A Country Music Christmas

by Maggie Carpenter

  "Anyway, the storm's passed. There's just a bunch of snow on the ground. We've got the Outback. We'll be fine, right? Tell me we'll be fine, tell me my girl's fine."

  "Sure we will, honey, and we'll run into Summer and this Liam guy on their way here and bring them on home. She said they're gonna be stayin' on the main roads. If we don't pick them up one of Cain's deputies will."

  Though Keith and Harry had to shovel snow from the front of the garage, it wasn't long before they were climbing into their Subaru, and with the sheriff's office close by they were soon pulling into the parking lot. When they pushed through the door they found the news of the avalanche had sent the station buzzing.

  "Is the sheriff in yet? I need to see him right away," Keith said urgently. "It's important."

  "There's a lot goin' on right now, sir," the young deputy behind the counter said gravely. "There's been—"

  "I'm here, Keith," Cain declared striding into the lobby, "I saw you drive up. Hey, Janet, Harry. I'm rea happy to see you. I was about to head over to your place."

  "Why? Is it Summer? What's happened?" Janet asked, immediately fearing the worst.

  "Yeah, but don't panic. As far as I know Summer's okay. One of the deputies found her and Liam Taylor at the bottom of the hill just short of the main road. He transported them both to the hospital. I guess Summer fainted, but last I heard she's fine."

  "Keith, we have to get there."

  "I've gotta stay here, but I'll have one of my boys escort you," Cain said quickly. "If you get stuck he'll be able to help."

  "Thanks, Cain. Appreciate it," Keith said gratefully, trying to control the anxiety in his voice. It wasn't easy.

  Janet and Harry needed to see him strong, but he was worried sick. Why had his precious little girl fainted? Was she really all right? He'd fallen in love the moment he'd laid eyes on her. The tiny baby had cloaked him in a warm beam of golden sunlight, and with tears in his eyes he had asked his beautiful wife if they could name her Summer.

  "She'll be fine," Janet murmured, looping her arm through his elbow and breaking into his thoughts.

  He couldn't fool her. Not for a second. Her big, brawny, handsome Marine was filled with alarm. It was her turn to be the resilient one.

  "Yeah, course she will, she is," Keith muttered, trying to settle his heart.

  "She's tougher than all of us," Harry piped up. "She probably just, I dunno, tripped or somethin'."

  Harry had tried, but the tremble in his voice had been obvious, and shoving his hands into the pockets of his jacket he curled his fingers into white-knuckled fists.

  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

  Hastily popping their boots from their bindings, Liam had pulled off his backpack, then sitting in the snow he had brought Summer into his arms. She'd been vaguely conscious, and when he'd seen the large Hummer driving slowly towards them, if he hadn't already been on the ground, he would have dropped to his knees in a prayer of relief and thanks. It had been a deputy sheriff out on patrol, and seeing his uniform Liam had been even more grateful.

  "Let's get her into the vehicle, sir, then you can tell me what happened."

  Scooping her up Liam, carried her to the warmth and safety of the large SUV, placed her in the back seat and climbed in next to her, continuing to hold her as the deputy collected their skis.

  "I'm Deputy Landon, I'll get you over to the hospital," the officer said as he'd sat behind the wheel. "You wanna tell me what you're doin' out here so early?"

  "My name's Liam Taylor. There's been an avalanche."

  "Good to meet you Mr. Taylor…uh…you say there's been an avalanche? You sure? Where?"

  "It started above my home on the knoll. I have no idea if it's a small slip or a major event. We were tryin' to get back to Summer's home. This is Summer Brown."

  "Dang. Lemme radio that in. Summer Brown? Keith Brown's daughter?"

  "I don't know her father's name. Sorry."

  "Yeah, I reckon it is. The Brown's are well-known around here. Mr. Brown's a real good friend of the sheriff's."

  As the deputy contacted the station, Liam allowed himself a moment to close his eyes and take a deep breath. As he did, Summer stirred in his arms.

  "Sorry to worry you," she mumbled. "I just got all dizzy."

  "Hey, you've got nothin' to be sorry for. I think you're just totally wiped out. You hit the wall. I was gettin' there too. You've been amazin'."

  "I don't feel amazing."

  "Trust me, you are."

  "We're here, Mr. Taylor. You want me to take your skis to the station?"

  "That'd be great, thanks."

  "What about your backpack?"

  "I'll keep that with me."

  "Okay. I'll carry it in for you while you help her."

  Liam had packed a pair of shoes and a rolled up sweat suit, and after Summer had been rolled into an emergency cubicle, he pulled off his boots and put on his trainers.

  "The doctor will be here shortly," the nurse said as she bustled away. "You're welcome to stay until he arrives."

  "Hey," he said softly sitting down at Summer's bedside, "how are you feelin'?"

  "Strange. Light-headed, but we made it."

  "Yep, we made it," he said taking her hand. "Thanks to you."

  "Sweetheart!"

  "Mom?"

  Turning around Liam saw three worried faces, obviously belonging to her parents and her brother.

  "How did you know I was here?" Summer asked, thrilled to see them. "I know the deputy got in touch with the station, but how did you get here so quickly?"

  "Hey, I'm Liam Taylor," Liam said getting to his feet. "Good to meet you all, but I'm real sorry it's under circumstances like this."

  "Thanks for takin' care of my girl here," Keith said, immediately liking the handsome celebrity who struck him as far more down-to-earth than he would have guessed. "I'm Keith, this is Janet, and that's Harry."

  "I think it's Summer who took care of me," Liam declared. "I'd still be in the house if it wasn't for her."

  "Yeah, she does things like that," Harry muttered staring at his sister.

  "How did you guys get here so fast?"

  "The minute I got your email we high-tailed it over to the sheriff's office and one of the deputies escorted us here. It's only five minutes from the station, but sweetie, are you okay? What happened?"

  "I got dizzy then my legs gave out. I don't know why."

  "The doctor should be here shortly and he'll be able to tell us," Liam offered, "and I think I'm gonna go see if I can find some coffee. You guys should have some time to catch up."

  "You have permission to go," Summer declared, though her voice still sounded weak, "but you have to come back quick."

  "Uh-huh. Someone's feelin' better," he grinned, shooting her a look only she would understand. "Anyone else here want some coffee?"

  "Yeah, thanks," Harry piped up.

  "Why don't you go with him and bring back coffee for me and tea for your mother," Keith suggested.

  "Sure," Harry replied, then walking to the foot of the bed he stared down at Summer. "Glad you're okay. Like, really glad."

  "Thanks, Harry."

  It had been a touching moment, and Liam had seen Janet look away to wipe a tear from her cheek. Summer was part of a close-knit family. It was heartwarming, and giving her hand a quick squeeze Liam followed Harry out into the gleaming corridor. The hospital was quiet. It was early morning. Most folks were still in bed having hunkered down from the storm, and blissfully unaware of the avalanche just outside of town.

  "It's cool to meet you," Harry said as he and Liam headed to the stairwell. "I'm a musician like Summer. I think it's great what you do."

  "Thanks, Harry. What do you play?"

  "Piano," Harry said simply. "Dad said Summer knew what was gonna happen. Is that why you left your house on skis? Damn, that's gnarly."

  "Yep. When Summer told me it was hard to believe, but it was one of those things. I realized I had no choice. You know what I mean?"<
br />
  "Oh, yeah, I know exactly what you mean," Harry replied rolling his eyes. "First time she did that with me was the mornin' I was supposed to try out for Little League. She came bustin' into my room and sat on top of me. Said I wasn't allowed to leave the house. Dad was home, thank God. He managed to warn everyone. No-one knew it was really Summer who'd had the dream. He was already known for that hocus-pocus stuff so he took the blame."

  "The blame? Don't you mean the praise?"

  "It should be, but people get weird."

  "So, what happened?"

  "A semi lost control and crashed through the fence and bleachers into the park. A lotta people would've been hurt if it hadn't been for Summer."

  "Summer's visions, and your dad's, are they're fairly well-known around Apple Valley? I only moved here recently, but I spent time here when I was a kid and I don't remember anything like that."

  "Just my dad. He didn't want Summer bein' treated differently so it's kinda like a family secret. She tells him what she sees, and then he does whatever. They don't happen often. It's been a couple of years since the last one."

  "That was wise of your dad," Liam remarked. "It's hard bein' a bit different when you're growin' up."

  "Yeah, dad's cool."

  They'd reached the cafeteria, and grateful it was open Liam walked straight to the coffee machine. The three women behind the counter pointed and whispered. Liam was used to the attention and barely noticed as he carried on about his business.

  "Let's sit down a minute," he suggested as he pulled the cardboard cup from under the dispenser, "give your parents more time with Summer."

  "That'd be good," Harry agreed as he made himself some hot chocolate. "They tried to hide it but they were really freaked out. To be honest, I was too."

  "Of course you were," Liam said settling into a table. "So, Harry, what's your goal in life? Summer said you're in college but not much more than that."

  "I'm into classical music, though I like what Summer writes, it's cool, and she'll probably make a million bucks and I'll still be starvin'. I like playin' for her though, I like it a lot."

  "You play when she sings?"

  "Yeah, she's not great on the keyboard, that's why I did it for her YouTube thing."

  "You've lost me. Summer did a YouTube thing?"

  "Yeah, she has a channel, Summer Sings. You haven't seen it?"

  "No, she didn't mention it."

  "Oh, God, she'll kill me. Don't tell her I said anything, I just assumed she would've."

  "No, no, I won't say a word, I promise," Liam assured him filing away the information. "Back to you, who's your favorite composer?"

  "Eric Satie," Harry said with a grin. "He's like the soul of classical. That's what I wanna write, classical stuff with soul. I kinda changed up one of Summer's songs, One-Way Street, and it worked out great."

  "Interestin'. How do you see yourself? As part of a band, or do you wanna be a composer?"

  "If I could find people who think like me it'd be fun to have a small orchestra. Classical music is where it's at for me, but like I said, I wanna do something with a bluesy feel, and current. It's hard to explain."

  "You explained it just fine, and I think it's genius."

  "Really?"

  "The concept is great. If you can hear it in your head when you—"

  "I can totally hear it," Harry said eagerly, interrupting him. "I hear it all the time. I play in a rock band at college and then I do my classical stuff in hotels. It helps pay the bills, and I get ideas all the time. Music is what I wanna do. It's all I think about."

  "It's a tough business."

  "I know, but I still wanna give it a go. Sometimes when I'm watchin' movies I think how bad the score sucks and how I could've written somethin' so much better."

  "Maybe that's your callin'. Don't worry, you're young, this will all fall into place. You'll find your niche."

  "Thanks for sayin' that, Liam. When I think about doin' somethin' else it doesn't feel right. Seems like music is what I'm supposed to be doin'."

  "Shall we get your dad's coffee and your mom's tea?"

  "Yeah, and I wanna find out if the doc's been back."

  As Harry returned to the machine and filled the cups, Liam moved up to the counter to pay. One of the women was brave enough to ask for his autograph and he happily scribbled it on a piece of paper.

  "Is that weird?" Harry asked as they left.

  "Bein' asked for my autograph? No, and I'm always flattered. I came from nowheresville. Like you would say, it's cool."

  "Can I ask you somethin'?"

  "Sure."

  "You and my sister, are you, like, together?"

  "Are we together?" Liam murmured. "Yeah, I guess we are."

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  When Liam and Harry returned, they found Janet and Keith looking much happier than when they'd left them. Summer too looked better, though she was still pale and appeared very tired.

  "Liam, glad you're back," Keith said warmly as Harry handed his father the cup of coffee and his mother her tea.

  "I take it the doctor was here and gave you a good report," Liam remarked. "What did he say?"

  "It's nothing serious," Janet beamed. "She's suffering from exhaustion. He said her immune system will be compromised so we need to be careful about colds and the flu and suchlike."

  "I'm not surprised to hear that. When I found her trapped in her car off the side of the road she was a block of ice, it was hell gettin' her outta there in the blizzard, then we had to leave before dawn this mornin' and ski outta my place real quick. Poor thing has been through the mill."

  "I am here, you know," Summer quipped.

  "The best news is you can go home. We'll be together for Christmas," Keith declared, "but you have to stay in bed and get plenty of rest."

  "I'm not having Christmas dinner in bed. I'll be at the table. I'm not dying, I'm just tired."

  "I think she's fine," Harry chuckled. "I'm not gettin' in her way when we get home, that's for sure."

  "Liam, we were talkin'," Janet began, staring up at him with a warm smile, "we'd be very happy to have you stay with us."

  "That's very kind of you, but I couldn't impose," Liam said quickly. "It's too much."

  "You were comin' to Christmas dinner anyway, and we'd like to have you, we really would," Keith said earnestly. "It's the least we can do."

  "Please, you've gotta," Harry said earnestly. "I wanna play one of my compositions for you. I'd really, really, love to hear what you think."

  "Now, Harry, don't pester the man," Janet admonished. "We're not inviting him to put him to work. It's the holidays."

  "Actually, it's fine, Janet. Not a problem. I'm very interested in Harry's music. I was going to ask him to play for me at some point anyway."

  "No shit?"

  "Harry!" his father said sharply.

  "Sorry, dad, it just slipped out. I wasn't expectin' to hear that. That'd be great. I could really use your advice."

  "Please say yes?"

  Summer had spoken softly, and her ardent but gentle plea caught everyone's attention.

  "You can't say no to that," Keith grinned. "That's how she got her first bicycle, and a whole lotta other stuff through the years."

  "I can imagine," Liam laughed, "and it looks like it's gonna work on me too. Thanks for the invitation and I'd be delighted to stay, but it will probably be just for tonight. I'd like to fly out to Nashville tomorrow for the remainder of the holiday if I can. It was when I was on my way to the airfield yesterday that I found Summer in the ditch."

  "That right?" Keith said raising his eyebrows. "Did you know it was her car when you saw it?"

  "No, all I could see were the tail lights, but I wasn't about to drive off. I had to stop. Besides, the weather was closin' in. I probably couldn't have taken off anyway, but gettin' back to Summer here, how soon will she be able to leave?"

  "Just about any time now," Janet replied, "and we should—"

  Before she co
uld finish, the unexpected sound of a dramatic piano solo filled the small space.

  "My phone!" Harry exclaimed, pulling it from his pocket. "We've got cell service."

  "Turn it off," Keith said sharply. "No phones are allowed in here."

  "But dad, we have cell service!"

  "Yeah, I heard you the first time."

  "I'm goin' outside," Harry exclaimed. "I need to see who's been tryin' to call me."

  "I should check my messages too," Liam remarked, picking up his backpack and unzipping one of the side compartments. "There has to be somewhere phones are allowed here."

  "Maybe the stairwell," Keith suggested, "but accordin' to the nurse we'll only be here a few minutes."

  "Not to worry, I won't be long," Liam assured him. "Summer, I'll see you shortly."

  Summer smiled back at him, and Liam could feel Keith and Janet's eyes on them. Liam knew it was obvious he and Summer had grown close and he hoped he met with their approval. Their invitation to stay with them could have just been the kind act of grateful parents.

  As he followed Harry out of the emergency room and into the main corridor of the hospital, he felt a wave of weariness. He didn't want to interrupt Frank or Wally's Christmas, but he did want to fly to Nashville the following day. He wanted to see his sister and parents, and he wanted some distance from Summer so he could think about everything that had happened. Why had he surrendered to such a swirling vortex of emotions? He had been drawn to her since they'd met. Had the fervent, unexpected effervescent passion they'd shared been the result of a suppressed, smoldering attraction? And what about her ambition? Would her quest to become a singer get in the way?

  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

  The doctor had given the all clear for Summer to go home, and Janet and Keith were waiting anxiously for the nurse to return with a document they had to sign before they could leave, but Janet was running out of patience.

  "What's taking her so long?"

  "Paperwork," Keith said with a sigh. "You know how thorough they have to be."

  "I'm going to find out what's going on."

  "You do that, hon. Go light some fires."