“Wow! You’ve got an electric grand piano,” Adrian said, following Celeste into her living room.

“Since you own something this nice, it’s probably redundant to ask if you play. Maybe we could do something together one day. I’d bring my guitar.”

She broke out into a cold sweat. Her hand shook too much to put on the CD she’d chosen. Her past was behind her. What Adrian was asking was entirely different.

She forced the words out. “I just play for my own enjoyment. I don’t think so.” Her words were truer than Adrian would ever know. When she played for her own enjoyment, she now only played alone. She’d exchanged the joy of making music with others for something of far greater value…even if at times the loneliness hurt.

GAIL SATTLER

lives in Vancouver, British Columbia (where you don’t have to shovel rain), with her husband of twenty-six years, three sons, two dogs, five lizards, one toad and a degu named Bess. Gail loves to read stories with a happy ending, which is why she writes them. Visit Gail’s Web site at www.gailsattler.com.

Hearts in Harmony

Gail Sattler

Therefore, my brothers,

I want you to know that through Jesus

the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you.

—Acts 13:38

Dedicated to Colleen Coble, TD.

Without you, this wouldn’t have been possible.

SD

Contents

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Letter to Reader

Chapter One

The engine began to spit. The car chugged, slowed and died.

Celeste Hackett steered her mother’s decrepit sedan onto the gravel shoulder of the deserted country road and came to a complete stop. The endless expanse of farmers’ fields seemed to mock the silence of the dead car.

She refused to accept being stranded in the middle of nowhere.

Celeste attempted to restart the car, but the engine only made a horrid grinding sound, turning over and over with no contact.

With a groan, she lowered her head to the top of the steering wheel. She had been a fool to trade cars with her mother. She should have known her mother’s hunk of junk wouldn’t make the long trip back without something going wrong, but she tried to convince herself now that it was far better that her own reliable car was sitting in her mother’s garage, ready for her mother to begin her vacation tomorrow, and that it was she, Celeste, who was stranded in the middle of nowhere. If the car couldn’t make the shorter trip fifty miles between her home and her mother’s home, it definitely wouldn’t have made the fifteen-hundred-mile trip from her mother’s home to her aunt’s home, which was where her mother was going on an extended holiday.

Celeste now had two options. She could either walk ten miles ahead to the gas station at the highway entrance to ask for assistance, or thirty-five miles back to her mother’s house where she could call for a tow truck.

At the thought of all that walking, Celeste gritted her teeth and whacked the top of the dashboard with her fist. The needle on the gas gauge quivered, then dropped to the E.

Celeste tried not to scream. Her mother had given her a list of the car’s problems but apparently had forgotten to mention the malfunctioning gas gauge. However, if her mother knew about it, list, or not, there would be a container of gas in the trunk.

Celeste froze. Carrying a can of gas in the trunk was dangerous, but it was also dangerous for a woman to be stranded alone in the middle of nowhere.

Praying for the best, Celeste pushed the heavy door open, trying to ignore the creak of the rusty hinge. As she stepped onto the highway, a blast of heat hit her in the face. She did her best to ignore the stifling temperatures and walked to the rear of the car, where the stench of the car’s last, fatal backfire caused her to cough painfully. Once she caught her breath, she jabbed the key in the trunk lock. After a series of calculated wiggles, a click sounded and the lock opened. When she hoisted the heavy lid of the trunk, gas fumes wafted up.

The gas can lay on its side. Beside it lay the plug for the container’s air hole. She picked up the plastic container and shook it, confirming that it was indeed, empty.

Celeste squeezed her eyes shut for a brief second. Taking the short cut through the country rather than the longer but well-traveled main highway had not been a good choice.

She slammed the trunk shut. The bang echoed into oblivion over the surrounding fields, taunting her.

Grumbling under her breath, she replaced the plug to the empty gas container, pocketed the keys, hiked her purse strap over her shoulder, and began the long walk down the deserted country road.

Monday morning, she was going to buy a cell phone.

Adrian Braithwaite glanced at his watch and smiled. Despite the abundant potholes, the back road was still faster than the main route. And it was that knowledge that was going to earn him a big, fat, chocolate donut from his friend Paul after the evening service tonight. After he beat Paul home, of course.

An abandoned vehicle at the side of the road loomed up on the horizon. He slowed to stare. It was some car—a variety of different colors, one door blue, the trunk red, while the main body of the car was probably at one time supposed to have been white. The antenna was bent at a ridiculous angle, and the muffler was tied up with wire. The car’s condition made him wonder if someone had bought it out of a junkyard, intending to restore the old beast, although he didn’t think it was exactly a collector’s item.

Adrian checked his watch again as he drove on. He could taste that donut already.

Although he could no longer see the old car, his thoughts returned to its absent owner. Now that he thought about it, the car probably belonged to a teenager, maybe a first car. Given the old car’s condition, however, it was more likely, it belonged to someone down on their luck.

A few miles further, he caught sight of a person up ahead, walking on the shoulder, or rather, he caught sight of a gas can, its bright red visible far in the distance.

Adrian slowed again to study the stranded motorist. A green T-shirt and jeans covered a narrow waist and a nice feminine figure.

He frowned. Familiar stories of women alone being attacked or abducted flashed through his mind. He didn’t want that to happen.

Expecting her to stick out her thumb to hitch a ride when she heard him coming, Adrian slowed even more, until he was parallel to her.

Not only did she not stick out her thumb, she didn’t even look at him. Instead, she remained on the left shoulder, walking determinedly against oncoming traffic—if there had been any other traffic.

She appeared to be a couple of years younger than himself, probably about twenty-five, with chin length brunette hair, and a pert little nose. An understandable scowl tightened pouty lips. To attract her attention, Adrian leaned out the window as he idled along the highway.

He smiled. “Hi,” he called across the empty lane. “Need a lift?”

A shiver of dread passed through Celeste. After walking for over an hour during the hottest part of the summer day, Celeste was tired beyond description, not to mention crabby. Her feet hurt, and her throat was so dry she thought she might soon dissolve into a little pile of dust.

Knowing the man was looking at her, Celeste didn’t turn her head. Out of the corner of her eye, she tried to determine if she’d seen him before.

Without altering her brisk pace, Celeste turned her head slightly so she could see him better.

The man appeared respectable, which alone lessened the likelihood that he was someone she might have met before.

From what she could see, he was well-dressed and clean-shaven. His dark hair sported a stylish cut, even though it was mussed from driving with the window open. He wore what appeared to be prescription glasses with clip-ons for sunglasses. However, his friendly smile and pleasant baritone voice were not enough to make her trust him. She’d encountered smooth talkers before, one in particular, and paid for it dearly. She would never make that mistake again.

Celeste faced forward, not altering her steady pace. “No thanks, I’d rather walk.”

The man kept smiling. “Are you sure? It’s still five miles to the junction and the nearest gas station. Maybe more. I’m obviously going right past it.”

Celeste groaned inwardly. She didn’t want to become another statistic. On the surface, the man seemed okay, but then so did every creep who was later discovered to be a serial rapist or mass murderer.

While inconvenient, the walk itself wouldn’t kill her.

“Thanks for the offer. I’ll walk.”

The man continued to drive beside her.

“Why is there never a cop around when you need one?” she grumbled between her teeth. The empty plastic gas can was useless as a weapon, as was her purse. Slipping her fingers into her pocket, she withdrew her keys slowly and threaded a few between her fingers in case she had to stab him in self defense.

“My name’s Adrian Braithwaite. What’s yours?”

Celeste’s heart pounded in her chest. She clenched her fingers harder around the keys. “Never mind,” she snapped.

He pulled a bit ahead of her so she could see his face without turning her head, then leaned out the window as he continued to drive slowly. He flashed an infuriating smile. “Pleased to meet you, Miss Mind. Or may I call you Never?”

Celeste remained silent.

“Now that we’ve been formally introduced, would you like that ride? I assure you, I’m a responsible citizen, and I go to church faithfully every Sunday. I’m only concerned for your safety.”

Celeste refused to acknowledge him. She’d been taken in before by tempting promises.

At her lack of response, he sat back properly in the car and fumbled with something beside him. One arm appeared out the window, and the car swerved close enough for her to take something out of his hand. “Here,” he called out. “Take this. It’s my cell phone. You can call my mother, she’ll tell you what a nice guy I am. Her name is Mrs. Braithwaite, but you can call her Stella. We’re already too far from your car to bother calling for a tow.”

“No thank you,” she mumbled, and kept walking.

The man shrugged his shoulders and retracted his arm. “I can certainly understand if you’re nervous. If you don’t want to get in the car with me, can I drive beside you until you get to the gas station? I would really hate to read in the paper that something bad happened. I’d never be able to live with myself.”

Celeste nearly stumbled at his words. She’d already developed a blister that had burst, making her deeply regret not taking the time to switch from pantyhose to soft plush socks when she’d changed from her dress to her jeans after church.

“Suit yourself,” she mumbled. “Don’t you have anything better to do?”

He checked his watch and sighed. “Not anymore.”

A sudden breeze whipped up, blowing a lock of hair into her face. She spat it out and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand without missing a step.

“Nice weather we’re having,” he called out. “The weather report says it will be hot like this for four more days.”

Celeste closed her eyes for a couple of steps. The heat was getting to her without his reminder. Not a cloud was in sight to offer any relief. The farmers’ fields provided no trees for an occasional patch of shade. She couldn’t decide what was worse to walk on, the uneven gravel of the shoulder, or the steaming hot, broken pavement.

To keep from tripping or walking away from her straight path, Celeste opened her eyes and trudged on. She’d never thought her purse particularly heavy, but after carrying it on her shoulder all this time, it felt as if it weighed a ton. She switched the gas can to her other hand to relieve her numb fingers, at the same time swiping her forearm across her sweaty forehead. She’d never been so thirsty in her life. “Yeah, nice weather,” she grumbled.

“See the game on TV last night? Great, wasn’t it?”

She wanted to turn and give him a dirty look, but she didn’t want him to see her exhaustion.

“If you don’t want to talk, how about if I turn up the music? Although you’d hear it better if you got in the car.”

Celeste opened her mouth, about to reply, but snapped it shut again. She dearly wanted to accept the ride, but stubborn determination and self-preservation won. She valued her life.

She kept walking.

“I’ll take that as a yes.” He reached forward and turned up the volume. To Celeste’s shock, one of the songs from her favorite praise album resounded through the open window.

She dearly wanted to trust him. Every step hurt. Her throat was so parched every bit of dust she kicked up while walking burned her dry throat.

For now, at least, the music was making the long walk slightly less intolerable. Despite the harsh dryness in her throat, Celeste found herself humming to her favorite parts, until they finally reached the gas station.

At the same time as Celeste filled her red container, the man topped up his tank. They walked into the building at the same time to pay. He headed straight to the cashier, but Celeste detoured to the cooler for a cold drink, allowing him to be first in line.

She placed the drink on the counter while he counted out his money to the clerk. At her height of five foot five with shoes, he towered above her. He had removed the clip-ons when they got inside, which allowed her to see friendly hazel eyes through his glasses. He remained silent as he paid the clerk. Judging from the paltry amount of money exchanged, he really hadn’t needed any gas.

Celeste opened the drink and took a long sip before she spoke. “Thank you for keeping an eye on me and caring for my safety on the long road here. I really do appreciate it.”

Adrian smiled and bowed his head. “You’re welcome, Miss Mind. Always willing to help a lady in distress.”

Not that she’d been in distress, but she supposed she could have been if another car with not such a nice driver had shown up on the deserted road. Now that she was safely at the gas station, Celeste could appreciate the thought.

He started to walk out, but stopped at the magazine rack. Instead of leaving, he picked up a magazine and started paging through it.

Celeste fished through her wallet while she spoke to the young attendant behind the counter. “Is there any way I could trouble you or any of the other staff for a ride back to my car? I would be happy to pay for the inconvenience.”

“Sorry, lady,” the young clerk replied with a shrug of his shoulders. “Like, I’m the only one here, you know, and I can’t lock up and leave. My shift just started. If you need a ride I’d be happy to oblige you, but you gotta wait for my shift to end and Josh to get here.”

Celeste contemplated her options. A cab would cost more money than she could afford, but she didn’t have anyone she could call to come and get her. She certainly wasn’t going to wait seven hours at the gas station for a ride.

Adrian appeared at her side. “I’ll gladly give you a ride back to your car. What would it take to convince you that my intentions are indeed honorable?”

She stared up at him. Her mind went blank.

“I know…” His voice trailed off as he dug into his back pocket and pulled out his wallet. “Here.”

Celeste automatically accepted what he gave her. It was his driver’s license and a credit card.

“This proves I’m who I say I am. It’s a bad picture, but that’s me. See?” He frowned and closed one eye slightly more than the other to imitate a typical bad driver’s license photo. “And that’s my signature, right there. Besides, everyone at the gas station has seen us.”

Celeste somehow doubted that mass murderers gained the trust of their victims with photo I.D. and a major credit card.

She smiled politely, resigned to her fate, while she read the information on the driver’s license. The walk back would surely kill her anyway, even if Braithwaite, Adrian Andrew, single male, age twenty-nine, 185 pounds, six feet one inch tall, dark-brown hair, hazel eyes, didn’t. “You win,” she mumbled, trying to sound gracious. “I would be forever grateful if you could give me a ride back to the car.”

They walked in silence to his car, where in gentlemanly fashion, he opened the passenger door for her, then closed it firmly when she was settled in her seat. When he entered the driver’s side, Celeste pressed herself against the door and watched his every move.

He sighed as she continued to watch him. “Please, don’t be so nervous. Let me show you I really am a decent human being.” Instead of starting the car, Adrian reached between the seats, pulled out an envelope, and handed her the paper from inside. It was a phone bill.

“That’s my mother’s phone number. See how often I call her? You can even phone her yourself.” Triumphantly, he retrieved the cellular phone from under his seat and offered it to her again.

Celeste scanned the bill, showing a number of charges to the same number. “This bill is overdue.”

Adrian’s smile faded as he snatched back the paper. “No it’s not.” He studied it further. “That’s an old bill. See where I tore off the bottom part to mail it in?”

“How do I know it’s your mother? I only have your word for it.”

He shrugged his shoulders. “So then phone your mother.” He handed her the phone, then reached in front of her and flipped open the glove compartment, revealing a jumble of papers stuffed so tightly she didn’t know how the small compartment hadn’t exploded. He pulled out a plastic envelope, quickly pushed the papers back, and slammed the door shut. “Here’s my vehicle registration. You’ve already seen my driver’s license. Phone your mother and tell her who you’re with so if you go missing the cops will come and arrest me.”

As she pressed the power button and waited for the phone to locate the signal, she could feel his eyes upon her.

Celeste didn’t raise her head, only her eyes, and blatantly stared back. The privacy and confined quarters of his car allowed her to study his face closer than she had inside the gas station. He didn’t turn away. He only smiled, openly inviting her scrutiny.

Even with him looking right back, she couldn’t stop staring. Up close, his hazel eyes seemed more than friendly. They radiated sincerity and kindness. While he wasn’t exactly movie-star handsome, he wasn’t bad.

Summoning all her self control, she forced herself to quit staring and switched her attention to the phone. Quickly, she punched in her mother’s phone number, then held the phone up to her ear until it made the connection. While she waited she looked back up at Adrian.

He hadn’t moved. It suddenly occurred to her that while she had been studying him, he had been studying her. As soon as their eyes met, he crossed his arms and leaned back in his seat, almost as if he could tell she needed more space.

Despite the fact that he’d been nothing but a perfect gentleman, her insides still quivered and she remained tense, ready to open the door and run.

“It’s busy. I guess I’ll just have to trust you.”

While Adrian started the engine, Celeste reminded herself that although it had taken hours to walk here, they would be back at her mother’s car in approximately ten minutes. However, by the time they reached it, Celeste was filled with guilt at having been so rotten to him. He had remained with her to ensure her safety, and now he was going out of his way to help her again.

He watched from a respectable distance as Celeste stood beside the gas cap and fumbled with the opening to the gas can.

She didn’t raise her head as she spoke. “I really appreciate all your help,” she mumbled, “especially after I was so rude when you were only trying to be nice.”

He answered her with a humorless smile. “Don’t worry about it. I understand. I’m glad I was able to help. You must be tired after that long walk.”

“Yes. Pride has its price.”

After a few chugs and a puff of black smoke, the car started. She rolled the window down and leaned out. “Thanks again, Adrian,”

“You’re welcome. Any time.”

She pulled onto the highway and watched in the rearview mirror as Adrian drove behind her. She stopped at the same gas station she’d just been at minutes ago, and waved at Adrian as he continued past.

It took so long to fill the car’s large gas tank that Celeste nearly fell asleep on her feet. However, when the pump clicked off to indicate the tank was finally full, the amount of money on the display jolted her to full wakefulness.

As she walked into the building once again and waited in line to pay, she tried to calculate how much more her mother’s sorry excuse for a car would cost while her mother was gone.

“I see you’re back. Anything else you need?”

Celeste shook her head and pulled her wallet out of her purse. Since she didn’t have that much cash on her, she was forced to charge the amount. As she ran her fingers over the slots in her wallet to pull out her credit card, her hand froze.

Tucked neatly in her wallet were Adrian Braithwaite’s driver’s license and credit card.

Chapter Two

In the privacy of her kitchen, Celeste surveyed Adrian’s driver’s license.

Even though she hadn’t lived in the neighborhood very long, she recognized his address as two blocks east and three streets north from her own rented duplex. Before she’d moved in, she’d checked out the neighborhood. She had probably even driven past his house. He lived that close.

Celeste shook her head. She had to return his things. Immediately. Just in case he hadn’t gone straight home, Celeste gathered up her courage, looked up the number, and dialed.

“Hello?” Adrian’s deep baritone voice answered.

She sucked in a deep breath to compose herself. “Hi. This is Celeste.”

“Who? I think you have the wrong number.”

“No! Adrian, don’t hang up. It’s me, Miss Never Mind.”

“Miss Never…” His voice trailed off. Silence hung over the line for a few seconds before he continued. “So now I know your name, Celeste. You made it home safely, I assume?”

A nervous laugh escaped. “I seem to have accidentally kept your driver’s license and credit card. I’m so embarrassed, and so sorry. Can I come over to return them to you?”

“I don’t know if I’d trust that car if I were you. If you want I can come over to your place and pick them up.”

As nice as he seemed, she didn’t want him to know where she lived. For now, she wanted to settle into her new home the same way she was settling into her new job—only concerning herself with what directly affected her. “I’m actually not very far away at the moment. Besides, it’s illegal to drive without your license on hand. It’s no trouble. It’s the least I can do.”

“As long as you’re sure. Do you need directions?”

“No, I know where it is. I’ll be there in a few minutes.”

“You do? Well, okay… See you soon. Bye.”

Celeste tried to push back her nervousness as she hung up the phone. He sounded exactly the same on the phone as he did in person—friendly and likeable, but she was still going to take her own car rather than walk, so she could make a fast getaway.

She couldn’t remember ever meeting someone who could be so helpful to a stranger when there was nothing in it for them. She wished she had met him at a different point in time. If she had, her life might have been entirely different now.

But that was just foolishness. Nothing would change her past, or who it had made her. All she could do was continue on, and hope her past would never catch up with her future.

As she walked from the house to the car, Celeste studied her new neighborhood. The houses were older and fairly small, but well-cared for. Most of the people made tending the grass and flowers in their yards weekend projects. A few of her neighbors had waved at her as she hurried by, recognizing her as her landlord, Hank’s new tenant.

She smiled and breathed the fresh green scents deeply. This neighborhood had been a good choice for a new beginning, everything was beautiful and taken care of with pride.

The only ugly thing here was her mother’s car.

Gritting her teeth, she pulled the car door open, hoping the creaking hinge didn’t draw too much attention, and slid in. The four-wheeled monstrosity started with a chug and a backfire, but it did start. Celeste arrived at Adrian’s house in under two minutes.

Adrian lived in a small brightly painted bungalow with a well-kept yard. Celeste recognized his shiny black car in the driveway. Beside his car sat a small sporty blue model.

Taking a deep breath for courage, Celeste knocked on the front door and waited.

A deep male voice called from inside. “Hey! Adrian! There she is!”

The door opened. Adrian stood tall in the doorway as he smiled down at her. In the middle of the living room stood a rather handsome blond man about the same age. The man smiled as well and cocked his head to one side.

Celeste squirmed. She felt strange enough with Adrian looking at her. She didn’t want to be analyzed by his friend, although she didn’t know why she cared. After today, she would never see him again.

“Hi, Celeste. Or should I say Miss Mind?” Adrian grinned. She could see his eyes focusing over her shoulder, taking in her mother’s scrap heap of a car parked on the street.

Celeste lowered her head and quickly reached into her pocket for his license and credit card. “I’m really sorry about this. Thanks again for your concern this afternoon. Bye.”

Without giving him a chance to respond, she shoved the two cards into his hand, turned and ran back to the car.

“Wait!” Adrian’s voice sounded from behind her.

The second she inserted the key into the ignition, he appeared at the car door. With her heart in her throat and grateful for the shelter of the car, Celeste rolled the window down at the same time as she started the engine.

Adrian ducked his head toward her. “May I see you again?”

Celeste had to force herself to breathe. She would have been a fool if she didn’t know what he wanted. She wasn’t ready for that kind of relationship. She wanted to trust him, but she didn’t know if she had it in her to do so. Maybe she never would. But even if she did, for now, she still needed time to hide and lick her wounds.

Celeste cleared her throat. “I don’t think so, but I’m flattered that you asked.”

Adrian stiffened and stepped back, ramming his hands into his pockets. “I had to try. Take care of yourself, Celeste. If you ever need a hand again, you know where to find me.”

She drove away subdued. She didn’t want to live her life as a recluse—that wasn’t why she had moved so far from all that was familiar. However, meeting new people had turned out to be much more difficult than she thought it would be. The people she met at her new job were safe, because she would only see them at work. But this was different. Starting something with Adrian, even if it was only friendship, was too close to home. Literally.

When she pulled in front of her house, Celeste didn’t get out of the car. She turned off the engine and stared at the home that had been hers for only four days. God had provided a way for her to start again—she had a new job and a new place to live. She’d also prayed for God to send her some new friends, people she could trust and with whom she could be safe.

God had put what had appeared to be a trustworthy man in her path, but she’d let fear get the best of her. He’d offered what could be the beginning of a friendship, and she’d turned and run. Now she couldn’t go back without looking desperate.

Celeste lowered her forehead to the top of the steering wheel and shut her eyes.

God, I’m so sorry. I said I trusted You, but I blew it. I couldn’t do it. But I really need a friend, I really do. The next time You show me someone I can trust, I promise I’ll give them the benefit of the doubt, just because I know You’re giving me what I asked for, and You know best.

Celeste sighed, picked up her purse, and went inside.

First she’d promised God, and now she promised herself that the next time God provided an answer, she would listen.

Adrian strummed the last chord of the final song for the service. As the pastor approached the microphone, Adrian placed his guitar on the stand. Along with Paul, Bob and Randy, his friends on the worship team, he quietly exited the stage.

Every Sunday he sat with his friends during the pastor’s sermon, but this time, when they shuffled into their usual seats near the front, Adrian kept walking.

During the short break when the children had been dismissed into Sunday School, he’d done a quick double-take as he looked into the congregation. Sitting almost at the back, if he wasn’t mistaken, he’d seen Miss Never Mind.

He’d been thinking about her all week. She’d hummed along to his favorite CD. For a couple of the songs, she’d actually mouthed the words to the choruses. That meant she’d heard them before, often enough to repeat them.

He’d taken it as a sign from God when she finally got inside the car. But then, the tiny tiger who had walked for hours rather than get in the car had turned into a frightened rabbit. He’d been almost afraid to look at her, for fear that she would fling herself out the door at fifty-five miles an hour to get away. He’d ended up chattering like a dripping tap, just so there wouldn’t be silence in the car.

Things hadn’t gone any better when she’d showed up at his door. She’d disappeared so fast he was beginning to wonder if something was wrong with him.

Now, here she was in church. He felt as though God was giving him another chance.

As he approached, her eyes fixed on him.

She wore a nice skirt and blouse with matching shoes, a far cry from the dusty jeans, T-shirt and battered sneakers she’d worn the last time he’d seen her. Some kind of pink fabric thing that matched her blouse adorned her hair. But what really made him take notice was the Bible beside her.

He stopped, then crouched down to speak to her. “Hi, Celeste. It’s great to see you here today. Is this seat taken?”

Her pretty eyes widened at the question, holding his attention with their vivid jade-green color.

In the blink of an eye, she lowered her head, scooped up her Bible and the bulletin and stiffened. Her voice came out in a tight squeak. “No, it’s not taken.”

At the first scripture reading during the sermon, Adrian leaned closer to Celeste. “I left my Bible up at the front with my friends. Can I peek at yours?”

She paged to the correct passage and held her Bible between them. He could have read it better if it hadn’t been shaking so much, but Adrian didn’t dare move to steady it.

During the sermon, he tried his best to pay attention to the pastor’s words, but Celeste’s presence distracted him.

She was still scared of him. He wanted to know why, but this wasn’t the time to discuss it, not in the middle of the service. However, if he waited till it was over, he’d be back up front, with the worship team, and she would be out the door before he had a chance to find out what was wrong.

When Pastor Ron drew his sermon to a close, just before everyone was instructed to bow their heads for the closing prayer, Adrian touched Celeste’s arm. He tried not to feel hurt when she flinched. “Please,” he whispered as he leaned closer to her. “I’d like to talk to you after the service. I have to go up to the front now for the closing hymn. Promise me you’ll wait. Don’t be so nervous. I don’t bite.”

Her eyes drifted to the front, then back to him. “All right,” she whispered.

He was the last one to arrive at the front, and he played terribly. Paul kept turning away from the congregation and toward him, going as far as nodding his head in rhythm to get Adrian to slow his tempo to match everyone else.

Adrian fought to slow his pace, repeating in his head that the music was to help everyone in the congregation center their thoughts on God; they didn’t want to be distracted by an impatient guitar player.

Still, instead of watching his music, he watched Celeste. The closer they got to the end of the song, the more Celeste kept glancing at the door. On the last repeat of the chorus, she began shuffling in her chair.

After the last chord, Pastor Ron closed the service and dismissed the congregation. Adrian should have kept playing as the sanctuary emptied, but he dropped his guitar into the holder and walked off as his friends stared at him. This time, he couldn’t let her get away.

He arrived beside Celeste just as she tucked her bulletin inside her Bible. Her purse was already slung over her shoulder. All the bravado he’d worked up dissolved into a little puddle at his feet.

She looked up at him. “I really enjoyed the service. Your pastor is quite a dynamic speaker.”

Adrian nodded. A neutral topic. Perfect. “Yes, he is. Since this is your first time here, I’d love to introduce you to him.”

“Maybe another time. I think it’s time for me to leave.”

Adrian stepped aside, but he couldn’t let her go. He cleared his throat. “If you’re not busy, why don’t you join me for lunch? My treat. So we can talk.”

The chatter, background music, the scraping of chairs, and the voices of little children echoed behind Adrian, but between the two of them, the silence was almost tangible. She looked up into his eyes and studied his face as he’d never been studied before.

Finally, she gave him a weak smile. “That would be nice. I’m new to the area and obviously new to this church. I do have some questions.”

He tried not to appear too eager or too relieved. “Great. I just have to go get my guitar before we leave.”

Back on the stage, Adrian mumbled a quick apology for not helping pack up the sound system, slipped his guitar into the case and hurried away.

This time, Celeste’s old car was running fine, and she insisted on meeting him at the restaurant. Since he’d left the building sooner than he’d ever left before, they arrived before most of the regular church crowd, and got a table right away.

The waitress quickly took their orders and left them with a decanter of coffee. Adrian folded his hands on the table, and smiled at Celeste. “Welcome to the neighborhood. I think you’ll like it here. It’s very peaceful. The residents are mostly people who have owned the same homes for years and have retired here, or younger families starting out with their first home.”

She nodded. “That sounds nice. Have you lived here long?”

“It depends what you call ‘long’. I bought my house five years ago, and I’m still here. Maybe I’ll be the next generation to stay until I retire.”

“What about your church? What’s it like?”

Adrian smiled politely. He felt more as though he was being interviewed than having a friendly chat. At least now, unlike a week ago, Celeste was talking openly. Interview or not, anything was better than the scared rabbit she’d been last time they talked.

“It’s a good church, with good people, good fellowship and the pastor delivers a strong message. It’s a church plant, started from the big church where I grew up, not far from here. We’ve only been in this building a few months, but I guess I’ve been with the same crowd all my life. As I understand it, my mother brought me to my first service at the parent church when I was one month old. I became a Christian when I was twelve. When they started the church plant, the associate pastor at the old church, who is now the only pastor here, asked me and my friends if we would go with the core group and put together a worship team, because we all grew up together in the church and all play an instrument.”

Her eyes widened. “Wow… You’ve been a Christian for seventeen years. And always been with the same people.”

He almost asked how she figured out the time frame, but then he remembered she’d been in possession of his driver’s license. The math was easy. He tried not to be flattered that she’d memorized his birthday.

“For the most part, yes, it’s really been a great church family. All of us guys on the worship team grew up in this neighborhood. We’ve been together all our lives, except Paul, briefly. He moved away for a while, but came back. Do you remember him? He was at my house when you dropped by with my driver’s license.”

Celeste nodded. “Yes. He’s the one who plays the bass guitar right?”

“Bob and Randy live close by, too. Bob’s the drummer. He’s as Italian as he looks.” Adrian grinned, thinking of his friend. “But don’t tell Bob I said that.”

Her eyes widened, and Adrian hoped he hadn’t given her the wrong impression. All the guys teased Bob endlessly with jokes about his large family and ethnic roots, but Bob, being Bob, took it all in stride.

“Randy’s the one on the keyboard. I should probably warn you about him.”

“Warn me? Why?”

“He tends to fool around a lot, and most people don’t take him seriously, but he’s a great guy. He just needs to settle down a bit.”

Since he’d mentioned Bob’s ethnicity, he tried to think of some way to set Randy apart. If he had to narrow it down to one thing, he would have said that Randy’s most striking feature was his blue eyes. Personally, Adrian didn’t think Randy’s eyes were a big deal, but women seemed to be drawn to them. That was exactly the reason he was not going to draw Celeste’s attention to Randy’s big baby blues. Besides, Randy was just… Randy.

“That’s so nice that you and your friends are on the worship team together. I hope you don’t mind me asking, but what do you do for a living?”

Now, more than ever, he felt as if he was being interviewed.

Adrian stiffened. “Actually, my job is changing. Last year they promoted me to management, and they’re changing my job description again, so I don’t know what I should call myself.”

She kept staring at him. Fortunately, before she had the chance to ask him anything else, the waitress appeared with their lunches.

Adrian folded his hands in front of him on the table. “Would you like me to lead with a word of prayer before we eat?”

She turned her head from side to side, taking in the people at all the nearby tables. “Here? In a restaurant? You would do that?”

Adrian’s mouth opened, but no words came out. He’d never thought about not praying just because he was in a public setting.

Before he could think of something to say, she broke out into a wide smile. “I think that’s a great idea.”

Abruptly, she folded her hands in front of her on the table, bowed her head, closed her eyes and waited.

Adrian’s mind went blank. He cleared his throat to give himself time to compose his thoughts.

“Thank you, dear Lord, for the food we’re about to eat. Thank you also for new friends with whom we can share. I ask for Your continued blessings in the name of our Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.”

He’d barely finished his first bite of fries when Celeste started again with the questions. “If you came with the same people from the other church, and you’ve been attending for so long, this must be a really nice group of people. Stable and everything? No surprises?”

Adrian nodded while he swallowed his mouthful. “I’ve got an idea. If you actually want to meet some of the people, rather than just sitting next to them, come to the evening service. Attendance is always lower, but it’s a great opportunity to talk in a more relaxed setting. If you’re nervous, I could pick you up.”

Time stretched on forever as she glanced at him, then over his shoulder to the door, then back to him.

“I’ve never been to an evening church service; that sounds like a good idea, but if you don’t mind, I think I’ll take my own car.”

Adrian felt his smile drop, but he quickly forced it back. He tried to convince himself that it was better she came on her own, because he had to be early to set up and practice. However, unless he picked her up, he couldn’t be assured she would actually go. He hoped she would keep her promise.

They made pleasant small talk for the remainder of lunch. When they went their separate ways in their separate cars, Adrian couldn’t help but smile. She’d been careful to avoid telling him exactly where she lived, but he knew her car. He couldn’t miss that eyesore of a vehicle, no matter where it was, unless she parked it in the garage every single time she got home.

Starting Monday, it would be a good time to change his route when he took out his bicycle. Instead of the bike trail at the park, he might just cruise the neighborhood. Slowly.

But for now, he had never anticipated attending the evening service so much.

Celeste walked into the foyer quietly. Instead of standing alone in the growing crowd, she made her way immediately to the sanctuary. She sat in approximately the same place she had that morning and waited for the service to begin. She’d only been sitting a couple of minutes when Adrian looked up at her and smiled brightly.

Easily recognizing the other men from Adrian’s descriptions, she watched them as they practiced, but she paid the most attention to Randy, the one on the keyboard.

Randy seemed to be the only one obviously having fun. He would try different things, and with trying something new, he often made a mistake. Whenever that happened, Adrian also made a mistake, and then they both did the worst thing musicians in a group could do—they both paused at the same time in the middle of a song. Every time that happened, Paul, the bass guitarist, shut his eyes and kept playing until they recovered, while Bob, the drummer, struggled not to laugh. Randy would shrug his shoulders, play what he was supposed to for just a little while, then the cycle would start again.

Watching Randy on the keyboard sent a wave of longing through Celeste. Randy wasn’t bad. He was just a little too adventurous for his own good.

She shook her head and turned away.

She was in church to worship God, the God who had pulled her out of the pit. She wasn’t here to critique the band.

To distract herself, Celeste turned her attention to the others in the sanctuary. Almost everyone there was close to her own age. The evening crowd was about a third of the number who attended the morning service. Hardly any children were present. The majority of the people wore jeans, including the men of the worship team. Even the pastor was dressed casually. There wasn’t a tie to be seen in the entire crowd.

What appeared to be the youth group occupied an entire section. In keeping with the informal setting, the worship team played only contemporary music, making Celeste guess the evening service was geared to the teens and young adults.

Adrian and all his friends, this time, joined her during the pastor’s message, though they all returned to the front for the closing. The second the pastor announced coffee and donuts at the back, most of the seats in the church emptied.

It didn’t take Adrian long to appear at her side.

“If you want a donut, you’d better hurry. The youth group gets them pretty fast. Sometimes, it’s a real free-for-all.”

Adrian’s friendly smile did little to quell her rising uneasiness. All he was doing was offering her a donut, and nothing more. She really was trying to follow what she thought was God’s direction. Adrian could have been a poster child for trustworthiness. Unlike her, he was stable enough to have bought his own house as a single man, while she was barely in a position to rent. He worked at a job he’d had for a long time. He even visited his mother often.

Since they’d parted that afternoon, Celeste had told herself over and over that all he’d been was…nice. He’d given her no reason to doubt his sincerity, and no reason to think he was anything other than what he appeared to be.

Adrian escorted her to the back. No one approached them, although she did notice a few people taking second glances, as she was probably the only stranger in their midst.

She had just bitten into a powdered sugar donut when the other three men from the worship team circled around her.

Randy, the man who had played the keyboard, stepped closer. “What’s a nice girl like you doing in a place like this?” he asked as he waggled his eyebrows.

Celeste nearly choked on her donut. When she’d first told people she knew that she’d started attending church, everyone had asked her the same question, except no one called her nice. Celeste tried her best to wipe the powdered sugar from her mouth discreetly.

Adrian sighed. “Celeste, I’d like you to meet my friends. Except if they keep it up, they won’t be my friends for much longer.” He paused. No one refuted him, so he continued. “This is Randy.”

Again, Randy grinned. Celeste had never seen such an adorable boyish grin on a man his age, and Randy’s blue eyes were positively striking.

“I believe you saw Paul briefly at my house.”

The tall blond man nodded politely. “Charmed,” he said, and his expression made her think he actually meant it.

Celeste felt herself blushing, something she hadn’t done for many years. It felt strange.

“And this is Bob.”

The drummer’s eyes narrowed slightly as he studied her. “I don’t believe I’ve ever seen you here before. Welcome to Faith Community Fellowship. It’s good to have you here.”

Celeste had enjoyed the morning service, but to be seeing everyone just being themselves completely melted away her worries. Some teens were squabbling over the last donut and all the adults were in small groups, laughing and talking. From the volume of the chatter and laughter, Celeste could barely believe she was in a church.

Randy turned his head toward the front, and then back again. “Hey, Adrian. We’ve got all our stuff cleaned up. Maybe you should do the same. At least wind your patch cord and knock down your stands.”

Adrian smiled. “Excuse me, Celeste. I’ll only be a few minutes.”

As Adrian left, another man joined them. Randy introduced him as Pastor Ron.

Celeste had never spoken to a real live pastor before. He wasn’t at all like she expected. He seemed so…ordinary.

When the pastor excused himself, a few more people from the congregation joined them, and Randy introduced them one by one. Before long, she’d talked to so many people she couldn’t remember their names.

By the time Adrian returned, the crowd was thinning. Randy noticed the same thing, and whispered to her that it was because the donuts were gone.

Celeste couldn’t help herself. She liked Randy. In fact, she liked all of Adrian’s friends. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d enjoyed a day so much, if she ever had. Most important, she couldn’t remember the last time she’d actually been able to relax in a crowd.

Unfortunately, with relaxation came tiredness. Paul caught her stifling a yawn.

“Excuse me,” she muttered between her fingers. “I don’t know why I’m suddenly so tired. I should go, anyway. I have to be up early for work in the morning.”

Almost in unison, Adrian, Bob, Randy and Paul checked their watches, and Adrian said, “Let me walk you to your car.”

She said her good-byes and made her way out with Adrian at her side.

He waited patiently while she struggled to get the key turned in the lock the right way to open the car door.

“Thank you for a lovely day, Adrian.”

“You’re more than welcome. I hope to see you again soon.”

She nodded and quickly scooted into the car. “Yes,” she mumbled as she pulled the door hard enough to force it closed. “You’ll see me next Sunday morning. Bye.”

Chapter Three

Celeste shut down her computer. It had been a busy day at work and she would have liked nothing better than to go home and put her feet up, but the fridge and cupboards were bare. Knowing she wouldn’t have the energy to go out again after she’d settled down for the evening, she headed out to pick up her groceries on the way home.

List in hand, she trudged through the store. As soon as she had everything she needed in her grocery cart, she proceeded to the checkouts. One look at the long lines nearly made her groan out loud. At the same second she pushed her cart into what she hoped was the shortest line, a male voice sounded behind her.

“Hey, Celeste, fancy meeting you here.”

Her breath caught and her hand shot up to her throat as she spun around. She nearly sank to the floor with relief that it wasn’t anyone too familiar. “Adrian, you startled me. What are you doing here?”

He nodded at her shopping cart. “Same thing as you, apparently.”

His cart contained more than double the volume of her own.

She counted the people in the line ahead of her. “It looks like we’re going to be a while.”

“On your way home from work?”

“Yes. I guess you are, too,” she replied.

He nodded, but didn’t speak.

She tried to guess what he did for a living. His clothes didn’t give her an easy answer. Today, he wore tailored slacks that looked as though they belonged with a suit jacket, which he wasn’t wearing, a good-quality cotton dress shirt and a tie. She knew his job was in management, but she didn’t know what he managed. Obviously it wasn’t something that required manual labor or a uniform.

She turned her attention back up to his face. He was grinning. “I knew you were here. I saw your car.”

Her face flamed. She’d parked her mother’s car in the back corner of the lot, next to the garbage bin, far away from everyone else, in an effort to escape notice.

She didn’t want to hear that she could be so easily found. She tried to console herself by thinking no one she used to know would associate her with her mother’s car, even if they did see it. Her own car was by now halfway across the country with her mother in it.

“If you really must know, it’s my mother’s car, not mine. We traded so she could have something safe to drive on her vacation. She left last week.”

Adrian’s smile dropped. “It sounds like that old thing isn’t very dependable.”

“It’s not like it’s going to blow up or anything. The worst that will happen is it will stall.” She patted her purse. “If that happens, I got a cell phone on my lunch break today. All I have to do is call a tow truck.”

One eyebrow rose, but he said nothing.

The line moved them to the point where she had to begin unloading her groceries onto the conveyor belt. Having the length of the buggy between them made it impossible to talk softly, thus ending their conversation, which Celeste regretted. It had been so long since she’d had such a pleasant conversation about nothing in particular, she’d forgotten just how good it could be.

Adrian’s deep voice interrupted her mental meanderings. “That’s my favorite kind of ice cream. Do you share?”

She fumbled with the ice cream tub, then thunked it down before she dropped it. “I think it’s in the Ten Commandments somewhere that you’re not supposed to covet thy neighbor’s ice cream.”

He covered his stomach with his hands. “I haven’t had dinner yet. That ice cream is too tempting for me. What about you? Have you had dinner? We could go out somewhere.”

Celeste focused intently on unloading the remainder of her groceries onto the conveyor. “Sorry, not this time. There’s stuff I have to put in the freezer. Like this ice cream, for example.”

“I have an idea. I’ve got a frozen pizza. We can both go to your house, and you can put your groceries away. Then we can eat my pizza for supper, and your ice cream for dessert.”

“Frozen pizza?” Celeste hesitated, then placed the last of her groceries onto the conveyor belt. After praying about the situation with Adrian all week, she’d decided to trust that God really had sent her a potential friend. However, she wasn’t sure she was ready to open up the private sanctuary of her home.

But she had to eat.

When she was a teen and still living at home with her mother, Celeste had often had her girlfriends over for frozen pizza. The food had been horrible, but the evenings were fun.

Adrian wasn’t exactly one of her cheerleading buddies, but Celeste knew she needed a little fun.

She tried to smile, but thought it probably looked as fake as it felt. “I haven’t had a frozen pizza for years. Are they still just as bad?”

Adrian nodded very seriously. “Yes. I bought extra cheese.”

“In that case, I can’t refuse.”

They chatted very little as the clerk processed their orders, and soon they were at her car.

“You parked beside me.”

“Yeah. I did, didn’t I?”

Her heart pounded. Adrian wasn’t Zac. So far, at least, Adrian was harmless. He was on the worship team at his church, which went partway to proving that he was a dedicated Christian. Most of all, he’d gone out of his way to help her, more than once, demanding nothing in return.

She told herself she was being unreasonable. Adrian had no idea what was happening in her life, or what had happened, and he didn’t need ever to know. He was only acting in a way that was natural for him, and she couldn’t fault him for that.

She tried to keep her hand from shaking as she inserted the key into the lock, then wiggled it enough to get it to turn. She swung the back door open and was about to start loading her groceries, when Adrian’s hand rested on her arm, halting her on the spot. She bit her lip so she wouldn’t scream.

“That looks heavy. Can I help you with that?”

Without waiting for an answer, he stepped in front of her, reached into her cart, and began piling everything up on the back seat. “Most people put their groceries in the trunk,” he mumbled as he worked.

“The trunk smells like gasoline.”

His brows knotted as he frowned. “Maybe you should have that looked at.”

“No, the gas container just spilled. It’s nothing. I just have to remember to leave it open to air out next weekend. Actually, if I ever took this thing in to get fixed, they’d either bury it, or take all my money to fix it up. Besides, I only need to put up with it until my mother gets back. She keeps telling me she’s going to have it restored, but somehow that never happens. Instead, it just keeps getting worse.”

He nodded and continued to load all her groceries into the back seat without being asked.

Celeste stood back as her throat clogged. What he was doing obviously wasn’t a big deal to him, but it was a big deal to her. Again, he was helping her, without thinking, without being asked, and without expecting anything in return.

She didn’t know much about signs from God, yet she wondered if God was trying to tell her something.

He pushed the door closed, but the rusty hinge creaked and groaned, preventing the latch from catching properly. He re-opened it and slammed it shut, giving the handle a pensive wiggle.

“Are you sure this thing is safe to drive? I couldn’t help but hear the grinding it made on Sunday when you left the parking lot.”

“It’s okay for short distances, which is all I have to do. Really, once it starts, it’s fine after a couple of blocks.”

His mouth opened and he raised one finger in the air, readying Celeste for what she thought would be a challenge to her decision, but nothing came out. The finger dropped, he stiffened, and he cleared his throat.

“Never mind. As soon as I put my own groceries in my trunk, we can be on our way. Just remember I have to follow you. You know where I live, but I don’t know which house is yours.”

While Adrian tossed his groceries into the trunk of his car, Celeste slid behind the wheel and closed her eyes to think and pray.

She still wasn’t sure she was doing the right thing by encouraging Adrian in whatever it was he thought he was doing by being so friendly. However, she couldn’t live underground like a gopher, only going to work and back. All she could do was count on Jesus for wisdom, guidance, strength, and protection and pray that she was doing the right thing. With her Savior by her side, she prayed she wouldn’t make the same mistake twice.

The bang of Adrian’s trunk closing made her eyes open. As she headed for home with Adrian behind her, she told herself that it was unrealistic to think she could keep where she lived secret. As far as risks went, being with Adrian out in public seemed a minimal one. At home, since she lived in a duplex, if she screamed, her landlord Hank would hear, and, she hoped, call the police.

Like a gentleman, Adrian helped Celeste carry all her groceries into the house. He disappeared while she tucked most of it away, then returned with one more bag.

“Would you mind putting this in your freezer? Everything else will be okay in the trunk, but this stuff has to stay frozen. I didn’t think of it until now.”

When she took the bag from his hand, he laid a frozen pizza on the table, along with a package of shredded mozzarella cheese, as promised.

He looked apologetic. “I don’t usually eat like this, but I didn’t feel like cooking today.”

While Celeste made coffee, Adrian made a great show of ripping away the wrap from the pizza, and carefully sprinkling on the mozzarella cheese, making it look as though he was doing more work than it really required.

When the pizza was in the oven, Celeste walked into the living room to put some music on. She didn’t have much yet, but she had started a small collection of Christian music, which included the same CD Adrian had had in his car.

While she tried to think of which one to put on, Adrian wandered across her living room.

“Wow. You’ve got a great electric piano. It’s probably silly of me to ask if you play. Maybe we could do something together one day. I’d bring my guitar.”

She broke out into a cold sweat. Her hand shook too much to put on the CD. Her past was behind her. What Adrian was asking was entirely different.

She forced the words out. “I just play for my own enjoyment. I don’t think so.” Her words were truer than Adrian could ever guess. When she said ‘for her own enjoyment,’ she meant she played alone. She’d exchanged the joy of making music with others for something of much more value, even if at times it hurt.

He fumbled for the switch, turned it on, and plunked out a few notes. “Nice sound. I tried to learn to play piano when I was a kid. I wasn’t very good. I’m actually not very good on guitar, either, but I’m the best they’ve got.” He plunked out a few more notes, shook his head and stepped back. “Would you like to tickle the ivories for me?”

“Plastics,” she mumbled.

“Plastics?”

“The keys are plastic. Even if it was a real piano, I don’t think they use ivory anymore.”

He stared at her for a few seconds. “Then would you like to tickle the plastics?” Adrian paused as he shook his head. “I think it loses something when you say it that way.”

Thankfully, she heard the oven timer go off. Before he could ask again, Celeste hustled into the kitchen, removed the pizza from the oven, cut it into slices, and set it on the table.

They bowed their heads while Adrian prayed. “Dear Lord, thank You for this food, and for the rich blessings You’ve bestowed upon us. Thank You also for friends, both old and new, and the opportunity to share with them. Amen.”

She hadn’t taken her first bite when Adrian started with the phrase she had been hoping wouldn’t come out.

“So. Tell me a little about yourself.”

Celeste studied her plate as she spoke. “There isn’t much to tell. I work in the credit department of a small company. I haven’t been there very long. Soon I’m going to take an accounting course. I’ve started looking into what’s available at night school, so I can still work.”

The touch of his hand on hers startled her. “See what we have in common already? I’m an accountant. Also, we like the same ice cream.”

What he was trying to do was more than obvious. While she did like him, she was far from ready to enter the relationship he alluded to.

He grinned. “You’re looking at me funny.”

“Sorry. You don’t look like an accountant.”

One eyebrow quirked. “And what should an accountant look like?”

Celeste chewed on her lower lip before answering. “Accountants are short and bald, wear suits all the time, and have suspenders to keep their pants up. They also have those little half-sized reading glasses perched on the ends of their noses all the time.”

Adrian cleared his throat, straightened his stylish glasses, then ran his fingers through his hair. “I’ll never be bald.” He patted the knot of his tie. “Have I just been insulted?”

She shook her head. “No. I’m sorry. That came out wrong.” Although her supervisor did look exactly as she’d described.

He let her steer the conversation away from personal questions and back to neutral topics. Before long she found herself enjoying his company and laughing at his lame jokes. When he checked his watch and stood to leave, her disappointment surprised her.

“I can’t believe what time it is. The guys are coming over to practice tonight, and I have to get my groceries put away before they get there.”

She escorted him to the door.

“Goodnight, Celeste. Will I see you again on Sunday? I’d like to pick you up, but I have to go early to set up.”

Her answer came without thought. “Yes, I’ll be there.”

“I’ll be looking forward to Sunday more than ever, then.”

Adrian smiled and left.

After his car had rounded the corner, Celeste returned to the kitchen to clean up. However, when she entered the kitchen and looked at the fridge, she skidded to a halt.

Adrian had forgotten his bag of groceries in her freezer.

Without hesitation, she grabbed the bag, and ran out to coax her mother’s car to start.

Three cars were parked in Adrian’s driveway. Adrian’s car was on the street, telling her that his friends had arrived before him.

Bag in hand, Celeste headed up the sidewalk.

Paul Calloway leaned against the corner of Adrian’s table. He crossed his arms and watched his friend shoving his groceries into the cupboards with no concern for organization.

“I can’t believe you forgot we moved up the practice time. In fact, it was your idea.”

“I was busy with something else,” Adrian mumbled, but didn’t elaborate.

Adrian measured some coffee beans into the grinder, then filled the coffee machine with water. “You know, I’m positive I’m missing something. I’m sure I bought more than this.”

The doorbell rang. Paul looked back over his shoulder. “You expecting someone?”

Adrian checked his watch, and shook his head. “No, I’m not. I’m kind of busy. Can you get that?”

Paul left Adrian in the kitchen and answered the door.

“Celeste? It’s good to see you again. What are you doing here?”

“This is Adrian’s. He forgot it. It’s got to go in the freezer.”

Paul couldn’t hide his grin. He didn’t know what was going on or why Celeste had Adrian’s groceries, but he intended to find out.

“He’s in the kitchen. Come on in.”

Paul wished he had a camera to catch the expression on Adrian’s face the moment Adrian saw Celeste in his kitchen. More than ever, it made Paul wonder what was going on. He’d never met Celeste before Sunday, nor had Adrian ever mentioned her, which made him even more curious.

Adrian recovered quickly. He mumbled a quick thank you as he accepted the bag from Celeste, and shoved it into the freezer.

Paul crossed his arms and turned to Celeste. “How did you like the services on Sunday? It was nice to see you there.”

“I really like Faith Community Fellowship. I’m looking for a new church home, but I guess Adrian already told you that.”

“Actually, no. He didn’t.”

Her cheeks flushed, which Paul thought quite endearing.

“As you can see, we’re about to start practicing for next Sunday. Would you like to stay and listen?” He smiled, and didn’t voice his next question. Or hang around to watch Adrian?

“No, I think I’d better go.”

Adrian stepped forward to stand beside Celeste. “That’s too bad. You’d probably be able to give us some constructive criticism.” Adrian turned to Paul. “She wouldn’t play anything for me, but you should see her electric grand.”

Paul tried not to flinch when Randy’s voice piped up behind him. He hadn’t heard Randy coming, but now that Randy had discovered the action, anything could happen.

“Electric grand?” Randy asked. “You play? Are you any good?”

Celeste’s face suddenly paled, which Paul thought odd.

“I’m okay,” she muttered. “I really think I should go.”

Randy blocked her path. “Wanna see my new electric piano? It’s probably not as nice as yours, but it’s got some really neat features.”

Paul tried to bite back his grin. He never tired of watching Randy in action, especially around women.

Celeste looked doubtful. “But you’re supposed to be practicing. I’m interrupting.”

“You’re not interrupting. We haven’t started yet.” Randy jerked his thumb over his shoulder. “It’s in the other room.”

Adrian cleared his throat and stepped forward. “Randy, didn’t you hear the lady? She doesn’t want to stay.”

Randy covered his heart with his palms and turned, making direct eye contact with Celeste and Celeste only. “But I’m not very good. If you could give me some tips, I’d be forever in your debt.”

Celeste’s face flamed. Adrian’s eyes narrowed.

Paul tried not to laugh. He was having more fun now than he would have if they had been practicing.

“Okay. I suppose I can at least look at it,” Celeste mumbled. “Is it the same one you had at the church?”

Quietly, she followed Randy into Adrian’s den, where everything was set up, ready to begin their practice. Randy’s new electric piano and Bob’s drums sat in the back corner. The guitar amps were pushed against the wall. Paul’s bass guitar lay in its case on the floor, as did Adrian’s guitar.

Celeste played a few notes with one finger, reset a number of the effects buttons, and played a few chords.

“Yes, this is very nice. Now I think I’d better be going.”

Randy shook his head so fast his hair flopped onto his forehead. “No. Wait.” He fumbled with a handful of music and pulled out a song the group had been struggling with. “Can you play this for me? I’m not quite getting it. I’m not really good at this. I’d rather be working the sound system, but Paul said we needed someone on the keyboard.”

Adrian cleared his throat. “Randy, will you move and let the woman go home?”

Randy batted his eyelashes at Celeste again. “Puh-lee-eeeeze?”

“Uh… It’s okay, Adrian. I guess…”

Randy turned to everyone else. “Can you guys play this one once, and I’ll peek over Celeste’s shoulder?”

Paul nodded. It was true that Randy wasn’t very good on the keyboard, but he was all they had. Up until recently, they’d only used the guitars. When they’d added Randy on the keyboard, as poorly as Randy played, he’d filled a hole in the music they hadn’t previously realized was there—when he wasn’t fooling around and making mistakes.

Paul cleared his throat. “As long as she doesn’t mind, and she’s volunteering, I’m not going to refuse. Let’s get started.”

Bob parked himself behind the drums, and Paul and Adrian plugged in their guitars.

“Three, four!”

And they began to play.

They sounded better than they’d ever sounded in the entire time they’d played together.

After the last chord ended, silence permeated the room.

“I’ll never play like that,” Randy mumbled. “I quit.”

Paul blinked a few times. “Did you say you were looking for a new church home? Were you on the worship team at your old church?”

Her face paled again. “No.”

He waited for her to elaborate, but she didn’t. He noticed Adrian didn’t say anything, either.

Paul blinked again. “I can’t believe this. You, Celeste, are the answer to our prayers.”

Celeste remained silent.

Paul lowered his bass guitar into the stand. “If you can’t tell, we really need you. The church needs you.”

“But…”

Paul raised his palms to silence her protests. “I don’t want to pressure you, but—”

“Oh, come on!” Adrian burst out. He stood between Paul and Celeste, his arms crossed over his chest. “You guys haven’t left her alone from the moment she walked in the door! Talk about pressure. She’s only just met you guys. And Randy, playing all your cute little tricks to get her sympathy. You all should be ashamed of yourselves.”

“But…but…” Randy stammered, then turned to Celeste. “I think you can see the difference you made. You heard us on Sunday.”

Paul watched the color drain from Celeste’s cheeks as she and Randy faced off. “But what about you?” she asked. “You’re the one playing the keyboard. You’re doing okay. Really. You are.”

Randy cleared his throat and ran his fingers through his hair, an indication that for once, Randy was being serious. “Don’t try to be nice. I listened to the tapes, so I know what I sound like. That’s why I just quit, remember? My job is the sound system. That’s what I like to do best. We need you on the piano.”

Celeste stood staring at Randy with her mouth hanging open.

Paul turned his head to Bob, who had said nothing the entire time. One corner of Bob’s mouth turned up, he glanced at Randy, and shrugged. “I think she sounded great, too.” Bob turned to Celeste. “It’s up to you, though.”

Paul shook his head. “I know this is rather sudden for you. Tell you what. If you decide to take up residence with our little church, think about joining our worship team.”

“But I’ve never been on a worship team before. I don’t even know most of the songs.”

“You did fine on the last one with no practice. I have a feeling you could be teaching us, even on the ones you supposedly don’t know. Did your old church not do contemporary songs?”

“Actually, I haven’t been going to church very long. That’s why I don’t know very many.”

Paul knitted his brows as he tried to think. He’d been asking God for a long time to do something with their worship team. They weren’t very good, but they were the best the church had.

He turned to study Celeste. On the previous Sunday he’d been surprised when Adrian hadn’t sat with them during the morning service. Now he knew why. Because Paul wanted to see this person who had pulled his friend away, he was more than happy when they had all sat together for the evening service.

He shouldn’t have, but he’d paid more attention to Celeste than he had to the pastor. She was obviously unfamiliar with the flow of the service, yet she showed a lot of enthusiasm over things Paul had long considered routine. She’d even taken notes when Pastor Ron was speaking, something Paul hadn’t done for a long time. Watching her had been a sad reminder of how easily complacency crept in.

He told himself that was about to change.

“I know you’re not sure, but I think it could work. We need you, and I think this is a good place for you to fit in, even though you’re new. I’d really like it if we could all pray about it. Together. Right now.”

She glanced back and forth between all the guys. “Well… I guess so.”

Celeste followed the men into the living room, unable to believe what was happening. She did want to join their worship team. The strength of that realization took her breath away. Because she’d been working on becoming a professional musician, all God’s music touched her.

But she hadn’t been a Christian long enough to know about things like this. Not only was she a newcomer to this church, she was a newcomer to God’s family. In addition to her new faith, everything in her life was in a state of flux. Because she tried to keep to herself, she wasn’t even sure she was worshipping God properly. She had no one to ask if she was doing it right.

She doubted she was ready for the responsibility of being part of a team whose purpose was to lead others to praise and to worship God. Paul appeared to be a strong leader, so she would be under his tutelage, but she didn’t know if that was enough.

Adrian and his friends sat on the couch and loveseat, leaving the easy chair for her.

Prior to praying with Adrian before they ate, and besides church, the only other time she’d prayed with someone else had been with her mother’s neighbor, the woman who’d told her all about God. She’d never prayed in a small group.

All the men folded their hands in their laps.

“Let’s pray,” Paul said, and everyone bowed their heads.

The room fell silent. Celeste covered her face with her hands and bared her soul to God. She told Him how much being a part of their team would fill her empty heart, more than replacing what she had given up. She praised Him for the new friendships she could see, beginning with Adrian and his friends. She had liked them all immediately. And strangely enough, she trusted them as a group. Singly, that might be different, but when they were all together, she’d never felt more safe.

From her first step into Faith Community Fellowship, she’d experienced an instant peace. She knew she’d gone to the right place.

Adrian’s voice broke the silence. “Dear Heavenly Father. I pray for your guidance for Celeste as she makes her decision. I pray for your kindness and mercy upon her in this, and every area of her life. Thank you for your blessings and continued love, today, and forever.”

“Amen,” Paul said softly.

Celeste sat straight, trying to maintain her composure. “Yes,” she said, failing in her attempt to keep a tremor out of her voice. “I do want to be a part of this team. As long as it doesn’t matter that I haven’t been a Christian very long.”

Paul smiled at her, his brown eyes sparkling with warmth. Just as with Adrian, she felt comfortable with him.

“That’s great,” Paul said. “The only thing we have to do is talk to Pastor Ron. And then he’ll probably want to talk to you, too.”

Celeste’s heart went cold. “The pastor is going to want to talk to me?”

Paul nodded. “It will be just so he can get to know you a little, and, if I can be blunt, to know your heart is in the right place. It won’t matter that you haven’t been a Christian long. God doesn’t have a trial waiting period. He takes you just as you are, just so long as your heart and soul are open to Him. And so will Pastor Ron.”

Celeste forced herself to smile. She wasn’t foolish enough to think just anyone who said they were a Christian and a good musician would be able to go up to the front and lead the congregation in worship. Pastor Ron would want to do more than just say hello. He would want to know about her, know something about her life before she walked in the door of his church.

She had fooled herself in thinking that if she didn’t talk about it, it would go away. Now she would have to tell him everything, even though it was the last conversation she ever wanted to have.

Chapter Four

“Celeste? Not that I’m not happy to see you, but what are you doing here?”

Celeste gulped and looked up at Adrian, towering above her in the doorway. “I’m not sure. I just saw Pastor Ron. Maybe I should go home.”

“Nonsense. Come in.” Adrian pushed the door wide open, and stepped aside.

Celeste stepped into Adrian’s living room, but her mind was still back in Pastor Ron’s office.

She’d heard somewhere that confession was good for the soul. In some ways that was true, but now, not yet an hour later, she wondered if she’d done the right thing. It was Pastor Ron’s job to forgive and accept her, regardless of what she’d done, whether or not she deserved it. However, she doubted the rest of God’s flock would feel the same way, and that included Adrian and his friends.

Talking to Pastor Ron and telling him everything had been the hardest thing she’d ever done. Now that it was over, her first impulse was to go home and take something to calm her nerves, but that was one of the things she had put behind her. Still, she knew where to get anything she wanted, within minutes, no questions asked, as long as she had cash. It was easy, and no one would ever know.

Instead, she found herself at Adrian’s house.

“So, how did it go?”

“Pastor Ron welcomed me to the church, and to the worship team. I don’t know what to say.”

Adrian’s smile widened. “Don’t be nervous, you’ll be fine.” He checked his wristwatch. “Have you had dinner? I was just about to throw a burger on the barbecue. I can easily make two.”

She splayed her hands on her queasy stomach. “I don’t know. I’m not sure how I feel. I don’t even know why I’m here. I’m sorry to interrupt your dinner. I wasn’t thinking.”

“Don’t be ridiculous.” Adrian stepped back and extended one arm in the direction of his kitchen. “You’re always invited. If you really don’t want a burger, then the least I can do is offer you a cup of coffee.”

Celeste followed him through the kitchen to his back patio, where his propane barbecue was heating up. He directed her to sit in one of the lawn chairs, then disappeared back into the kitchen. The microwave beeped while she waited. When he returned, he carried both a cup of coffee and a plate with two hamburger patties, both defrosted. As he placed both burgers on the grill, he peeked over his shoulder at her. “Just in case you change your mind.”

Celeste’s heart sped up to double time. If only she’d met someone like him eight years ago.

Adrian poked at the patties with his spatula. “I think I speak for all of the guys when I say that I can hardly wait until Sunday when you’ll be with us.”

“You don’t mean this Sunday? You mean next week, right?” She thought back to her previous experiences. Whenever she had performed without having practiced with the rest of the band, their audience had been too drunk to notice a few misplayed notes. This was different. Not only would everyone listening be thinking clearly, this was for God, and she wanted to do her best.

Completely serious, Adrian turned around. “I got an e-mail from Randy this afternoon, asking if I’d heard from you. He’s already planned some new settings he’s going to try. He fully intends to be in the sound room, not at the front, playing.”

“I don’t know if that’s such a good idea.”

Adrian shrugged his shoulders. “If it makes you feel any better, I phoned Paul after I read Randy’s e-mail. He was really impressed with what you did yesterday. He’s very excited about how we’re going to sound with a good pianist. Frankly, we can’t possibly be any worse. He said running through everything when we’re setting up Sunday morning will be enough. But if you’re nervous, I can go over the songs with you this evening. It’s not the same, but it’s better than nothing.”

“I wanted to set my standards high. If you’re willing to take the time, then I’d really appreciate it.”

Adrian gave the burgers a flip. “Great. These are almost done. If you’ve hungry, come into the kitchen, and we can fix the buns. I left the other stuff inside because of the bugs.”

A sudden breeze sent the aroma of the mouth-watering burgers into her face. Her stomach grumbled. “That smells so good… But I don’t know…”

Adrian turned down the heat, closed the lid of the barbecue, and escorted her into the kitchen to fix the buns. “I’d still be cooking and eating, even if you weren’t here. Don’t worry about it. It’s no extra trouble.”

It wasn’t the trouble, or even the expense of feeding an extra person that caused Celeste to hesitate. This wasn’t frozen supermarket pizza. It was a real dinner, and sharing dinner was too much like a date. She couldn’t do that. The changes in her life were too new to be exploring such options, if she ever explored those options again. If she did, a nice man like Adrian wouldn’t be interested in someone like her. Recounting the details of her life to Pastor Ron had served as a potent reminder of who she was, versus who she now appeared to be.

“I’d better not.”

Adrian bunched up a towel and removed a tray of fries from the oven. “You don’t want to make me eat all this by myself, do you?” He set the tray down and pressed his free hand to his very flat stomach.

“You’ll never be fat,” she mumbled.

“I’m not so sure, but there’s only one way to save me from that fate, and that’s to share so I don’t eat it all myself. If you’re in a rush, we could always eat while we practice.”

She certainly didn’t have anything else to do, but eating while they practiced was a way to make it work-related, which was good enough for her. “I think that’s a great idea. Let’s get set up.”

All the instruments lay exactly as they’d been left the day before. It felt strange playing without the rest of the band, but as promised, Adrian guided her through the songs to the best of his ability.

When they were done, Celeste clicked off the keyboard, then turned to Adrian. “You know, you’re much better than you give yourself credit for. What you think is bad isn’t lack of talent. It’s just inexperience. It takes time to get good when you only practice together once a week. The dynamics are very different than when you’re playing alone.”

Adrian hesitated, then laid his guitar carefully into the case. “I appreciate you saying that. I’ve been working really hard at learning to play properly. These songs will sound even better than this on Sunday morning, when we’ll all be together. Adding Bob on the drums makes a big difference.”

Celeste hesitated. “I still don’t think playing in front of the congregation without everyone having practiced together is a very good idea. This was good, but maybe we should wait until next week.”

Adrian leaned down and turned off his amp. “Paul will be really disappointed if we don’t play. Maybe I should e-mail everyone and ask if they’re free for a short practice tomorrow evening.”

Celeste gulped. “But tomorrow is Friday.” Everyone she knew always had plans on Friday night. Big plans. But that was a different world. She didn’t know what good, decent people did on Friday nights. Recently she had spent most nights alone in front of the television, but on Fridays, when the emptiness of her home haunted her, she went to the library. Even though she spent her time in solitude, there were other people around her, all quietly minding their own business. She’d even rediscovered the joy of reading, something she hadn’t done for many years.

Adrian shrugged his shoulders. “I never talked to them about what they’re doing, but they’re probably free because none of us is seeing anyone right now. But I never thought to ask you first. I’m sorry. I should have realized. I can tell Paul we’ll start playing together next week, after you can have a real practice on Wednesday with everyone.”

Guilt roared through her. “It’s certainly okay with me if it’s okay with everyone else. I just thought you had plans.”

He shook his head. “We’ve done last-minute stuff like this before, and it’s always fun. I’ll let you know what they say. Do you have an e-mail address? Or can I have your phone number?”

Her first impulse was to refuse, but she couldn’t. She’d promised God that she would trust Adrian. Adrian already knew where she lived, and no more harm could be done if he had her phone number. However, the only e-mail address she had was at the office. By giving him the company name, he would know her last hiding place, where she worked, dissolving the last thread of the anonymity she’d worked so hard to achieve.

Before she changed her mind, Celeste scribbled her home phone number and e-mail address onto a scrap piece of paper. “Here they are. Now if you’ll excuse me, it’s getting late, and I should be getting home.”

As usual, Celeste parked her mother’s car where she figured it would be least noticeable, and hurried into the restaurant.

In midafternoon she’d received an e-mail from Adrian telling her that he’d finally heard back from everyone. No one had other plans, so they were going to practice as discussed, just a little earlier. Adrian had also hinted that he wanted to talk to her before everyone else got there, and so to be even earlier. Unfortunately she’d been asked to put in an hour of unplanned overtime, and now her stomach was growling. Since she didn’t want Adrian to make supper for her again, and even though she really didn’t have the money to spare, Celeste found herself at the fast-food restaurant a few blocks from home.

Celeste ordered the cheapest meal on the board and settled herself at a table, deliberately sitting with her back to the counter so no one entering the restaurant could see her face. She had just taken her first bite when a deep voice sounded behind her.

“Hi, Celeste. Mind if I join you? I saw your car, so I knew you were here.”

Celeste choked, swallowed and recovered, but not in time to say anything as Randy lowered a full tray of food onto her table. He parked himself in the opposite chair and smiled a greeting. “This is great. It’s nice not to eat alone.”

Celeste pressed her fist into the center of her chest and cleared her throat. Unlike Randy, she had wanted to eat alone. Still, she considered Randy to be safe. This was okay, but she hoped that no one else she knew would associate her with her mother’s car. “Hi, Randy. It’s good to see you.” Strangely, as soon as the words were said, she found she meant them.

Randy bowed his head briefly as he took time out to pray over his food in silence, then removed the wrapper from his burger. “I think I know where you’re going after you eat.” He paused and grinned. “And speaking of Adrian, when—”

“Hi, Celeste,” a male voice called out from behind them, cutting off Randy’s words.

Celeste’s heart pounded. She turned her head so quickly her neck hurt.

As she raised her hand to rub the sore muscle, Bob approached, also carrying a tray brimming with junk food. “I saw your car in the lot.” Bob’s eyes moved slightly as he glanced at Randy, then back to her. His smile flickered, then resumed. “Hi, Randy,” he muttered, his voice not as cheerful as it had been in his greeting to Celeste. He lowered his tray to the table.

Celeste didn’t see it, but she heard the double thump of Randy’s feet landing on the chair where Bob obviously intended to sit. With Randy’s feet taking up the third chair, Randy deposited an empty bag on the fourth chair. He leaned back, raised his arms, and linked his fingers behind his head. “Sorry. All the chairs at this table are taken.” He released his hands from behind his head, shoveled a few fries into his mouth, then resumed his position, grinning while he chewed.

“Grow up, Randy,” Bob grumbled, unceremoniously pulling the chair out from underneath Randy’s feet. Randy’s feet landed on the floor with a thump. Bob brushed any potential dirt off the seat with his fingers, then sat. “I think I know where you two are going.”

She forced herself to smile. “Yes. I know where you’re going, too.”

Bob closed his eyes and bowed his head slightly for a couple of seconds, then unwrapped his burger and dumped the cardboard envelope of fries onto the corner of the wrapper. “It’s nice to see you here, although I kind of expected Adrian would be with you, not Randy.”

Randy’s grin widened. “Sometimes the best man really does win.”

Bob rolled his eyes, then pointedly faced Celeste. “Speaking of Adrian, I guess—”

Another male voice broke through Bob’s words. “Hi, Celeste!” Paul lowered only the corner of his tray to the table, because the surface didn’t have enough room for it. “I saw your car in the lot.”

Celeste didn’t know why this time she wasn’t surprised.

Paul emptied a burger, fries and a drink onto the table, then set the tray on the empty table beside them. He hesitated for a second when he saw the empty bag on the last chair. He picked it up, shook it to confirm it was empty, dropped it on the tray at the other table, and sat. “Hi, Randy. Bob,” he said as he quickly acknowledged his friends. He paused to bow his head slightly, closed his eyes for a second, then began to unwrap his burger. “This is funny. The only one missing is Adrian.”

Конец ознакомительного фрагмента.

Текст предоставлен ООО «ЛитРес».

Прочитайте эту книгу целиком, купив полную легальную версию на ЛитРес.

Безопасно оплатить книгу можно банковской картой Visa, MasterCard, Maestro, со счета мобильного телефона, с платежного терминала, в салоне МТС или Связной, через PayPal, WebMoney, Яндекс.Деньги, QIWI Кошелек, бонусными картами или другим удобным Вам способом.