One More Song

by Nicki Edwards

  Chapter 8

  Eddie glanced up nearly an hour later when Harry burst into the room with more than an armful of gum tree branches stripped of their leaves. He’d been gone so long she’d started to think he’d changed his mind about helping.

  It was hard not to keep staring at him. He was tall – at least six three – and as sexy as anything. An opinion shared not only by Eddie but a lot of other women in the room. And she still couldn’t get over the fact he didn’t look like she expected an opera singer to look. With his close-cropped hair slicked to one side and eyes that sparkled with fun behind Harry Potter-like frames, he looked more like a television actor or a Country Road model.

  Despite that, he didn’t seem to have a look-at-me attitude. Most guys this hot acted as if they were God’s gift to women. But from what Eddie had seen so far, Harry just struck her as a genuinely nice, normal guy. Then again, she hastily reminded herself, after Jarrod she wasn’t sure she could trust her radar when it came to ‘nice, normal guys’.

  She realised she was still ogling him and quickly averted her gaze. What was wrong with her? Less than twenty-four hours earlier she’d split up with Jarrod and now here she was gawking at Harry like he was the sexiest man she’d ever seen.

  He caught her staring and grinned. A flood of heat flamed her cheeks, which only made Harry grin more. With a wink in her direction, he dumped the branches on the floor and headed into the storeroom. She heard him rummaging through cupboards, then a shout – ‘Yes!’ What was he doing? He reappeared, smiling broadly, carrying an odd assortment of glass jars and vases in a cardboard box.

  ‘It’s amazing what you find in these old halls. They hang on to everything, just in case.’

  In a momentary flash of horror, Eddie realised he was talking. She had zoned out again, wondering whether he was single. Not trusting herself to speak, she simply nodded.

  While he fiddled around sorting through the jars and laying them out in various sizes on the floor, Eddie kept herself busy straightening knives and forks that didn’t need straightening. She watched him surreptitiously. She’d never seen someone so engrossed in a task and she’d certainly never seen a guy look like he was having fun with Christmas decorations. He probably batted for the other team.

  Just my luck.

  Eddie shook her head. Why did she care? And why was she analysing him as though she had the job of crowning Australia’s next top model? Or like she was interested in him? In all the years she’d been with Jarrod she’d never looked lustily at another guy.

  After what seemed like an eternity, Harry stood and dusted off his hands. Eddie looked away but wasn’t quick enough. He’d caught her staring again. Her face felt as if it was on fire.

  Small laughter lines appeared around his mouth. ‘Do you have any tea lights? If not, I’ll call my sister and see if she has any out at her place. I’m sure she wouldn’t mind bringing them in tomorrow.’

  ‘I think I saw some in a cupboard in the kitchen,’ Eddie said, forgetting her embarrassment.

  ‘Good. Can you go look while I see if there’s a ladder somewhere?’

  She raised her eyebrows at his request. ‘There’s a ladder somewhere. Bob was using it earlier.’ Eddie flicked her eyes towards one of the few men who had come down to help set up. ‘That’s Bob. You can ask him.’

  ‘I will. I’ll also need fishing line, ivy and white string.’

  She folded her arms across her chest and stared at him. Was he kidding? Who was meant to be in charge here?

  ‘Could you be more specific please?’ she asked sweetly. ‘What thickness fishing line do you need?’

  The flirty, tongue-in-cheek tone in her voice surprised her and she bit down on her lip to stop herself from saying anything she might regret. Like ‘Are you single?’ or ‘Are you straight?’

  Harry stopped what he was doing and gave her a sheepish look, reminding her of one of Nan’s dogs when they’d been caught digging up the garden. She almost burst out laughing.

  ‘Sorry. Once I get started on something I forget not everyone thinks the way I do.’

  ‘You are kind of bossy,’ she admitted.

  ‘Sorry about that, too.’

  One more grin was all it took for her to forgive him. ‘It’s fine, I’m not used to someone else taking charge though,’ Eddie said. ‘It’s usually me telling everyone else what to do.’ She indicated the mess he was making on the floor. ‘What’s all this? You look as if you know what you’re doing.’

  He shrugged. ‘I’ve had some practice.’ He gave her a shooing motion. ‘Go and get that ivy, then I promise I won’t boss you around again.’

  ‘Lucky the back fence is covered in the stuff,’ she grumbled good-naturedly as she walked off.

  When she came back inside, Harry had found a radio and was humming along to Christmas carols. She had to admit, he not only looked good, he had a good voice too. Not that she knew anything about singing.

  It was almost dark when they’d finished. Everyone had left except the two of them. They stood side by side, admiring the transformed space. The entire room would look amazing the following night, set aglow by the dozens of tiny tea lights Harry had placed in glass jars around the room. Some jars were on the floor, others on tables and others suspended from fishing wire he’d attached to the gum tree branches. Eddie had wound ivy around the branches, then blown up tiny balloons and loosely wrapped them in white string to make baubles to attach to the branches, which now hung from the rafters. The effect was magical. Eddie might have failed with Santa, the cake and the choir, but this would make up for it. More than make up for it.

  Harry wore a massive beam and a smear of dirt down one side of his face. She handed him a bottle of Sprite she’d grabbed from the fridge. ‘You are remarkable.’

  As he accepted the drink their fingers touched. Eddie glanced down and noted long fingers, smooth skin and no wedding ring. Of course, it didn’t mean he was single.

  ‘Why, thank you.’ Harry bent slightly at the waist in a bow. ‘Like I said, I aim to please.’

  She giggled. Then, because it felt like the most natural thing in the world to do, she rose up on her toes and kissed him on the cheek. ‘Thank you, Harry. You’ve saved the day.’

  He raised an eyebrow, and although he didn’t seem to mind, Eddie was pretty sure she detected a faint tinge of pink on his cheeks.

  ‘I’m warning you now though,’ she said, ‘once everyone sees what you’ve done, they’re going to want you to do this every year.’

  He chuckled as he twisted the lid off his drink. ‘I’m not sure where I’ll be next year, sorry. But thanks for the compliment. I hope everyone likes what I’ve done.’

  ‘They will.’ She paused. ‘Thanks for coming to my rescue today. I really appreciate it.’

  Harry stared intently at her, his drink midway to his lips. It felt like he was looking straight into her soul. Eddie dropped her eyes and studied a stain on her shoe.

  ‘Everything okay?’ he asked. ‘Not that you have to tell me or anything, but it looks like you’ve been doing some crying recently.’

  She kept her head down and hesitated before replying. For some reason it felt right to trust Harry, even though she barely knew him. ‘Actually, my boyfriend broke up with me yesterday. Right before I saw you at Christine’s place.’

  The instant she spoke she regretted it. He didn’t need to hear about her issues.

  Harry let out a long, low sigh. ‘You okay?’

  She sucked in a deep breath. She wasn’t going to let him see she was still smarting from Jarrod’s rejection. Especially when she’d been planning to break up with him anyway. ‘Yep.’ She lifted her chin bravely. ‘And I’m not going to cry again.’

  He raised a disbelieving eyebrow. ‘How long had you been together?’

  ‘Two years.’

  ‘And you’re not going to cry anymore?’ This time he gave her an impish grin.

  She shook her head while trying not to smile at the mischievous look
on Harry’s face. ‘Nope. He’s not worth it. Besides, I was actually planning on breaking it off with him.’ She gave a little laugh and found the tight smile she’d been holding start to relax into something more genuine. ‘But he beat me to it.’

  Harry tilted his head.

  She waved his concern away. ‘Long story, and I don’t want to go into it. Unfortunately it’s not the only thing that went wrong yesterday.’

  ‘What else happened? I overheard you telling someone dinner would be a disaster.’

  ‘Put it this way: Jarrod breaking up with me was the start of the downhill run.’

  Eddie sank to the hardwood floor, crossed her legs and leaned back against the wall. Harry sat beside her, stretching his legs out in front of him. She opened her own drink and took a long sip, then poured out everything – from her relationship with Jarrod, to the ruined cake, to the absentee Santa, to the lack of a choir. She couldn’t help herself. The words just flowed. Other than Aimee, she couldn’t remember ever talking so honestly or openly with anyone, but she found talking to Harry was like talking to a good friend, not someone she’d just met. Suddenly a twinge of regret settled over her. Why had she just told him all this? He’d think she was a nut-case.

  ‘I’m sorry. I hadn’t intended dropping my bundle of woes at your feet, but you’re a great listener,’ Eddie said, keeping her voice light. ‘Can you believe I moped around the house for the entire day yesterday feeling sorry for myself? I even considered cancelling Christmas.’

  ‘Perhaps I can help,’ he said.

  She made a little snorting sound. ‘Unless you’re offering to sing “O Holy Night” in four-part harmony, I doubt it.’

  Harry hesitated for a fraction of a second and Eddie almost thought he was about to say he would. She was suddenly very aware of how close they were and she shifted away slightly. Her folded knee was almost resting on his thigh.

  Then he grinned. ‘I’d rather not do that, but I could play Santa for you.’

  She spun around to face him. ‘You’d do that for me?’

  He nodded. ‘Yep.’

  ‘Are you an angel?’

  He threw back his head and laughed. ‘Definitely not. Ask my mum.’

  ‘You sure you don’t mind dressing up?’

  ‘Not in the least. I’m an actor. I love dressing up. And I can come early and help set up too, if that helps.’

  She’d missed this sort of selflessness and concern for others in a man. ‘You’re unlike any guy I’ve ever met.’

  She hadn’t meant to flirt but there was something about Harry – beyond his good looks and charm – that made her want to get to know him better.

  A teasing smile lit up his eyes. ‘Don’t tell too many people, I wouldn’t want my secret to get out.’

  He leaned sideways into her so their arms brushed. Instant goose bumps rose on her skin and she was grateful she wasn’t standing. She didn’t trust her legs to hold her up. She pulled her knees up to her chin and let her hair hang across her face to hide the blush that had formed. Why was her body reacting this way around him? She looked around desperately for a distraction – anything – but when she met his eyes, they were fixed on hers with an amused expression.

  ‘We should grab a drink some time,’ he said.

  The invitation was casually offered and Eddie opened her mouth to say no, but instead the words ‘I’d like that’ popped out.

  ‘Can I have your number?’ he asked as he pulled his phone from his pocket.

  She gave it to him and watched while he entered it into his phone. Should she ask for his, or would that seem too forward? When he didn’t offer, the opportunity was missed.

  ‘I don’t want to get in the way of whatever family things you have planned for tomorrow,’ she said. ‘If it’s not convenient to come early and help set up, just say. I’m sure we’ll have plenty of helpers.’

  ‘It’s fine. We’re having a family lunch that will finish by three. I’ll come over with Claire and Mum around four. Is that enough time to help you set up?’

  ‘Plenty of time. People won’t arrive until five and I plan to start the meal at six. I was hoping Santa would make an appearance sometime between mains and dessert. Suit you?’

  ‘Perfect.’ He smiled and stood, holding out his hand to help her up from the floor. ‘Now, honey,’ he drawled, ‘where’s my costume?’

  Chapter 9

  Harry waited for Eddie to lock up the hall and watched her bound down the steps to her car. He opened her door for her and she paused for a moment in surprise before getting behind the wheel. He closed the door and waited for her to start the engine. She wound down the window and a smile dimpled her cheeks.

  ‘Thanks again for all your help this afternoon. Sorry it took so long.’

  ‘Any time. I’m glad I could help.’

  Before he could stop himself he leaned in and brushed his lips against her cheek. ‘Drive carefully,’ he said, slapping the roof of her car before turning and walking away.

  He watched until her tail-lights blurred before getting into his own car and driving back to the farm. He’d had such a good time with Eddie he’d almost forgotten about the troubles awaiting him at home. He hadn’t planned to hang around so long but helping with the decorations was the right thing to do, and besides, he’d thoroughly enjoyed himself. Eddie was easy to talk to and he looked forward to seeing her again and getting to know her better. It wasn’t until he drove through the front gate and down the long driveway that the sinking quicksand feeling returned and thoughts of Eddie evaporated.

  All the lights were off except for one in the kitchen. It would be the one above the stove, the one his mum always left on for him when he planned to be home late. He checked his watch. It wasn’t even nine o’clock. In his entire life he’d never known his parents to be in bed much earlier than eleven, especially on Christmas Eve. It was a family tradition to sit up and watch Carols by Candlelight from the Melbourne Myer Music Bowl. His mum was waiting for the day it was Harry’s turn to take the stage and sing.

  He glanced over at Simon and Claire’s. The lights were on and he almost went over to say g’day, until he remembered Claire saying something about staying up late to put bikes together for the kids. He considered offering to help, but in all honesty, he needed to be alone to process his thoughts and Simon was far better with tools and bike-building than Harry was.

  His mum had left him a meal in the fridge, which he chucked in the microwave. While he waited for it to heat up, he flicked on the TV and watched Sylvie Paladino belt out his favourite Christmas song, ‘O Holy Night’. Ironic that it was the same song Eddie had mentioned earlier. He should have offered to sing it at the community dinner, or at least sing something, but he needed a break. Besides, they’d hear enough of him at the charity concert. The dinner was about the community joining to celebrate Christmas, not about them being entertained by him. Those who wanted to hear him sing could pay their money and come to the concert.

  He was used to people asking him to sing and was surprised when Eddie hadn’t. It was often the first thing people said when they met him. ‘Sing something.’ One thing he’d noticed about Eddie immediately was that she didn’t appear starstruck. Maybe she was one of those people who didn’t care what he did for a living. That would be a welcome change.

  As he stood at the kitchen sink and ate his dinner, his mind raced away from Eddie to his father. What was wrong with him? If it wasn’t cancer, what was it? Parkinson’s? Or a crazy virus that simply needed the right type of treatment? Six months seemed an insane amount of time to put up with no answers. Why hadn’t the doctors found out what was wrong with him? Had they missed something?

  Harry finished eating, rinsed his plate and stuck it in the dishwasher. There was no sound coming from his parents’ room and no light peeking under the door. For the first time since he could remember, he wasn’t interested in watching the rest of the singers perform on Carols. He crept down the hall to his childhood bedroom, yanked back
the curtains, and cranked open the window. A welcome cool breeze wafted in. He stripped down to his boxers, stretched out on top of the covers, and stared at the ceiling. He’d planned to read, but his eyes grew heavy and surprisingly he was asleep in minutes.

  *

  He woke early on Christmas morning as dawn was leaching into the sky, disturbed by the bleating of sheep and the raucous cries of galahs right outside his open window. Why did people complain the city was too noisy?

  During the night, he’d heard thumping noises and when he’d stuck his head out his door he’d seen his mum usher his father back to bed. Neither of them noticed him and he’d closed his door softly, not wanting to intrude or get in the way.

  He got up quietly, pulled on his running clothes and walked down the hall to the kitchen. The door to his parents’ bedroom was closed and he heard no movement from within. He grabbed a glass from the overhead cupboard and poured himself a glass of water from the water bottle in the fridge. At least his mum had remembered he wasn’t a fan of tank water and had stocked up on spring water for his visit.

  Harry stared out into the lightening sky and rolled his shoulders. What was he supposed to do for the next three hours? Simon, Claire and the kids weren’t coming over for breakfast until nine. Hope filled him. Maybe his niece and nephew would put a smile on everyone’s faces.

  Speaking of smiles, he couldn’t wait to see Eddie’s again.

  He pulled his phone from his pocket and chewed on his lip. Would it come across as too forward if he sent her a text? He didn’t want her to think he was coming on too strong, but after yesterday he wanted to continue their connection and he sensed she wanted to also.

  Before he had second thoughts he tapped out a brief message.

  Merry Christmas! Look forward to seeing you later.

  He waited for a reply and when none came, disappointment surged through him until he considered she might have no idea who the message was from. Then he realised it was only six o’clock. Oops. He hoped he hadn’t woken her.