Summer in Snow Valley (Snow Valley Romance Anthologies Book 2)

by Cindy Roland Anderson

  ***

  Cameron actually gasped when Annalisa came around the corner. This was no prom dress. The evening gown’s deep emerald color set off Annalisa’s pale skin and green eyes to perfection, while the narrow straps and softly scooped neckline flattered her delicate neck and shoulders. It glistened with glass beads in varying shades of green and silver and the beading gave way at mid-thigh to a soft, floaty chiffon skirt that added just the right touch of romantic femininity. It was a lot of dress, but Annalisa could pull it off … if she wanted to.

  They spent over an hour working with the dress and Cameron demonstrated moves that allowed Annalisa to show it off without letting it engulf her.

  “Have you had a chance to study the interview cards?” Cameron asked when they were finished. “We might need to tailor your answers a little bit to match your persona.”

  “Yeah, heaven forbid you should be honest,” Kyle said.

  “It’s not a question of honesty, it’s strategy,” Cameron replied. “You have to tell the judges what they want to hear.”

  He rolled his eyes.

  “Speaking of judges,” Joyce cut in. “The Iron Stix are playing tonight at the concert in the park. Paisley is their manager, so she’s bound to be there. It would be a good time to talk to her.” She turned to Kyle. “You know Paisley, why don’t you go with Cameron and introduce her?”

  Cameron waited for Kyle to refuse, but he just shrugged and nodded.

  ***

  So now she had a date with Kyle. Well, not really a date, but they were two single adults attending a concert together, which came pretty close to a date. Not that she’d mind being on a date with Kyle … as long as he behaved.

  She smoothed her hands over her black skirt and glanced at him in the driver’s seat of the Xterra. Neither of them had had time to change and they weren’t exactly dressed for a casual afternoon in the park.

  “I’m still not clear on why you agreed to come with me,” Cameron said.

  “Why wouldn’t I come with you?”

  She snorted. “Please. You’re going to try and sabotage me, aren’t you?”

  “All I’m doing is introducing you to Paisley,” he kept his eyes on the road.

  “You know her from high school?”

  “Yeah. She’s a couple of years younger, but you pretty much know everyone in a small town high school.”

  “Did you ever go out with her?” Cameron blurted. Oh great. Now he would think she cared one way or the other.

  Kyle shook his head. “No. She’s a nice girl though.”

  Well, in for a penny, in for a pound. “So do you go out with anyone now?” she asked.

  He swung into an empty parking space and turned in his seat to look at her. “No. Why do you ask?”

  “No reason,” she replied, striving for nonchalance. “Well, I don’t want to get you in trouble if you have a girlfriend and someone sees you at the concert with me and reports back to her. But really, I don’t care. It’s your business, not mine.” She waved her hands feebly. “I don’t care what you do.”

  Kyle seemed like he was trying not to laugh. “Okay, thanks,” he said seriously. “It’s a load off my mind to have your permission.”

  “Har de har,” she called as he came around to open her door.

  “Oh noooo,” Cameron stopped as she stepped off the curb and her high heels sunk into the grass.

  “What’s wrong?” Kyle asked.

  “My shoes are going to be ruined.” She stumbled and without thinking, reached out and clutched his arm to steady herself. His skin was warm under the soft cotton of his shirt and she could feel the defined muscles in his forearm.

  Kyle studied her red peep toe heels. “Think of it this way, you’re performing a public service by aerating the lawn.”

  “No way.” Cameron bent down and slipped her shoes off, hooking her fingers through the ankle straps.

  “Dogs use this park, you know,” Kyle warned, glancing at her bare feet.

  Cameron eyed the expanse of lawn between them and the rows white plastic chairs arranged in front of a makeshift stage. “I don’t care. These shoes were expensive.”

  “Want me to carry you?”

  “No!” she took an instinctive step back. “I’ll watch where I’m going.”

  Kyle shrugged. “Okay, but don’t blame me if you step in something disgusting … and you’re not getting back in my truck if you do.”

  “Thanks, what a pal,” she said.

  They picked their way over to the chairs and found seats on the back row next to a pretty blonde girl with curly hair.

  “Hey, April,” Kyle said, “no Wade tonight?”

  “I’m saving seats while he gets Ben,” the girl replied with a smile. She glanced toward the parking lot where a tall man was lowering a teenaged boy in a heavy wheel chair from a large blue van.

  “Ben likes the Iron Stix, huh?” Kyle asked.

  “He likes music,” April said, “But I think he likes getting out of the house more than anything.”

  “This is Cameron,” Kyle told April. “She’s helping with the pageant this year.”

  The two girls exchanged greetings as Wade arrived, then April turned her attention to Ben, helping situate the wheelchair so he could have the best view of the stage.

  The rows were filling up quickly and many more people were spreading blankets on the lawn with coolers and picnics. Cameron saw Becca on a blanket next to one of Rayna’s hunky firefighters and threw her a small wink.

  On the stage, several people were arranging instruments and running wires. Kyle nudged Cameron’s arm and pointed pointed to a brunette who was standing near the bass player. “That’s Paisley.”

  It was easy to see why Paisley had been Miss Snow Valley. She was gorgeous and petite and radiated energy and an easy confidence. Cameron beat back a surge of envy. Why did some girls seem to have it all?

  “What?” Kyle asked.

  “What?” Cameron turned to him in surprise.

  “You sighed … Gustily.”

  “I did? Didn’t mean to.” Cameron turned back to the stage as the Iron Stix began their warm up, hoping he’d let the subject drop.

  “So what about you?” Kyle asked after a few minutes. “Do you go out with anyone?”

  Why did such a simple question send ribbons of butterflies through her? I hate him, she reminded herself. But when she turned and found his blue eyes staring into hers, she knew she didn’t hate him. Not at all.

  “No,” she said, grateful her voice was steadier than her nerves.

  The lead singer stepped to the mic and welcomed the crowd, which erupted into cheers, and the Iron Stix launched into their performance. Their music was a perfect blend of country and soul and before long, the park was rocking.

  Cameron enjoyed the concert, but her mind kept wandering. Whenever Kyle’s arm brushed against hers, her heart sped up and she found herself wishing he would reach out and hold her hand.

  Stop it. He was being nice today, but that didn’t mean anything. He’d just as likely turn into a complete jerk tomorrow.

  But why had he asked if she was seeing anyone? Could he be interested? She had felt a spark, perhaps he had too.

  Or maybe he was being polite, she had asked him first, after all. Maybe he thought he had to reciprocate.

  ***

  The concert ended at sunset. The crowd broke up quickly and Kyle led Cameron around to the back of the stage where Paisley was packing up equipment.

  “Great show, Paisley,” he said with a smile.

  “Thanks,” Paisley said. “Sometimes I wonder if these concerts are worth all this work,” she swept her hand toward the mountain of gear the band was working to disassemble, “but once they start playing and I see how much the crowd loves them, I always change my mind. It’s definitely worth it.”

  “How’s the studio going?” Kyle asked.

  Paisley’s smile got bigger. “Almost done!”

  Kyle offered his congratulations, t
hen gestured to Cameron. “This is Cameron. She has some questions for you about the pageant.”

  Hi.” Paisley’s look was expectant.

  “I’m coaching Annalisa and I understand you’re one of the judges?” Cameron said.

  “Yeah. I’m not really sure why Melodee asked me though. I guess being a former Miss Snow Valley counts for something, but I don’t think I’m much of a judge.”

  This was where she should find common ground between the judge and contestant. Cameron tried to remember what Dotty had told her, but couldn’t think of anything to say. Kyle’s presence wasn’t making it any easier; would the wrong question set him off?

  Not to mention, it was not at all professional to be having this conversation in her bare feet. Her shoes were still in her hand.

  “What are you hoping for in the next Miss Snow Valley?” she finally asked.

  Paisley wrinkled her brow in thought. “I guess authenticity,” she said. “Someone who genuinely has Snow Valley’s best interest at heart.”

  Cameron shifted uncomfortably. She wasn’t sure if Annalisa had Snow Valley’s best interest at heart, but she was one hundred percent certain Joyce didn’t.

  “So you’re the band manager?” she hurried to change the subject. “Must be a lot of work.”

  Paisley sighed good-naturedly. “It is, especially since I’m trying to juggle this and my PR job at the hospital.”

  “PR, really? That’s what my degree is in,” Cameron’s interest sparked. “What is it you do for the hospital?”

  They helped roll extension cords while Paisley talked about her fundraising work. “We have usually focused most of our efforts around Christmastime, but we’re doing a couple of things this year for the Fourth of July too,” she said.

  “Like what?”

  “The main fundraiser is a 5K mud run and a silent auction on the third,” Paisley said.

  “That’s a great idea,” Cameron said, her mind churning. “You could also do a hay bale maze, or what about an outdoor movie night? Hey, you could raffle the chance to ride in the hot air balloon with Miss Snow Valley on Saturday!”

  Paisley laughed. “Where were you four months ago when we were planning all this?” Her eyes brightened. “Would you be interested in helping? I learned today Mrs. Leland will be out of town and she is usually one of our main volunteers.”

  Cameron felt a dart of disappointment. “Sounds like so much fun; but I’m leaving the day after the pageant.”

  “Darn,” Paisley’s face fell.

  They said goodbye a few minutes later and as Cameron picked her way back across the park to Kyle’s car, she knew Dotty would not be pleased with her report. She should have talked Annalisa up more, maybe hinted at … what? Bribing judges wasn’t unheard of, but she hadn’t been given any guidance about it. Would Dotty think bribing a judge in a small town pageant was worth it?

  Just the thought of bribes made Cameron feel icky, especially since she genuinely liked Paisley. She didn’t want to be that kind of a coach, or that kind of a person. She tried to quell a rising sense of unease. Maybe she needed to find her own style instead of following everything Dotty did blindly.

  Chapter 7

  “Sorry, no. Senators are elected for six years, Representatives are for two,” Cameron corrected.

  “This is the fourth question you’ve missed, didn’t you study the cards?” Joyce asked, accusingly. “And you forgot to smile.”

  Annalisa threw a plaintive glance toward Cameron, as if begging for rescue. She was perched on the edge of a hard kitchen chair, several feet in front of Joyce and Cameron, who were behind the table. Annalisa sat stiffly, but at least she remembered to keep her legs crossed at the ankle and her feet drawn back under the chair. It had taken at least four reminders to make her stop fidgeting with her hands.

  They had been conducting a mock interview session, but Joyce was doing more harm than good. With any luck, she would leave for work soon.

  Cameron wished Kyle were here, and not just because she wanted to see him again. She hadn’t realized before how his sarcasm worked to take Joyce’s focus off Annalisa.

  “Let’s try another one,” she said quickly and shuffled through the notecards, trying to find an easy question. ”As tuition rises, critics are claiming the benefits of a degree no longer outweigh the cost. What is your opinion?”

  “Um …” Annalisa knit her brow.

  “No!” Joyce snapped. “No stammering and you can’t take time to think. You need to be able to give a clear, concise answer right away.”

  “How am I supposed to do that when I don’t even know what questions they’ll ask?” Annalisa wailed.

  “That’s why we have Cameron,” Joyce flung her hand in Cameron’s direction and nearly smacked her on the nose. “She’s put a lot of work into helping you prepare, but it won’t do any good if you won’t do your part.”

  “Mom, I’m trying,” Annalisa said, her voice trembling. “I really am.”

  “Well, try harder. We’ve put too much into this for you to fail,” Joyce retorted. She took a deep, exasperated breath and massaged her forehead with one hand. “I have to go, but when I get home tonight, we’re going over all the questions one by one until you can answer correctly. Got it?”

  Annalisa nodded.

  They sat in silence until Joyce had gone, then Cameron cleared her throat. “We could go on to something else if you’re tired of the questions,” she offered.

  Annalisa slid back in the chair and drew her legs up, hugging her knees and dropping her head onto her crossed arms. Her hair was pulled to one side and the bone at the top of her spine protruded like a golf ball.

  “Are you okay?” Cameron asked.

  “I guess so,” Annalisa’s voice was muffled, as if she was trying not to cry.

  “We can take a break,” Cameron offered.

  Annalisa shook her head against her arm. “Then I’ll get even more behind and she’ll get even madder.”

  Guilt surged through Cameron. Were they pushing too hard? “Well, let’s switch gears then. How about we work on modeling for a while?” she offered.

  Annalisa looked up and seemed to consider it for a minute, then nodded. “Okay.”

  Cameron shoved the living room furniture out of the way while Annalisa went upstairs to get her heels. When she was ready, they went through the pattern.

  “Here’s the stage entrance,” Cameron walked to the kitchen doorway. “You come through here, stop and pose. Go stage right, stop and pose, then turn and walk to the head of the runway. Down the runway – which in this case ends right before the fireplace – pose, turn, walk back, stop at the top of the runway, pose, then walk off stage left. Got it?”

  “Got it.”

  The first run was a disaster. Annalisa came out of the kitchen and made a beeline for the runway, completely forgetting to stop for her first pose. The second time she remembered the first pose, but forgot the one at the end of the runway.

  “Let’s walk through it together again, maybe a little slower,” Cameron suggested.

  The third time, Annalisa hit all the marks, but her walk was stiff and her turns were mechanical, as if she were a doll on a music box making the last jerky pivots before the music died.

  Cameron bit back a sigh of exasperation. “You need to look like you’re enjoying it. You need energy.” She reached for her phone and scrolled to her YouTube icon. “How about some music? Go get ready to try again.”

  A few seconds later, Single Ladies blared through the phone’s speakers. “There’s your cue!” said Cameron as Beyonce began singing.

  Annalisa tried, Cameron had to give her that. She smiled and hit her marks, but something was missing.

  “Energy!” Cameron urged over the music. “Confidence! Excitement!”

  After two more tries, it became obvious Annalisa needed a demonstration. “You’re doing pretty well, but you need to really feel it,” Cameron said. “Watch me.”

  She handed the phone to Anna
lisa and hurried around the corner.

  There was a long pause.

  “Annalisa? Ready?” Cameron called.

  “Just a sec, having trouble with the phone.”

  Cameron took a deep breath and rolled her shoulders, getting into the mood.

  “Okay, ready,” Annalisa finally called, a hint of merriment in her voice.

  The music started and Cameron plastered on a smile and stepped around the corner.

  Annalisa was sitting on the fireplace hearth and next to her was Kyle, looking like a Cheshire cat with an enormous, mischievous grin.

  Because of course.

  Cameron faltered for half a second, then took up the challenge.

  Shoulders back, chin up – walk, walk, pose.

  She sashayed around the living room, pausing at each of the marks.

  Smile, smile, smile.

  When she reached the end of the fake runway, she planted one hand on her hip and threw them a dazzling grin. Then she pivoted on the balls of her feet and strutted back the way she’d come and out the door.

  The music stopped and Cameron took a deep breath. Her hands were shaking and her pulse was pounding.

  From around the corner came a long, loud whistle, then cheers.

  “That was sweet! You’re like a model,” Annalisa squealed when Cameron came back into the room.

  Almost, instinctively Cameron’s eyes sought Kyle’s. He raised one eyebrow. “Strong work, Miss America.”

  “Ha!” she rolled her eyes, but her heart leapt at the compliment. “Your turn,” she told Kyle, gesturing to the empty room.

  “Nah, I’m fine where I am. Besides, I don’t think your shoes will fit me,” he cast an eye at her plum colored pumps.

  “Humph! You stay away from my shoes,” Cameron huffed.

  Kyle grinned and their gaze locked for a long moment, then Cameron cleared her throat. “Okay, Annalisa, you’re up.” She took Annalisa’s place on the hearth by Kyle. Their arms brushed and it was as if Cameron’s every nerve ignited. Her heart raced as she took her phone back from Annalisa.