The Small Town Paparazzi: Breaking Free of Strongholds to Live Out God's Master Plan

By Donna K Drawdy

How did they get here?

How was this all going to play out? God-fearing Pate and Maddie Weiss had unwillingly become the talk of the small community they'd recently moved to, the center of unwanted intrigue and drama. Their only desire had been to help bring the word of God to their fellow townsfolk, but now unknown issues were surfacing f

• Language: English
• Publisher: Palmetto Publishing
• Release date: May 11, 2021
• ISBN: 9781649900258

Donna K Drawdy

Donna Kay Drawdy is adamant about building a relationship with God. She enjoys spending time with her family and playing with her granddaughter. Her hobbies are photography and writing. She also enjoys time at the beach.

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THE SMALL-TOWN PAPARAZZI

Charleston, SC

www.PalmettoPublishing.com

The Small Town Paparazzi

Copyright © 2021 by Donna Kay Drawdy

All rights reserved

No portion of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted

in any form by any means–electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or other–except

for brief quotations in printed reviews, without prior permission of the author.

First Edition

ISBN-13: 9781649903068

ISBN-10: 1649903065

title

Contents

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P

ate Weiss remembered the night he first saw Maddie Jonston. It was at a popular hangout spot in the town of Bedford. Many young singles would gather at the hangout spot to socialize and have a good time. Pate saw a dark haired, young lady walk through the door of the hangout spot with a group of people. Pate was a regular but had never seen her there before. He and a guy named Andrew were shooting a game of pool when she walked by.

Hey, Andrew, do you know who the pretty girl with the curly brown hair is?

Yeah, her name is Maddie Jonston. I play basketball with her brother.

Maddie and another girl sat down at a table near where the musicians were playing. Pate found it hard to take his eyes off of Maddie. Pate had a plan to go over and try to meet her when two college-age guys joined the girls. A tall, blonde-haired guy sat close to Maddie and put his arm around her. Pate was intrigued with Maddie, and the fact that she had a boyfriend didn’t concern him.

Pate walked over to their table and approached Maddie. Excuse me, ma’am, but I happened to notice that you have a watch. I was wondering if you could tell me the time?

Maddie's boyfriend gave Pate a look that let him know he saw through what was going on. Maddie said, It's ten o’clock. Maddie told him the time that night but that was as far as Pate got with her.

Pate's blue eyes and sandy blonde hair got the attention of the ladies. Pate could have had his choice of the usual girls at the hangout spot but he hadn’t found the one he was interested in. The guys at the hangout spot looked up to Pate. They often would call on him if they got in trouble. He would always help them out. Pate was popular at the hangout spot and never met a stranger.

This night, Maddie Jonston had gotten Pate's full attention. Maybe she was the one for him, he thought to himself, even though he had never believed in love at first sight. Maddie was unaware of the fact that Pate was even interested in her. Andrew noticed Pate had gone over to the table Maddie was sitting at.

Bold move, man, Andrew told Pate.

At least I got the time and she knows I exist. Sometimes you have to go after what you want, Pate told Andrew.

Andrew laughed, Yeah, that was a slick move on your part, I have to give it to you.

Pate had dated a lot of girls and women, but he felt empty. He was in search of the right one for him. He had lived a pretty wild life, partying and drinking, but that really wasn’t who he was and neither was that who he wanted to remain. Many nights, Pate would come home in a drunken stupor and get down on his knees and pray before going to sleep. Seemed he had tried all the world had to offer and nothing satisfied. He wanted to settle down and have a family of his own one day.

Maddie, on the other hand, had her own set of issues. She was insecure and struggled with worry. She had boyfriends but had yet to meet the one. Maddie had always wanted to get married and become a mother. It was a dream of hers. Pate and Maddie both were on a search for purpose. They both desired a relationship with God.

Maddie and a friend came to the hangout spot the next week without Maddie's boyfriend. When Maddie's friend went to the restroom, Pate seized the moment to formally introduce himself to Maddie.

Hi, I’m Pate Weiss; thanks for giving me the time last weekend.

No problem, I’m Maddie Jonston; it's nice to meet you.

Where is your boyfriend tonight?

He's away at college, studying for final exams.

So, when are we going out? Pate teasingly asked Maddie.

Maddie playfully said, I already have a boyfriend as you know.

Maddie's friend came back over to where Pate and Maddie were standing. Maddie introduced her friend to Pate. After talking a little more, Pate said to Maddie, I would like to stay longer but I have to go to work in the morning and my ride is about to leave.

As Pate was leaving, he looked over his shoulder and said, I will see you next Friday night at six at your house, right?

Okay, Maddie told him, I will have to see what my boyfriend thinks about it.

They laughed, and Pate said, Just kidding.

Pate continually pursued Maddie every time he saw her at the hangout. Pate mentioned Maddie to his mother and said, She appears to be the type of girl I have been searching for. Maddie and her boyfriend dated awhile longer before ending their relationship. Maddie was becoming very interested in Pate and she knew that the relationship with her current boyfriend wasn’t going anywhere so she decided to end it. Pate heard of their breakup through Andrew. He then decided to ask Maddie out.

Maddie, it's obvious that I am interested in getting to know you better. Will you go out with me?

I will go out with you only if you promise to meet my parents first, Maddie said.

The following weekend, Pate nervously went to Maddie's parents’ house to meet them. Pate was kind and respectful to Maddie's parents and her, which made a good impression on them. Maddie's dad later told her, I like Pate. I can tell by his hands that were rough and calloused that he is a hard worker and will not be lazy. Maddie thought it was funny because that thought had never crossed her mind. Having her parents’ approval of Pate meant a lot to her.

Their date went better than expected; in fact, they didn’t want it to end. Maddie found Pate to be a lot of fun. They enjoyed each other's company. They continued to go out every weekend. There were times the two of them would sit in the car after a date, talking about life and what they wanted in a relationship. Often Pate would let Maddie talk while he sat and listened. Once, Maddie said, Pate, I feel safe with you and I can be myself. Pate and Maddie grew closer the more time they spent together. The two teenagers wanted their lives to count for something and to have a positive impact on the world.

Pate and Maddie had dated only a few months when he surprised her on Valentine's Day. Pate had purchased a diamond ring for Maddie and was ready to propose. He took Maddie out to a nice, quiet restaurant on the waterfront, then afterwards they went for a walk. The moon's reflection appeared to bounce off of the water as they strolled along. There was a cool breeze gently blowing. As they were walking, Pate stopped with the ring he had bought for Maddie in his hand and got down on his knee to propose. Maddie Jonston, I know we have only been dating for three months but I love you. I feel I have known you my whole life. I want to know if you will marry me?

Maddie, taken by surprise, exclaimed, Yes, I will marry you and I love you too! It all happened very fast but both of them believed it was meant to be.

They were young; Pate was nineteen and Maddie was eighteen. They took the next step in their relationship. Pate and Maddie felt like they had a safe place in each other. They became the best of friends. The two of them would spend many hours talking on the phone and going places together.

They began to make plans for a