The Setup by Jennifer Bernard

Author:Jennifer Bernard [Bernard, Jennifer]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781945944901
Publisher: Jennifer Bernard

Twenty

One of Gina’s favorite holiday events was the “Candlelight Chorus” put on by the Lake Bittersweet high school singing group. If the weather allowed, everyone, students and residents alike, gathered after dusk in the little park next to city hall.

Under the stars and the twinkling fairy lights, people held candles in their mittened hands while the students led them in song. They sang “Silent Night,” “Joy to the World,” “Hallelujah”—the Leonard Cohen version—and other songs that weren’t specifically for Christmas, but that resonated with a spiritual vibe. Every year they added at least one new song; this year it was “Someday at Christmas” by Stevie Wonder.

Gina could still remember the raucous town council meeting at which Steven Gault had challenged Lake Bittersweet to broaden their musical horizons and include songs that spoke to all faiths. Some had boycotted the Candlelight Chorus after that, but generally the town had adjusted and the event was more popular than ever. The fact that less-musically-gifted students roamed the crowd dishing out hot cocoa with marshmallows helped.

Gina always found the evening utterly magical, especially on a clear night like tonight, the stars so brilliant you could imagine reaching up on tiptoe and touching them. The divine sound of young voices harmonizing brought tears to her eyes. The flame of her candle flickered as she sang along. The cold air nipped at her cheeks and nose, but she was toasty warm inside her black puffer coat, with a creamy white scarf wrapped around her neck. She probably looked like a penguin, but didn’t care.

The only thing dimming her joy was that she was on a date—Emmaline’s setup, Brady Chase. Brady stood next to her, singing just enough off-key that she wished he wouldn’t bother. He was Emmaline’s friend from her maple syrup cooperative; Emmaline kept shooting happy glances her way, eager for some sign that she’d nailed it with her choice.

Gina ignored her. How was she going to explain to her friend that while Brady was an excellent dude in every way she could name, he stirred not a single bit of intrigue in her?

She felt his arm brush against hers, and turned to smile at him. After the last few dinner-type dates, she’d arranged to meet Brady here because at least they’d be doing something instead of staring at each other over breadsticks.

Maybe she should have checked to see if he could carry a tune first.

Ugh, don’t be such a bitch, she scolded herself. Give him a chance. What if he’s the one, and you shut him out before you find out? Bad singing is not a reason to reject someone.

Someone brushed against her other arm, and before she even turned, she knew it was Kirk. Her body told her in the way her heartbeat quickened and a prickle of awareness flooded her nerve endings. Maybe she’d been unconsciously alerted by his smell, even though he was bundled up in a thick hunter’s jacket and a cozy knitted cap. Pheromones could do that, couldn’t they?

“Hey,” she whispered to him under the flow of singing voices.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.