A Christmas Duet

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 with a 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 about navigating 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.

In all her life Hailey had never been inside such a multipurpose establishment. Cantor Store sold groceries, served as the post office, had a large liquor section, and in addition to everything else seemed to be the local feed store.

Hailey had noticed a large Christmas tree lot set up along one side of the building, the area marked with a long string of bright lights.

Thelma, Jay’s mother, was busy at the cash register when Hailey walked in. If she noticed Hailey, she gave no heed. Hailey reached for a cart and headed down the food aisle. The grocery section took up most of the space, she noted, with a back room that apparently led to where the feed store operated.

Whatever she decided to cook would need to be simple. Real simple. No way would she be able to impress Jay with her culinary skills.

Uninspired, she paused at the boxed macaroni and cheese and then shook her head. That wasn’t nearly good enough for Jay, even with a decent salad. Inspiration struck when she came upon the pasta section. Spaghetti with jar sauce.

Easy peasy .

Pleased to have found a solution, Hailey cheerfully loaded both into the cart.

Once she found salad mixes, complete with dressing, she had a bounce to her step. For good measure, she added an aluminum-wrapped loaf of French bread. Reading the instructions, she was confident nothing more would be required than to assemble the salad, cook the pasta, heat the sauce, and toss the bread into the oven.

With the dinner menu settled, she went in search of her other supplies. The basics came first. That meant coffee, the most essential item on her list. By the time she finished scouring each aisle, her cart was full. She had more than enough groceries to last her the full ten days. Including some extras, like chocolate candy bars and red licorice.

As she rolled the cart to the checkout stand, Hailey couldn’t help hoping to catch a glimpse of Jay. Their time together had been the best morning she could remember. And Hailey wasn’t generally a morning person.

Thelma glanced up when Hailey approached the register.

“It’s the city girl,” she announced loud enough for the entire store to hear. “I heard Jethro got rid of that rabid raccoon.” She said this as if she hadn’t stopped laughing since the moment Hailey told her of the problem.

“Mr. Raccoon has left the building.” Hailey continued to load her groceries onto the counter.

“From the look on your face when you first arrived, I thought you’d crossed paths with a grizzly bear.”

“I don’t see many forest creatures in Portland,” Hailey admitted. “Especially not inside my apartment.”

“Gotta say, you gave me a good laugh.”

Hailey was happy Thelma had found her situation so entertaining.

Thelma continued to ring up Hailey’s items. As familiar folks entered the store, Thelma shouted greetings and updates.

“Larry, that order for chicken feed arrived this morning. Jethro’s in the back. He’ll show you where to find it.”

Acknowledging her, Larry raised his hand and headed in that direction.

“Merry Christmas, Laura. How’s Sam doing these days?”

“Better, thanks for asking, Thelma.”

The door closed and a young mother with two little ones in tow followed. “Shirley Sue, grab yourself a Christmas tree on your way out. It’s on the house.”

“Much appreciated, Thelma.”

A constant dialogue continued as the storekeeper bagged Hailey’s groceries. Once Thelma had finished, Hailey paid her. “Do you mind if I ask you something?”

Thelma grinned. “I figure you’ll ask whether I want you to or not, so go ahead.”

Thelma was right.

“I noticed a lot of activity taking place in the park. What’s going on?”

Thelma cocked her head and studied Hailey. “It’s a city event, nothing big compared to what takes place in Portland like that Rose Festival you got going. It likely won’t interest you. Just small-town stuff,” she said, and waved a hand dismissively.

“Don’t be so sure,” Hailey argued.

She raised her chin slightly. “Okay, since you asked, it’s Podunk’s Winter Festival.”

Hailey didn’t understand why Jay’s mother would make these assumptions about her. “It sounds like fun to me.”

Thelma’s eyes sparked approvingly. “It’s the biggest event of the year around these parts, but small potatoes to anything you have time for.”

Hailey frowned. “What makes you think that?”

“Ellie Stockton told me all about you when she called.”

Hailey had never met Ellie Stockton, and said as much. “What did she say?”

Thelma looked bored with the conversation. “Only that it was to be understood you didn’t want to be disturbed and preferred your own company. She explained that you’re a good friend of her granddaughter Katherine.”

She couldn’t discount that. Peace and quiet was the whole point of this trip, so that she could focus on her music over the holidays. “Even a big-city girl like me is game for a little fun now and again,” she told Thelma.

Thelma nodded. “Good to know.”

“When is the festival happening?” Hailey asked. From all the activity at the city park, it must be sometime soon.

“Tomorrow night. It’ll start with a parade and then move on over to the park. Guess you must be accustomed to crowds. Like I said, this is Podunk’s biggest celebration of the year. Folks from towns all around the area make it part of their holiday tradition.”

“I’d like to come.”

Thelma smiled. “I’m happy to hear it.”

“Thanks,” Hailey said, wondering why Jay’s mother had gotten the wrong impression about her. Something must have gotten lost in the translation between Katherine and her grandmother.

She loaded her grocery bags into the trunk of her car and then wandered down the sidewalk. Several of the business owners were hustling about in front of their shops. Outside each storefront were small live Christmas trees, decorated with ornaments that reflected the specialty from the store.

The café had miniature pie ornaments along with tiny coffee cups and teaspoons dangling from the tree’s limbs. The bakery decorated their tree with rolling pins, measuring cups, cupcake ornaments, and candy sprinkles with a dusting of flour that flocked the tree.

The tree in front of the beauty salon, called Lovely Lather, which Hailey thought was a rather clever name, caused her to smile. The usual star on the treetop was a blond wig, and the ornaments were a blow-dryer, clipping scissors, and curlers used for perms.

“You like our tree?” a young woman with purple hair, standing out front, asked Hailey.

“I think it’s adorable.”

“Good, then I hope you’ll vote for us.”

Looking down Main Street, Hailey realized what the trees lining the sidewalk were about. “It’s a competition?”

Surprise showed in the young woman’s eyes. The name badge on her shirt identified her as Elizabeth. “Yes, and each shop owner takes it very seriously.”

“What’s the prize?”

“The trophy, of course. Herbert Stephens won last year. He’s the lawyer in town. He doesn’t even have an office on Main Street.” Elizabeth shrugged, bracing her hand against her hip. “He set up his tree near the front of the park. A lot of us believe he offered discounted services to those who voted for him, which, I should add, is a clear violation of the rules.”

Hailey was curious how a lawyer would decorate for the competition. “What was on his tree?”

“Paper,” Elizabeth said. “Strips of paper cut into snowflakes. The word around town is that his son, who’s in kindergarten, cut them out.”

Hailey hid her smile over the small-town intrigue. “That’s why you believe he cheated?”

Rolling her eyes, Elizabeth explained. “Three divorces and a couple lawsuits in January. What more evidence do we need to prove he bribed folks with discounts on his legal fees?” She arched both brows as if that was a clear indication that Lawyer Stephens had been underhanded in his efforts to collect the trophy. “No one in town was willing to accuse him of cheating, though.”

“Why not?” Hailey found all this amusing and did her best to hide the fact that she had trouble holding back a smile.

“He’s an attorney!” Elizabeth said, as if that should have explained it. “Anyone who cast aspersions against him was sure to find themselves in court. No one was willing to take that risk.”

“Every store in town competes?” Hailey asked, wanting to change the subject away from the local gossip, as enlightening as it was.

“Absolutely. That trophy has been around for more than fifty years. Whoever wins displays it in the shop window the entire year. It’s a matter of civic pride.”

Hailey noticed there hadn’t been a tree in front of Cantor Store, though. “Why not there?” she asked, pointing toward Cantor’s.

Again, the woman looked surprised, as if this was something Hailey should already know. “Because as the town mayor, Thelma is the one who announces the winner. It wouldn’t look good if she awarded her store the trophy, which she would probably win, given she owns the biggest store in town.”

That was an interesting piece of news. Thelma ruled Podunk.

“You plan to attend the event tomorrow, right?”

“I was hoping to.”

“Great, then we can count on your vote.”

“You can,” Hailey assured her. It was plain that the hair salon was keen to collect the top prize, and Hailey did find their tree the most clever and charming of the trees she’d seen.

Elizabeth finished her lunch break and went back inside. After Elizabeth left, Hailey continued down the street until she reached the park. Weaving her way among vendors, she noticed a group of young teens busy putting up lights around the gazebo.

Hailey watched them for a few minutes. From bits of conversation, she realized this was the local scout troop. As a Girl Scout, she’d enjoyed selling the cookies. It’d been fun. Her mom, along with a couple other mothers, set up a card table in front of the Albertson’s grocery store and helped steer customers their way. With their parents’ help, her troop never failed to meet their quota.

Good times, good memories. Even at age ten, Hailey had been actively writing songs in her head. After all these years, she still remembered a silly ditty she’d written, one of her first creations.

Yummy cookies

The kind Girl Scouts sell

Toasted coconut, Thin Mints, caramel, and chocolate

Treats everyone likes

Bye-bye fornow

Silly. Amateurish, but oh how proud she’d been of that song.

Not wanting to disturb anyone, Hailey left the park, which was abuzz with activity, and walked back to where she’d parked her car. She was about to leave when she caught sight of Jay, talking to another man who she remembered Thelma had called Larry.

Jay noticed Hailey at the same time and waved.

She waved back and was pleasantly surprised when he broke off the conversation with the other man and approached her. “Hey,” he said, smiling.

“Hey.”

“Mom said you’d stopped by.”

“Yeah, I was in sore need of a few staples. I hope you like spaghetti.”

“One of my favorites.”

She didn’t mention that the sauce would come from a jar and the salad was prepackaged. No need to disillusion him about the dinner being homecooked from a favorite family recipe. “And when you come, be sure and bring your guitar.”

“I wouldn’t think of leaving without it,” he assured her. “See you later.”

“Later,” she echoed.

As Hailey drove back to the cabin, her smile was so big, her jaw hurt. She wasn’t sure what she’d expected when she’d decided to spend her holidays alone. Meeting Jay was a huge bonus. This time away was turning out better than she’d ever imagined.

Meeting Jay confirmed what she instinctively had known all along. Nothing Zach said would change her mind, no matter how much her mother longed to see them reunited. Hailey had moved on, and going back and picking up the pieces of where they’d left off wasn’t worthy of considering. It was too late for them. She deserved better.