Page 5 of Second Time's the Charm

“No. I graduated from high school last month.”

“At sixteen?”

“Yes. I had home schooling for years and when I entered regular school, I took a placement test and skipped a couple of grades.”

“Are you going to college?”

“Yes, but not this one. It’s too close to home. I’ll be going to the University of Alaska Anchorage. Dad isn’t crazy about it since he prefers I stay in town, but luckily, my brothers are supporting me. My brother Maverick will be a junior on campus in Anchorage, so with him there, I’ll be fine.”

She sat down at the piano and since he’d asked her questions, she felt it was her turn to ask him a few. “So where are you from, Dylan Emanuel?”

“Memphis.”

She smiled. “No wonder you like music.”

“Yes, I grew up surrounded by it.”

“Your parents are musicians?”

“No, Dad is an entertainment attorney who deals mostly with music contracts. My mom is a financial adviser.”

“Are your parents together?”

“Yes. Aren’t yours?”

“No.”

She wouldn’t say more than that. There was no need for him to know her parents never married. Not wanting him to ask any questions about it, she said, “You must have gotten your musical gift from someone. What about your grandparents?”

He chuckled. “My dad’s parents are ranchers in Idaho, so were my mom’s parents.”

She tilted her head and looked at him. “You must have gotten it from somewhere.”

He shrugged. “Like I said, my father is an entertainment attorney. Musicians hung around our house a lot, so I guess I picked up my interest in music from them.”

She didn’t say anything for a minute and then asked, “How old are you, Dylan?”

“Seventeen. However, I turn eighteen two weeks from today.”

She wasn’t sure why but she immediately filed that information in her head. She intended to make that birthday special for him, especially since he was so far from home. “Do you have plans to attend college?”

“Yes. I’ll be attending Juilliard in New York.”

Even she knew that Juilliard was one of the top performing arts schools in the nation. It had a very impressive alumni and it wasn’t easy to get in. “That’s wonderful, Dylan. Congratulations.”

“Thanks.” He glanced at his watch. “Professor Jovanovich will be back in less than twenty minutes, so I suggest you began practicing.”

“Okay.”

Charm hated that he would hear her play. Those times when she did practice at home, her brothers made sure they weren’t there. Her father always stayed, and even claimed she did well. For the longest time, she had believed him until one day she’d caught him taking out his earplugs.

After her first piece she glanced over at him. “Well?”

“I suggest you practice more regularly. You know what they say about practice making perfect.”

Yes, she’d heard that on more than one occasion, but it didn’t work for her. Now he might be the reason for her to try. “How long will you be in Alaska, Dylan?”

“All summer. I’ll leave here just in time to return home to Memphis, pack and report to Juilliard after Labor Day. Usually, I spend every summer on my grandparents’ ranch in Idaho but not this year.”

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