Goodbye.
* * *
Molasses in January moved faster than how the time dragged during the dress rehearsal. Elias worked well under pressure, so no one could see inside he was a hot mess.
My fault.
He’d been so excited about Dad handing him the resumes Elias had forgotten everything else, including doing more research on Drew Maddox. And that had hurt Tasha.
I’ve got to fix this.
But later.
Tasha was correct. The dress rehearsal was the priority. Plus, people would talk about Drew and Savannah skating as the warm-up act. Elias didn’t want to fuel the gossip with lighter fluid, aka what was happening between him and Tasha.
Each act had a turn on the ice except for the choir, who sat behind the rink. There were a few wobbles, but that was show business, especially with kids involved.
Through it all, Tasha kept her cool. She didn’t snap or frown or raise her voice once. However, she held her clipboard in front of her like a shield.
His respect for her kept growing, but so did something else.
Like, sure. Except he’d never felt this level of affection for anyone.
Higgins bumped against Elias’s leg. “You don’t count.”
But I haven’t known Tasha long enough to lo…
Pathetic.
Elias couldn’t even say the word.
The choir sang a rousing version of “Twelve Days of Christmas,” complete with hand movements to turn the song into an audience participation number. All the performers joined in.
Leave it to Tasha.
This would be the best holiday show Berry Lake ever had.
He only wished she didn’t look so miserable. Oh, she smiled and encouraged the kids as she usually did. And if he hadn’t seen her express genuine happiness, he wouldn’t have known the difference.
But Elias had, and he did.
He tried focusing on the show, but all he saw was Tasha.
The last act prepared to go on the ice. Mary and Joseph and the manger animals skated out first. Next came the shepherds and angels. Belle nailed her solo. The kings and queens followed.
Not everyone skated well, and a few missed cues or lines, but that wasn’t the point. The kids gave the same heartfelt performance they would have at a church or auditorium, but being outside, under the lights and stars, elevated the number.
As soon as practice ended, kids surrounded Drew and Savannah, who held court with patience and smiles. The two signed autographs and posed for photos, but Elias wanted them and everyone to disappear so he could talk to Tasha.
Apologize.
Kiss her worry away.
Finally, the rink cleared. Someone offered to buy Drew and Savannah dinner. And Tasha and the other volunteers appeared to have finished putting everything away for the night.
She walked toward Elias. “It’s late. I’m cold. If you want to talk, come over. But I’m not doing it here.”
“I’ll drop off Higgins and come by.”
