12

After dinner, Chase made a quick dash to his truck to retrieve sheet music for “Forgiveness.” Back inside, he followed Pyper to Tyler’s music room where her dad had just tabled a trio of glasses filled with lemonade. The space was acoustically insulated, squared off neatly, and lined by guitars in stands. A coffee table was strewn with sheet music covered by notes and lyrics in what appeared to be Tyler’s bold script. Walls were decorated by framed albums and awards. Then, there were shelves with even more awards, and a plush area rug where a group of leather seats begged a person to sink in, strap on a guitar, and go with the flow.

Chase crossed the entryway and never wanted to leave. This was where Pyper had come of age as a musician, cultivated a God-given gift under the loving and expert hand of her father. Chase twined his fingers against Pyper’s, giving them a slight squeeze. The gesture drew her focus and for a second or two, he lost himself in her eyes.

Tyler handed him a guitar then sat forward on the edge of a nearby seat, strapping on a guitar of his own. “What I love are those moments when the whole writing process sort of just takes you by storm. When a simple inspiration leads to the creation of the exact melody, the words, the beat you were after in your heart.”

Chase nodded and sat in the chair next to Tyler’s. In unison, they began to tune their instruments. “Just enough of those moments come along to keep you satisfied, but at the same time leave you hungry for more.” Chase wondered if the same kind of mind-set applied to what he felt for Pyper. She had settled cross-legged on the floor between their two chairs, a feminine delight, to be sure, yet so much more. All at once, those self-doubts he had discussed with Mark rose up like ghosts. This was a fantasy. A glimpse of the kind of joy that would keep him hungry for a long, long time…

“After the Opry event, I was so on fire I came home and started writing,” Tyler said. “Everything came fast and furious and perfect. I don’t think my head found a pillow ’til early morning. The words, the melody, just flowed through my mind and flew off my fingers, know what I mean?”

“I do at that.” Chase strummed. He grinned, savored being able to improvise as Tyler interjected simple chords and a steady, building rhythm. “I call it heaven.”

“So do I.”

“You mentioned wanting to try out ‘Forgiveness’, so I brought the sheet music.”

“Great.”

“Can I take a look?”

Pyper extended a hand and for the strangest reason, he focused on her slim, creamy wrist, and long, tapered fingers that he could feel in a beckoning caress… He forced words past his lips. “Sure. Have at it.”

Chase passed off the pages, and Pyper bent her head in study, twirling an errant wave of hair around her finger.

Chase shook free of the desire that licked fire against his gut. Sure the Brock’s were kind-spirited and genial, but he couldn’t imagine for even a quick second that they’d be pleased by any romantic intentions on his part. Forcing himself from her pull, Chase initiated a run-through of the song. They finessed the word play, worked at the refrain, and then Pyper added a batch of freshly-created words in answer to verse one of the song, which were so skilled and seamless she earned an even larger dose of Chase’s respect.

Tyler kept time and added his own thoughts as the song continued to take shape from the rough cut Chase had provided to Imperion weeks ago. In the end, the blend delivered a spread of chills against his skin. Man, had he missed this kind of collaboration.

Tyler kept his fingers moving against the guitar strings, nodding in acceptance of their latest efforts. “You’ve definitely got a winning theme; the melody is rock solid, but I keep coming back to the words.”

“Yeah. I agree.” Chase’s joy faded a bit. “Words were always Shay’s domain.”

“Not necessarily, Chase. Yours are great. All they need is an infusion of hope. What Pyper added just a bit ago was the perfect answer to your first verse. Kind of like heaven’s answer as we struggle with sin, know what I mean?”

Chase and Pyper ran through the song one more time with Tyler accompanying.

Too much time wasted to be young again.

Too much time wasted to taste pure again.

To ever be worth the Father’s gift…

Forgiveness…forgiveness…

The word echo blended his voice to Pyper’s; it reverberated, full of questioning, full of a battle to find self-worth and a spot in God’s world despite falling down. Pyper found her way to the next verse.

Don’t you dare believe that lie,

Life’s too precious to let go by…

Forgiveness….forgiveness…

Reach out for forgiveness…forgiveness

From there, their voices synched into a blended harmony.

Don’t cower behind a thick, brick wall.

God’s determined to see it fall…

Forgiveness …forgiveness…

Reach out for…forgiveness, forgiveness.

Their voices blended once more.

I see how precious love can be…

That’s what I want for you and me.

Forgiveness, forgiveness…

Let’s find our way to

Forgiveness, forgiveness…forgiveness.

In the end, Tyler delivered a short, appreciative whistle. “Great back-and-forth. I almost hate to say it, Chase, but it seems to me like you have another duet on your hands with this one.”

The observation was spot-on, and Chase knew exactly why the song worked so much better now. In tandem with Pyper—with the woman he longed to reach out to and pursue—the aching redemption that was so intrinsic to the song coursed through every note he sang.

“Seems there’s part of me that’s incomplete.”

“Maybe so.”

Tyler spoke, but what Chase noticed was Pyper’s retreat, the way a hint of wariness tossed shutters against the natural light of her eyes.

“I dunno. Even though I’ve recovered”—he made a pair of air quotes—“maybe the words for my new stuff are one-sided because I’m still searching for something.”

“There’s nothing wrong with searching if it leads you to what’s good.”

Pyper’s decree caused him to home in on her exclusively. He maintained her focus with nothing more than a steady, engaging look. “Let’s try it one more time, OK?”

“Sure.”

She added a light shrug, so obviously unintimidated and sure of herself when it came to music and performance. For some reason Chase felt compelled to throw her a slight curve ball…

“Pyper? You know this song well enough. Leave the pages behind. Look at me. Look into my eyes.”

He kept the summons quiet, tender but firm. All the same, her hesitance marked each beat of the second hand on the wall clock while she visibly debated, then lifted her eyes to his.

“Now,” he beckoned softly, “sing.”

Their gazes never wavered. They sang to one another, lost in that intimate emotion which only shared melody and shared lyrics could bring to life. It didn’t matter to Chase that Pyper’s father sat just a few feet away, that her mother rustled through the kitchen just beyond the threshold. This moment, its bond, belonged to him and Pyper alone. This was good. This was pure.

His heart rocked into an unsteady, thundering beat, promise brimming, hope cresting…

We’ll find the passion, find the joy.

When we get and when we give

Forgiveness…forgiveness…

All we need is forgiveness…forgiveness…



The intense exchange left Pyper drained, yet in paradox, a flow of invigorating energy sailed through her system. Working with Chase was beyond incredible.

He expelled a breath and shook his head, delivering a sheepish grin. “With that I think we can ramp down the intensity a bit, maybe figure out a couple more songs for our gig at The Stage.” Lightening the mood further, he stood and stretched. “I spied a grand piano in the next room. Are we allowed to put it to good use?”

Pyper tilted her head, looked way up and lost herself in the deep, dark allure of his eyes. “I think that can be arranged.”

He offered his hand and lifted her to her feet with ease. “Let’s sing for fun. Without all the push. Just us.”

“Sounds good.”

Her father stood as well. “I’m going to check in on Amy. Y’all enjoy.”

Pyper led the way to the living room and took a seat on the cool, glossy bench of a black walnut grand piano. Chase settled against its far edge, hooking the guitar strap around his neck once again. His back was to her, but they remained close enough that they touched, brushing slightly as they moved. His warmth and an earthy, masculine wood-spice enveloped her at once.

“Want to hear a story?” Pyper’s fingers began a timeless dance against the ebony and ivory keys. “A story about when I was little?”

“Absolutely.”

“Tune up. I’ll give you the pitch.” Pyper struck ‘E’ and Chase plucked, twisted pegs, refined tone until his guitar was properly tuned. “On my first visit to Tennessee, the first time I met Tyler, I got stung by a bee. I was all alone with him because my mama had gone shopping with Aunt Ruthie. I was playing outside while Tyler gardened, and when I kicked my rubber ball, I upset a pack of bees. When I got stung, I was terrified. More so of what Tyler might do to me than the pain of the venom.”

Chase had begun an improvised melody that came to an abrupt halt. “Pyp, he’d never hurt you.”

“Oh, I know that now. But back then? All I knew at the age of four was a man’s rage if I ever dared to cry or step out of line or interfere with his world in any way. Anyhow, after I got stung, Tyler wrapped me in hugs, in love, and he bound my wound—in more ways than I can ever express. After? We came right here, and he let me play this piano.

“This very spot is where my life began, Chase. The life I live now, the life I live in full, started that day. I was dazzled. I couldn’t believe he’d let me anywhere near this gorgeous instrument.” Her fingers swept along. “It was a defining moment in my life. Sealed my fate, I think. In that time, I found joy. I found music, and I found out what a father’s love is really like. Right then and there I became Tyler’s protégée. I knew music would be a huge part of my life.”

“Pyp?” Chase leaned back just far enough to give her a fortifying nudge. “I’m so sorry for the past, for the pain it caused you.”

Pyper fought to swallow against a fast-building lump in her throat. “I am, too, but the past gave me now. I wouldn’t trade the life I have with Tyler and my mama.” She polished their brief piece of improv with a flourishing twinkle of the keys.

“Here’s something else.” Chase maintained a steady gaze. “You can’t put in what God left out. Musically, you’re gifted. You’re blessed. God knew just how to bring that to life.” He chuckled. “You know, I was just thinking. Musically, I’ve always been a six-string man.”

“And for me, because of that moment with Tyler, the piano reigns supreme.”

“Seems that way. You know what that means?”

“No.”

“Together we’re a great combination.”

For an instant, Pyper froze. A great combination. Perhaps a lifelong combination? Was God tuning and blending much more than music between them? Hope—expectation—took hold as the idea burst free and glanced against her heart.

Chase continued to look over his shoulder, watching as her fingertips returned to drifting against the keys. “Whatcha feel like?”

“How about ‘Better Than a Hallelujah’?” The song choice came out of nowhere, an inspiration that simply struck home. Pyper started to play; the piano intro had always been a favorite riff of hers. When Chase added his guitar, when the verse kicked in, the moment carried to her in a Spirit-filled flow Pyper could only attribute to God Himself. They ended up spontaneously alternating verses. Chase sang of a drunkard’s cry; Pyper sang of beautiful messes transformed by Christ.

The mix of their voices, the connection they shared when exploring each layer of the song, gave her tingles of elation. She wanted to do this again—and again—just jam with him, make music, create. She wanted to share moments like this—moments that were revealing and powerful.

By the end of the song, emotion nearly grabbed the best of her. Tears built and stung once the last notes faded to silence, so she caught her breath. She closed her eyes, re-finding center as Chase bumped against her shoulder, deliberately calling her attention. When she looked his way, she found herself captured within a tender, beckoning gaze.

“You. Are. Good.”

Pyper rested her head against his shoulder, her smile lighting to full-beam. “Same to you. That was a lot of fun.”

Only then did Pyper realize they were no longer alone. Soft applause filled the room, coming from the threshold, from her parents. Shy and awkward, Pyper moved away from Chase, fingering back the thick fall of her hair while heat seeped across her neck and cheeks. Being with him this way came so easy…and felt so beautiful. Pyper’s wistful spirit yearned.

Chase cleared his throat and seemed to shake free of the moment. She appreciated his discretion and nod to propriety. After all, this was, for the most part, a professional endeavor, right? She puzzled on the topic for a moment while her dad settled an arm around her mother’s shoulders. “After hearing that, and your combined take on ‘Forgiveness,’ I know Kellen’s on the mark. The two of you are going to be great performing together.”

Her mother nodded in agreement. “By the way? Dessert is ready in the kitchen if you’re interested. Peach cobbler.”

“You won’t have to ask me twice.” Chase unstrapped the guitar and handed it to her father so it could be returned to the music room.

Pyper lifted from the bench and followed Chase to the kitchen. “Mama’s recipe is the best. Her peach cobbler is one of my favorites.”

Fresh from the oven, dessert went down easy, topped by just-starting-to-melt scoops of vanilla ice cream and fragrant servings of coffee. Afterward, Chase and Tyler chatted in the living room while Pyper lingered in the kitchen and helped her mom rinse and load the last of the dishes.

When she returned, Chase stood as though preparing to leave. Something about his imminent departure caused a heart lurch followed by a tinge of sadness. As though registering her reluctance, he caught her fingertips with the swing of his hand. “My truck’s out front and nothing much more is going to be accomplished tonight as far as the music session is concerned. Feel like a quick drive?”

To where? For What? Didn’t matter. In the end, Pyper didn’t want this evening with Chase to conclude. Not quite yet.

The ride they shared was short, silent mostly. Just a few miles north of Pyper’s home, he backed his pickup truck to a stop so the tailgate faced the banks of a wide, bubbling creek that sparkled and shimmered. Sunset painted the sky in vivid hues of yellow, orange, pink and blue. The mountains went all jagged and purple against the rapidly darkening sky. Pyper made ready to leave the vehicle, but Chase stayed her exit by pressing a hand against her arm.

“Let’s drop the tailgate and sit in back. We can watch the water. The lightning bugs’ll be coming to life, and there’s a full moon tonight. Should be beautiful.”

Pyper marveled. Without any kind of roadmap, Chase knew just how to glide into her spirit and tuck in tight. How could this be so? She had never come across anyone like him. “That sounds nice.”

“Wait here; I’ll get your door.” Chase leaped from the cab and rounded to Pyper’s side of the truck. He helped her to the ground then reached behind the passenger seat to extract a stash of blankets and a pair of water bottles. “They’re not cold or anything, but maybe they’ll do.”

“They’re fine. Thanks.”

Pyper smiled at him, touched all over again by his thoughtfulness. Their fingers brushed when she accepted her bottle and that increasingly familiar jolt of electricity created a need that stemmed not just from the physical but the emotional. Lightning bugs, moonbeams, the heightened emotions that swept through her soul transported Pyper to a bittersweet season of life that she wanted to share with him. She needed him to understand her, to know her, fully.

Chase unlatched the gate and they hopped into the truck bed, moving in comfortable syncopation while they spread blankets. From there they stretched out and sky-gazed for a peaceful time.

“You came prepared.” Offering a teasing smile and a hand gesture, Pyper indicated the blankets and beverages. She wondered about his intent and purpose.

Chase twisted to his side and propped on an elbow. His lips quirked in a way that spoke of tenderness. “This is innocent, Pyp. I keep ’em handy because when I drive, I mull things over. I come up with ideas to explore. When that happens, I find quiet places, out of the way spots where I can just pull over, stop myself and create. This is one of my favorites. Nature is a great inspiration for songwriting.”

Chase returned to lying flat on his back, arms folded beneath his head, face to the blackening bowl of a sky and its dancing pinpricks of light. He sighed deep and contented, which made Pyper feel good—the sound was so appealing.

“Sorry if I seemed a little reactionary.”

“No harm, no foul. You know where I come from, so I understand—but keep your eye on who I am now, OK?”

“I’m trying, and you’re succeeding.”

“Thanks for that. Still, I wonder. There are times when you pull back from me. I have to believe that’s because you’re conflicted about me, and us. But today, especially when we sang together, you let go. That made all the difference.”

“Like lightning bugs and moonbeams.” Pyper whispered the words, falling headlong into moments from her past she wanted to share with Chase. She needed to trust—and display that trust via revelation. “I told you about that moment when I played the piano with Tyler.”

“Yeah.”

“That night, I was so happy I thought I’d burst. I’d never felt so free. I bubbled with so much joy and energy I wanted to run for miles, dance, play, sing—”

Chase laughed low. “I can just picture it, crash.”

Pyper snickered, savored the cool breeze that blew against her skin. “Just after sunset, my mama and Tyler were camped out on the front porch, on that swing we all love so much, and I charged through the door and into the grass just beyond where they sat. That’s when I discovered a brand new miracle. Fireflies. To me, they seemed like such happy creatures. They sparked and danced, just like I wanted to do, so I chased them. Tyler was ready to give me a capped jar, so I could catch one and keep it close by.”

“Your first pet?”

Chase’s teasing grin was irresistible. She drew light fingertips against the stubble of his jaw. “Not hardly. You see, I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t trap something so beautiful and hold it prisoner. I wanted them to be free, and happy, just like me. The past held me prisoner, Chase. In some ways it still does. I’m letting fear taint what I see in you, and just like capturing a firefly, that doesn’t strike me as right, or fair.” Pyper snuggled close to his lean, warm side and stared into his eyes. “To me, you’re moonbeams and lightning bugs. You’re warm light and sparks of life that can’t be denied no matter how rough the road you’ve traveled. I’m trying, and I don’t doubt you as much as I doubt…me.”.

“Pyp, your honesty means more to me than I can say.” He gave her a quiet, but pointed look. “Confusion is OK, but you have to get over it. Get over being afraid of me. Get over being intimidated by the call of your heart. Stop being afraid of us.”

Just like that, appearing like sparks set against a rapidly darkening sky, the fireflies came to life. Cooling breezes continued to curve in, chasing away the last of the day’s humidity, tickling her skin with goose bumps.

“No answer to that, huh?”

Pyper faced him square, ready to sputter a defensive reply, but she stopped short. Acting from a knee-jerk response, rather than an honest assessment of her heart, wouldn’t do either of them any good, so she quit while she was ahead, aiming a sassy, charm-packed grin in his direction. “It’s kinda hard to refute the truth when it’s thrown at your feet.”

“Oh, don’t worry, crash. I know how to be gentle. But I also know how to fight for what I want.”

“Meaning me?”

Shimmering white moonlight intensified as darkness built, dancing like diamond dust against the surface of the creek while it bubbled and rolled. Chase’s lips curved—long and full—slow as a lover’s caress and equally as tempting.

“That’s my dream, yes. You. Music. Redemption. Finding a pathway to self-worth that God alone would ever see fit to give me.”

She looked away, overcome by such a straightforward, beautiful declaration.

He shifted to an elbow and lifted her chin until their gazes met. A song named Chase Bradington took flight in her heart. Pyper had to fight the urge to snuggle even closer and surrender fully to a heart-fall she had never seen coming.

“All of that is because of you. Because of what we create when we mix. Want to talk about that?”

So, that was the purpose of their drive. OK. She could deal with that. Sort of.

“Sure. I can be straight up. I’ll tell you flat that I don’t know to react to you.” Her voice was no more than a wavering whisper. “I don’t know what to feel.”

“Actually, I think that’s just the trouble. You know exactly what you feel, but you’re afraid.” Automatically, his thumb moved slow and light against her cheek, soothing away an instant push of agitation at being so completely revealed to a man who carried a very distinct set of emotional dangers. “I don’t blame you for that. I know I’m not pristine. I know I’m not what you’ve been looking for, and I’m for certain nobody’s role model. Still, God’s using me, and He brought me to you. I want to figure out why. I want to figure out where we’re meant to go. Let’s find the answers, Pyper. Together.”

“How?”

“By the two of us agreeing not to hold back anymore.”

She stiffened; in a flash her mood turned sharp and steely, icing her like a winter storm blowing through the Smokeys. “I’m not to be had, Chase. I’m not ever going to fall headlong into a relationship just because it feels good or satisfies a physical itch. You need to know that my beliefs are—”

“Your beliefs are my beliefs, too.” He cut in fast and hard. “I’m not talking about sex. I’m talking about relationship. I’m talking about discovery. Are we good together? Everything inside me says we could be, but there’s only one way to find out. Take the leap. Not physically, that’s the easy part. I’m talking about what’s in here.” He tapped the spot above her heart, eyes steady and strong, gradually creating even richer inroads of trust and understanding. “I’m talking about what we feel for each other. There’s something between us. I want to explore it. Do you? Do you trust me enough for that?”

His question ignited a fire, refined a connection that came alive, sliding around them, bringing them closer and closer to a point of no return.

“Don’t hurt me, Chase Bradington. Please, please don’t hurt me.” She didn’t know if she’d recover if he did. Cricket chirps, the swoosh of dancing long grass punctuated a silence that beat by.

Chase met her gaze without flinching. “I ask the same thing of you.”

“You could hurt me. Badly.”

“Ditto.”

Pyper struggled against all she had known, all she had believed to be true about reformation and battles against evil. And at once she decided. He was worth it. Her answer was resounding—terrifying—because her answer was yes.

“How does all this start, Chase? What do we do?” She shifted to an elbow, looking at him as darkness became a shroud and moonlight sheened the waves of his hair, flashing through his eyes.

“Well, we can start by talking.”

“Talking.”

He nodded. “For starters”—he shifted to an elbow as well, so they were eye-to-eye—“I’d like you to tell me something, and I want you to answer me true.”

“Always. What?”

“Is this…is us…why Darren isn’t part of your picture anymore?”

She met his gaze straight on. “Yes. If it lends you any satisfaction, yes.”

“Steady, angel.” He went soft and careful. He gave her a moment to settle. “There’s no satisfaction, just interest and curiosity so the lines between you and me stay straight. That’s all. You keep trying to paint me as the bad guy, and thankfully you keep coming up short. Given your past, it’s self-preservation; I get that, but I think it’s time to take the cue.”

Her heart thundered. Pyper cursed herself for refusing the way he offered himself, appreciating anew the way Chase answered her tense uncertainty with a calm and reassuring attitude.

But that was just the trouble. When it came to Chase Bradington, those lines he talked about were far from straight. Instead, they dipped and curved and swirled with tantalizing appeal—like a thrill ride of sorts.

“I’m confused about Darren’s place in my life…Well, I’m not confused any more, but still, two things. First, he and Anne Lucerne have grown pretty fond of each other, and I think that’s great. Second, even if they hadn’t found a way to each other, I’d never lead him on or be unfair if I’m…if I have…if…”

“I get the idea, sweetheart. You won’t divide yourself. You’re a rare spirit, Pyper Brock. You’re too invested a woman to ever be cavalier about matters of the heart. That’s one of the many things that keeps pulling me to you.”

“You—you’re pulled?”

Chase shook his head, as though marveling at her inability to see through to his truth, to the core of his emotions. “I have a pull, Pyp. A craving. A craving to be worthy, to be everything I can to you. I talked with my sponsor the other day and realized all over again that the black stains on my soul have vanished. Love painted them white. Like a miracle. God’s miracle. A miracle I get to share with you.”

Chase leaned back again and Pyper watched as he spent a few moments studying the sky, tracking the motion of small, hazy clouds that slipped across the face of that vivid, milky moon.

“I know my past scares you. It scares me, too, but I won’t fall back into bad behavior.”

Gentle winds fell alluring as a dream between them. Light and shadow framed him in a tempting silhouette that drove her heartbeat into an urgent tempo.

He turned, meeting her gaze while tender fingertips performed a gentle glide against her cheeks and neck, through the thick, tumbled waves of her hair. “I swear to you, and I promise by all that I am, I’d never…ever…raise a hand against you. Even in my worst fit of temper.”

She nibbled at a tremulous lower lip. “I believe you, Chase. I know that. Really and sincerely, I do.”

What scared her far more was the idea of him sliding back into self-defeating, self-destructive behavior. But by increasing and hard-earned degrees, he won her trust…and uncovered the key that would unlock her heart for good and for all.

“Chase…I…I want you to kiss me.”

He moved slowly, leaning over her as he cupped her cheek; her skin flamed hot, radiant with a warmth that was stirred by desire.

“Oh, sweet girl. Be very careful what you wish for.” He breathed the words and the husky decree lit fire to his eyes.

“You’re in my system, Chase. I don’t know how it happened. I don’t know why. I just know…I know…”

She faltered, going weak against the will of her heart, the soft blankets that cushioned her back, the smell of late summer, the rustle of leaves and the glimmer of the stars. His thumbs slid soft against the underside of her jaw and she ached, releasing a soft exclamation. Chase dipped his head fast and feasted on lips that yielded to his, the flavor of him blending into the richest form of honey. Her sigh dissolved against his questing mouth.

How could she ever walk away from him now?

The kiss came nowhere near to surrender, but the connection changed everything—every foundation, every need, every wish—until the surrender happened anyway, not of body, but of heart and soul. He was leagues more delicate, more patient and seductive than she had ever imagined—and since meeting him she had imagined much. He claimed her mouth with loving reverence, feeding her spirit with an unquenchable fire. Languor rode against her limbs, leaving her weak but conversely infusing her with strength.

“I need to take you home, Pyper.” He rolled away, but sheltered her in his arms, drawing her tight against his side, just as she hoped, just as she wished, so their connection would continue even as a sensually heated moment cooled. “If I don’t, this time and place will spell trouble. For both of us.”

“But I don’t want you to leave.”

He rolled her to her back once more then propped above her like a fierce and loving protector. He leaned in to gloss kisses against her cheeks, her forehead. “I’m not leaving you. Just taking us to safer ground.”

Nobility layered the words, turning them into a soft caress that slid against the curves of Pyper’s heart. In that moment, she realized she was falling in love—hard and true. All over again, he unlatched the gate of her heart, walking into a place she felt sure God had reserved just for him.