Total pages in book: 128
Estimated words: 122097 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 610(@200wpm)___ 488(@250wpm)___ 407(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 122097 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 610(@200wpm)___ 488(@250wpm)___ 407(@300wpm)
I come up to her, lean down, and kiss her hello on the cheek even though I just saw her half an hour ago. She looks up at me, still smiling, her eyes bright and happy. “I’ve missed you too, Collin.”
I chuckle a little and take my seat across from her, telling Mercy to lie down at my feet, which she does without complaint.
“What is all this?” I pan my hand to mean the gazebo and the fact that we’re sitting in it when we should be working. But honestly, I mean all of it. Our costumes. The girls picking her up. Amon driving Old Man Hunt’s Rolls Royce.
“Script change.” Lowyn shakes her head a little, like she can’t believe it either. “Bryn is taking over the booth today.”
“Really. Well that’s interesting. Because the north gate has people manning it who are not me as well.”
“I’ve been told that we are the stars of the show today.”
“I’ve heard the same rumor. But I’m not followin’ a script. I don’t care how much trouble they’ve gone to to put this place together, I’m not gonna play along.”
“So here’s the interesting thing, Collin. There is no script. Not for us, anyway.”
“What do you mean?”
“We just get to… be on a date all day. As long as we don’t stray out of the Revival grounds, and we hang around until six, we’ve done our part.”
“How’s that figure into the prodigal son? I mean, yesterday we were front-page news. They were calling me a murderer.”
“Yesterday doesn’t count. Did they tell you? It was some dress rehearsal and all the guests were from Bishop and Revenant. So you can just relax, Collin. We’re playing the part of a couple on a first date. You can manage that, right?”
“What about next weekend?”
“I don’t know. But there is no reason to worry about next weekend when we’re still in this one.”
As soon as she’s done saying that a waitress appears, a teenager who I don’t know, but Lowyn obviously does because she says, “Good morning, Lucy. How are you today?”
Lucy blushes and she sets down a fancy tea service set in the middle of the table. Then she curtseys and addresses Lowyn in a small voice. “I’m fine, thank you. This is your coffee, it’s not tea, Miss McBride. I’ll be back with your pastries in a moment.” Then she curtsies again, leaving as quick as she came.
Lowyn’s face is the picture of delight when she looks at me and points to the tea set at the same time. “Fancy-fancy.”
Which makes me laugh. And with that laugh, I settle and lean back in my chair. “It’s like a vacation day.”
“Exactly. Think of it just like that.”
“What are we gonna do all day? I mean, I’m not really interested in shopping. That’s pretty much all there is to do here.”
“We’re gonna walk around. And hold hands. And talk. And go to the Revival.” I’m about to protest, but she puts up a hand to stop me. “There’s not gonna be no trouble, Collin. I got that straight from Rosie.”
“How does Rosie know?”
“Ester told her. So we’re just gonna go to the Revival like everyone else and watch the show.”
“Well, if we’re the stars, and we don’t have lines, how will there even be a show?”
“I think it’s about the boys today.”
“What boys?”
“Your boys.”
“You mean Amon?”
“And the others from the compound.”
“How many of them are here?”
“Twenty or so, I think.”
“What are they gonna do? Get in a fight or something?”
“I don’t think so. I was told that this was just gonna be a nice day. So the two of us will find out together when the Revival starts. But here’s something interesting.” This is when I notice there is a program for today’s Revival sitting on the table in front of her. And when she picks it up, I realize it’s really two. She holds the top one out for me and I take it.
I look down at it, read the main article on the front page, then look back up at Lowyn. “What’s this?”
“Apparently, this is the real program for this weekend.” She holds up the second program. “The one with us on the front page was only for yesterday.”
“What? So… we’re not the stars of this show?”
“I think we are. But we’re on page five in that one.” She points to the program I’m holding.
I turn to page five and sure enough, there’s a picture of us from Friday. And the headline is different. It says, ‘Local Man Returns to Run Father’s Business.’ I look back up at Lowyn and shake my head. “So what is this? I get a choice? Be the man who murdered your husband or be the preacher of the fuckin’ Revival?”
“They’re gonna pigeonhole you into something or other, Collin. You might as well just accept it.”