Down from the Cross (12 page)

Keene rose and stepped up onto the platform, facing the choir. “May I say a few words?” Ben nodded. “Of course.”

“First of all, it’s nice to be a part of this dedicated group, and I have to say I’m impressed with your singing. I will admit, when Jane first approached me, I thought she was crazy. But”—he smiled in her direction—“when she began to tell me how
Down from the Cross
had been canceled due to Jim’s illness, and I saw the look of disappointment in her eyes, I actually found myself wishing I could do something to make her feel better, never realizing the very next day she’d ask me to sing Jim’s part.” He chuckled. “At first I thought her request might be nothing more than a joke, and I laughed, but then I realized she was dead serious. If anyone other than Jane had asked me to do this, I would have given them a definite no, instantly, without any consideration whatsoever. But Jane? I could never refuse her anything. Not after I turned her life upside down the day I ran a red light and—” He gave her a quick wink. “I’m sure you’ve all heard the story by now.”

Karen gave Jane a playful jab with her elbow.

Keene lowered his head, gazing at the floor for a few seconds before going on. When he looked up at them again, his face was somber. “Jane is a Christian. I am sure most of you are, too. I will not make any pretenses. I am not, but I want you to know I respect your beliefs. I have played many parts in my life as a vocalist, but I have never played the part of Jesus. And although I do not believe in God, I can tell you being asked to play this role is quite humbling, and I am sure it will be the hardest role I have ever taken on. I will give it my very best. That’s a promise.”

Ben placed his hand on Keene’s shoulder. “I’m sure I speak for everyone here, Mr. Moray, when I say we’ll all be praying for you. Thank you for your honesty. It’s much appreciated.”

Turning back to the choir, Keene said, “I’ll see all of you at nine on Saturday. Tell those ladies from that women’s group to count me in for lunch. I plan to be here all day.”

Ben grinned at him. “Jane told us you never do anything halfway. We’ll see you Saturday, and welcome aboard!”

It seemed Keene shook hands with each of the choir members before he and Jane were ready to leave, greeting each one cordially and asking their names, telling them how nice it was to meet them. She watched, amazed at his sincere attitude. Then she remembered that this man was not only her friend, her employer, but he was Keene Moray and well used to meeting and greeting fans. She wondered if that smile was really sincere or merely a promotional tool. Either way, the choir members were enjoying it.

“You really didn’t have to stay until the last person left, you know.” Jane slipped her hand into the crook of Keene’s arm and held on tightly as they walked onto the slick parking lot.

“I know, but they’re a great bunch of people. I really enjoyed watching them this evening. I think we’re going to get along just fine.”

The night air felt cold, and a slight breeze had come up, whirling the snow about their feet, giving her an excuse to press in close to him as they walked. “Were you really serious about being there all day Saturday?”

He cupped his warm hand over hers and smiled down at her. “I have to learn an entire cantata. What better way than to follow the book and sing it along with the choir?”

“But you don’t have to learn the entire thing, just your part.”

“Sorry, but that would never work for me. To do my best I have to know everyone’s part, feel the emotion, and see the drama. I cannot just step in and sing. It has to come from here.” He took his hand away from hers long enough to point to his heart. “If I’m going to do this, Jane, which I promised you I would, I’ll put as much effort into it as I do any of the operas I sing or any of the concerts I perform.”

She realized his words should have made her happy, but a thread of disappointment surged through her instead. “Oh, I forgot about your reputation. Who knows? There may be someone from the newspaper or a television station in the audience. You wouldn’t want to let them see anything less than a stellar performance.”

He stopped walking, grabbed her by the shoulders, and with a deep frown, spun her around to face him. “Look, let’s get something straight right now. Yes, you are right about me wanting to give a stellar performance, as you called it. That has been my creed and my goal since the first concert I ever gave—to give my audiences my very best, and I have always done that. Even on nights when I was so sick I could barely hold up my head. If I were singing
Down from the Cross
for an audience of one, I would still give it my very best. That is me, Jane. That is what I do. The performance I give for your church will be the best performance I am capable of giving— regardless of who may be in the audience.”

She felt awful. How dare she question his motives, especially after he’d been concerned about her and her church’s problems enough to step in and help, taking away from the valuable time he’d set aside to come to Rhode Island and learn a new opera? She lifted her tear-filled gaze to his. “I’m… I’m so sorry, Keene. My stupid comment was way out of line. I had no business questioning your motives. Can you forgive me?”

Hoping he understood, she felt a great sense of relief when his intense grasp on her shoulders began to relax. Even in the dimly lit parking lot, she could see her words had hurt him.
God, why do I barge ahead like that? Speak without thinking? I only hope Keene can forgive me. I hope You can forgive me!

“It’s okay,” he said softly, still peering into her eyes. “I think I deserved that. I have made some pretty crummy remarks about your God and Christianity. No wonder you doubted me.”

“Regardless, I had no right to question your dedication to your profession. I knew—”

He raised his hand to silence her. Then without a word, he gently traced her lips with his fingertip. “Forget about it, okay?”

“But, Keene, you’ve—”

Suddenly she felt his lips on hers, and she froze, not sure how she should react. Keene Moray was holding her in his arms, kissing her. What should she do?

He backed away slightly then rested his forehead against hers. “I–I couldn’t help myself,” he murmured as he continued to hold her in his arms. “You looked so kissable.”

Jane stood motionless, afraid to breathe or even bat her eyelids.

“You’re not mad at me for kissing you, are you?” he asked in a whisper.

“N–no,” she finally managed to whimper.

“Would you get mad if I kissed you again?”

Her heart banged against her chest so fiercely she felt sure he would notice. “No.”

His lips touched hers again, and she thought she would die of happiness right there in the church parking lot. The moment was wonderful. Spectacular! And she never wanted it to end. Without meaning for them to, her arms wrapped themselves about his neck, and her fingers twined themselves through the slight curls at his nape. Though the pleasant smell of his aftershave made her woozy, she reveled in it.

“Whew,” he said, finally releasing her. “I’d better let you get home. It’s later than I realized.” He reached out his hand.

Confused, Jane stared at it, caught up in the moment, his kisses still fresh on her lips.

“Your keys,” he said with an impish grin.

“Oh!” She yanked them from her pocket and watched while he opened her door.

“I’ve really enjoyed this evening,” he told her after she climbed in and rolled her window down.

She struggled to find her voice. “Me, too.”

“I’m glad you talked me into this.” He gave her a teasing smile. “See you in the morning.”

Still having trouble finding words, she simply nodded. Keene gave her a slight wave and headed toward his car.

Jane’s fingers rose to her lips as she watched him crawl into the BMW and start its engine. “I think I’m in love!” she nearly shouted, remembering the sweet touch of his lips on hers.

Be careful, My child. Be very careful,
a still small voice whispered from deep within her heart.

Again, on Friday, Keene spent most of the day in his bedroom, the faint sounds of
Down from the Cross
filtering out from the crack beneath his door. Though neither mentioned their impromptu kisses, their relationship had changed. Jane couldn’t exactly put her finger on it, but Keene’s smile radiated tenderness, and his voice sounded a little softer. Several times during the day when they would pass in the hall or at lunch, he would slip an arm about her waist and pull her to him.

She even noticed her own response to him had changed. She no longer thought of him as her boss or the famous opera singer, but as… What was he to her? She was not quite sure. However, she knew her feelings toward him had changed drastically in the past twenty-four hours. Her every thought now centered on him. Her actions centered on him, too. She wanted to please him in every way. She also noted how much more protective she had become of him. No more did she pass phone calls to him that she thought he might not want. She screened them closely as if she were the FBI. No one could get to him without satisfying her that the call was important.
I am being ridiculous,
she told herself when she hung up from a very heated discussion with a fan who insisted on speaking with Keene.
Who do I think I am anyway? I am certain he got along just fine before I came along!

The next call came from his agent, Brian Totten. She put the call through immediately and went back to work filing some of the new music he had ordered. But suddenly, even with the door closed to Keene’s room, she could hear him shouting at Brian. She couldn’t make out the words, but obviously Keene was upset about something.

Five minutes later, he stormed into the office. “I can’t believe the gall of that man!”

Jane spun her chair around to face him. “Is… is there a problem?”

He towered over her, his hands on his hips, his eyes blazing.

“Yes, there’s a problem. He is having a fit because I agreed to do this for your church. Not because he’s afraid of me taking the time away from my preparation for next year’s season, but because he’s worried about getting his commission! Can you believe that? With all the money I’ve paid him over the years!”

She rose and placed a hand on his arm. “I’m sorry, Keene. I never meant to cause trouble between you and Brian.”

He shook his head as if trying to shake off his negative feelings, then wrapped his arms about her and pulled her close, nestling his chin in her hair. “You haven’t caused any problems, Jane. Brian and I have a round like this a couple of times every year. But what really ticks me off is the trouble the union is giving me.”

Her jaw dropped. “Is there a chance you won’t be—”

“No, don’t even think it. I will work things out with them. One way or another, I’ll handle it.” He tilted her face up to his, his frown replaced by a smile. “You’ve changed my life, Jane. I cannot tell you how much I enjoy being around you. You are a breath of fresh air. My life was pretty routine before I met you.”

“And I’ve messed up that routine?”

“Oh, yeah! Big-time, and I’m loving every minute of it.”

He gazed into her face, and the tenderness she saw there touched her in a way no man had ever touched her before, sparking an entirely new set of feelings.

“I–I think I could fall in love with you.” His words were just a feathery whisper, and she wasn’t even sure she had heard them correctly. Surely Keene Moray could not be saying these words to her. Plain little Jane? That is what her father used to call her, and she had felt like plain little Jane all her life.

Be careful, My child.
The words coming from the deep recesses of her heart frightened her and made her pull away from him, though she wanted so much to declare her love for him, too. A love she could no longer deny. She took another step backward, pasting on a conciliatory smile. “I–I think I’d better go. I promised Mom I’d be home early, and… and… I–I have laundry to do.”

He reached for her, but she sidestepped him, picking up her purse and car keys from the desk. “See you at nine?”

He let out a deep sigh and pulled his hand away. “Yes, I’ll be at the church at nine. I could pick you up.”

Shaking her head, she backed out the office door. “Thank you, but I’ll drive myself.”