“Tell you what, hon.” Lorenda put a hand on Andrea’s shoulder. “Let’s practice our hearts out today, and then you go home and tell your parents that a professional musician is going to be helping out from now on.”
Sierra. There was only one professional musician in town, and Dylan McCoy had already given her a resounding no.
“And tell your parents that we’ll likely be getting better equipment soon because a conductor from a big city symphony is so excited about this program that he plans to sponsor us.”
Ouch. That would be news to Daniel Summerall. His sponsorship was a big if and depended on the concert. Which was already falling apart. A band concert would be a little difficult if there were no students left to perform.
Plus, Lorenda was getting way too good at manipulating the truth. And for a second, she saw how easily it had been for Cameron to slip into that pattern of covering his ass. It was easier than disappointing people. “So chin up, okay? We’ve got a few weeks to practice for our concert, and then everyone will see how great this program is.”
They rehearsed “Hot Cross Buns” until a dull throb started behind one of Lorenda’s eyes. Principal Wilkinson walked in and stood at the back of the gym. Wearing a short-sleeved dress shirt and a tie that she would swear was clipped on, he crossed both arms and waited.
Aaaand the throb escalated to a full-blown migraine that seared the center of her brain like someone had jabbed her in the eye with a hot poker.
“That’s it for today, kids. Practice the next song in your book for our next rehearsal.” She released the kids and gathered up her music.
Bart joined her by the bleachers.
“Are Jaycee and Trevor in the Wilderness Scouts meeting?” She stuffed sheet music into a satchel.
He nodded. “I haven’t had a lick of trouble with them since our last run-in. I think they’re responding to my leadership.”
No. They just wanted to go on the campout. For someone whose career centered on children, Bart didn’t actually understand much about them.
“Do you really think Mitchell Lawson is the best influence for your boys, Lorenda?” Bart’s voice was calm but had an unmistakable edge of concern.
“I’m sure you mean well, Principal Wilkinson.”
His lips thinned. “We’re friends, Lorenda. Call me Bart.”
“Bart.” She smiled.
He smiled back.
“Please don’t speak that way about my fiancé, especially if my kids are around.” She folded up a music stand and stacked it on the bleachers by her purse and satchel.
He stayed quiet for a beat. “I’m afraid I can’t allow Mitchell to go on the campout. Word is the fire chief has officially ruled the rec center foul play. Parents don’t want their kids around an arsonist.”
Lorenda bristled. “He is not an arsonist. He’s never been convicted of that or any other crime. In fact, he’s a war hero. Does anyone in this town remember that?”
Bart shoved a hand in his pocket. “I’ve already gotten a few calls from concerned parents.” A thin smile formed on his lips. “I’m sure you understand that, when kids are involved, parents become extra cautious.”
“Mitchell hasn’t even been charged, and he never will be.” She hoped and prayed. “Because he didn’t do it.” She stacked another folded music stand.
“I have a responsibility to the kids going on the campout and their parents. Under the circumstances, it’s best for Mitchell not to go. Of course, you could still be a chaperone, and I’ll be there to help you.” Bart’s smile broadened. “We’ve changed the date to this Saturday. I gave flyers to the boys today with all the information.”
Her wedding was the night before. “Not possible, but thanks for offering.”
“Jaycee and Trevor are doing so well, it might be nice for you to see how they interact with me and how they follow my lead.”
She stacked another music stand and faced him. “I’m getting married Friday night.”
“I’m aware.” His eyes darkened.
“I know you’re trying to help, but I don’t think Jaycee and Trevor will be able to go on the campout this year since you’ve changed the date.”
She’d have to take the boys on a separate campout. Right after she kicked her own ass all the way to Nebraska. Now she had to break the news to her boys that they were no longer going camping with the Wilderness Scouts because of her rushed marriage.
Bart’s stare was void of emotion.
Something prickled at the back of Lorenda’s neck.
Finally his usual friendly smile returned. “The school board isn’t sure we can continue to accommodate the music program.” He rubbed his jaw. “A shame, seeing as how the rec center’s opening will be delayed because of the fire. I’m going to bat for you, though.”
She relaxed. “I appreciate that, but you should go to bat for the kids in the program. I’m doing this for them.” That wasn’t totally true. Teaching music was as much for her as it was for the kids who wanted to learn. That’s why she was willing to do it for free.
“Yes, of course. For the kids,” he said absently. “Lorenda, I’m just worried about you.” He hesitated. “And about Jaycee and Trevor. This marriage is so sudden. Maybe you should take some time to think about it.” He shrugged. “Just to make sure your judgment is solid. I’d hate to see you and the boys disappointed.”
She gathered up her things from the bleachers. “You’re very kind, but I know what I’m doing.”
She so did not.
Bart studied her. “Well.” He sounded cheerful, but his eyes didn’t reflect the same emotion. “I’m sure you do.” He took a step back. “If you need to talk. Or need anything at all, you know where to find me.” He backed away. “I’ll send Jaycee and Trevor to meet you in the parking lot.”
Lorenda hurried out to her car, ticking off the mounting list of problems that her decision to marry Mitchell had caused. And foxtrot. Bart’s concern may be misplaced, but he was right about one thing. Marrying Mitchell might end up disappointing everyone in the end.
After the boys piled into the SUV, Lorenda headed over to Cotton-Eyed Joe’s. She had the boys sit in a booth, then claimed a stool at the long bar, hoping to convince Dylan McCoy that the after-school music program needed him. That he alone could save it. That little kids in Red River would be starved of the chance to learn music and would remain forever one-dimensional if he didn’t help out, and how could any real musician allow that to happen?
Okay, so that approach might’ve been a little dramatic, but Lorenda was desperate. And she wasn’t beneath playing the guilt card if it meant saving the music program. The program itself could open a whole new world to the kids of Red River.
Since it was early afternoon, he was busy drying glasses with a hand towel and cleaning behind the bar to get it ready for the dinner crowd.
“Hey, Dylan.” Lorenda forced herself not to chew her lip.
“Hey, Lorenda. Congratulations.”
She deposited her hobo-style purse onto the bar along with her phone and keys. “Thanks! I’m really, um, excited, and we’re, um, very happy.” She couldn’t help it. She pulled her lower lip between her teeth and gnawed.
He dried another glass and lined it up with the others. “What’s up?”
“I, um . . .” Her eyes squeezed shut, and she lowered her forehead to the bar. She sucked at trying to make people feel guilty. “I need a huge favor. I’m getting married in a few days, and parents are already pulling kids from the music program, and teaching music is my dream, so I thought that you helping might give the parents more confidence in the program, and I promised some of the kids that a professional musician would teach along with me, and that professional musician is you because there isn’t anyone else I can go to with the necessary skills and—”
She lifted her head just enough to peek at Dylan. Several creases had formed between his brows, and his boyish grin, which made him look nineteen instead of twenty-nine, was gone.
&nbs
p; “And, um, yeah.” Her forehead hit the lacquered bar with a thud.
“Anything else?” he asked.
When she straightened, he’d folded both arms across his chest, and a hint of a smile played across his lips.
“Um, no. That just about covers it.”
One of his brows raised a notch.
“Okay, so we may not have a place to rehearse after this Friday.” Because that’s when she and Mitchell were getting married, and the school board was obviously holding that against her at the expense of the kids.
“Did you say hearse?” Minx purred from Lorenda’s phone. “I’m sorry for your loss.”
Oh for God’s sake. Lorenda snatched up the phone and punched the power button.
“I see.” Dylan nodded, and Lorenda waited for him to say no. “Sounds like a challenge.”
He had no idea.
She slid off the barstool. “Look, I’m sorry to bother you with my problems—”
“Count me in.” Dylan flashed a million-dollar smile.
“Seriously?” Because she must’ve sounded as crazy as the young girls who threw themselves onto the stage while famous rock-and-roll bands played his tunes.
“Seriously,” he said, and the smile disappeared. “I’ve been thinking about your program since you first brought it up. I haven’t played or written music in a long time. Maybe teaching kids will bring back the fire.”
Lorenda hopped onto the footrest of the bar, pulled Dylan toward her by his shirt, and kissed his cheek.
He cradled his cheek and gave her a teasing look. “I’m never washing my face again.”
She rolled her eyes. Dylan was used to young, pretty girls offering him a whole lot more than just a peck on the cheek. “Thanks, Dylan.” She hopped down again. “I owe you big.”
Lorenda called for the boys. They scrambled out of the booth and followed her as she left with a bounce in her step that hadn’t been there before. One problem solved. Only a thousand more to go.
“Am I doing the right thing?” Lorenda asked Miranda the next morning after explaining the whole faux-marriage arrangement. A bag of fresh cranberry-pecan scones and four strong cups of coffee from the Ostergaard’s Bakery filled Lorenda’s real-estate office with a mouthwatering aroma.
The mommy mafia was stopping by to work on the concert. The least Lorenda could do was bribe them with scones and coffee, but she’d asked Miranda to arrive early so they could talk in private.
Besides Mitchell, Miranda was the only person on earth who knew how empty Lorenda’s marriage to Cameron had been, and there was no one she trusted more. Her head was telling her that marrying Mitchell was a mistake she might live to regret.
Her heart and her body were shouting something entirely different.
She handed Miranda a cup. “Yours is decaf.” Then she spread napkins on top of her desk and pulled the scones from the bag.
Lorenda had kept Cameron’s secret about the fire at Joe’s. Had kept his coldness and disinterest toward her and the kids quiet. Yes, keeping his secrets had spared her public humiliation, but she’d done it more for the boys, her in-laws, and for a town that worshipped Cameron’s memory. It was time for someone to show Mitchell the same compassion and consideration. It seemed that someone had to be her, because no one else was willing.
As reckless as marrying him might be, Mitchell needed someone in his corner. Needed someone to save him from the suffocating web of lies that had started the night he and Cameron had graduated high school and was still threatening to choke the life out of him.
Cameron hadn’t stepped up, but Lorenda could. So she’d spent the last twenty minutes spilling the whole mess to Miranda—at least the parts she didn’t already know—starting with the night Cameron and Mitchell had graduated.
Miranda’s jaw hung open.
Lorenda waved a scone under Miranda’s nose, hoping it would shake the glaze from her eyes. Her look remained almost catatonic.
Lorenda held up the scone. “Should I stuff it in your gaping mouth, or do you have something to say? Anything. Yell at me. I don’t care, but say something.”
“I’m speechless.” Miranda reached for the scone.
“Gee, that’s so helpful,” Lorenda deadpanned. “No wonder you’re my bestie.”
Miranda bit off a healthy portion, chewed, moaned with pleasure, then washed it down with coffee. “Sounds to me like your mind is already made up.”
“I’ve got everything I’ve ever wanted.” Lorenda sat back in her chair and sunk into the plush leather. “I’ve created a good life for me and the boys. Structured. Ordered. I’ve got friends, family, and now a music program.” Or at least what was left of it. “Why am I screwing with my own happiness?”
The majority of Red River was giving her the same cold shoulder they’d always given Mitchell, and it hurt. She was starting to understand why Mitchell hadn’t come around much, and she was bringing it on herself with a marriage that wasn’t even for real. Screwing with her own happiness was an understatement.
Miranda shrugged. “Maybe because there is one important ingredient missing from that recipe for happiness you just named off—love. Since Cam, you’ve refused to date at all.”
“It’s not just about me. I have the boys to think about.” They were far more sure about her marrying their uncle Mitch than she was. Mitchell, being the stand-up guy that he was, offered to take them all on a family camping trip when he found out they couldn’t go with the scouts. That had eased Jaycee and Trevor’s disappointment and cemented Mitchell’s superhero status.
Since they weren’t taking a honeymoon, they were set to go camping at Middle Fork Lake on Saturday. The day after the wedding.
“True, and I admire that. But you also don’t want to care about someone, then have them push you away again.” Miranda polished off the rest of her scone. “So you’ve been playing it safe by being alone.”
“What’s wrong with playing it safe?” Lorenda waggled her chair back and forth.
“Nothing if you want to wake up one day when your kids are grown and realize that you’re still alone.” Miranda dusted off her hands and took a sip of coffee. “You deserve some companionship too, Lor, and I think you want that companion to be Mitchell.” Miranda’s eyebrow formed a high arch. “There’s certainly enough chemistry between you two.”
“Really?” Lorenda said. “I hadn’t noticed.” She so had noticed. She just hadn’t realized everyone else was noticing too.
Miranda snorted. “Sure you haven’t.” She wiped her mouth, wadded the napkin, and aimed at the trash. Sunk it with a swoosh. “The electric charge in the air when you two are together could power this entire town. Maybe that’s why you’re finally willing to take a risk.”
“There’s no guarantee he’ll want it to be permanent.” Lorenda’s head fell back and she stared at the ceiling. “The kids and I will both be hurt if and when he leaves once this whole arson mess is cleared up.”
“Marry him. Don’t marry him. I don’t know the right answer, but I do know that you and the kids are already invested. At least if you’re married and don’t have to make a statement against Mitchell, it might give you more time to see if you do have a future together. By the time the real arsonist is caught, Mitchell may not want to leave Red River.” Miranda gave Lorenda a sympathetic smile. “He might want to stay with you.” Miranda arched a brow. “Plus, you’d have the benefit of sleeping in the same bed without having to hide it from the kids.”
“It won’t be like that.” Lorenda pulled two more chairs in front of her desk so there would be enough for the rest of the mommy mafia.
Miranda helped her with one of the chairs. “With any luck, it’ll be exactly like that. And since you have to keep up appearances, I’m giving you the honeymoon suite at the inn Friday night. Consider it a wedding gift.”
“You, Ella, and Ang are already throwing the reception for me at the inn. I can’t take advantage.” Lorenda settled into her chair again and sipped her coffee.
“You should know you can’t argue with a pregnant woman. We always get our way. It’s a rite of passage because of what pregnancy does to our bodies. End of discussion.” Miranda took a seat, rubbing her baby bump.
As if on cue, Ella and Angelique tapped on the glass door once, then threw it open.
“Oh God.” Ella closed her eyes and breathed deep. “Tell me that’s decaf, so I can have some. Otherwise I might commit a violent crime.”
Angelique pushed past her and stared at the cups and bag from the bakery. “I’d offer to represent you, but I might need to get my own attorney if whatever smells so good isn’t for me.”
“I’d be scared not to get enough for all of you.” Lorenda passed out the coffee and handed them each a scone.
Lorenda tried to shift gears and concentrate on the preparations for the concert by getting out a list of items they needed to cover. But the benefits Miranda had just been talking about had Lorenda’s mouth watering far more than the scones and coffee. The possibility . . . the anticipation of sharing a bed with Mitchell every night and waking up with him every morning was the very thing that would make it even harder when their temporary arrangement came to an end.
Chapter Fifteen
“I’m not changing my mind, Dad.” Lorenda and her father waited in the foyer of the Red River Lutheran church for the wedding march to begin. She wanted to get through this as quickly as possible before she really did change her mind.
“All I’m saying, sweet pea, is my car is parked right out front.” Her dad gave her a peck on the cheek.
Langston came over and wrapped her in a bear hug. “You look pretty, sis.”
She pulled him to a corner for privacy, and slipped the ruby ring off her finger. “Can you give this to Mitchell? He’ll need a ring to put on my finger.”
Langston frowned. “He didn’t get you a ring?”
“Um . . .” Probably not since it was a rushed faux wedding, but she couldn’t very well say so to Langston. “It all happened so fast that he may not have had time to go shopping. Just take it to him, okay?”
It's In His Arms (A Red River Valley Novel Book 4) Page 16