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plate and made her way to the kitchen, where she dumped it into the compost bin.
    She walked out of the apartment without looking back to see what Sean might say, or if Jake was following her.
    So far, the interference of well-meaning church leaders in her love life was her very least favorite thing in the church, and the one thing most likely to make her abandon the whole mess.
    Not God, though. Just church.

Chapter Six
     
    Outside, Jake sidled up to Jane and kissed her cheek. “He meant well.”
    She elbowed him. “You would agree.”
    “And what’s wrong with that?”
    Jane shook her head and pushed the crosswalk button. “What’s wrong with rushing into marriage at twenty-two years old after dating for…four months?”
    Jake laughed. “Did I miss our anniversary?” He took her by the elbow and walked her across the street. “Let me make it up to you.”
    “I’m sick and tired of everyone thinking they can control all aspects of my life.” They had reached her apartment. She gripped the cold doorknob.
    “I think you’re overreacting.”
    Jane unlocked the door and shoved it open with her hip. She flung herself on the sofa and groaned.
    “And I think you should be tired—from constantly kicking against the goads. It’s exhausting work.” Jake settled down next to Jane and dropped his arm over her shoulder.
    “What on earth is wrong with bringing you to family group even though we aren’t married?”
    “It’s not family group, it’s a missional community, and I don’t live in your neighborhood.”
    “So there are neighborhood boundaries now?” She exhaled slowly. The thing about Sean was that he didn’t seem like the kind of guy who would get caught up on the small details like that. And more than just dating, she and Jake were a…thing. Like besties. She didn’t want to jump into marriage, but at the same time, she couldn’t see meeting once a week or more with the family group without Jake. It would be…lonely.
    “Well, yes.” He rested his hand on her knee and slowly inched it up.
    She brushed it away. “Be serious.”
    “I am. Did you pay any attention to the flyers when you joined up? From the wall of info at the church? If Green Valley Bible Church does anything right at all, it’s in the printed word. They’ve got a flyer for everything.”
    “I read it.”
    “Then you read the part where it said the missional communities exist as family groups that are intentionally built around neighborhoods for the purpose of building local communities of faith.”
    “Of course I read that.”
    “But it doesn’t apply to you?”
    Jane shrugged.
    “Jane…”
    “I hated leaving Columbia River Community Church after I broke up with Isaac, but you understand that I couldn’t keep going to his church.”
    “Right. Because it’s real awkward, what with him living in Montreal.”
    “His parents go there. It was awkward.”
    “And you couldn’t go back to the church you grew up at, why?” He tried the trick with his hand and her knee again.
    She brushed his hand away, again, but this time he caught her hand and lifted it to his lips for a lingering kiss.
    “Because it wasn’t the same anymore. Not without Mom and Dad.”
    “And you couldn’t go to my church because you will probably dump me, too, and that would get you right back in that awkward spot you were in at Christmas with CRCC.”
    Jane sighed. “When you put it like that, it makes me sound so…”
    “Pragmatic. Which is fine. You settled on Green Valley because it is awesome. I agree. I like it too. Good church, good people. Good program.”
    “Good focus on evangelism and outreach. So I love the missional communities. It’s awesome experience that will make us way more effective on the foreign mission field one day.”
    “Agreed.”
    A happy thrill shivered up Jane’s spine. He agreed about missions. She really, really loved that about him. “So, obviously the thing to do was join a missional community, and I did,