Always Tried and Proven (8 page)

      “Callie, because of you, fifty peoples' lives were changed tonight.  And it was no slam-dunk, ring up the numbers game.  My team ministered to each one of those people who asked for help.  There were drug dealers, gang members, addicts, alcoholics, sexual deviants, abused women.  Businessmen, prostitutes, mothers, children.  People were set free from sickness and disease.  Twenty people confessed that they had been planning suicide.  You helped us save those lives, Callie.  You opened the door for many of those people to a whole new lease on life.  You may think you have nothing to offer, but I am giving you clear evidence that tells the truth.”

      He took her hand, and looked into her eyes.  “I appreciate your honesty.  I thank you for it.  I know you’re trying to be straight with me.  But you just can’t see what a
difference
you made.  I’ve never seen the doors swing open the way they did tonight!  What you have to offer people is special, Callie.  And I’m going to ask you to be honest.  Isn’t it really your desire to touch peoples’ lives?  Callie, isn’t that why you love to sing?”

      He waited patiently, but she wasn’t going to answer.  He sighed.  “Callie.  I’ve never seen the Spirit of God move the way He did tonight.  You are not professing to be anything you're not, or anybody holy.  You are just doing what you’ve been asked to do.  Let God take care of everything else!”

     “So many people asked if we were going to have you back, again.  You touched hearts, Callie. 
You
made a difference.  Don’t back out on me now.  If you have to, do this one day at a time.  Just don’t shut the door in my face.”  He asked persuasively.

       Callie moaned, and covered her face with her hands.  “I’m not even saved.”

       Sam smiled.  “Callie, I’ll help you take care of that any time you’re ready.”

       “I knew that would come up pretty soon.”  Callie laughed derisively.

      Sam looked at her with steady eyes.  “Your salvation is very important to me.  But I’m not a fool.  I’ll wait until the time is right.  When you want to, Callie, I’ll be ready.  But I’m not going to push you.”

      “Ha, ha!”  Callie snarled.  “Right!  If I don’t sing, your fine Christian friends will chew me up and spit me out for being a quitter.  And if I do, I’ll be lying to everybody because I don’t believe in this …
insanity
you promote.  Even if I had a true conversion, your friends would shun me and stone the both of us when they discovered my past!  They don’t
like
musician types.”

     “Is that what you’re afraid of?  Being hurt by critical Christians?” he asked quizzically.

      “I’m not afraid of anything, or anybody!  I’m just not a glutton for punishment.” She denied fervently.

      “Then come again tomorrow night, and sing
one song
.” He requested softly.  “If it wasn’t God, it won’t happen again.  But if He moves on people the way He did tonight, then I’ll ask you to come again.  One day at a time.”

       “Why are you so patient with me?” she asked curiously.

      “Because I believe that what’s happening in the tent with you  … is real, and miraculous.  And I believe that in time, you’ll see that it’s so.”  He answered her calmly.  “And I know that the moment tonight was special for you, too.  I could feel it, Callie.  Something happened in the tent that touched your heart.  Something clicked into place.  You hit a milepost that you’d been looking for.  Didn’t you?”

       Callie gave him a wild look.  “No!  No, not really.” She lied.

      Sam sighed, and shook his head.  “Well, it was good for everybody else.  Will you please come tomorrow?  I’ll ask you every day, all right?  Just give me what you can.”

     Callie shook her head.  She couldn’t believe it, but she found herself agreeing to do it again.  “All right.  One day at a time.  But, Sam, what are you going to do when your adoring public finds out I’m an unsaved bar fly?”

     “Let me worry about that.”  He answered gently.  “You just show up and sing.”

     Callie rolled her eyes and shook her head.  “Okay, Sam.  But don’t you ever say I didn’t warn you.”

     “I will take full responsibility.  Callie, thank you.”  He said quietly.

     She got up and walked to the window, hugging herself.  “Sam, I don’t know.  It doesn’t make any sense.”  She complained.

     “It doesn’t have to.  It was phenomenal!”  Sam explained.  “We only have to give the Lord a place to move, and people to move through.  It’s up to Him to make it work.  He chose to work through you.  And you don’t fool me.  I know you could feel it, too, love.”

      Callie sighed and blinked back sudden tears.  He was right behind her; his hands rested gently on her arms.  “The tent is going to become incredibly big and successful, isn’t it?”

      “Yes.”  Sam answered humbly.  He appeared to be without selfish pride.

      She turned and looked up at him, and smiled.  “I’m glad for you, Sam.  I really am.”

     He smiled down at her.  She felt his eyes on her lips and she blushed, tensing.  He moved closer, and pulled her into a hug. 

      “Not yet, eh?  All right, Callie.  I can wait a bit longer.” He said with a chuckle.  He kissed her forehead and then, he released her.  “I’ll say goodnight, and let you get some rest.”

       She looked up at him shyly.  “Goodnight, Sam.”

       He gave her a crooked smile, and went out the door.

      Sam sat alone in the dark.  It was quiet, in the still before dawn; even in the heart of New York.  He couldn't seem to sleep.  Not usually a problem for him, he thought with a chuckle.  He worked long, hard hours like every member of the team did.  Most of the time, they all fell into bed exhausted, and slept hard enough that a hurricane could come through without notice.  But, not tonight.  Not for him.

      He'd been dead, inside;  dead, for so long, to the idea of being a man.  He didn't recall
ever
desiring a woman before;  not without drugs.  When he did drugs, the women were there, just waiting for him.  Wanting him.   He'd always succumbed without complaint.  What man wouldn't take sugar when his defenses were subdued, and the women were gathered, waiting?

       He hadn't desired them as lovers; they were just women to have sex with.  It wouldn't have mattered if they'd had no names, and been unable to speak.  They were only receptacles for his use, under the influence of drugs.  Nothing more.

      He shook his head.  He didn't want to think about that.  This was different.  This was the first time he'd been truly captivated by a beautiful girl.  The first time he'd ever allowed himself to look, and see what was there to see, since...

     Ten years.  Ten years, he'd been so alone.  Waiting, and lately, rather hoping that someday, somewhere, there would be someone.  Some woman that would wake him up.  Someone he would feel something for.  He was so lonely in this area.  He'd just buried his head in the sand, and served God tirelessly.  He'd always thought it would be enough.  But now, there was Callie.  He knew  that it was a risk.  Wasn't it always, though?  There are no guarantees in life!

      He sighed heavily, and leaned back in the chair.  She'd caught him off guard, that's for sure.  That heavy curtain of incredibly long, flowing hair so rich brown in color, with highlights of shimmering gold and red.  Then, her eyes.  So clear, and piercing with color so bright it took his breath away.  The soft smooth skin of her cleavage, that had drawn his eyes before he even realized what he was seeing.  And the legs … dear God, the legs.  Endlessly long, slender and tan.  Her thighs were even slender and beautiful.  Not like the hams most women had above their knees – but long, muscled and smooth.  Brown, and begging his fingers to touch them.  Her calves, so sinuous and pleasingly curved.  Her ankles, so tiny, and her feet – even they were lovely!  Tiny, with the nails perfectly manicured and painted white along the tips, like her fingernails.

      Her arms were slender, but also muscular in a lean, beautiful way.  Her wrists, so tiny he knew he could put one hand around both of them.  Her hands so soft and lovely, with long, slender fingers made even more tantalizing by the medium length nails, so perfectly done in a French manicure.  How she managed to play a guitar with those nails, was a mystery to him.

      Her cheeks had just the right amount of roundness to draw the eye.  Her nose was tiny and adorable.  Her lips – her lips!  Full, yet not fleshy.  Perfectly shaped, soft and smooth.  They curved up at the edges, as if she was going to smile at every moment.  The dimples that flanked her lips fascinated him.  They were so cute.  Her teeth were beautiful, too;  even and white.

      Her husky voice, like no other he'd ever heard.  He could still hear it now, saying his name.  “
Sam
”.  Like a caress!  How did she think he'd ever be able to think about anything else, when he kept hearing her voice, saying his name?

      He had been so stunned that morning, when the door opened a tiny three inches, to see the curtain of hair, the wary eye that peeked out at him.  The scent of her, so light and sweet, like Jasmine or Lily of the Valley, muted by the soft freshness of crushed leaves and maybe, the silky freshness of a Spring breeze.  Then, to be hit between the eyes by the cleavage and endless legs, the beautiful hands and lips, eyes and nose, dimples and toes.

      He smiled, thinking how silly he sounded.  He found her wary eyes so lovely; looking at him as if trying to determine whether he'd pounce, or bite.  Looking at him, and being spooked by his very presence.  As if he would devour her.  Yet – not being able to look away, either. 
That
was quite encouraging.

   He'd been amused when she'd run, hair streaming, back to her room, obviously trying to escape his scrutiny.

      Then, she had returned, trying so hard to appear poised and indifferent.  And managing only to be shy and adorable.  And so, so cute.

     And yet, on another level, she challenged him.  She was defiant and fiery, wily and intelligent.  Feisty and mouthy, and independent.  He found, to his surprise, that he liked that.  It rather made his blood race through his veins, just to think about it.

     Sam suddenly felt his own heart beating wildly.  He'd been waiting, he realized.  Waiting for someone like Callie Wilson to appear.  The feeling of loneliness because he wasn't with her, almost strangled him.

      Yes, he had his God – indeed!  But he'd never had a mate.   Never had a woman look up at him and grab him with her wide, honest eyes, that way.  Not until today.  And now?

        He couldn't escape.

     Callie didn’t wake up until noon.  Sadie was already busy in the kitchen, baking cookies.

     “Well good afternoon, sleepyhead.”  She greeted Callie cheerfully.  “Late night?”

       “Yep.”  Callie agreed.

       “Well, how was the job?”

       “Great.  Fine.”

       “You sound grumpy.”

     “I am.”  Callie growled.  Perhaps I’ll take a bath and with any luck,  I’ll feel more human, after.”

      The bath definitely improved her spirits.  Afterward, she went into her room and put on some white, terry shorts and a matching, strapless top that was bare over the midriff.  She was still shaking her hair out when she walked into the living room. 

      “Sadie, are those cookies done?” she asked wistfully.  “Don’t tell me they’re for a special occasion or something.  You’ve got to let me have one.”  She begged.

      “I think that she made them because she invited us to lunch.”  A man’s voice answered her.

      Callie turned and stared in shock at Sam and his friend, Clyde.  “Hi, Sam.” She said woodenly.  She felt ridiculous for appearing in her skimpy attire.

      “Hi,” he answered, his dimples creasing his cheeks.  “This is Clyde Lawson, our tent master.”

      “Hi, Clyde.”  Callie greeted him.  “Please forgive me for my dress.  I wasn’t expecting company.  I’ll just go change.”

      “Callie, I hope you don’t mind.”  Sadie called from the kitchen.  “I didn’t want to wake you, and there is some tent business that needs to be taken care of.”

     “No problem.  Just let me get into something decent and I’ll be out of the way…”

       “No.  Join us.”  Sam insisted.  “As we intended.”

      Callie gave him a withering look, but he just smiled.  “It’s what I want, and I generally get my way.”

     “Tell me about it.”  Callie grumbled. “I’ll be back in a few minutes.”  She returned wearing a sun dress that covered more of her slim, tan body, but was still cool, and looked fine without nylons.  It showed off her tan very nicely.  With feet bare, she looked cool and comfortable when she joined Sadie in the kitchen.  She was chagrined to find the men there too, in the breakfast nook.

      “So what is for lunch?” she asked lightly.

    Sadie grinned.  “Grilled chicken Caesar salad with artichoke hearts, fresh tomatoes, avocado and croutons.  And iced tea to drink.  It’s about ready, so go on out to the patio.”

     Callie and the men didn’t argue.  They found a beautiful garden table set on the lanai.  Sadie had transformed Callie’s white, wrought iron garden set with a floral print umbrella, matching chair pads, place mats and napkins.  Combined with Callie’s potted garden of Nasturtiums and Morning Glories, Roses and Petunias, it was like a festival.  Sadie had plugged in the corner fountain, and turned on the music.