One More Song

by Nicki Edwards

  ‘Jack Lorimer here.’

  Jack was the local butcher. Eddie held her breath, hoping he wasn’t calling with more bad news.

  ‘I’m over at the hall now. Where do you want me to put these spits?’

  Relief washed through her. ‘Give me five minutes and I’ll be there. I’m just leaving church now.’

  When she went to say goodbye, there was no sign of the other women. Eddie breathed a prayer of thanks and darted out before she had to face anyone else.

  *

  After she’d ensured the butcher was organised, Eddie drove to the respite centre in Albury. When she arrived, she made her way to her grandparents’ room and dumped her handbag on their bed. There was no sign of her grandad but from the ensuite bathroom she heard the familiar sound of Nan singing. She smiled. Nan’s voice reminded Eddie of Beechworth Honey on a piece of toast. Eddie liked to think her mum sounded the same but her memories of Maggie’s voice had withered and faded over time, like the pages of an old newspaper left out in the sun too long.

  ‘Hey Nan, I’m here. Do you need any help?’ she called out.

  ‘I’ll be out in a minute,’ Daisy replied.

  Eddie busied herself tidying the room and straightening the bedspread, turning when Daisy entered. Eddie pulled her into a tight hug. ‘Merry Christmas, Nan. I’ve missed you so much. It’s not the same at home without you and Grandad.’

  ‘Merry Christmas to you too, Eddie, dear.’

  ‘You’re looking good. Better than you have in weeks.’

  Daisy had the face of a woman in her seventies even though she was skimming the edge of her mid-eighties. The only thing that gave away her age was the way she moved – slowly and in obvious discomfort. Apart from the recent hip replacement, Daisy suffered from post-polio syndrome. Combined with severe rheumatoid arthritis, chronic pain was her constant companion. And enemy. Yet she never complained.

  ‘Where’s Grandad?’

  ‘Out chatting to the oldies in the courtyard,’ Daisy said.

  Eddie hid a smile. A lot of the ‘oldies’ were younger than her grandparents.

  ‘We had a lovely church service here this morning,’ Daisy said. ‘The little chapel is so pretty.’

  ‘That’s nice.’

  The wrinkles around Nan’s eyes deepened. ‘Something wrong?’

  Eddie gave her most reassuring smile. ‘Nothing. I’m okay. Just concerned about you.’

  ‘Darling, there’s no need to worry about me. I’m fit as a fiddle now. The nurses are taking great care of me, and your grandad loves it here.’

  ‘What do I love?’ Frank asked as he entered the room. ‘Other than my wife and my favourite granddaughter?’

  Eddie beamed. ‘I’m your only granddaughter.’

  ‘All the more reason for you to be my favourite.’ He winked at her before kissing her on the top of her head. ‘Hello, possum. Merry Christmas.’

  He was as sprightly and energetic as always and his tanned, weather-beaten face bore his usual broad smile, but Eddie was suddenly struck by how much he’d aged over the years. Why hadn’t she noticed it before? His grey hair was thinning and stuck out in all directions, in desperate need of a haircut. She smiled. She knew her grandad well enough to know it would be low on his list of priorities. The black-rimmed frames of his glasses magnified his brown eyes, but today they looked slightly glassy. Probably just tired. She hoped he wasn’t burning himself out looking after Nan and once again wished she’d been able to convince him to stay at home with her. She looked at him again and realised that despite looking old he appeared very happy.

  ‘How’s Jarrod?’ he asked.

  Eddie felt the blood rush from her face. She had hoped to avoid this conversation a bit longer.

  She swallowed. ‘We broke up.’

  Nan’s gasp briefly sucked the air from the small room. Frank’s head snapped up to look at her, his eyes wide like dinner plates. He muttered something that rhymed with ‘custard’ and plonked into the recliner. ‘Can’t say I’m surprised,’ he said with a grunt.

  ‘Frank!’ Daisy admonished. She turned to Eddie and touched her on the arm. ‘When did this happen?’

  ‘Monday.’

  ‘Why didn’t you tell us sooner?’

  ‘I didn’t want to tell you over the phone.’

  ‘Oh, sweetheart. Are you okay?’ Daisy asked, her voice oozing with sympathy and compassion.

  Sudden tears sprang to Eddie’s eyes. ‘I’m okay.’

  ‘Why did you break up?’ Daisy asked.

  ‘Reckon it’s hard to have a relationship with someone when you hardly ever see ’em,’ Frank said.

  ‘It wasn’t that,’ Eddie said.

  ‘Did he have an affair? Because I tell you what, if he did and I ever see him again, I’ll rip off his bloody –’

  ‘No you won’t, Grandad,’ Eddie interrupted. ‘Forget it. He didn’t have an affair. You’ll never see him again. I promise.’

  ‘But I thought you were in love with him,’ Daisy said, her face creased with concern. ‘I thought you wanted to get married.’

  Eddie forced a smile. Even though her grandparents weren’t huge Jarrod fans, they had supported her relationship. ‘I did.’

  ‘Then what happened?’ Daisy asked. ‘What went wrong?’

  ‘I guess you could say I fell out of love with him the moment he presumed I’d want to move to America with him.’

  They listened without question while she gave them all the details.

  ‘Sweetheart, I’m so sorry,’ Daisy said when Eddie had finished. She leaned over and patted her hand. ‘But if it’s any consolation, there’ll be someone else.’

  Eddie’s thoughts went straight to Harry. In the short time they’d spent together, sparks had undeniably flown. She shook her head. Why was she even thinking about him? Now wasn’t the time to entertain the idea of another man in her life. She needed to get over Jarrod first. Besides, if Grandad caught any inkling of what was going on inside Eddie’s head right now regarding Harry, he’d be wagging his finger with a warning. Don’t jump out of the frying pan into the fire. A warning probably worth listening to. Who was to say Harry would be any different from Jarrod? She’d only met him once, and clearly she wasn’t the greatest judge of character when it came to men.

  Frank eased himself out of the recliner. ‘Time for lunch,’ he announced with a clap. ‘Enough talk about Jarrod. It’s Christmas and we need to celebrate.’

  Eddie followed Frank into the main dining area, walking slowly arm in arm with Daisy. They found seats and Eddie collected their roast dinners and carried them back to the table. Once her grandad said grace, Eddie took a mouthful – it didn’t taste as bad as she’d expected. Not as good as a home-cooked meal, but it certainly wasn’t like hospital fare. No wonder her grandad was enjoying staying there. He loved his food.

  ‘How are the plans coming along for the concert?’ Daisy asked. ‘Have you heard how many people they’re expecting?’

  Eddie frowned. ‘Sorry. What did you say? What concert?’ She’d been watching Frank chat to the bloke next to him and reflecting how much he seemed to be enjoying the company of the other residents.

  ‘Sweetheart, please tell me you booked tickets for Les Miserables.’ Daisy pronounced the word with a French accent, the syllables rolling easily off her tongue.

  ‘Oh, that concert,’ she replied. ‘That was part of my Christmas present to you guys, remember? I bought the tickets ages ago, before you had your fall. They’re pinned to the fridge at home.’

  ‘Did you get one for yourself?’

  ‘Are you kidding me? I’m not going to willingly sit through a night of opera where I can’t understand a word they’re singing.’

  ‘Les Miserables isn’t opera,’ Daisy said. ‘It’s an epic tale of love, power and politics, full of hope and redemption and . . .’

  Eddie held up a hand. ‘And I’m not interested. Sorry, Nan. Go with Grandad and enjoy.’ She nudged Frank with her elbow.

&
nbsp; But even as she heard herself protesting, she wondered if she should change her mind and get a ticket. It would be kind of cool to hear Harry sing.

  The remainder of lunch passed uneventfully and they chatted about work and what was happening back home. When Eddie checked her watch, she was surprised to see it was nearly two o’clock. ‘I need to get going or I’m going to be late.’

  ‘And you’re sure everything’s ready for tonight?’ Daisy asked.

  ‘Absolutely sure. Everything’s ready and it’s going to be amazing,’ she replied.

  Under the table, she crossed her fingers.

  Chapter 11

  Yallambah was a ghost town. Eddie drove down the main street to the Memorial Hall without seeing a soul. When she arrived, she unlocked the doors and propped them open with rocks to allow fresh air to circulate. It had been another scorching day. She checked on the spits, double checked the drinks in the fridge were cold and switched on the ovens to warm them up ready for the potatoes. Then she stood and admired Harry’s handiwork again. He’d done a smashing job.

  She was taking photos on her phone when a voice called out a greeting. A smile sprang to her lips. Harry.

  ‘In here,’ she called out.

  Harry walked in, looking incredible in a pair of navy shorts and white polo top that hugged him in all the right places.

  ‘Merry Christmas, Eddie.’

  His eyes grazed over her figure and her skin tingled in delight. She willed her voice to remain calm. ‘Merry Christmas to you too.’

  ‘Love the shirt. Colour suits you.’ He gave her a friendly kiss on the cheek and she had to control the urge to reach up and touch the blazing spot. The rush of heat to her cheeks was so intense it made her light-headed.

  ‘Thank you. You look all right yourself.’ She recovered quickly, trying not to let him see she was still checking him out. She tilted her head back to look up at him. ‘You’re early.’

  ‘I needed to get away from home.’

  ‘Everything okay?’

  ‘Yeah. Nothing to worry about. Just family stuff. My father’s not well so Mum and Claire are staying home to look after him.’

  Eddie’s heart stalled. ‘But what about the food? Wasn’t your mum supposed to help your sister serve it up?’

  ‘Don’t stress. That’s why I’m here early. Claire’s given me a list of instructions.’ He pulled a sheet of paper out of his pocket and waved it in the air. ‘She’s as detail-driven as you. If I get stuck I’ll call her, but I reckon we’ll be right. And there’ll be enough helpers here for you to organise.’

  She immediately felt herself relax. ‘Bossy even on Christmas Day, huh?’ she teased.

  ‘Guilty.’ He winked.

  She couldn’t hold back her smile. Being around Harry made her feel like she was floating on a cloud. A quiver buzzed deep inside her and she squirmed. This constant thinking-about-Harry business had to stop. She was practically swooning over him, and if she wasn’t careful she’d send him the wrong signals. But who could blame her? Harry Baxter was charming and charismatic and easy to talk to. And very kind on the eye too. She filled her lungs with a deep breath. Apart from the fact he was younger than her, he didn’t live in Yallambah and that meant nothing could ever come of their chatty repartee, no matter how much she’d like it to.

  ‘Earth to Eddie.’

  She gulped guiltily and forced herself to stop fixating over him. ‘Um, er, are you still happy to play Santa?’ she stammered.

  ‘Costume’s in the car and it fits perfectly.’

  She raised an eyebrow and let her eyes wander up and down his slim figure.

  ‘I’ve got two pillows to stuff inside,’ he said in response to her unasked question.

  ‘Gumboots?’ she asked.

  ‘Yep, got them too. I thought I’d help you serve the food then duck out and get changed around five thirty. Will that work?’

  ‘Perfectly,’ she said.

  ‘I hope you don’t mind, but I’ve arranged a little surprise.’

  Eddie hesitated. ‘I don’t like surprises.’

  ‘I promise you’ll love this one.’

  She shot him a wary look. ‘After all the surprises I’ve had recently, this better be a good one.’

  ‘It will be. Trust me.’

  *

  ‘Merry Christmas, everyone,’ Aimee sang as she waltzed into the busy kitchen a little after four thirty, laden with two baskets filled with fresh bread. Aimee loved to bake and Eddie loved to eat everything she made.

  Eddie gave a cheerful wave from the other side of the room. She could always rely on her friend to be on time and in a great mood. Her two youngest kids, Grace and Nash, trailed behind her, their skin showing no sign of the heat rash they’d suffered the day before. There was also no sign of Aimee’s eldest, but at fourteen, Joshua was at that awkward stage where he didn’t want to be seen hanging around his mum.

  ‘Shoo, you two. Go outside and play or something. But don’t disappear down to the creek. We’re not staying for long. I’m only dropping off the bread now and we’ll come back for dinner later.’

  Grace darted off with her younger sibling struggling to keep up with her.

  ‘Is that Harrison Baxter over there?’ Aimee asked, eyes wide.

  Eddie nodded.

  ‘God, he’s bloody gorgeous, isn’t he?’ Aimee stage-whispered, coming around the island bench and giving Eddie a kiss on the cheek and a quick hug. ‘I’ve never met him but I’ve seen photos. He’s hotter in real life, don’t you think?’

  Definitely.

  Eddie decided not to respond. She inhaled deeply. ‘That bread smells amazing, Aimz.’ She touched the tea towel. ‘It’s still warm.’

  Aimee slapped Eddie’s hand away and set the baskets on the bench under the ‘Bread’ arrow. Two breadknife-brandishing volunteers snaffled the loaves up immediately.

  ‘I’ve known you almost my entire life, Edwina Campbell, and I recognise what you’re doing.’

  ‘What?’ Eddie asked, trying to look innocent and failing miserably.

  Aimee rolled her eyes. ‘You’re not getting away with that. You are so guilty.’

  ‘Guilty?’

  ‘I expected to find you still crying over Jarrod the Jerk, yet you’re giving Harrison Baxter gooey-eyes.’ She stared at him and Eddie followed her gaze.

  At that moment, Harry reached up to fix one of the hanging decorations. His shirt came untucked from his shorts revealing a very toned and tanned midriff.

  Eddie turned her back on Harry, fixed a blank expression on her face and smiled at her friend. ‘Define gooey eyes.’

  Aimee whacked Eddie on the arm. ‘Have you met him?’ she asked, crossing her arms over her chest.

  ‘Yep.’

  ‘What’s he like?’

  ‘A real sweetie. Not what you’d expect for an opera singer.’

  Aimee’s eyes widened further and Eddie saw the matchmaking cogs whirring.

  ‘Stop right now and don’t read anything into it,’ she said. ‘He’s a nice guy who’s offered to dress up and play Santa for me later because Mick pulled out.’

  Aimee narrowed her gaze. ‘What kind of guy willingly agrees to dress up in a Santa suit when it’s forty degrees outside in the shade? Certainly no guy I know.’

  ‘Does it matter? He’s helping me out and I’m eternally grateful.’ Eddie focused on straightening a pile of plates to hide the telltale flush on her cheeks.

  ‘I hope you asked him out to say thanks.’

  Eddie’s head snapped up. ‘What? No, of course I didn’t. I don’t read romance novels and I don’t live in your fairytale world where everyone gets their “happy ever after” ending. In my world, Cinderella doesn’t always get the prince.’

  ‘Well, for what it’s worth, judging by the look of him, you’ve missed your perfect opportunity to get to know him better and discover not all men are like Jarrod.’

  Eddie shrugged. ‘I’m not interested in another relationship. It’s too soon. F
or now, I’m simply happy he’s helping me out. After everything that went wrong yesterday, it’s nice that things are all sorted. And thanks to you too. The dessert you conjured up is going to be much better than the Christmas cake I’d ordered.’

  After Eddie had cried a bucket of tears on Aimee’s shoulder because of Jarrod and the ruined Christmas cake, Aimee had come up trumps with an incredible dessert to replace it. The Australiana-themed cake consisted of layers of jam-filled chocolate cakes covered in white ganache and decorated in gum nuts and leaves. A hundred times better than pavlovas and whipped cream.

  ‘Seriously, Aimz, how do you do it? You’re the female Aussie version of Heston Blumenthal.’

  Aimee threw back her head and laughed. ‘Not even close, but I’ll take the compliment. Back to Harrison Baxter. Is he going to sing? Because if he does, that’d be perfect. He’d solve that problem too. He’s a hunk of a human being, but he also has the most amazing voice. I heard him in The Lion King. Trust me, it will send shivers down your spine.’

  Eddie already had shivers just looking at him. ‘I didn’t ask him. I figured we’ll put on a CD and have a singalong. It won’t be the same as having the choir, but it’s better than nothing.’

  Eddie glanced over to see what Harry was doing. When their eyes met, her heart skipped a beat and everything in the world tilted slightly to the right. She licked her dry lips again. She had to stop responding this way every time she was anywhere near him or someone other than Aimee was bound to notice.

  Aimee pinched Eddie’s arm, dragging her back to earth. ‘Your tongue is hanging out,’ she whispered.

  ‘No it’s not.’

  ‘Hi, girls.’ He beamed at them, heading over. ‘Am I interrupting anything important?’

  Eddie felt her face warm. ‘No,’ she said. ‘Not interrupting anything at all.’ She smiled sweetly at him.

  Aimee stuck out her hand. ‘Hi, I’m Aimee. And you’re Harrison Baxter. I’ve heard you sing. Oh my gosh, you have the most incredible voice. I heard you in The Lion King in Sydney. A-maz-ing. I love musical theatre and can’t wait for the concert.’