There's a new preacher in town. According to the women gossiping in the general store–until your momma pulled you away, that is– he's young and tall and handsome with a smile that'll make any heart melt. Your momma had tutted as she picked a bag of potatoes and some baby carrots.
"Just listen to 'em, talking about a preacher like that," she'd said, disapproval making her mouth thin.
You'd been looking forward to seeing this new preacher for yourself on Sunday, but your younger sister fell ill and so you stayed home to watch her. When your parents and brother return from church late that afternoon, they have a stranger riding in the wagon with them. You step outside, wiping your hands on your apron and hushing the barking dog.
"We're having a guest over for dinner," your momma says to you.
That means you need to make a little extra of everything, as well as set the table with the nice tableware. You nod and turn to look at the man who leaps nimbly out of the wagon and smiles at you. He has a bible tucked under his arm. The pages are yellowed and frayed from use. He's wearing a wide-brimmed hat that shades his green eyes and hides his hair, though a curly black strand falls stubbornly over his forehead. This must be the new preacher. He looks exactly like what the woman in town have described.
"You can call me Preacher Isaac," he says.
You tell him your own name, and that's the end of your exchange. Your father claps him on the shoulder and leads him into the house. The men sit in the living room and talk about the coming harvest and roping cows, while you and your momma cook in the kitchen. You steal glances at the preacher through the doorway when you can. He sits relaxed in an old rocker, one boot cocked on top of the other. His plaid shirt is rolled at the sleeves, revealing tan forearms.
He doesn't much look like a preacher, you think.
"Watch the stew, you're burning it," your momma says in exasperation.
You turn your attention back to cooking, listening to the sound of laughter and the preacher's smooth, drawling voice.