A Little Country Christmas - Carolyn Brown Page 0,132
Dylan decorate a boat for the Festival of Lights.”
She cocked her head. “You have a boat?”
“No, but Jude St. Pierre just bought a new one. It’s a 150-foot gaff-rigged schooner. Built back in the 1930s. They just christened it Synchronicity Too. He must have spent a fortune fitting that boat out, but I reckon he’ll earn it back with more people on his sunset cruises. Anyway, the boat has two masts and a bunch of yardarms. It’s going to take a lot of twinkle lights to make it shine during the Christmas boat parade. I’m sure he wouldn’t mind extra help.”
“No thanks. I’m not climbing up any boat masts. I’m afraid of heights.”
“Really? Or is it just Christmas lights you have a problem with?” He winked.
“I really need to get ready for the rehearsal on Monday.”
“All work and no play…,” he said.
“Jim, do you want me to direct your chorale, or do you want me to suddenly have a magical transformation and throw myself into Christmas like the rest of the people in this town?”
“Well, actually, I’d love to see both.”
“Why?”
“Because you need a little Christmas.”
“And now, thanks to your Christmas Gala, I have exactly that. A little Christmas. A little Christmas goes a long, long way.”
“So, I guess you wouldn’t want to actually ride on Synchronicity Too.”
Brenda blinked. What the hell? “Are you asking me out on one of the sunset cruises?” she blurted.
He laughed. “No. I’m asking you to participate in this year’s Festival of Lights. Jude’s invited some of the kids from the clinic, and he wants to go full-out pirate for this.”
“Pirate?”
“Jude is advertising his pirate cruises, and you know how the kids love pirates in this town. So anyway, everyone on the boat is going to dress up like a pirate…or a wench. And there will be lots of fun for the clinic kids.”
“Pirates and Christmas? Together? Really?”
“Yup. Which is why taking a ride on Synchronicity Too would be perfect for you.”
“Perfect how?”
“It will get you out of the house, and I promise there will be no elves or Santas involved.”
“But it’s a Christmas parade.”
“Okay, if you want to get technical…” He rolled his beautiful blue eyes, and damn if she didn’t suddenly want to dress up like a pirate wench.
“Are you dressing up?” she asked.
“In a tricorn hat and a big frock coat.”
The idea of seeing him dressed up like that appealed to her in a completely forbidden way. He’d look really good in a frock coat and knee britches.
“Okay. I’ll think about it,” she said.
He grinned, and she melted a little.
“Good,” he said, and then headed toward the door. But he stopped before he opened it. “I loved playing music with you. Maybe we could get together again sometime?”
A fire ignited in her middle. “I’d like that,” she said.
Chapter Six
Brenda stood in the middle of the Rutledge High School cafeteria checking her watch. It was five minutes to seven, and half the chairs set up at the end of the room were empty. Where was everyone? Had they boycotted the first rehearsal because she’d agreed to be the choir director?
Even her accompanist, the talented and infuriating Doc Killough, was MIA. She wasn’t entirely sure what she’d do if Jim didn’t show up. She could play the piano, but she was no accompanist, and playing the piano while simultaneously trying to direct would be difficult.
She dug into the box of music Jim had given her on Saturday and pulled out thirty sets of an arrangement of “Joy to the World” and “He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands.” It was easy to learn and upbeat—a perfect song for the opening of their program. She was scratching the song Simon had selected because it was one of the pieces her choir had planned to sing the night Katie Liao was killed.
There were too many bad memories associated with “In the Bleak Midwinter.”
She passed out the music to the choir members who were sitting in their chairs. But at 7:03 p.m., a quarter of the chairs were still empty.
“Where is everyone?” she asked Jim, who had finally arrived at the stroke of seven and seated himself at the electronic piano they were borrowing from the high school’s music department. He took the sheet music and began studying the piece. His presence sent an electric hum through her body that she tried, without any success, to suppress.
“They’ll be along, eventually,” he said.
She pulled her gaze away from the doctor and checked her watch again, irritation mounting.