Total pages in book: 88
Estimated words: 82439 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 412(@200wpm)___ 330(@250wpm)___ 275(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 82439 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 412(@200wpm)___ 330(@250wpm)___ 275(@300wpm)
“That man was nice,” he says in a tiny voice.
“He was nice. He’s in charge of the church.” I explain as much as I can about the church and I’m sure Nate falls asleep as I do.
I can’t stop thinking about Benedict as I lie in bed, counting down the hours until I see him again too.
The way the man wears black should be a sin. It should be considered one of the cardinal sins and Father Carmichael should get on his knees and pay penance for what he’s done.
I wake with a jolt, startling myself out of bed.
Nate is already in the living room, playing with his toy cars.
I put on a pot of coffee as I try to wake up fully.
“When are we going to the park?” Nate asks.
“Let’s have breakfast and then we can get ready to go.”
Nate hops up from the living room floor and heads into the kitchen. “What’s for breakfast?”
I wish I could make my son something extravagant. Eggs. French toast. Bagels with cream cheese. Fresh fruit. “Cereal?” I ask him.
“Do you have Reese’s Puffs?”
I smile. “Of course I do.” I fix him a bowl of cereal as I head to my room to shower and get changed.
After we’re both ready, we hop in my car and head off to the church. I’m a bundle of nerves as I park the car, and help Nate out of his booster seat.
I shouldn’t be this nervous to see a man I can never have.
Maybe Greer is right. Maybe I need to try my hand at dating. Or maybe I should just have a one-night stand with some random man so I can stop lusting after someone as forbidden as Benedict Carmichael.
There he is, waiting for the two of us, at the steps of the cathedral. His lean frame leans against the doorframe and I try not to check him out as we approach. Nate bounces around my feet, excited to look inside what he called the big church.
“Hi,” Father Carmichael whispers when we step closer.
“Hi.” I sound like a love-struck teenager, infatuated with her first crush. “Thank you for doing this,” I say once I’ve gained my bearings and remembered who I’m talking to.
“Hi Nate,” he says to my son. “Ready to see God’s house?”
Nate’s eyes widen. “This is his house?”
“Sure is, buddy. Let’s go inside.” Father Carmichael opens the chapel doors and ushers us inside.
“Wow,” Nate says, marveling at all the ornate detail inside the church. His eyes immediately focus on the altar with the statues of Jesus and Mary. He then looks at the stain-glass window. “I want to live in a house like this.”
“Well, this is a holy place so you can’t run or be loud.” Father Carmichael walks down the main aisle of the chapel and we follow behind as he fills in details about the church. Details I never knew about.
It’s obvious this man is truly devoted to the Lord’s work, and I don’t know why this realization hits me square in the chest like a ton of bricks.
I honestly don’t know why this is affecting me as badly as it is. Maybe it’s because since I’ve met him I’ve thought about him way too often. And not in a church-going way. More like in a pull-my-hair-and-call-me-names sort of way.
I blush at the thought. I’ve never in my life wanted sex in a degrading type of way, but for some reason seeing Father Carmichael standing strong in this church makes me want to explore it all with him.
Oh my god. I’m going to hell.
I'm in church right now. With my son. And a priest.
“Want to see my office?” Father Carmichael says to my son.
My son’s face lights up like the Fourth of July, and I really can’t believe how into all this he is. “Yes, can we, Mom?”
I nod. “Lead the way, Father.”
Chapter 11
Benedict
A son. This is one thing I never saw coming. Evangelina, this mystery of a woman, has a child. I have so many questions bursting to get out, but I keep them at bay for now.
As soon as we step into my office, I show Nate a few books. His eyes light up, and he rushes behind my desk to sit in my chair, spinning it around with a laugh.
“He’s great,” I say to Eva, unable to hide my admiration for the boy's energy and curiosity.
“I can’t believe how excited he is to be touring a church,” she replies, shaking her head in disbelief.
“Why?” I ask, curious about her own feelings toward the church and faith.
She shrugs, a slight blush creeping over her cheeks. “I don’t mean anything negative by it, but church was always boring to me growing up.”
“Did you attend church?” I inquire, glancing over at Nate to ensure he's not getting into anything major.
Eva hesitates before answering, her eyes distant. “Yes, but it was more of an obligation than something I enjoyed. My parents were very strict about it.”