Page 40 of To Bring You Back
“You think he should be?”
“Of course.” Because her sin was the same, and her face flamed with shame, even though Drew didn’t know what she’d done. He did know Gannon fired Fitz. That ought to be enough for this conversation. “It was so bad. Such a blatant sin.”
“That’s the only kind I know of.”
Oh. Right.
“But I just … How good is grace? I mean, can we really expect to get back everything we lose when we sin? Or is that asking too much?” Her heart pumped overtime. She longed for him to say restoration was possible. But she’d been striving to get right with God since she’d so utterly failed. If Gannon was right about grace, wouldn’t she have seen progress by now?
Drew studied her, and her defenses failed.
She wiped tears from her cheeks.
He slid her a box of tissues. “God’s grace is better than we can comprehend, and He is in the business of redeeming and bringing good from even the worst situations.”
“But even once we’ve repented, there are consequences.”
“Sure. Forgiveness doesn’t cancel consequences, but the opposite is also true. Consequences don’t mean we’re not forgiven. When we’re covered in grace, we don’t have to walk around in shame anymore.”
How was it possible to not be ashamed of something that had contributed to someone else’s death?
“You said you aren’t sure he’s sorry. The right heart tends to lead toward the right works.” He picked the pen back up and turned it in his hands. “We all fall short, though, so it’s impossible to judge someone by their actions alone. Only God knows a person’s heart, and that’s what’s important to Him.”
He spoke gently, but her conscience pinged like a rubber band. She’d been too hard on Gannon. She’d been a hypocrite.
If hearts were what mattered to God, what did He think of hers, as tainted as it was?
Emotion built into a tidal wave. Before she could lose all composure, she murmured her thanks and hurried out.
After not sleeping well followinghis fight with Adeline, a day of rehearsing with John and Matt left Gannon spent. He reached past John to power down one of the amps.
John stepped out of the way but lingered by the soundboard. “Last night didn’t go well?”
“Not particularly.” Gannon scanned the equipment. No red lights blinked at him, indicating he’d shut everything down. He moved to the door, and John followed him to the kitchen.
There, Gannon grabbed them each a bottle of water. “Every time we talk, it ends with her hurt and angry.”
“So spend less time talking. Go help her with house stuff.”
“The last thing she wants is anyone getting pictures of us together.”
John drained a third of his water and raked the back of his hand across his mouth. “Have it your way. I’m sure Drew will help her.”
“Drew?”
“A friend of hers.”
“What kind of friend?”
“The kind that helps her with her house.”
A man could do that out of the goodness of his heart, but if John thought that was the case here, he wouldn’t have brought him up.
“I’m not going to steal her away from some other guy.” Not again.
“For now, he’s a friend. But you have a point about pictures. Paparazzi followed Matt home last night.”
Great. Gannon stretched his arms and interlaced his fingers behind his head. Following his every move would be easier now that they knew the band’s home base. A couple of close calls over the years had necessitated tightened security. The guards at the gate were armed, but Adeline had no one to protect her and wouldn’t take kindly to needing someone, even if Gannon footed the bill.
