An Encore for Estelle (Melodies of Love Book 2) Read online

  AN ENCORE FOR ESTELLE

  Melodies of Love Book Two

  Kimberly Rose Johnson

  An Encore for Estelle

  Published by Sweet Rose Press

  U.S.A.

  All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means, now known or hereinafter invented, including xerography, photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, is forbidden without the written permission from the author.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental.

  All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com The “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™

  Copyright © 2017 Kimberly R. Johnson

  Cover Design: Jackie Castle

  Acknowledgements

  As with most any book it takes a village to get it ready for publication. I would like to thank my team: critique partners, Margaret Daley, Vickie McDonough, Miralee Ferrell; copy editor, Jenny Mertes; formatter, Cindy Jackson; beta readers, Preslaysa Williams, Becky G. Smith and Janice Sisemore; and proofreaders, Edward Arrington, Marylin Farumasu, Becky Dempsey, and Beverley Lytle.

  Finally I would like to extend a huge thank you to Angela Ruth Strong. You challenged me to take this book to a different level with your thorough critique. I can’t thank you enough for all the hard work you put into this book. You rock!

  Chapter One

  Estelle Rogers willed her galloping heart to slow. Why had she come back to Oak Knoll, Oregon? It wasn’t like the people here had welcomed her with open arms six years ago. But that was then. Things were different now. Helen Wood had invited her for a visit over the summer, and she could never say no to the one woman who’d accepted her in spite of her flaws. Besides, she needed time away to think about her future. Estelle squared her shoulders, raised a hand, and pressed the doorbell beside the farmhouse door.

  The door flung open. “You’re here!” Helen’s smile lit her eyes.

  Estelle blinked. Helen looked like a young Mary Tyler Moore—she looked fantastic. Could this be the same woman she’d grown close to all those years ago? Granted when she’d last seen Helen, she’d been recovering from a stroke, but a different woman stood before her now. The rosy-cheeked brunette looked fifteen years younger than her fifty-five years. “You look amazing.”

  Helen blushed and waved a hand in front of her face. “Derek sent me on a spa vacation. You should try one. You’d love it.”

  The mention of her one-time boyfriend didn’t affect her like it used to. Helen’s son was now happily married, and she adored his wife, Kayla. “If I didn’t know better, I’d say you’re hinting that I need a makeover.”

  The older woman shrugged. “Not at all. You look lovely as usual.” She stepped back, opening the door wider. “Come in. I can’t believe you’re actually here. I was afraid you might change your mind.”

  “How silly would I be to do something like that?” If Helen only knew how many times she had almost cancelled the trip. But she would never reveal that to her dear friend.

  Helen looped her arm through Estelle’s. “I prepared lunch for us in the garden.”

  “I love your garden. It’s so serene. I’m glad the weather is cooperating today. I noticed you’ve had a lot of rain lately.”

  “We have, but summer doesn’t usually start here until July. Welcome back to Oregon.” She chuckled. “I remember how much you enjoyed my garden the last time you were here, so I’ve been praying the weather would cooperate.”

  Of course she had. Helen was like that—she had no qualms about asking the Lord for a sunny day.

  “You’ll be staying in the guest cottage while you’re here.”

  Estelle stilled. “I thought your . . .” What does one call a man who works around the farm doing odd jobs? “handyman—”

  “His name is Blake, and he moved into the barn so you could have the cottage.”

  “That was nice of him, but the barn?”

  Helen patted her arm. “Now don’t you worry about Blake. He’s a grown man and can take care of himself. Besides, he and Derek built a nice room out there. He has all the comforts of home.”

  Estelle raised a brow. “If you say so.”

  “I do.” She guided them through the house and out the French doors that led to the courtyard garden.

  Estelle caught her breath. Water bubbled from a fountain near the cottage. A light breeze rustled the leaves on the birch trees overhead. A large vase of multi-colored flowers sat in the center of a round table covered with a white cloth. “It’s more beautiful than I remember. You’ve added some new features.”

  “I’m glad you like it. This space has been a labor of love. I spend as much time as I am able to out here.” She motioned toward a wooden chair padded with pillows. “Have a seat. I’m so pleased you finally took me up on my offer to take an extended vacation.”

  “Me too. Although whether I stay the entire three months you had in mind is up in the air. If I’m needed in LA, I’ll have to return.” There was no way she could put Jeff off for three months—it wouldn’t be fair to either of them.

  “Of course. After all, you’re a woman in constant demand. What with your restaurant and acting career.”

  “I don’t know how in demand I am these days. I gave up acting years ago, and my restaurant runs smoothly thanks to my executive chef and my fantastic manager. Between those two, the only thing I’m needed for is paying the bills.” She sat up taller. “What’s for lunch?” She wasn’t hungry, but anything was better than talking about her professional life.

  Helen’s face lit up as she pulled the cloth off a serving tray. “I prepared a chicken salad, fresh fruit, and for dessert I made homemade peach ice cream.”

  “That sounds delicious.” She allowed Helen to serve her then bowed her head as her hostess offered a blessing for the food.

  “Amen.” Helen placed a cloth napkin in her lap. “I wasn’t sure what you like, but I remembered you enjoyed this dish when you were last here.”

  “You have a good memory, especially considering you’d had a stroke shortly before I arrived. I’m surprised you remember much about those weeks.”

  “I recall pretty much everything. It wasn’t like I had a lot to do to fill my mind. Having you here helped with my therapy.”

  How had she not managed to find the time to visit this sweet woman sooner, and more important why had she been so nervous? Helen was as kind and genuine in person as she’d been in their weekly correspondence these past six years.

  Helen’s face brightened as she looked past Estelle. “Good afternoon, Blake. I’d like you to meet a friend. She’s the one staying in the cottage.”

  Estelle turned to face the man. She sucked in a breath. He had to be over six feet tall. His dark hair had a messy look that she liked. Get it together. He wasn’t the first ruggedly handsome man she’d ever met. Plus there was Jeff.

  He looked down at her with chocolate brown eyes. “It’s nice to meet you. Helen has told me all about you.”

  Estelle shot a look toward Helen. “Don’t believe everything you hear.
”

  “Believe every word, Blake.” Helen waved a finger toward Estelle. “My friend here is a remarkable woman.”

  Estelle’s face warmed. There was nothing remarkable about her, but people had always said stuff like that about her. Although it had never bothered her before, it did coming from Helen. She thought Helen knew her well enough to know she wasn’t all that.

  Blake grinned, although it looked forced. “I’m heading to town. Did either of you need me to get anything while I’m there?”

  “No thanks, but maybe Estelle would like to join you.” She raised a brow toward her.

  Estelle caught her breath. Was her hostess trying to play matchmaker? She ought to warn her to give up now, because she was a relationship disaster. At least that’s what she felt like.

  “How about it?” Blake asked. “Would you like to come along?” His words were friendly enough, but the look in his eyes was guarded. Almost like the last thing he wanted was for her to say yes.

  Why did he seem wary? She didn’t recall ever meeting him—she would have remembered. “No thanks. I should finish my lunch then get settled.”

  He dipped his head. “Okay then. See you around.” He turned and headed in the direction from which he’d come.

  Estelle sat back into the chair she’d vacated when Blake showed up.

  Helen leaned forward and lowered her voice. “Isn’t he cute?”

  She burst into laughter. “You are old enough to be his mother.”

  “I didn’t say I wanted to marry him. Goodness.” She frowned.

  Estelle sobered. “I’m sorry, Helen. I didn’t mean to offend you.”

  “Sorry, I overreacted. I’m fine. Don’t give it another thought.” She fanned her flushed face. “One would think at my age that I’d stop blushing so easily, but it appears that trait will forever plague me.”

  “At least when you blush you’re pretty. When I blush, my neck turns red, and I get all blotchy.” Estelle made a silly face. “It happened once on set, and the director was not happy. They had to take time out for the makeup artist to cover the red before we could continue filming.”

  Helen bubbled with laughter. “It’s going to be fun having you here. Have you given any thought to how you’ll fill your time? I know three months is a long vacation.”

  “I agree, and like I said, I may not stay the entire time. I have no idea how I’ll fill my days.” It’d been forever since she’d had the freedom to do whatever she wanted. There always seemed to be something or someone that needed her attention.

  “You could volunteer at the community center. Every summer they do a children’s theater program. Auditions are coming up, and they’ll begin rehearsals soon.” She dipped her head and fiddled with her fork.

  “You know I don’t act anymore.”

  “So you said, but those kids don’t care. They’d be thrilled to have a real actress—” she raised a hand, “former actress mentor them. A little birdie told me you used to volunteer with the children’s theater in LA.”

  Estelle sighed. It had been a long time since she’d done anything with the children’s theater. She liked kids, but she’d left that life. Then again, this was Helen asking. “I’ll think about it.”

  “Don’t think too long. My son tells me this new musical is ambitious for such a small town, and Blake needs help.”

  If Derek was concerned then there was probably reason to be. “What does Blake have to do with the children’s theater?”

  “Didn’t I mention that it’s his brainchild? He coordinates the program. I’m hoping you’ll stick around through the summer and help him. The theater has become a big deal here, and no matter what Blake thinks, he can’t keep doing it all on his own.”

  Estelle shook her head. This must be the real reason for Helen’s invitation to spend the summer with her. Not that she minded, but wished her friend had been upfront about the reason behind her request. “You neglected to mention any of this.” She felt snookered, but it was fine. She’d do almost anything for Helen. Plus the timing worked—at least for now. If she could manage to stay away from her restaurant and her life for three months remained to be seen. If necessary she could fly home a couple of times to check up on things. The idea of working with the theater sent a tingle of excitement zipping through her. That settled it—she was in if Blake would have her. She loved the theater.

  “What’s that little smile about?” Helen asked.

  “I have no idea.” Estelle plopped a raspberry into her mouth.

  They finished their lunch in companionable silence. Estelle couldn’t stop thinking about the children’s theater. She had so many questions but would save them for Blake.

  ~

  Blake Price lifted the tailgate to his Ford pickup then made his way inside the community center. The sound of skidding athletic shoes met his ears as soon as he stepped inside. He breathed easy for the first time since being introduced to Estelle. He couldn’t help smiling. There was something about this place that made everything feel okay again.

  “Hi, Blake.” The thirteen-year-old dark-haired girl who looked too much like his daughter ambled toward him. “My mom said I can try out for the musical.”

  He stilled and forced a smile. “That’s great, Jenny. Auditions are on Friday. Do you have what you need?” He liked Jenny, but she reminded him of Kendal. A weight settled on him. It would be difficult to have Jenny in the musical as a constant reminder of his failure as a husband and dad, but if she was half as good a singer as he’d been told, he’d be out of his mind to not give her a part that featured her voice.

  “I think I have everything.” She slid her backpack off and pulled out the score. Everyone who auditioned would be singing the same song.

  “Perfect. See you Friday.” He patted her shoulder and moved toward the door that led backstage.

  He’d been writing and producing a musical every summer for the past three years. This year’s musical would be the biggest yet, especially since Derek Wood had written such a stellar score. Blake smiled, thinking of the dialogue he’d written. The collaboration had been fun, but now the real work started—casting, his least favorite part of producing, and directing. He hated disappointing the kids, because inevitably some of them wouldn’t get the role they wanted. With this year’s musical being longer and more complex, he hoped they could pull it off as well as they had done in previous years.

  “There you are,” a vaguely familiar female voice said.

  He turned. “Estelle.” His pulse accelerated. The blonde beauty was anything but beautiful on the inside, and he wanted nothing to do with her. “What are you doing here?” He winced at the accusatory tone to his voice. “Sorry. I didn’t mean—”

  She waved a hand. “It’s fine. I can tell I startled you.”

  He closed his eyes for a brief second, willing his pulse to slow. “What can I do for you?”

  “As you know, I’m spending an extended period of time in Oak Knoll per Helen’s request. It didn’t take long for me to realize I’ll go stir crazy if I don’t find some way to occupy my time. I heard about your little musical, and I was hoping you’d let me help in some way.”

  Little musical? He clamped his teeth together. “I don’t know. I’m kind of a control freak.”

  She pursed her pretty lips together. He took in her delicate features and stunning blue eyes. He shook his head. He could not think about her pretty lips or any other part of her. Estelle was off limits as far as he was concerned.

  “I’ve worked with control freaks before, and we all survived.” She chuckled. “You should meet my executive chef. Now that man is a control freak.” She shot him a heart-melting smile.

  He stopped himself from groaning just in time. He could not give in to her simply because she was beautiful.

  “Please, Blake. You’d be doing me a huge favor. I needed to get away from home for a while, and sitting around doing nothing will give me too much time to think.” Sincerity filled her eyes. “As it happens I have s
ome theater experience.”

  Confusion filled him. Could he have been misinformed about the true nature of this woman? He thrust the thought aside for now. “I assumed you only did movies.” He winced. Acknowledging he knew her credits and still rejected her help had to be insulting to Estelle. After all, there was a time when any director in Hollywood would have killed to have her in their movie—but no more. From what he’d heard, her last movie role had been a flop. His late wife, Trinity’s dancing eyes flitted through his mind. She’d met Estelle once while working on a movie set and had said Estelle Rogers had been rude to her. That alone would keep him away from the woman.

  Regardless, Trinity would be excited that a movie star offered to work with him on something he wrote, even if it was a star she didn’t care for. She’d supported his writing one hundred percent. If only he hadn’t failed her when she needed him the most, she’d still be here—along with their daughter. His heart constricted.

  “I did do movies. I don’t anymore.” Estelle rested a hand on his arm. Concern covered her face. “Are you all right?”

  He shifted, causing her to remove her hand. “Sorry. I went to another time and place for a moment. Let me think about your offer, and I’ll get back to you.”

  “That sounds fair. So you know, I can sew, cook, organize volunteers, help with the set . . .” She rested a hand on her hip. “I’m wasting my breath, aren’t I?”

  “Not at all. It’s good to know your various talents.” A sudden thought hit him. Estelle might be an answer to prayer now that he thought about it. “I actually have the perfect job for you, and you’d be saving me a lot of angst.”

  Her face lit. “Shoot.”

  “Auditions are on Friday. I’d appreciate a second pair of ears and eyes.”

  “I thought you were a control freak?”

  “I am.” He sighed. “Okay, I’m only saying this once, so listen.” He looked around and lowered his voice. “I dread auditions. They are the hardest part of this whole thing for me.”