Taking Devil’s hand as he opened the passenger side door to his Mercedes a half hour later, Molly sighed as she looked toward the brick church where she’d spent almost every Sunday since she’d been born.  Worshiping here had been one of the highlights of her childhood; the closely knit flock that attended here was a second family to her.  Any other time, standing outside the house of God would have given her a sense of peace and serenity.

This evening, however, the thought of walking into her lovely church only filled her belly with butterflies and her heart with dread.

She didn’t want to lie.

She couldn’t lie.  Not effectively, at any rate.

Going inside the sanctified interior and telling the pastor that she intended to spend her life with Devil Delancy when she knew it was only a temporary arrangement meant to soothe his Nana in her last days was a whopper that was going to send her straight to Hell. 

On the freaking express crazy train.

At least if she was asked if she loved him, she could say without faltering that she did.

Loving Devil wasn’t her problem.  What woman with a pulse wouldn’t love him?  When he wasn’t being an overbearing, domineering pain in her ass, he was really quite sweet.  Handsome and intelligent, she knew he’d worked hard to achieve success.  Now a force to be reckoned with in the business community, he wielded power with a cool efficiency and ease that she often was stunned to witness.  While extremely wealthy, he was also generous and supported several charities with extravagant donations.  There wasn’t a woman she knew – even his nemesis, Sami – that didn’t find him a catch.

And he was going to be her husband, albeit temporarily.

“Molly?” Devil frowned, touching her back lightly when her footsteps stalled on the sidewalk and she stared at the church, holding her lower lip tightly between clenched teeth.  “What’s the matter, honey?”

Unable to look at him, Molly’s eyes drifted over the parking lot as she shook her head.  Suddenly grabbing Devil’s arm as she spotted the old Chevy truck in the corner of the gravel lot, her eyes widened.  “No!” she moaned, shaking her head frantically.  “Oh, no, no, no, nooooo!”

Following her gaze, Devil’s eyebrows drew together in confusion.  “What’s wrong?”

“It was supposed to be Travis, Devil!  I might have been able to pull one over on him.  He doesn’t know me all that well!  But I’ll never fool HIM!” she rambled, panicking as her stare remained locked on Pastor Martin’s older model truck.  “He’s known me since I was a baby!  He baptized me!”

Taking Molly by the arms, Devil shook her slightly.  “Molly, look at me,” he ordered sternly, waiting until he held her panicked eyes with his.  “Slow down and explain to me what’s happening right now because I don’t have a clue.”

 “I can’t lie!” Molly blurted, gripping his arm and tugging frantically.

“Tell me something I don’t know, babe.  You admitted an hour ago that we’d been intimate to your mother.  If I hadn’t figured it out before today, I certainly know now,” Devil informed her calmly, wrapping an arm around her when a cold breeze rattled the oak trees surrounding the church.  “C’mon, let’s just go inside.”

“I can’t!  Pastor Martin is in there!”

“So?” Devil shrugged.  “He’s going to marry us.  Maybe he changed his mind and wants to be the one that counsels us, too.”

“That’s just it!  I don’t want him to counsel us.  He’ll see straight through me.  Don’t you get it?  He’ll know, and he’ll never agree to perform the ceremony no matter how good our intentions are!”

“Molly, again, I’m not following you.” Devil shook his head.  “Make me understand before we both freeze to death out here.” 

Molly could tell he was striving for patience.  Unfortunately, he was failing miserably.  “Pastor Martin knows me better than anybody but my family, Devil.  I’m never going to be able to convince him that this is going to be a real marriage between us.”

“This is going to be a real marriage between us,” Devil countered, his face baffled.  “We’re already over halfway there; it’s been consummated.”

“Nuh uh,” Molly denied vehemently, digging in her heals.  “He’s going to see right through our act.  You don’t know him like I do.  And don’t you dare mention the fact that we consummated anything, Devil!”

“I wasn’t planning on it, Molly.  I do have some boundaries even if I occasionally blur them from time to time.  And for the record, I’m not acting here, Molly.  I want to marry you.  Let’s go tell the preacher that before Christmas arrives,” Devil retorted, jerking his head toward the door as he pulled on her hand.

“We’ll elope!” Molly offered stubbornly.  “You suggested it once before and after reconsidering my options, I think you were onto something there.”  She was grasping at straws and the look in his eyes told her that Devil thought so, too.    “C’mon, Devil!  You, me, and Vegas!  Sin City!  You’ll be much more comfortable there than inside my church.  You can finish corrupting me,” she proposed desperately. 

“We’re going inside,” Devil stated flatly, hauling her behind him as he trudged up the sidewalk. 

“You wanted to elope a week ago,” Molly complained, lowering her voice as they neared the church’s entrance. 

“And now I want a white wedding with all the trimmings,” he countered evenly, pausing to look down at her.  “A man can change his mind, too.”

Dismayed, Molly wrinkled her nose.  “What are you?  A girl?” 

“No.  I’m a man that’s not willing to brave your mother’s and my grandmother’s wrath should we deprive either of them of our big day,” he growled.  “Now, take a deep breath and let’s do this.  We’ll make this as quick and painless as possible,” he promised before holding open the door and gesturing inside.

~~***~~

Molly’s footsteps dragged as she crossed the threshold into the church.  She did not want to sin in the house of the Lord, but not sinning meant not lying.

She wasn’t sure how she’d work around that, but there had to be a loophole somewhere.

“Molly!” Carla Martin, the pastor’s wife greeted her as she hurried up the center aisle toward them.  “How are you, sugar?  Excited yet?” she asked, embracing Molly when she reached the couple.

“Very,” Molly answered, smiling when the older woman released her.  “I can hardly believe the big day is almost here,” she said truthfully.  She could hardly believe any of this was happening at all.  “Mrs. Martin, I don’t think you’ve met my fiancé, Dev – erhmm…William Delancy,” she introduced him, quickly correcting his name.  She didn’t need everybody to know she was marrying the Devil.  Although, it was fitting.  This marriage was gonna land her in hell yet if she wasn’t very careful.  “Dev… I mean, William,” she said, wincing as she slipped again, “This is Mrs. Martin, Pastor Martin’s wife.”

“Delighted to meet you, Mrs. Martin,” Devil murmured with a smile, shaking the woman’s hand.  “We’re so grateful that your husband has agreed to perform the ceremony.  I know it means a lot to Molly.”

“Oh, we watched Molly grow up in this church.  I know it would break her momma’s heart to see her married anywhere else.  And please, call me Carla,” she invited politely.  “I just got off the phone with your mother, dear,” she informed Molly with an excited grin.  “The plans for this whirlwind wedding are coming together just perfectly.  I think you and the groom will be pleased with the results.” She winked at Devil.

“The only thing it will take to make me happy is seeing Molly walk down the aisle to me.  Everything else is just pomp and circumstance,” Devil replied with an indulgent smile at Molly.  “I do apologize for the short notice, though.  Once she agreed to marry me, however, I just didn’t want to wait a single second longer than necessary.  We can’t tell you how much we appreciate everything you and your husband are doing to make this wedding exactly what Molly wants.  She’s shown me the plans; they look beautiful.”

“Oh, he’s a charmer,” Carla clucked, patting Molly’s arm.  “We were a bit worried about how we’d fit half of Atlanta in the church’s sanctuary, but your momma and I wheedled the guest list down to a manageable number.”

“Yes, William’s business associates will only receive an invitation to the reception,” Molly explained pleasantly.  “The ceremony is strictly for family and friends.  It’ll be more intimate that way and we can keep the wedding in the location we want.”

“Well, it’s going to be beautiful,” Carla assured her with a squeeze of her hand.  “I know that my husband is looking forward to joining you in the holy bonds of matrimony.  He told Pastor Davis that there simply wasn’t any way that he could not be the one to counsel you tonight.”

“Well, we truly appreciate him waiving the three sessions rule,” Molly said gratefully, smiling at the pastor’s wife.

“Posh!  He’s known you all his life.  And after talking to your mother and daddy, he feels like he knows your beau as well,” she said with a smile at Devil.

“Mother?” Pastor Martin called from his office, his voice carrying down the tiled hallway.  “Is somebody out there?”

“Well, speak of the Devil,” Carla chuckled.  “It’s Molly and her fiancé, Edgar.  I’ll send them right back, dear,” she called over her shoulder.  “You know the way to the office, Molly.  It was very nice meeting you, William.  I’ll see you both on Saturday,” she remarked, patting his hand before gesturing toward the pastor’s private office.

“See, so far, so good,” Devil murmured in encouragement as Molly tightened her hand around his and guided them toward Edgar Martin’s office.

“Shhh… we’re nowhere close to being out of the woods yet,” Molly hushed him, digging her nails into his palm as she knocked on the ajar door with the other hand.

Molly took a deep breath and exchanged a last look with Devil as the pastor beckoned them from the other side of the door.  “Here we go,” she murmured, pasting a smile on her face as she entered the small office. 

The older man with the silver halo of hair was up and out of his chair before she made it another step.  “Molly, my dear, you are a sight for sore eyes!”  Before she could get a word out, she found herself wrapped in a bear-like hug, her nose smashed against a red-flannel shirt that smelled like wood smoke tinged with baked sugar.  Oh, it was just like it had been when she was 6 years old and being baptized in the creek after a Vacation Bible School picnic.  Obviously the dunking hadn’t taken, her inner voice reminded her.  Maybe she could get the kind pastor to do a do-over...

She was released just as quickly, and she found her mind reeling as she stumbled slightly.  Devil’s steadying hand landed against the small of her back, and she swallowed as she managed to stutter out, “Pastor Martin, this is my fiancé, William Delancy...”

The good pastor smiled at the taller man and held out his hand.  “William’s a bit formal, ain’t it, son?  I hear tell you go by another name around town.”

Devil arched one brow as he shook hands with the man of God.  “Wasn’t quite sure you’d approve of my name, sir.  Molly seems to think it might be tempting fate for you to call me Devil.”

“Ain’t the first time I’ve heard the name.  Figure if half the county knows you as Devil, I ain’t gonna stand on ceremony,” Pastor Martin said wryly as he waved the couple toward the nearby loveseat.   Settling himself in the large leather chair behind the scarred maple desk, he steepled his fingers.  “So tell me, kids.  What happened to get you in such an uproar to get married so quickly?  You get my Molly with child, son?”

 At that moment, Molly fervently wished for a black hole to open up beneath her feet and swallow them both, loveseat and all, into the abyss.  Anything would be better than the laser-like focus she felt coming from the pastor’s intelligent grey eyes.  And if that wasn’t bad enough, obviously her fiancé was intent on adding insult to injury.  She felt Devil’s arm stiffen around her shoulders and knew, beyond a doubt, that he was about to say something that she was going to eternally regret.

Devil chuckled without humor as he met the other man’s eyes.  “Well, Pastor, it’s not for lack of –Ouch! What the hell, Molly?”

Her elbow made perfect contact with his ribs for the second time, and she was slightly rewarded by the obvious yelp of pain.  “Do not curse in God’s house, you idiot,” she hissed under her breath, then forced herself to turn back to face the good pastor.  Drawing in a deep breath, she babbled, “Please forgive him, Pastor.  He’s under great pressure at work and isn’t himself these days.  There’s so much to do to get ready for a wedding, you know, and with Momma intent on dragging me through all Atlanta to find the perfect dress and the perfect place setting and the perfect flower arrangements, it’s a wonder that we’ve even found time to catch our breath to even see one another, I promise!”  It wasn’t a lie.  Not exactly.  It was all about the evasive answers, she told herself.

“We’ve seen plenty of each other, Molly,” Devil mumbled under his breath, shifting just quickly enough to avoid another jab by that lethal elbow.  If he’d known she was this violent, he would have worn a bullet-proof vest.  And maybe a cup.

The good pastor merely leaned back in his chair, the springs squeaking under the pressure.  Tilting his head, he cleared his throat as he said calmly, “Still ain’t answered my question, son.”

Feeling Molly stiffen beside him, Devil decided that if he wanted to make it out of the room with the pastor’s blessing, he had better find a way to win the man over to his side.  “Molly was not pregnant when I asked her to marry me, sir.  That much I can guarantee you. Don’t you agree, sweetheart?”  Molly merely nodded, unsure to trust her voice at that moment.  Seriously, how far could one taunt the good Lord before lightning rained down from heaven?

“Then it’s true love that has drawn you into the bonds of holy matrimony?”

Feeling that they had made it past one giant hurdle, Molly squeaked out, “I’ve known Will....Devil for years, Pastor.  He and Grant were best friends growing up and still are.  I’ve worked for him for a while, and I guess we just grew to love each other over this time.”

His eyes narrowing as he re-focused his gaze on the dark-headed man, Pastor Martin asked, “I’ve not seen you in church ‘til this past week, Devil.  You worship in another church nearby?”

“I’m Catholic, sir.  Well, really a lapsed Catholic.   Is that going to be a problem?”

~~***~~

An hour and a half later, Molly literally slumped against the fine leather seat of Devil’s car as she moaned, “How could you do that to me?  Are you TRYING to get me thrown out of the Baptist church, Devil?  Never in the history of the Ramsey family has one of us been cast out.  My momma will kill you with her bare hands if I’m the first.”

“Honey, I don’t think it’s as bad as you think it is,” Devil replied, easily starting the car and moving them out of the parking lot.  “After all, Pastor Martin did agree that he’d think about it overnight before making any decisions. That’s progress.”

“That’s his way of trying to buy time to find a way to let my mother down easily, you jackass,” she muttered.  “You told him you were a lapsed Catholic, and then you refused to get baptized by him!”

“Molly,” Devil said with a long-suffering sigh as he caught her flailing hand in his, “as I informed the good pastor, I was christened as an infant and confirmed at thirteen.  Nana made sure of it.  I think those ceremonies are good enough, don’t you?  I won’t insult her by changing lanes in the religion department at this late date.”

“Did you just ask me if that was good enough?  Did you?  Because the answer is NO - not if it means that I’m not going to be married in the eyes of God in the holy church, it’s not good enough!”  Turning sharply in her seat, she ignored her tightening seat belt as she declared, “You find a way to get yourself under the water, Devil, or I swear by all that’s holy that my Momma will personally drag you down to the river and dunk you herself.  And let me tell you, she’s gonna be holding you down for a long time just to make sure it takes!”

“Molly, you’re yelling,” Devil returned with exaggerated patience.

“Am I?” she virtually shrieked at him.  “I can’t think why that would be, can you, Devil?  I’ve only been dragged through the streets of Atlanta on a freaking wedding march that would have made General Sherman proud – all in an effort to save your sorry butt!  In the past three days alone, I’ve been poked by sadistic seamstresses, force fed enough wedding cake samples to nearly compel me into Jenny Craig, dealt with finicky florists hell-bent on finding the perfect freaking bloom since I do NOT want poinsettias at my wacky wedding even if it is the freaking season… Do you want me to go on?  Because I can go on!  You have no idea what this so-called perfect day entails!  And YOU!  You couldn’t even manage to convince one pesky pastor that you might at some point in the future consider joining his church!  Which I could understand if you were a deeply religious man, but you’re NOT!  You are a Catholic that doesn’t even know where the confessional is anymore!”

“But I’m still a Catholic, Molly,” Devil stated evenly.  “Catholics don’t quit being Catholic because they stop going to Mass.  Believe me, the Delancys feel as strongly about that as the Ramseys do about their church.”

Pressing her lips together, Molly slumped in her seat and battled tears.  Thanking God for the darkness, she turned to stare out the window.  Why couldn’t he understand how important this was to her?  This was the one aspect of the entire wedding that she couldn’t… she wouldn’t compromise.  She was raised in that church.  It was as much a part of her as her name was.  She didn’t expect him to feel the same way, but she needed him to understand that this was important to her.

“Let me put this in terms you can understand, Devil,” she said quietly after several minutes of silence.  “Either you find a way to marry me inside my church, or you can find another bride.  This is important to me.  Really important,” she informed him in a breaking voice.  “My Momma and Daddy were married in that church.  Grant and Karen were, too.”

“I was there, Molly,” Devil reminded her gently.  “I was the best man.”

Ignoring him, she continued.  “I attended Vacation Bible School there.  I was baptized there.  I’ve taught Sunday School there.   I need my wedding to be there, too.  I won’t consider any other option, Devil.  I just won’t.”

There was no way he could mistake the heartbreak he heard in her voice.  Quickly pulling over on the side of the darkened road, he gazed at her averted face in the dim interior of the car.  “Okay,” he acknowledged softly.  “Give me your phone, Molly.”

Startled, Molly turned to look at him.  Even in the shadows, she could see the serious look on his face.  “Why?”

“I need to make a phone call.  I assume that Pastor Martin’s number is in your call log,” he remarked, holding out his hand.

“Y-yes, but what are you going to do?” she asked hesitantly, her stomach clenching in fear.  “You can’t threaten him, Dev.  He’s a family friend.  My Daddy and the pastor hunt together, for heaven’s sake.  The man knows how to use a gun, you know.”

“I’m not going to threaten him, Molly.  I promise.  I’m simply going to tell him how important this is to us.  Trust me,” he urged when she still didn’t pass him her phone.  “I’m not going to take a chance on losing you over this – not when I can see how much it means to you and your family.  I’m not a complete asshole.”

Biting her lip, Molly nodded, slowly reaching into her purse and pulling out her phone.  “Please don’t make this worse,” she choked, her eyes filling with tears. 

Devil’s jaw clenched as he stared into Molly’s pale face.  “I won’t, sweetheart.  I’ll fix it.  No matter what it takes, I will fix this.”  Waiting until she nodded, he opened the car door and climbed out from behind the wheel, his fingers already scrolling through her recent contacts.

Molly watched him move to the front of the car and pace back and forth along the edge of the road.  He had the phone pressed to his ear, but it was much too dark to see his face.  An anxious knot formed in the pit of her stomach as she waited for him to return.  Reaching forward, she upped the heat to take the chill out of the car, but knew instinctively that the coldness she felt had nothing to do with the December temperature outside and everything to do with the fact that the man she loved was currently swallowing his pride and making nice with her pastor. 

And he was doing it for her.

No other reason – just for her.

She hadn’t mistaken that tender look in his eyes either.  Yes, he’d looked at her like that before, but usually when she was flat on her back and he was buried inside her… not when she was threatening to call off their wedding. 

She knew it really made no real difference to Devil where they were married.  Her church, Nana’s church, Vegas or the courthouse; for him, one location was as good as another to him.  Unlike her, he wasn’t particularly religious.  He had his own moral compass that he allowed to set his course in life, his own set of rules that he followed. 

The only logical explanation that he would be standing in the chilly night, talking to her pastor, was that he wanted her to have what she wanted.  The fact that a powerful man like him would humble himself before a guy that –before tonight – hadn’t been a part of his life at all, it meant something.

Something vital.

Something special.

And something very real.

Molly smiled as her body began to warm and the butterflies stilled in her belly. 

“He loves me,” she said out loud, staring out the windshield at the outline of his tall body.

He did; she knew it.  She just wondered if he’d realized it yet.