Kassidy's Crescendo (12 page)

Kassidy's hand went still as she lifted a ladle of stew. Her smile spread as soon as he mentioned the soap. “Everyone seems to comment on it.”

“Add me to the list.”

“Really?” Her eyes flashed merrily. “Why?”

Drew accepted his bowl, savoring the bloom of heat against his fingers. “It's dark but sweet. It lingers. It's intriguing.” He paused. Shrugged. “It's you.”

Kassidy's playful sense of élan disappeared against wide eyes and a tender blush. “It's my favorite. I always keep it in supply. It's called Medieval Mist.”

“How fitting for a classic Irish woman.”

The blush intensified, and so did the layer of warm, heavy atmosphere in the room. “I got it at Cellar Door, a gift shop downtown.”

“Take me there before we hit the road again.”

“Seriously?”

“Yeah. I think I'd like to get a bar of my own, just to keep you close.”

“Drew, you're such a charmer.”

Her chest rose and fell; her voice turned husky. He needed to step back fast or land himself in a world of trouble. Stretching back, he lifted his hands in an easy, dismissive gesture. “That said I'll bet I've completely desecrated my reputation as a macho man.”

“You've enhanced it, actually.” She dished herself a helping of stew then propped an elbow against the table and leaned forward, cupping her chin in her hand. “We'll go there after rehearsal tomorrow. I'm glad you're enjoying Westerville. You seem happy here.”

Happiness. A simplicity that fulfilled. The idea quirked its finger at him and tempted him forward. Sure, the contentment Kassidy mentioned came from spending some down time in Westerville, but mostly it stemmed from spending one-on-one time with Kassidy Cartwright.

She initiated a prayer before eating and the moment unsettled Drew as they began to eat, pointing arrows at everything he now sensed was lacking in his life.

“I keep thinking about the way faith, and Christ, have played such an important role in your life.”

Kassidy ate, but waited on him to continue.

“I don't think I've ever experienced that depth of belief. In anything. I've never felt your level of commitment to anything other than my work, and certainly not anything as intangible as faith, and God, but look at what it's given you.”

“That doesn't mean you can't start. Maybe you're being called to give it a try. Faith in God, in Christ, has never steered me wrong.” Kassidy met his eyes straight on, but her look didn't condemn. Gentleness lived along the line that connected them—yet so did the power of her resolve.

“I love what we've shared today, KC. I've loved getting to know you better, and becoming closer. It means a lot to me.”

“I feel the same way. I think this was a great idea. We needed the break, and we needed to…figure this out.”

He grinned. “This.”

“Us.”

“I'm not going to lie, or evade the issue. I love the sound of that word when it comes to me and you.”

A slight pause followed. “That word represents unity. Are you sure you're ready for that? Are you ready to embrace the kind of life, the faith that I do, Drew? It's important to me. Important enough that I won't let anything stand in its way. Even the wishes of my heart. In my world, God always knows—and provides—what's best. So, I won't lie or evade, either. I hope God put us together for a reason. I hope ‘us' is the reason why we've been delivered to one another. But, if it isn't—”

Lightning quick he placed his hand on top of hers, held it snug and leaned forward. He captured her gaze and shook his head. “Leave it at the first part, OK? Leave it at the first part. I'm working on the rest.”

Speaking the words aloud caused his heart to jack-hammer, because they released the growing truth of his heart. He came closer and closer to God, but could he cross that final line and commit himself fully?

“Find your way to faith, to God, on your own terms. Don't seek Him because of the tour, or the people you're getting to know, or—”

“Or you,” he interjected in a quiet voice, because that's where this was headed.

Kassidy looked down for a second, tucking a wisp of hair behind her ear. “Or me.” She met his gaze once more. “Approach Him on your own. For you. That's the only way it'll work.”

“I can't say yes or no right now, Kassidy. To do so would be a disservice to us both. I'm uncertain, but I've never come as close to touching faith as I have during the past few months. I like how it feels. Not just you, but…”

“God?”

“Yeah, God, and finding a way to something whole, and good.”

“Then the same thing that happened to me will happen to you, Drew, once you make the choice to listen—and follow. Maybe that's what you're longing for. Earlier today you asked me about “Rocketown.” You mentioned how similar we are in our backgrounds and upbringing. Maybe that's why the song hits you so hard. It's not because of me; it's because of God. Until you figure it out, I can be patient. Good things are worth waiting for.”

Flickers of golden light danced against her hair, along the curves of her face. Her beauty—inside and out—shot a dose of desire through his system.

“Nothing gets in the way of God's plans,” she added. “Nothing gets in the way of the gifts He gives to accomplish His plan. I believe He's using you to do mighty things. If you come to embrace that truth, you and I could…we would…”

She tugged her lower lip between her teeth, not quite retreating, not quite going for broke. She spooned a serving of stew and blew softly across the surface—Drew wondered if the gesture wasn't a bit of a time stall. After she ate and took a sip of water, he slipped his fingers beneath hers and held on tight, caressing the back of her hand for a moment.

Dinner continued with talk of the weekend shows to come that would welcome Sisters in Spirit home to upstate New York. Saturday's performance would take place in the evening followed by a Sunday matinee before the tour resumed in Nashville, then Detroit in the days to come.

Their date concluded at Kassidy's door, where he pulled her close for a long, tight hug before leaving with a kiss that simmered through his blood until she moved slowly, slowly away.

“Careful,” she whispered.

“I know. I agree.”

She leaned back just slightly, and the adoration in her eyes penetrated a place in his spirit he had never before allowed himself to acknowledge. A place of self-surrender.

Soft as a breeze, her lips skimmed his cheek. Her tenderness floated around him, then seeped straight in. She kissed him once more—briefly but fully. He could taste its sweetness and now craved its purity—yet another unexpected development of this bold new adventure in his life.

“G'night,” he murmured.

“Goodnight, Drew.”

Lost in thought, he strolled to his car and sank onto the driver's seat. Still dazed, unable to move right away, he stayed put and worked at breathing normally, trying to gather his head and heart into some semblance of order. No other woman had ever socked it to his emotions like this. Being with her awakened him in ways that were foreign but ripe with promise.

He engaged the vehicle and headed toward Liam's condo, thinking Kassidy was right. Part of it was his passion for her, but part of it was the pull toward something even more powerful. A building and irrefutable calling from God.

Through it all, Drew longed for just one thing: That nights and moments like those they had just shared could stretch on to forever.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

10

 

 

Had an amazing dinner w/Drew. Candlelight, homemade stew, and SOAP! Ugh! He's fab n I don't know what to do about it! The guy is a walking powder keg!

After Kassidy launched that text to her trio of besties, her phone nearly exploded with incoming messages.

OMGoodness! What? Soap? Powder kegs? Fill me in!
That came from Aileen just seconds after Kassidy's transmission.

Setting the phone aside, Kassidy pulled on her pajamas then grabbed the device again as another chirp went off. This time Siobhan pinged her.
D-R-E-A-M-Y. The soap comment needs major explaining—whoa!

Kassidy laughed at that, leaving her phone behind when she padded to the bathroom.

On her sink rested Drew's watch.

His presence, his impact, slid straight into her bloodstream and in that instant, she understood why coming upon her soap had stirred him so deeply. Now it was her turn to tremble.

The phone went off again—it was Maeve judging by the alert of piano strains—but for now, Kassidy ignored the beacon. Knees weak, she lifted Drew's timepiece from the basin and a delicious, feminine shiver swept through her body.

Nipping the corner of her lower lip, she stroked the face of the watch then ran her fingertips against its heavy steel links. Strong—striking—bold, yet classic. Substantial.

Just like the man himself.

Now that she held it, she wanted to wear it…if only for a little while. Feeling like a girl with a crush—which is precisely what she seemed to be these days—Kassidy slid his watch into place on her wrist and snapped the band closed. She returned to bed, and as she pulled back the bedcovers and tucked in, his timepiece slid up and down her arm. When she keyed into her text messages, it rode nearly to her elbow. The excess sizing didn't matter to Kassidy whatsoever.

Savor the discovery. Call if you need reinforcement to stay strong. Love u much.

Typically tender and protective, Maeve's message left Kassidy feeling blessed beyond imagining by the love of her friends. She shifted and snuggled, preparing to douse the light as the intimate feel of Drew's watch became a welcome weight against her skin.

The timepiece, coupled with Maeve's message, prompted mental cogs to click and turn and elicited a heartfelt prayer.

God, if this emotion comes from You, I welcome every new discovery and joy. If not, please…please…take this feeling away so I don't dishonor You.

Soothing silence, peace, stilled her at once. Another text alert beeped.

Sleep tight, angel. It seems…

Kassidy jumped when the start of a message from Drew scrolled across the top of her phone's home screen. While a jazz-style ringtone played, she squiggled beneath the bed blankets and rolled to her back, tapping into his missive. Lamplight glinted against the face of his watch.

Sleep tight, angel. It seems I left something behind at ur apt 2nite. Something important. Something that drives the tempo of my life. Something I rely on completely. Keep it safe.

Kassidy's lips bowed; she tapped a reply.
I'm so sorry to hear that. My, but ur attached to ur watch! ::wink:: XO, n sweet dreams.

His answer flashed just a minute or so after she hit send.
I'm not talking about my watch.

Confused, Kassidy shot back a small stream of question marks.

Drew's reply came back fast and featured a solitary graphic. The icon for a heart.

 

****

 

The next morning, Kassidy spied Drew in the wings of the Westerville Theater. Her grin took off on a push of expectation—and love. She was early and the facility was almost empty. She walked slowly across the length of the stage, eyes trained on Drew alone. Expectant tingles lit her nerve endings. He hadn't seen her yet; he stood next to the stage tech, at a podium where they reviewed onion skin plans detailing a subtle tweak to the set layout. Conversational details engrossed him. Perfect. That gave her an opportunity to enjoy the view.

Hands stuffed into the pockets of his pants, posture relaxed, Drew finally slid a glance her way along with a lazy, appreciative smile. She returned the gesture automatically and in full. He spoke a few concluding words to the tech who then slipped away to work on stage modifications. Drew met her halfway, catching her hand and pulling her in slightly.

“I've been behind schedule all day today.” His murmured words tickled her skin with goose flesh.

“Hmm…I wonder why.” She dipped her hand into the pocket of her sweats and extracted his watch, dangling it from her fingertips. Drew's chuckle rumbled through his chest, vibrating through the air and stirring a delicious ache in her tummy.

He gave her neck a quick nuzzle. “It seems I was somewhat distracted last night.”

“Makes two of us. Plus, I had trouble sleeping.” He leaned back, looking at her in question. She smiled into his eyes and caressed his chin with the back of her fingertips. “I wore it last night. It felt nice to have a connection.”

Drew paused from sliding his watch into place. “You did?”

Intensity glittered in his eyes. His reaction stunned Kassidy, because never had she seen such raw emotion in a man's gaze. “Yeah. I hope that's OK.”

Drew snapped the piece closed, and his smile spoke with far greater impact than words ever could.

 

****

 

After rehearsal, Kassidy and the girls opted to linger at the theater. They claimed a trio of seats toward the midsection of the facility. In unison, they studied the fully dressed stage that awaited their evening performance.

“It feels so weird to be back here, where it all began.” That came from Aileen.

Maeve nodded. “So much has changed, in so short a time.”

“A God thing, to be sure.” After last night's interlude with Drew, Kassidy would never question the fact.

“No doubt of that,” Siobhan added. “Two of us are now engaged, and unless I miss my mark, Kassidy here seems to be teetering on the edge.”

“Whoa there, chica. Let's not get too carried away.”

“Oh. OK.” Siobhan arched a brow and paid Kassidy a knowing smirk. “Tell me again about soap smells, bike rides in the rain, and powder kegs.”