you’re the father?”
Rocky’s arm flew out like a soccer mom in a minivan and punched him in the arm. “Really, Kevin? Was that necessary?”
“ Oouuch !” He rubbed his shoulder. “He’s a rock star, isn’t he?”
“Sorry, Shade.” Max scrubbed his hands across his face. “The boy just ain’t right in the head, sometimes.”
Shade laughed. “No worries.”
Max held his hand out and started counting things off on his fingers. “So we’re praying for Rocky to find God’s will about his speaking request, and for Shade’s meeting to go well today, and that he and Rachel’s mother can reach some sort of understanding about visitation and all that. Right?”
“Right,” they all agreed.
“God can do anything,” Rocky said. “Your baby will be makin’ a name for herself in the nursery here in no time.”
“And don’t worry,” Max added. “Despite Kevin’s tendency to blurt out the first thing that comes to his mind, we’ve got your back. No one will hear about this from us.”
“Thanks, but it’s no big secret. I know I’m new here and people here don’t know me that well, but it’s not like I’m trying to hide anything.”
Candi rounded the corner. Shade cleared his throat as she approached to signal the others.
“Sorry,” she said as the tight circle opened up for her. “Didn’t mean to barge in to the boys-only treehouse. I can come back.”
Max grabbed her arm. “Get over here. What’s up?”
“I need to check with Kelly, but while you’re all here, what do you think of practicing on Mondays for the new youth service?”
Rocky, Max, and Kevin all looked clueless. It was clear they hadn’t given any more thought to the new youth service Pastor Charles ordered. If Candi wasn’t there to keep them organized, Shade suspected the church’s music program would have long ago flown off the rails.
“Never mind. I’ll e-mail you all next week.”
“I can’t do Mondays,” Shade said. “I already have a commitment that night.”
“Oh. OK. We’ll work something out. Umm...Shade, can I have a minute?”
He pushed away from the wall. “Sure.”
He ignored Kevin’s wiggling eyebrows and Max’s kissing noises as he walked away. He didn’t want to know what Rocky was doing.
“We’re gonna go ahead and take care of that prayer,” Max called after him.
“Thanks, guys.”
They stepped into a room nearby. Candi walked to the middle with her head held high and her arms stiff at her sides. It was like General Patton in a little pink suit. Yes, she was a stunner in her perfect clothes and perfect hair, but he’d take the girl from the pond any day of the week.
“I’m sorry if I was out of line this morning,” he started before she could. “Didn’t mean to question you in front of the band.”
“Don’t apologize. Your idea was the right one. It turned out great.” She paused and clasped her hands behind her back. She did Patton better than Patton. “I’m sorry, too.”
His hearing must be going. It was a real possibility after all the blaring speakers he’d sat too close to. “Sorry?”
“Yes.”
“Why are you sorry?”
“It occurred to me after I got all worked up about everything this morning that if I’d just asked your opinion in the first place, I wouldn’t have lost any sleep over it.”
“I’m not following.”
“Pastor Charles believes God sent you here to be a part of this music program. He also thinks I could use some help with it. He might be right. When I got that last minute change, I should’ve just picked up the phone and brainstormed some ideas with you. But I’m not used to having help. I love this group, but they’re not interested in the details. They’re talented, but they just want to show up and worship. They don’t want to plan, or arrange music, or get those last minutes requests.”
“I never said I wanted to do that, either. I’ve told the pastor several times I’m not a worship leader.”
She shrugged and
Rocky’s arm flew out like a soccer mom in a minivan and punched him in the arm. “Really, Kevin? Was that necessary?”
“ Oouuch !” He rubbed his shoulder. “He’s a rock star, isn’t he?”
“Sorry, Shade.” Max scrubbed his hands across his face. “The boy just ain’t right in the head, sometimes.”
Shade laughed. “No worries.”
Max held his hand out and started counting things off on his fingers. “So we’re praying for Rocky to find God’s will about his speaking request, and for Shade’s meeting to go well today, and that he and Rachel’s mother can reach some sort of understanding about visitation and all that. Right?”
“Right,” they all agreed.
“God can do anything,” Rocky said. “Your baby will be makin’ a name for herself in the nursery here in no time.”
“And don’t worry,” Max added. “Despite Kevin’s tendency to blurt out the first thing that comes to his mind, we’ve got your back. No one will hear about this from us.”
“Thanks, but it’s no big secret. I know I’m new here and people here don’t know me that well, but it’s not like I’m trying to hide anything.”
Candi rounded the corner. Shade cleared his throat as she approached to signal the others.
“Sorry,” she said as the tight circle opened up for her. “Didn’t mean to barge in to the boys-only treehouse. I can come back.”
Max grabbed her arm. “Get over here. What’s up?”
“I need to check with Kelly, but while you’re all here, what do you think of practicing on Mondays for the new youth service?”
Rocky, Max, and Kevin all looked clueless. It was clear they hadn’t given any more thought to the new youth service Pastor Charles ordered. If Candi wasn’t there to keep them organized, Shade suspected the church’s music program would have long ago flown off the rails.
“Never mind. I’ll e-mail you all next week.”
“I can’t do Mondays,” Shade said. “I already have a commitment that night.”
“Oh. OK. We’ll work something out. Umm...Shade, can I have a minute?”
He pushed away from the wall. “Sure.”
He ignored Kevin’s wiggling eyebrows and Max’s kissing noises as he walked away. He didn’t want to know what Rocky was doing.
“We’re gonna go ahead and take care of that prayer,” Max called after him.
“Thanks, guys.”
They stepped into a room nearby. Candi walked to the middle with her head held high and her arms stiff at her sides. It was like General Patton in a little pink suit. Yes, she was a stunner in her perfect clothes and perfect hair, but he’d take the girl from the pond any day of the week.
“I’m sorry if I was out of line this morning,” he started before she could. “Didn’t mean to question you in front of the band.”
“Don’t apologize. Your idea was the right one. It turned out great.” She paused and clasped her hands behind her back. She did Patton better than Patton. “I’m sorry, too.”
His hearing must be going. It was a real possibility after all the blaring speakers he’d sat too close to. “Sorry?”
“Yes.”
“Why are you sorry?”
“It occurred to me after I got all worked up about everything this morning that if I’d just asked your opinion in the first place, I wouldn’t have lost any sleep over it.”
“I’m not following.”
“Pastor Charles believes God sent you here to be a part of this music program. He also thinks I could use some help with it. He might be right. When I got that last minute change, I should’ve just picked up the phone and brainstormed some ideas with you. But I’m not used to having help. I love this group, but they’re not interested in the details. They’re talented, but they just want to show up and worship. They don’t want to plan, or arrange music, or get those last minutes requests.”
“I never said I wanted to do that, either. I’ve told the pastor several times I’m not a worship leader.”
She shrugged and
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