Father Paul Rourke is a young priest in a small rural town. Well-respected and kind, serving others and his Lord is his calling. But Paul's life is forever changed when he unexpectedly meets Jersey Blaine, a victim of domestic violence. As he counsels Jersey, his attraction to her is undeniable. Paul soon faces the realization that he is falling in love with a woman who he has promised to protect. As the young priest struggles to resist temptation, he suffers a tragic loss that leaves him weak and vulnerable. Father Paul finds himself in a position where he must make a choice between his Church and the woman he loves. The choice seems clear until he learns that Jersey may not be who she says she is. Deceived and betrayed Father Paul begins to question everything that he believes. When Paul learns that the local authorities want him for questioning, he knows that the time has come to pay for his sins. Accused of a crime that he did not commit, a tormented Paul loses his will to fight. Will his transgressions cost him his Church, his freedom or his life?

Fallen

By Margaret Lind

AuthorHouse

Copyright © 2010 Margaret Lind
All right reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-4520-3893-3

Chapter One

The sun was warm on the back of Father Paul's neck as he jogged down the dusty, gravel road towards the Rourke farm. The grass and weeds in the ditches on each side of the road were turning brown in the July heat. The corn in the field was tall and green but Paul noticed the leaves starting to curl from lack of moisture. The usually black topsoil looked hard and gray like concrete.

'It is going to be another hot day.' Father Paul Rourke thought to himself as he neared the driveway of the family farm. This summer had been blistering and with no rain, area farmers were struggling. The Midwest was facing the worse drought since 1988. The ponds were low and the creeks were drying up. The crops would yield only 20-30% of their normal average. Most farmers did not own irrigation systems in this part of the county, irrigation was rarely needed. The expense would be too great to try and implement now with the water shortage.

Paul had not lived at home for many years. He attended college in the '90's then on to seminary. He volunteered for mission work in Africa for two years and then was assigned to an inner city Catholic Church in Chicago for five years as Associate Priest and Youth leader. After working with helpless, poverty stricken children in Africa he had chosen the assignment in Chicago to try and give back to the children in the U.S. Working with the inner-city youth was both challenging and fulfilling.

As an only child, Paul felt a responsibility to his parents. Although both of his parents were in good health and neither looked their age, Paul felt that he should be closer if and when the time came that they needed his help. Two years ago the Associate Priest position became open at his home church, St. Xavier. Paul's request to move there was granted. Though, leaving Chicago had been difficult. Paul knew he was where he needed to be.

Paul's daily run usually led him to his parents' farm. Jim and Emily Rourke were still vibrant and independent in their late 60's, the farm sustained the Rourke family for over 70 years. Jim began farming with his own father right out of high school. He took over the farm in his early thirties when his father decided to retire. He and Paul's mother, Emily married late in life for their generation, not having Paul until they were both well into their thirties. Paul was adored by both of his parents growing up and worked side by side with his father when he wasn't in school or playing baseball.

Paul was worried about his father. At 67, Jim still farmed their 600 acres entirely on his own. He would hire some help during the spring and fall for planting and harvest but mostly he enjoyed working alone. A very proud man, Jim was having a hard time admitting that he was slowing down and needed some help at times.

As Paul turned off of the road and jogged down the quarter mile lane, he could see his father out in the shed working on one of the John Deere tractors.

"Looks like I'm too late for coffee this morning." he chuckled to himself. Jim waved as Paul was approaching the shed. Paul stopped and stretched and wiped the sweat from his face with the bottom of his t-shirt. His dark hair was damp and curling around his ears and down his neck. Even at 33, Paul's 6'2" frame was still in great shape, all the years of baseball in high school and college had kept him lean and strong. Even though Father Paul was well-loved by the parishioners at St. Xavier's Catholic Church, many women in town thought it was a shame that he was a priest. But Paul had felt a calling to the Church for most of his life. Admittedly, there were moments of doubt throughout Paul's life but in his heart he knew he was where he was meant to be. Jim and Emily Rourke were very proud that their son had moved home to serve the church where Paul was christened as an infant.

Paul walked the rest of the way to the shed, "Hey Dad, what's up for today?"

"Well, it looks like I am going to have to run to town for some parts. I thought that I would be able to fix this tractor and get going this morning but nothing is going right." Jim replied, frustrated wiping the grease from his hands on his jeans. Not quite as tall as Paul, Jim was an older version of his handsome son. Despite a little fullness through the middle from Emily's cooking over the years, Jim still looked a decade younger than his 67 years.

"Do you want a ride back into town? I imagine you need to get back to work saving our poor souls." Jim teased Paul.

"That would be great," Paul replied. "Just let me go in and say hello to Mom."

"She didn't bake this morning, you know, so why bother? I'm in a hurry." Jim liked to give his son a hard time about coming out to check on them every morning. His half-hearted attempt to sound gruff was belied by the twinkle in his eye.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. You're always in a hurry-you need to slow down, Dad. Relax." Paul called over his shoulder as he jogged towards the house quickly before his father could retort. Nothing irritated Jim Rourke more than telling him to relax. There was always more work to do, being idle made Jim irritable and nobody wanted that, Jim chuckled to himself.

Paul trotted up the steps of the wide front porch. He could see his mother at the sink through the kitchen window. Paul's mother, Emily worked tirelessly over the years to make their home warm and loving. The massive front porch was her pride and joy. The house faced to the west with the porch wrapping around to the south side. Emily was passionate about flowers and anything green. The front porch was a sea of potted geraniums, impatiens and green vines that Paul could never name. She had a gift for making things grow. Even the spindliest flower would bask under her gentle care.

Emily's compassion extended to all living things. Growing up on the farm, there had never been an animal that Emily couldn't or wouldn't care for. She tenderly nursed robins, baby raccoons and the smallest runt piglets back to health. Neighbors constantly dropped off kittens because everyone knew that Emily would take good care of them. Jim only intervened when she found an orphaned baby skunk whose mother had been hit by a car. She quickly found a home for the baby skunk with the Department of Conservation.

"Hey Mom," Paul called as the kitchen door banged behind him. Paul's mother cocked her head expectantly for Paul's kiss on the cheek as she washed the morning dishes. Paul greeted his mother the same way almost everyday since he had moved back.

"Do you suppose Dad will ever breakdown and buy you a dishwasher?" Paul teased.

"Of course not," his mother Emily replied. "He's too cheap." She laughed. "Besides with the two of us it would take us a week to fill it and I like to watch the birds outside the window while I wash the dishes. It is one of my few moments of peace with the two of you around." Emily turned towards Paul as she dried her hands on a green and white checkered dishtowel.

She was dressed in blue jean Bermuda shorts and a Chicago WhiteSox T-shirt. As a WhiteSox fan, she and Jim joked that they had a mixed marriage since he was die-hard Chicago Cubs fan. Emily was dwarfed by Paul as he leaned against the counter while she put the dishes away. Though small in size, Emily exuded a quiet strength. A deep faith in God and an intense love for her family had shaped her into a woman with strong convictions. Emily Rourke did not like politics or controversy but she stood up for what she believed in...