Chapter 12
12
M arina wrapped her jacket tighter around her shoulders as an ocean breeze swept through the venue. The aroma of hot cocoa and the sound of lively conversations filled the air.
All around her, the faces of her loved ones glowed in the light of thousands of twinkling bulbs. She tipped her head back, taking in the stars flickering above them.
“Beautiful, isn’t it?” Jack squeezed Marina’s hand, and she leaned into familiar warmth.
Soon, the stage lights illuminated the stage, and the audience applauded. A thrill of anticipation filled Marina.
The decorations were breathtaking—crystalline snowflakes suspended in mid-air, garlands of silver and gold draped elegantly across set pieces, and at stage right, an enormous Christmas tree decorated entirely in coastal themes: starfish, shells, and glass orbs in the colors of the sea.
Marina knew Kai had overseen the set design. She tapped her sister. “Everything looks gorgeous.”
“Wait until you hear them,” Kai replied.
They didn’t have to wait long for the choir members to file onto the stage. The women wore floor-length, cranberry-red dresses, and the men sported matching bow ties with black suits.
The conductor strode onto the stage to thundering applause.
“Welcome to the Shell,” the conductor said. “We hope you enjoy yourselves this evening as our award-winning Coastal Community Choir performs A Very Choral Christmas for you. Let’s also honor one of our most beloved benefactors, Ginger Delavie.”
Ginger looked pleasantly surprised, yet she stood and turned to wave as applause swept across the venue. “Thank you very much.”
“I had no idea,” Marina said to her sisters.
“None of us did,” Brooke said. “But that’s our grandmother.”
As the choir launched into its opening medley, Marina let the familiar holiday music with a beach twist wash over her, lifting her spirits.
She smiled at the opening notes of “Deck the Palms,” which swapped holly and ivy for seashells and starfish in the lyrics. The audience clapped along with “Jingle Shells,” and seashell tambourines echoed through the night.
Everyone cheered at “I’m Dreaming of a Sunny Christmas.” Their celebrations by the beach might not include snow or sleigh rides, but they still had love, family, and sunshine.
When soloist Allyson Chang stepped forward for her “Silent Night” solo, her crystal-clear soprano soaring into the sky, emotion overcame Marina. Tears pricked the corners of her eyes.
Jack pulled her closer and kissed her cheek. “That got me, too,” he said, wiping his cheeks with a knuckle.
At intermission, the family stood to stretch their legs, and friends surrounded Ginger. Marina loved these moments with family, friends, and music under the stars.
Jack stood and rolled his shoulders. “Chip and I can bring drinks for everyone. How many hot cocoas and coffees do we need?”
“I’ll help,” Blake said, rising to his feet.
“And I need to check on things backstage,” Axe said.
After the men left, Marina turned to Ginger. “What an incredible show. Everyone in the choir is so talented.”
“They clearly love what they do,” Ginger said. “That’s the secret to life.”
Kai leaned into the conversation. “Axe always loved singing with them. I still swoon over his rich baritone.”
A thought came to Marina. “Do you think we might see him on the stage tonight?”
Kai shook her head. “He said they asked him to sing with them, but he didn’t have time to rehearse because of that big job. I know he wanted to.” She brightened. “But next year, we’ll put on another musical. How about Sandy the Sandman? A beach relative of Frosty?”
Marina grinned. “That’s close to ‘Mr. Sandman,’ isn’t it?”
Kai snapped her fingers and hummed the tune. “You’re right. We could play with that.”
A young man with a blond ponytail approached them. “Hey, everyone,” Cruise said. “There’s such a long line that Jack asked me to bring the cocoa and coffee out.”
“Where is he?” Marina asked.
“Men’s room. Long line there, too.” Cruise shrugged.
“That’s a first,” Kai said, raising her eyebrows.
Before long, the lights blinked, and Marina glanced around. Still, there was no sign of Jack. Blake and Chip were missing, too. She sighed. They would find their way back.
“Where are they?” Kai craned her neck, looking. “I’m disappointed they’re not back yet,” she whispered.
Onstage, the lights went up, and the music soared. Men in tuxedos stepped out from behind set pieces, singing “All I Want for Christmas is You.”
“Oh, my gosh, it’s Axe,” Kai cried, clapping. “And there’s Jack.”
Marina gasped and nudged Ginger. “Oliver is up there, too.”
Ginger laughed. “I think they all are. Even the boys.”
Sure enough, Leo led Alder, Rowan, and Oakley onto the stage, and all the girls in the crowd screamed.
Marina and her sisters broke into laughter. “Do we have a new boy band in the making?”
“Maybe I should book them now,” Kai said, clapping along.
“What a surprise,” Marina said, blowing Jack a kiss. With love blooming in her heart, she thought about the time they must have devoted to practicing and the effort required to keep this a secret.
“I have a feeling Axe’s client wasn’t as demanding as I thought,” Kai said happily.
Marina tapped Ginger on the shoulder. “Did you know about this?”
She shook her head. “I suspected something, but never this. Isn’t it clever?”
Marina loved the performance, and each of the men pointed to their sweethearts on the song’s last line.
The crowd exploded with applause, and the guys exited into the audience, beaming.
Marina threw her arms around Jack. “All I want is you, too.”
“Surprised?” he asked.
“All of us were,” she replied, laughing. “That meant so much to me.” Marina kissed him and whispered, “I love you, sweetheart. Merry Christmas.”
As Jack’s lips warmed hers, she thought of the first time she’d seen him and how far they had come. While they couldn’t know the future, she had faith that they would celebrate their lives surrounded by family and the warmest of love.