June (6 page)

"The tabernacle will be a place set apart, a place where people from far and wide will come to worship."

"A place Isaac builds in his wife's memory-worse yet, as a tribute to himself."

"The building is a tribute to God," she retorted, irritated that he would have such thoughts. He simply didn't understand what Reverend Inman was trying to do. "It's saying we love God enough to build a special place in which to worship him."

"The Bible says we're to worship God in spirit and in truth. Nothing is said about a fine building being a requirement."

"I cannot believe you are saying this-wasn't Eli your friend?"

Parker leaned toward her, spearing her with a sharpened gaze. "Eli's gone. The matter no longer concerns you. You're entitled to your opinion, but you're not entitled to mine. Go home, Miss Kallahan. There's nothing here for you any longer."

Until this very moment she hadn't considered what she would do, but now the answer was abundantly clear. "I plan to stay on and continue Eli's work with Reverend Inman."

Bracing his broad hands on the tabletop, he leaned in closer, his voice low. "Go home."

"I'm staying on." June raised her chin a notch and met his fixed gaze. "I'm going to help the reverend raise the funds to build the tabernacle."

Parker looked at her for a long moment, then turned on his heel and strode out of the building, anger clear in the set of his shoulders. The door slammed behind him, rattling dishes.

Sinking to the bench, June released the pent-up breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. No one needed to tell her the battle lines were drawn. She would rather have Parker Sentell as a friend than a foe, but even his boorish and decidedly rude manner wouldn't stop her.

God had a purpose for her in Seattle. She'd thought it was to marry Eli and help in his ministry. With Eli gone, she must wait and pray for God to reveal his will. Meanwhile, she would assist Reverend Inman....

Her eyes followed Parker Sentell's angry gait, watching him march toward his office.

... And avoid Parker Sentell whenever possible.

Eli was dead. Parker's hands shook as he jerked the knot on his tie free and started again.

In a few hours he would bury his best friend. Grief washed over him, so forceful he nearly dropped to his knees. Why, God? his soul cried. Why Eli? Parker bit back bitter tears. Why would you take Eli when he worked so diligently for your kingdom? Parker might not have approved of Eli's goals, but he loved Eli like a brother.

Taking a deep breath, he forced his thoughts to Eli's bride. June Kallahan. What should he do with her? She wasn't his responsibility, yet Eli would expect him to look after her welfare. He swallowed around the tight lump crowding his throat. Blast Eli for being so idealistic! What man assumed he could just send for a bride and eternal bliss would reign? Didn't he know that wasn't the way love worked? A man and a woman needed feelings-strong feelings you couldn't buy as a result of an ad in a journal. What was Eli thinking? He jerked the tie and started over.

His angry thoughts tumbled over each other. Working himself to death to serve Isaac Inman-going from dawn to dusk in an effort to build that temple that was Isaac's obsession, not necessarily God's will.

Parker had never approved of the tabernacle, and he never would. And he didn't approve of Isaac Inman. Some said he was wrong about Isaac, that the evangelist was a true man of God. But Parker saw little indication of that. He saw a man consumed by his own wants. As far as he was concerned, Isaac should have stuck to his traveling crusade and should not be trying to force his dreams of grandeur off on Seattle. Folks here didn't need his kind. He'd made that clear to Eli, but Eli never argued. He just smiled that good-natured smile and asked Parker to pray about it. Parker had given up trying to talk sense into him. Eli's mind was bent on helping build that temple, and nothing Parker said changed it.

Well, where is endless bliss now, Eli? And what do you expect me to do with the woman you ordered?

The harsh thought faded as the crushing loss closed around him. What would he do without Eli's friendship to brighten the long days? How he would miss his friend's smile and his sense of goodness. The times they'd spent in prayer and fellowship. He blinked, clearing the mositure now clouding his view.

What would God have him to do about Miss Kallahan? She looked as delicate as an orchid, a citified woman, all sweet and helpless.

He frowned at his reflection in the mirror. She wouldn't have lasted more than six months in these wilds-a year at best. And he'd bet she would be gone before the first shovelful of dirt hit Eli's casket.

Somehow the thought made him feel better.

Yes, June Kallahan would return to Michigan or Minnesota or whatever "M" state she was from, and he wouldn't have to worry about her. Out of every tragedy emerges a purposeisn't that what his mother contended? Who knows? Maybe Eli's death would even cause Isaac to reappraise his objective, and Parker would be rid of two nuisances June Kallahan and Isaac Inman.

Closing his eyes, he said softly, "The marriage might have worked, Eli, but your new bride seemed a little bossy to me."

The morning of Eli's funeral dawned cool, the sun hidden behind clouds just as death hid Eli's light from the world. How appropriate, June thought, considering the sadness of those who knew and loved the young, aspiring pastor. Everyone June met said how they'd cherished his warmth, his genuine concern, his love of God. Many said that with his passing it was as if a part of them had been taken with him.

For herself, she was determined to dwell on the knowledge that Eli was today with God. His pain was gone, his hope in eternal life realized. She smiled to herself, thinking of the day she would see Eli again and walk with him in that perfect place made for all who belong to God. Keeping her thoughts centered made the day ahead bearable.

She busied herself with preparations for the ceremony. Today, more than ever, she thought about those she loved. Aunt Thalia kept coming to mind, and Papa. What would Papa think of this misadventure? Would he think the building of a tabernacle a worthy cause? She wasn't sure he would. Papa had the soul of a humble man, and any sort of venture that might be deemed "glorious," as Reverend Inman was wont to describe his vision of the tabernacle, would immediately be suspect as a prideful idea. But Papa would look at the motivation behind the desire for the tabernacle. Was it truly for God's glory? Then, likely, Papa would approve. Certainly Eli's motives had been pure.

Today, more than she usually allowed herself, she missed Faith and Hope. Beautiful Hope, in Kentucky; tomboy Faith, in Texas. How were each of her sisters faring? It would take so long for letters to reach her.

Sometimes she worried about whether her sisters were safe and happy, but then, the Kallahan girls had always relied on God to take care of them. She had no less faith that he would continue to do so.

Quick on the heels of that thought came the wish that she herself would one day find the man God intended for her. She was awash with sadness when she thought of Eli, lying so still and pale in a simple pine box in the large crusade tent. All day long, friends and mourners filed past, laying floral tributes and simple tokens of love at the base of the casket.

Eli no longer occupied his earthly body; she knew that. Eli sat at the feet of God, and she was heartened in the knowledge. As the time for the funeral approached, the tent began to fill. Eyes reddened, heads bowed, and voices turned to reverent whispers.

June sat on the front pew beside Reverend Inman and Parker Sentell. When she glanced at Parker, she saw his jaw working with emotion, but his eyes remained dry. She smothered the urge to lean closer and comfort him.

Every seat in the tent was filled by the time Reverend Inman rose to address the mourners. As his gaze moved across the gathering, he conveyed a private message of comfort to each one. Without looking at the Bible, he began speaking.

"We are gathered today to pay tribute to a dear friend. Eli was not just a good friend, a beloved husband-to-be, a community spiritual leader, a brother in Christ. Eli was so much more." The reverend's eyes softened. "To me, he was the son I never had. To his intended bride, he was the hope of a shining future. To others, he was a confidant, a safe harbor from life's storms. We will miss him deeply.

"Some will ask, why? Why would a man so young, living his life so purposefully, be called home when his work had barely begun? We do not know why. God's timetable is not our timetable. Shall we wring our hands and weep for understanding, or will we join hands and rejoice in the knowledge that Eli's work here on earth has been fulfilled?"

As Reverend Inman went on to relay touching stories of Eli's ministry, June was painfully aware of Parker's grief. He remained dry eyed, but she knew it was an act of will. People had told her Parker had never supported Eli's work. He came on Sunday to hear him preach on occasion. No doubt to Parker, Eli was a loyal friend who had been plucked from Parker's life too soon, and he saw no purpose or meaning in such a loss.

June's thoughts returned to Reverend Inman's compelling voice.

"Together we will carry on Eli's dream, the dream he so fervently shared with me. We will build the tabernacle. With God's help, we will erect this monument." Isaac wiped his eyes, then continued. "Shall we worry how we'll carry on? No, Eli would say no. Far more important, God says no. `Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee,' it says in Isaiah 26:3. Jesus admonishes us not to let our hearts be troubled or afraid. That implies we have a choice in the matter. `These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world,' John 16:33.

"Eli Messenger was a gifted man, a man who asked for little here on earth, but a man who is rich beyond measure in the treasure he has laid up for himself in heaven. He was a man who asked little for himself, but asked much of himself.

He offered cool water to the thirsty, comfort to the sorrowing, hope to the hopeless. Friends, `let not your hearts be troubled,"' Reverend Inman repeated softly. "Together we toil on. Together we will plant seeds and reap the harvest. `I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me,' Philippians 4:13."

Tears rolled down his cheeks now. "Brother Eli sits at the feet of God today. He is feasting at the table of the Lord. And he is hearing God say, `Well done, good and faithful servant."'

Bowing his head, he prayed. "Father, let our tears be of joy rather than of frustration. Let us move on, glorifying your name, building your kingdom. For the days allotted us here upon earth are precious and few."

Lifting his hand, he intoned, "Now, may the peace of God which passeth all understanding keep our hearts and minds through Jesus Christ. Amen, and amen."

June lowered her eyes as mourners rose and began to file silently past Eli's casket. Reverend Inman had requested that Eli be buried in a peaceful valley on the grounds where the tabernacle would be erected. In his words, "Eli will still be a part of the dream."