Country Crooner (Christian Romance) by Rebecca Lynn Clayson Page A

was the type of woman that every man dreamed about, high-caliber in every way.
    He hadn't told Chelsea about his feelings, because he was still worried about the fact that he didn't feel worthy of her love. He knew that he’d made some big mistakes in his life, and she deserved the best man that she could get. He felt conflicted, wanting to confess his love to her, but at the same time, wanting what was best for her.
    Kurt pulled himself out of bed, got dressed, and drove over to help Chelsea with the move.
    While everyone was unpacking the moving truck, he focused on the work and tried hard to not let on how much he cared about Chelsea . He kept his distance from her so that he wouldn't have to worry about hiding the feelings in his heart.
    He felt as though there was a big sign on his forehead that said, "I love Chelsea ," and he was worried about her reaction if she found out how he felt. It wasn't hard to avoid her during the move, because there were so many people going in and out of the house. He needed a little more time to sort through his thoughts before he could let her know what was going on in his heart and mind.
    Once the truck was unloaded Chels ea needed to drop it off, and Mrs. Bullock was going to give her a ride back home. She had a few more things that she needed to get done at home before heading over to the town hall, but she wouldn't be long because she wanted to help with the preparation for the show. Kurt headed over to the town hall immediately, and planned to meet up with her later.
    He arrived at the town hall and found a few of the choir kids there ready to help with the setup. They started working on the preparations: setting up chairs, checking the sound system, and making sure the stage was ready to go. An hour into his work the pastor from the church stopped by to see what he could do to help. Kurt stepped out into the hallway to talk with the pastor for a few minutes.
    "Hi Kurt, it looks like things are coming together, are you ready for the show tonight? Is there anything that I can do to help?" the pastor asked.
    "I think we’re almost ready, thanks for the offer though. Chelsea should be arriving soon, and the rest of the youth choir will be here shortly as well to rehearse a little before the performance. At this point, all that's left to do is to pray for a good turnout."
    "Well, praying is my specialty, so I can definitely help with that!" The pastor paused for a moment, as if he was deciding what to say. "The rumor around town is that you and Chelsea have been spending a lot of time together. How's that going? I may be overstepping my bounds to ask you, but I like to keep an eye on the people in my congregation."
    "She's a wonderful woman, and has definitely stolen a piece of my heart. But at this point, we're still just friends. And I think its best that we remain that way." Kurt was a little hesitant as he spoke, but he knew that it was the right thing to do.
    "Why do you say that you should remain friends, and not pursue the relationship? If you care about her, then you should tell her how you feel."
    "Well, she's a woman of strong faith, and I feel like she deserves a man to match that faith. I'm not sure that I’m good enough of a man for her."
    "I would have to disagree with that statement," the pastor said strongly. "You’ve come a long way in the past two years, and you can't discredit the progress that you've made."
    "Yes, I realize that I'm a better man now than I was two years ago, but I've made a lot of mistakes in my life. I have too much baggage to bring into the relationship."
    "Kurt, you need to keep in mind that the atonement of Jesus Christ is a very real gift that has been given to us. You have worked with me over the past couple years to repent for the mistakes that you made, and through God's grace you have been forgiven for your sins. Have you not felt God's forgiveness in your life?"
    "Yes, I have felt the forgiveness. But sometimes, I still question myself. I