Unlikely Praise (3 page)

“Twins,” Kelly offered, “so you don’t have to wonder. And I’m the oldest by twelve and a half minutes. That’s always the next question people ask.”

Kevin gave Kelly a dirty look. “I don’t think that’s the next question. I think she just likes to broadcast that she’s the oldest.”

Candi put her hand up to stop them. “Knock it off. Anyway, Kevin does a lot of solo work for us. Kelly just likes to blend in, though we are trying to get her to sing more.”

Kelly pulled out her guitar and slid the empty case under a pew. “That’s OK, I don’t need to sing.”

Candi met Shade’s gaze and stepped closer. “She has a beautiful voice,” she whispered. “She’s just a little shy.”

Kevin pulled his strap over his head and honed in on Shade’s guitar. He took the pick out of his mouth. “Whoa. That’s an American-made Strat.”

Shade puffed out his chest. He was gonna like this kid. “Yeah, it is.”

“Big spender.”

“Not really, I’ve had it a long time.”

“Rocky’s here,” Kelly announced as a guy in a wheelchair maneuvered his way through the doors at the back of the sanctuary with a bass guitar propped in his lap.

“I’ll get him,” Kevin offered and stashed his guitar against a chair. He hopped off the platform and sprinted to the back of the church. “Yo, Rock-y!” he called out, and then proceeded to push the chair like a race car down the side aisle and onto the platform by way of a small ramp at the side.

Shade suspected the man didn’t need help as much as Kevin wanted to drive the chair.

Kevin made the introduction. “Shade. Rocky. Rocky. Shade.”

“Hey, Rocky,” Kevin continued, “what do you call a bass player with half a brain?”

Rocky backed his chair up in line with a small amp and reached for the cord. “I’m sure you’re gonna tell me.”

“Gifted.” Kevin laughed while everyone else groaned.

Rocky smoothed his wavy black hair and shot Shade a knowing glance. “You know these jokes you and Max tell are older than your grandpa.”

“Doesn’t mean they’re not true.”

“Possibly,” Candi interjected with a smile, “but I’m pretty sure it means they’re not funny anymore.”

Carol Ann pulled a stool over to her microphone and set her reading glasses on the stand. “I don’t think that’s going to stop them.”

Shade checked his strings one more time and tried not to stare at the thirty-something Rocky who was confined to his chair. The sight of him there as he struggled to adjust his amp without having to roll from his crowded spot brought back memories Shade would just as soon forget.

But forgetting didn’t seem to be an option.

Instead, the horror-filled slide show of his and Pete’s accident pulsed, frame-by-frame, through his mind. First laughter and music from the car’s radio, then static-filled air as he lay near the smashed vehicle unable to feel his legs... Unable to see or hear Pete.

Candi pulled a music stand his way and set a folder on it. “You OK?”

“Fine.” It was a lie, and he suspected she knew by the way she pursed her lips and refused to take her eyes off him.

“This is someone else’s binder,” she finally explained. “I’ll get you one made by next week.”

Next
week? He wasn’t sure he was going to live through
this
one. “Thanks.”

She returned to her keyboard. “About Max, has anyone seen him?”

“He was just at Taco Bell,” Rocky said, “gazing lovingly at the value menu with a five dollar bill in his hand. He should be here shortly.”

“I’m here now,” Max announced as he came through the side door with a stick bag and a giant drink.

“Don’t bring that up here,” Candi warned.

“I know,” he said and shook the ice-filled container. “It’s almost gone.”

After one loud and final slurp, he dropped it in the trashcan near the door.

“That’s so attractive,” Kelly observed. “No wonder all the girls are wild about you.”

Carol Ann laughed out loud and held out her arms as Max walked by. “Now don’t do him like that, Kelly. All the girls
do
love Max.”

Max stepped into her obviously loving embrace. “Thanks,” he said and made a face at Kelly. “But you’re the only girl who matters.”

This time Kelly made the introductions. “Shade. Max. Max. Shade.”

“Let’s get started,” Candi ordered, and everyone dutifully made a circle.

Shade slipped in beside her. The anxiety jabs were no longer jabs. They were all out punches.

“I know we made some introductions,” Candi started, “but I’d like to formally introduce you to Shade Blackledge. Pastor Charles asked him to come to practice and see if he might be interested in joining us.” Candi looked around the circle. “I think you met everyone, but we’ll quickly tell you more about ourselves. Go ahead, Carol Ann.”

“I’m Carol Ann and I sing. By day, I’m a critical care nurse. My husband’s name is Bud, no children, and right now I have my sick mother at home.”

Kevin looked like he was about to jump out of his skin. “My turn. I’m Kevin, that’s my sister, Kelly, and you’ve already heard about us—”

“I can speak for myself,” his sister cut in. “I’m Kelly, that’s my brother Kevin, and I’m the oldest.”

Shade smiled, but wondered if these two really were college freshmen, or were they twelve-year-olds?

Candi met his sideways glance and leaned in. “I don’t know what’s got into them tonight. It’s usually not this bad.”

Rocky laced his fingers across his stomach. “I’m Rocky, and I love long rolls on the beach— if the sand’s packed down— and any business that has a drive-thru window.”

Now that was funny. Everyone laughed. Even Candi.

“Seriously, I play the bass, I do computer consulting work from home, and that’s about it.”

Max pushed a couple long brown curls out of his eyes and stuffed his hands in his back pockets. “I’m Max, I play drums, and I’ve worked for my dad since finishing college this past December.”

“That just leaves me,” Candi said. “I sing, play keyboard, and teach music at the college. Your turn, Shade.”

His heart rate spiked in the silence as they waited for him to speak. “I’m Shade, I play guitar, usually lead. I recently moved back to Spring, and I have a house painting business. Thanks for having me, and I look forward to playing with you.”

“All right, unless there’s anything else, does anyone have any requests before we open with prayer?”

“Keep remembering my mom,” Carol Ann said with tears in her eyes. “It’s hard.”

Everyone nodded. Shade had never seen so much genuine concern.

“My insurance company is giving me fits again,” Rocky added. “They’re trying to tell me I don’t need physical therapy for my recent shoulder problems but, without it, I’ll never get back to full strength.”

“If it looks like they’re going to stop paying, Rocky, let me know. I can talk to some people at the hospital,” Carol Ann offered. “There are programs. We can work something out.”

“Or, you could send me a good-looking physical therapist with computer problems. We could trade services.”

“
Or
, you could behave yourself, and I won’t yank you outta that chair and run you through your exercises myself,” Carol Ann countered.

“Oooo, Mama’s gonna get you now,” Max said.

Shade turned to Candi. “Mama?”

“Yeah, Carol Ann mothers us all a bit, so we often call her Mama. And by the way, there’s one more who isn’t here. Bill is our sound guy. He’s a retired engineer. You’ll hear the guys call him Wild Bill.”

He leaned closer. “Mama? Wild Bill?” He had her now. “Ah, yes,” he whispered in her ear, “you Christian musicians and your nicknames.”

Max cuffed him on the arm. “You look real familiar to me, but I can’t place you.”

And just when he was starting to have fun.

His vital organs twisted into panic mode, churning and turning until his mouth went completely dry. His greatest fear, besides having never been involved in a Christian praise and worship team, was that someone would recognize him from his former rock band and know instantly his whole tainted and sinful story. Anyone who knew anything about the Austin music scene could have read a blog or visited a website about the band. It wouldn’t be hard to discover the accident that caused him to end his career, or uncover the addictive behavior that fueled his disappearance from the music business.

“He’s been in church several times,” Candi was quick to intercede. “Do you think you just saw him here?”

Max scratched his head. “No...that’s not it.”

“It’s the ponytail,” Rocky offered. “He reminds you of Kelly.”

Kelly nudged his chair while everyone else cackled.

Candi snorted into her hand to hide her laughter.

Ironically, this opening jibe at his expense was the first sign they were accepting him. The hallmark of any good band was their merciless pranks and tendency to tease each other. He would have enjoyed this first shot if his lungs weren’t collapsing.

Once again, Kevin seemed to be bouncing in his spot. “I know who he is.”

“
What?
” Now it was Candi and Shade who answered together.

Rocky shrugged. “He’s Shade Blackledge, leave it at that.”

So he knew, too?

But Max apparently didn’t. “Tell us.”

Kevin all but exploded. “He’s the lead guitarist for Dead Lizard Highway.”

“
Was
,” Shade clarified. “
Was
the lead guitarist.”

“That’s it!” Max seized his hand and shook it hard. “I knew it. I just couldn’t put my finger on it!”

Shade backed up. “Really, guys, that was a while ago.”

“Yeah,” Kevin went on, “you know that black t-shirt I have with the bright green lizard on it, and it’s, like, sitting in the middle of the road holding a sign? That’s from the cover of their last CD. The name of the CD is on the sign. What is it again?” He snapped his fingers as he tried to recall. “Uh...oh, yeah,
Let Dead Lizards Lie
, right?”

Shade nodded, and boy, he wished Kevin would let it lie.

Max crossed his arms, his huge grin too big for his face. “So you’re one of the Lizards. What are you doin’
here
, man?”

“
Was
. Was one of the Lizards. I live here now.”

“Hey, Shade,” Kevin shouted a little too loud, “can I see your tattoo?”

Max’s eyes widened. “Oh, yeah, let’s see it.”

“That’s enough.” Candi’s arms went up in protest. “Not to be a wet rag here, but this is worship practice, remember? And Shade was gracious enough to come here at Pastor Charles’s request. Let’s give him some room. You guys can talk later. C’mon, grab hands, and get your heads back in the game. We have some serious prayer requests and some serious work to do.”

Shade took the hand she offered him. One look at her face told him she knew nothing about him. But the strength and warmth she conveyed in the way she held his hand told him something else.

She suspected there was more.

2

From:
Pastor Charles Littleton

[mailto:[email protected]]

Sent:
Wednesday, April 15 7:52 AM

To:
Candi Canaberry [email protected]

Subject:
Last night’s practice

Candi:

How do you think it went last night? I got a quick e-mail from Samuel this morning. He thanked me for the opportunity and said he thought it was a productive practice. I’m anxious to meet with the two of you. Keep me posted.

Charles

Candi entered the Cornerstone Fellowship office at exactly ten o’clock. The church secretary looked up from her crowded space behind the tall counter.

“Mornin’, Candi.”

“Hey, Ms. Mattie. Is he back from his meeting yet?”

Ms. Mattie rolled her office chair a little to the right and stretched to retrieve papers from the printer. “Should be any time.”

Candi glanced around the small room. Something was missing from the tired off-white wall. “Where did the pictures go?”

“Well,” the older woman mused, as she tapped a stack of papers into place and arranged them on the counter. “One of them just fell right off the wall. I was going to put it back up, but realized whoever hung them hadn’t used strong enough hangers. I’m going to get someone to redo them all. Sure is ugly, huh?”

“On the bright side, have you seen the latest drawings from the architect?”

“Not recently.”

“Well, let me tell ya. In the new building, you’ll have a huge office all to yourself. There’s also a bigger work room, a separate meeting room, and a kitchen.”

“I won’t know what to do with all that space,” Mattie said as she squeezed herself back into the area between her old metal desk and the reception counter. “Want some coffee?”

Candi dropped into the wingback chair by the door. Her stomach gurgled and a surge of warmth crept across her body and heated her face. “No, thanks. I’ve had enough caffeine this morning. I think I’m over the limit. I feel a little
charged
if you know what I mean.”

Ms. Mattie dipped her head to look at her over the top of her reading glasses. “How much did you drink?”

“A whole pot.”

“That’s a lot of coffee.”

“I didn’t sleep last night.”

As Mattie opened her mouth to no doubt begin the lecture, Pastor Charles came through the front glass double doors.

He spotted Candi and turned to leave again.

She jumped out of the chair. “Oh, no you don’t. I need to talk to you.”

He stepped back inside. “All right, all right, I’m just kidding.” He dropped his keys into the pocket of his khakis and set his planner on the counter. “I knew I’d see you today, but I didn’t think it would be before I made it to the coffee pot.”

“Don’t let her have any more,” Ms. Mattie interjected. “She’s already wired.”

“Fan-
tastic
,” he said and started to roll up his sleeves. “That means she’ll be yelling at me at twice the speed she usually does.”

Ms. Mattie snickered.

Candi crossed her arms to keep from waving them around in her caffeine-induced frenzy. “I can see you’re both enjoying this, but I have to get back to class eventually.”