"Mary Janice Davidson - Betsy 01 - Undead And Unwed" - читать интересную книгу автора (Davidson Mary Janice)

I glanced at the clock on the far wall. It was after five in the morning; the sun would be up soon. Maybe
a morning stroll would finish me off.

I smelled starch, old cotton, and aftershave, heard footsteps, and turned to see the minister walking
down the aisle toward me. He was a man in his early 50s, completely bald on top with a white monkтАЩs
fringe around the sides and back of his head. He wore black slacks and a black short-sleeved shirt. His
cheeks were pink from where he had shaved, and he wore thick glasses and sported a heroic Roman
nose. A wedding band gleamed on the third finger of his left hand. He was about twenty pounds too
heavy for his height, which meant he probably gave the most excellent hugs.
 He took in the scene at a glance: Cleaning Guy passed out and snoring on the floor, and Dead Girl
sitting in the pew looking like baked dog shit.

He smiled at me. тАЬIt must be Monday.тАЭ

I ended up telling him the whole story while he fixed coffee in the rectory. I drank three cups and
finished with, тАЬThen I came here, but none of the doors or Bibles or anything are hurting me.тАЭ I left out
the part about the cleaning guy trying to mack on me in front of the pulpitтАФno need to get anyone in
trouble. тАЬYou donтАЩt have a cross on you, do you?тАЭ I added hopefully.

For reply he unpinned the small silver cross on his collar and handed it to me. I closed my fingers
around it, tightly, but nothing happened. I gave it back.

тАЬYou can have it,тАЭ he said.

тАЬNo, thatтАЩs all right.тАЭ

тАЬNo, really! I want you to have it.тАЭ

His cheeks were flushed, and the color deepened as I grabbed his hand, pressed the cross into it, and
folded his fingers closed. тАЬThanks, but itтАЩs yours. You shouldnтАЩt give it to a stranger.тАЭ

тАЬA beautiful stranger.тАЭ

тАЬWhat?тАЭ First the cleaning guy, now the minister!

As if in response to my shocked thought, he blinked and slowly shook his head. тАЬForgive me. I donтАЩt
know whatтАЩs come over me.тАЭ He touched his wedding ring absently, and that seemed to give him the
strength to look me in the eyes. тАЬPlease continue.тАЭ

тАЬThereтАЩs nothing else. IтАЩm lost,тАЭ I finished. тАЬI donтАЩt have the faintest idea what to do. IтАЩm sure you think
IтАЩm nuts, but could you just pretend to believe me and give me some advice?тАЭ

тАЬYouтАЩre not nuts, and I donтАЩt think youтАЩre lying,тАЭ he soothed. He had a faint southern accent which
immediately put me in mind of grits and magnolias. тАЬItтАЩs obvious youтАЩve had a terrible experience and you
needтАФyou just need to talk to someone. And maybe rest.тАЭ

I was too tired to stab myself in the heart with my coffee spoon to prove my point. I just nodded.

тАЬAs to why the Bible didnтАЩt hurt you, thatтАЩs quite obvious, mтАЩdearтАФGod still loves you.тАЭ