Lead Me Home, Numb3rs, Part 42/84
Don't own; don't sue.
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Part 11 Part 12 Part 13 Part 14 Part 15 Part 16 Part 17 Part 18 Part 19 Part 20
Part 21 Part 22 Part 23 Part 24 Part 25 Part 26 Part 27 Part 28 Part 29 Part 30
Part 31 Part 32 Part 33 Part 34 Part 35 Part 36 Part 37 Part 38 Part 39 Part 40
Part 41
Colby pulled up in front of the church and sighed. He wasn't really looking forward to this conversation.
He didn't like to think about his time in prison. Even though he'd mostly been left alone, it hadn't been pleasant. It wasn't supposed to be.
Okay. You think nothing of getting shot at routinely but you can't go talk to a preacher. That's just sad.
Of course, the fact was Reverend Hunt wasn't... tactful or personable or sensitive.
"I said I would do this and I will."
Colby took a deep breath and exited the SUV. In seconds, he was in the vestibule. He smiled up at that the painting. He'd always liked the mural. The fifteen foot by eight foot scene showed a valley with a river winding through it. There were a quiet image and Colby often imagined that unspoiled place like that would be where God would go to clear his head if he ever needed to.
"He leadeth me beside the still waters."
"He restoreth my soul."
"Reverend." Colby turned and shook the man's hands.
"Agent Granger. I see you also enjoy the artwork here."
Colby nodded. "It's been there as long as I can really remember. In Sunday school, some times we'd come sit on the steps and Miss Jones would read Psalm 23 to us. It's one of my favorites verses."
"Miss Jones?"
"You'd know her as Mrs. Anne Miller. She was just out of high school back then, hadn't married Tyler yet."
"I see."
Colby chuckled. "Sorry, that was ancient history."
"No, not ancient, just yours. Everyone here has so much shared history. It's nice to hear new stories."
"I suppose." Colby took a deep breath. "So I was coming to see if you had time to talk today about..."
"Prison ministry. Yes, I'm quite interested in hearing about your experience. Unfortunately, I was actually on my way to another meeting when I found you out here."
"Oh. Well, I'm heading back to L.A. this weekend. But, uh, here." Colby pulled out his badge and identification card. He always kept a few business cards tucked into the back. "That's all my contact information at work. You can use that email address to contact me."
"Wonderful. Let me grab a pencil and paper from the sanctuary and I'll give you mine."
The two men walked into the sanctum and stopped at the first pew. The reverend took the paper and pencil for prayer requests and quickly jotted down his name and email.
"Here are the two email addresses I use the most. One at home and one here at church. Just so you recognize them."
Nodding, Colby folded the paper in half and slid it into his wallet. He didn't want to lose it after all. "I'll add both to my address books. Here, let me give you my home email, too."
Colby quickly wrote his other email on the back of his card before passing it back to the reverend.
"I truly do appreciate your offer to satisfy my curiosity. If I ask a question while we're discussing things that you feel is too personal, please let me know. I don't want to put you out in any way."
"I'm sure it'll be fine," Colby said, not actually all that sure. "Don't worry; I'm not easy to offend.
"Good to know."
"Well, I don't want to keep you from your meeting so I'll be on my w-"
"Colby?"
Colby turned towards the voice. He barely had a moment to recognize the blond hair and big brown eyes before he was being hugged within an inch of his life.
"Angie Hillard?"
"It's Angie Simon, now," the woman said as she let Colby go.
"I'm sorry to keep you waiting, Mrs. Simon."
"Oh, take your time, Reverend. Colby, how have you been?"
"I'm good. You married Tommy Simon?"
"Yeah, well. He grew up in college finally."
"We all have to some time."
"And when do you plan on growing up?"
"Oh, any day now. You know how it is."
Angie laughed and looped her arm around his waist. "Same old Colby."
Colby just grinned and squeezed her shoulders. "You know you love me."
"Are you kidding? I had the biggest crush on you."
"When?"
"You were a junior in high school and I was a seventh grader. I thought you were... well, anyway."
Colby looked at the minister and blushed. "It was the wrestling singlet."
"No, it was your solo at Christmas. Hymn of Peace. I'll never forget it."
"You sing, Agent Granger?"
"He sings beautifully. When Mom was the choir director, we did a lot of songs just so Colby could do the solos."
Blushing deeper, Colby turned his face into her hair.
"There is no need to be embarrassed, Colby. We all have God-given talents that don't always mesh with our lives."
"Yeah, well." Colby was little surprised that the reverend was the one trying to sooth him. The man hadn't shown great interpersonal skills so far.
"Besides, how many men can say they were an All-Star athlete in three sports and a award winning singer? All before the age of sixteen?"
"Not that many, I would think."
Colby shrugged. "I guess not."
"Will you be here on Sunday, Colby?"
"Yeah, I'm heading out after lunch on Sunday."
"You should sing with us."
"Us?"
"Yes, Mrs. Simon is the choir director now. We were just going to meet to discuss our music selections for this weekend before the choir practice."
"You still do Friday lunch practices?"
"Well, Mom may have quit being the choir director but she didn't quit the choir."
"Ah, a little bit of a power struggle." Colby chuckled. The lunch choir practice had become a bit of a tradition in Winchester. It let people from the outlying farms and ranches have time at night with their families but didn't take away from those who's work schedules in town didn't give them time during the day. Besides most nights were all ready busy with all the other activities people did in town.
"Well it still works for almost everyone, so why change it." Angie shrugged. "Sing with us, please. We might have a robe that would fit you."
Colby shook his head. "I haven't sung in years and... it's my last morning here. I want to sit with my family and spend what time I have with them. I'm sorry, but..."
"What if you could do both?"
"Excuse me?"
"You're not the only one visiting Winchester for the holiday. We could ask any former choir members to join the choir for a song but let everyone remain with their families."
"That's a great idea, Reverend. We'll pick something classic; that everyone knows. Please?"
Colby looked down into Angie's pleading brown eyes. "Okay. But I sit with my family and no solos."
"Deal." The pair shook hands on the deal.
"Well, I will let you two get to your meeting. I will see you both come Sunday then."
"Indeed." The reverend shook Colby's hand and smiled. "I look forward to corresponding with you in the new year."
"Me, too." Colby tweaked the end of Angie's nose. "Don't work too hard now."
"Never do. Now get your butt going so the minister and I can talk."
"Yes, ma'am."
Next
Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8 Part 9 Part 10
Part 11 Part 12 Part 13 Part 14 Part 15 Part 16 Part 17 Part 18 Part 19 Part 20
Part 21 Part 22 Part 23 Part 24 Part 25 Part 26 Part 27 Part 28 Part 29 Part 30
Part 31 Part 32 Part 33 Part 34 Part 35 Part 36 Part 37 Part 38 Part 39 Part 40
Part 41
Colby pulled up in front of the church and sighed. He wasn't really looking forward to this conversation.
He didn't like to think about his time in prison. Even though he'd mostly been left alone, it hadn't been pleasant. It wasn't supposed to be.
Okay. You think nothing of getting shot at routinely but you can't go talk to a preacher. That's just sad.
Of course, the fact was Reverend Hunt wasn't... tactful or personable or sensitive.
"I said I would do this and I will."
Colby took a deep breath and exited the SUV. In seconds, he was in the vestibule. He smiled up at that the painting. He'd always liked the mural. The fifteen foot by eight foot scene showed a valley with a river winding through it. There were a quiet image and Colby often imagined that unspoiled place like that would be where God would go to clear his head if he ever needed to.
"He leadeth me beside the still waters."
"He restoreth my soul."
"Reverend." Colby turned and shook the man's hands.
"Agent Granger. I see you also enjoy the artwork here."
Colby nodded. "It's been there as long as I can really remember. In Sunday school, some times we'd come sit on the steps and Miss Jones would read Psalm 23 to us. It's one of my favorites verses."
"Miss Jones?"
"You'd know her as Mrs. Anne Miller. She was just out of high school back then, hadn't married Tyler yet."
"I see."
Colby chuckled. "Sorry, that was ancient history."
"No, not ancient, just yours. Everyone here has so much shared history. It's nice to hear new stories."
"I suppose." Colby took a deep breath. "So I was coming to see if you had time to talk today about..."
"Prison ministry. Yes, I'm quite interested in hearing about your experience. Unfortunately, I was actually on my way to another meeting when I found you out here."
"Oh. Well, I'm heading back to L.A. this weekend. But, uh, here." Colby pulled out his badge and identification card. He always kept a few business cards tucked into the back. "That's all my contact information at work. You can use that email address to contact me."
"Wonderful. Let me grab a pencil and paper from the sanctuary and I'll give you mine."
The two men walked into the sanctum and stopped at the first pew. The reverend took the paper and pencil for prayer requests and quickly jotted down his name and email.
"Here are the two email addresses I use the most. One at home and one here at church. Just so you recognize them."
Nodding, Colby folded the paper in half and slid it into his wallet. He didn't want to lose it after all. "I'll add both to my address books. Here, let me give you my home email, too."
Colby quickly wrote his other email on the back of his card before passing it back to the reverend.
"I truly do appreciate your offer to satisfy my curiosity. If I ask a question while we're discussing things that you feel is too personal, please let me know. I don't want to put you out in any way."
"I'm sure it'll be fine," Colby said, not actually all that sure. "Don't worry; I'm not easy to offend.
"Good to know."
"Well, I don't want to keep you from your meeting so I'll be on my w-"
"Colby?"
Colby turned towards the voice. He barely had a moment to recognize the blond hair and big brown eyes before he was being hugged within an inch of his life.
"Angie Hillard?"
"It's Angie Simon, now," the woman said as she let Colby go.
"I'm sorry to keep you waiting, Mrs. Simon."
"Oh, take your time, Reverend. Colby, how have you been?"
"I'm good. You married Tommy Simon?"
"Yeah, well. He grew up in college finally."
"We all have to some time."
"And when do you plan on growing up?"
"Oh, any day now. You know how it is."
Angie laughed and looped her arm around his waist. "Same old Colby."
Colby just grinned and squeezed her shoulders. "You know you love me."
"Are you kidding? I had the biggest crush on you."
"When?"
"You were a junior in high school and I was a seventh grader. I thought you were... well, anyway."
Colby looked at the minister and blushed. "It was the wrestling singlet."
"No, it was your solo at Christmas. Hymn of Peace. I'll never forget it."
"You sing, Agent Granger?"
"He sings beautifully. When Mom was the choir director, we did a lot of songs just so Colby could do the solos."
Blushing deeper, Colby turned his face into her hair.
"There is no need to be embarrassed, Colby. We all have God-given talents that don't always mesh with our lives."
"Yeah, well." Colby was little surprised that the reverend was the one trying to sooth him. The man hadn't shown great interpersonal skills so far.
"Besides, how many men can say they were an All-Star athlete in three sports and a award winning singer? All before the age of sixteen?"
"Not that many, I would think."
Colby shrugged. "I guess not."
"Will you be here on Sunday, Colby?"
"Yeah, I'm heading out after lunch on Sunday."
"You should sing with us."
"Us?"
"Yes, Mrs. Simon is the choir director now. We were just going to meet to discuss our music selections for this weekend before the choir practice."
"You still do Friday lunch practices?"
"Well, Mom may have quit being the choir director but she didn't quit the choir."
"Ah, a little bit of a power struggle." Colby chuckled. The lunch choir practice had become a bit of a tradition in Winchester. It let people from the outlying farms and ranches have time at night with their families but didn't take away from those who's work schedules in town didn't give them time during the day. Besides most nights were all ready busy with all the other activities people did in town.
"Well it still works for almost everyone, so why change it." Angie shrugged. "Sing with us, please. We might have a robe that would fit you."
Colby shook his head. "I haven't sung in years and... it's my last morning here. I want to sit with my family and spend what time I have with them. I'm sorry, but..."
"What if you could do both?"
"Excuse me?"
"You're not the only one visiting Winchester for the holiday. We could ask any former choir members to join the choir for a song but let everyone remain with their families."
"That's a great idea, Reverend. We'll pick something classic; that everyone knows. Please?"
Colby looked down into Angie's pleading brown eyes. "Okay. But I sit with my family and no solos."
"Deal." The pair shook hands on the deal.
"Well, I will let you two get to your meeting. I will see you both come Sunday then."
"Indeed." The reverend shook Colby's hand and smiled. "I look forward to corresponding with you in the new year."
"Me, too." Colby tweaked the end of Angie's nose. "Don't work too hard now."
"Never do. Now get your butt going so the minister and I can talk."
"Yes, ma'am."
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