Ray hadn’t anticipated the conversation going this direction. He almost expected to see Buck and Jeff’s breath steam with the hostile chill in the air.
Jeff leaned into the table. “Before we start talkin’ about spending money we don’t got, there’s somethin’ else we wanna talk to you about.”
Ray could feel the flush of testiness rising in his cheeks. What the hell is going on here? The campaign is good news! He chose to ignore Jeff and focused on the campaign. “This is a marvelous opportunity for us! After all the time we’ve spent struggling, I thought you’d be excited.”
Buck coughed into the curve of his elbow. “As Jeff said, there’s something else we want to discuss with you that doesn’t have anything to do with launching a fundraising campaign.”
The pastor stared down the length of the table at the concerned faces of his employees. “All right, let’s have it.”
Jeff spoke again, his words coming quickly. “It’s about Susannah. She ain’t the woman she says she is, Ray. We think she’s stolen someone else’s identity—”
Ray stood up, nearly knocking his chair over. He paced back and forth in the cramped space. “That is absolute nonsense! How dare you—”
Boom! Buck slapped his clenched fist hard against the table. “Ray! It’s time you hear us out. We have mounting proof. We don’t want to see you get hurt or worse. Please. Just listen to what Jeff and I have to say.”
Arms rigidly folded across his chest, eyes glowering, Ray said tersely, “Tell me.”
“Hey, I’m sorry to interrupt, but is everything okay? I could hear raised voices down the hall.” Susannah stood in the doorway, the soothing honeyed tones of her voice filling the room.
Ray spoke abruptly to Buck and Jeff, the anger mounting in his voice. “Why don’t you gentlemen tell Susannah what you were telling me?”
All he got was strained silence. Ray felt himself seething, waiting for one of them to speak. “Well, if you won’t tell her, I will. My darling, Susannah, Buck and Jeff here believe you have stolen another person’s identity and are not the woman you say you are.”
She smiled warmly at the disturbed faces, making herself comfortable among the men. “You have the story backwards. It was my identity that was stolen, following my divorce. It’s literally taken years to get my good name back, and the stress of the situation is a small part of why I let alcohol take over my life.” She steeled herself, grasping Ray’s hand to continue. “All they needed to open charge accounts was my social security number, which they got by breaking into my house. I had to dig myself out of a mountain of debt I hadn’t created and prove my identity had been taken by someone else. I was already dealing with the deaths of my children and a divorce, which were the beginning of my emotional collapse.”
She paused, looking Buck and Jeff squarely in the eye, no tears, but her eyes glistened. “I appreciate that you’re both leery of me because of the way I showed up here, and believe me, I understand. If I were either of you, I’d be suspicious, too. I have found true happiness with Ray, and my hope is that as we move into a new phase of our lives, you’ll be a part of that.”
As he beamed at Susannah, so proud to soon call her his wife, Ray observed his friends. He wanted to still be angry at them, but he knew they were not trying to cause him pain.
“I guess we owe you an apology,” Buck said with a deep sigh. “I’m sorry we doubted you.”
“Me too,” Jeff acknowledged. “We made a mistake. Let’s move on. Tell us your ideas for a capital campaign.”
Ray’s rigid face melted into a warm smile as he stroked Susannah’s knuckles. “Susannah has come up with a terrific name for the campaign—the Growing in Christ Campaign. We want to officially launch after Easter.”
“How much are you plannin’ on raisin’ for this campaign?” Jeff asked.
“We’ll see what the architect has in mind. I want a beautiful place of worship, but not too extravagant. For a 17,000-square-foot addition, the architect estimates two and a half million dollars,” Ray countered, still caressing Susannah’s hand.
“Of course, that doesn’t include the architect’s fees, which we estimate will be around three hundred thousand dollars.” Susannah smiled.
Buck coughed again. “Wow—that’s a lot of space and money. This campaign could take years. I’m not convinced the congregation is big enough for either.”
Next to him, Jeff nodded in agreement.
“But we’re growing,” Ray said. “Increasing numbers are attending in person and watching us on TV. We’ll set a goal of two and a half million dollars and see where we are in a year.”
“And then what?” Jeff wanted an answer.
Susannah pulled her hand from Ray’s, spreading them wide. “God will let us know where we need to go. We want everyone to feel a part of this campaign, and to do that, we’ll offer opportunities for congregation members to purchase things—a pew for instance—and as a donor, their name will be inscribed on a plaque. It gives members a sense of ownership.”
Ray studied Buck and Jeff. As they contemplated this new development, he thought Buck remained agitated. He couldn’t sit still and kept bouncing a knee under the table. After a long moment, Buck spoke. “Do you want our feedback on any of this, or is the deal done?”
Ray kept his tone measured. “Now, Buck, don’t say it like that. We want your opinion on the new building; but as far as actually raising money, Susannah and I have that mapped out. And I’m hopeful a successful campaign will allow you both to come on board full time.” He touched Susannah’s hand again, grinning. “But there is something else we want to share with you.”
Then, he had an epiphany. His employees and friends had given themselves wholly to his enterprise, his ministry. Ray recognized that Buck and Jeff were jealously protecting what was a huge part of their lives. Their actions also explained this nonsense of accusing Susannah of committing identity theft. They were fearful of the unknown, and Ray understood he would have to be cautious.
Ray gently introduced the next subject. “After much thought and prayer, Susannah and I feel it would be good to broadcast the wedding. KNSL has agreed, but of course, they’re not doing it for free. This is a new beginning for Susannah and me, and The Road to Calvary. We do this right, and there will be other benefits.”
“Such as a bump in the ratings,” Buck said.
“Yes,” Ray acknowledged, noting the tinge of sarcasm in his voice. “To be clear, no funds from the Growing in Christ Campaign will be used—I will spend my own money for the broadcast.”
“It’s just surprising, you know, having a personal event like your wedding on TV. Being the groom three times, I honestly can’t imagine broadcasting my nuptials,” Buck said. “Walk us through your plan, so we understand what’s expected of us.”
Everyone had calmed down, and the discussion focused on promotion. As he listened carefully to Buck and Jeff, Ray’s thoughts kept returning to their assertion Susannah was using a stolen identity. What on earth would make them think such a thing? To Ray, she had honestly acknowledged the tension with the other two men early on and tried to rectify it. It was typical human nature, he mused. Buck and Jeff, as much as he cared for them, would have to adapt to the transitions that would benefit their futures—or they would part ways.