Center Stage
Page 22

“And your mother is on catering duty.”
“She only uses the best ones.”
Audrey did have fine taste in everything, John thought.
Zach leaned back in his chair. “What are you going to get her? This is the big one, you know. The big four-oh.”
“She hasn’t mentioned that. It must not be as big for her as you think.”
“That’s because she’s content. Most women her age either are longing for marriage and babies or watching their children grow into adults. Arianna is happy.”
That part John knew.
Zach sat back up in his chair. “Madeline will handle forty just fine. She’s been through enough to appreciate it and her kids are amazing. Regan, well, I won’t even speculate. Now Simone…”
John shook his head. “You are the only man alive that could get away with that thought you’re having.”
“Yep. I don’t even think Curtis would try.”
“How are they doing?”
“I’ve never seen Simone happier in my life. Who would have thought a woman would fall into my lap, and I’d marry her. And not only that, she’d come with a brother for my best friend and a sister for my right-hand man.”
John drove home in afternoon traffic, and Luke Bryan played on his iPod, which was situated next to him as the radio had stopped working years ago. As soon as Taylor Swift started singing about never, ever, ever, ever getting back together, he turned it off. This was what happened when you fell in love with a younger woman. She filled your iPod with songs from men she’d mentioned, who wore their jeans nice and tight, and girls who weren’t old enough to know about the love they sang about.
He’d need to make sure, if he was going to let her access his music, she’d better keep some Johnny Cash and Hank in there. He might just go crazy if she switched it all out.
When he finally made it home and walked through the back door, he laughed when she had the stereo blasting and this time is was Patsy Cline. Well, she was a mystery, this young woman he loved.
He walked into the living room and found the volume control and turned it down.
“Hey!” he heard yelled from upstairs.
“I figured that would get your attention.” He pulled off his coat and draped it over his arm. Suddenly he’d become very aware of the fact he’d walked into the house with his work boots on. Just as quickly as he’d walked in, he retreated to the back door to pull them off.
Arianna skipped down the steps and out to the kitchen. “Guess what?”
“What?”
“I just secured Annie for the grand opening in October.”
The smile on her face was infections, and he felt his cheeks rise as he smiled, too. “That’s wonderful.”
“I’ve already called my brother and asked him if it would be okay if I offered the part to Clara.”
John hung his coat on the hook by the door. “You’re not going to audition her?”
“Perks of knowing the director. Besides, have you ever heard the girl sing?”
He shook his head.
“You’ll understand when you hear her. She’s going to be a star someday. Just you wait.”
John wondered if she was that excited about her nieces and nephews, how excited would she be over the talents of her own children. Would she have them on stage singing and dancing? Would he have them with hammers and nails?
His jaw tightened. Where had that come from?
He could feel the blood drain from his head.
“Are you okay?” Arianna was moving to him quickly. “You’re pale.”
“I’m fine.” He batted her away and brought his mind back to the conversation about Annie and Clara. “Do you think Clara will want to work that hard?”
Arianna’s eyes were narrowed on him, but once he moved through the kitchen and pulled a beer from the refrigerator, she loosened up. “Yes. We are so much alike, her and I. She’ll be very excited. In fact, I’m going to head over there now. I was digging this up from a box upstairs.”
She held up a CD case with the music from Annie.
John nodded. “Mind if I go with you? We could pick up some dinner.”
“I would adore that.” She moved into him and pressed a kiss against his lips.
He was sure she’d meant to leave it at that, but he needed more.
John wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her in closer. He moved his mouth over hers and took the kiss deep, to another level.
Arianna’s arms came up around his neck. Oh, what this woman could do to him with just one kiss.
She pulled back, but kept him close. “We’d better go or I’ll never make it over there.”
At least he knew his kisses did the same to her. He wondered how quickly they could eat and offer a position to Clara. He had some needs brewing, and by the blush on her cheeks, she did too.
Chapter Twelve
One thing John had forgotten about was in-laws. Sure, Carlos and Madeline weren’t his, but if he’d planned a life with Arianna, and he did, then he’d suppose this was the way of it.
He certainly didn’t mind Carlos. Heck, if he had to have a brother-in-law, he’d have chosen him personally. He’d never seen a harder working man. But the part he’d forgotten about was when you “stopped by,” you couldn’t leave.
Carlos and Christian had just returned from something to do with baseball. John hadn’t ever taken the time to notice that baseball was all Christian was into, much like he didn’t know Clara was a performer like her aunt. Eduardo had his sights on engineering, that he knew.
Once Madeline had let them into the house, she and Arianna went on like a couple of little girls at a slumber party. He’d heard Zach mention this phenomenon with Arianna and Regan, and Madeline was as much their sister as Carlos was their brother. He figured he was in for a long night, and that hot kiss they’d shared before they left home was more than likely forgotten.
The moment Carlos had seen him sitting at the table with the women, he’d pulled a beer from the fridge and handed it to him.
“C’mon, I have a pool table in the basement.”
John followed, happy to have the distraction.
When they made it to the basement, Carlos began to rack the balls. “You might be here all night if those two get to talking.”
“I figured as much.”
“Madeline has missed Arianna. I’m glad she moved back.”