Excerpt: Mammoth Secrets

Jacob Gibb’s truck rattled off the state route toward the main street of town. He didn’t have the vehicle with the fancy navigation system anymore. The little hybrid car with the back up camera, computerized map, and satellite radio was Adele’s now, along with the house, the cat, and every wedding present they’d received five years before.
He shook the familiar feeling of regret from his head, catching sight of his too reddish hair. Not the hair of a preacher, his mother’s voice echoed in his head. Not the way to make a good first impression on your new congregation!
Maybe not. But this is what they were gonna get. Jake cocked a smile and rested elbow to the window to catch the mid April breeze. He’d be newly planted in the Spring River Memorial church for Easter. Wifeless. Homeless, but for what the ladies auxiliary league had rousted up for him. It was like starting over from scratch. Before he’d met Adele, when he still had dreams of his own, when compromise was a word unfamiliar to his palate.
He made a right off the freeway, drove under the bridge, past the Spring River aquifer. A huge, open pool, glutted with weeds and sucker plants, but fifteen shades of blue, like a mini Lake Tahoe. Jake took a moment, pulled over, and stepped out of the truck. He gave a quick check to his belongings, still covered under the tarp—looking something like a Beverly Hillbilly.
He blinked.
No time to start that. He’d gotten enough hillbilly and back country ribbing from the adjunct pastors and ladies guild at Hot Springs. He had to be careful, to not put his foot in his mouth at the wrong moment.
Lord, help me be the leader this flock needs.
He stepped to the weed dotted path, flanked on either side by faded redwood split rail fencing, and entered the brown brick park building. An aging, heavyset park ranger sat behind her desk. White hair in a bob, paperback in hand, she turned a page in the battered romance novel.
“Welcome to Mammoth Spring State Park.” She greeted him without glancing up, totally entranced, and turned another page. “Bathroom’s down the exhibit hall and to the right.”
“Hello.” Jake stood in front of her and grinned. “I’m not here for the facilities. It was the lake—it’s fascinating.”
She caught his gaze and blinked. “Yes. It’s a true phenomenon of nature. The aquifer feeds the entire river system. Has since the Injuns lived here, before trappers came through and settled the Ozarks.”
Injuns? “That’s fantastic.” He picked up a map, and a brochure with a picture of a crystal clear aquifer, weeping willow trees at its edge. Looked like it must have been taken twenty years before. “You been here long?”
“Started as a kid out of high school.” She straightened, giving a glance to the picture. The novel stowed, page folded, she gave him her full attention. “Used to be beautiful.”
He had the feeling she meant more than just the park, as she tucked at her curls.
“It’s still beautiful.” He let his lips soften, and looked out the window. “The bones of the place are good. Sometimes all we need is someone to love on us a bit. Don’t you think?”
She turned, tilted her head as if to see with his eyes. “It is pretty. Just wait until the wildflowers come out in a couple weeks—but, you’re just passin’ through. Maybe you’ll be coming back the other way then?” Her voice held a hopeful tinge.
“I’m here to stay, I’m afraid.” He straightened his spine and faced her fully again, held his hand out in greeting. “Name’s Jacob Gibb. I’m the new pastor of...”
“You?” She let out a small chuckle. “You’re Spring River’s new pastor?”
“That’s right.”
“Well, let me be the first to welcome you to Mammoth, Pastor Gibb.” She stood, circled round the counter, standing all of five feet. She gave his hand an oil-well pump, giggling like a school girl. “We’ve certainly been waiting for you!”
“Sorry it took me so long. I had some business to attend to in California before I came out…”
She nodded. “Folks round here think everyone west of the Rockies is plain crazy. Be careful with the California talk.”
“I’ll take that under advisement.” His grin faltered with the sudden rumble from his midsection. He gave it a slow rub, and shrugged. “Sorry. I haven’t eaten anything but chips and a soda since last night.”
“Easy enough to fix on a weekday.” She pointed him under the bridge, and left on Main Street. “You’ll find Ed’s Kitchen on the right. Eden and Leah’ll set you up. I’ll phone the ladies league and let them know you’re coming.”
“Eden and Leah?”
“It’s a family diner. Kind of our meeting place since our old pastor…well.” Her voice went grave. “Since.”
“Right.” He nodded, as if that explained everything.
“Folks were a little worried when we heard you were a single man.” She winked. “And from California, at that.”
“No need to worry about me. I—um—my wife. She’s no longer with me.” A cringe washed through his soul at the way the woman received that statement.
A wash of sadness over her pale blue eyes, then a tinge of pink at her cheeks of perhaps embarrassment for asking such a personal question.
“I’m sorry.” She stood outside as he stepped into the drivers seat of his truck. “Open mouth, insert foot. That’s what I do.”
“No need to apologize…I should, I suppose I should have explained my situation ahead of time—I’m starting my life over here, in Mammoth Spring.”
“We’re awful glad to have you—after the last’n. Town rode him out on a rail and good riddance. None of my never-mind.” She winked, then widened her eyes again. “There I go, a gossiping when I said I wouldn’t. What must you think of me!”
“I think you’re an angel on this earth.” He grinned at her. “Thank you for the directions, Ms. Hollister.” He read her last name from the badge at her left shirt pocket.
“Call me Rita. Everyone does.” She waved as he drove off, standing a bit taller as he followed her instructions to the letter.