Kassidy's Crescendo (6 page)

“All that being understood, allow me to toss out a cautionary note, and it's a deal-breaker.” Siobhan paused, her gaze steady and direct. Kassidy nodded for her to proceed. “Beware of belief versus non-belief. Don't become unevenly yoked. You've rejected the kind of culture, the type of conventions that drive a big portion of Drew's life. You've dedicated yourself to God and your faith. He hasn't. Maybe you've been placed in his life not for romance but to be a beacon, to influence his heart toward Christ. To initiate steps toward faith. If his belief blooms, praise be to God. But if it doesn't…”

The words dangled to a conclusion that needed no elaboration. Kassidy trembled, eyes wide and focused on her friend. Siobhan resumed her dance and her diatribe. “He's sexy, edgy, full of charisma, and from what I've seen, he's got a solid core of goodness and potential. I pray God works with that foundation. Besides, there's something irresistible about a man who moves into your soul and takes you under like a wave…almost before you even realize the power of his impact. That's what you're experiencing right now, KC. Admit it. Admit it, but continue to be smart. Stick to your convictions. If you do, miracles can happen.”

“Siobhan,” Kassidy murmured, “you're scaring me.”

“Sometimes the truth is scary. When has that fact ever stopped the indomitable Kassidy Cartwright?” Siobhan stopped dancing. “If that man can find his way to the armor of Christ, he'd be a potent addition to the Kingdom and maybe even more.” She shrugged prettily and resumed practice.

Kassidy inhaled a stuttered breath.

Siobhan relented and swirled close enough to deliver a playful shove. “Enough drama for now. We need to practice!”

Kassidy growled, but the only thing that display of frustration earned was a satisfied smirk and an unaffected pirouette from Siobhan that brought an end to their tête-à-tête.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

4

 

Tour stops came and went in the type of high-speed blur to which Drew had become accustomed during the tenure of his career. Years spent in the concert production business had forced him to become adept at hanging on for the ride. Early on he learned life on tour, life in live entertainment, required a heavy dose of patience paired with an ability to make the best of any given set of circumstances and get them to work.

The current practice session taking place at Wixby Metroplex in Denver was a perfect example. On stage, trouble brewed in the form of a young boy from the elementary school choir commissioned to perform at tonight's sold-out show. Stage fright, like the toppling of domino chips, worked its way through the youngster, causing a few stumbles and some awkward breaks in rehearsal that affected the flow of motion within the group.

Standing next to an elaborate sound board installed at the back of the facility, Drew consulted a placement chart for the choir. Tony was the boy's name. Drew had noticed him back stage, horsing around with his friends, singing in warm ups. The kid was easy going, and had a fantastic set of pipes, but now he stood frozen—and trembling—blinking against flood lights and an onslaught of terror.

“Might have to nix them. Not sure a choir this young was the way to go.” Paul Moreland, the lead sound tech, shot Drew a hassled look.

“They fit perfectly into the show, and I'm not re-staging the song at this point.” Drew frowned at his team member and set aside his clipboard. “Don't be so fast to give up.”

He trotted down the main aisle. Paul was impatient, an outspoken pusher who was eager to helm a show of his own. Anything that interfered with momentum rubbed him like an abrasive. Drew, on the other hand, had worked with young vocalists before and had a pretty good idea how to defuse the situation without too much time lost.

“Guys, that's a great start, but I want to try something new. Gather around.” Drew loped up the short set of stairs leading to the stage and clapped his hands a few times, addressing the group at large. Kassidy and the girls moved toward the wings, seeming to sense he was set to make an adjustment. After that, Drew tuned out everything but coaching. The engagement of these youngsters was paramount when it came to delivering the message of joyful promise reflected in the song “Glorious Day.”

“Let's take a seat along the edge of the stage for a minute. Come on, join me.” The kids scrambled and complied—some sitting cross-legged, some dangling their feet. Drew opted to dangle. Once everyone settled, he took inventory of the assemblage. “This is a huge place, isn't it?” The kids murmured agreement. “Tonight it'll be full of people. That can be a scary thought.” Catching Kassidy's eye, he gestured with his head for her to join them. “Miss Kassidy, do you still get nervous when you have to sing and dance and make all those people smile and feel good about the show they're watching?”

“Absolutely.” She strolled behind the line of youngsters; in passing she ruffled the curls of a little girl, and squeezed Tony's shoulder. “Before a show, my stomach literally tingles and jumps. Do yours?” She addressed the question to the children in general and most of them bobbed their heads. Drew kept an eye on Tony who watched Kassidy in rapt attention.

“Like Mr. Drew said, there'll be a lot of people in the theater tonight, but here's something my friends and I discovered that helps us deal with nerves. All those people are rooting for you. They don't want you to be afraid of them. They're here for one purpose only. To enjoy your music.”

Drew spoke gratitude with his eyes and picked up the beat of the conversation. “Precisely. Each and every one of you can sing really well. That's why you're here. Believe in yourselves and do what you love. Once the song starts, the jitters will vanish. You'll find yourself in a place where you're so busy singing and moving that nothing else matters.”

Aileen, Maeve, and Siobhan walked on stage. Aileen beamed a great smile at the youngsters. “Know what else we do?”

“What?”

The kids shouted as one, seeming re-balanced and caught up in the moment.

“We”—Aileen crouched and paused dramatically, surveying the kids one-by-one—“breathe.”

So simple a thing—the kids erupted into laughter, but Drew caught on to the finer point and thought to himself,
Bravo, Aileen. Well done
.

“You bet we do.” Maeve stepped in, prompting the kids along. “Girls, let's show them how it's done.”

Kassidy and Siobhan stepped forward as well with Kassidy taking the lead. “Let's form a circle, and we'll teach you a breathing trick.”

Siobhan helped assemble the kids. “Follow our lead.”

Pleased and confident that stage matters were back on course, Drew angled toward the stairs, already thinking about lighting refinements he needed to review with the crew. This was a slightly larger stage, so additional lights could be—

“Oh, no, no. Not so fast, slick.”

Drew ran smack dab into Kassidy, who pressed her hands against his chest and mowed him backwards. Her devilish grin provided just enough of a distraction to allow her to win the physical battle.

“Who wants Mr. Drew to practice with us?”

A roar of encouragement lifted to the rafters while Kassidy pushed him into place directly across from her spot in the circle. In response to the challenge, Drew arched a brow and slid free of his suit coat, tossing it into the waiting hands of a nearby prop master who seemed to be enjoying the way the scene played out.

“The first thing we do,” Aileen advised, “is stretch our arms all the way up to the sky, and while we do that, we breathe in as deep as we can…”

The girls led by executing. The kids copied every move; all sense of foreignness seemed to be forgotten.

“Next, we bring our hands back to our sides, slowly releasing that big breath of air. Are you ready? Let's do that five times, and then tell me how you feel when we're done.”

Drew followed along, enjoying the way the exercise not only stilled butterflies for the kids, but stilled the restlessness in his system as well.

For the most part, anyhow.

He focused on Kassidy, and a rush of boy-like shyness swept through. She swung her arms upward on a deep inhale, brought them down again on an exhale. A simple, loose fitting t-shirt and exercise pants should have left her looking nondescript. Instead, she made the workout wear look fantastic with trim lines and soft curves. She had captured her hair into a gently waved ponytail that bounced against her shoulders.

For an instant, before he could deflect his gaze, Kassidy looked him straight in the eyes.
Caught,
Drew thought.
Trapped by a stare.

In punctuation of the moment, she delivered a slow wink that set fire to his senses.

As soon as the exercise ended, the tech crew moved into place, ready to resume the sound check.

“Drew, wait a sec…please?”

Drew turned at Kassidy's summons. She joined him, and he caught the faintest, most tantalizing traces of cinnamon and vanilla in the air around them.

She met his gaze, direct and intent. “Do you happen to feel like some coffee and dessert after the show tonight? I'm sure we could scout a place.”

Brave it, Wintower. Find out where this is leading. If you don't, past history or not, it's going to keep dogging you and eating at you. Not every woman is going to behave like Roxanne…

His blood sped. “Just us?”

“Just us.” The barest beat of silence beat by, an alert of sorts, an inch forward toward discovery. “I think it's about time—don't you?”

Slowly he moved forward, laced his fingers through hers for a moment. “I'd enjoy spending the time with you. Very much.”

 

****

 

An hour later, rehearsal concluded. Drew flopped onto an aisle seat of the theater and pulled out his phone to answer a few e-mails. The girls would soon disburse to their hotel for a bit of rest before being called upon to complete a mini radio station blitz. Siobhan was the first to exit costume and makeup, and she dashed along the main aisle until her footsteps came to a stop next to his spot.

“What's up, twinkle toes?” He moved his feet so Siobhan could wriggle past and claim the chair next to his. His text-crafting fingertips didn't break stride as they flew across the keys of his cellphone.

“Nothing much, shark. You?”

His lips twitched into a grin. A rumble of laughter followed, but still he didn't look up. “C'mon. Shark? Is that the best you've got, pixie dust spreader?”

She clucked her tongue. In his peripheral vision, he detected her frustrated flounce. He didn't quite look her way, but he knew he had temporarily bested her. That fact tickled his heart and expanded his grin into a full-blown smile. He re-stretched his legs, finishing his cyber communiqué.

“Oh, just give me a minute. I'm sure I can come up with something. I'd call you slick, but it seems someone else has already pinned you with that moniker.”

Well, score one for Siobhan Douglas. Drew opted not to answer that direct dare about his behavior on stage with Kassidy, but that didn't mean Siobhan would remain silent.

“I have eyes. I have instincts. I saw what happened just now. There's a lot riding beneath the surface for the two of you, marshmallow.”

After clicking send on a message to Ganneton HQ, Drew pocketed his phone, wondering if his reticence would end the moment. Then he decided two could play at this game. “So…you're coming at me with marshmallow, huh?”

She bobbed her head and jabbed a finger toward his chest. “You're a marshmallow. And you better stay that way if you intend to remain a part of KC's life.”

“Kassidy Cartwright doesn't need a marshmallow. She needs an equal.”

“Agreed, but keep in mind she's a softie, and she's quite taken in by you.” Eyes of crystal blue went sharp and narrow. “
Don't
hurt her.”

“Rest easy. I care. A lot. I'd never play around, but for now I'm trying to figure things out.” Drew allowed that pointed statement to come to rest between them. “Give me the benefit of some trust, fairy girl.”

Siobhan didn't react to the continuing game of random nicknames. This was indeed serious stuff.

“I don't doubt you, but in order for your relationship to have a chance, you're going to need to come to terms with the most important aspect of her life. It's not music, it's not performing, it's not even her friends and family. It's God. She holds fast to her faith. She recognizes how much God loves her, and how much she loves Him in return. Christ kept her from an abyss. He kept her feet on the right path and brought her full circle to where we sit right here and right now.”

More intrigued by Kassidy than ever, Drew's pulse thudded hard, accelerating. It served him right. This kind of emotional danger is precisely what he should have expected after being pulled in so tight by a group of people who moved in diametric opposition to the life he knew and understood. Godly influence wasn't for him. How could he continue to succeed in the entertainment industry if he exhibited an outright belief in God? The mainstream media wasn't kind to believers, but at the same time, groups like Sisters in Spirit achieved amazing success. At the same time, massive numbers were drawn toward that core of love and faith.

Beyond his exposure to the quartet, Drew had done nothing to pursue a relationship with God. Sure, there were prayer sessions before and after each performance; they held hands and bowed heads over grace at shared meals. The bulk of the tour team attended worship services on Sundays. He participated in all but the church-going out of respect for his colleagues not because of a belief in any kind of omniscient deity. There were no thoughts of a faith the likes of which flowed from Kassidy Cartwright.

Until now.