As the choir members filed in to the room, Faith looked around her and smiled. They were a rapidly growing group of singers, who all enjoyed singing for the Lord and sharing their talent with the congregation. She could barely believe how much the group had transformed over the last year. It seemed as if every other week they were gaining a new member. She couldn’t be more pleased.
After a few minutes of friendly chatter, Faith clapped her hands together and called the practice to order.
As the strains of “How Great Thou Art” filled the air, Faith couldn’t help but be amazed at the wonderful harmonies blending together to make such fabulous music. It always gave Faith goosebumps when the group achieved such a high standard of excellence. She could feel a huge grin tugging at the corners of her lips as she stood before the group and led them in song.
Suddenly, she saw Lanie’s eyes widen as she looked behind Faith. Several of the other female choir members were staring right along with Lanie. Half of them had stopped singing.
Faith turned around, wondering what had shocked everyone so much. Faith let out a surprised sound at the sight of Micah. He was standing at the entrance to the room looking more adorable than a person had a right to look in a crisp pair of khakis, a button down oxford shirt and a pair of fancy-looking loafers.
What in the world was he doing here? She’d never seen him at Holy Child before. Was he trying to join the choir? Or was he looking for Pastor Banks? Her church family was relatively small, so she knew he wasn’t a parishioner.
“Micah! What are you doing here?” Her surprise rang out in her voice.
He looked around at the group and raised his hand in greeting to everyone. Faith wanted to roll her eyes at the admiring glances that were being sent in Micah’s direction. Not that she could blame the ladies. He was an eye-catching man.
He stuffed his hands in his front pockets and rocked back on his heels. “I heard you might be looking for a strong alto.”
Faith felt her jaw go slack. An alto? It was absolutely true that her choir needed a few alto voices to add to their harmony, but she couldn’t figure out if Micah’s appearance here was a total coincidence or a bit of planning on his part. For a brief second she wondered if he had come here tonight because of her.
She wanted to laugh out loud at the notion. A man like Micah didn’t need to do anything at all to attract women to him like moths to the flame. She was being silly and fanciful. When had a gorgeous man ever pursued her?
Faith began to stammer—a bad habit she’d developed as a teen. “Y-you w-want to join the choir?”
“I love to sing. I love the Lord.” His straight white teeth were on fully display as he smiled. “And I’m a people person. I might be a great fit for the group.”
Faith cleared her throat. “Are you a parishioner here?”
“No,” he admitted, his lips twitching. “I attend New Hope Church. Do you have to be a regular member to become a part of the choir?”
“No,” Faith said after deliberating for a moment. She encouraged anyone who had a love for the Lord and wanted to share it through song to become a member of the choir. But, all of the other members did attend Holy Child Church.
“Your church doesn’t have a choir?” she asked in a low voice. She didn’t want the members of the choir to think she was interrogating Micah. They were probably wondering why she hadn’t been more gracious about welcoming him. Frankly, she was still surprised by his appearance at her choir rehearsal.
“They do but they meet several times a week. Because of my work commitments I travel pretty frequently. I heard this choir only meets once a week.”
“Yes we do,” Lanie said in an overly enthusiastic voice. “Why don’t you grab a choral book and join us?” Lanie beckoned to Micah, who picked up a choral book from the stack by the entrance.
“Great idea, Lanie,” Faith said, wanting to giggle at the look on her best friend’s face. She looked as if she’d died and gone to heaven. Micah walked over toward the group and the women parted as if he was Moses entering the Red Sea. Clyde, one of the senior members of the choir, was muttering under his breath. He was glaring at Micah, who seemed rather oblivious to the older man’s reaction to his presence. Faith imagined Clyde didn’t like all the attention Micah was getting from the choir ladies. She had to bite her lip in order to stop herself from laughing. Just because you were sitting in God’s house didn’t mean you couldn’t feel envy.
“Okay. Let’s pick up where we left off.” Faith tried not to look in Micah’s direction as she led the group in singing “Oh how we love you.” It was a new song they were practicing and it was proving to be both challenging and inspirational. Faith glanced in Micah’s direction. He was singing in perfect harmony and giving it his all. She felt the corners of her mouth lifting upwards into a smile. There was just something about Micah that made her feel happy.
He reminded her of something her mother used to say to her. “Faith, there are some people who will bring chaos into your life and there are others who will radiate joy. You’ll feel it shimmering and bouncing off them in waves. Those are the people you should surround yourself with.” Her mother would have thoroughly approved of him in every way.
By the end of the practice, Faith felt a deep sense of pride in her singers. They had been working so hard lately and all of their efforts were finally paying off. Faith couldn’t have been more ecstatic. In six weeks they would be performing at the Summer Fair Choir competition. In her heart of hearts, she honestly thought they might have a decent chance of winning.
“Great job everyone. I’ll see you at Sunday service. Next week we’ll have practice at the same time. Have a great rest of your week,” Faith said, smiling as she looked around at the choir. Micah was grinning back at her. She felt a tugging sensation in her belly. This man oozed raw charm!
Lanie wagged her eyebrows at Faith and made a lot of hand motions behind Micah’s back. Faith could tell her best friend was barely containing herself. It was extremely difficult for Faith to keep a straight face when her friend was cutting up.
“Micah. I have a few things for you to fill out as well as a schedule if you can stay for a few minutes,” Faith said, making eye contact with Micah from across the room. It was a little intimidating to imagine herself alone with him.
“Sure thing,” Micah said as he shook hands with a few of the members before they began to file out.
As Lanie walked past Faith she whispered, “Call me later. We need to talk.”
Knowing Lanie, she wanted every single detail about Micah. Not that Faith knew much, but that wouldn’t stop Lanie from asking. Her best friend was a bit man crazy and she was the first to admit it.
Once everyone was gone, Faith turned her attention to Micah.
“Thanks for letting me join in,” he said, handing her back the hymnal.
She nodded. “Thanks for coming. You have a great voice.”
The corners of his mouth turned upward into a lovely smile that once again threatened her equilibrium. “Thanks. My mother always encouraged me to sing in the children’s choir when I was a kid. I was the only boy so that was pretty cool.”
Faith laughed and shook her head. “I bet you got lots of attention.”
“I did,” he admitted with a laugh. “But I ended up enjoying the singing way more than having a bunch of girls fawning over me.”
Faith crossed her arms over her middle. She regarded Micah with a critical eye.
Something told Faith this was a common theme with Micah. Clearly this man was used to female attention. It shouldn’t bother her, but it did a teensy bit. It was a crazy kind of feeling. She knew she had no right to feel this way, but she did, nevertheless.
She tapped her foot on the floor as nervous energy began to flow through her. Would he be joining their choir? Or was he just passing through?
Faith turned to look at him. “There are a lot of choirs in Pelican Bay, but I promise you, ours is one of the best.”
“I’m a b
eliever. I think I’m going to enjoy it.”
“Good. I think you’ll be a good addition to our group. We really did need another strong alto to balance out the tone. You really helped us out.”
The smile on his face demonstrated the fact that he was pleased with himself.
“So, have you eaten dinner yet?” Micah threw the question out in a casual manner. She got the impression he simply wanted a dinner companion, nothing more. Faith couldn’t explain the little nudge of disappointment bubbling up inside of her.
“Umm. No, I haven’t. I usually fix something for myself when I get home. I don’t like to eat too late.”
“Why don’t you let me take you out.” He held up his hands. “Not on a date. Just two people getting something to eat together.”
Faith bit her lip. “I should be getting home. I’ve got some quizzes to grade.”
“Come on, Faith. I know a little Greek restaurant near here that serves a killer gyro.”
Right on cue, her stomach began to grumble rather noisily. Suddenly, she was starving.
He winked at her. “I think your stomach just answered for you.” The sound of his laughter was music for her soul. Right at that moment Faith decided to say yes. For such a long time now she’d been saying no to anything and everything except school and choir.
“I am pretty famished,” she admitted. “Yes. I’d love to catch a bite to eat.”
“I’ll pull out front and you can follow me.”
“Sounds like a plan,” Faith said, watching as Micah sailed out the door. She took a deep breath as she grabbed her purse and music folder, then flicked off the lights. Micah was standing by the door holding it open for her. It was a sweet gesture, one that wasn’t fake or forced. Micah was a gentleman.
As she stepped outside into the balmy night air, Faith had to remind herself to breathe.
Just breathe. Sometimes you have to step out on a limb of faith and experience life.
**
A short while later Micah and Faith were settled at an intimate table at Athens Taverna. Although this wasn’t a date—certainly Faith hadn’t agreed to one—the vibe in the restaurant seemed to favor couples and romantic interludes. There were candles sitting on each table along with little floral bouquets.
Micah felt a little bit sheepish. He didn’t want Faith to think he’d brought her here in order to romance her. In reality, he just wanted to spend some time with her, even if she firmly put him in the friend zone. And she didn’t seem to suspect that he hadn’t ended up at her church by accident. He had discovered a few days ago she was the choir director at Holy Child.
He could tell by the way Faith was looking around the restaurant that she was drinking in the atmosphere. Athens Taverna was a well-established restaurant in Pelican Bay. It hadn’t been around nearly as long as the Silver Spoon, but it boasted a dedicated clientele. The Greek community here in town gave it their stamp of approval due to the authenticity of the dishes.
After perusing the menu, Faith placed hers down and looked across the table at Micah. “I have no idea where to start. Everything looks delicious.”
“Have you experienced Greek food before?” he asked.
“I think the only Greek food I’ve ever eaten is baklava and it was sinfully delectable.” Faith puckered her lips as if she was reliving the experience.
“Any food allergies or dislikes?”
She made a face. “Nope. I’m not allergic to anything and I love it all.”
“Okay, that makes it easy. I consider myself an aficionado of Greek cuisine, so I’ll point out some favorites. Souvlaki is meat served on skewers and it’s a great dish, especially since the meat is usually very tender. Moussaka is an eggplant dish served with meat and a really nice sauce on top. Gyros are made from pork and wrapped up in flatbread with tomatoes, onions and tzatziki sauce. That would be my suggestion as a first timer. You really can’t go wrong with it.”
“Sold!” she said with a grin.
When the waiter came over to take their order, Faith ordered the gyro platter while Micah made a last minute decision to try the spanakopita. He ordered two glasses of Sangria to go with the meal and an appetizer for the two of them to share.
Even though he sensed Faith was shy, the rapport between them was easy going and natural. The conversation flowed like a river. She asked about his profession and told him how she admired him for being so photogenic. She confessed at feeling awkward sometimes in front of the camera. Micah told her he couldn’t imagine her not looking good in photos and recommended his younger brother Nash as a photographer if she ever needed some professional photos of her taken. Faith’s personality was beginning to show—she was funny and sweet and humble. He couldn’t remember ever having met someone like her before. And Micah had met a lot of women—he’d dated way more than he would like to admit.
Lately, Micah hadn’t liked the loneliness he’d felt at night when he was all by himself at home. While others were settling down, he hadn’t met a single woman who made him think about the future. And even though he truly believed Rafferty had picked the wrong woman, he envied his best friend’s fervent desire to pledge himself to another human being. He knew Rafferty would uphold those vows without reservation. It was just a shame Pamela would be the one to benefit from such love and devotion.
Once the food arrived, Micah and Faith paused in their conversation to dig in to their meals. When Micah tasted the spanakopita and the crispy, flaky dough hit his tongue he knew he’d made an excellent choice. As always, the chef had outdone himself.
“Mmm. You were right about the food. It’s amazing,” Faith said as she bit into the gyro.
She was eating the Greek cuisine with gusto which he appreciated.
He put a finger up to his lips. “Don’t tell my parents I eat the occasional meal here.”
She chuckled. “I won’t. Although personally, I like the Silver Spoon better. For sentimental reasons.”
“I’m glad it brought back some good memories.” It had touched his heart to know his family’s restaurant had held such an esteemed place in Faith’s childhood memories. She’d had so much tragedy in her young life. It was nice to know there had been happy times as well.
She took another bite of her gyro and swallowed. She chewed for a few moments then said, “It really did. When a tragedy happens, it’s natural to try and block out the things that might make you miss your loved ones. But, in the end, those good memories help with the healing. Even all these years later, I’m still healing.”
On impulse, he reached across the table and squeezed her hand. For the first time he noticed little scars by her wrists. Burn scars. They were raised and discolored. Noticing his scrutiny, she quickly pulled her hand away and tugged her sleeves down over her wrists.
Micah felt as if he’d gone twenty steps backward with Faith. “I didn’t mean to stare.”
She looked down at her plate. “It’s okay. I know it’s hard not to stare. They’re not pretty.”
“They’re very faint. I’m not going to lie and say I didn’t notice them, but it’s only because I notice everything about you.”
He watched as Faith’s cheeks turned pink. “You’re just being nice.”
Micah chuckled. “No, I’m not. I’m not that nice.”
She met his gaze head-on. He saw raw emotion flickering in her beautiful blue eyes. “I was burned over twenty percent of my body, Micah. After the fire I was in a burn unit for months recovering. And yes, I did recover, moment by moment, bit by bit. I got well enough so I could be released.” She winced, as if remembering all she’d endured. “But the burns will never totally fade. I had revision scar surgery and it helped a little bit, but burns are hard to treat. And the treatments are painful.”
Just the thought of Faith enduring such pain made him ache for her. At sixteen years old, Micah had been self-absorbed and something of a jokester. He couldn’t imagine being cooped up in a hospital for months on end and undergoing painful treatments. He knew enou
gh about burn injuries from Rafferty to understand the implications of Faith’s words. She hadn’t just endured physical torment. There had been a psychological component as well. He needed to tread carefully with Faith. She’d been through more than most people endured in a lifetime.
“Okay. I understand you’ve been through a lot. Forgive me if I’m putting my foot in my mouth or overstepping, but you don’t have to feel badly about your scars, Faith. I say that knowing I haven’t walked in your shoes. It just seems to me that those marks are battle scars. You survived something really horrible. By God’s grace, you’re still with us.”
Faith simply stared at him with big eyes. Had he gone too far? They really didn’t know one another and perhaps it sounded like he was preaching to her.
“End of sermon,” he announced, taking another bite of his meal.
A smile played around her lips, and although she didn’t say anything, Micah had the sense she was all right with what he’d said to her. She seemed to be pondering it. Maybe, in some small way, his words had been reassuring.
As they finished their meal, the waiter came over to collect their plates and show them a dessert menu. Faith suggested they order baklava and vanilla ice cream. Micah loved the idea since both items were favorites of his. When the check came, Faith put up a fuss about him paying for their meal. Rather than fight her on it, Micah acquiesced to her request to pay half. He knew it wasn’t a real date, so he let her get away with it. He had an ulterior motive. If Faith was allowed to get her way in this matter perhaps she’d be more amenable to going out on an actual date with him.
Tenderly (Seven Brides Seven Brothers Pelican Bay) Page 7