The pride that beamed in his voice was bittersweet to Janelle. She tried to ignore her distaste for Taylor, but she couldn’t do it. There was just something undefinably different about that girl, and she didn’t fit in here.

  “I’m glad to hear that,” she said quickly. “I have to run, but I hope you have a good night.”

  She exited the office, replaying in her mind the way Trevor often talked about Taylor.

  That girl is hot.

  She’s so funny.

  What did Trevor really know anyway? Sure, he was a bright kid. Or, at least he had been before he had decided that his only extracurricular activities would involve “making a statement” and acting out. She sighed, but his words continued to play in her head.

  She lights up a room the minute she walks into it.

  I really like her. We all do.

  Of course everyone liked her. She was smart, funny, friendly, and drop-dead gorgeous. But, that didn’t change the fact that she didn’t belong here. None of the Reeves family did, but Pastor Reeves and his wife had to be here, and she had to work for them.

  Taylor was just an unnecessary added burden, and she seemed so perfect that it made Janelle’s stomach turn. She was always sweeping in to seemingly save the day for some church program, and always looked flawless doing so.

  But, she couldn’t be that perfect. No one was, she knew that from her counseling work. Surely there was a weak spot in that girl’s past. There had to be something that made her a little less perfect.

  She would find out what it was.

  * * *

  The steam from her coffee cup rose, clouding her face and making Callie feel as if she were in a vaguely remembered Mafia movie.

  “What’s up?” she asked to a very agitated Janelle sitting across from her at their favorite spot to grab coffee, Bird’s-Eye View Café.

  Janelle slowly sipped her coffee and set the cup back down onto the table.

  “I’m concerned,” she said.

  Callie looked at Janelle, noting that she looked aged today. The lines around her eyes seemed to have deepened, and it appeared she hadn’t been sleeping well. As usual, her dark hair was perfectly styled, and she looked more put together than she would ever really be in reality. Still, she bore a ragged look on her face, as though she had just finished fighting a long, losing battle. “What are you concerned about?”

  “Everything,” Janelle blurted. “You and I both know that since Pastor Reeves swooped into town with that wife and daughter of his, nothing’s been the same.”

  Callie nodded, considering all of this. Personally, she had nothing against Pastor Reeves, but she could definitely agree that his wife and daughter had pushed their way into things that were none of their business. And it was no secret that Callie didn’t like Taylor; nor did Taylor like Callie. If push came to shove, there could be rough waters ahead.

  “I agree,” Callie said hesitantly. “But he’s not the problem.”

  “Not at all,” Janelle said quickly. “He’s great, and he’s maintained the size of the church, which means we’re still the most prominent draw in town. Both of us have steady jobs—for now, and the church is doing well. It’s just that something isn’t right with that family.”

  “How so?”

  “I mean, I think we have to keep Taylor and Donna in check or things will go south in a hurry,” Janelle said matter-of-factly.

  “You mean, things will be bad for us?”

  “For you, for me, for all of the church staff.”

  “You don’t think that they’re going to try to get rid of some of us, do you?” Callie asked. She hated Taylor for reasons of her own, but she’d not quite put the figures together that Taylor might have some influence on her job. Pastor Reeves usually seemed quite content to let matters of personal conflicts take care of themselves, while he let his staff go about their business.

  Janelle shrugged. “I don’t think it would come to that, but you’ve seen the way they look at us. They act like they’re better than we are.”

  “I said that just the other day.” Callie sat up straighter in her chair. “The guys all told me it was all in my head. But I guess it’s not just me.”

  “No,” said Janelle, shaking her head. “I’ve seen it too.”

  They sipped their coffee in silence. Janelle changed the subject. “Anyway, I’ve had enough of talking about them,” she said. “How is the group?”

  Callie considered the question. “I’m not sure, honestly,” she answered. “There are times when it’s great, but lately, even though numbers are up, it just feels like things are off.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I just mean that I think we could have some problems around the corner,” she said. “Basically, it all boils down to Taylor again. If she wants to take over, I see no reason why Pastor Reeves wouldn’t just let her do it. She is his daughter, and he trusts her. I’m just an outsider to him, even though I’ve been here for much longer.”

  “Does she act like she wants to?” Janelle asked.

  It was Callie’s turn to shrug. “I’m not sure. She apparently had a good turnout the other night, even got some new people there.”

  “What new people?”

  “A couple of college guys and one girl who everyone says used to play on the basketball team over at the university,” Callie said.

  “Basketball player?” Janelle asked. “Don’t tell me Jordan Weston showed up?”

  “I think that was her name.” Callie asked, “How do you know her?”

  “I’m an old friend of her mom’s. Jordan’s mom has been pushing her to come check out the group for months, but apparently she hadn’t been showing any interest. I talked to her mom a while back, and she said she was still trying to talk her into going.”

  “Well, she showed up last week and again this week,” Callie said. “She was sickeningly glued to Taylor’s side this time. It was like she was an old friend of Taylor’s, so I didn’t pay much attention.

  “According to everyone who was there last week, the night Taylor led went well,” Callie continued. “We got the people back again this week, so I just feel like the pressure is on me to keep performance high.”

  Janelle’s eyes narrowed. “Don’t you worry,” she said with a low voice. “When Taylor falls off her mighty pedestal, which she will, we’ll put her in her place, and then you won’t even have to think twice about her snatching your group out from under your nose. Even her daddy’s good name won’t be able keep her in a high position.”

  Something inside Callie came alive. She hated to give rein to the retaliatory part of her soul, but the temptation was just too great. She felt the neutral expression on her face give way to a devious smile.

  “We’ll put her back in her place, and hopefully she’ll just go home,” she said.

  Together, they sat and drank coffee into the night, discussing everything and everybody as usual. After going through a list of gossip items she had cleverly titled as “prayer requests,” she finally looked at the clock.

  “I should probably go,” she said. “But, thanks for reassuring me that this is all going to be okay. We’ll get through it together.”

  Callie couldn’t quite interpret the look in Janelle’s eyes. It could have been any number of emotions—ranging from a desire to seek revenge to sadness. Either way, she was glad to have Janelle on her side. There was no doubt that Janelle had faced a number of nemeses in her day, and that she somehow always came out on the other side, while her opponents suffered greatly.

  As she got into her car, she couldn’t help but smile at the thought of Taylor’s perfect persona being destroyed at Janelle’s hand. It would be sincerely satisfying to have her knocked off her high-and-mighty perch where she could no longer sit on top of the world.

  Still, Callie knew she had to be careful. Taylor was her daddy’s little girl, and if Callie didn’t at least pretend to like her, there was no doubt whose side the good pastor would take.

  She replayed the first night she had attempted to befriend Taylor. It had been an insincere act of self-preservation. Keep your friends close and your enemies closer. Right away, she had dubbed Taylor as an enemy.

  Anyone whose beauty and personality shone brighter than her own was an enemy in this small town. She refused to share the spotlight with anybody, but Taylor had been making that a difficult task, so she had suggested they hang out after work.

  They’d coexisted in a friendly manner throughout the night until Callie started asking personal questions.

  Taylor refused to answer most of them, disguising her discomfort with what she obviously hoped were good-natured laughs. Finally, when Callie continued to press, Taylor had flat-out said that she wasn’t sure she could trust anyone here, and she wasn’t one to make close friends easily.

  “No offense, I just don’t trust many people,” Taylor had said.

  Letting the memory steep, Callie let out a sigh.

  “No offense, Taylor Reeves, but you’re a bitch,” she said aloud in her car.

  If that girl wanted a reason not to trust, Callie could sure as hell give her one. And, given the right situation, she would do just that. For now, she would just bide her time and let Janelle do most of the dirty work.

  Then, eventually she would watch as Taylor fell from grace. It would be glorious, and she could have her life back as undisputed queen bee.

  Chapter Five

  “Listen to this one,” Taylor said, bringing up a music video from the nineties on YouTube for Jordan.

  Jordan bobbed her head along with the beat and then started laughing when she heard the words.

  “What is this?” she asked.

  “Guttermouth,” Taylor said with a laugh. “It’s long before your time, little one.”

  “I’m not so little,” Jordan retorted, moving her body in dancing rhythm. “In case you haven’t noticed, I look you in the eye.”

  Taylor nodded. “You sure do, but you’re also pretty damn young.”

  “Old enough to know better, young enough not to care,” Jordan said, flopping down on the bed beside her.

  Taylor laughed with ease and relished the comfort of the situation. For having known each other only a week, they had fallen into an easy friendship.

  Surprisingly, they had spent almost every day together, and had been through secrets, girl talk, dreams, future plans, and fears. It was comforting to Taylor, but also quite frightening. It had been a long time since she had opened up to someone on this level, and it never ended well for her. More often than not, Taylor had learned that opening up to someone usually led to being burned and getting hurt or doing the hurting herself when her father was reassigned to a new church. Throughout her life, broken trust was a common theme.

  She kept waiting for the ball to drop, but she was enjoying herself so much that she had decided to just let it happen this time. Come what may, she was immersing herself in this friendship with Jordan Weston, and it was a welcome break from her typical closed-off approach.

  Emerging from her thoughts, she realized that Jordan was staring at her inquisitively.

  “What’s up?” Taylor asked.

  “I was just thinking how happy I am to have a friend like you,” Jordan said.

  “I would have to say the feeling is mutual.”

  “And…” Jordan let her voice trail off to build suspense. “I was wondering if you would be willing to help me pick out an outfit for tonight.”

  “What’s happening tonight?” Taylor asked.

  “I think I have a date,” Jordan said slowly.

  “You think?” Taylor ignored the flip-flop of her heart at Jordan’s confession, and remained poised.

  Jordan shrugged and scrunched up her face. “I mean, this guy has been a friend of mine for a while, and I know he likes me. He asked me to dinner.”

  “So, he likes you,” Taylor said. “But, do you like him?”

  Her head to one side, Jordan appeared to be fully contemplating the situation. “He’s like a bro,” she said with a light laugh. “You know, he’s that guy I talk to every day about nothing. Our conversations are never really substantial. We chat about sports, the weather, our classes, and my physical therapy. It’s never deeper than that, but his eyes linger far too long to be comfortable sometimes. He does the awkward thing where he occasionally has conversations with my breasts, and he stutters sometimes out of nervousness. I know he likes me. He’s given plenty of hints before, and now he asked me out. I’m pretty positive it’s a date.”

  Taylor laughed again. This girl was hilarious even when she didn’t really mean to be. “Right, but how do you feel about him?”

  “I’m not sure,” she admitted. “I don’t think I’m crazy about him, but I’ll give it a shot. I might as well. I never go on dates, and I usually find an excuse when someone asks me to go out with them. My mom is always telling me that I don’t give anyone a chance.”

  “You’re too young for your mom to be putting that kind of pressure on you.”

  “Maybe I am,” Jordan said, considering the thought. “But she is kind of right, you know? I just haven’t been into dating. I didn’t ever really have the time, and when I did, I lost interest pretty quickly.”

  “Is that why you’re a virgin?” Taylor teased.

  Jordan allowed her mouth to drop open in pretend shock. “Miss Reeves, I’m surprised at your candor,” she said in a proper tone.

  They laughed, before Jordan broke into a grin ear to ear. “Yeah, that’s probably why,” she admitted. “If I’m not interested, how am I supposed to sleep with anyone?”

  “You make a good point,” Taylor conceded. “But are you telling me there’s never been anyone who’s sparked your interest?”

  “Not in a sexual way, I don’t think.”

  Jordan had been more than willing to deepen conversations to this point, so Taylor decided to take the conversation one step further.

  “So, there’s never been anyone you fantasize about? You don’t have special thoughts when you take care of yourself?”

  Jordan’s eyes widened, and Taylor’s amusement grew.

  “Sorry,” she said with a smile. “I figured it was time to put you on the spot for a change.”

  Jordan blushed and looked down for a moment.

  “I just don’t think I’ve ever shared those conversations with anyone,” she said. “I don’t really have anyone in particular I think about when I do that.”

  Taylor laughed, trying to ease Jordan back into comfort. “Don’t think too much about it,” she said. “We’ll get on an easier topic. Tell me more about this guy.” Taylor wanted to linger on the subject in her mind, to figure out what it was that made this girl tick, but she let it go for the time being.

  “His name is Kurt,” Jordan said quickly, obviously thankful to no longer be talking about her fantasies. “He’s a science geek, but he’s fairly attractive.” She continued to report random facts about Kurt. “He’s really nice, and he’s a senior in college. I think he wants to go into medicine. He likes sports, but he always talks about video games.”

  “You sound like you’re making a grocery list,” Taylor teased. “That’s definitely not how you would describe someone you’re into.”

  “I don’t know if I’m into him,” she said. “That’s the problem. I never really know.”

  “Well, what’s your type?” Taylor asked, smiling to herself as she watched Jordan’s every move. She talked animatedly with her hands, and her expressions seemed to always give away her true feelings. From her little nose crinkles to the way her smile would actually light up her eyes when it was genuine, the girl could entertain Taylor all day with just a simple story.

  Her long lean body swayed as she slowly moved her head from side to side, as she seemed to consider the question, and Taylor was mesmerized with every movement.

  “I don’t think I have a type,” Jordan said. “There are actually very few guys I find myself attracted to at all. I guess I don’t really notice guys most of the time.”

  “That’s not a bad thing,” Taylor said. “You’re just picky.” Even as she said the words, she broke into a smile. It was just too much fun to tease Jordan a little bit and watch her get flustered.

  “I’m not picky. I just want someone who gives me butterflies. I want someone to take my breath away. I don’t want a love I can live with. I want a love I can’t live without.”

  “Well said,” Taylor noted, genuinely impressed. “I think you’ll know when you find that person.”

  Jordan’s smile grew. “I think I will too, but for now, I’ll give people a chance. Besides, if I go on a date or two, maybe my mom will get off my back a little.”

  “Why is she so worried about it? I mean, you’re gorgeous, you’re smart, and you’re going places. You’re going to find someone incredible.”

  “I think she’s worried I’m either going to become the cat lady, a nun, or a lesbian,” Jordan joked.

  “I don’t think you’re in any danger of becoming any of those things,” Taylor said.

  “We shall see,” Jordan said, cocking her head to the side and winking.

  The move almost made Taylor come undone. This girl had no idea how seductive she was without even trying. Silently, Taylor chastised herself. She was going to have to put those thoughts aside, and she’d successfully done so at every turn until Jordan went and did something like this.

  “So are you excited about your date?” Taylor asked, bringing the conversation back to its starting point.

  “I think so,” Jordan said. “It’s bound to be better than some of my previous dates.”

  “Tell me about them,” Taylor said, turning to lie on her side so she could face Jordan.

  “Let’s just say that if he doesn’t show up drunk, try to take off my clothes at the restaurant, or pretend he lost his wallet, it’ll be the best college date I’ve had so far.”

  Taylor laughed, and Jordan’s lips turned up into a grin, making her dimple even more noticeable.

  “Have they all been that bad?”

  “They have,” Jordan said with a telling wince. “But, maybe this one will be different.”