.
Dexter cleared his throat.
Vanley held her closer for a few seconds more. This was his dream in his arms. He reluctantly allowed her to step away and watched as she walked toward the pool area.
Dexter shook his head and whistled as they walked behind Anita. "You need serious prayer and fasting my friend."
"Shut up!" Vanley said, without heat in his voice. Then he realized that Anita had said she would marry him if she didn't have an issue. He was going to find out what
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