Detour: Destination Abiding Love by JoAnn Carter Page B

get your attention for a while, and it wasn’t until a certain young lady walked through our church doors that you realized it. Regardless of my thoughts, though, the more important question is: do you think He’s showing you something?”
    Cole didn’t know if he felt like a complete failure, but he didn’t have the closeness that Sierra obviously shared with Christ. He felt separated from God and guilty that he hadn’t been making time for Him. “I think somewhere along the line I’ve bumped God off the throne of my heart and have put other things and people in His place.”
    “You know what you need to do, right?”
    Cole could hear the smile in Pastor Bill’s voice over the phone. He nodded as if the pastor could see him. “I need to go pray for a while.”
    “I’ll catch up with you later then, my friend.” Pastor paused. “Oh, and Cole, if you still want to, you have my blessing on joining the worship team...and pursuing Sierra, too.” The phone line went dead.
    Cole grinned. Hey, who am I to argue with clergy?
     
     
     
     

5
     
    Wilma’s fingers ran up and down the keyboard as the last strains of the song faded.
    Stan whooped. “You two are steaming on the strings tonight!”
    Wilma and Sierra grinned in unison.
    “See, I told you Sierra would make a great addition to our worship team,” Wilma said.
    Stan sheepishly admitted, “I wasn’t too sure about having you join us at first, but I’m getting kind of used to having you around.”
    Sierra bit her lip so she wouldn’t laugh at this hangdog expression. “Glad to be here.”
    “Even though they may not actually tell you, I know several church members are enjoying hearing you play,” Wilma said.
    “You think so?” Oh, if that could be true .
    “Absolutely! Mrs. Wilson said she’s never heard angels play, but if she had, they’d sound like you do.”
    Stan laughed. “She plays the violin, not the harp.”
    Wilma rolled her eyes. “Humor the woman, Stan. She’s ninety-two.”
    “You have a point there.”
    Wilma turned back to Sierra. “You’re going to leave a hole in our group when you move on to greener pastures. We’ll miss you, you know.”
    Before Sierra could form a reply around the golf ball in her throat, a smile crept onto Stan’s lips. “Yeah, and not only that, but I don’t think you’re half as mixed up as everyone thinks you are.”
    That did the trick of dislodging the threat of tears, but Sierra wasn’t sure how to take the compliment. “Thanks...I think.”
    Wilma walked over to Stan and whacked the back of his head. “Knock it off, you big goon.”
    “Hello in there!” Cole’s voice called out. He jogged into the room with his guitar. “Sorry I’m late.”
    Sierra squeezed the neck of her violin so it wouldn’t slip out of her grip. “What are you doing here?”
    “Surprised, huh?” He held up his guitar case. “I’m going to play.”
    Stan welcomed him with a pat on his shoulder. “Hey, it’s great to have you here, man. Pastor mentioned you’d be joining us. Listen, Tim couldn’t be here tonight, what do you say you take the drums?” He handed Cole an opened song book.
    Cole took it and winked at Sierra before he made his way to the drum set. “Will do.”
    Sierra was doing her best to understand what was happening, but her brain didn’t seem to be working very well. “You play both the drums and guitar?”
    He picked up the sticks, pounded out a few quick beats and ended with one tap on the cymbal. “You got it.”
    Suddenly, she wanted to be anywhere but here. How would she keep her distance when she found Cole involved in another area of her life? Already she felt too much of a connection with him. Making music together could only serve to strengthen that bond.
    Isabelle held up her flute. “Sorry to be a party pooper, but I need to be out of here in a half hour. Shall we pick up on measure four?”
    Sierra was glad for Isabelle’s announcement. There was no time to