“My hope this morning is that the team,” Conyer continued, and motioned perhaps ten or twelve people to join him on the stage, “will join me on the stage, and Pastors Johnston and Greg will pray over us.
“This is an awesome privilege and responsibility. And, we, as a group, believe in the power of prayer. God has promised that His Word would not come back to Him void, so we’re stocked with head- and heart-knowledge of Jesus Christ, and we’ll be totin’ our Bibles into the unknown.”
By this time, both pastors had come to join Conyer and his team of believers who had a heart for international ministry. In addition, all the elders and deacons in the service had gathered around the group, who were then kneeling.
Giselle’s heart was being wrenched as she finally saw this precious man, Conyer, for the first time as the godly man that he was. When she saw him on his knees before the Almighty, she vocally choked a sob back.
By the time the prayers were ended, and the team was again standing, Giselle was quietly sobbing so hard that she had to leave the worship center auditorium. She needed to wipe away tears, blow her nose, and get a hold of herself.
Ducking into the side hallway and heading toward the restroom designated for females, she saw Conyer and his team exiting the side doors of the auditorium, directly into her path, as they headed for the two buses just outside, under the portico.
Their eyes locked onto each other at the exact same moment. Each of them stopped abruptly in their paths to different destinations. Conyer was surrounded by several people, each with questions they needed answering by Conyer. But, his eyes and attention, at least for the next few minutes, were for Giselle only. He asked everyone to head out to the buses. He’d join them and give instruction at that time.
When there were only Conyer and Giselle left in the hallway, Conyer took several steps toward Giselle, and she responded in kind.
By the time they actually stood directly before each other, Giselle was crying again.
“Conyer, I thought it was you…”
“I know,” he answered softly.
“But, it wasn’t.”
“No.”
“It was your Aunt Tier…”
Conyer confirmed with a small shake of his head.
“Oh, Conyer, I’m so sorry…” Can you forgive me for…”
“Already done,” he interrupted.
“Conyer, it was you… the cards, the ballerina statue, and I suspect, all the special food in the hospital.” It wasn’t a question.
When he just looked at her and smiled, she took a couple remaining steps toward him. His arms went around her.
“Don’t cry, Giselle. We’re friends now, right?!” He wanted so much more than a casual friendship, but he knew it had to start with just a friendship. Oh, how he hoped they could build on it!
Giselle looked up at Conyer.
“Conyer, you’re leaving. You’re going to be gone a long time, maybe.”
Smiling down at this sweet young woman, he said to her,
“We’ve got all the time I’m gone to build our friendship. You saw the email address I’ll be answering to while we’re gone? It was up on the screen?”
Giselle nodded. Then, she smiled, and shaking her head, she said, “
[email protected].”
“Email me with what’s going on while I’m away. I’m not sure how often I’ll be able to answer. I don’t think I’ll have access to a computer real often. But, I’ll email back as much as I can. Ok?”
“I have so much to tell you!” Giselle answered. “You may get sick of hearing from me. But, you have to promise you’ll let me know if my emails are getting too long or I’m sending them too often.”
From the double doors, a voice called to him, “Hey, Connie, the bus drivers are getting restless! Gotta go!”
“Ok, I’m comin’!”
Returning his attention to Giselle, he said, “Bye for now, Little Sis.”
Conyer smiled one last time at Giselle, turned, and took no more than three steps toward the doors, when Giselle called him.
“Conyer, I have a going away gift for you.” As soon as she said it, she began a deep blush, knowing what she was about to do.
Walking up to him, Giselle took his chin in her hand, and turned his face away from her own, then softly, sweetly kissed him on the cheek.
As Conyer walked again toward the doors, he turned just long enough to say with a lascivious grin, “Wow! Nice down payment, Little Sis.”
“Down payment?” Giselle asked, slightly confused.
Conyer simply smiled again at her, and just before walking out through the doors, he yelled back over his shoulder, “Lord willing, I’ll see you in a couple of months.”
Giselle stood exactly where they’d parted until both buses pulled out of the church parking lot. She had no idea what the future held for her and Conyer, but she was excited to find out.
A Word About Fixing His Broken Ballerina Volume 2
Giselle has just said goodbye to Conyer, within minutes of learning that he had not been the one who had destroyed her ballet career, and that he had been the one true encourager during her healing process after the accident. She watched his back as he walked out of the church through the doors, headed on a missions trip to South America.
In those moments, there was so much to be said, but no time to say it.
As she stood inside the church hallway, Giselle remembered that she didn’t tell Conyer she’d gotten a position at Grace Abounding Dance Studio. She wanted so badly for him to know. Ever since the evening they’d stood before the studio and saw all the physically challenged ballerinas painted all over the exterior of the studio.
She needed to tell him also, how grateful she was for his ballerina sculpture, his greeting cards, and probably other things he’d done that she didn’t know about. And, all he’d done without asking for thanks.
Now that Conyer had left, Giselle missed him already. It had only been minutes, and she craved his company. She was learning so much about this man.
But, some things she didn’t know at all. For one, what he had to do with her position at Grace Abounding, and two, that he was the owner.
As they begin sharing emails back and forth, Giselle finds that she’s falling hard for this amazing and godly man.
When Conyer does return, after more time than he’d ever suspected when he’d left the church and Giselle that Sunday, his welcome home greeting from Giselle isn’t the wonderful fantasy they’d imagined. But then, why would it be when Giselle has seen the rather passionate hug and kiss between Conyer and some girl Giselle couldn’t identify.
No! Oh, please no, Jesus! This just couldn’t be happening!
About the Author
Sheila and her husband Daniel have lived the last thirty-plus years in their dream home, the one they built together in two acres of woods in North Carolina. Tall, tall trees that stretch up five or more stories to the sky surround their home. Wildlife is all around them, and they revel in it.
Their daughter, DanniLaii, and her husband, Carl, live only five miles away, so they get to have wonderful times together, and on a pretty regular basis. Sheila and her daughter are practically joined at the hip, and spend inordinate amounts of time lunching, shopping, and laughing together.
Originally a public high school teacher, Sheila gave herself an "early retirement" and now is engaged with writing contemporary Christian fiction and creating Christmas romance plans for husbands and wives, in addition to designing marriage certificates and marriage vow renewal certificates.
Trying to expand her culinary skills, Sheila weekly pulls one or two recipes from online and is surprising herself, her husband, and her family with countless new and exciting dishes. She has chosen to obliterate from her mind altogether those dishes that bombed. Rather like a coping mechanism.
Sheila always has two or three books in progress at any given time, so her hope is that her readers will enjoy her "long, tall tales" so much that they'll return over and over
to keep grabbing another one.
To read more about this author and her writings, and participate in any of the upcoming offers, visit her at www.sheilaholmes.com.
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