I set the mug on the counter and tossed my hands in the air. “Shay, you’re not listening to me. I believe you, but that doesn’t mean the elders will have the same confidence in you. As your pastor and as the man who loves you, tell me who took that money.” My patience was reaching its limit and my voice rose as I spoke.

She paled and I noticed how her hands went white holding on to the mug with such force; it was amazing the ceramic didn’t crumble, allowing coffee to spill over the kitchen counter. “I gave my word,” she whispered. “This isn’t easy for me, either. I’ve talked to Lilly about it—”

“Were you willing to give the name of the offender to her?”

“No. I’ve kept my word and I fully intend on keeping it. All I have is my word, Drew, and it has to mean something.”

The frustration was getting to me and I rammed my fingers through my hair. “What did Lilly tell you?”

“She said the decision was mine, and I’ve made up my mind. I don’t mean to be evasive, but my word is my word.”

Holding her look, I tried again. “I’m absolving you from whatever promise you made.”

For what seemed like an eternity, she said nothing and then slid off the stool. “I’m sorry, Drew.”

She started to leave. I couldn’t let her do that, not without giving me the answers I needed.

“Shay, please, don’t go.”

For a second I thought that would stop her. Her steps slowed and she seemed to hesitate, but then continued to the door without looking back.

I watched her leave, caught between shock and disbelief.

—

Although I didn’t have an appointment with Kevin, I showed up at Hope Center on the off chance he would have time to talk me through this situation with Shay. I was stunned that she wouldn’t tell me what she knew.

Once at Hope Center I walked, almost in a trance, down the hallway to Kevin’s office. The door was closed and I let myself in. His assistant looked up, surprise written on her face.

“Pastor Douglas? Do you have an appointment? Did I miss something?”

“No. Is Kevin available?”

My friend must have seen me through the glass partition because he stood up from his desk and walked around the enclosure. “Drew? What’s happened? You look like you’ve just lost your best friend.”

“Seeing that you’re my best friend, I’m glad to report you’re still alive and kicking,” I said in a lame effort to crack a joke. “You got a few minutes?”

“Sure. Come on in.” He ushered me inside his office.

Depressed and deeply discouraged, I slumped down in the chair across from his desk.

Kevin didn’t waste any time getting to the heart of my visit. “What’s the problem?”

I found it difficult to speak. “It’s Shay.”

“Did something happen?” His eyes revealed his concern.

It looked like he was ready to stand when I motioned for him to remain sitting. “Something happened at the church. Shay was counting out the donations and making the deposit slip. Money has turned up missing for the last two weeks.”

Kevin looked as stunned as I was when Alex first told me. “You don’t think Shay is responsible.”

“No. No way.”

His shoulders sagged with relief. I would never come to him if I had even a hint of suspicion that Shay might be responsible for the missing funds.

“Then what’s the problem?”

“She knows who’s responsible and refuses to tell me.”

Mulling this over, Kevin leaned back in his chair. “Who told you about the theft?”

“Do you know Alex Turnbull?” I asked, knowing he probably did.

“I do. He’s a good man.”

“Alex came to me on Sunday. Lloyd Kincaid had surgery to correct a bunion and will be out of commission for a few weeks. While he’s recuperating, Linda asked Shay to count the offering for Lloyd and get it ready for the bank deposit on Monday.”

Kevin gestured with his hands, as if that shouldn’t be a problem.

“Alex knows Shay was in prison for embezzling and worried that Lloyd had put her in a position of temptation. He decided to count the cash offering before handing it over to her.”

Sitting straighter in his chair, Kevin sighed audibly. “And money turned up missing.”

I felt the heavy burden of what I was about to tell him. “Twenty-five dollars the first week and a hundred the second.”

Making a steeple with his fingers, Kevin rested them beneath his chin and frowned. “She’s willing to keep her silence, even knowing what it might cost her and you?”

I feared Shay didn’t fully understand the consequences of what she was doing. If the church believed she was the guilty party, then they would never accept her as my wife. Even if we were to marry sometime in the future, there would always be speculation and doubts about her. About us.

“She refused to tell me. She gave her word and insists the person who took the money wants to make it right. She promised to give them that chance.”

“Second chances,” Kevin whispered.

“What?” I asked, not quite hearing him.

“Shay was given a second chance and now she feels obligated to offer that same opportunity to someone else. I understand why she’s doing it, but I have to believe she has no idea of what she’s risking.”

“I know she doesn’t understand what this misplaced loyalty could cost her, otherwise she’d listen to reason.”

Kevin’s shoulders sank as the weight of my words settled on him. “This makes me sick at heart.”

I couldn’t begin to tell Kevin what it did to me. I’d barely slept Sunday night stewing about how best to handle this situation. I’d wanted to talk to her first thing that afternoon, as soon as she was off work, but she hadn’t returned to the apartment. I’d kept an eye out for her and was certain she’d purposely stayed away, avoiding me.

“What are you going to do?” Kevin asked me next.

That was the million-dollar question. I had no clue. “Alex hasn’t wasted any time. Just before I drove here, I got word that he has called an elder meeting tonight.”

“Will the elders want to press charges?”

I hadn’t considered that. They were likely to charge Shay, especially if she refused to name the person responsible. Naturally, I’d fight that and hope that I had enough influence to prevent that from happening.

“Seeing as it isn’t a major amount of money, I’m hoping I can get the elders to agree not to get the law involved.” I’d refund the money myself before I’d let that happen. No way would I let Shay be charged.

“What about allowing her to continue living in the apartment?”

That was another thing I hadn’t considered. “It’s possible that will be a consequence. Again, I’ll do what I can to prevent that, but I don’t know if I can.” My heart sank. The ramifications of this were hitting me like hail, falling from the sky and crashing against me. Unavoidable, damaging, and painful hits, one right after another.

My fears compounded with every heartbeat. “They won’t believe her. What is it people say?” I asked the rhetorical question. “Once a thief, always a thief?”

“I know you’ll do everything within your power to protect her.”

That went without question. Of course I would. I loved Shay. This misplaced loyalty she had toward the thief was going to hurt us both. I’d already tried once to get her to understand all that she was putting at risk but to no avail. I wasn’t certain that I would be successful in a second try, either.

Several moments passed before Kevin spoke. “This has badly shaken you, hasn’t it?”

Rather than respond verbally, I nodded. The only thing I could even think to equate it to was when Katie was first diagnosed with cancer. We knew the road we were about to face and that there would be struggles ahead. It hadn’t ended well for my wife and my fears were rampant when it came to my future with Shay.

“Who could it be?” I asked, knowing Kevin had no more clue than I did. I rubbed my hands down my face. “I fell in love with her when I thought it was impossible to ever love again.”