Pie Town - Lynne Hinton [57]
“Well, speak of the devil,” she said with a big smile on her face. “Never mind,” she added, looking back at Danny, “I know where I can get a ride,” and she grabbed her rag and empty tray and headed over to the table closest to the door.
Chapter Twenty-one
Father George was not pleased to be driving Trina to the hospital. It had turned into an all-day event. After receiving the phone call from Malene about Alex’s hospitalization, he had planned to make a visit to Albuquerque to see him, but he had not intended to take anyone with him, especially not Trina. He stopped at the diner for a quick bite before heading out. When she approached him about the ride, he tried to think of a way to tell her no, but her argument for them to go together was persuasive, and in the end he could not refuse her. Besides, George was not quick on his feet. He needed time to think about things before making decisions, especially if some kind of deception was involved. And even though he thought that if he bent the truth a bit and told Trina that he couldn’t drive her, it wouldn’t be held against him as speaking dishonestly but rather seen as an effort to protect necessary boundaries, he just couldn’t tell the girl no. He hadn’t had the nerve to deny her request while others watched. He hadn’t had the sense to just say he couldn’t do it. Once again he was stuck with this bothersome young woman.
His hesitation about driving her didn’t have anything to do with worry about attraction. Even though he felt anxious around her, it wasn’t that he was concerned about staying true to his vow of celibacy. It wasn’t that he believed it was wrong for a man and a woman to be alone in close quarters together, as some of the older priests did. He didn’t want to drive her to Albuquerque or anywhere in Pie Town because he knew it just didn’t look good. He knew that people talked and that scandal made them talk even more. And he knew that even the hint of a scandal for a new priest in his first assignment would stay with him throughout his entire career. No matter how much good he might do in service to his parishioners or how tirelessly he worked for the poor or how diligent he was in his commitment to God, he would be remembered for the whispers that followed him from place to place.
“It doesn’t matter what you do, it’s what the parishioners think you do.” That was Father Leon’s golden rule, and George had taken it to heart. He had already noticed the looks he got, the rumors he heard. Bernie King had even made a point to bring it up at church, asking the priest if Trina came to Confession. George believed that his choice to continue driving around this young displaced woman was going to eventually heap trouble on his head, but in spite of his grave concern about his reputation, it seemed that Trina always got what she wanted from him.
“Alex looks really sick, doesn’t he?” Trina commented as she slid into the passenger’s seat, preparing to head home. She shook her head and then pulled down the visor in front of her. It was late in the afternoon, and the sun was bright and shining right into her eyes. “I’ve never been to an intensive care unit. That place is scary.” She pushed her hair behind her ears and turned to George, who was getting into the car. “Can we stop and get something to eat?” she asked. “I didn’t have a chance to grab anything before we left and I’m starved.”
Father George got behind the wheel and pulled the seat belt across his waist. He thought about telling Trina to buckle up, like he did the other time they had been in the car together, but decided against it. “I need to get back for six o’clock Mass,” he responded.
“Oh.” Trina pulled her legs and feet up on the seat and wrapped her arms around her knees.
George turned on the engine and put the car in reverse,