“Another time. I have another work day tomorrow on the Millers’ place.”
He drew her slowly into his arms and kissed her. Angelica closed her eyes and let the magic of the moment sweep her away. Kirk made her feel like the most precious thing on earth.
Angelica didn’t know what changed Kirk’s mind, but the next few days were more fun than she’d ever had in her life. They went back to the waterfall and pool. She still didn’t have a bathing suit, but it didn’t matter. They enjoyed another picnic and splashed each other until they were sopping wet.
They walked to the general store one afternoon and got ice cream cones, trying to lick the ice cream before it could melt in the heat and run down their arms.
Kirk took her on several hikes through the forests. She relished the bird songs, the soft rustle of the leaves and the dappled shade. Appreciating them even more knowing he didn’t hear them. She couldn’t imagine not hearing. How would she live without music or the other sounds that were in her life?
Another thunderstorm had them cooking on an open fire, kissing, talking about anything that came up, and kissing. She was beginning to wish there’d be more storms—as long as she lived next door to Kirk. He never pushed her, never took her for granted. She fell more and more in love which made the decisions that much harder.
Time was running out. Her agent was pressuring her to get back to New York and begin rehearsals. She’d never formally accepted the tour, holding off just in case there was another major change in her life—like Kirk falling in love with her.
But much as she enjoyed being with him, she saw nothing in him that gave her hope.
Still, she spent as much time as she could when he asked her out. They had to work around practice with the children and with Hiram. Plus her own practice. But they had plenty of quiet time together.
She loved to wander to the studio and watch him work. The sculpture was amazing. The individual trees now showed definite detail. The figure on the brink was still untouched. He said he was keeping that fine detail work until last. He wouldn’t be finished before she left.
Would he send her a picture when it was complete? She asked, he said yes, but the answer was vague and didn’t satisfy her. Maybe she’d get his grandfather to promise.
Every day he held hands, kissed her, and sometimes she didn’t think he’d let her go. She was so deep in love by the day before the music festival she couldn’t think straight. She wanted Kirk to be proud of her at the festival. But how much could hereally hear? Would he enjoy it as much as she hoped all the others would?
She was also nervous for Sam. The hours he’d put into practice really paid off. He was as ready as could be, but the last couple of days he’d seemed reluctant. He wasn’t getting stage fright, was he?
At least she didn’t have to worry about Hiram getting stage fright. He talked about showing off to Marlene Parker every day. If nothing else, he’d do it to prove to that woman that the feud from years gone by was over. And he came out on top. Angelica wondered what caused the feud, but he never told her, just kept saying wait until Marlene saw him singing again.
The afternoon before the festival it rained. Sam came dragging in trailing his umbrella. He was soaked.
“You need to dry off before you can use the fiddle,” she said, surprised at how wet he was.
“I might get a cold and be sick tomorrow,” he said, eyeing the violin with some trepidation.
“Even with a cold, you can play. Unless you break all your fingers and your jaw, you can play,” she said leaning over to look him right in the eye. “It’s what we do as musicians. We play when we said we would. People are coming from all over to hear you. How would you feel if you went someplace expecting something and it wasn’t there?”
“Everybody plays better.”
“Not true. Most people in the audience couldn’t play a single note. They love to listen to music, but they can’t make it. There are some there better than you, some worse. Some have studied longer, but you have talent and the desire to succeed.”
She brushed his damp hair off his forehead.
“You know I’m leaving in a couple of days,” she said.
“I don’t want you to go,” he said looking so woebegone she almost smiled.
She wished Kirk had said those words.
“I know, but my life is back in New York. I’ve had a wonderful vacation here. And I’ll always remember our practicing together. So you have to do one more thing for me and play your very best tomorrow.”
He nodded, scuffing his wet sneakers.
“I wish you’d stay here. What if Webb Francis doesn’t want to teach me? What if he won’t teach Teresa Ann?”
She hugged the child, wondering the same thing.
“He will.”
She hoped she was right.
