Lisa was about to answer when her companion spoke up enthusiastically.
“Hiya, Mike. How’s it going?”
“Hi there, Ethan. It’s been a good day.” Mike nodded, as though conceding something that was understood between them. “Glad you remembered the guitar. Jimmy has his, too, so we can open with a little music. Who’s your friend?”
“Don’t really know, preacher. Found her out in the parking lot looking lost. She just sorta followed me up to the church door.”
“I didn’t!” Lisa protested, then clamped her mouth closed. He made her sound like a lost puppy looking for a home.
A lot of teeth…she thought as she turned her annoyed gaze on Ethan. His grin widened, his eyes sparkled. Lisa felt a slight flush creep up her face.
He’s cute and he knows it! Jerk…
She was here at New Beginnings for a lot of reasons, but flirting wasn’t on her agenda.
Forgetting her earlier hesitancy, she offered the minister her hand in greeting. “I’m Lisa Marley.”
“Glad to meet you, Lisa.” Michael spoke with sincerity. “I hope you’ll feel at home with us tonight.”
Three other people came into the foyer, and the minister turned to welcome them. “Hi, folks. Go on into the fellowship hall. It’ll be roomy enough there.”
Lisa hadn’t a clue which direction to take, so she fell into step with the others. They headed down the hall on the left, through double doors opened wide, into a spacious, airy room. At one end, a semi-circle of chairs already held nearly a dozen people, chatting to one another. Off to the side, a man had hooked up an electric guitar and was strumming a few chords.
In the center of the room, a huge Bible lay on a simple oak podium.
“See you later.” Ethan left her to join the other musician.
“Uh-huh.” Her reply was so noncommittal as to be ungracious, but she wasn’t about to encourage the guy. In Lisa’s opinion, most men didn’t need but a flutter of interest to try a pick-up. Finding guys who wanted her wasn’t her problem.
It had never been her problem.
“Lisa!” Beth Anne called her name. Lisa hurried toward her friend, gratitude and relief flooding her.
“I’m only going to remember first names,” Beth Anne said as she started introductions. “This is just the third meeting for New Beginnings, you know. Let’s see. Jenny, isn’t it? And Pam, and Karen and Cindy. The guys are Lorne, Matt, Charlie and Jimmy, helping out on the guitar. And the man you met as you came in—can’t recall his name.”
“Ethan,” Lisa supplied.
“That’s it—Ethan Vale,” Jenny said. Her blue eyes shone in keen interest. “Can’t wait to hear him. He played in a band once upon a time.”
“I’ve heard him,” Cindy added. “At a banking function, before his wife Sharon died. The band played bluegrass that night, but Sharon said they also did country-and-western. He’s really good.”
Obviously, Ethan was already popular among this crowd, Lisa mused. And he was widowed. A thin ribbon of sympathy threaded through her consciousness. She let her gaze roam his way and watched him, tuning his acoustic guitar along with the other musician. He had long, masculine fingers that stroked the strings with care.
Lisa put a clamp on her wayward thoughts. She’d had enough romantic entanglements to last a lifetime, and they’d all been disastrous. Besides, she didn’t intend to let anything get in the way of what she had to do now.
The fact Ethan was widowed did tie in with what Beth Anne told her about this group. New Beginnings was made up of all kinds of people, in all phases of life, looking for new directions.
“Didn’t know that,” Beth Anne remarked, gazing around the room as others drifted in. “Well, I haven’t met everyone yet. Looks like our crowd has increased, praise God. You sit tight, Lisa, and I’ll join you in a minute.”
Lisa exchanged a general greeting with the others, too nervous to offer a smile, and sat down in the second row on the end seat. Michael stepped up to the podium and welcomed them all, waited for the low hum of chatter to quiet, then opened the meeting with prayer. True to her word, Beth Anne slipped silently into the chair next to Lisa, giving Lisa’s knee a reassuring pat as she did.
Lisa sighed and let her thoughts join in as Michael’s rich, deep voice intoned an earnest praise of God’s presence in their lives, their rock in time of trouble, then sought God’s attention, help and blessings for them all.
Yes, Lord. Do You hear him? He’s a minister, so I guess You just have to listen to him. And I guess he’s first in line for receiving Your help. But I’m here, too, and I’m one of those who needs all the help I can get. I can’t afford to mess up again. Oh, by the way, thanks for the job. I can get tips as a waitress. If the court had let me work in a place that served drinks, I’d earn more, but that’s okay. I’ll work as hard as I need to, You’ll see. If only Aunt Katherine will see reason…
Fifteen minutes later, as the musicians let the opening music drift to a close, Lisa conceded that Ethan knew how to use his guitar. The man could play.
So what? Lisa mused. That didn’t cover much by way of character.
She was into character study these days—good, bad, weak, strong. Her observations of those around her had become an obsession.
The meeting covered a lot of ground. There were announcements of planned activities, most of them strictly for fun and bonding, Bible studies held in small groups, and the private counseling services that Michael offered.
Maybe she should go see him, Lisa thought. Would Beth Anne go with her?
“We officially launch an ad in two weeks,” Michael went on, “for our first big event. An all-day seminar entitled What Are You Doing for the Rest of Your Life? and subtitled, Following God’s Blueprint.”
She certainly needed that. But it was on a Saturday… Her thoughts drifted; she’d have to work.
“Blueprint?” commented one of the men. “Guess I was standing behind a door when they was passing out them things, ’cause life has sure passed me by.”
Chuckles greeted the remark, and another man answered, “Ken, you haven’t enough life in you to make a blip on the charts in the first place. Life can’t help but pass you by when it can’t even find you.”
“Then it’s an all-fired surety that God’s gotta give me something to work with for the next few years, isn’t it?” Ken parried, the lines in his face crinkling as he talked. “I’ve gotta make up for lost time. Maybe it’s a good time to ask Cindy here for a date.”
Cindy turned toward the man in cut-off jeans, his short brown hair flying every way but straight. Lisa’s gaze followed Cindy’s carefully narrowed stare.
Ken gave an exaggerated groan.
While those around her laughed, Lisa found herself wanting to smile, too. She could see this crowd liked to tease, but their friendliness included a real compassion. Slowly her muscles relaxed, and she began to enjoy the meeting.
Then Michael regained their attention, explaining who the speakers would be at the seminar, and what they hoped to cover.
“It’s a dynamite program, so it’s a good time to invite other people to come. We want to serve each other here, folks, while we’re finding or expanding our own walk with the Lord. Even though we’re a little out of the way here in River’s Edge, I don’t think people will mind if we can give them what they need. We can still become an effective force for boomers at a crossroads.”
“Sounds