Kassidy's Crescendo by Marianne Evans Page A

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