“That issucha great offer,” Darcy says excitedly. “Of course J.B. can come, and maybe we’ll bring one or two more kids down with us. Let me get your number.”
Darcy and I swap phones and text each other and I’m feeling super excited by the time we all head into the auditorium together.
It’s crowded inside, but the seats are comfortable. Roan sits on the end of a row and I slide in beside him. Darcy sits next to me, with J.B. between her and Derek.
J.B. slides the headphones that were around her neck up onto her ears now that we’re seated, like maybe she can’t wait another minute to listen to music.Seems like an odd choice for an event that’s all about listening to music, but I’m not judging.
“She doesn’t like this kind of noise,” Darcy says quietly.
“Oh,” I say. “She’s smart to have headphones with her.”
“It’s great,” Darcy agrees. “They’re noise-canceling.”
The mayor steps onto the stage then and begins to speak just as Buck arrives with a few other guys. They take the row in front of ours.
Buck is carrying a guitar case, so I figure he must be the Connelly who plays the guitar that was on the wall back at the house.
“Hang on,” he says. “I just have to sign in.”
“Buck,”Roan says between clenched teeth, like he strongly objects to the idea.
But Buck is already disappearing into the crowd at the foot of the stage.
I wonder why Roan doesn’t want his brother to perform. This seems like a really warm and accepting environment. I don’t get the sense that you have to have a whole lot of talent to join in the fun. And Buck seems like a pretty confident and enthusiastic guy.
The church choir is first to take the stage, and everyone sings along to a beautiful rendition of “Joy to the World.”
It’s magical to feel the whole place reverberating with the diverse voices of the little town. A feeling ofwarmth spreads in my chest as I do my best to add my voice to the chorus.
When it’s done, the mayor calls up a band called Jimmy and the Mountaineers.
The whole place erupts into applause and I have to smile when I see that it’s a bunch of middle school kids—not really what I was expecting from that name. One plugs in an amp for his electric guitar, another has a keyboard, and the last one grabs the microphone.
They sing an original Christmas song that sounds like it could easily be a classic, and the audience claps along and sings the chorus by the last time around.
When they’re done, they bow and blow kisses as they practically run offstage.
A married couple playing flute and violin are next, and then a girl dances while her sister sings.
I’m really getting into it now, and so is everyone else. It’s easy to see why this is one of the favorite events of the Mingle.
“Incredible stuff tonight, friends,” the mayor says fondly as he steps back on the stage between acts. “Just incredible. Up next, I have one I know you’ve all been hoping for. Let’s put our hands together for Roan Connelly. I don’t see a song mentioned, but I’m sure it’ll be good.”
I turn to Roan, amazed.
“Buck,” Roan mutters, shaking his head.
But people are turning around to look at him now, and he rises slowly, almost dutifully. Buck howls withlaughter in the seat in front of him while everyone else cheers. Next to us, Darcy and her daughter look as confused as I am, but Derek puts two fingers in his mouth and adds a loud whistle to the chorus of cheers.
“I’ll never forgive you for this,” I hear Roan say to his brother on his way past.
“You’ll need this,” Buck says, handing him the guitar case.
Roan narrows his eyes at his brother, then jogs up to the stage. The mayor pushes a chair out to the center of the space and sets up a mic while Roan lays the case on the ground and picks up the guitar with the blue strap.
He holds it almost reverently for a moment, then slides the strap over his head and starts tuning it.
The whole audience has gone still now, and the mayor moves to a spot in the shadowy downstage corner.
