Chapter 1

Winter was finally giving up on killing all the visible life and color from the vegetation, and new life pushed forward in defiance. The trees were forming buds, crocuses and other wildflowers began to paint the scenery, and a freshness filled the air. Tyler State Park was transforming itself as the cool spring air stimulated the sense of renewal. Doug Stevens needed to feel that renewal. This was the harshest winter he’d ever faced, even though it had nothing to do with the weather.

As was his habit, Doug walked briskly along a path at his favorite morning destination. Tyler State Park was not far from his home in Newtown, Pennsylvania. Alone with his best friend he walked an hour each morning to clear his head for the day to come. He could pour out his heart and unload all his cares while his friend listened to every word, never interrupting—unless a squirrel caught her attention and Doug needed to hold her leash extra tight.

“Brie Brie, sit, stay!” The seven-year-old Cairn terrier was smart. She seemed to understand almost everything Doug told her, but sit and stay were not words she cared to listen to—especially if there was an animal nearby. Thus, the leash was required for when instinct trumped her training and self-control.

Doug couldn’t help but share a thought with his best friend. “Maybe I should have had a leash for Mommy—huh Brie?”

Doug slipped back into the depression he had been fighting for months. This winter had taken its toll. He continued his conversation with Brie now that the distraction scampered up a distant tree. “At least I still have you to kiss me in the morning—don’t I, Sweetie!” He scratched her under the chin just where she liked it. “Although that cute little tongue of yours wetting my lips with your dog breath is not exactly my favorite way to wake up.” Her tail wagged even faster as her favorite human gave her all of his attention. That called for a cookie from his pocket. Brie was aiding his climb out of the doldrums.

“Well, Sweetie, it’s time to head back so Daddy can go to work.”

No sooner had he said the word ‘daddy,’ depression returned with a vengeance. Several tears escaped as he realized all the talk of children was a smokescreen. Carla never intended to have kids, she just didn’t bother telling him that. He had time. He’s only thirty-two but now would have been the perfect time to get started.

As they walked back to the car, several other residents of the area were starting their morning constitutional—the walking or jogging variety. Doug was always curious about Brie’s reaction to different people. She’s a friendly dog, but she immediately warmed to some people and softly growled at others. There didn’t seem to be a pattern. Man, woman, girl, boy—some she liked immediately while others she seemed to hold in contempt. “My dad always said children and animals have a sense of good and bad people,” Doug thought.

He figured he’d ask the expert. “Is that why you never seemed to like Mommy, Sweetie?” Brie looked back at him with a canine smile and wagging tail. Doug was more serious than the question conveyed.

Doug showered and prepared for the day ahead. He was a project manager in charge of designing, building, and commissioning process systems used in various water treatment applications. He loved his work at Swenson Fabricators and was loyal to the Swenson family.

But the events of the past five months made it impossible for him to love going to work. Zane Brewster worked in the assembly area. John Swenson, the owner of the business and Doug’s mentor and friend, had asked Doug if Zane should be dismissed, and Doug declined his kind offer. Just because Zane stole Carla from him didn’t mean he should lose his job. The devil on Doug’s shoulder sometimes imagined other things Zane should lose. Doug knew exactly where the pound of flesh was that he’d like to extract from Zane’s earthly body—but he still needed to make a living.

“Bye, Brie Brie. I’ll be home at lunch to let you out.” Brie gave him more doggie kisses. “I’ve got to get that dog breath taken care of, Sweetie.”

Doug arrived and walked through the factory to get to his office. He noticed a huddle of people that seemed to be talking with a great deal of animation until Doug was spotted. The sudden silence was unnerving, so he hurried into his office and closed his door. Doug settled into his chair as John Swenson stepped into his office and shut the door behind him.

“Good morning, Doug.”

“Hi, John. I hope you didn’t close the door to fire me!”

John laughed. “No. I couldn’t run this place without you.”

“So what’s up?”

“Doug, I wasn’t sure if you heard the news, because if not—I wanted you to hear it from a friend.”

“That doesn’t sound like the introduction to a good morning.”

“Sorry, it’s not. Zane told the crew this morning he and Carla are engaged.”

... And the gut punches continue.

“Oh. I see. The divorce was finalized yesterday, so why waste time.”

“Doug, are you ok? Do you want to take the day off?”

“John, I appreciate the offer. But what good would it do me? At home, there’s nothing but my dog and a pillow, and both are tired of me sulking over this. We have the City of Houston job to get finished, and that’s what I need to be doing.”

When John left, Doug struggled with compounding emotions. Every step up was met with a crushing blow forcing him back down. Doug closed his eyes, gathered his composure, opened the file on his desk and welcomed the distraction of productivity.

People avoided Doug all day. He was used to it. Since the day Zane made it known that Carla was with him, the company formed two groups. One group included Zane’s friends who quietly ignored Doug’s pain. Most, however, were Doug’s friends who didn’t know how to help him.

Then there was Cindi. She was a pleasant-looking single woman near Doug’s age, but he felt little attraction for her. She offered to come to his house and help him relieve his sexual needs if he so desired. How do you thank someone for such a generous offer that offends you to the core? Doug thanked her gracefully as he declined her kind offer. He did it well enough that she remained in his court of friends. He didn’t want a ‘friend with benefits,’ but he was glad she was a friend.

The assembly area started the workday early and ended every day at 3:30. The office finished at 5:00 for those that lived by the clock even though many stayed much later. As the assembly team left for the day, Doug was startled to see Zane step into his office and shut the door.

“Doug, can I have a minute?”

“What, Zane?” Doug was forcing as much civility as he could muster.

“You heard, didn’t you?”

“Yeah. Don’t look for congratulations.”

“Look, Doug. I’ve said I’m sorry, but she came after me and told me she was leaving you.”

“Zane, how often is this going to be thrown at me? She told you she was leaving me and you screwed her for months before she told me. With little thought of how it affected me or your wife, you let your dick think for you.”

Zane looked like the words cut him. “This isn’t going the way I planned. Look, I know Mr. Swenson offered to have me canned and I know you stopped him. I probably deserve getting fired and I wouldn’t have blamed you, and I just want to say thanks for being the bigger man.”

Doug fought with his thoughts for a response. “Didn’t Carla say Zane was the bigger man? Actually, she said we were built about the same, but Zane was wild in bed, pounded her like she wanted, gave her anal, and took charge. She never told me those were things she had to have. If she wanted something different – why didn’t she say it? Zane was the ‘bad boy’ and I’m too gentle and considerate. Really? That’s a reason? But what hurts the most is that she only seemed to focus on the physical act, and not on how much I loved her.”

It hurt because Doug still cared. He couldn’t help it. It’s how he was—how he was built.

“Goodnight Zane.” That was all Doug could spit out.

Doug’s emotions were all over the place for the next few hours, but he had a commitment that night that required his focus. He was the leader of the praise band at his church, and it was rehearsal night so he only had a few hours to adjust his attitude. The pastor asked him to audition a woman who just started attending. According to the pastor, she was exceptionally talented and experienced. Doug hoped that was true since his female lead singer recently moved out of the area.

He wracked his brain trying to remember her name. “Come on, idiot. It started with a ‘D’ since I remember her first name and mine shared the same letter. D ... D ... Dee Dee? Diane? Debbie? Dang it!”

He decided to be smart and looked at the text the pastor sent him. “Danielle Harris. Simple enough. Focus idiot! Remember her name.”

Doug didn’t leave the office until 5:15, and his appointment with Danielle was at 6:00. “So much for dinner,” he thought. He quickly stopped at home to let Brie out, then drove right to the church and sat at the piano with 15 minutes to spare so he could organize his music and rehearsal plan for the evening. Her first test would be simple – arrive on time or early. Doug was a stickler about meeting time commitments for his team members and employees alike.

Doug suddenly remembered that all the copies of music for the team were waiting for him in the church office. “Shoot. I’ve got time to run and get them before she gets here.” He ran up the center aisle and pushed through the sanctuary door.

‘Thunk.‘

“Whoa!” A voice screamed as the door smacked into Ronny, one of Doug’s sound techs.

Doug was flung to the side and he ran right into Ronny’s companion.

“Oomph,” she expelled as they embraced each other to avoid falling while they staggered to maintain equilibrium.

Doug was flustered and completely embarrassed.

“Oh my Gosh! Are you okay?” He asked of the woman he nearly bowled over.

She nodded as she seemed to take inventory of herself.

“Ronny, are you okay?”

“Yeah,” he chuckled mostly out of embarrassment. “Where’s the fire, man? Slow down.”

“I feel like an idiot. Sorry, you two.”

He looked back at the lovely woman he nearly flattened. “Are you sure you’re...” his words stopped midsentence for a second as he suddenly realized he was in the presence of absolute beauty. “Uhh—you’re okay?”

“I’m fine. I’m glad I was here to break your fall,” she answered with a friendly smile as she dusted herself to make sure her clothes were all wrinkle-free and in place.

Ronny excused himself to go finish setting up mics, and Doug turned his attention back to this angelic creature before him.

“Let me guess,” he humbly continued. “You’re probably Danielle.”

“I am, and I know you’re Doug.”

“Guilty—about a couple of things.” He managed to laugh at himself and from total embarrassment.

“Well, Doug, I was looking forward to meeting you but I didn’t expect we’d literally run into each other!”

“You’re making fun of me now, aren’t you?” He laughed and turned bright red as she seemed to enjoy his predicament.

“Sorry, but since we’re all okay—it was kinda funny.”

“It wasn’t the introduction I expected, Danielle, but it’s a real pleasure to meet you—although right now I want to go hide under a rock.”

“I’ll let you off the hook, Doug. And it’s definitely my pleasure to finally meet you.”

Doug was a little surprised when she pulled him into a friendly hug. Her warmth seemed to make everything—okay. Really, okay.

“I was on my way to the office to get some things when I, well, demonstrated my less-than-graceful tendencies. If you want to wait by the piano, I’ll be there in two minutes.”

“I’d be glad to, but make it four minutes—and take your time.” Her impish grin was absolutely cute.

“You’re not willing to let me off the hook, are you?”

“I can’t pass up remembering such a wild introduction, can I?”

Her laughter at his continued expense and was so darn attractive. He held the door for her and couldn’t help noticing her lovely figure and the delightful way she bounced as she walked.

Doug retrieved the music from the church office and made his way back to the sanctuary. As he entered, she was seated at the piano playing a wonderful version of one of his favorite hymns, ‘It Is Well.’ He walked slowly and stopped midway down the aisle to listen and watch her. He sat in a pew so if she noticed he was there she wouldn’t feel pressure to stop playing. “She plays remarkably well, but, wow, she is—absolutely beautiful,” he thought.

The glorious music stopped and she saw him.

“Sorry,” she timidly smiled. “If I see an empty piano bench, I can’t help myself.”

Doug rose and walked toward her, obviously touched by her playing.

“Danielle, that was—heavenly. That’s not only my favorite hymn but it was also my father’s and grandfather’s favorite. Where’d you find that fantastic arrangement?”

“Oh, it’s not any specific arrangement. I just—sort of—played it.”

“The pastor told me you led a team. I assume you led from the piano like I do? If you sing ten percent as good as you play—wow!”

“Doug, I’ve been able to enjoy your playing and the praise team these recent months. You’re no slouch at the keyboard. I’m just hoping you find me worthy to be a part of the team.”

Doug was fighting the shy boy inside him that always appeared in the presence of a pretty girl. He was standing in front of an incredibly attractive and talented woman and that shy little boy was putting up quite a fight.

They chatted for a while about her experience at her last church.

“I just moved here from the Baltimore area, and getting settled in my new home and a new position is stressful enough so I just want to take part of a team and not lead anymore.”

“I can understand that. If things work out—your experience could really help me. So why don’t we start.”

“Great! Is there something, in particular, you’d like me to sing?”

“If it’s okay with you, I thought I’d run you through some warmups to see what your range is.”

“If you’d like, or I could just tell you my range is G3 to C6.”

“Wow! So you can hit high C? I guess, maybe we should move right into having you sing a song.”

“Sounds good, Doug.”

Every time she said his name it sent a wonderful chill up his spine.

“Here’s this Sunday’s set list. Do you know any of them?”

“Absolutely. I know them all. Which one would you like me to sing?”

“How about ‘He Will Hold Me Fast’ since it’s a good song for a female lead?”

“I love that one.”

Doug started playing the introduction on the piano. He knew the song well enough that his mind could safely wander as he considered the gorgeous woman standing before him. Not needing the music, he locked his eyes on her, and he was surprised to see her gazing back at him. She wasn’t looking at the music—it was clear she didn’t need it.

Then, Doug experienced the most wonderful sound he’d ever heard as she began to sing. The beauty of her voice took his breath away. His throat was dry. He struggled to hold back the emotions generated by the angelic sound she produced, but he lost the fight against a few tears that escaped. He managed to sing harmony with her on the chorus and her smiling eyes sparkled even more.

She continued to look right at him. Doug was hypnotized by the warmth of her voice, and the sparkle of her personality glowing through her light blue eyes. She seemed so comfortable sharing of herself in this intense musical moment. He wished he could listen to her sing for hours and simply watch her, but the song ran its course.

Struggling with his emotions, Doug managed to articulate his assessment. “Danielle, that was ... I mean, look at me tearing up here—that was amazing!”

“So can you use me on your team?” Doug rose from the piano bench and walked over to her. He could see in her smile that his answer would not be a surprise.

“Are you kidding? Danielle, welcome to the group. Do you mind singing lead on two of the songs this week?”

She gave him another friendly hug with a squeal of appreciation. “I’ll be glad to!”

She stepped back and looked at him with a glowing smile.

“But, Doug. Would you do me a favor?”

“Sure. Anything.”

“Anything? That leaves the door wide open,” she teased.

“Okay—almost anything.”

“All my friends call me Dani.”

Doug looked at her a bit shyly. “If you’ll let me be your friend, then Dani it is.”

“Of course we’re friends—as long as you don’t keep running me over in doorways,” she kidded.

“You’re not going to let me slide on that, are you?”

“Nope.”

The other team members started to arrive for rehearsal, and Doug introduced Dani to the group. She was warmly received by all and it seemed she and Lisa already knew each other. He was happy to see Lisa pulled Angie into the comradery with Dani. Angie and her husband, Rob, were great friends with Doug and Carla before she left him, as were Lisa and Pete. They remained close even though Carla was no longer in the picture.

As rehearsal ended, Doug wanted to be sure everyone knew the schedule for the coming weeks.

“Great job, guys. I appreciate all of you being prepared for tonight. We’ll warm-up and do a mic check at 7:30 on Sunday morning. Also, don’t forget that at 4:00 on Saturday evening two weeks from this coming Saturday we’ll have our quarterly get-together at Lisa and Pete’s place. Dani, I hope you can come too.”

“Sure, sounds like fun!”

“As always, it’s a pot-luck dinner so get with Lisa about what to bring. Again, guys, great rehearsal and I’ll see you all on Sunday.”

The whole team became close friends over the years and, like every practice, many stayed for a while after rehearsal to talk and fellowship. Dani was the focus tonight as the group warmly included her.