Page 19 of A Christmas Duet

Jay grinned and stood to return her guitar. “Have at it,” he said, repeating the same words she’d used earlier.

With those few notes, Hailey knew exactly where she wanted to take this song. Her fingers couldn’t keep up fast enough as she closed her eyes and gave herself over to the melody whirling around inside her head.

When she finished, she looked up to see Jay smiling. “That’s great,” he said. “What a fun song. It’s perfect for the holidays. The tune is catchy; adults and kids alike would enjoy singing it.”

Such praise from a man who’d been a professional musician made her heart swell with pride. “Thank you.”

“Not at all,” he countered. “I love this aspect of being a musician, jamming and feeling my way through a song.”

“We helped each other,” she said.

He stood then and glanced toward the front door. “I best be getting back to town. Heaven only knows what my mother has in store for me for the rest of the day. I spent most of yesterday selling Christmas trees and heaving bales of hay and chicken feed into the back of pickup trucks.”

Hailey hated for him to leave. Seeing how much time he’d already spent with her, it would be selfish to ask him to stay longer. Reluctantly, she walked him to the door before an idea came to her.

Excited, she followed him down the steps. “Would you like to come for dinner? It’s the least I can do to thank you.” Then, because her cooking skills were limited, she added, “I should mention I’m no celebrity chef, but I promise not to poison you.”

“Dinner? Sure. When do you have in mind?” His eyes sparked with interest.

She didn’t want to be pushy, but she wasn’t in town for long. “Is tonight too soon?”

“It’s a date. Would you like me to bring my guitar?”

“That would be amazing. We could jam the night away.” She’d often played with friends while in college. Those late nights were some of the happiest of her college years. Zach hadn’t ever discouraged her from having fun with her friends, at least. He was good that way, although she knew he would rather Hailey had spent more time with him.

“What time?”

“Whatever works best for you,” she told him.

“Six?”

“Perfect.” She would have agreed to midnight if that was the soonest Jay could get away.

“See you then.”

“See you.” She watched as Jay drove off.

Not until his vehicle was out of sight did Hailey panic. She didn’t cook. Whatwasshe thinking? The poor man didn’t have any idea what he was letting himself in for.

Chapter Eight

With her head reeling from what she’d done, Hailey raised her hand to stop Jay, only it was too late. She wasn’t fast enough. Jay’s truck’s taillights disappeared down the snow-covered gravel driveway. Her intention was to suggest they meet in town, and she would buy his dinner at the diner. With no way to contact him, she decided to make the best of it and hope he didn’t come down with food poisoning.

On a more positive note, she felt like she’d met a kindred spirit. He’d inspired and encouraged her more than anyone had in years. In her teens, her piano teacher had assured Hailey of her talent, but her family had never understood or fully appreciated her desire to earn her living from her music. It was the reason she’d gone ahead witha teaching degree, taking a double major in both music theory and education.

In less than an hour with Jay, she felt more alive than she had in months…no, years. Three years, to be exact, ever since Zach had bashed her dreams against a brick wall. She knew the odds of ever making a living composing were slim to none. Statistics were what they were, and yet that dream wouldn’t let her go. It pounded inside her stronger than a bass drum.

Shaking her head to clear away her stinking thinking, Hailey drew in a deep breath and slowly exhaled, wanting to hang on to the happiness as long as possible. The time with Jay had energized her, and she wasn’t going to waste this feeling on her past or her fears…or the dinner she’d promised him.

Checking the contents of the food items she’d packed when leaving Portland, Hailey was quick to realize she would need to drive into town for groceries. Otherwise, their dinner would consist of peanut butter and coffee creamer.

With her car keys in hand, she locked up the house. A fresh layer of snow glistened in the sunlight as she followed Jay’s tire tracks toward the highway. The evergreen boughs from the fir trees, heavy with the most recent snowfall, bowed under the weight as if guiding her along the way. With four-wheel drive, she didn’t worry aboutnavigating through the terrain. It helped that Jay’s truck had formed a path for her to follow, as the mostly unused gravel road was completely covered with snow.

Once she reached the highway leading into Podunk, it was smooth sailing. When she came to town, she noticed activity all around her, particularly in the city park area. Every parking space was taken, and lots of people milled around, carting items from their cars as if setting up for some kind of winter market.

Unable to park close enough to investigate for herself, she made a U-turn and headed back to Thelma’s store. Now that she thought about it, she was glad she didn’t catch Jay before he left. Dinner in town wouldn’t work if they planned to jam afterward.

She was cooking. Praying for inspiration, she entered the store Jay’s family owned.

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