Summer Serenade Read online

  Summer Serenade

  Belle Calhoune

  Dedication:

  To everyone who has ever faced adversity while pursuing a dream. If one door closes, another one will surely open. Keep pushing toward your dreams!

  © 2017 Belle Calhoune

  All Rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system, without the written permission of the publisher and author, except where permitted by law.

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  EPILOGUE

  Letter from the Author

  About Belle

  Chapter One

  “When all else fails, there’s always waitressing.” Elle Harrington mumbled the words to herself as she stood in front of the Sugar Hollow Diner. She’d borrowed the words from her mother, who to Elle’s recollection had never waitressed a day in her life. Just this morning Bunny Harrington had lectured her about moving on with her life. She had used every cliché in the book, even telling Elle to make lemons into lemonade. Elle rolled her eyes. Leave it to Mama to act like her personal cheerleader.

  Elle shouldn’t be so tough on her mother. She’d been through a lot in her life. Losing a child had forever changed her. So what if she was flighty? Perhaps it was an escape from the harsh realities of life.

  She stuffed down her irritation with her present circumstances, determined to put a brave face on and get hired for this waitressing gig. Elle moved to open the door, then stopped in her tracks. Her feet felt like cement. Why was she having so much trouble entering the diner? She’d been standing her for quite some time.

  She chewed her lip as she created a list in her head of all the reasons she shouldn’t go inside.

  1.) You’re a dancer, not a waitress.

  2.) You haven’t ever bussed a table in your life.

  3.) It will be embarrassing.

  4.) You’re a dancer, not a waitress.

  Elle let out a sigh. She needed money. It was that simple. And that heartbreaking. It didn’t matter that she was a ballerina at heart and not a waitress. In a town like Sugar Hollow, Virginia, there weren’t many options for someone like her. She had zero skills other than being a dancer. She had devoted more than half her life to that pursuit. And that hadn’t exactly worked out for her. Nine months ago Elle had suffered a devastating injury. After two surgeries, rehabilitation and a failed attempt at returning to the stage, she had been forced to face reality. Her life as a ballerina was over.

  Now she had to come up with a new plan for her life. A brand new dream. And it had brought her straight back to her hometown in Virginia.

  Coming back to Sugar Hollow had been a matter of being pragmatic. She could stay at home with her parents for free. No soul-crushing rent payments. She could save a bunch of money on food costs. In New York she had spent tons of money on restaurants. She let out a sigh. It had nearly killed her to leave Manhattan and the ballet world. A world she had worked incredibly hard to craft for herself over the last seven years.

  If only she had been more practical about expenses. Her bank balance was now hovering around nine dollars and fifty cents. Her credit cards were maxed out. Life in the Big Apple had been expensive, and for way too long she had lived beyond her means. Elle had believed that her career as a ballerina was just beginning. As often happened in life, the rug had been pulled out from underneath her.

  When she had left Sugar Hollow to attend the School of American Ballet in New York City, her future had been full of so much promise. She’d worked so hard to reach for her dreams. Being hired as a principle dancer with the New York City Ballet had been the big dream. She had been working in the corps de ballet to make it happen. And in one single moment, everything had imploded. She’d been left with nothing but her wounded pride and broken dreams. Her heart ached. She felt like a big fat failure.

  Elle had gotten down on her knees and fervently prayed about her situation. Her big takeaway had been that God helps those who help themselves. She couldn’t just sit around and hope for rescue. There was no knight in shining armor coming to solve all of her problems.

  So now she had to go into the diner with her tail between her legs and apply for a job. Boo! She didn’t want to work at the diner and serve people here in town who would recognize her and wonder why she was back in Sugar Hollow. Some of them, she imagined, would be mighty happy to see her come down a few pegs. Her shoulders sagged as she envisioned the humiliation of it all.

  Suddenly, the door to the diner swung open. A tall, broad-shouldered man with dark brown hair was standing in the threshold with a broom in his hand. He had the most beautiful brown eyes she’d ever seen. His jaw dropped when he laid eyes on her.

  “Elle? Elle Harrington?” he asked.

  She frowned, trying to place the good looking guy in her memory. Surely she would recall such a handsome man. Wouldn’t she?

  “It’s Jonas. Jonas Landry.”

  Jonas Landry. Wow. She would never have recognized him in a million years. They had gone to school together for most of their lives. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d laid eyes on him. High school graduation? She’d been able to do classes remotely while attending ballet school. This had allowed her to get her credits and receive her diploma along with all the friends she’d grown up with in Sugar Hollow.

  He sure had changed. His face had thinned out and he now had wonderful bone structure. The braces were gone, replaced by a set of pearly, even teeth. The blotchy skin had disappeared. Had he always had that cleft in the middle of his chin? And when had he become so rugged looking and toned?

  “Hey, Jonas.” She shook her head. “I’m sorry. I wouldn’t have recognized you if you hadn’t spoken to me. You look…different.”

  Jonas chuckled. “Yes. It happens. I grew up.”

  “I guess we all did,” she said, wondering how to broach the question of filling out a job application. This was way more difficult than she’d imagined. After graduation she had left Sugar Hollow with the full expectation of only returning to see her family or to attend a reunion. There had been so much hoopla surrounding her going to New York City to pursue a career in ballet. Elle had been splashed all over the local news channels, newspapers and local magazines. She was the closest thing Sugar Hollow had to a bona-fide celebrity.

  Elle nervously ran her fingers through her hair. Although she’d known that Jonas’s family owned the diner, she hadn’t really envisioned running into him today.

  “Long time no see,” he said with a grin. “Go inside and grab a seat. Zeb will be with you in a minute to take your order.”

  She shifted from one foot to the other. “To be honest, I’m not here to eat, although it smells delicious,” she said, trying to ignore the grumbling noises emanating from her stomach.

  “That’s interesting,” Jonas said in a teasing voice. “Most people come here for a meal.”

  She pointed to the help wanted sign in the window. “Are you still hiring?”

  His eyes widened. He began to laugh. “Hah. You’re joking, right? Very funny.”

  Elle wanted to sink into a deep dark hole. Jonas thought she was a big joke. She felt her cheeks getting heated. The embarrassment she felt was acute. It had been a complete mistake to come here today.

  She pivoted on the top step and turned to leave. In her haste, she lost her footing and felt herself falling. Strong arms reached out and grabbed her. She found herself being held by Jonas.

  “Whoa. Careful there, Elle. You could have really h
urt yourself.”

  “Thanks for the save,” she said, looking into his deep-set eyes. She was so close to him she could see the caramel-colored flecks in his mahogany brown eyes.

  He frowned. “Were you really interested in the waitressing job?”

  More than anything in the world, Elle wanted to laugh and tell Jonas she’d been joking. But she couldn’t. She needed the income. Things were that bad.

  “I wasn’t kidding, Jonas. I need a job. Badly.”

  They locked gazes. She didn’t even have the strength to put up a façade. She had been drowning for a while now, and she needed someone to throw her a life preserver. Tears pooled in her eyes. She blinked them away. She had no intention of Jonas viewing her as a charity case.

  His expression was shuttered as he looked at her. She began to feel uncomfortable. It almost felt like she was begging to be hired. It was a terrible feeling. She still had her pride, didn’t she?

  “I do the hiring for the diner. Come on inside,” Jonas instructed, pulling the door open.

  Elle nodded and stepped over the threshold. A strong feeling of nostalgia swept over her as she gazed around the diner. A heavenly aroma assaulted her senses. A brightly colored jukebox sat in the corner. The pale pink and mint colored walls were a new addition to the establishment.

  The salmon colored leather booths held a host of warm memories for Elle. She’d had her first date at this diner. She winced at the memory of Bobby Fulton, her high school sweetheart. He had been the classic cliché. Football jock. Good looks. Popular. But he hadn’t been all that sweet. Although he had presented as the perfect boyfriend on the outside, he had subjected Elle to a mountain of verbal and psychological abuse behind the scenes. Thankfully, Elle had joined the local youth group led by Pastor Richey. It had given her the impetus to end the relationship with Bobby and work on her self-esteem.

  She shook off the bad memories and focused on the present.

  “Let’s go sit down,” Jonas said, leading her toward a booth in the back. Elle followed after him, meeting the curious stares of a few customers.

  “Elle! I thought that was you.” An older woman with salt and pepper hair grabbed her arm lightly as she walked by her table.

  “Mrs. McGinty!” Elle called out. “How are you?”

  “I’m fine.” She cast a look over at Jonas. “What are you doing home?”

  “I-I’m taking a break,” she said, darting a quick glance at Jonas. He was standing nearby with a quizzical expression etched on his face.

  She patted Mrs. McGinty’s shoulder. “Nice to see you.”

  “Please stop by the house before you head back to the Big Apple,” she said in a fawning voice. “I just love your stories about the ballet world. And tell your Mama I said hello.”

  She plastered a smile on her face. “I sure will.”

  Jonas was looking at her oddly. He continued on toward the table, sliding into the booth so he was facing the restaurant. Elle sat down across from him and crossed her hands in front of her on the table.

  “So what’s the story, Elle? Why are you looking for a waitressing job? Why aren’t you in New York?”

  She fiddled with her fingers. “I’m no longer doing ballet. I sustained a career-ending injury that makes it impossible.” Although her words sounded clinical, Elle’s heart shattered every time she had to explain how her life had fallen apart. It still made her ache inside.

  Jonas let out a shocked sound. “Elle! I’m so sorry. I had no idea.”

  “No one does except for my family and a few people in the ballet world. I was keeping it under wraps hoping my situation would change. But two surgeries and rehabilitation didn’t change anything.” She bowed her head down. “I came back home to start over. And I need work. Income.”

  “And you think waitressing is a good fit?” Jonas asked.

  She shrugged. “Sure. I’m a hard worker. I’m personable. People love me. And I love food.” She smiled at Jonas. “And because I really need the paycheck, I won’t be one of those employees who calls in sick all the time or misses shifts.”

  “Elle, you have a lot going for you, but something tells me this isn’t the job for you.”

  Elle’s heart sank. If she couldn’t even be taken seriously for a waitressing position, what hope did she have of finding a job?

  “Please Jonas, give me a shot. I’m begging you. I won’t let you down.” Tears slid down her face. She hadn’t meant to cry but her situation was so dismal. Never in a million years had she ever thought she’d be in this position. She really didn’t possess a lot of skills that made her marketable.

  Jonas sighed. “C’mon Elle. Please don’t cry.”

  “I can’t help it,” she said with a sniff. “I’m desperate.”

  He frowned at her. “That sounds sort of rude.”

  “What?” She clapped a hand over her mouth. “Oh no. I didn’t mean that this place is a last resort or anything. Seriously. That’s not what I meant.”

  “That’s good to know. Because it would be pretty messed up if you started insulting the place.” His brows were knitted together and he was looking at her with mild outrage.

  Ugh. How had she managed to offend the person who did the hiring?

  “I wouldn’t,” she said in a firm voice. “I promise.”

  He sank back in his booth. “Okay, I can hire you on a trial basis. One week and we’ll see how you do. Come in tomorrow morning for training with Trina. She’s been here for a while so she can show you the ropes.” He stood up. “I really have to get back to work.”

  “Are you managing the place now?” she asked, standing up from her seat.

  “I’m the owner, Elle. I bought this place from my parents two years ago.”

  “Wow. That’s wonderful. It must be nice to have your own business. Something to call your own.”

  Elle wished she had invested her money in something other than clothes, entertainment and jewelry. Clearly, Jonas was a foreword thinking person. It was a very attractive quality in a guy. Not that she was looking for a man these days. Her last boyfriend, Sergei, had made her gun shy. He was a ballet dancer who also worked with the New York ballet company.

  Sergei was famous in the world of ballet and he never let anyone forget it. Their two- year long relationship had taught Elle some hard lessons about life and love. He had shown her supreme selfishness and egotism. And he had broken up with her after she had her second surgery. Sergei hadn’t wanted a maimed ballerina to drag him down.

  Jonas grinned. “I got lucky. My parents wanted to go forward with another business venture here in town, so I made them an offer they couldn’t refuse.”

  “Smart,” Elle said with a grin. “I’d love to have my own business.”

  “Such as?” Jonas asked with a questioning look.

  Feeling self-conscious, Elle shrugged. “I don’t know, but it’s a lovely idea.” Elle stuck out her hand. “Thanks for giving me a chance, Jonas. I won’t let you down.”

  Jonas nodded at her. “Be here at seven a.m. sharp. I’ll help get you get set up with the paperwork in the morning.”

  As Elle left the Sugar Hollow diner, she found herself humming an upbeat tune. Although it was far from the job of her dreams, the prospect of being employed at the diner made her want to jump up and down with joy. It was a small victory. For someone who hadn’t had many triumphs lately it felt like a huge win.

  Thank you, Lord. For giving me this opportunity to make a new path for myself. And bless Jonas for showing me grace.

  Jonas Landry was an angel! Elle wouldn’t forget his kindness, especially since they had never been friends. Classmates, but never friends. Perhaps, by working at the diner they could forge a friendship. Lord knows she needed as many friends as she could get in Sugar Hollow.

  Chapter Two

  Jonas blew out the deep breath he’d been holding ever since Elle Harrington breezed back into his life. Elle. She was still achingly gorgeous. In her sleeveless white shirt and candy red shorts, s
he had looked adorable. Even though it was a scorching June morning in Virginia, she had looked as cool as a Popsicle.

  He couldn’t count the number of times he’d thought about the flaxen-haired beauty over the years. He’d had a massive crush on her in high school.

  She had barely known he was alive. But he had been acutely aware of her. Every flip of her blonde hair. Every sigh and sagging shoulders as he sat behind her in math class.

  Elle had been beautiful and popular. And amazingly talented as a ballerina. Everyone had loved her. And when she’d moved to New York to fulfill her destiny as a ballerina, everyone had known instinctively that she would become wildly famous.

  There had always been something about Elle. Something almost magical. It had been silly, but he’d actually thought at one point of asking Elle out on a date. But before he’d gotten up his nerve, she had started going steady with Bobby Fulton. Jonas had known better than to think he could compete with Bobby’s popularity and good looks.

  Life had a way of working things out sometimes. Jonas had grown out of his awkward phase, while Bobby was serving time in prison for receiving stolen goods. He wasn’t happy about Bobby’s downfall. Or at least he tried not to be. Jonas knew it wasn’t a good thing to gloat. As a man of faith, he knew better. He had actually prayed for Bobby on several occasions in the hopes he could get his life back on track.

  “Hey. Is she working here now?” Zeb asked. Zeb was twenty-years-old and one of the diner’s most faithful employees. He’d shown up in Sugar Hollow two years ago, looking for a place to stay and a steady job. With his tattoos and Mohawk hairstyle, Zeb was often judged by first impressions. In Jonas’s experience, Zeb was the most loyal, down to earth person he’d ever met. He currently lived in the apartment above the diner.

  Jonas nodded. “She’s doing a trial run starting tomorrow.”

  “She’s pretty,” Zeb said. “Really pretty.”

  Jonas shrugged. “I guess so. I mean…yes, of course she is.” Why was he trying to play it cool? Elle’s beauty was indisputable.