Free Country Crooner (Christian Romance) by Rebecca Lynn Clayson

o'clock in the morning.
    "I’m sorry; I've kept you so late. I'm sure that you have things that you need to get done in the morning, I'd better let you go to bed." Chelsea stretched, realizing that she was exhausted. The emotional work of sorting through paperwork all day had taxed her energy, and she knew that she needed some sleep.
    "I've enjoyed myself; it was nice to spend some time with you." Kurt stood up and gave Chelsea a big hug; she could smell the scent of his after-shave and she liked the way it felt to have his strong arms, especially after the stress that she had been going through.
    "I enjoyed it as well," Chelsea agreed. "I've still got a lot to do before I head back to California , so I need to get up early and work on stuff at the radio station in the morning."
    "Good luck with everything, it sounds like a lot of work."
    "It is, but someone's got to do it."
    "Have a good night, Chelsea ; I'll talk to you later." Kurt let himself out of the front door, and Chelsea locked the door behind him. She headed downstairs to her old bedroom where she had been sleeping since she arrived nine days ago.
    She still felt the stress from the radio station and the burden of making a decision, but she was surprised that her mind was now preoccupied with the sweet kids in the choir. Hearing them sing had caused a change in her heart. Through the music of the choir and Kurt's devotion to the group, she could see that he was a good guy. The way he interacted with the kids showed her that his heart was in the right place, and she knew that the reason he wanted to keep the radio station going was in the best interest of those children.
    The softness of her heart was also mixed with the feelings of desire for Kurt. She was surprised at the feelings, mainly because she didn't think that he was the type of guy that she should fall for. Yes, he was good looking, but she had a life back in California and couldn't let herself get involved with a guy who lived so far away.
    She fell asleep that night hearing the beautiful choir music in her head and dreaming of Kurt, with the wishful desire to hear him sing.

Chapter 5
    The next morning, Kurt woke up thinking about Chelsea . Deep down, he knew he was falling for her. She was a fantastic person; beautiful and smart, and everything that he had ever wanted in a woman. The conversation the night before had helped Kurt to see a depth of compassion and personality within her that he’d overlooked in previous conversations, mainly because he was blinded by his own problems.
    Even though he had feelings for Chelsea , he knew that the relationship would never work because she lived so far away. He wasn't interested in a long distance relationship, and he wasn't interested in moving back to California again. Besides, she deserved a guy so much better than him.
    He knew that she grew up in a good Christian home, and had always tried to live life the best that she could. He assumed that she had always been strong in the faith, and had never ventured down a path of poor choices like those that he had made. On the other hand, Kurt still felt as though he was new to the faith and knew that his rough background was partly responsible for shaping the man that he had become. Chelsea deserved a man who had a solid understanding of Christ and Kurt knew that he had a long way to go before he could be that man.
    Kurt looked at the example of Chelsea 's father, and wanted to become like him. Kurt had the desire to be a man filled with Christ-like characteristics and with strong faith, but he felt as though he just wasn't quite there yet.
    Over the past two years he had really grown in his faith and understanding about the teachings of Jesus Christ, but he still felt as though he was an infant in the Gospel... there was a lot to learn. Chelsea deserved someone who was solid and knowledgeable in the Gospel, and he could see that he was not that man.
    Kurt knew that Chelsea was planning to stay through the end