And the Greatest of These Is Love: A Contemporary Christian Romance Novel by Staci Stallings Page B
Authors: Staci Stallings
Tags: Romance, Literature & Fiction, Contemporary, Religion & Spirituality, Christian fiction, Inspirational, Christian Books & Bibles, Religious & Inspirational Fiction
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held his gaze for a moment, smiled because she couldn’t help it, and then looked away — afraid of letting him see the feelings spiraling through her at the moment. Why could one look do this to her? Yes, he was gorgeous, but he would also be gone in a couple days, not to even mention that he was completely unattainable if she was even looking, which she wasn’t.
“Okay, everyone take a seat,” Gabi said, trying to control her voice and the racing of her heart. She was desperate to keep herself acting normally even if that was the last thing she was feeling at the moment. “How about we start with something simple? Umm, Old McDonald?”
“Yeah,” the children chorused, and across the room Andrew smiled.
An hour later Gabi decided it was time to go. She wished they could stay like this forever, but very soon the older kids would flood the hallways, and getting back to her room then would be next to impossible.
“It’s time to go,” she said at the final note of the third time through Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star.
“One more,” her kids cried.
“One of yours,” Andrew said, from across the room, just loud enough for her to hear.
Gabi looked over at him in surprise, and suddenly the children around them disappeared. She smiled at him shyly and then turned to the keys in front of her. She took a deep breath to calm her racing pulse and laid her fingers lightly on the keys.
When the music started, Andrew was immediately taken in. Even the children were mesmerized by it. Charissa sat curled in his lap and even the two boys playing at his feet on the floor at up to listen. In fact, while the music played, it was like the whole world stood still just to listen.
Her fingers didn’t miss a single note as they glided softly over the keys. Music had been her one escape since she was very young, and even now it did not let her go. She melted into the music, became one with it as she let everything else wash away from her.
When she came finally to the end of the piece, she sat with her eyes closed, feeling the music still pulsing through her spirit. This was who she was, down deep in the deepest part of herself, she was the music.
None of the children moved at the end of the performance until Gabi sat up straight and smiled at them. Andrew was the first to get his mind working again, and he smiled and put his hands together in applause. The children quickly followed in his gesture of appreciation. Gabi smiled at them, and then her gaze met his over the expanse and the crowd of little heads. The moment froze between them as the ice surrounding her heart began to melt for this gentle, kind, amazing man.
“Okay,” she finally managed to say, “it’s time to go. Everybody get a buddy.”
The children jumped to their feet, and in no time they were paired up and ready for the journey back to the room. Andrew waited only a brief moment before realizing how little time he had to get the babies back. He wished with every part of him that he could talk to her, but they each had work that had to be done. Talking would have to wait.
“Irvin! Why don’t you come over here and join our game?” Andrew called the second Irvin stepped into the gym. Suddenly this young man held many keys of information he desperately needed.
Slowly almost distrustfully, Irvin made his way over, trying his best to look cool and tough, which was only barely working because of how curious he looked.
“You talkin’ to me?” he asked, in his best tough-guy voice, but Andrew knew his secret now, and he wasn’t about to fall for the act.
Lifting his chin, Andrew smiled. “Yeah, how’s it going?”
The mask on the teenager’s face dropped for a heartbeat, and then he was Irvin tough guy again. “So, are we gonna play or what?”
“Yeah,” Andrew said, holding smile from coming too bright, “we’re gonna play.”
They were in the middle of a game when Irvin decided it was time
“Okay, everyone take a seat,” Gabi said, trying to control her voice and the racing of her heart. She was desperate to keep herself acting normally even if that was the last thing she was feeling at the moment. “How about we start with something simple? Umm, Old McDonald?”
“Yeah,” the children chorused, and across the room Andrew smiled.
An hour later Gabi decided it was time to go. She wished they could stay like this forever, but very soon the older kids would flood the hallways, and getting back to her room then would be next to impossible.
“It’s time to go,” she said at the final note of the third time through Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star.
“One more,” her kids cried.
“One of yours,” Andrew said, from across the room, just loud enough for her to hear.
Gabi looked over at him in surprise, and suddenly the children around them disappeared. She smiled at him shyly and then turned to the keys in front of her. She took a deep breath to calm her racing pulse and laid her fingers lightly on the keys.
When the music started, Andrew was immediately taken in. Even the children were mesmerized by it. Charissa sat curled in his lap and even the two boys playing at his feet on the floor at up to listen. In fact, while the music played, it was like the whole world stood still just to listen.
Her fingers didn’t miss a single note as they glided softly over the keys. Music had been her one escape since she was very young, and even now it did not let her go. She melted into the music, became one with it as she let everything else wash away from her.
When she came finally to the end of the piece, she sat with her eyes closed, feeling the music still pulsing through her spirit. This was who she was, down deep in the deepest part of herself, she was the music.
None of the children moved at the end of the performance until Gabi sat up straight and smiled at them. Andrew was the first to get his mind working again, and he smiled and put his hands together in applause. The children quickly followed in his gesture of appreciation. Gabi smiled at them, and then her gaze met his over the expanse and the crowd of little heads. The moment froze between them as the ice surrounding her heart began to melt for this gentle, kind, amazing man.
“Okay,” she finally managed to say, “it’s time to go. Everybody get a buddy.”
The children jumped to their feet, and in no time they were paired up and ready for the journey back to the room. Andrew waited only a brief moment before realizing how little time he had to get the babies back. He wished with every part of him that he could talk to her, but they each had work that had to be done. Talking would have to wait.
“Irvin! Why don’t you come over here and join our game?” Andrew called the second Irvin stepped into the gym. Suddenly this young man held many keys of information he desperately needed.
Slowly almost distrustfully, Irvin made his way over, trying his best to look cool and tough, which was only barely working because of how curious he looked.
“You talkin’ to me?” he asked, in his best tough-guy voice, but Andrew knew his secret now, and he wasn’t about to fall for the act.
Lifting his chin, Andrew smiled. “Yeah, how’s it going?”
The mask on the teenager’s face dropped for a heartbeat, and then he was Irvin tough guy again. “So, are we gonna play or what?”
“Yeah,” Andrew said, holding smile from coming too bright, “we’re gonna play.”
They were in the middle of a game when Irvin decided it was time
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