Home for Christmas Series Box Set Duet

by Di Jones

  A large black SUV screeched to a halt and a woman screamed out the window. “Emery Dante…OMG…can I have your autograph?”

  The next thing he knew other cars were stopping and the crowd was growing larger by the minute. He was reminded of the time he was mobbed in an LA shopping mall in the early days of his career, before he learned he couldn’t go out and be normal.

  What am I going to do? I could get back in my car and leave but I really need to see Harmony. As soon as all the kids have left, I will have missed her. I could turn up at her house, but the last thing I want to do is have my first meeting with her at her house in front of Arnold and Gladys.

  Mind made up, he shoved his sunglasses on and pulled his cap from his pocket then dashed into the school, hoping to shake off the women outside who were autograph hunting. As the front doors closed behind him, he realized the crowd was behind him, screaming his name.

  He ran as fast as he could, turned an abrupt corner, then another, and finally pushed open a side door and sprinted down a long corridor. Ahead of him was a group of kids, but the teacher had realized that someone was running towards her. She moved the children to the wall out of his way. He looked over his shoulder. No one had followed him yet, but he knew it was only a matter of minutes before the whole corridor was full of screaming fans.

  Cramming his cap on, he pushed it down low on his forehead and kept his eyes to the floor. “Can you help me?” he asked the teacher in a low voice, trying to convey the urgency of his request without looking at her. “I’ve got a load of people following me and I need to get away.” He was just about to tell her why when he looked up to see Harmony standing in front of him.

  She sighed in a resigned way, but her tone was sympathetic. “Here, quickly.” She dashed a few yards down the hall, opened a door and without ceremony pushed him into a janitor’s closet, carefully closing the door behind him. From inside the dark cupboard he heard her say, “Quickly kids. Come over here and stand in front of the door and don’t tell anyone there’s a man inside, even if they ask.”

  He heard the scuffle of kids congregating around the door, then the noise of screaming women. “Emery Dante came through here. It was definitely him,” someone yelled. Then a moment later, and closer, “Harmony, did you see him?”

  “See who?” Harmony could have won an Oscar for her unperturbed tone.

  “Emery Dante.”

  “I didn’t see Emery Dante, but a guy in a baseball cap rushed through here. He went out that door at the other end of the corridor, running top speed.”

  “Thanks Harmony,” said a puffed-out voice then the sound of screaming adults reminding him of hunters chasing their prey. The running footsteps and voices diminished then everything was silent and he let out the breath he was holding. Were the women who’d chased after him mothers? They would have knocked him over if he hadn’t been so fast. How could they be so undisciplined and fan-girl like?

  A moment later, the closet door opened and Emery saw Harmony staring in through the brooms and gloom.

  “It’s okay. The coast is clear,” she told him. “You can come out now.”

  She introduced him to her students, swearing them to secrecy for the next few hours.

  The kids jumped up and down, some of them wanting autographs and what seemed to surprise Harmony was that all of the kids knew who we was. Doesn’t she know how famous I’ve become? Or maybe she just doesn’t care.

  After a short conversation with them, Harmony called the kids to order then knelt to their level. “Okay, everyone, your moms will be waiting outside to pick you up. Now, I want you to keep Emery a secret for the moment. Can you all do that?”

  Some of them nodded silently, while others jumped up and down at the thought of keeping a secret from their parents.

  Emery wasn’t sure if she was ignoring him, so he stooped down beside her.

  “Thanks for helping hide me,” he told a little blonde, blue-eyed girl. “What’s your name?”

  “I’m Eliza-May and I know who you are. You’re Memory, aren’t you?” she lisped. “I’ve seen you on TV.”

  “That’s right, Eliza-May. We’re going to keep this a secret a little longer. Can you do that?”

  She turned her huge innocent eyes on him and gave him an earnest nod.

  “Okay, we’d better get them all outside,” Harmony said. “You wait here and I’ll be back soon.”

  Five minutes later all the children were gone and Harmony returned to where she’d left him.

  He took his cap off and twisted it in his hand. “Can we talk?”

  “Come to my classroom.” She strode away so quickly he had to hurry to keep up with her.

  Once inside she turned her back to him, taking an eraser to clean the colored chalk off the board. “Why did you come back, Emery?”

  “Can’t you guess?” He was about to tell her that his intention was to get her back, but her ramrod straight back and immobile shoulders convinced him it wasn’t a good idea. Too much, too soon for her, he suspected. “I want to do the Christmas concert, Harmony, to give something back to this town. I had a happy childhood here.” She didn’t turn around and he knew this woman standing in front of him was different than the girl he remembered. The new Harmony was no-nonsense, stern and immovable. He decided to change tack. “Your students are nice. You have a strong rapport with them.”

  Carefully she put the blackboard brush down on the chalk ledge and turned to him. She told him about the group of kids who’d helped hide him, and as she talked her austere bearing changed. The lay of her shoulders softened, she smiled, and her voice, so guarded at first, warmed. He could see how happy she was with her kids, and he could see traces of the woman who’d haunted his dreams for years.

  “Yeah, I love these kids. They’re so innocent, natural and funny.”

  As she talked more, Emery finally saw his angle. “You know, us doing the Christmas concert together would be so exciting for your kids. It would help not only them, but the whole school as well as the town.” She met his eyes and he could see she was weakening. “So what do you say? Shall we do this together?”

  “Okay,” she told him reluctantly. “I’ll do it, but Emery, this is only about the concert.”

  Emery nodded but didn’t confirm what she’d said. To him, it was about so much more.

  Four

  Harmony

  The last week of school before the Thanksgiving break was always a busy one. The kids had so much to do. Drawings for their parents, which they could hang on the fridge to help celebrate the holiday. Making simple Thanksgiving treats and seasonal decorations under Harmony’s supervision. And of course tidying up their desks and making sure everything was cleared out before they broke for the short vacation. It was full on and taxing, but she loved every minute of it. Thanksgiving was her favorite holiday, after Christmas, and she loved to help the children enjoy it by making happy memories.

  This year, however, there was an added responsibility for her. The auditions for the Christmas show were scheduled for the same week, making Harmony even busier than usual.

  On the Tuesday of that week, Emery was waiting outside the classroom when she finished the last lesson with her kids. “Hi, Harmony," he said with a broad, confident smile. "I thought I’d come along and see if you’d like to meet at my place or yours?”

  She blinked. “What do you mean? Meet up for what?” She would have been lying if she said she didn’t want to spend time with him, but she was determined to keep up the cool façade and keep him at arm’s length.

  “The auditions are this week and we’ve got a lot of things to talk about, haven’t we, before they start? We’ve got to decide who does what… or do I assume that this will work the same way it did before I—”

  “Before you up and left Lewiston.”

  He had the decency to look embarrassed, and so he should. He’d hurt her beyond belief when he’d left years before. So why did he think he could come back now?

  “Yes. I’m
sorry about that. But let’s put the past behind us now, shall we? I’m back here to help with this production, and I want this show to be the best concert ever. For the kids… for the whole town and for…” He trailed off and she could see a small blush suffusing the designer stubble that washed the sides of his face.

  “Where are you staying?”

  “At the big house on Lakeshore Drive.” He didn’t need to say which big house it was.

  “I thought you’d be staying in a hotel. Why are you staying there?” Harmony’s eyes widened. “Have you rented it?”

  Emery cleared his throat then mumbled out of the side of his mouth. She couldn’t hear what he’d said, or maybe she’d totally misunderstood him.

  “Say that again.”

  “Actually, I bought the place.” He flushed and rubbed his hand over his nose.

  “Why on earth did you do that?” She and Emery had loved the Lakeshore Drive property since they were children. They’d talked about how one day they’d buy the house and raise their children there. Anger filled her. He’d taken part of the dream that had been so dear to her heart.

  “Well, you know how much I always loved the place. And I’ve always intended to come back, to take time out from my busy life in Los Angeles.”

  She glared at him. “So why haven’t you?”

  “It’s simple, really. I’ve just been too busy touring. Anyway, that’s enough about me. What’s been happening with you?”

  “Well, I’m working quite hard as you can see.” She spread her feet slightly and crossed her arms across her chest. She knew it was a defensive posture, but she didn’t want him intruding on her personal space or on her emotions.

  Two days later, Harmony parked her car in the front of one of the biggest houses on Lakeshore Drive. As she walked on the light snow from the early season fall the night before, she took in the house from the sidewalk. Nearly forgotten memories came rushing back at her as she turned a full circle to take everything in. Her and Emery had thrown snowballs at each other right there on the street. After Emery had splattered her on the back, he’d dragged her into his arms and promised they’d have the house—they’d have it all—one day. Then he’d pressed his warm lips against hers, melting the flakes that had settled around her mouth.

  In the summer they’d often cross the golf course opposite the house and walk down to the lakeshore, where they’d strip off and swim, holding each other tight in the cool water. They would walk the perimeter of the property, peering through the dense hedges at the manicured lawn, and the pebble paths, impatient to know what it was like inside the grounds. The only secret the landscaping gave away was the clear sight of the stable block from a side road, where they would often see three dark brown horses being groomed. Harmony had never ridden, and nor had Emery, but they used to say they would when they lived in the house on Lakeshore Drive.

  How on earth had Emery managed to buy the place? She chided herself for even posing the question because he was one of the most well-known pop stars in the world. Surely someone as famous as him would be able to buy five houses like this one if he wanted. Yet why this one in particular? Surely he must have realized that when he eventually came back and moved into the house she’d know he was there and be hurt beyond belief. Her mind started wandering and she couldn’t help but assess the possibility that Emery had a girlfriend back in Los Angeles. Was that why he’d bought the house? Was he moving into the house now because he intended to bring someone down to this small charming town to live with him? Pain tore through the back of her throat and she swallowed, knowing she’d have to work hard to maintain her composure and not let him see how she was feeling.

  She opened the picket fence gate and walked along the path, being careful not to slip. The oversized pavers were lined with beautiful topiary evergreens and at the end of the avenue was the house, so majestic it could have been mistaken for a historic home. It was one of four large and grand residences along the lakefront and was the second largest home in Lewiston. Judged to be one of the most beautiful homes in the area, it had shuttered windows on its three stories, pillars holding up the wraparound veranda, and a highly polished black front door with large potted trees standing at attention on each side.

  Slowly she inhaled deep breaths of air, trying to calm herself. The last thing she wanted was Emery to see how rattled she was that he was living here. She climbed the five steps to the door and before she knocked, she turned and took in the view behind her. The vista from this vantage point was breathtaking, with the flat manicured lawn, the golf course across the road, and beyond that the lake. The property was the embodiment of affluence, and it was all Emery’s. She’d never known who owned the house, because the word was that an out-of-towner from the city had bought the place, but she’d always imagined that person would be someone old and grey.

  The front door creaked open and she turned to see Emery standing there, a huge smile lighting his boyish face. “Come in. Welcome to my humble abode.” His grin and obvious happiness made her wince with the pain she felt deep inside. He looked relaxed, less stressed than when she’d seen him two days previously and less frantic than the day he’d been trying to hide from the hyped-up mothers. The tight blue jeans and red sweater he was wearing set off his healthy complexion and sparkling eyes. He stood aside and gestured down the hallway, a space as wide as a large room and three times as long, with two chandeliers hanging from the high ceiling.

  “Yeah, it’s pretty spectacular, isn’t it?” Emery shook his head as if he didn’t believe his own luck at living there. “I didn’t think…all those years back we didn’t even begin to imagine what it would be like inside.”

  She was surprised he had the temerity to actually bring up the fact that they had planned to live there together. Was he really that insensitive?

  “It is beautiful. Do you like living here?” She knew it was a silly question because who wouldn’t like living there? The words plugged what might have otherwise been a pregnant pause in the conversation.

  “I’ve only been here a few days but yes. It’s very different from my place in Los Angeles, which is sleek and modern. This feels… I don’t know, a little bit empty. I’m sort of rattling around here by myself. The peace and quiet is amazing though. Back home people are hounding me all the time and at the moment not too many people know I’m here. Apart from the school moms that is.”

  At the end of the hallway he turned into a room on the right and she followed him into a magnificent country kitchen. A comfortable living area with huge grey sofas faced the kitchen, and Emery gestured for her to sit while he moved behind the twenty-foot-long white counter.

  “Would you like coffee or tea?”

  “Coffee would be nice.” As he made fancy coffee from a big chrome machine that looked as if it should be in a restaurant she looked around surreptitiously, taking in the beauty of the kitchen. The walls were white, set off by high-gloss white subway tiles in the backsplash and black Hampton shaker style cabinets. The countertop he was leaning against was made of highly polished marble with black spider veins running through its white base. Two large sinks were set into the stone and against the back wall was another long countertop of the same marble with a butler sink recessed off center. She wondered if the design of the kitchen was already in place when Emery bought the house but she couldn’t ask him. She knew if she did her voice would betray her emotions.

  Emery gestured for her to sit at the large oak table that sat between the island and the couches. She chose a chair facing him and hoped that he would remain standing long enough for her to regain her composure but a quick peek at his face as he stirred the coffee told her he might also be feeling nervous. A moment later he put her cup down on the table in front of her, along with a packet of cookies, and noisily slurped his own coffee.

  “Thanks for coming over. We need to figure out who’s handling what. I thought that given the situation with us,” he blushed, confirming his uneasiness, “it would be good if we get eve
rything straight at the beginning and understand what we’re both doing.”

  Was he inferring that she’d be unprofessional? He had an absolute nerve if he was but instead of giving him a sharp retort, she bit her tongue then took a long sip of her coffee. He stared at her, his eyes meeting hers for long seconds and she had to look away because she couldn’t handle the intensity of his gaze.

  “So, should we identify what parts of the production we’re taking the lead on?”

  She nodded. “Obviously you’ll handle the music. That’s your area of expertise, isn’t it?” She knew her comment wasn’t funny although he laughed, but it was a laugh without genuine humor.

  “There are hundreds of thousands of people that would agree with you on that.” His smile was strained, and she was incredibly aware of the uncomfortable edge to their exchange.

  “So if you handle the choir as well, I’ll organize the skit, the decorations, and the volunteers.”

  “I certainly wouldn’t want to step on your toes with any of that. And on the volunteer front, do you have any idea how many people you have this year?”

  She shook her head and sighed. “The last few years there haven’t been many people at all. So I imagine we’ll probably have to chase people up.”

  “That all sounds good. Is there anything else we need to talk about?”

  “There’s only one more thing that I need you to know, Emery. And that is I’m doing this for Lewiston. If it wasn’t for the fact that Dad begged me and you made clear your position that you wouldn’t do the show without me, I wouldn’t be doing the concert. Don’t forget that.”

  With that she stood up and put her coat back on, thanked him for the coffee and left the beautiful house that she’d always wanted to live in.