Center Stage
Page 18

Simone lifted her head. “I have not spoken to my father in months, but I will call him and ask if he has spoken to the idiot!”
Zach shook his head. “He’d wanted Simone’s father to invest in a build. I wouldn’t have anything to do with it.”
“Well, the fact is he’s surfacing,” John continued to hold her.
Arianna took in a deep breath and tried to calm her nerves. She turned back to her family. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell everyone why I came home. John and I have gone to the police and given them the information. There is nothing they can do. They don’t have a way of tracking the calls or texts. The phone number doesn’t come up.”
Arianna’s father sat back in his chair and crossed his arms over his chest. “We will protect each other. That is how this family works.” He then leaned in on his elbows and took the time to connect with each and every one of them with a glance. “We will do all that is necessary.”
That was all that needed to be said.
Strangely enough, Arianna felt more secure than she had in a very long time.
The evening hadn’t ended with the bad news about Alexander Hamilton. Once her mother had her family all gathered, she had to cook.
It wasn’t anything more than spaghetti and garlic bread, but it was a family meal.
They hadn’t spoken about Alexander Hamilton again, but he was on everyone’s mind. And if she knew her siblings, they’d all take a shot at her.
As her father moved to the family room with his grandsons Eduardo and Christian close behind, Arianna helped her mother clear the table as her sister and Simone both nursed their babies.
Arianna set the dishes in the sink and opened the dishwasher as her mother walked into the kitchen.
“You’re all moved in?”
“Yes. I finally have everything in its place.”
“Good. And you’re comfortable with John in the basement?”
Arianna began loading the dishwasher. “Yes.”
“Ah.” Her mother’s German accent grew thicker the older she became. Arianna always wondered if it was something that mentally kept her connected to her past. Perhaps if she kept the accent, she’d still have that part of her.
Her mother went about putting away items in the refrigerator as Arianna filled the dishwasher, but then she felt her nearby.
She turned to see her standing with her hands on her hips.
“You don’t have anything to share with me?”
“Such as?” Arianna matched her mother’s stance.
“You and John. I’m not blind, Arianna. What has happened between the two of you?”
Arianna’s hands dropped to her side. “I think I’ve fallen in love with him. That’s what’s happened between us.”
The swinging door that led into the kitchen opened, and Madeline walked in. “Thank goodness you got that out in the open. I couldn’t eavesdrop any longer.”
Arianna laughed. Madeline was as close a sister to her as Regan. She’d missed her for years when her brother was so stupid to have divorced her.
“Why did you have to eavesdrop? Regan already knew all of this.”
“Of course she did. That’s why we all know about it. But I wanted to hear for myself.”
Arianna walked to the kitchen table and pulled out a chair. If she and her sister were young, she’d have taken hold of her hair and pulled until she cried for sharing her secrets. Then again, they must not have been very secret if Regan was sharing them. Regan didn’t gossip for spite.
By the time she’d sat down, the kitchen filled with Simone and Regan each carrying their babies. Soon Clara was following close behind. Thank goodness she was. At least they wouldn’t be embarrassing her about her sex life in front of Clara.
“Clara, are you familiar with the musical Annie?” she asked her niece.
“Isn’t everyone?”
That was true enough. “You’re right. Did you hear that Zach bought a new building, and it’s a theater?”
“I thought everyone bought it for you,” she said innocently as Madeline reached for her and pulled her close.
She gave her an enormous hug from her seat. “No one was supposed to tell her that.”
“I didn’t know it was a surprise.”
Arianna reached for Clara’s hand. “It was a wonderful surprise, and I’m going to make you all proud. And I was thinking of Annie as the first production. It was the first show I ever saw, and I saw it at the Rockwell Theater.”
“That would be neat,” Clara said.
“Will you help me with it?”
Clara’s eyes widened, and she exchanged glances with Madeline and then looked back at Arianna. “Really?”
“I think you’d be the perfect choice.”
“To help you?”
“Yes. But I also thought you’d be a perfect Annie.”
Chapter Ten
The atmosphere in the truck was much different than on the drive over to Arianna’s parents’ house. She was at ease, and John wasn’t near as tense either.
He’d wrapped his arm around her shoulder once he was on the highway headed home. She rested her head against him.
“I think this theater is going to be wonderful.”
He hummed his agreement. “It’s going to be a lot of work.”
“I know, but I’m ready for that.”
“Zach asked me to work on it. He said since it’s a Benson, Benson, and Hart acquisition, it’s part of my job.”
Arianna leaned up against him closer. “So I’ll get to see you work?”
“I’m not a nice guy when I work. You might not want to be around.”
She lifted her lips to his ear. “You can’t get rid of me of me like that. You’re stuck with me.”
His arm tightened around her shoulders. “That’s exactly what I wanted.”
By the time they pulled up behind her house, Arianna was completely stirred up. She’d be damned if John slept in his own bed tonight without her. As wound up as she was, he’d be lucky to get any sleep at all.
The moment she opened the back door, she was swept off her feet and thrown over John’s shoulder.
She let out a yelp. “What are you doing?” she laughed as he carried her up the stairs like some caveman.
“You ruined my night last night. I seriously don’t want to be sleeping alone. So you’re going to have to make that up to me.”