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PROLOGUE

The whirring sound of his mother’s ancient hand mixer drew Nathaniel’s attention away from his homework He sniffed the chocolate-scented air appreciatively Glancing over his shoulder, he watched as his younger brother, Benja for just the right

“Don’t think I don’t knohat you’re doing,” his mother said, with an amused smile

“But you said we could lick the spoon,” Ben protested

“That’s if you get your homework done”

With an exasperated sigh, Benjaed across the worn linoleum floor and back to his chair next to Nathaniel After he flopped down, he reluctantly took up his pencil

“There This one is done,” his mother announced She had just put the final touches on one of the chocolate cakes she had spent the better part of the afternoon baking He and Benjamin would have to wait until she was co

His lanced over at Nathaniel “Honey, would you do e favor and run this down to Miss Mae’s?”

“Sure” He rose from his chair and went over to the counter “But you better save so for me”

S, she reached over and ruffled his hair “Of course I will” After putting the cake into a container, she thrust it into Nathaniel’s arms “Thanks, sweetheart”

He headed out the kitchen door and down the back steps Mae Sanders lived three houses up the road froht All twelve of the houses in the seed to members of his father’s church At the top of the hill sat the old cotton mill office that now housed Soul Harbor, the church where his father was the pastor

Carefully balancing the cake tray in his hands, Nathaniel made his way up Miss Mae’s flower-lined front walk and then up the three steps onto the porch After he pounded on the door, it swung open But it wasn’t the blue-haired, grand there Instead, it was the tall, lanky figure of Kurt Miller, one of the homeless men from his father’s church whom Miss Mae had taken on to help her ork around the house She had a soft spot for the less fortunate and always had one or two people living with her

“Well, if it isn’t Nate the Great,” Kurt said, with a wide smile

Nathaniel felt his cheeks warm under the attention No one at church ever paid much attention to him Compared to his two rambunctious brothers, he was quiet, the well-behaved and obedient one But since Kurt had arrived teeks ago, he had gone out of his way to make Nathaniel feel special

Aht me a cake? But it isn’t even my birthday”

Shaking his head, Nathaniel replied, “No, ht”

Kurt stroked his chin “That’s right Tonight is bingo night” Stretching his arms wide, he motioned for Nathaniel to come in “She just left for the beauty shop and won’t be back for an hour But you can leave the cake for her so you don’t have to make two trips”

“Okay, thanks,” Nathaniel replied as he stepped over the threshold All the houses in the compound were alike, so he knew the way to the kitchen They had once been part of the row houses belonging to the cotton one out of business