by Amy Lamont
She looked at him. Blessedly silent for now. Although, what could she possibly have left to say?
Chapter Five
“Father Michael!”
Saved by the parishioner. Faith blew out a breath, unsure whether she was disappointed or relieved when Michael excused himself to go talk to the harried-looking woman demanding his attention. She turned her own focus back to the kids on the play mat. Throughout the day the group had changed as kids came and went when their parents stopped in to get a meal, get groceries from the food pantry, or volunteer.
Faith bit her lip as her gaze found Sarah, now digging through a box of musical instruments and noisemakers. The little girl reminded Faith of herself, rebellious even at the tender age of seven. The difference was at that age, Faith had a safe, happy, if a little nutty, home to go to each day. She’d never gone to bed hungry. Never worried about where she’d be sleeping that night.
Turns out Sarah was not so lucky. She and her mom were living in a shelter while her mom tried to find a job.
Faith shook her head, pushing away the melancholy thoughts. She might not be able to do much for the small family, but she could give the girl a few moments of happiness right now.
She walked over to see Sarah holding a pair of maracas. “Whatcha got there?”
“I was just looking through the instruments.”
“Do you like music?”
Sarah nodded enthusiastically, making a bubble of laughter rise from Faith. One more thing she and the little girl had in common.
“Me, too.” Faith dug through the bucket and unearthed a small pile of percussion instruments. She picked up one drum that swiveled back and forth causing the string with the bead on the end to swing around to hit the drum on each side.
She found a steady beat and then reached for one of Sarah’s hands, guiding her in shaking her maracas to the same beat. “Just like this.”
A little boy wandered over and Faith smiled encouragingly.
“Want to play?” She handed him her drum, helping him keep it moving as she grabbed a hollowed out wooden instrument with a drumstick to add in another beat.
Soon, all six of the children in the play area had instruments and Faith led them in an impromptu song, the sounds of their feet stomping adding to the music they were creating.
One of the smaller children missed a beat, and her little lip began to tremble. Faith quickly missed a beat herself and then shook her maracas close to her ear, making a show of pretending the problem was with the instrument. The little girl’s pout turned into a smile and the spontaneous performance ended abruptly in a pile of giggling, squirming bodies.
“I think you’re the answer to my prayers.”
She looked up from her spot on the bottom of the pile. Michael stood over them and Faith’s giggling ground to a halt. She turned her head to make sure no one was standing behind her. Empty. She turned back and stood silently, once again struck mute in his presence.
Hey, maybe that’s why the church ladies weren’t all over him all the time. His presence probably had the same effect on them as it did on her. It wasn’t that they didn’t notice the man. They just couldn’t get any words out in his presence.
“Faith?”
Oops. Her wayward thoughts meant Michael had been left standing and staring at her after having made his little announcement. Of course, since Faith had spent the better part of her day ogling him, hearing she was the answer to his prayers had the tendency to addle her brain. It wasn’t her fault.
“Umm, answer to your prayers?”
“The woman who called me away is Chloe, she’s filling in for the church secretary. She wanted to let me know the music director had to cancel for tomorrow. That means the Saturday evening service is without music. Unless….”
His cajoling grin, coupled with the intent look in his eyes, made her instantly wary. He might not think women noticed the man behind the collar, but he sure knew how to put his masculine wiles to work when he needed them.
“Unless?”
“Well, you are a musician. And I saw what you taught the kids to do in just a few minutes….”
Church music? He wanted her to play church music. She bit her lip trying to think of a way to let him down easy.
“I don’t really know any….” She paused. Would the phrase “church music” be offensive to him or was that just her? “Well, my music isn’t really the kind of music you hear in church.”
“Wanna bet?”
Michael’s smile grew mischievous and she could suddenly see why he got in trouble more often than his brother as a kid.
She wrinkled her nose. Maybe her mother had told him something about her music, something the older woman would imagine would appease a priest.
“Look, let’s just give it a try,” he said. “Can you take a break for a few minutes?”
Giving the children’s area a once over, she saw one of the little boys had been picked up and another volunteer had arrived.
“Sure?” She didn’t mean for it to sound like a question, but she was pretty sure she wasn’t sure at all.
Michael's gaze roamed the room. He turned in a circle while Faith tried to fold in on herself. What was the matter with her? She'd be helping the church and getting to do what she loved at the same time. It was the church music that was putting her off.
At least that's what she was telling herself.
Right now Faith wished the floor would open and suck her in. Any time now would be just fine with her. After a minute or so passed, she figured she'd have no such luck. There was nothing she could do but follow when Michael took her gently by the arm and led her over to the stage with the closed curtains at the front of the auditorium.
Oh, boy. Was he bringing her up there to play? No way. Nope. Not gonna happen. Faith dug in her heels, pulling against Michael’s hold on her arm. He looked at her over his shoulder, an eyebrow raised.
Her eyes did a quick scan of the room. Was he really expecting her to play in front of all the church people? And she didn’t forget the fact her mother and sister were somewhere in the building. It had been a long time since they heard her play. Ever since she graduated from college and continued to play in dive bars, her mother had taken to calling it her "little hobby." As in, "I wonder when Faith is going to get over her little hobby and look for a real job." She had no desire to open herself to more of those comments.
She decided to go with playing dumb. "Where are we going?"
"There're some instruments behind the stage. I thought we could grab a guitar so you could try out a song. See if you feel comfortable playing our church music."
Faith narrowed her eyes at his reference to church music. What was she missing? She searched for an excuse, but as she grasped for something, anything to get out of this, she got her first good look at the huge auditorium since she got there. Having spent most of the day in her corner working with the kids, she’d missed a lot of what was going on. But now she could see the long tables and chairs set up in the back by the kitchen were filled with people getting a hot meal.
At the other side of the room, tables were set up almost like the aisles of a grocery store. They were lined with cereal, canned goods and even a selection of fresh produce. The volunteers were helping several people bag up groceries, talking and laughing as if they’d just run into each other at the local market.
A warm gooey feeling filled her chest. Despite getting out of bed way earlier than she would have liked, and despite the fact she was about to be dragged into playing church music, she was really happy she'd come today.
Her gaze landed back on Michael. He was the one responsible for all of this. Her heart picked up speed and she shook her head. She gestured towards the stage with a sigh. "Lead the way."
Michael slid a hand to the small of her back, guiding her to the front of the room. Despite the two layers of t-shirt she was wearing, his touch made her shiver. She liked the way he was walking with her, his shoulder almost brushing against hers. S
he could feel his body heat. And damn if the man didn't smell good, like fresh air, soap, and something masculine all his own.
She tried to imagine what kind of cologne a priest would use. She pictured him in his black shirt and white tab collar braving the gauntlet of perfume snipers at the cosmetics counter at the mall and couldn’t help but grin.
"What's that smile for?"
She just shook her head. No way was she explaining that thought.
When they reached the front of the room, Michael had her sit on the edge of the stage. "Don't go anywhere. I'll be back in a sec."
He must realize she wasn’t totally on board with this. Not like it would take a rocket scientist since he’d had to all but drag her to the stage. But since she had already agreed to help, she sat dutifully where he left her while he disappeared.
"I found it."
Michael slipped through the side curtain from backstage, brandishing an acoustic guitar. And a pretty nice one at that.
Faith sat the guitar on her lap. She played with it for a few minutes, getting a feel for the sound and making sure it was in tune. Once done, she draped her arm over the top and looked at Michael. She had no idea what to play that would be suitable for church. But there he was with that little boy grin again. "What should I play?"
“Do you know Beautiful Day by U2?”
Her mouth dropped open. She played that song all the time at bar gigs.
"You want me to play that in church?" She could just picture her mother's face when she heard Faith playing that for a church service.
"Relax, Faith." Michael sat next to her on the stage. His lips tipped up and his blue eyes turned warm. "Every Saturday night we have a mass where we play this kind of music. Afterwards, we meet for cake and coffee and sometimes more music. It's fun, and it brings in a lot of people we normally wouldn't get to attend mass."
Faith stared at him, shaking her head the whole time. She hadn't set foot in a place of worship since she'd moved out of her mother's house. A childhood of being dragged from church to synagogue to revival tent had been more than enough to put her off organized religion. But she had to admit, the pull of good music and friends to socialize with did have its appeal.
She nodded and began to dance her fingers over the guitar strings. She closed her eyes as the melody and the lyrics came to her. After a short lead in where she got herself warmed up, she added her voice to the strains of the acoustic guitar. She sank into the music and her voice lifted, weaving its way through the song.
She smiled, eyes still closed. She could see why this song would work in church. She'd always thought of it as an edgy social commentary, but it could just as easily be sung in worship.
Faith finished the song and pulled in a deep breath before she opened her eyes.
Oh boy. Her playing seemed to have caught some attention. Her gaze traveled the room. Every eye was on her and you could hear a pin drop. She opened her mouth, but before she could get a word out, the clapping started. Her cheeks heated with pleasure as the applause washed over her.
A few people came up to tell her how much they enjoyed her singing. A turn of her head brought Michael into clear focus. He'd remained by her side while she played, and now he was beaming at her.
Faith grinned at him, enjoying this moment. She loved her music, and knowing other people enjoyed it along with her made it all the better.
"So, you'll do it? We can work out a few more songs and go over the service a little before tomorrow."
Faith nodded. She figured no one in the church was going to break out in applause, but getting to play this music in front of an appreciative audience was all she could ask for.
"Faith, that was wonderful."
Faith's head whipped around. It sounded like her mother's voice offering up praise. In-con-ceivable!
But no, no. There was her mother walking right up to her with Maddie hot on her heels. She offered them a tentative smile. She expected her mother to comment on how she was making a spectacle of herself. Praise was a shock.
"See," Michael said, "you'll be great tomorrow."
"Tomorrow?" Maddie’s voice went up an octave higher than usual. She slid to a stop, planting herself firmly between Michael and Faith.
"Our music director usually plays at mass on Saturday evenings, but he had to cancel this weekend. Faith graciously offered to step in."
"That's so wonderful."
More praise from her mother. Faith might have to check to see if there was an empty pod somewhere back in the kitchen.
"Do you even know any of the music they play in church?" Maddie wrinkled her nose and her tone made it clear she thought Faith's music was suitable only for courting Satan, certainly not for a church service.
"We use a lot of popular music at our Saturday evening mass," Michael said. "It brings in a younger crowd."
"Oh, that sounds like a great idea." Maddie's tone went from condescending to syrupy sweet as she addressed Michael. "I might have to come join. What time is mass?"
Faith withheld a snort as Maddie put a hand on his arm and leaned in closer as he spoke, as if the fate of the free world hinged on what time mass started.
“Five o’clock.”
"I haven't heard you sing in a long time." Her mother captured Faith's attention with her words. She reached over and pushed a tuft of wayward hair off Faith's forehead. "I’d forgotten how talented you are."
Faith blinked. It looked like her mother. It sounded like her mother. But she couldn't imagine her mother saying those words.
"Thanks." She gave her a shaky smile and her voice wobbled a little.
"And I'm proud of you for volunteering to help with mass tomorrow. That's going above and beyond."
Okay, this was getting too weird. Faith shifted her gaze left and right without moving her head. There must be cameras somewhere capturing this moment, and any second Ashton Kutcher would pop out to tell her she'd been punked.
"Umm, thanks?" She offered when no one jumped out. "I'm surprised myself. It actually sounds like fun."
"What sounds like fun?" Maddie wanted to know.
"Playing at mass tomorrow."
"Oh, that. Well, I can't wait to hear it. I'll be sure to sit in the first row so you have a familiar face in the audience."
Unlike her mother's words of praise, Maddie's offer of support didn't surprise her. Maddie was always good at playing a role, and right now it suited her to play the role of devoted and supportive sister. ‘Cause wouldn't that impress Father Michael?
She glanced at him. Did it impress him? He didn't look particularly bowled over. In fact, he was back to regarding her with a tender warmth in his eyes.
If she didn't think he was perfect already, this moment would have clinched it. She'd spent many years playing second fiddle to Maddie. For once, there was someone more interested in her than they were in her sister.
"I better get back to work." Michael stepped closer and Maddie’s hand fell from his arm. He placed a hand gently on Faith’s shoulder, holding her gaze while he spoke to her. "Are you planning on volunteering again tomorrow?"
She hadn't really planned beyond today. Earlier she probably would have said there was no way she was dragging herself out of bed two days in a row. But she’d enjoyed being there, even aside from her attraction to Michael. For the first time in a long time, she felt like she was doing something important. Something that would make a difference. She liked the feeling.
"I'll be here.”
"Great. I'll get you a song list before you leave today and write down an outline of how the mass goes. I'll make sure we have a little time tomorrow to go over it all."
"Sounds good."
"I'll be here, too, to volunteer again."
Faith rolled her eyes. Maddie had to get her two cents in there.
"That would be great. I'll see you ladies tomorrow. And Faith, I'll make sure to catch up with you before you leave."
Faith nodded and stood there a second to watch as he walked away, her
head tilted.
There was a view she'd never get tired of.
Faith raised a hand to her mouth to cover a yawn. She pulled on her black wool coat and rolled her neck a few times. There were a few muscles she forgot she had that decided to remind her of their existence after a day of chasing kids around.
Her stomach flip-flopped as she remembered running into Michael one more time. He’d come over to the kid’s corner to drop off a few pages of music and an outline of the service he was doing the next day. Before she had a chance to say much, he was called away by yet another of the church ladies with yet another emergency that required his immediate attention.
He may say the women in his church didn’t see him as a man, but the way they all ran to him the minute they had even the flimsiest excuse had her questioning her earlier observations.
Her eyes sought him out now. She spotted his tall form across the room in an animated conversation with her sister and her heart stuttered. Maddie reached up and rubbed a finger over his cheek as if she was wiping away a smudge. The two laughed and when another parishioner approached, Michael put out a hand to hold Maddie in place next to him while he turned to talk to the newcomer.
As soon as the woman moved away, Michael turned his attention back to Maddie. From where she stood, their positions looked a little more intimate than casual acquaintances. Had she misinterpreted his interest? Or maybe over the course of the afternoon, he’d had more time to spend with Maddie and realized she was the better bet.
Faith couldn’t watch anymore. Something squeezed in her chest as her imagination played out scenes of growing intimacy between Maddie and Michael, all leading up to a big wedding. She gave an unladylike grunt at the thought. Maddie better not ask her to be maid of honor.
She waved a quick goodbye to her mother, knowing she’d pay later for not saying a proper farewell.
But she couldn’t help it. She needed to get out of there now. When she stepped outside, she was grateful for the frigid air slapping at her face. She was sure that was the reason for the sting of tears behind her eyes.