Siobhan's Beat Read online

  Her pulse raced. “Would you guys be willing to come along? On the test drive?”

  “Absolutely.”

  “Can’t wait.”

  AJ and Liam answered on top of each other. Their eagerness didn’t seem to stem from an impulse to pressure her, either. Sure, they wanted her to break through her driving phobia, but they were nothing but confident—they weren’t afraid to ride with her. She wasn’t cursed or anything...

  Millimeter by millimeter, Siobhan relaxed. I can do this.

  Following a short session with the salesman, Siobhan was handed the keys. Butterflies cut loose in her tummy causing her to clutch the fob tight while AJ claimed shotgun and Liam folded into the rear seat behind him.

  God, please protect me. Please guard and guide me and please know how scared I am right now. Give me your peace and steady calm. I love you, and I need you.

  She was shaky at first. She drove beneath the speed limit, and her fists clenched the steering wheel tight, but it didn’t take long to find a comfort zone. Traffic thinned, her body relaxed, and she began the slow but sure process of reestablishing trust—and confidence.

  Much like recovering from her leg injury.

  Pretty soon she smiled. Pretty soon she touched the button control for the window and fresh, sweet air caressed her face. Pretty soon joy replaced gut-tossing fear.

  She pulled to a stop at a red light and giggled. “If only it were a convertible…”

  From the back seat, Liam cut loose with a howl of laughter. “Now that’s the girl I love!”

  “Me, too.” AJ whispered the words, delivering a rich, keenly tuned look coupled with a captivating smile that prompted Siobhan to lean forward, capture his lips briefly, then pull back just in time to see the light go green.

  All systems go, she thought. All systems go.

  12

  At last, she danced. At longest, sweetest last…she danced.

  Opening night of the Sisters in Spirit tour played to a sold-out crowd in Connecticut. Audience support had been galvanized by media coverage that detailed the story of their friendship, and the seeming lark of an idea that had prompted the group into existence. Siobhan praised God for the way their testimony already touched hearts. The story of her reemergence had given incredible witness to the power of God’s hand. From the desperation to faith…just as AJ had said.

  Siobhan treated herself to a quick peek into the house. At a glance, she absorbed it all, feeding off the vibration of expectation, the happy faces, the conversational buzz of the spectators.

  Her skin bloomed with goose bumps, and she didn’t think she’d ever stop smiling.

  They were midway through the performance, headed to intermission after the conclusion of their next song, which Aileen was ready to introduce from center stage. Aileen was flanked by Maeve and Kassidy, and the girls looked resplendent in matching style gowns of red, green, and gold.

  “Our next number is one you might consider to be a song meant to usher in the New Year, and it most certainly accomplishes that task beautifully. But the lyrics also speak of new beginnings. Of the hope that comes from renewal and turning life’s page with each day we’re given.” Aileen paused for a moment, stage lights shimmering off the crystal beading of her gown. Visibly overwrought, she steadied herself before continuing. “As most of you know, our dancer, the driving force behind our group, has emerged from just such a journey, and we can do nothing but sit back in awe of God and all that He has accomplished in her life. So, as we sing, we’re going to tuck off to the side and give our ballerina the spotlight. So, join in—or perhaps share a snuggle with the one who brought you—” Recovered now, Aileen’s coy, sparkling smile blanketed the crowd. “And we hope you enjoy our version of the time-honored classic, ‘Auld Lang Syne.’”

  Stifling tears, Siobhan shivered against a familiar ocean of tulle and pastel blue satin as she awaited her entry cue. She watched her friends assemble on stools to the right of the stage just before the lights went dim.

  The rich, sweet chords of a piano prompted Siobhan across the stage in a series of delicate spins. In that moment of warm-flowing energy, she was transported far away from the pain and horrors of the past eight months. The orchestra came to life and her heart broke free—free of fear, free of restraint, free of anything but the joy God had bestowed upon her like a gift. Filled with gratitude, she launched into the dance she had dreamed of during every grueling moment of recovery and rehab.

  “We’ve wandered many a weary step, since auld lang syne…”

  Aileen’s voice rang out sure and clear; Siobhan’s gaze tagged AJ, who sat front row, center. How could she possibly refrain from connecting herself—body and soul—to the one who held her heart? They had, indeed, wandered weary steps. Together.

  She floated and twirled, experiencing just one slight wobble which she corrected in an instant of automatic centering that renewed her faith in her body’s capabilities.

  “The seas between us broad have roared since auld lang syne…”

  Maeve’s powerful alto wavered just a touch, betraying the depth of her emotions. Siobhan glanced quickly toward the spot occupied by her lifelong friends. A brief instant of light shimmered off sequins and silk as they were forced to alternate verse by verse in order to finish singing the song. Each had sparking eyes; each had tears tracking down their cheeks. These precious women were the anchors that held Siobhan in place when those broad seas roared, and her love for them filled to overflowing.

  Siobhan launched into the concluding sequence of her dance as the song wound down.

  A series of glissades led straight to a line of pirouettes that spun her across the stage, arms arched perfectly.

  She was home—and the release of joy that swept through her system lifted her high.

  ****

  The concert built toward its conclusion.

  A quick glance to the left gave AJ a shock. Liam Douglas, the strong, tough-spirited Irishman had tears in his eyes. Liam’s chin wavered as he watched his sister float and drift across the stage. AJ leaned in. “You’ve been a great bully and a great support. She’s lucky to have you.”

  Liam shook his head, a bead of moisture tracking down his cheek. He swallowed hard. Blinked a few times. “I’m grateful to you, Coop. More than you’ll ever know. My sister means the world to me. Losing dance would have sliced her spirit.”

  The whispered declaration, the reaction, was part of what fueled AJ every day of his life as a doctor, but this moment slipped much deeper into his heart than anything he had previously experienced. This wasn’t professional. This stirring display of recovery, this woman, was extremely personal. “She did all the work. I just cheered her on.”

  “You’ve done a lot more than that, and I thank you.”

  Liam extended a closed fist. AJ surrendered the point, bumping his fist against Liam’s. Soon, the final notes of the song “Friends” drifted into silence, and the audience launched to its feet as one.

  What came next was far from the standard conclusion to a music concert. A technician appeared briefly, handing two bouquets of snow-white roses to Aileen. Aileen’s eyes flashed with moisture, and AJ noticed the way she firmed her chin and took a deep breath.

  She stepped to Siobhan’s side and handed off one of the bouquets, giving her friend a long hug. Siobhan appeared to be overwhelmed, trembling as she accepted the loving gesture.

  Aileen faced the audience. More specifically, she focused on AJ, and his heart began to pound.

  A graceful gesture of her hand called him forward, but he remained frozen in place. What on earth…?

  “Go up.” Liam added a none-too-gentle shove against AJ’s back. Their eyes met. “She’s waiting for you. They all are.”

  Now it was AJ who became emotional. Seriously? This? No. Totally unnecessary. Watching Siobhan heal and bloom had been more than enough thanks. His legs weren’t altogether stable when he took the steps leading to the stage.

  Aileen gave her bouquet to Siobha
n, who was now nearly hidden by roses, baby’s breath, and greenery, “We want you to meet Doctor AJ Cooper,” Aileen began, “the man we love and bless for helping Siobhan reclaim the dance floor and the stage in such a beautiful way.”

  Aileen’s words faded into a blue haze for AJ. He had eyes only for the diminutive, but powerful woman who had captured his heart so quickly and so effortlessly.

  He barely had time to consider that fact before Siobhan moved toward him, looked him deep in the eyes and performed the most beautiful courtesy. Then, she handed him a bouquet.

  “Thank you, Coop. Thank you more than words, prayers, and hopes could ever properly express. You’ve blessed me beyond measure.” The words were a whisper—meant for the two of them alone. When she hugged him tight, she whispered in his ear. “I love you.”

  The audience roared with cheers and applause as he drew her in and kissed both her cheeks in a slow and savoring way. Tears filled her luminous, deep blue eyes.

  He brushed them softly away. “I love you, too.”

  She touched his jaw and leaned against him. That’s when AJ found himself surrounded by Aileen, Kassidy, and Maeve, welcomed into the fold, the family, the remarkable tapestry of women who truly were Sisters in Spirit.

  ****

  Drew Wintower exchanged a satisfied nod and a brief but enthusiastic hug with Liam Douglas. The evening couldn’t have been more of a slam dunk. The puzzle pieces of what promised to be a phenomenal tour had finally come together and been affirmed. The first concert—always the most difficult—was a wrap.

  “Liam, what this group will accomplish is absolutely unbelievable.”

  Drew’s friend backed away, ear-to-ear smile in place, yet Drew knew Liam well and picked up on an undercurrent that left his skin prickling, the hairs dancing against the back of his neck.

  “I couldn’t agree with you more, but this moment is about the message. Everything that’s to come is about the message.” Liam looked Drew straight in the eyes. “You’re going to be an important part of bringing that truth into focus. Are you ready?”

  “Could there be a doubt?” Drew continued to ride a wave of euphoria, captured anew by the celebratory atmosphere. “The only thing I’ll add is you need to come up with a few more of these ideas that pluck talented artists out of obscurity and call them to the forefront. You’re the best—and these women are solid gold.”

  Liam crooked an arm around Drew’s neck. In unison, they returned their attention to the stage. Assured of great things to come, Drew allowed himself the pleasure of sinking in and drinking his fill. He focused on the stage as the girls performed final bows and a last salute to the crowd.

  His gaze gravitated straight to Kassidy Cartwright.

  Time spent together during rehearsals had intensified their connection, and that particular development left him unsettled. Intrigued and attracted, yes, but unsettled, because this was only the beginning. Long hours together would stretch across numerous states and dates in the months to come.

  Dressed in a gown of deep green, Kassidy’s thick brown hair shimmered around her shoulders. Drew’s fingertips itched to reach out—to stroke soft curls artfully dotted by sparkling accents. Kassidy was such a gorgeous woman, possessed of a spicy, playful personality that continually surprised him, piqued his interest, and pushed him just a bit off his natural guard. Life with Kassidy Cartwright, he was coming to realize, would never—ever—be boring.

  All in all, she was precisely his kind of woman.

  Except for his absolute determination to not mix business with pleasure ever again. No matter how sizzling the electricity, he couldn’t afford to make the same mistake twice.

  Except for the whole Christianity thing. Drew’s passion and gift was discerning cultural appetites then providing the banquet. He wasn’t one to worship at the throne of some omniscient, unseen deity.

  Regardless, Kassidy’s pull was potent, even if the most important aspects of her nature were opposed to his own.

  From the stage, her gaze roved the front row. Her eyes were stunning—a captivating hue of deep green—and when her attention settled on him, it stayed put. A rapid increase in the heat index left him shifting a bit, but he maintained their connection—all but challenging her to be the one to break the spell.

  Her lips curved just slightly and an unspoken reply came to him in the form of a long, slow wink.

  Drew swallowed past dry cotton. Man, what a sweet looking, generous mouth—shimmering red lips full of sass. After a final bow, the quartet left the stage.

  When the house lights came up, Drew found himself strangely adrift. Captured…yet again.

  Need kept pulling at a spot in his gut in a way that was so powerful, yet so unexpected and foreign, he had no idea how to even analyze it.

  Nothing had ever felt like this, not even…

  Drew gave himself a solid shake, wrapped himself in a layer of cool control and confidence as he followed his team out of the theatre. He definitely wanted to get to know Kassidy better—and thereby grab a stronger handle on why she affected him. So he could combat the feeling. That’s all there was to it.

  Almost.

  He couldn’t help wondering, despite her being his polar opposite in so many ways, what would it feel like to be welcomed—fully and forever—into the heart and mind of Kassidy Cartwright.

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