The Christmas Scarf(20)
“Thank you.”
He wasn’t making this any easier on her, but she realized, even with his compliment on her demo, she still didn’t want this life anymore. She wanted to go home.
“So is My Town about where you live?”
“It is. Comfort Crossing, Mississippi. A small town near the gulf coast. About an hour out of New Orleans.”
“You got more of those songs?”
“I do.”
“I’d like to hear them some time.” Keith stood there, presenting her with her dreams on a platter.
Her heart pounded so loudly she could barely hear over her pulse racing through her. “I can get you more demos if you want, but…”
Keith Harper, for goodness sake, stood there waiting for her to finish her sentence.
“But I don’t think I can take the singer job. I really need to be home for the holiday this year. People are depending on me. I just… want to be home for the holidays. Actually… I want to move back there and live. A change of plans.”
Keith smiled at her. “Nothing wrong with wanting to be home for the holidays. I miss that myself. We’ll find us another backup singer.”
“I’m sorry for the confusion. The yes I’ll take the job, no I need to leave.”
“You know what? We all have to find what makes us happy in life and where we find that happiness. For me it’s here in Nashville. Sounds like for you it’s back in ‘My Town.’”
“Thank you for being so understanding.”
Keith flashed that smile at her again. “You go have a good holiday. Tell you what though, I have a benefit concert coming up in New Orleans. I’ll have my manager contact you. I’d like to get together with you and talk. I’d really like the rights to My Town and I’d like to hear some more of your work. If that small town of yours gives you your inspiration for songs like My Town, then that’s probably where you should be.”
“Really?” Missy had to keep from clapping her hands. “I mean, that would be great.”
“Y’all have a safe trip back home and a good holiday. I’ll talk to you after the new year.” He shook her hand and turned to go talk to one of the singers.
Missy stood looking around the room. This is what she thought she’d wanted. To be a singer. To be part of Keith’s entourage. All this is what she planned. But in the space of an afternoon, she knew her plans were all wrong for her now. She knew what she wanted, and she knew where she needed to go.
~ * ~
Timmy sat on the bench outside of Magnolia Cafe. His mom was inside with Miss Becky Lee and Miss Jenny, her friends. She’d offered for him to come in and have a milk shake, but he needed to learn his lines for the play. He’d written each line down on notecards and slowly shuffled through them.
“Hi there, young man.” An old man stood beside the bench. “What are you working on?”
“My lines for the Christmas play. I get to be the stranger this year. Before I was too little and got to be stuff like a star or an elf. I’m the main guy this year.”
“That sounds like a pretty important job.”
Timmy sighed. “Yeah, but I keep messing up. Miss Sherwood was gonna be there to help me, but now she’s gone. I’m never gonna remember everything.”
“I’ll tell you what. How about I work on those lines with you? I’m Mr. Nick, by the way.” The man sat down next to him.
“Hi, Mr. Nick.” Timmy handed the man the cards and started reciting his first line, but he forgot the second line. Timmy jumped up. “See, I’ll never get it right.”
“Have you been working on it a lot?”
“Every day.”
“Then, I’ll tell you what. I’ll let you borrow my lucky scarf.”
“You have a lucky scarf?”
Timmy eyed the winter scarf Mr. Nick was wearing.
“Yep, and when someone wears it, it makes their wishes come true.”
“Nah, it doesn’t.”
“Sure does. You got any Christmas wishes?”
“Well, I wished for a puppy, but Mom isn’t too excited about that. And I wished to not mess up my lines and look like a dork.”
“Tell you what. You wear this lucky scarf at the play. You’ll remember all your lines.”
Timmy scowled. “You sure?”
“I’m sure.” Mr. Nick stood up. “Just wear it, you’ll see.”
Timmy stared at the scarf Mr. Nick had draped around his neck. A lucky scarf. He hadn’t known there were such things as lucky scarfs. He smiled, picked up his cards, and ran through his lines without making even one mistake.
CHAPTER TEN
Missy pulled into the parking lot of the Comfort Crossing nursing home, her car crammed full of all her belongings. She glanced at her watch. She was a few minutes late, but she’d made it. She hurried into the building. She saw her mother across the room, handing out presents to the residents gathered by the large Christmas tree in the lobby.