Page 52 of The Best Christmas Choir Ever

“No change,” he said.

“Well, that’s just not possible,” Maggie huffed on her way out the door to Doris and Harriet. “We’re excellent. Maybe I should reach out to Graham Burbank to inquire. He’s on the Arts Council. We used to be friendly.”

“What kind of friendly?” Doris asked, clearly amused.

Maggie waggled her eyebrows. “The only kind that matters.”

Julian hung back to help Charlie tidy up. He could hear Harriet cackling down the hall.

“So, I’ve been thinking,” Charlie said.

Julian looked up from where he was stacking chairs. “That Maggie is going to try to buy our way into this competition?”

The corner of Charlie’s mouth twitched. “No. I’ll let you worry about that. I was thinking that if we actually get to perform, you should be onstage with us. The choir was your vision, after all. You should get to share in that moment.”

Julian shook his head briefly. “I think we’ve already established that I can’t carry a tune.”

“I was counting on the rest of the voices to drown you out.” She laughed at the look on his face.

“How about I just stand in the wings and clap the rhythm?”

“Can you even keep rhythm?”

He shot her a heated look. “I’ve been known to. On occasion.”

Charlie held his gaze, a flush creeping up her neck. “Guess we could get you a little triangle to ding. In case the rhythm thing proves too difficult.”

“Now that I could definitely handle. But this is your moment with the residents. I’m cool to wait offstage.”

“I just think it would be nice if you were there,” she said. “It’s good to try new things once in a while.”

“Is it?”

She nodded.

What about old new things? he wanted to ask. He thought about what Warren had said about not powering through on his own. Maybe if he stopped being afraid of being left behind for two seconds, he’d realize that Charlie made him want to let go. Made him want to see what else the world had to offer him. All he had to do was take a chance on investing in something new again.

“We started this together and we should finish it together.”

“Yeah?” he said.

Finish it together. What did that mean? Was there a world where he convinced Charlie to stay long enough for them to figure out what this music program could be?

Long enough for them to figure out what they could be?

Eleven

Charlie

Charlie slumped down on the piano bench in the empty music room with a huff, her phone pressed to her ear. “I understand you’re not a moving company. Yes, of course. I only wondered…” She frowned. “Right, no. I understand.” She rubbed the aching space between her eyes. “No, I definitely still want you to come for pickup tomorrow. I’ll figure out another way to get the furniture moved. I promise. It will be on the porch as promised.” The ache shifted to the middle of her forehead. “You have a great day, too.”

Charlie hung up.

“You don’t really sound like you’re having a great day.”

Charlie twisted on the piano bench. She hadn’t heard Julian arrive. She’d shown up early to tweak the songs for choir practice. She’d also almost forgotten that she’d arranged for some of Gram’s furniture to be picked up tomorrow for donation. “Just a complication with some house stuff. No big deal.”

Actually, it was probably going to be a big deal when she was standing in the basement later tonight trying to figure out how to move a sofa by herself.