dinner on Wednesday night.”
In other words, his presence wasn’t necessary except as an escort to the bride-to-be, even in the eyes of his own mother. He didn’t bother to filter the smile from his words. “Yes, ma’am. Whatever you say. I’ll check with Jill and make sure Wednesday works for her.”
“Good. See you at seven.”
Kaylee Fontaine was a serious-faced child, with limp, pale hair that dangled from her skull like homemade spaghetti on an Italian chef’s pasta rack. Red blotches from the cold winter wind stood out starkly on her pale cheeks and made her nose as bright as a clown’s. The wide eyes she turned up to Jill, though, were a truly beautiful shade of blue-gray, framed by thick, curling lashes that would no doubt evoke envy in fashion models worldwide. Jill gave the girl a smile and extended her hand toward the woman standing on the front porch beside her.
“Hello. I’m Jill. You must be Mrs. Fontaine.”
“Please, call me Becky. It’s such a pleasure to meet you.” She smiled as she took Jill’s hand in her gloved one and pressed. “I can’t tell you how thrilled Kaylee is to be taking lessons from the famous Jillian Elizabeth King. You’re like her idol. She was so excited I don’t think she was able to sleep at all last night.”
Kaylee’s gaze dropped to the floor, embarrassment expanding the red splotches on her cheeks. Her thin shoulders seemed to shrink in on themselves. Sympathy for the shy girl stirred in Jill.
“Please come inside.” She took a backward step and gestured up the wooden stairs. “My apartment is upstairs.”
Becky Fontaine hesitated. “Actually, I wasn’t planning to stay for the lesson, if that’s okay. My son is in the car, and I have to runhim over to a birthday party. I’ll be back before the thirty minutes are over, though.” She turned a pleading expression on Jill. “Would that be okay?”
Actually, after the first piano lesson of the morning, Jill preferred not to have Becky hovering over her shoulder. Mariah Cramer’s mother had refused to sit on the sofa, where Jill directed her, but paced behind the piano stool watching every move Jill and her daughter made. Mariah hadn’t seemed to mind — she was probably used to having a helicopter mom — but Jill had been a bundle of nerves by the time the lesson was over. If this piano lesson thing continued, she might have to institute a rule about parents waiting downstairs in Nana’s living room.
“That’s no problem at all.” Jill gave Kaylee a broad smile. “We’ll be fine by ourselves, won’t we?”
The child’s head bobbed once, almost imperceptibly.
“Oh, good. Thank you.” Becky stooped and planted a quick kiss on Kaylee’s cheek. “Have fun, sweetie. Learn lots.” She headed toward the car parked at the curb in front of the house. Jill caught a glimpse of a small, round face in the back seat.
Kaylee watched the car pull away, then faced Jill. Only her eyes moved as she looked up at her. She still hadn’t said a word.
“Why don’t we hang up your coat, and then we can get started?”
Jill closed the door behind the child, put her coat on the rack in the hallway, and led the way upstairs. When she entered the living room, Kaylee stopped in the doorway. Her eyes went round as she gazed at the piano.
“Wow. It’s beautiful.” Her voice, surprisingly low, was breathy with awe.
“Thank you.” Jill couldn’t help a swell of pride. She might be at odds with her piano at the moment, but it was still the most beautiful instrument she’d ever played. “Do you have a piano at home?”
The child nodded. “My grandma gave it to me last year. But it’s old. Nothing like this one.”
A rush of kinship warmed Jill. “My grandmother gave me my first piano, too.”
Blue-gray eyes lifted to her face. “Really?”
Jill nodded. “It was pretty old, too, but I didn’t care. I loved it anyway. I spent hours playing it.” She seated herself on the bench and patted
In other words, his presence wasn’t necessary except as an escort to the bride-to-be, even in the eyes of his own mother. He didn’t bother to filter the smile from his words. “Yes, ma’am. Whatever you say. I’ll check with Jill and make sure Wednesday works for her.”
“Good. See you at seven.”
Kaylee Fontaine was a serious-faced child, with limp, pale hair that dangled from her skull like homemade spaghetti on an Italian chef’s pasta rack. Red blotches from the cold winter wind stood out starkly on her pale cheeks and made her nose as bright as a clown’s. The wide eyes she turned up to Jill, though, were a truly beautiful shade of blue-gray, framed by thick, curling lashes that would no doubt evoke envy in fashion models worldwide. Jill gave the girl a smile and extended her hand toward the woman standing on the front porch beside her.
“Hello. I’m Jill. You must be Mrs. Fontaine.”
“Please, call me Becky. It’s such a pleasure to meet you.” She smiled as she took Jill’s hand in her gloved one and pressed. “I can’t tell you how thrilled Kaylee is to be taking lessons from the famous Jillian Elizabeth King. You’re like her idol. She was so excited I don’t think she was able to sleep at all last night.”
Kaylee’s gaze dropped to the floor, embarrassment expanding the red splotches on her cheeks. Her thin shoulders seemed to shrink in on themselves. Sympathy for the shy girl stirred in Jill.
“Please come inside.” She took a backward step and gestured up the wooden stairs. “My apartment is upstairs.”
Becky Fontaine hesitated. “Actually, I wasn’t planning to stay for the lesson, if that’s okay. My son is in the car, and I have to runhim over to a birthday party. I’ll be back before the thirty minutes are over, though.” She turned a pleading expression on Jill. “Would that be okay?”
Actually, after the first piano lesson of the morning, Jill preferred not to have Becky hovering over her shoulder. Mariah Cramer’s mother had refused to sit on the sofa, where Jill directed her, but paced behind the piano stool watching every move Jill and her daughter made. Mariah hadn’t seemed to mind — she was probably used to having a helicopter mom — but Jill had been a bundle of nerves by the time the lesson was over. If this piano lesson thing continued, she might have to institute a rule about parents waiting downstairs in Nana’s living room.
“That’s no problem at all.” Jill gave Kaylee a broad smile. “We’ll be fine by ourselves, won’t we?”
The child’s head bobbed once, almost imperceptibly.
“Oh, good. Thank you.” Becky stooped and planted a quick kiss on Kaylee’s cheek. “Have fun, sweetie. Learn lots.” She headed toward the car parked at the curb in front of the house. Jill caught a glimpse of a small, round face in the back seat.
Kaylee watched the car pull away, then faced Jill. Only her eyes moved as she looked up at her. She still hadn’t said a word.
“Why don’t we hang up your coat, and then we can get started?”
Jill closed the door behind the child, put her coat on the rack in the hallway, and led the way upstairs. When she entered the living room, Kaylee stopped in the doorway. Her eyes went round as she gazed at the piano.
“Wow. It’s beautiful.” Her voice, surprisingly low, was breathy with awe.
“Thank you.” Jill couldn’t help a swell of pride. She might be at odds with her piano at the moment, but it was still the most beautiful instrument she’d ever played. “Do you have a piano at home?”
The child nodded. “My grandma gave it to me last year. But it’s old. Nothing like this one.”
A rush of kinship warmed Jill. “My grandmother gave me my first piano, too.”
Blue-gray eyes lifted to her face. “Really?”
Jill nodded. “It was pretty old, too, but I didn’t care. I loved it anyway. I spent hours playing it.” She seated herself on the bench and patted
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