Hearts in Harmony. Gail Sattler

Чтение книги онлайн.

СКАЧАТЬ 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 СКАЧАТЬ