Daniel sat up straighter and nodded. “Has he signed you to a contract?”

  “Not yet.” She felt certain that Jay would, once he got what he needed from the settlement.

  “I know Jay. Heard of him, I should say. I didn’t realize he’d started his own production company.” He frowned, as if matters weren’t adding up in his mind. “If you’re working with Jay, then…”

  “He’s waiting on funding,” she said, and regretted it as soon as the words left her mouth.

  “Ah, that explains it.” He reached inside his pocket and withdrew a business card. “I’d like to work with you, Hailey. As you can see, I come from a well-established production company. We work with some of the biggest stars in the industry.” He mentioned a few names that caused her heart rate to accelerate to an alarming speed.

  “We are always on the lookout for fresh talent. We would love to work with you.”

  Hailey hardly knew what to say. This had to be a dream. She was afraid she’d wake up any minute and find out meeting Daniel Stamper had been a figment of her overactive imagination.

  “What about…Jay?”

  He paused and looked her straight in the eye. “I realize you must feel a certain loyalty to Jay, and you should. It’s a testament to your character that you do. All I’m saying is that my firm can offer you far more in the way of marketing than Jay ever could, especially at this point in his career. Your songs would be performed by some of the biggest artists in the business. The choice is yours, of course. Keep my card and get in touch after the holidays and we’ll talk.”

  Hailey accepted the business card and sat completely speechless as Daniel Stamper slid out of the booth and walked out of the diner.

  Chapter Nineteen

  Hailey reached for her coffee and grimaced when she found it lukewarm. Her hands shook as she set the mug back down on the table. She found it hard to focus as her mind whirled with the possibilities of what had been offered to her. She sat, staring blankly out the window, trying to absorb what had happened. Nancy returned with the coffeepot. “Would you like me to warm that up for you, sweetie?”

  Hailey looked up at her blankly before she realized what Nancy was asking. “Sure,” she said, and slid her mug across the table. “Thanks.”

  The friendly server leaned forward as if to share a secret. “I hope you didn’t mind that I told him earlier that you frequently stopped by the diner.”

  “No…That’s fine.” Although it was an exaggeration. Hailey had been to the café a few times, but it wasn’t like it had become a regular hangout.

  “Someone else was asking about you this morning as well.” She glanced over her shoulder as if she expected someone to be eavesdropping. “You know, since that video went viral.”

  Hailey felt like a doe caught in the headlights of an oncoming long-haul truck.

  “Don’t worry, we were all instructed not to give out any of your information. Even when that couple claiming to be your parents stopped by. My lips were sealed.” She pantomimed zipping her mouth closed.

  Her parents had gotten the directions to the Stockton cabin from Elizabeth at the hair salon.

  “The reason I even mention it is because of the man sitting in the booth over there. He’s the one who’s been asking.”

  “Him?” Hailey nodded toward a man. He looked to be around her own age, disheveled and depressed. He hung his head and stared into his coffee as though he didn’t have a friend in the world.

  “Yup.”

  Hailey continued to study him, as if she might have met him at one time or another. She shook her head, convinced he wasn’t anyone she’d ever met.

  “He said he desperately needed to talk to you. I quizzed him if he was family. He was honest enough to tell me you didn’t know him personally.”

  Hailey had no idea who this guy was. “Weird,” she added under her breath. She continued to study him. The poor fellow certainly looked down.

  Is it possible?

  Could it be?

  It didn’t seem conceivable that this stranger might be Charles. Daisy’s rocket scientist.

  Nancy mentioned that he was desperate to talk to her. At first Hailey had assumed it was someone else who’d come to talk to her about the video. For Daisy’s sake, she needed to find out.

  Hailey climbed out of the booth and walked directly across the diner to where he sat. On closer inspection, he resembled an absent-minded professor, or better yet, a rocket scientist. Convinced now that he was her sister’s Charles, she claimed the seat across from him.

  “By chance is your name Charles?” she asked.

  Startled, he looked up and nodded. “Are you…Daisy’s sister?”

  “I am.”

  His eyes brightened, and he smiled as if seeing her was a Christmas miracle. “I’ve been asking all over town, hoping to find you. Daisy told me all about you, and when I saw the YouTube video, I noticed it was in Podunk. I’ve been desperate to find her. Do you know where she might be?”

  “I do. She’s with me.”

  He reached for his hat. “Will you take me to her? Please. I need to see her, convince her how much I love and need her.”

  Hailey had every intention of making that happen. “Slow down, cowboy.”

  His eyes pleaded with her. “I don’t know that I can. Daisy broke up with me and said she doesn’t love me, and our relationship was a mistake, but I don’t believe her. Not for a minute. I knew her parents lived in Tacoma, so I drove there first. A neighbor told me they’d left for the holidays. I didn’t know where else she could be until I came across that video of you in Podunk.”

  “How did you even know where to find where our parents live?”

  He grinned as if that was easy. “One can find almost anything on the internet. I knew your dad was a pharmaceutical salesman, now retired. That was all the information required to track him down.”

  Her sister was right; this guy was clever. “Daisy mentioned you have a great brain.”

  He sat up straighter and his smile grew. “She mentioned me?”

  “Oh yes, she told me all about you. You were right not to listen to her. I’m pretty confident she’s head over heels in love with you.”

  “Then why…”

  “Your guess is as good as mine. I think Daisy is afraid with all your differences that you’ll grow tired of her.”

  “Never,” he insisted. “The minute I saw her at that farmers’ market, I knew. She was so bright and friendly; people were naturally drawn to her. She’s like the sun warming everyone around her with her smile. She mesmerized me. It took me a week to gather up the courage to even approach her. I was afraid I’d be too tongue-tied to speak.”

  “Daisy is her own person, and some people might find her quirky.”

  “Quirky,” he repeated, as if he’d never heard the word before. “That’s ridiculous. I realize she’s a bit different than some women, but that’s what makes Daisy who she is. I love her for being herself.”

  “Daisy is special, and it takes a rare man to recognize how truly wonderful she is.”

  For a moment it looked like Charles was about to tear up. “Do you think Daisy will be willing to see me?”

  “We need to leave that decision up to my sister.” Although Hailey believed that once her sister saw Charles, she wouldn’t be able to resist him or the love he offered.

  He nodded. “Okay, I understand. I’ll do anything to persuade her to give me a chance. I love her. I want to marry her, if she’ll have me. My mother loves her, too, and wants grandchildren one day.”

  Hailey couldn’t help it, she started to giggle.

  The smile left Charles’s face. “What’s wrong? Am I rushing things…I do that when I get excited.”

  “No, I was thinking that your mother and our mother are going to become the very best of friends.”

  “Your mother knows mine?”

  “Not yet. Never mind.”

  “But…”

  “I’m parked outside. But before I take you to Daisy, I need to talk to someone first.”

  “Sure, no problem. I’ll wait here, no matter how long it takes.”

  Hailey patted his hand and stepped outside the diner. A quick check inside the store and she learned Thelma hadn’t returned. Although this was a last resort, Hailey dug into her purse for her phone. She hadn’t heard it ding, indicating she had a message, but then she’d been preoccupied with meeting Daniel Stamper.

  For a long moment she debated if she should contact Jay or not, afraid she might be interrupting the meeting or his negotiations. Unwilling to wait, she pressed the numbers that would connect to him. An eternity passed before he answered.

  “Hailey?”

  “Is this a bad time?” she rushed to ask. “If you’re busy now, we can connect later.”

  “The meeting has already happened,” he said.

  From his tone alone Hailey could tell the outcome had been a major disappointment. “What happened?” she asked, although she had a fair idea the news hadn’t been good.

  “Wasn’t it you who said the attorneys are the only winners in situations like this?”

  “No, I think you were the one to say that.”

  “I should have listened to myself,” he mumbled.

  “Are you going to be okay?” Her heart automatically went out to him. So much of his future was wrapped up in the outcome of these proceedings.

  “I’ll survive and so will Cantor Music.”

  Her relief was instantaneous. “That’s great news.”

  “I shouldn’t have burdened you with any of this,” he said, and sounded regretful.

  “When will you be back?” she asked, eager for his return.

  His hesitation told her he wasn’t coming back even before he said the words.

  “I’m staying in Seattle,” he said. “I’m sorry to disappoint you. I’m disappointed myself. Unfortunately, I’m needed here for the time being. I have several important decisions to make, and being in Podunk is too much of a distraction.”

  “But it’s Christmas, or it will be in a couple days.” She remembered he’d mentioned he’d promised his mother he would be with his family after being absent several years running.

  Hailey feared she was one of those distractions he didn’t need. “You can’t stay in Seattle by yourself,” she whispered, her words escaping before she could think better of letting him see how disappointed she was. On his behalf and on her own.

  “Listen, I hate to disappoint you—disappoint everyone—but I need to be by myself to think things through.”

  “Okay, I understand. Before you go, can I ask you something? Something important.”

  “Of course.” His tone softened.

  She inhaled. “Have you ever heard of Daniel Stamper?”

  His response was immediate. “He’s a major L.A. producer. He’s one of the biggest in the business. Why?”

  Hailey bit her lower lip. “He sought me out. His family is spending Christmas in Bend and he came to Podunk to find me.”

  “Did he offer to sign you?”

  She nodded, even knowing Jay wouldn’t be able to see her.

  “Hailey?”

  “Yes.”

  “Then take him up on his offer. This is big, Hailey. You should accept and count your blessings.”

  “But I thought…I’d hoped.”

  “I know what you’re thinking, and that’s no longer feasible. Stamper is better able to take you much further than I can, especially now.”

  “I don’t care, it’s you—”

  “Don’t be naïve,” Jay charged, cutting her off. “This is your dream. Your future. Don’t throw away this opportunity on some misguided sense of loyalty to me. Do it, Hailey, or regret it for the rest of your life. I’m sorry, but it needs to be this way.”

  The phone clicked before she could protest, and Hailey was left standing in the middle of the sidewalk in Podunk, Oregon, feeling as if she’d lost something more precious than a wildly successful career in music.

  Chapter Twenty

  It took several minutes for Hailey to compose herself enough to return to the diner and collect Charles.

  The minute she walked in the door, he was on his feet and ready for the opportunity to convince Daisy to come back to him.

  Despite all that had taken place in her own crazy, mixed-up life, Hailey knew this was the one thing she could do for her sister. She was convinced that once Daisy saw Charles, she wouldn’t be able to continue with the lie that she didn’t love him.

  As if he couldn’t get to Daisy fast enough, Charles practically rode Hailey’s bumper as she drove back to the cabin. When they arrived, he seemed ready to storm straight into the house like the leader of a SWAT team.

  “Hold on,” she said, stopping him at the top of the steps by tossing out both arms.

  He halted abruptly, as if he had no idea what she was doing.

  “We were going to give Daisy the chance to make the decision to see you or not, remember?”

  He answered with a reluctant nod of his head. “Okay, I’ll wait here. You should know that if Daisy claims she doesn’t want to see me, I intend to remain outside until she agrees, even if it means I freeze to death. If I can’t have her in my life, then I…” He paused, and his shoulders sagged. “She lied. I know she did. She loves me as much as I love her. Please convince her to give me another chance.”

  The poor guy had it bad. “I’ll go inside and talk to her. You stay here, understand?” He had that lost-puppy look before he agreed with a brief nod. Hailey saw how difficult it was for him to wait, and loved him for his devotion to Daisy. “I understand. I’ll do whatever you think is best.”

  He stepped away from the door and kept out of sight, nervously pacing on the porch, whispering to himself. He seemed to have prepared a speech he planned on giving Daisy.

  Hailey entered the house and found her sister busy in the kitchen, putting together the ingredients for homemade pasta fagioli, one of Hailey’s favorite soups.

  It was a good thing her parents were occupied upstairs, as they were sure to be curious about this unknown visitor.

  Hailey walked into the kitchen. “I ran into someone while in town. A friend of yours who has been desperate to find you. It’s Charles, and he’s here.”

  Daisy stilled, her spoon poised over the soup pot. “Charles is here? In Podunk?”

  “He’s outside on the porch. I told him you had to agree to see him before he could come into the house.” Her sister slowly set down the spoon, and tears immediately flooded her eyes. Then, without a pause, she demanded, “Send him away.”

  “I can do that, if this is what you truly want. You should know that he claims he’ll remain on the porch until you hear him out, even if it means he’ll freeze to death.”

  Daisy covered her mouth with both hands.

  “He’s been on a search to find you ever since you left,” Hailey continued. “He’s miserable without you, and frankly, even though you try to hide it, you’re just as miserable without him. The choice is yours, Daisy. I’ll do whatever it is you want me to do.”

  Swallowing hard, Daisy locked eyes with Hailey as if she were cast adrift and unsure what to do. After a moment, she dried her hands on the apron, then decided to remove it entirely before heading to the front door. She barely had it open when Charles all but charged into the cabin. Before her sister could utter a single word, Charles had her in his arms, holding her against him, as though he intended to never let her go.

  “Don’t say a word,” he insisted. “I want to do the talking this time.”

  “Ah…” Daisy appeared too taken aback to speak, anyway.

  Charles drew in a deep breath. “I love you, Daisy Morgan, and I hope you love me, because I want to marry you.”

  Her sister remained stock-still and seemed to be stunned into silence.

  “She loves you,” Hailey felt obliged to assure him.

  Charles stared intently at Daisy. “Do you?”

  With tears brightening her eyes, Daisy nodded. “But…I’m not smart like you. I’m terrible at math, and can’t spell worth a hill of beans, and never have been able to hold down a job for more than a couple months…I’m useless, and…”

  “Do you think any of that matters to me?” he cried in protest. “I wouldn’t change a hair on your head. Stay exactly as you are. You’re my sun and moon and earth and everything in between. If you turn me away, I won’t ever be the same, because I need you in my life. You make me happy…I’ve always been too serious and something of an oddball, but when I’m with you, I feel like I’m on top of the world and nothing can stop me.”

  Hailey had the impression this was probably the longest speech of Charles’s life.

  He paused as if he didn’t know what more to say, then knelt on one knee in front of her. “Will you marry me? Please.”

  Daisy’s hands gripped his shoulders as if his proposal had completely knocked her off-balance.

  “Daisy?” Hailey urged her sister to respond.

  Daisy turned her attention to her sister, as though seeking her advice.

  “I can’t make the decision for you,” Hailey told her sister.

  Charles remained on his knee and gazed lovingly up at her. “Do you really mean it?” Daisy asked, returning her attention to Charles. “You honestly love me and want me to be your wife?”

  It was all Hailey could do to keep from shouting: He means it!

  “If you’re sure,” Daisy said, grinning broadly, with tears shining in her eyes, “then yes, I’ll marry you.”

  Charles leaped to his feet and wrapped Daisy in his arms. He kissed her as if it had taken every restraint he possessed to have waited as long as he had.

  Their mother came halfway down the stairs to find Daisy and Charles absorbed in each other, oblivious to anything going on around them.