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.Now that he was here, he was sorry he had cut out this part of his life.Dylan pulled the Bible out of the rack and turned to the passage announced by the minister.“’How lovely is Your dwelling place, O Lord almighty.Better is one day in Your courts than a thousand elsewhere.’”To his surprise, Dylan felt a throb of guilt, edged with sorrow.He had missed all this, he thought, following the words with his index finger as the minister read them.The words drew back old memories—of happier times when he and his brother were friends, not enemies.When they were both unaware of the words favoritism, injustice.When they weren’t in competition for their father’s affection.Dylan read on, allowing the words to gently dislodge memories of better times.And how could they go back to that?He was quitting the company to strike out on his own.Under Ted’s guidance the company that his father had started and was hoping to ease away from was starting to unravel.And he and his father and his brother spoke to each other only when necessary.He closed the Bible before the minister finished reading and slipped it back in the holder with a hollow thunk.He didn’t want to read about family unity and respect anymore.Right now he didn’t have a lot of respect for his father and his lack of backbone.And his frustration with his brother hardly promoted family unity.He was actually thankful to his father right now for asking him to come and help figure out what had happened to the company.Up until now he’d been still having second thoughts about leaving Matheson Telecom.He didn’t anymore.But even as resentment sifted through him, he couldn’t help but listen to the minister’s words.He spoke of the yearning God had to be closer to His people.How God wanted us to be yearning for Him.In spite of his resistance, Dylan felt the words push against the walls of anger and bitterness he had erected against his father and brother.He felt as if he hardly dared let God’s love breach that.Because then what reason would he have to keep going down the road he had taken?When the minister announced the song after the sermon, he was still thinking, wondering.Lisa pulled the hymnal out of the rack and opened it up.As the organ played a short introduction to the song, she lowered her head.He saw her swipe at her cheek, heard a faint sniff.She dug in her purse and pulled out a tissue.As she wiped her nose, she angled her head.Dylan was shocked to see the glistening track of tears on her cheeks.But before he could say or do anything, she was looking down again.He glanced down at the hymnal on her lap, reading the first few lines of the song.“The tender love a father has for all his children dear…”The words drew out a mixture of emotions.Dylan had a father who preferred one son over the other.Lisa had no father at all.For a moment sorrow replaced Dylan’s anger, and it was that shared sorrow that made him slip his arm around her shoulders.Draw her to his side.Her slight resistance was followed by a gentle drifting toward him, and he pulled her closer.And once again he felt that same connection that had sparked between them last night.That it had happened in church seemed to add a blessing to the moment.Pull yourself together, Lisa commanded herself, bending over the sink of her bedroom’s en suite.She splashed cold water on her puffy eyes, wiped her running mascara and drew in a deep breath.She didn’t have to feel guilty anymore.Her obligation had been fulfilled.She had gone to church just as she had promised.So why did she feel as if her carefully constructed life was unraveling piece by piece?The moment in church when she had so clearly felt the call of God to come to Him and let Him be a father to her still brought tears to her eyes.And she hardly ever cried.Almost as precious was the memory of Dylan putting his arm around her.A pang of yearning sang through her, agitating a flurry of emotions she never thought she’d feel again.Dylan is leaving and you are living a lie.That cold reality sobered her more than the water had.She left the sanctuary of her bedroom to join the family outside.And of course the first person she saw when she stepped through the large glass doors to the deck was Dylan.He stood in profile to her, talking with his mother.As he smiled she felt the advent of her previous feelings and she quickly looked away, frustrated at how quickly they had returned.“Lisa, can I get you anything to drink?” Alex was beside her, smiling down at her.“No.Thanks.”“And how did you enjoy church?” he asked, drawing her aside.Lisa glanced up at him, at the features so like his son’s, except softened by age.“I’m glad I went,” she said, glad she could be honest about something.“It was a real blessing.”Alex’s smile blossomed.“I’m so glad to hear that.”“Dad, here’s your iced tea.” Ted joined them then, handing his father a tall frosted glass.“Well, hello, Lisa.Where have you been hiding? I stopped by an hour ago, but neither you nor my brother were home.”“Dylan and Lisa came to church with us,” Alex said quietly, a faint edge to his voice.Ted’s eyebrows shot up and he quirked her a wry grin.“Dylan? In church? You are a surprising influence on my brother, Lisa.I guess there’s hope for him after all.”“Well, false hope is better than no hope at all,” Lisa quipped.“So have you and Dylan been able to corroborate what Dara has discovered?” Ted asked her.“I know she’s been quite upset about the whole problem.Quite disturbing.”Lisa nodded, wishing she’d taken Alex up on his offer of something to drink.She might have missed talking to Ted.There was a hollow heartiness about him that rang false.As if he was trying too hard to be who he was.She never felt comfortable around him.“Nothing that’s jumped out at us yet.” She angled him a quick glance.“Maybe he didn’t do it.”Ted laughed
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