by Pat Simmons
He couldn’t keep his eyes from straying to her heels, which supported her shapely legs. Garrett doubted any bride could be more breathtaking. When she greeted him with a subtle smile, her beauty and perfume jumbled his mind. He hoped he would be able to play his sax on key.
Soon it was showtime in the sanctuary. The wedding coordinator cued Shari to sing “The Lord’s Prayer” to start the wedding processional down the aisle. While Shari watched with a look of awe as the groomsmen escorted the bridesmaids to the altar, Garrett watched her. The woman was caught up in the hoopla, especially when the lights dimmed, and Faith appeared in the doorway of the sanctuary.
Garrett thought about his canceled nuptials and didn’t feel even the slightest twinge of disappointment. As a practicing Christian, he knew that a wife was part of God’s plans to complete his happiness, and that marriageable material was standing feet away, completely unaware. He planned to pursue her by any means necessary until she gave him a chance.
Once the bride and groom were standing at the altar, Garrett and Shari stood to serenade them with “By Your Side” before they recited their vows.
Shari’s melodious voice, and the passion behind her words, mesmerized Garrett. Soon something stirred within him that made him lower his sax. She seemed to be calling out to him, and so he answered, his voice mingling with hers. It was a flashback to Boston as Shari looked shocked but quickly tested him, this time on his knowledge of the lyrics. He gladly accepted the challenge.
The guests became a blur as the two of them retreated into a special place. As they neared the end of the song, they both brought the mouthpieces of their saxes to their lips and together blew out the last notes. I’ll apologize to Faith and Trask later, Garrett mused, but a man’s got to do what a man’s got to do. And he did it.
As Shari took her seat, she breathed deeply—and he knew it had nothing to do with the effort of playing her instrument. She was just as affected, just as caught up in the moment, as he was. Good. Because if he couldn’t get her to accept a dinner invitation, he could at least communicate his intentions to her through song.
***
Speechless. That was the first word Shari would use to describe what had just taken place. Wow was the second. Shari exhaled, still stunned. Lord, help me to resist this man, because it feels like I’m losing a court case that I’m ill-prepared for. But the brother could sing with his baritone voice. For the briefest moment during their duet, Garrett had almost convinced her that they were the two at the altar instead of Faith and Trask.
Shari was sinking into uncharted waters. For some unexplained reason, she wanted to cry. The moment was charged with emotion. Was this another one of Faith’s surprise stunts? When she glanced at the bride, she had her answer in the twinkle in Faith’s eyes.
Garrett touched her arm, reminding her of his presence. “That was a powerful song,” he whispered, then gently wrapped her hand in his as Pastor Underwood initiated the reciting of the vows. “You okay?” he asked, his tone soft and concerned.
Goose bumps made her shiver. Staring into his eyes, she shook her head but said, “I guess.” Too lethargic to protest his touch, Shari settled back and watched the love scene unfold at the altar instead of in her head.
When Pastor Underwood said, “I now pronounce you husband and wife,” Shari came out of her daze and snatched her hand back, playing it off as if she needed to applaud the newlyweds. She didn’t dare look at Garrett, afraid of what he might say or do next, and instead kept her focus on the bride and groom and the rest of the bridal party as they processed slowly out of the sanctuary. When the last couple disappeared into the foyer, Shari stood and gathered her saxophone case.
“Wait.”
“I can’t,” she said softly. She knew he wanted to talk, but she needed breathing space and had to put some distance between them. “I have to get to the reception hall to man the gift table.”
Her heart pounded with a mixture of excitement and fear as she crossed the sanctuary to the exit. The vibes between her and Garrett were getting stronger, but he was the new kid on the block, and she knew so little about his character.
She could hear her mother saying, “That’s why you date, silly—to find out.” The thought made her smile.
At the reception hall, Shari wasn’t surprised when Garrett joined her at the gift table, bumping her slightly with a killer smile, forcing her to make room for him. She didn’t object, and honestly, she didn’t want to, even though his closeness made her nervous. They worked as a team, he charmingly accepting cards and gifts from guests, then handing them over to Shari to tag them so that the couple would have an easy time of writing thank-you notes.
When there was a lull between guests, Garrett cleared his throat. “Can we talk privately?”
“Now?” Shari scanned the room to see if anyone was watching them. “We’re among at least a hundred guests.”
“Objection, Counselor.” He arched his eyebrows. “Where you and I are concerned, whenever we’re together, we’re in our own private world.”
Lost in the depth of his brown eyes, Shari was beginning to believe that.
Someone cleared her throat. Shari turned and found herself face-to-face with Mother Stillwell. The elderly woman studied them with narrowed eyes, then nodded, tapped her cane once on the floor, and started walking away without leaving a card or a gift. Seconds later, she stopped in her tracks and glanced over her shoulder with an odd expression before continuing on her way.
“What was that about?” Garrett asked.
“Who knows?” Shari shrugged, wondering at the woman’s odd behavior. “Mother Stillwell thinks she has the gift of matchmaking.”
“Really?” He smirked, mischief dancing in his eyes. “I’ll be right back.”
“Where are you going?”
“To get on Mother Stillwell’s good side.”
Shari laughed to hide her uneasiness. The woman had never come to her with a so-called prophecy. “Go ahead. I’m sure she has your mate picked out for you with a red bow tied in her hair,” she joked, wishing the church mother would add her name to the single-sisters-needing-a-mate prayer list.
Garrett’s nostrils flared as he sent her a tender look that gave her goose bumps. “Maybe I should swipe a red bow off one of these gifts and tie it in your hair. Plus, I believe you would look fantastic in red.” He winked.
Chapter 11
As Garrett walked away, Shari admired his swagger, thinking that if Mother Stillwell didn’t already have her name on the list, the church saint had really better pencil her in. Shari’s heart had nearly melted with Garrett’s last words. And the way he looked at her made her feel cherished. She immediately felt the loss of his presence, and he was right—somehow, regardless of who was around them, it always seemed like it was just the two of them in their own virtual world. He said the right words, but could she trust him with her heart? Scriptures seemed to flood her mind.
Lord, You say in Your Word that if I acknowledge You in all things, You will direct my paths. You say that if I delight myself in You, You will give me the desires of my heart. Lord, I don’t even know what’s in my heart, Shari prayed silently as the bridal party made their grand entrance into the reception hall to the sounds of cheers and applause.
Shari tried not to keep tabs on Garrett’s whereabouts throughout the room, but it was useless. Ever since she’d been made aware of his closeness, she missed his absence as other women vied for his attention.
To wait for Garrett’s return amounted to desperation. Get a grip, girl, she told herself. You’re caught up in the romance hoopla of the wedding. After the personal pep talk, Shari refocused on the task at hand, double-checking that every gift had been numbered and recorded. When it looked as if no additional guests would be approaching the table, including Garrett, Shari decided that her job was finished.
She tried to circulate around the banquet hall and chat with other guests, but being in the same room with Garrett was distracting.
“Sis, we didn’t rehearse the last part,” Shari interrupted. “I had no idea Garrett was going to sing with me.”
“Really? Hmm, I never would’ve guessed that.” Stacy smirked. “Don’t doubt God’s hand in this.”
Stacy always seemed to believe that, as the oldest sibling, she was charged with imparting wisdom to her younger sisters. And Shari, Shae, and Brecee always listened. At that moment, Stacy’s morsel of wisdom scared Shari.
“I’m not doubting God,” she confessed, “but I have doubts about Garrett. He shows up out of nowhere and in short time begins to pursue me like I’m the only fish in the pond. What’s that saying? When it seems like something is too good to be true, it usually is.”
Ted snagged the empty chair on the other side of Stacy, bowed his head for a quick prayer, then stuffed his mouth with meatballs. “Shari, why don’t you join us?” he asked. “Mom Carmen already left with Sister Davis.”
Shari’s mother kept a busy schedule. She had attended a luncheon fund-raiser earlier that day, followed by Faith’s wedding, and she would end the day at a birthday party for a close friend. Annette Carmen’s social calendar was always full, with events overlapping one another.
“No, thanks. I think I’m going to head home. I have some briefs I need to go over.”
Stacy gave her a suspicious glance. “Umm-hmm. Don’t leave until you get a slice of wedding cake. I heard it’s from UNIK Cakes.”
Cakes were the Carmen sisters’ weakness. Ever since they were children, for every special occasion, the family would order a cake from one of the best bakeries in the area. That had always been the highlight of the parties.
“Well, in that case….” Shari grinned. “I guess I will wait around.” The sisters laughed as they stood, and Stacy looped her arm through Shari’s as they walked to the buffet table. As discreetly as possible, Shari scanned the room for Garrett. He was nowhere in sight. Why did her heart sink as it did?
“Stop looking for him, sis,” Stacy whispered. “If he’s the one, I guarantee you, from his vantage point, he’s checking you out.”
Shari laughed. Sisters—what would she do without them?
Once the bride and groom cut the cake, Shari sampled a mouthful before wrapping up her slice in a napkin. What she wanted was to yank Faith away from her husband’s clutches and fuss at her about that singing antic with Garrett, but she didn’t want to spoil her friend’s happiness with a petty complaint. She would scold her later, when the couple returned from their honeymoon.
After hugging Ted and Stacy good-bye, Shari did one final sweep of the room for Garrett, then left.
As she drove home in silence, she reevaluated her life. Faith and Trask had never looked so happy. She was convinced that the purpose of weddings was to make singles wish for their own happily-ever-after. “The satisfaction of being an independent successful woman is overrated,” she grumbled.
Once home, Shari closed the front door and was surprised to see her mother seated on a chaise lounge in the living room. “You’re back so soon?”
“Goodness, yes. Eloise had more people at her shindig than there were at Faith’s reception, it seemed. I wished her happy birthday, gave her my gift, then left and dropped off Sister Davis at her house. I’ve been home for ten minutes, tops.” Her mother scooted over and patted the spot next to her on the chaise. “Faith’s wedding was so beautiful and romantic….”
Shari flopped down and kicked off her heels. She sighed happily and wiggled her toes as her feet enjoyed relief from the entrapment. “Yes, it was.”
“I took pictures.” Her mother picked up her smartphone and showed her a series of photos.
Shari frowned. “Mom, all these are of me and Garrett. What about the bride and groom?”
“Oh, I snapped a few shots of them, when they got in the way.” She chuckled, then beamed. “The highlight of the ceremony was your duet with Brother Nash. He likes you.”
“And that’s scary.” Shari thought about the intense way he had looked at her. She shivered, recalling the sensation it had given her.
“What are you afraid of?” Her mother reached over and smoothed back a forgotten curl dangling above Shari’s eye.
“That this utopia I felt today isn’t real,” Shari admitted with a shrug. She looked away. “His feelings, mine….”
“Something tells me Brother Nash is the real deal.” Her mother leaned over and hugged her shoulder. “But, as with any man who comes within three feet—make that a yard and a half—of my daughters, I’ll be watching and praying for your wisdom.” Her mother smacked a kiss on her cheek, then stood. “Sweetie, I feel this is your season for happiness. Some things in life are worth fighting for, Counselor Carmen. Love is one of them.” She headed for the hall but stopped in the doorway and glanced back. “Oh, don’t be surprised if Shae and Brecee call you, because I texted them the pictures.”
Shari groaned and covered her face with both hands. With a smartphone now in her possession, her mother took a picture of literally everything, from a squirrel cracking a nut to random acts of kindness. “Who else?”
“Just your aunt, uncle, and cousins,” her mother stated with no shame. Then she continued down the hall, humming “By Your Side.”
***
Garrett never should have walked away from Shari. That was how he’d found himself ambushed by John Whitman and the father of the groom. The two men had tapped him to help remove the decorations from the sanctuary because the regular maintenance man had taken ill. He wanted to get back to the reception hall.
It served him right for teasing Shari about Mother Stillwell’s prediction. That woman’s predictions had no bearing on his feelings. God was his matchmaker.
Now, on Sunday morning, he waited impatiently for Shari to take her place in the bandstand for praise and worship. Just in case he got caught up in the Spirit and missed her entrance, Garrett placed a sealed envelope on her chair, containing a letter asking her to wait for him immediately after the service.
The praise team had just finished a rendition of Hezekiah Walker’s “Every Praise” when Shari took her seat. He watched to see if she would open the envelope right away. She didn’t but quickly prepared her sax to join in with the next song.
Concentrate on Me, the Lord whispered.
Yes, Sir, Garrett said silently. He refocused his mind as they played the last song, and then Pastor Underwood addressed the congregation.
“Good morning, saints and friends.” He paused as the people responded. Then, after a few announcements, he began his sermon.
“In Ecclesiastes four, verses nine through twelve, the Bible speaks about the perks of being our brother’s keeper. Verse ten is what I want to talk about this morning. It says, ‘For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him up.’ We have a race ahead of us today. Make sure you have a salvation-minded running buddy who will be your spiritual support system. It’s not good for man to be alone….”
Garrett couldn’t help but glance at Shari. She wore an intent expression on her face, as if she was soaking in the pastor’s every word. She never looked in Garrett’s direction. Then he remembered God’s warning from earlier, and he deliberately blocked out everything and everyone, except for the pastor and his message. He didn’t look at the object of his affections again until after the benediction.
“Shari,” he said, getting her attention. “Don’t leave.”
She looked up and smiled. “I won’t,” she mouthed, and Garrett breathed a sigh of relief.
As the other musicians spi
lled from the bandstand, Garrett towered over Shari, still seated in her chair. It took several moments for him to register that she was calling his name.
“Are you all right?” she asked. “Why are you staring at me like that?”
Embarrassed, Garrett chuckled. “You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.”
Shari crossed her arms. “Try me.”
“When I look at you….” He sat next to her. “You represent that priceless item I want so badly—a toy, a bicycle, a new SUV—that I’m willing to work two or three jobs to save up for it. Then, when I finally earn enough money, I want to put it on a pedestal so that nobody else will touch it.”
“You think of me in that way?”
He nodded.
Shari blinked rapidly. “Wow. I’m honestly lost for words. I—I’m flattered.”
“I’m hoping that since we don’t have band practice next Saturday, you’ll agree to go out with me. How about dinner and a movie? Or we could do something else…anything you’d like. There are plenty of places in Philly that I want to see but haven’t gone to yet.”
“So this would be a date.” She lifted her brow in a teasing manner, which caused him to hold his breath, hoping she would say yes.
“Yes,” she finally said. “I would love to.”
Garrett pumped his fist in the air, then whipped out his smartphone from its holder on his belt. “Let’s exchange numbers.” Once that was accomplished, Garrett exhaled. “Let the countdown to Saturday begin.” For once, she’d acted as if she was in no hurry to leave.
Chapter 12
You are hereby summoned to a video chat with the Carmen sisters, Counselor. Shari chuckled as she read Stacy’s group text. As she counted down the days to her date with Garrett, she also knew it was a countdown until the “snoop sisters” began their inquest into her personal affairs.
Shari didn’t care. She liked being someone else’s center of attention. The evidence was the fiery orange lilies that had arrived on her desk that morning as she was heading to court.
