Hearts in Harmony (6 page)

She tucked in a bookmark, and set the book on the table. “I think I'm going to go into the house for more lemonade. How are you doing?”

Without looking at her, Adrian picked up his glass, swirled it, then set it back down on the table, all the while keeping his attention totally focused on his book. “I'm fine. Thanks.”

She waited for him to say more, but he didn't. In fact, since lunch, when they had retired to the backyard and both had begun to read, she could have counted all the words he'd said on her fingers without reusing any of them.

She didn't know if she should have been insulted at his silence, or relieved. He hadn't told her everything she'd done wrong at the practice. He hadn't sat back and told her to fetch him a snack. He wasn't even trying to engage her
in conversation. In the quiet setting of the backyard, there was no need for words or even music to fill the empty air. He was completely comfortable with the day, and with her. He'd said he'd come over for the afternoon to read, and that was exactly what he was doing.

Not only was Adrian reading, he was fully engrossed in the story. A few times he smiled, and once she even heard a small chuckle. Yet, he didn't stop or make any movements that would break the flow of his reading, other than occasionally straightening his glasses. The movement gave him an aura of being intellectual, but realistically, wearing glasses only meant he didn't have twenty/twenty vision. Yet, between the plain, clean style of his glasses, his good posture, and his trendy polo shirt with matching shorts, she found the overall picture of Adrian Braithwaite fascinating.

She couldn't believe she'd found a man like Adrian. The only thing she could see about him that wasn't perfect was that he talked too much when he was nervous, and he became rather impatient when things didn't run on his time-line. But those things she didn't mind, at least not too much.

Adrian's friends had joked about him being so predictable, but Celeste saw him from a different perspective. She knew many predictable people—people she could predict would do what was best for themselves, regardless of the cost to others.

Adrian wasn't merely predictable. Everyone could depend on Adrian to be honorable—in all the ways that counted.

Despite the fact that she hadn't known him long, she knew he would be an easy man to love. Of course, that he was tall, dark, handsome and had great legs was an added bonus.

Celeste almost pinched herself to bring herself back to reality. For the first time since she could remember, she felt happy, content and safe. Just as Pastor Ron had told her, her life was changing as her priorities were changing, just as God had promised when He made her a new creation. Every new and good thing in her life was tangible proof that God really was a god of mercy, and that miracles really did happen.

Before Adrian noticed she'd been studying him, Celeste stood and returned to the kitchen to refill her glass. While she did so, visions of a new life cascaded through her head, as strong as a rushing torrent. Things she wanted, but didn't think she could ever have until recently. A house of her own, just like the one in which she now lived. A little fluffy dog, just like the one a few doors down—a dog who wagged his tail and hopped around until she patted him, not an untrained pit bull that she was always afraid of.

And a man who loved her as much as she loved him.

“Celeste? Are you in here?”

Celeste fumbled with her glass, barely righting it before she spilled it. She pressed one hand to her chest. “You scared me. I didn't hear you come in.”

“I was wondering why you were taking so long.” He glanced at the now-empty pitcher.

She looked up into his warm hazel eyes, unable to speak. If the same situation had happened with Zac, by now Zac would either be demanding that she fix him something to eat, or groping her. Fool that she had been, she would have complied.

“I was going to make more lemonade. I guess I got distracted.”

He stood to the side while she began to measure the mix into the pitcher. When she dumped in the second scoop, a poof of powder wafted up. She sneezed, causing her to spill the third scoop on the counter.

“Oops,” she muttered, mentally kicking herself that she couldn't even make lemonade with Adrian watching her. She wet the dishcloth and was half way through wiping it up when the phone rang.

“Can you get that? My hands are all sticky.”

Adrian picked up the phone and greeted the caller. His brows knitted, and he listened. After a few seconds he flinched, then finally spoke. “Who is this?”

Celeste could hear the caller's laugh from where she stood.

Without saying goodbye, Adrian hung up the phone. “It's a good thing you didn't answer that,” he mumbled. “It was an obscene phone call. And it was really obscene.”

Celeste froze. Unless she was mistaken, she'd heard that laugh before.

Fear coursed through her veins, turning her insides to ice.

She cleared her throat and forced herself to speak, hoping her voice sounded more natural than it felt. “I don't suppose he said his name.”

“Of course not. But it was really strange. The first thing he said was your phone number, which is why I didn't hang up. Most of the time obscene calls are random dialing. I also found it strange than he didn't hang up when a male voice answered, but I can't even begin to imagine what goes on in the mind of a person who does stuff like that. I'm guessing he just paged through the phone book, put his finger on a number and dialed. You haven't had any other similar calls, have you?”

“No.” She could see someone doing what Adrian suggested, but the main trouble with Adrian's theory was that she wasn't listed in the directory. She'd paid to have an unlisted phone number. The only people to whom she'd given her home number were her mother, the lady who lived next door to her mother, Adrian and Pastor Ron. She hadn't even given her landlord her phone number, because Hank lived right next door in the duplex and she hadn't had the new number when she filled out the forms.

Only two men had the number, or at least two men she could account for.

Adrian was with her. She doubted Pastor Ron would have made such a call.

“Celeste? Are you okay? You look pale.”

She shrugged her shoulders, then quickly walked to the sink and began to wash her hands, using it as opportunity to turn her face away so she wouldn't have to lie. She was far from okay. If the caller was who she thought he was, it was her worst nightmare come true. It would mean her past had caught up with her.

But that couldn't be happening. She had an unlisted phone number. She had a new home and a new job here in Appleton, far away from her old stomping grounds. She hadn't been in contact with a single person she'd known before. She didn't even have her own car.

She told herself it was simply a random prank; some sicko had written down the phone number before he dialed, just to frighten his victim.

It worked. She was frightened, but she repeated over and over in her mind that the worst thing to have happened couldn't have happened.

If Zac knew where she now lived, he wouldn't have phoned. He would have appeared in person to let her know what he thought of what she'd done, both to him and the band, then make her take the consequences as he deemed fit.

If that happened, she would need more than a hiding place. She would need an army to protect her.

Even if she didn't need protection right that moment, good sense dictated that she tell someone the possibilities, so if something happened, someone would know the reason, and who to look for.

But it was just a phone call. Zac hadn't appeared at her door.

But she could see Zac spouting off to a man who answered, to make the fear worse, to tell more than one person that he was there, as a form of torture.

But Zac wouldn't be content just with a phone call. If it were Zac, Zac would do his torturing in person.

It couldn't have been Zac.

It was a random prank.

She was still safe.

As soon as her heart stopped pounding, Celeste turned around.

“I was a little shaken up, but I'm fine now. Do you want to go back outside?”

Adrian grinned from ear to ear. “Yeah. I'm finding it hard to put that book down, which is bad because I have to get up early for church tomorrow. By the way, since we're aiming to arrive at the same time, would you like me to pick you up?”

“Yes, I'd like that.” The second the words were out of her mouth, Celeste nibbled on her bottom lip. Her accept
ance of Adrian's offer wasn't from fear. She was accepting the ride because on Sunday morning her neighbors liked to sleep in, the car would make too much noise early in the morning.

She picked up the glass. “Let's get back to reading. I was just getting to a good part, too.”

Just as he'd predicted, it was late by the time Adrian turned the last page of the book. They both yawned as she saw him to the door.

Adrian tucked the book under his arm. “I meant it when I said I should take you on a walking tour of the neighborhood. In fact, that might be a good idea tomorrow afternoon, between church services.”

Celeste stilled, her hand on the doorknob. One of the reasons she had accepted his invitation so quickly was that she had the feeling his friends would tag along to talk about their first Sunday morning together.

But to spend an afternoon walking around opened up a whole new realm of possibilities. His friends wouldn't be joining them for a walk. There would be no books, no music, no distractions, and nothing else to do except talk. Between points of interest, it would be natural, even expected, to keep talking of personal things. Now, more than ever, she didn't want him to know anything about her life prior to the last three weeks. However, Adrian had already volunteered so much information about himself that it wasn't fair not to tell him anything in return.

She looked up at him while he waited patiently for her to reply. She didn't know yet how much she could tell him, but she had to tell him something.

She forced herself to smile, and hoped it didn't look as phony as it felt. “Sure. we can do that. Goodnight, Adrian.”

She noticed that he'd come without his car.

As he walked away, Celeste watched until he turned the corner and disappeared.

If she didn't mess up what God had given her, she could be happy here, especially with a friend like Adrian.

If… she shuddered at the thought… she didn't have to tell him more than he needed to know. Then, they could stay ‘friends.'

“A
nd that's where Mr. and Mrs. McHenry live. They're that elderly couple who yelled out ‘Amen' at the close of the last song before the sermon.”

“I remember them. I talked to them after the service. They're really nice.”

Celeste smiled, which made Adrian smile, too. He'd been pleased with the way the congregation had welcomed Celeste into their midst, which was especially a relief to him because of the short amount of time she'd been attending. Most of the people there had never met her before, yet suddenly, she'd appeared at the front with Adrian and his friends, as if she belonged there.

He couldn't keep his smile from growing bigger, so he turned away.

She did belong there. He'd stood beside her while they played. He couldn't think of any other way to describe her other than to say that she was a natural in front of people. She might have been nervous at the practice, but once in front of the congregation, she suddenly relaxed, and even
smiled and waved at one of the teen boys who obviously was trying to impress his friends that he could connect with the hot new chick at the front. She'd not only charmed the group of boys, but Adrian couldn't help but be impressed with her graciousness.

Celeste had interacted well with everyone she'd met from the congregation, and she was the perfect addition to their worship team. Without her there, their mistakes created gaps which interrupted the flow of worship—people didn't know what to do for the seconds it took the team to recover. Celeste completely filled out the sound, and covered magnificently whenever anyone else made a mistake. This morning, everything had been as close to perfect as it could possibly be.

Paul was right. Having Celeste join them truly was the answer to their prayers. She was probably even the answer to the prayers of many people in the congregation.

He wondered if Celeste was also the answer to his personal prayers.

As much as he'd enjoyed the book yesterday, plus the fact the he'd been able to drop it off at the library without having to pay an overdue fine before he finished it, the day had been somewhat of a test for Celeste.

He already knew she didn't chatter incessantly, a trait he hated and saw far too much in women, especially when they saw him as husband material.

Celeste had been perfectly content to read her book. He noticed she was a bit distracted at first, but he assumed that was probably because neither of them were talking. Once she became accustomed to his silence while he read, she relaxed and enjoyed her book too. Once they passed that
stage, the day had been comfortable, even refreshing. They each knew the other was there, and that they could enjoy the day together without the need for constant conversation.

Of course, unless they talked, he wasn't going to get to know her better, which, for now, was his primary objective.

He pointed to his right. “A block that way is the community center, playground and a small park, where we all spent a lot of time as kids.” He smiled with the memories of the good times he'd had in the park with his friends. “Did you go to the park when you were a kid?”

“Yes. I actually used to spend a lot of time as a kid playing catch with my dad. I have to admit that I think he really wanted a son. I was quite good at baseball, but when he died I quit the team. It wasn't the same without him there, and playing without him cheering for me was too much of a reminder that he was gone.”

He remembered Celeste commenting about her mother, but this was the first time she'd said anything about her father. Now he knew. “I'm sorry. How old were you when he died?”

She sighed. “I was thirteen. He died in a construction accident when a scaffolding collapsed. He'd just gotten that big car. It wasn't new or anything, but it was his pride and joy. That's why my mom has kept it all these years.”

A vision of the aging monstrosity flashed through his mind. Doing a little mental math, the car wasn't new when her father first bought it, and confirmed his impression that her family didn't have much money, even back then.

“Maybe us guys can get together and do something with it before your mother comes back. How long is she away for?”

“She just retired, and to celebrate not having to go back to work anymore, she took off to visit her sister. She says she'll be back when my aunt gets sick of looking at her, or refuses to feed her anymore.”

Doing a little more mental math, Adrian calculated that Celeste was born later in her parents' lives. He already knew she was an only child, unlike himself, the youngest of four boys.

What he really wanted to know was, if her mother had planned the trip well in advance, why had Celeste chosen to rent the duplex instead of simply living at her mother's house?

“If your mother isn't there, and you're here, then who is looking after things? I mean mowing the grass, taking in the mail and stuff like that. I couldn't help but notice that you haven't been going back and forth to check on things.”

“A neighbor, who is also my mother's best friend, is doing all that stuff. She's also the same lady who helped me find the duplex I'm renting. She knows Hank. She's the one who told me about Jesus.”

Things were getting curiouser and curiouser. For every answer she gave him, she created ten more new questions.

“I'm always interested to hear how my friends came to find Jesus. Especially if they did as adults. I know you haven't been a Christian for very long.”

Her step hesitated, but she kept moving. When she spoke, she kept her face directly forward, not looking at him. “There's not much to tell. I was having a rough time in my life with a lot of things. I felt as though everyone was taking advantage of me, and then, when I needed someone to stand up for me, no one would—except my mother's neighbor. She let me stay at her summer cottage for a few
days, where it was just her and me. She told me that because of Jesus, someone once did something similar for her, so she wanted to do the same for me while I got my head together. She refused to accept anything from me. She wouldn't even take money to pay for the groceries I ate. She told me how much Jesus loved me, and that Jesus would help me do the right thing. He did, and here I am.”

Adrian waited for her to say more, but she didn't. Contrary to her claim that there wasn't much to tell, he suspected there was a lot more, because instead of sounding triumphant, she sounded defeated, which wasn't the way it was supposed to be.

His heart went out to her. He wished he could take the sadness out of her voice and convince her that whatever her heartaches were, they were in the past. Jesus was her future, and because of Jesus, she could have friends and a real community here, in his neighborhood, with him, to be there for her when she needed someone. Starting with himself.

Since she was feeling alone, Adrian figured that a little knowledge would help bring her closer to feeling that she could be a part of the community. After all, that was what their walking tour was about in the first place.

“If you want to have a little history, here's Woo's Market. It's a typical family corner-store business, now owned by the third generation of Woos. Paul, Bob, Randy and I went to school with Charlie Woo, and he's now running the place with his wife Jolie. Let's stop and buy you a drink. My treat. I don't know about you, but I'm getting thirsty.”

She smiled up at him. “I'd like that. Thanks. Also, thanks for the tour of the neighborhood. Everything and everyone here is so stable and settled. This was a great idea.”

“Yes, I love it here. This community is a place I can really call home. All I need to make my life complete now is a dog.” And a wife. He'd made that prayer so often, he now wondered if maybe the time he was spending with Celeste was an answer in progress.

After a short visit into the store, Adrian continued the neighborhood tour.

During the time they walked past a row of new homes under construction where he had no input or history, he decided to change the subject. “You're going to be able to play at the evening service, tonight, too, aren't you?”

“Yes. I realized when I agreed to be part of the team that there were two services on Sundays.”

“Great. You already know that it's a bit different, more informal, at the evening service.”

“Yes.”

“You're so natural in a group and in front of people. It took a long time for me to stop my knees from knocking when everyone was watching me, even though they're not going to church to watch us. I know we're not there for entertainment, but the congregation is still looking forward. When everyone's attention isn't on the words, they do watch us. Sometimes I still find it unnerving. You were great up there this morning. How do you do it?”

Celeste's back stiffened as she walked. She sipped her drink, and took a long time before she finally spoke. When she did, her voice held a note of restraint. “I've done this kind of thing before, actually. So it's not a new experience for me.”

“Really? I thought you've never been on a worship team before.”

Her voice lowered even more. “It wasn't a worship team. It was a band, and it, uh, didn't have anything to do with church.”

“Still, that must have been fun.”

“It started out as fun, but there were a few problems. We…broke up.”

Her hesitation gave him the impression that there was more to the story. He walked alongside her in silence, waiting for her to elaborate. When she didn't, Adrian chose not to question her further, in case she considered it invasive or prying. He supposed she would tell him later, if it was something he was meant to know.

Since he wasn't sure how much walking she did in the course of a week, Adrian began the journey back to Celeste's home. At their present speed, the entire walk would take approximately two hours, which would leave just the right amount of time to have supper together before it was time to go back to church for the evening service.

Adrian didn't think of himself as a talkative person, but with Celeste, the conversation never lagged. As they walked, they talked about everything and anything, both fun and serious. They even had a rousing discussion about an issue in a book they'd both recently read and enjoyed.

When they arrived back at Celeste's front door, he didn't want them to go their separate ways.

After she'd unlocked and opened the door, he followed her inside, without an invitation, something he'd never done to anyone except the guys. “Even though the tour is done, I hate to end the day. How would you like to join me for dinner? Then we can go straight back to church for the service.”

His heart pounded while he waited for her answer.

She smiled hesitantly, then looked up at him, her beautiful green eyes big and wide and strangely serious, considering the last thing she'd said was a joke she'd been told at work. “That sounds like fun. Just let me get my purse, and I'll lock up.”

 

Celeste wrapped up the last cord, pressed the fastener closed to secure it, and tossed the bundle of cords into the carry-all. The stage area was ready for the next group who would be meeting at the church. With school back in session, all the groups were beginning to meet again after the summer break. The children's drama group would be the first to use the stage on Monday, and they were looking forward to another year of fun.

Fun.

In the last month, Celeste found she'd redefined the word. She thought she'd had fun before, after she'd had enough to drink or numbed her brain with enough drugs. The world had rushed by in a stream of activity, color and noise. Sometimes she remembered the night before, sometimes she didn't. When she didn't, she knew she must have had fun, otherwise her brain wouldn't have been in a fog until mid afternoon. Or so she'd thought. Now she wondered if she'd really had as much fun as she thought.

Lately, she'd enjoyed herself in ways she'd never thought possible, like working on her car. She hadn't known that besides being a mechanic, Bob was part owner of a shop. Adrian, Randy and Paul didn't know much about cars, but they helped Bob give her mother's car a tune up, and they took apart and adjusted a number of things Bob
said would help. While it was by no means perfect, it ran better than it had before. Bob put a few requests for parts in to some of the auto wreckers he knew. When they came, the five of them would again take the engine apart and put it back together.

While she'd seen men work on cars before, she'd never seen it done without at least a few cases of beer. This time, when they were done, all the men could still walk in a straight line, and there were no leftover parts on the ground. She'd heard no bad language, and instead of frustrated grunts and eventually fistfights, the four men laughed and teased each other all day long. Even though she didn't know anything about cars, they'd included her. Bob even showed her what they were doing, not that she'd understood anything he said.

The next time they'd practiced together, she'd made a wistful comment that she wished she could afford to buy a computer. Then she found out that Randy worked at an electronics store. He said the store regularly bought lots of older computers to be reconditioned from businesses who were upgrading, and he would keep his eye open for a good deal for her.

She immediately reiterated that she couldn't afford it, but each one of them told her how Adrian had helped them plan budgets that were easy to stick to, and suggested that she should do the same.

So, though it was slightly humiliating, but probably good for her, Adrian picked through her finances. Since she had finally passed the probationary period with her employer, she hoped she could now get a small amount of credit, because she was in the position of having a steady full-time job, officially, for the first time in her life.

At first she'd been hesitant to show Adrian something so personal, but what he was looking at was just numbers, on paper, not the intimate details of her personal life. The final factor that convinced her was when Adrian told her that he also did his friends' income tax, including the corporate records and income tax for Bob's business.