He was dealing with an uncomfortable combination of desire and guilt. “Yours, either.”
“I’m not the one making excuses. You know, I can’t figure out how such an insensitive clod could raise two charming and adorable kids.”
“Leave my boys out of this.”
The edge to the order had her eyes narrowing to slits. “Oh, so I have designs on them now, too? You idiot!” She stormed for the door, whirling at the last moment for a parting shot. “I hope they don’t inherit your warped view of the female species!”
She slammed the door hard enough to have the bad-tempered sound echoing through the house. Mac scowled and jammed his hands in his pockets. He didn’t have a warped view, damn it. And his kids were his business.
Chapter 4
Nell stood center stage and lifted her hands. She waited until she was sure every student’s eyes were on her, then let it rip.
There was very little that delighted her more than the sound of young voices raised in song. She let the sound fill her, keeping her ears and eyes sharp as she moved around the stage, directing. She couldn’t hold back the grin. The kids were into this one. Doing Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band’s version of “Santa Claus Is Coming to Town” was a departure from the standard carols and hymns their former choral director had arranged year after year.
She could see their eyes light up as they got into the rhythm. Now punch it, she thought, pulling more from the bass section as they hit the chorus. Have fun with it. Now the soprano section, high and bright … And the altos … Tenors … Bass …
She flashed a smile to signal her approval as the chorus flowered again.
“Good job,” she announced. “Tenors, a little more next time. You guys don’t want the bass section drowning you out. Holly, you’re dropping your chin again. Now we have time for one more run-through of ‘I’ll Be Home for Christmas.’ Kim?”
Kim tried to ignore the little flutter around her heart and the elbow nudge from Holly. She stepped down from her position in the second row and stood in front of the solo mike as though she were facing a firing squad.
“It’s okay to smile, you know,” Nell told her gently. “And remember your breathing. Sing to the last row, and don’t forget to feel the words. Tracy.” She held out a finger toward the pianist she’d dragooned from her second-period music class.
The intro started quietly. Using her hands, her face, her eyes, Nell signaled the beginning of the soft, harmonious background humming. Then Kim began to sing. Too tentatively at first. Nell knew they would have to work on those initial nerves.
But the girl had talent, and emotion. Three bars in, Kim was too caught up in the song to be nervous. She was pacing it well, Nell thought, pleased. Kim had learned quite a bit in the past few weeks about style. The sentimental song suited her, her range, her looks.
Nell brought the chorus in, holding them back. They were background now for Kim’s rich, romantic voice. Feeling her own eyes stinging, Nell thought that if they did it this well on the night of the concert, there wouldn’t be a dry eye in the house.
“Lovely,” Nell said when the last notes had died away. “Really lovely. You guys have come a long way in a very short time. I’m awfully proud of you. Now scram, and have a great weekend.”
While Nell moved to the piano to gather up music, the chatter began behind her.
“You sounded really good,” Holly told Kim.
“Honest?”
“Honest. Brad thought so, too.” Holly shifted her eyes cagily to the school heartthrob, who was shrugging into his school jacket.
“He doesn’t even know I’m alive.”
“He does now. He was watching you the whole time. I know, because I was watching him.” Holly sighed. “If I looked like Miss Davis,he’dbe watchingme.”
Kim laughed, but shot a quick glance toward Brad under her lashes. “She’s really fabulous. Just the way she talks to us and stuff. Mr. Striker always crabbed.”
“Mr. Strikerwasa crab. See you later, huh?”
“Yeah.” It was all Kim could manage, because it looked, it really looked, as though Brad were coming toward her. And hewaslooking at her.
“Hi.” He flashed a grin, all white teeth, with a crooked incisor that made her heart flop around in her chest. “You did real good.”
“Thanks.” Her tongue tied itself into knots. This was Brad, she kept thinking. A senior. Captain of the football team. Student council president. All blond hair and green eyes.
“Miss Davis sure is cool, isn’t she?”
“Yeah.” Say something, she ordered herself. “She’s coming to a party at my house tonight. My mom’s having some people over.”
