Chapter 8 #2
"We have been hoping to have the biggest and best Christmas festival ever, to celebrate thirty years.
Lack of funds is going to really put the kibosh on that," Jack spoke. His wife, Kate, sat right beside him, and their daughter, Lilly sat beside them. Kate leaned over and whispered something in Jack’s ear.
He grinned and said something low back. They shared a smile and a loving look.
It seemed like everywhere Noah looked, there were couples. Deeply in love couples who stood side by side and weathered storms together.
Lord, where's my mate? Where's the person who will weather storms with me?
Not for the first time he thought about being a single parent. Even then he wouldn't have minded if God had sent him someone, but he hadn't had time to go look for her himself, and God had not dropped her into his lap.
Still, even though this was not the time, he couldn't stop the longing that went through him.
He wanted someone to walk through life with side by side.
Someone who smiled at him and got his inside jokes.
Someone who encouraged him when he was down and who looked to him for encouragement when they needed it as well.
He wanted that sharing of ideas and of smiles and secret jokes and shared laughter.
A companion across from him at the supper table, someone who inspired him to get back to having regular meals.
Where did all that come from?
He was in the biggest catastrophe that he'd handled so far as the unofficial chairman of the Mistletoe Meadows Festival committee. He needed to focus.
"Maybe we should do some other business and give ourselves a little bit of time to think about ideas," Wilson McBride suggested.
His wife, Charity, also stood beside him, but Noah did not allow himself to be sidetracked back into that spot where he wished that he had someone like that.
It was awfully close to coveting, although he didn't want Wilson's wife.
He just wanted to be someone who had a wife beside him.
"I think that's a great idea. Maybe we could even shelve it for a day and convene tomorrow when we’ve had time to think.”
“Yeah, I like that idea.”
They voted on it and everyone agreed this was something they needed to move on, but also needed to think about.
“Alright, that’s taken care of for tonight. Ben, are you and Hannah ready to give the report on the security and medical committee?" he asked, and Ben and Hannah nodded together, holding hands as they walked to the platform.
Normally Noah stood off to the side while committee reports were given, but this time he stepped completely off the podium. He didn't realize he was doing it until he continued to walk to the back door and slipped out.
Having the big band that they had booked two years ago cancel on them at the last minute had been a huge blow.
He'd thought he had everything well in hand, but this made him doubt that he was even fit for the job.
Of course, it wasn't his fault and he knew that.
But he couldn't help but remember that he had talked everyone into booking this big-name performer to draw people in and making a big deal about their thirtieth Mistletoe Meadows festival.
If he hadn't done that, they wouldn't have lost so big.
But, nothing ventured, nothing gained. As a business owner, he knew that risk was an integral part of growing. A person couldn't grow and develop without taking risks of some kind. Whether it was a financial risk or a personal one.
He was being too hard on himself.
Although, he didn't really know much about personal risk, not when it came to romantic relationships, except he had bet on his siblings when he'd given up so much in order to raise them.
He supposed that counted.
He had only intended to go out for some fresh air, but the town square and gazebo faced the side door where he had slipped out, and he could see long dark hair and a purple hat he recognized.
Grace had gone over and stood at the entrance to the gazebo, leaning against one of the pillars and watching the ducks on the pond.
He probably had ten minutes while Ben and Hannah gave the report and had a discussion. He hadn't intended to be gone all that time, but he found his feet taking him toward the gazebo.
Such a talented musician, so much beautiful music came from her fingers, and she was here in this town. Sure, he was a little starstruck, but also concerned. Was she okay?
It was the protective instinct that had enabled him to raise his family, that had wanted to pull everyone close after his parents died and continue to be together.
After all, that's what families were for.
And, he believed he had been successful.
His siblings were all close, even if they weren't home, and everyone got along with everyone else, which was better than eighty percent of the families that he knew.
But he wasn't patting himself on the back, because he'd spent a lot of time on his knees, asking for God's favor and help. If he had been successful, he knew the credit all belonged to the Lord.
Still, he had made the choice to give up a career and possibly a relationship in order to do what he knew God wanted him to do. And he'd do it all over again, although he was lonely.
Grace heard him as he approached the last five feet, and her head turned, her eyes widening in surprise.
He couldn't tell if she had been crying, but he wasn't really looking for that.
He was caught by the vivid blue of her eyes, which contrasted nicely with her dark hair.
And maybe brought out a little by the purple of her hat.
Her cheeks were rosy, and her lips full, and they turned up in a little smile.
"I'm Noah Parker," he said, holding out his hand.
"Grace," she said. He noticed she didn't include her last name.
He thought about letting it go, but he wasn't going to pretend that he didn't recognize her.
"I thought so. Grace Dempsey, famous concert pianist."
Her face pinched, and her hands, which had been warm and squeezing his, pulled away quickly.
"Yes," she said, and then turned away.
"I know who you are, but that's not why I came over to talk to you."
"Oh," she said, as though it didn't matter, her shoulder lifting.
"I just noticed that you seemed a little upset.
I thought I would come out and check to make sure you're okay.
" That hadn't really been his plan consciously, but he realized subconsciously that was exactly what he had planned to do.
She had been on his mind since he'd first seen her crying during the first hymn that morning.
"I'm fine. I just needed a little air. I don't really have anything to do with the festival anyway. I was just there because my Aunt Vivian invited me and said that was where we were going to get fed. I felt a little out of place."
"I think if you give Mistletoe Meadows a chance, you'll find we’re a very welcoming town.
You don't have to live here for thirty years before you're allowed to contribute to whatever we're doing, whether it's a festival, or a church service, or anything.
" He paused for a moment. "If you'd like to play the piano while you're here, you're certainly welcome to. "
"No."
He closed his mouth. Surprised at her quick and sharp retort.
She seemed to soften a bit, and her head tilted. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to snap. But, you did a beautiful job this morning. The music... I haven't heard hymns played with such passion and feeling in a long time. It was beautiful. No one else could possibly do it as well as you can."
"I wasn't really thinking about you doing it better. I just know that you can. And the offer is open."
"I won't be taking you up on it, but thank you."
"No pressure. But my door's open if you change your mind."
His siblings had always made fun of him for carrying around business cards.
He had tried to tell them that one never knew when the opportunity would come to give someone information, and what might come of that simple gesture.
He'd tried to teach them to always be prepared.
As a business owner who struggled year after year, trying to raise five children on what amounted to a little bit of nothing, he certainly had taken his own advice.
At this point, he thought maybe it had paid off finally, since he was able to reach into his shirt pocket and pull out a business card.
He almost laughed at himself. This wasn't really what he wanted with Grace, but he couldn't quite put his finger on exactly what it was.
There was something about her that had intrigued him from the first time he'd seen her in person.
Of course, he knew of her and had heard recordings of her playing.
But, this was different. This was personal.
But he couldn't let it be that way. He held out his card. "Feel free to call me anytime."
She looked at the card, and then at him, and then back at the card.
White fingers, slender and cool, with short nails that would not interfere with her piano playing at all, reached up and took hold of the card. There seemed to be a pause, although it could've been his imagination, before she took it and said softly, "Thanks."
"I need to get back."
He didn't want to leave.
"I know. You were leading the meeting. You probably shouldn't have left." She paused for a moment, and then she said, "The soup was really good."
His eyes shot to hers in surprise. She had been listening. He grinned a little, and she returned his smile with a ghost of her own.
"Yeah. Come back and get some more."
There seemed to be something shimmering in the air between them. Something sweet and precious, but he didn't have time to search it out. He had to get back.
"Maybe," she said.
She gave no other promises and looked away from him, back across at the ducks that frolicked in the small pond.
He couldn't think of anything else to say and felt a little foolish as he turned around and walked away.