Kassidy's Crescendo

by Marianne Evans

  “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 cry
stal 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.

  Suddenly it felt like God was coming after him with a vengeance, and the choice to stay or go belonged entirely to Drew.

  Siobhan perched on the edge of her seat, head tilted while she studied him. “Let me make one other thing perfectly clear,” she said. “Mess with her and you’ll mess with all of us. But if you treat her well—like she deserves—you’ll earn the unwavering love and loyalty of three women who will forever have your back.” After that came a challenging smile. “Just wanted to leave you with some food for thought, Hollywood.”

  OK, that was a good one. She vacated her seat, sashayed past and ambled up the main aisle of the theater.

  Drew lifted to a stand, sliding his hands into the pockets of his slacks. “Yo. Sass-a-frass.”

  She stopped and turned, eyes twinkling. “Yes, dear?”

  He paused for a second or two. “Thanks. You’re petite for a lioness, but you’re pretty great.”

  A smile filled her face, sunbeams bursting from behind the clouds. Siobhan retraced her steps and returned just long enough to lift on tiptoe and kiss his cheek. “Thanks. You’re pretty great yourself.”

  One of the main doors to the theater came open. Framed at the threshold was a blond haired man who captured Siobhan’s attention. His presence elicited a squeal and a charging run from the tiny ballerina, which Drew monitored with amusement.

  “AJ! What on earth are you doing here?” Siobhan leaped into his arms and punctuated their reunion with a delighted exclamation followed by a shower of kisses. “I’ve missed you like crazy!”

  Doctor AJ Cooper. A swift, hard tug struck Drew’s spirit. AJ—Coop to most—was the orthopedic surgeon who had rehabilitated and won the heart of the group’s dancer.

  “I decided to put the flex in flex scheduling.” He buried his face against her neck, humming a happy sound. “I rearranged my caseload at the hospital so I could watch the show tonight.”

  Meaning the good doctor had spontaneously hopped a flight from New York to Denver. For Siobhan. Out of love. Drew watched the pair and wondered. What would it feel like to run like mad into the arms of someone who loved you that much? To receive that level of love in return, that level of joy?

  Dazed, leagues away from his comfort zone, he tried to make sense of the rapidly unfolding pattern of his life. Forcing himself to go still, he rested in a silence that invited him to linger—to stay put and rest—but part of his soul rebelled, fighting that soothing sense of peace, tempting him to charge forward, to grasp and discover.

  A battle raged until the image of Kassidy materialized within the chamber of his heart, releasing into his spirit. Drew readily imagined the sound of a deep, satisfied chuckle riding downward to earth from heaven above.

  5

  It was after eleven thirty by the time Kassidy worked free of costuming, hair accessories, makeup, and a short performance debrief. While team members scrutinized snippets of show video, Kassidy’s attention kept sliding toward Drew, who leaned against the far wall of the green room, arms folded loosely against his chest, ankles crossed.

  At last Liam dismissed the cast and crew. While team members exited the theater, Drew sidled forward, holding Kassidy’s gaze. “You still game for that coffee and dessert you mentioned earlier?”

  “Of course.”

  “Good, because I touched base with the hotel concierge. He told me there’s a place called Cleo’s that serves incredible handmade pies, and they’re open twenty-four-seven.”

  He had taken the lead. Like a suitor. How chivalrous and charming. “That sounds perfect. Thanks for the effort. After the calories I expended during tonight’s show, I’ve earned the right to indulge, no matter what Elizabeth Portier might think.”

  Drew took her hand, tucked it into the crook of his arm. Kassidy synched her footfalls to his while they strode from the performance facility.

  “Have I discovered the one person on earth who strikes fear into the heart of Kassidy Cartwright?”

  Kassidy nodded in earnest. “Absolutely.”

  His answering laugh tickled her tummy, made her smile just because the sound was so delicious. Following a short walk, they entered a quaint, brightly lit bistro-style eatery. The shop specialized in sweet treats accompanied by gourmet coffees and teas. The aromas alone left Kassidy to sigh with bliss. Warmth inside chased away every trace of autumn’s wind-swept arrival through the streets of Denver.

  Drew seated her at a round, wooden table for two. “What’s your favorite pie?”

  Kassidy slipped out of her jacket and unwound a long, fluffy scarf of Kelly green from around her neck. “It’s a toss-up, really. Strawberry and peach.” She smiled into his eyes. “Surprise me.”

  “That can be arranged, KC.”

  The teasing rejoinder, the smooth timber of his voice combined to give Kassidy a case of goose bumps that had nothing to do with the chilly temps they had just left behind. Additionally, his inaugural use of her nickname both charmed and piqued.

  He returned carrying a tray outfitted with two decaf French vanilla lattes, a slice of strawberry crème and a slice of peach. The scoundrel.

  “We’ll mix and match.” He dropped into the chair across from hers. He scooted a bit closer, so they were side-by-side rather than face to face. He leaned against the table, watching while she took a sip of her beverage and claimed the first bite of peach.

  The intensity of his regard left her tingling—delightfully off balance. “What? Do I already have a whipped-cream mustache or something?”

  “No. It’s just…I like watching you. Sorry.”

  “Don’t apologize. I’m flattered. Disconcerted, but flattered.”

  “Disconcerted?” Drew met her gaze straight on. “Join the club.”

  She propped an elbow on the table and cupped her chin in her hand. She itched to reach out and caress the curve of his chin, to dance her fingertips against his cheek. As adrenaline drained away and exhaustion escalated, her defenses became weak.

  After an inhale and an exhale, she moved slightly away from temptation. “I’m always so wired after a show. It feels go
od to unwind. Thanks for this.”

  “Thanks for suggesting it. How were the radio interviews this afternoon?”

  “The one at KJCD was awesome. They’re the Christian station in town, and they’ve been playing three selections off the album—Friends, The Story of Us, and El Shaddai. The DJ told us El Shaddai is climbing their weekly countdown at a fast clip.”

  “I’m not at all surprised, but that’s fantastic confirmation.”

  “The one at KWWF was OK, but nothing to write home about. Both stations played our cover of Friends while we visited, so the exposure was nice.” Kassidy sipped through a thick layer of foam that painted the top of her latte. “I meant to tell you before I left how much I admire the way you took care of the kids at rehearsal today. It made all the difference in how they approached the performance.”

  “They were great, weren’t they?” Drew’s shoulder brushed against hers as he leaned forward and forked himself a chunk of strawberry crème pie. He smiled wide and sweet; a shiver stirred. “The kids simply followed your advice. I was just doing my job.”

  Kassidy ingested another soothing sip of coffee then nibbled a piece of peach pie. It was outstanding. “You did far more than just a job, Drew. You have a fantastic way with kids. You didn’t single out Tony, or make him feel bad, even though he was the worst offender when it came to pre-performance jitters.”

  Drew shrugged, wiping his lips with a napkin. “Why would I do that? In one way or another, they all suffered from nerves. How could they not? It was a huge venue, with a spectacular set and orchestration—plus four dazzling women.” He winked, which made Kassidy giggle—and blush. “It’s understandable they’d be intimidated.”

  The words gave her pause. Caging her emotions toward Drew didn’t work any longer. The barriers weren’t strong enough to withstand Kassidy’s ongoing discovery of the man. She leaned close once again, this time ready to reach out—to communicate affection in a soft, gliding touch, a—