An Encore for Estelle (Melodies of Love Book 2)

by Kimberly Rose Johnson

  Estelle sat with Kayla at the bar in Java World, looking out onto Main Street. “I realize what I told you is a shock,” Estelle said, “but I hope you won’t quit the musical because of me.”

  Kayla kept her focus on something beyond the window. “I have so many thoughts swirling around in my mind right now, I don’t know where to begin. When I first found out who Derek really was, I was certain he’d leave Oak Knoll one day and return to his life as a pop music star. He assured me that wouldn’t happen, but then it did.”

  “That’s not entirely true, Kayla. He came back.”

  “I know. I’m going somewhere with this. At least I think I am.” Kayla frowned. “I know he left with you for a valid reason, and I supported that decision. I also know your situation is valid. But I don’t think I can do this without you. You are my security blanket.”

  “I understand, but you really don’t need me. Rehearsals are going well, and by the time the performance weekend rolls around, you’ll wonder why you ever thought you needed me.”

  Kayla looked at her with skepticism in her eyes. “That’s doubtful. Something in me says you need to be here.” Kayla twisted to face her. “I don’t know why, but you can’t leave. I need you. We all need you.” She chuckled drily. “I never thought I’d say those words to you.”

  Estelle made a silly face. “Aw, come on. You know you love me.” It was no secret they’d had a rocky start to their friendship, but then everything changed, and they’d been good friends ever since.

  “Like a sister, my friend. But you make me want to scream in frustration.”

  “Don’t do that. You might hurt your vocal chords.”

  Kayla sobered. “Good point. Please promise me you’ll at least be here for the performances.”

  “Done. No matter what happens, I will be here that weekend. Besides, I’ll have to come back for my car eventually.”

  “I’m going to hold you to that. If you aren’t here, you’ll have the wrath of the entire town to deal with.”

  “You do realize I’d be a thousand miles away?”

  “Doesn’t matter. I have connections.” Kayla waggled her brows. “We’d better get to rehearsal.”

  “Thanks, Kayla.”

  “For what?”

  “Not flipping out on me.”

  “Like I ever flip out.” Kayla rolled her eyes.

  Her friend had reason to be furious, but once again had chosen the high road. This was why they got along so well. Kayla was as true a friend as they came.

  “I should go so I don’t miss my call time.” Kayla stood. “Are you coming to rehearsal?”

  Estelle shook her head. “I’ll be along in a little while.” Blake needed to get used to her not being there. There was no better time than the present.

  “Okay.” Kayla gave her a quick hug. “I’ll see you later.”

  “Yep.” She waited for Kayla to leave then pulled out her phone. Her manager had sent her the résumé of a chef from Malibu. He specialized in fish dishes and fresh American cuisine. She’d never heard of him, but if his references panned out, she’d be willing to give him a try.

  Gabby walked up to her. “How’s it going, Estelle?”

  Talk about a loaded question. “Okay. How are things?”

  “There’s a lull right now, but it’ll pick up soon. I hear you’re taking off.”

  Irritation rose up in her. “Who told you that?”

  She shrugged. “Oh, you know. I pick up bits of conversations.”

  “Hmm.” Note to self; don’t talk about anything confidential in Java World. And here she thought their conversation had been private.

  “It’s too bad you have to go. I hear the moms talking about you when they’re in here. They love that you’re working with their kids.”

  “Really?” No one had said anything to her. Maybe an eavesdropping barista/business owner wasn’t such a bad thing after all. “I enjoy my time at the theater.”

  “So you have an opening at your restaurant?”

  “Does everyone know my business?” Her voice sounded huffy to her own ears, but she didn’t care.

  “The reason I bring it up is because I have a cousin who is a fabulous cook.”

  “He’s welcome to submit his resume to Jamie, the manager at Estelle’s in Costa Mesa.”

  “He is a she, and I’ll let her know.” She tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear. “I need to get back to work. Would you like another tea? On the house.”

  “Thanks, but I’m good.”

  Gabby nodded and headed to the kitchen.

  Estelle ought to have told her that she had a candidate in mind already, so her cousin wouldn’t get her hopes up, but if this guy didn’t work out, she’d need to keep looking. She shot off several emails inquiring about the chef Jamie had selected. It would be great if this one turned out to be a keeper, but she knew better than to get overly excited.

  Estelle gathered her stuff then headed toward the door. “Have a good one, Gabby.”

  “Thanks. You too.”

  She waved and left the coffee hangout. She was officially an hour late to rehearsal. She’d warned Blake about it being a possibility. Hopefully everything had gone smoothly, and he hadn’t stressed about her not showing.

  She strolled up the street. A couple of people she’d never seen before said hi, but thankfully kept walking. What was it with this town? Everyone was so nice.

  The community center came into view. She dodged a couple of kids as they charged out with their mother chasing after them. Estelle chuckled, thankful she wasn’t that woman. She walked inside and went directly to the auditorium.

  Piano music greeted her as she stepped in. But complete chaos ruled the stage. What was going on?

  ~

  Blake ground his teeth for the umpteenth time in the past hour. What had happened to everyone? It was like they’d forgotten what they’d learned last week. Maybe he shouldn’t have announced that Estelle wouldn’t be staying for the entire summer. But he’d had to say something since the entire cast had been whispering about where she might be when she didn’t show up for rehearsal this morning.

  A shrill whistle sounded above the chaos. He shielded his eyes and looked toward the seats. Estelle? He couldn’t help but be impressed. The woman could whistle.

  “What’s going on in here?” Estelle marched up to the stage with her hands planted on her waist. “I recognize the song, but whatever you call what you were doing was not what we rehearsed last week.”

  A murmur broke out amongst the kids. One little girl started crying.

  Estelle stepped over to her and squatted to her level. “What are the tears about?”

  “You yelled at us. And you’re leaving.” Her bottom lip puckered.

  Estelle’s brow furrowed. She hugged the little girl, then rose and faced everyone. “I see you heard about my predicament. I want to assure all of you that I will be here often and for as long as I am able. I had something I needed to deal with this morning, and that’s why I’m late, but that’s no excuse for what I walked in on. You are all so much better than that.”

  Ten sets of wide eyes were trained on Estelle. She definitely knew how to hold the attention of these kids. Blake held his breath—this could either go very well, or very bad. What if they all quit? He almost laughed at the thought. These kids were here because they loved it. They weren’t going anywhere.

  “Now let’s start from the top, and this time I want to see what you’re capable of.” She counted off the beats, and the piano player began the opening song. Estelle moved off the stage and sat in the front row.

  Blake eased down the stairs and sank into the chair beside hers. “That was . . . impressive.” He kept his voice low.

  “What happened?” she asked while keeping her focus on the kids.

  “They were out of sorts when you didn’t show up on time. I thought it would be best to be honest with them, but it made everything worse. They were distracted and couldn’t seem to remember any
thing they’d learned.”

  “So I saw. Somehow we’ve got to get them to realize they don’t need me here. How did you get their best in past years?” She looked his way but quickly pulled her focus back to the stage.

  “I don’t know. For starters there were fewer kids and the musicals have been simpler.” In past years they didn’t have a movie star at rehearsals that they were trying to impress—or the disappointment when said movie star didn’t live up to their expectations.

  The song ended. Estelle stood. “Better. Amber, I leave them in your capable hands.” She turned to Blake. “A word?” She motioned toward the side exit.

  Uh-oh. He had the distinct feeling he was about to be chewed out. How was it that Estelle could come in here and think she could take over? Then again, he’d let her. The door closed behind them. “Look. I appreciate that you got them back on track, but I’m the director, and I’d thank you to let me do my job.”

  Surprise lit her face then her eyes narrowed. “Then do your job.” She glared.

  How could a person’s eyes spark with such emotion? “I was, until you interrupted.”

  “Seriously?”

  He rubbed the back of his neck. Getting defensive wouldn’t serve any good purpose. “What did you want?”

  She scrunched her face. “I forgot.” Her face pinked and became blotchy. “Oh. I remember now. I have a potential chef. If his references are good, I’ll either fly him here or fly home for the weekend. I shouldn’t miss any rehearsals if this guy works out.”

  He almost did a fist pump but stopped himself just in time. “That’s great.” Relief filled him. "I thought you brought me here to chew me out.”

  “Why would I do that? I know this situation isn’t easy for anyone. My hope is to make it as painless as possible.”

  Remorse hit him for the way he’d acted. “About what I said. I’m sorry for jumping on your case. I could have handled things better with you and with the kids.”

  “We agree on that at least.” She shot him a cheeky grin.

  “So you think this chef is the one?”

  “I hope so, but it’s too soon to say for certain. Don’t worry, Blake. I’ll be sure to talk to the kids before they leave today about my expectations for them when I’m not here. Hopefully that will make a difference.” A grin tugged at her lips. “Maybe I’ll tell them you’ll be recording rehearsals to show me, so they’d better do their best.”

  “Now that’s a great idea!” Too bad he hadn’t thought of it sooner. The kids loved to watch their performances. “I’m going to start recording today. That way they can see what they need to work on. Then at the end of the summer I’ll give them each a before and after file.”

  “Nice.” She nodded toward the door that led to the auditorium. “Shall we?”

  He’d rather stand here with her all to himself, but duty called. He strode behind Estelle. Amber had the children well in hand. Whew. Maybe this morning would be an isolated incident.

  Estelle’s phone buzzed. She checked the caller ID. “I have to take this. Sorry.” She lowered her voice. “Hi, Jamie. You did. Oh. That’s unfortunate.” Her shoulders sagged.

  Blake couldn’t help listening to the one-sided conversation. Clearly it was about the potential chef, and it didn’t sound good. In fact, Estelle looked rather defeated.

  “Okay. Send me your number two choice after you check his references this time. ’Bye.” She pocketed her phone and looked to Blake. “Good thing we checked references. That chef I was hoping to hire was fired from his last job for sexual harassment.”

  He winced. “Now what?”

  “We move on. There were several applicants.” She raised her chin and focused forward.

  Pride swelled in him. Estelle was something. She didn’t cave when things didn’t go her way. The opposite, in fact—she seemed to grow more determined and perhaps stronger.

  The remainder of rehearsal went well, including Estelle’s speech about recording them. They seemed excited about the idea. Hopefully that would translate into a stronger performance in the end.

  An hour later Blake and Estelle walked outside together. He had a million and one things to do but he didn’t want his time with Estelle to end. “You want to grab lunch with me?”

  “I could eat. Helen keeps talking about a place called Deli on the Rye.”

  “I know the place.” He suspected the reason Helen talked about the deli all the time was because she had a crush on Nick, the owner. The funny thing was, Nick seemed to like her too, but neither was aware of the other’s interest.

  “Great. Lead the way.” She wove her arm through his. “Considering everything, I think today went fabulous.”

  He warmed at her touch and struggled to focus. “Agreed. Hopefully, they’ll continue their momentum. How did it go with Kayla this morning?”

  “Not great, but okay. I doubt she’ll quit, so don’t stress that. We need to make sure she feels more than capable of pulling off her role.”

  “She’s plenty capable,” Blake said.

  “I can see that and so can you, but it’s going to take some time to convince her.”

  He nodded. “Here we are.” He pulled open the deli’s door. The scent of freshly baked bread whooshed over them.

  “Mmm. If the food tastes as good as it smells, I understand why it’s a favorite of Helen’s. I think I’ll try one of the specials.”

  They placed their orders then searched for a seat amongst the bustling lunch crowd. Maybe coming here wasn’t his best idea. They’d have to practically shout to be heard over the roar of this place. He guided them to a corner table. At least they were off by themselves a little. He sat with his back to the wall.

  Estelle looked around. “This is the place to be. I didn’t expect business to be so brisk.”

  “We don’t have a lot of choices in Oak Knoll for lunch. There’s the diner, a pizza place, Java World, a food truck that parks on the edge of town, and then here.”

  “Sounds to me like a good market to open something new.”

  “You thinking of expanding?”

  “I wasn’t, but you never know.”

  A teenage boy brought them their sandwiches nestled on wax paper in a plastic basket. Blake prayed a blessing for their food then raised the roast beef on rye to his mouth. He breathed in deeply of the scent of the bread. There was nothing else like it.

  Estelle’s eyes twinkled as she watched him enjoy his meal.

  “What?”

  She raised her brows and shook her head. “Nothing.”

  He nodded toward her untouched turkey breast sandwich on whole wheat. “You’re not eating.”

  “I was having fun watching you enjoy your sandwich.” She shrugged, picked up a half and took a delicate bite.

  He chuckled. “Trust me, Nick makes the best sandwiches. You don’t have to be afraid.”

  She swallowed. “I’m not afraid. Just cautious. You’re right, it’s good. Not sure it’s the best I’ve ever had, but close.”

  “And here I thought mine were the best,” a male voice said.

  “Nick!” Blake said. How had the man snuck up on them without him noticing? “Have you met Estelle?”

  “Her reputation precedes her, but not that I recall.” Nick offered a hand to her. “It’s a pleasure to meet you. Rumor has it you’re looking for a new chef at your restaurant in California. I wanted to put in a good word for Gabby’s cousin Cerise. She worked here for a short time right after culinary school. The lady knows how to run a kitchen, and she has good ideas.”

  Blake watched Estelle’s face closely, wondering how she’d feel about the small town information network. Whatever she was thinking, she hid it well.

  “Thanks, Nick. No decision has been made yet, but please make sure she sends her résumé to Estelle’s in Costa Mesa. My manager and I will be hiring someone very soon.”

  “I’m sure she’s on top of that.” He clapped a hand on Blake’s shoulder. “Good to see you. Tell Helen hi for me.”r />
  “Will do. Or you could tell her yourself. She’s always at the farm. Why not stop in sometime?”

  Surprise lit Nick’s face. “I couldn’t do that.” He sauntered away.

  “He seems like a nice man,” Estelle said.

  “He is.”

  She frowned. “But I can’t figure out how he knew about my conversation with Gabby. They both own their own place. How would either of them have time to step out and talk?”

  “You’ve heard of a smart phone?”

  She made a face. “Duh. She texted him. Don’t ask why I thought they’d do things differently here simply because it’s a small town.” She took another bite of her sandwich. “This is good, but I should have asked for avocado. That would’ve put it over the top.”

  He teasingly rolled his eyes. Talk about a foodie. “Are you actually going to consider Gabby’s cousin?” He couldn’t imagine her hiring someone who wasn’t well known, but she’d proven him wrong time and again, so anything was possible when it came to Estelle.

  “I’ll make sure her résumé is looked at. Beyond that, no promises. Her references would need to be mind blowing considering the caliber of chefs she’s up against for this position.”

  He figured as much.

  “Do you know Gabby’s cousin?” Estelle asked.

  “No. I didn’t even know she had one until Nick brought her up. That being said, Nick doesn’t hand out compliments or recommendations freely.”

  “Good to know.”

  They finished eating in silence. He nodded to her basket; it still held a pickle slice. “You going to eat that?”

  She slid it over toward him. “Help yourself.”

  “Don’t mind if I do.” Nick made his own pickles, and no one with any sense left them in the basket. Blake bit into the spear and savored the juices. “You have no idea what you’re missing. These are homemade.”

  “I never acquired a taste for them.”

  “Your loss.” He tossed the other half into his mouth then stood. “I need to get back to the community center. I’m meeting with the volunteers.”

  Estelle followed his lead. “Why wasn’t I included?”

  “I figured since you’re leaving, there was no point in dragging you to a meeting.”