A Little Country Christmas - Carolyn Brown Page 0,133

She had only one hour each Monday night to get the group ready for their concert. How the heck was she supposed to whip these people into a choir if folks didn’t show up on time?

Just then, Donna Cuthbert and Leanne Milford strolled into the room, talking and laughing.

“I’m so glad you could join us,” Brenda said, glaring at them.

They stopped and stared at her with surprised faces.

“You’re late. Rehearsal starts at seven o’clock.”

The two women glanced at each other and then shucked their coats as a few more choir members wandered in.

Brenda waited, grinding her teeth as they found their seats. There were still a few empty chairs. She glanced over at Jim, who was giving her a little frown. What? Did he expect her to be nice to everyone and not rock any boats? She stomped on the urge to ask his permission to take charge. She didn’t need permission. Choirs were not democracies. Either the singers followed the director or the result was cacophony.

Brenda took her place in front of the music stand facing the choir. “Let me make my expectations clear. I don’t know how Simon managed this group in the past. But I’m not Simon. I’m…” She paused a moment because she almost referred to herself as Ms. McMillan, as if they were a class of high school students and not adults.

“I’m Brenda,” she said. “And I expect you to be here at 7:00 p.m. Not five minutes later. And I expect you not to talk while I’m talking.” She turned and glared at the soprano section where Donna Cuthbert was whispering something into Lori Colbert’s ear. The ladies snapped to attention, and Donna’s face flushed red.

“How many of you can read music?”

The majority of the group raised their hands.

“Good. Because we’re making a few changes in the program. We’re dropping ‘In the Bleak Midwinter’ and adding ‘Joy to the Whole World.’ I also want to add an arrangement of ‘Silent Night’ toward the end of the program, but I will need to find and purchase some music before next week. So stand by.”

There was an audible hum of distress among the group.

“None of the new songs will be difficult to learn. I’m sure you’re all capable.”

But after an hour of working with them, she wondered just how capable any of them were. They had been working with Simon for three weeks before he’d been stricken, and yet they didn’t know their parts, even for the easy pieces. She was able to get through only two of the songs, and there were a few more audible grumbles as the choir members filed out of the cafeteria when rehearsal was finished.

Well, too bad. It was a classic case of be careful what you wish for.

She was collecting her music from the stand when Jim walked up behind her. She felt his approach long before he arrived. The man seemed to generate heat wherever he went.

“So,” he said, “that went well.”

She turned. “You think?”

“You took charge. That’s important.”

A little frisson of relief washed through her. “Glad you understand.”

“I never expected anything less. Simon used to annoy me sometimes. He always took his work at Grace Methodist more seriously than what we did here.”

“I see,” she said, wondering why Simon would do something like that. A choir director needed to make sure his performers didn’t make fools of themselves.

So,” Jim said cocking his head, “have you thought about my invitation?”

“To dress up like a pirate wench?”

His mouth curled, and the twinkle in his eyes deepened. “Yup.”

She’d all but decided to tell him no, but standing there, looking up into those incredible blue eyes, she suddenly wanted to say yes. It had been a long time since she’d wanted to say yes to anything. But she couldn’t say yes, could she?

“What’s stopping you?” he asked as if he could read her mind.

So many things. “People are going to laugh at me for dressing up like a pirate wench,” she said. “And besides, I’m too old for something like that.”

“No you’re not. You’re younger than I am.”

“It’s not the same. I’m going to be wearing one of those bodices, you know, and…” Her voice faded away. She was not about to say something stupid like her cleavage was too old to be on display like that.

“Yeah. I know,” he said, a flirty smile lighting up his face.

She blinked and blushed, the heat climbing her face.

He rushed into the awkward moment with more words. “And no one is going to laugh.