A Prelude To A Dance

By Kay Edwards

Helen Kiser becomes an overnight hero when she jumps into a frozen river to save a child that has broken through the ice. As the child's medical bills come to light, she is asked to do a dance benefit to raise money. A past Helen had kept a secret will now collide with her present and future as the famous dancer Logan Day teaches her to dance. Logan sees past Helen's anxiety to the real pain she hides. With God's help he gently helps Helen deal with innocence lost. He also helps Helen face the evil that has found her, as the man that had defiled her as a child tries to claim her again. Can Logan keep her safe? Can they both trust God with the unusual thing He has asked them to do? Will love find its way into their hearts as the start their Prelude To A Dance?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Kay Edwards
• Release date: Sep 24, 2015
• ISBN: 9781310421051

Kay Edwards

I am a country girl. I grew up along the Susquehanna River in central PA. I am a Christian and not ashamed of it. I have four children and an awesome (according to him) husband. I believe that Christ must be first, family second and everything else as God sees fit to lead you. I absolutely love a great love story and have written many just for fun. After introducing some friends to my writing, I have been encouraged to publish. I will find a way to always put a twist of humor in everything I write, because that is who I am. If it comes into my mind it is usually out of my mouth, which has put me in some absolutely hysterical situations. I look forward to sharing work with people and hope you all enjoy.

Book preview

CHAPTER ONE

Helen heard a cry for help. As she neared the river, the cry grew louder. A small crowd gathered at the iced edge.

Looking out, she could see a child had broken through the ice and into the freezing water. People had their phones out, calling 911 or taking video, but no one seemed inclined to actually help the little girl.

As the child cried out again for help, Helen didn’t think twice. She wrapped a dead vine around her waist and went out on to the thin ice.

The ice broke, plunging Helen into its frigid depths. The freezing water seeped into her very bones. That didn’t matter. She was going to get to that child.

People on the shore seemed more inclined to help now. Two bigger men held the vine as Helen broke the ice with her raw, red fingers. As Helen got closer to the little girl, she seemed to rally her strength. The child frantically held the thin ice, but without warning, it broke, and under the water she went.

Helen didn’t give a second thought to herself as she plunged headfirst after the child. She swam as fast as her arms and legs would let her. She felt the little girl’s hair and grabbed it. Kicking with all of her might, Helen broke the surface of the water.

I have her! she yelled, and that was all it took for Helen to feel herself being pulled in. As the men continued to pull her, Helen held the child’s head up out of the water.

Helen looked at the girl’s lips. They were blue, and her face looked lifeless. As they pulled her onto land, Helen rolled the girl to her back and breathed into her mouth. She was just getting ready to press on the child’s chest when the girl made a gurgle and spat out water from her lungs. The child made a small cry and then a louder one.

Helen looked at the little girl she had just saved, but something wasn’t right. The child looked like a cloud was around her. Helen looked harder and blinked to clear her vision. It didn’t work.

The crowd was reaching for Helen as she fell forward and passed out.

***

Helen woke up to the sound of her mother’s voice. Come, my sweet girl. Wake up.

Mom, what happened? Helen asked her question even though her mouth felt like cotton.

You did, Helen. You went into the river to save a little girl. They said you dragged her out of the water, breathed into her mouth, and then passed out, Ester answered gently.

It came back to Helen then. Is she okay? No one did anything. They just watched and took video.

Her name is Lidia, and she’s going to be okay, thanks to you, Ester assured Helen as she patted her cold hand.

I was so scared for her. She was so alone and so afraid when she was out there. I just couldn’t stand and watch, Helen said softly.

Helen’s mother sighed deeply I know, but you could have been killed. Your father would have had a heart attack if he were still alive and had seen you do something so dangerous. How many times in the past has he told you that the current can take you before you can help?

I know. That’s why I tied a vine around my waist. It seemed sturdy enough to hold, and it did. Helen’s voice shook with exhaustion.

Helen, I know you think I’m overreacting, but you need to remember that you’re my baby. I thought I had lost you when I saw you on the news, Ester said, her voice raw with emotion.

Wait, what? You saw me on the news? Helen asked surprised.

Yes. I was watching TV when the breaking news interrupted my show. You had just gone under to grab her when they started airing it live from the news chopper. You were on the screen long enough for me to see it was you, and then, you were gone. I thought that would be the last image I had of you. Her mother sniffled as tears ran down her cheeks.

I’m sorry, Mom. I didn’t realize you had seen it. I can understand now how upset you would be to see that, Helen whispered.

They’re here, you know? They want to talk to you, Ester said softly.

Who is here, Mom? Helen’s face showed her confusion.

The news media is here. It seems you’re a bit of a hero, Helen. People uploaded the rescue to the internet and everything snowballed from there. Ester brushed another stray hair from her daughter’s forehead.

Helen tried to take a calming breath. She hated attention. She suddenly felt drowsier. Her mother’s look of concern told her she looked tired, too.

It’s okay to rest now, Helen. We can deal with the news crews when you’re feeling better.

Helen felt her mother’s warm hand on her forehead again. She closed her eyes and dozed back off to sleep.

CHAPTER TWO

Much to his dismay, Logan Day was on the phone with his mother. He rolled his eyes as she continued to express the concern that she had for him.

He had grown up in a small town along the Susquehanna River. He went to church every Sunday morning and night with his parents, as did most of the town. He loved his mom but knew she had a very specific view of how things should be. He didn’t share that view.

In the years since he had left that small town, he had acquired fame and fortune. Many things he grew up with stayed with him while others fell along the path. He wasn’t, by any means, a playboy, but he did enjoy female companionship from time to time. He donated to charity and did his part to help the poor.

He was just getting ready to defend himself when he heard his mother gasp. Dear God!

Alarm rose up inside Logan. Are you okay, Mom?

I just turned on the news. A little girl has broken through the ice. She’s not going to make it much longer…Dear God, no! she gasped into the phone again.

What Mom? What’s going on? His alarm continued to grow.

I know that young lady. My friend’s daughter just jumped into the water after the child. Her name is Helen. Logan, she’ll never make it. Wait! It looks like she has a rope or something tied to her. Some men are holding it.

His mother continued to give play by play. She gasped again. The child let go of the ice; she went under.

Logan’s mom was sobbing now. Helen went under the water! Where is she? I see the rope. Where is she?

Mom, please. You need to calm down. Turn it off. Wait to hear what happens. Logan started to plead with real concern.

I see Helen! She has the child! They’re pulling her in, Elaina said excitedly.

Mom turn it off! You can’t get this excited. Logan beseeched again.

Elaina ignored her son’s plea. They made it to shore. Helen looks fine. She looks like she’s giving CPR.

Please, Mom… Logan begged once more.

Okay. It’s off now, his mother said. She sounded out of breath.

Are you okay? Logan asked softly.

I’m fine, Logan. My heart is beating slower now. I just had to see her make it to shore. I love Helen. She’s special, Elaina said softly.

That Helen girl should have known better than to go into that icy water. Didn’t her dad teach her anything? Logan said with anger.

He did. You knew her father; Chester Kiser. With Helen, it doesn’t matter what he taught her. If you knew her, you would know Helen would give her life before she watched a child die, Elaina defended her young friend.

She sounds just plain stupid to me. Did she even know the child? Logan’s voice was angry.

I don’t know if she did or not. It still would not have made a difference. She’s not afraid to die. She’s a Christian. There’s something about her relationship with Christ that touches people around her. It’s like she truly sees Him as all she needs.

Are you going to be okay? Logan changed the subject. He didn’t know why, but hearing his mom talk about this girl made him more uncomfortable than when she spoke to him about where he was in his Christian walk.

I’m fine now. Thank you, son. I love you, Elaina assured him.

I love you, too.

Logan hung up the phone. His mind was trying to picture a girl that would give no thought to herself and save a person in need. He wondered if he would have stepped up and done something. He hung his head ashamed as he realized the answer was probably no. If he had to be honest, he couldn’t do it because Logan knew he wasn’t ready to die. That thought gave him pause, if, for just a moment.

CHAPTER THREE

It had been a week since Helen had jumped into the icy waters of the Susquehanna to save Lidia the fateful February day she had fallen through the ice.

Helen took a deep breath and sighed. In that week, her life seemed to have change forever. She and the little girl appeared to be known all over the country. The thing that wasn’t comfortable for Helen was the fact that people recognized her every place she went, even on campus. She didn’t like the attention the rescue had brought with it. Especially from the young men on campus. She was asked out a couple of times but politely declined.

Three news stations interviewed her. They asked her many times what it felt like to be a hero. Those media appearances were done by only Helen, since Lidia was still hospitalized. With the little girl’s impending discharge later that day, her time in front of the cameras would no longer be solo. Helen and Lidia were doing the first and second of seven scheduled interviews together that afternoon.

Helen had prayed about accepting the first interview. If she were honest, she prayed hoping that God would say it was okay to decline. That wasn’t the case.

When asked how she was able to jump into the water and save Lidia, Helen’s answer was always the same. God. God had her in His hand the entire time, and it was through Him that she was able to pull Lidia out of the water. She knew some people thought she was being humble, but the truth was that Helen did believe that only God helped her save the little girl from death.

Those that knew her best were well aware that Helen was anything but comfortable in front of a camera. She hated crowds. Helen liked to stay on the outside of things. Helen avoided drawing attention to herself. It was just who she was. A doctor had diagnosed her with anxiety issues when she was still a kid. Her mother didn’t have any qualms telling people the diagnosis when it became evident that Helen didn’t want to socialize.

Please let this go by fast, Helen’s whisper toward Heaven was heartfelt.

Did you say something? her mother asked from across the room.

I was just talking to God, Helen said softly.

Helen’s mother came up behind her chair and put her arms around her daughter’s shoulders. Bending over, she planted a kiss on the top of Helen’s head. This too, shall pass, my dear, she said with a smile.

I know. A tear slipped out and ran down her cheek.

It’ll be okay, Helen. What’s bringing these tears? I know you don’t like to be noticed, but it’s that quiet spirit of yours that makes people take notice of you.

Going around the chair, her mother grasped her chin, gently tilting it up You didn’t always mind the attention. Try to think about the times when you were little and enjoyed being the joker and drama queen.

Helen closed her eyes and sighed again. I’ll try.

Now then. I have something we need to talk about.

Helen was shocked as her mother started to speak. The young woman hadn’t thought things could get much worse for her. She had been wrong.

***

Logan lay in his bed wide awake. It had been a week since the exciting phone call with his mother. In that week, he had gotten to see the face of Helen, the woman his mother talked so fondly about.

Logan studied her when she was on the news doing interviews. He still looked up the rescue on the internet. He was still angry with the stranger he saw on the screen. He didn’t understand why. He just was.

Punching his pillow, he rolled over and tried to close his eyes, but all he could see were the blue eyes of Helen. He allowed his mind to go to the interview he had seen the day before. Helen seemed uncomfortable as she quietly answered the questions. Her pale face framed by long blonde hair made her look more vulnerable victim than a hero.

A part of him found satisfaction in her discomfort. He knew why he felt that way. His mom was right. There was just something so genuine about her that you couldn’t help but like her. He knew what that was, and it made him mad. It was the same anger he got when his mom would say she was praying for him. If he had to be honest, he had more anger at Helen than he did at his mother. He had an intense irritation he didn’t understand. With his mom, he got annoyed. He knew she loved him so he could never get truly angry. With Helen, it just got under his skin. Why?

He punched the pillow again and rolled over. It wasn’t like Helen was different from the girls he had grown up with. It never bothered him seeing them in their Christian walks. So why did it bother him so much to see it in Helen?

Looking at the clock, Logan decided to give up on sleep. With a stretch and a yawn, he got out of bed. It was 5:00 a.m. He needed to get up in another hour anyway.

Making his way to the bathroom, he turned on the shower before going toward his sink to brush his teeth while the water warmed up.

Lidia, the little girl, was going to be getting out of the hospital later that morning. Logan wondered if there was going to be some heartfelt reunion between her and Helen. Cussing under his breath for thinking about Helen again, he disrobed and jumped into the shower. Letting the water run over him, he hoped it would wipe away this anger he had.

***

Elaina Day sat watching the afternoon news. She couldn’t help but smile as the interview started with little Lidia. The little girl looked adorable in the purple overalls her mom had put on her. She couldn’t fight the giggle that bubbled in her throat when she saw Helen sitting next to the girl.

Poor Helen. Everyone knew she was so out of place doing these interviews. It just hit Elaina a little different than it did Ester, Helen’s mother. Elaina could see the humor in it. Not in a cruel way but in a way that made her remember the conversation she had had with Helen about a year ago. She allowed herself to think back to that time.

"Hi, Helen. How are you?"

"Mrs. Day, you about gave me heart failure! I didn’t even hear you come up behind me," Helen exclaimed softly placing her hand over her heart.

"My son says the same thing. I’m light on my feet. It may be that he gets his dance ability from me." The older woman smiled as she did a dance step.

Helen laughed. I hope he doesn’t make it a habit of sneaking up on people, too.

Elaina cocked her head to the side. She observed the young woman in front of her. She was always drawn to Helen. However, there was always something that made her think the young lady didn’t care to be around a lot of people. She didn’t go out with the other kids when she was a teen. She didn’t seem inclined to make friends now or go out and have fun. Helen looked like it almost hurt to talk to her, and she had known the young woman for years.

Helen knew she was being observed. She couldn’t help it, but she started to fidget under Mrs. Day’s scrutiny.

Elaina cleared her throat and ventured You don’t enjoy a great amount of contact with people. Do you, Helen? Now before you answer, I’m not trying to make it seem wrong. I just want you to know I understand.

Helen looked down. She always hated it when her mom would make the same observation. Helen cleared her throat. She was going to answer, but the words just seemed to stick.

"It’s okay, Helen. I just want to say one thing to you. I feel like God is telling me to say this and I want to obey Him. Sometimes, He calls us out of our comfort zones. If He does this to you, please be obedient. He loves you, and He will protect you at that time," Elaina spoke kindly to the younger woman. She didn’t want to offend her, and did everything she could to assure herself she hadn’t.

Elaina remembered the tears in the young lady’s eyes. Helen hadn’t responded to Elaina’s words verbally, but the older woman knew she had been heard. Helen had nodded and smiled before she walked to her calling mother.

Hearing Helen’s voice on the TV brought her back to the present. She started to make her supper as the interview was coming to an end. She was just getting ready to put the chicken in the oven when Lidia’s mom started to explain that her family didn’t have good insurance. The bill for the hospital was over $200,000. She vowed to pay every penny back. The mother was just so grateful to the doctors and hospital staff for saving her daughter’s life.

Hearing that news wasn’t surprising to Elaina, she had been made aware of the family’s struggle. A plan had already formed in her mind to help them. She wasn’t sure if it would work but was willing to give it a shot. Knowing that Ester had already spoken to Helen, she put the chicken in the oven and called Logan.

***

You want me to what?! Logan tried not to yell, but he just couldn’t help it. His mother was out of her mind.

Now hear me out, son. Elaina tried to calm him. This little girl didn’t have a good healthcare plan. Her parents can’t afford to pay this bill. A person like you doing a benefit would be an excellent way to raise money.

I understand the benefit part, Mom. I don’t understand the part in which you want me to teach Helen to dance. He hissed through clenched teeth.

It would be a great way to draw attention to the benefit. The news can do updates on how it’s going with the lessons. We can sell tickets to a dinner that ends with a ballroom dance featuring you and Helen. You must admit that it would draw a crowd. We may be able to pay off the entire bill for Lidia’s family. If there’s any money left, we can even set up a fund at the hospital to be used for those that can’t pay their bills.

Logan ran his fingers through his hair. He knew he had no reason to say no. Logan had nothing on his schedule for the next two months. He remembered the phone conversation a week ago about Helen’s willingness to jump into a river. Logan also remembered the question he had asked himself when he hung up the phone.

Logan could do this. He had the time to do this. Logan did want to help this child’s family. He just didn’t want to be that close to Helen.

Taking a deep breath, he decided to make the right choice. I’ll do it if she will. Closing his eyes, he resigned himself to dealing with the anger and helping the child’s family.

***

What a day. Helen sat at her computer desk and tried to do her homework. All she could think about was what her mother had asked her to do earlier that morning. Learn to dance. Not just learn to dance. Do it in front of cameras. She just couldn’t imagine what Mrs. Day had been thinking, bringing this up to her mom.

When asked to do it, Helen went to her number one answer. Let me pray about it.

Helen sniffled, letting a tear run down her cheek. She watched it drip onto her desktop.

She had prayed about it. She knew what God wanted her to do. She just had such a hard time imagining that God was going to ask her to do this. He knew her so well. He was aware that she had come to the point of depending on His arms only for strength and comfort. He knew dancing was going to be so uncomfortable for her. Why was He asking this of her now?

Helen knew she would not be able to sleep until she told her mother the answer.

Who was she kidding? She wasn’t even sure that would help her sleep.

Going to her bed, Helen propped pillows in a circle. As she had done many times in the past, she snuggled into those pillows and pretended they were the physical arms of God. Helen laid there and cried for a few minutes. She laid there in the hopes that God would change His answer.

After some time had passed and with a weary spirit, Helen went to her mother’s room and told her she would do the benefit.

Helen returned to her room and went back to her pillows and talked to Jesus. She told Him how scared she was of going outside her comfort zone. Helen asked Him to forgive her for her lack of faith. She laid it all in her Savior’s hands and then, she slept.

CHAPTER FOUR

Three weeks after being asked to do the benefit, Helen woke up to the blare of her alarm clock. Moaning, she rolled over and looked at the time. Five o'clock in the morning is way too early to get up. Still groggy with sleep, Helen was trying to figure out why she had set it for that time.

Reality struck like lightning, and she bolted upright in her bed. Today was the first day of dance rehearsal with Mrs. Day’s son, Logan. With a loud groan, she forced herself out of bed and headed for the shower.

Helen got out of the shower and dressed. Her hands were shaking. She was so nervous about today. If she had met Logan before today, she might not have been so shaken up about the entire thing, but today wasn’t just the first day of learning to dance, it was also the first day she would be meeting her instructor. He was a stranger, and Helen was always uncomfortable around people she didn’t know. The fact that he was a known dancer that had made many appearances on TV didn’t do a thing to ease her fear. Seeing someone on TV was very different than knowing them. To be honest, she was probably one of the few in her town that had not seen him on TV.

Hands still shaking she sat down on the side of her bed. Please, Jesus, help me to calm down. A whispered plea was all she could get out.

Helen took a deep breath and headed out of her room. Helen could smell food and knew her