Finding Sky by Joss Stirling Read Free Book Online

few things together anyway?’
    I ran my fingers over the keys.
    Nelson’s mouth twitched. ‘What kind of things you have in mind, sweet thing?’
    ‘Um … I’m sure there are a few songs here we could take for a test drive.’ I got up and leafed through the stack of music on the table.
    He laughed. ‘Aw, shucks: you’re brushing me off!’
    ‘Am I? I am?’ I could feel my blush getting to the top of the embarrassing scale. ‘How about this?’ I shoved a random piece of music towards him.
    He looked down. ‘Show tunes? I mean, Oklahoma has some good ones but—’
    ‘Oh.’ I snatched it back, getting more flustered by the knowledge that I was amusing him.
    ‘Take it easy, Sky. Better idea: why not let me pick?’
    Relieved, I abandoned the scores and retreated to my piano stool where I felt more in control of things.
    ‘I make you nervous?’ Nelson asked seriously, shooting me a curious look. ‘You shouldn’t mind me—I was just fooling around.’
    I tugged my long plait over my shoulder and wrapped it around my fist. It had to be kept plaited or it got out of control. ‘Not you.’
    ‘Just guys?’
    I thumped my head lightly on the piano lid. ‘Am I that obvious?’
    Nelson shook his head. ‘No. I’m such a sensitive soul for recognizing it.’ He grinned.
    ‘I’ve got a few issues.’ I wrinkled my nose in disgust at myself. My problems were many, all rooted in my deep sense of insecurity according to the child psychologist I’d been going to since I was six. Well, gee, as if I couldn’t have worked that one out for myself, seeing that I was abandoned and all.
    ‘I’m a bit out of my comfort zone.’
    ‘But I’ve got your back, remember.’ Nelson pulled out his choice and showed it to me for my approval. ‘You can breathe easy round me. I ain’t got no nefarious designs towards you.’
    ‘What’s nefarious?’
    ‘I don’t know, but my grandma accuses me of having them when she thinks I done something bad and it sounds good.’
    I laughed, relaxing a little. ‘That’s right—I can rat you out to her if you step out of line.’
    He gave a mock shudder. ‘Even you can’t be so cruel, Brit Chick. Now, are we going to sit shooting the breeze all day or play some music?’ Nelson grabbed his sax and tested the tuning.
    ‘Music.’ I propped the score open on the stand and jumped right in.

 
    I had no plans for the weekend.
    Doesn’t that sound pathetic? Tina and Zoe had Saturday jobs in the local stores and Nelson was out of town to see his dad so there was no one to hang out with. Simon had mentioned something about hunting for second-hand pianos but that idea got shot down by the manager of the Arts Centre asking my parents to come in and sort out their studio space. I knew better than to get in the way. It would be like standing between two chocoholics and their candy supply. That left me circling Planet Wrickenridge, a lone comet in my own orbit.
    ‘Come and find us for lunch,’ Sally said, handing me a twenty dollar note. ‘Go and see what’s what in town.’
    That didn’t take long. Wrickenridge was American-quaint; even Starbucks masqueraded as a Swiss-style chalet. There was a small selection of upmarket shops, some only open during the skiing season, a couple of hotels with posh looking restaurants waiting for winter, a diner, a community centre, and a gym. I stood outside that for a while wondering if it was worth a closer look but in the end felt too shy to try it. Same went for the adjoining spa and nail parlour. I wondered if Neat Nails   was where Tina got hers done. I’d pretty much bitten mine to the quick.
    Wandering further on, I headed up Main Street towards the park, enjoying the municipal flowerbeds spilling over with bright autumn blooms. Passing the duck pond that doubled as an ice rink in winter, I walked until garden planting faded into an arboretum of mountain trees and shrubs. A few people strolling in the sunshine greeted me as we passed, but I