A Christmas Duet

Chapter Twenty-Two

Chapter Twenty-two

On Christmas morning, Hailey and her family gathered around the Charlie Bown Christmas tree that Hailey had decorated with paper snowflakes and popcorn strings. The tree she’d decorated with Jay.

“I swear this is the best Christmas of my life,” her mother declared, holding a cup of coffee as they each took turns unwrapping gifts. The majority of the packages around the tree were ones Zach had delivered. Hailey would say one thing for her ex. He had excellent taste. Seeing that most of the tags were made out to her, Hailey freely shared the unopened presents with her sister.

Not forgetting her parents, Zach had brought gifts for them as well as for Hailey. Her mother was overjoyed with a Christmas cookbook and her father got a gift certificate for the local golf course. The first gift from him that Hailey opened was a long, sexy silk nightgown. After peeking inside the box, she immediately passed it along to her sister. Daisy would enjoy it far more than she ever would. Daisy opened the box and blushed. Sitting next to her, Charles viewed the contents and grinned broadly.

The cookies and candy her parents supplied were brought out for all to enjoy. While Daisy set to work in the kitchen with their mother, Charles and her father found a chessboard and were deeply involved in a game. Watching the two of them strategize each move, Hailey couldn’t help but feel Charles was more of an expert player than he leton.

By far and away, it was a good Christmas. Hailey avoided thinking about Daniel Stamper and Jay as best she could. When Daisy and her mother finished getting the rib roast in the oven, the family gathered around the fireplace.

“Hailey, grab your guitar,” her father suggested. “This is an old-fashioned kind of Christmas. We should all sing a few carols and then Hailey can perform her special song for us.”

“What a wonderful idea,” her mother agreed cheerfully. The news about Daisy and Charles had put her parents in the best of moods. Hailey didn’t know what budget her parents had reached when it came to Daisy’s wedding. Whatever the amount, both seemed content. It was good to know they had reached a compromise.

Sitting by the fireplace with the flames gently waltzing around the logs behind her, Hailey played a few chords on her guitar and started with one of her all-time favorites: “Silent Night.”

She was soon joined by her family and Charles. She played all the classics, and some of the concerns and uneasiness she’d carried with her since the short conversation with Jay eased. Her shoulders relaxed and she gave herself over to the music. It had always been her escape, the one thing that could absorb the tension from the unknown. In music she found peace, and that was something she badly needed this Christmas.

While her family’s voices faded after the last song, Hailey looked over at the ones she cherished and loved most and felt complete clarity of mind. She knew exactly what she needed todo.

Setting aside her guitar, she stood and faced her parents. “Mom, Dad, I hope you’ll forgive me, but I need to leave.”

“Leave?” her mother protested. “We have yet to eat dinner.”

“Hailey?” Daisy’s eyes rounded with concern.

“I need to talk to someone,” she said, as if it was perfectly normal. Her family stared wide-eyed at her as if she’d lost her mind.

“Where in the love of heaven are you headed?” her father asked with a note of censure.

Hailey loved him all the more that he didn’t question the unexpected suddenness of this decision.

“To Seattle.”

“Seattle,” the entire room echoed.

“I need to find and talk to Jay.” It was a crazy idea, completely nonsensical, and yet Hailey knew this was exactly what she needed to do. Waiting a moment longer was impossible. She didn’t want to work with some huge conglomerate. If anyone was going to produce her music, she wanted it to be Cantor Music.

Her mother looked more confused than ever. “Is he the young man you were with the night your father and I arrived?”

Hailey smiled. “Yes, that was Jay.”

“But, Hailey,” her sister protested, “the day’s already more than half gone. Wouldn’t it be better to wait until morning and head out then?”

Her sister had a point; this was a ridiculous idea. “Perhaps,” she reluctantly agreed. However, now that she had made her decision, the urgency to speak to Jay made it impossible to remain where she was. Talking some sense into him burned like a fire in her belly.

“Do you even know his Seattle address?” Daisy asked.

“No,” Hailey hedged, beginning to realize her sister’s concerns were valid. “I’ll need to ask Thelma.”

“It wouldn’t be right to interrupt the Cantor family Christmas for an address,” her mother pointed out.

“I doubt Thelma would mind,” Daisy inserted. “Before you and Dad arrived, Jay’s mother had invited us to join them for Christmas Day.”

“How thoughtful of her,” Julia said. “But if you’re heading into town and have a phone number, couldn’t you connect with Jay without leaving in the middle of Christmas?” She darted a look at Daisy, who was sitting next to Charles. “Do you know what this is all about?”

Daisy shrugged and shook her head. “I haven’t got a clue.”

The idea of reaching Jay with a simple call had already occurred to Hailey. That made far more sense than rushing off with no real plan in mind. But from his abrupt dismissal in their earlier conversation, Hailey doubted he’d pick up. She was positive the best way to convince Jay she knew what she was doing would be to talk this out with him face-to-face.

“You’re right,” Hailey agreed. “I’ll wait until morning and leave at first light.”

Her mother frowned. “I do hope you know what you’re doing.”

Hailey did, too.

A restless half-hour later, Hailey decided to make the trek into town and at least try to reach Jay.

“I’ll go with you,” Daisy offered.

“Thanks, but I’d rather do this myself.” She hated keeping her family in the dark, but for now that was best. This was her decision, and input from her family had the potential to cloud her determination. She was convinced they would steer her toward a bigger agency with a well-established record of success.

The five-mile drive into Podunk seemed to take forever. As soon as she had cell coverage, she pulled over and reached for her phone. As she suspected would happen, Jay didn’t answer. Pressing her head against the steering wheel, she sighed with frustration.

She hated that he assumed he was being noble, giving her the opportunity to sign with a bigger producer. Hailey disagreed. She wanted to work with Jay and no one else.

Sitting inside her car, she knew what she had to do. While she would rather not disturb the Cantor family on Christmas, she needed their help so she could find Jay.

Standing in front of the door, she rang the bell and waited.

Thelma greeted her with a wide smile. “I hoped you’d show,” she said, as she took Hailey by the arm and led her into the family room.

Thelma had hoped? Surely she knew Hailey and Daisy would be spending Christmas with their parents. Jay said he’d updated his mother on their plans for Christmas.

Jay’s sister, Ruth, and her two children and husband were absorbed in playing a board game. Their laughter drifted through the living room. When Hailey entered, Ruth looked up and smiled. “Welcome, welcome,” she greeted, as if she’d expected to see Hailey. “I told Mom you’d show up sooner or later.”

What is going on? Hailey wondered.

Just then Jay walked out of the kitchen. His eyes widened when he saw her and he nearly dropped the plate in his hand. “Hailey. What are you doing here?”

She swallowed as emotion made her chest swell. “It looks like I’m saving myself a trip to Seattle,” she managed. “What are you doing here? I thought you said you weren’t coming back to Podunk.”

Thelma stood next to her son with her hands braced against her hips. “My son promised me he’d spend Christmas with us this year, and no way was I letting him off the hook. A promise is a promise,” she explained. “If I taught this boy anything, it’s keeping his word. He put up a fuss, but in the end I reminded him that a Cantor word is solid.”

“I arrived late last night,” Jay explained. “I intended to—”

“I’m not signing with the Stamper Agency,” Hailey interrupted emphatically, unable to keep the words inside her a second longer. “And nothing you have to say will convince me otherwise. If I can’t work with you, then…”

“Tell her,” Thelma insisted, breaking.

Jay went silent.

“Jay?”

“Oh, for the love of heaven.” With irritation coating her words, Thelma blurted out, “My son wants nothing more than to offer you a contract.”

“You do?” Hailey asked, her heart melting a little.

Jay nodded. “But—”

“Accepted,” Hailey countered before he could argue.

He frowned as if he remained torn as to what was best for Hailey’s career. “You’re sure this is what you want?”

Hailey rolled her eyes and looked toward his mother. “Is he always this obstinate?”

“Yup. Guess you know what you’re getting yourself in for if you hang with Jay.”

“I guess I do,” she confirmed.

His smile was huge. “Seeing that you know what you’re doing, then who am I to put up a fuss? I want what is best for you. You’re talented, Hailey, far and away more than you realize. The last thing I want is to hold you back. I fully expected you to go with Stamper, and the thing is you probably should, but that wouldn’t change the way I feel about you. About us.” Holding her gaze, Jay collected Hailey in his arms and soundly kissed her.

His arms were tight around her, bringing her close, as if he needed her more than the air he breathed. “What you don’t know is that I’m falling in love with you,” Jay continued. “Rarely have I met anyone so in tune with my heart. Almost from the moment we met, I had this feeling. Like everything that’s happened in the last couple years, the breakup of the band, establishing my production company…All of it has led to one thing. Meeting you.”

Hailey felt the same things, and as nuts as it sounded, she was falling for him, too. “The Podunk Winter Festival, the jam sessions, the ride on the snowmobile were the most fun I’ve had in years…some of the best experiences. And they were all shared with you.” Hailey inhaled the smoky scent of him, wrapped in his warmth. This was exactly where she wanted to be, where she needed tobe.

“We’re going to make beautiful music together,” she whispered. Stepping onto the tips of her toes, she kissed him. “And I think we should start with a Christmas duet.”