The High Notes

Chapter 1


Iris Cooper was small for her age. She looked more like ten than twelve, in her cut-­off jeans with ragged edges, a pink T-­shirt, and scuffed pink cowboy boots her father, Chip, had bought at a yard sale.

She stood watching the horses tethered under a tree on a blazing hot day in Lake City, Texas, kicking pebbles with the toe of her cowboy boot.

She was humming to herself, as she always did. She could hear music in her head. She composed songs on her father s guitar, and they sounded pretty good. She d gone to school in Lake City for four months. She d been to three schools so far that year. Her father liked to move around a lot, looking for opportunities to make some money. He got tired of the towns they went to pretty fast. He rented a room for each of them in someone s house, stayed for a few months, and then they moved on. Iris liked it when they stayed in a town with a church. She could sing with the choir, and they were always happy to have her. She could hit the high notes better than anyone else. Once they heard her sing, they let her stay. She could go to the church socials and eat pot roast and fried chicken, potato salad or mashed potatoes. The rest of the time, they lived on fast food, and whatever her father could afford that day, sometimes just a can of beans or some chili.

Her name had been prophetic. She had deep blue eyes, the color of an iris, and a mass of soft blond hair that framed her face. She wore it in a braid that she could do herself.

Her mother, Violet, had left her and her father when she was two. He never told her, but she d once heard him say that Violet was killed during a bar fight in East Texas after she left. She and her boyfriend had been at the bar when someone pulled out a gun, shot into the crowd during the fight, and killed them both. She and Chip had a rocky marriage. And when she left Chip, it was easier to leave Iris with him. Iris didn t remember her, so she didn t miss her. You couldn t

Danielle Steel has been hailed as one of the world’s bestselling authors, with a billion copies of her novels sold. Her many international bestsellers include Happiness, Palazzo, The Wedding Planner, Worthy Opponents, Without a Trace, The Whittiers, The High Notes, and other highly acclaimed novels. She is also the author of His Bright Light, the story of her son Nick Traina’s life and death; A Gift of Hope, a memoir of her work with the homeless; Expect a Miracle, a book of her favorite quotations for inspiration and comfort; Pure Joy, about the dogs she and her family have loved; and the children’s books Pretty Minnie in Paris and Pretty Minnie in Hollywood.