Kiss Me, Dancer (27 page)

“Hold on a sec.” Casey didn’t want to have this conversation here in her little room where only plasterboard separated her from where Parker slept.

Through the dark she tiptoed out of their living area and into her brother’s glass house of plants. She hadn’t slept at all, and the spicy scent of dianthus had a refreshing effect. That and the bright half-moon overhead. She heard an owl hooting outside, the peaceful swooshing of trees, and crickets trying to hang on as autumn settled in.

Firm in her resolve, Casey took a seat on a crate next to a dracaena and started right in before Drew had a chance to muddle her thoughts again. “So, Drew, I know you’re an alpha male who needs a lot of women, and I have no right to judge your lifestyle, but I do have a right to choose my own. And I don’t want to be romantically involved with that kind of man.” There. She said it.

“But I’m not seeing anyone else.”

“That won’t last.”

“Listen, Casey. I know what I did with Amber was pretty stupid, and I’m sorry. I don’t blame you one bit for being angry with me.”

“I’m not angry anymore.”
Only devastated
. Why did she have to be the kind of person whose wounds took so long to heal?

“You don’t believe my story about the party, do you?”

Memories flooded her mind of Drew in the Von Alston’s backyard, his body draped around Amber’s. “About your father telling you which women to sleep with?”

His voice pitched higher. “I haven’t sleep with Amber. Well, yeah, I have, but that was a long time ago. And it never meant anything.”

“I’m really not interested in—”

“Just hear me out.”

“Drew, we’ve been over this.”

“Both my dad and Amber’s parents would like me to marry Amber. That’s never gonna happen, but it doesn’t hurt to put on an act now and then to keep them happy. And that’s all it was.”

“Sounds very manipulative.”

“Well, it’s the only way to handle a father who’s a world class manipulator. And stubborn as hell. But I love the tough old bird. And I owe him. He started our trucking business, and even though I was coerced into taking it on, it’s been awfully good to me. Each day I count my blessings for that. I live a privileged lifestyle. I can treat my son to special things. I can do all sorts of things. Like buy a dance studio.”

“You know how grateful I am for that. And I fully intend to pay my share of rental for—”

“Save it. That’s not why I said it. I just want you to understand why I have a tendency to give in to my father’s demands. And in this case, geez, he was still pushing me while he lay on his back holding his heart.”

Casey heaved an exasperated sigh. “I’m sorry about your father’s heart condition, but where are we going with this?”

“I never meant to hurt you, Casey. I want another chance. We came so close to something great, something real.”

Tears came. She blinked and felt them tickling her cheeks. Was she a fool to turn him down? She wanted so badly to have him back, to have the dream romance she’d always fantasized about.

But hadn’t she learned by now? This was Jeff all over again, only much worse. Jeff had only been a small taste of love; this was the full-blown, mature, deluxe version that would leave her shredded when he tired of her.

And wasn’t that what he’d told Madame Lumina? That all his women get to be tiring after a while. “Why did you lie to me, Drew? Why didn’t you just come out and tell me you had to play act with another woman for your business?”

“Oh, right. Like you wouldn’t have crucified me for that.”

“Don’t make assumptions about who I am or how I’d act.”

He let out a snort. “Like you’re not doing that to me? You’ve decided I’m an unreliable player who can’t sustain a relationship.”

“Well, you can’t deny you’ve blazed a trail.”

“Like you’re so perfect.”

“I don’t pretend to be. Look, Drew, we agreed to just be friends and business partners. No more. Let’s keep it that way.”

In the moment of deathly silence that followed, a voice inside her screamed,
Idiot! This is your last chance! You’ll lose him forever.

But then Drew spoke in a tone so cold it literally made her shiver, “You’re right. I don’t need this crap. Anything more than being friends and business partners would end up being a big pain in my butt.” He signed off without a goodbye.

Casey padded back to her room, muffled her face against her pillow, and cried until dawn.

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Between building codes, contractor’s delays and unexpected repair problems it looked like the North Cove Performing Arts Academy would not open for another couple months. The daily meetings with Casey that Drew used to look forward to were now something he avoided. Whenever possible he took care of things without her and had his secretary call Casey with updates or questions.

He continued to provide transportation and after-performance dinners for her dance group’s trips to New York City, mainly because he wanted to make sure Josh traveled with a safe driver and had a proper meal. But he no longer joined them. The silent response on Casey’s end told him she got the message loud and clear. She’d probably call it one of his games. Too bad. Drew wasn’t about to follow any woman around like a hound dog.

And being with her just plain hurt too much.

To everyone’s surprise the dance group made it all the way to the finals on
Got Moves
. Even though their season would not be televised until January, word got out. Regional papers and even the TV news carried stories about the kids they dubbed “Casey’s Cove Corps.”

All of a sudden Drew’s shy, anti-social son was a celebrity. The North Cove Dance Academy’s email was so clogged with messages from fans in the live TV studio audience that Casey had to set up a Facebook fan page just for the Cove Corps. Drew was proud as hell of Josh, but he could also see the pressure building now that everyone was watching.

Today Josh would be performing with Casey’s dancers at a Halloween pumpkin festival on one of the biggest farms in the North Fork. Drew planned on spending the day with him there, even though it meant seeing Casey. But between the crowds and festival activities, he would likely be able to scoot around her.

How ironic. This awkwardness because of their emotional involvement was the very thing that had made Casey balk when Drew had first suggested buying a building to house her studio. He remembered assuring her it wouldn’t be a problem. But back then he’d been so certain the one having trouble letting go would be Casey, not himself.

Now as Drew and Josh prepared to leave for the festival, his formerly quiet son yammered on about his plans to explore a haunted corn maze with ten-foot tall stalks after the performance. When Drew could get a word in, he said, “You head on out to the carport. I’m going to check on Grandpa and let him know where we’ll be.”

Drew sauntered to his father’s wing and found Andrew Sr. parked in front of the TV with a bottle of Jack Daniels on the end table next to him. Not good. After telling him where they were going, he added, “Why don’t you come along with us?”

“With you and the kid?”

“His name’s Josh. And everybody else at the festival will be applauding him when he dances. Maybe it would be nice if his grandfather did, too.”

“I wouldn’t want any son of mine doing that ballerina stuff.” Andrew Sr. turned back to the television.

Drew picked up the remote, switched off the TV and stepped in front of it. “You are a heartless, selfish prick. For your information, it takes balls to go onstage and risk complicated moves only a supreme athlete could achieve. My son has performed them on a TV show millions will see. And the best part about it? He loves doing it. You know why I say that, Dad? Because I
never
loved any of the things you forced me to do. I might have, if you would’ve left me alone instead of pushing me and pushing me so hard I used to lay awake half the night before a Little League game, terrified I might strike out or make an error and you’d be ashamed of me.”

His father waved him off. “You coddle that boy. Sure, I was tough, but that’s what made you the man you are today.”

“The man I am? Such a man that at the age of thirty-two I still do everything my father says. Even if it ruins my life.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Remember the stupid nonsense with Amber Von Alston? Sometimes I think you faked those heart pains on the golf course just to get me to do it.”

“Oh, that.” He chuckled.

“Were you faking it?” Drew stepped in, his face close enough to his father’s to silence his laugh.

“I don’t remember. What difference does it make?”

“Difference? The difference between me being happy or miserable. I finally fall in love with a woman and I leave her hanging so I can go play games with Amber. And she saw me at Amber’s party, Dad. So I lost her. I lost the only woman I ever wanted.”

His father watched Drew a moment. “Is she one of Amber’s friends?”

“No. She worked for the caterer Julia hired. A horrible coincidence.”

“Got involved with a waitress, huh? Where’d you meet her?”

“She sometimes works as a waitress, but she’s Josh’s dance teacher.”

“The one who’ll be running that artsy place you’ve been working on?”

Drew nodded.

“She gonna be there today?”

“Of course.”

“I’d like to meet her.”

“You already have. When she was waiting out front by the car a few weeks ago.”

Andrew Sr.’s eyebrows came together as he thought about it. “That skinny, mousy-haired thing?”

“Yeah. Her.”

His father stood. “All right. I suppose it’s time I got a look at what’s going on with these two boys I got.”

***

Since Casey’s group would be one of two competing for the final prize on
Got Moves
this Thursday Casey thought it best to keep them sharp with a Saturday performance in addition to their rehearsals. She stood with her dancers near a platform that served as a stage in the huge barn already filled to capacity with folks from North Cove and other nearby towns eager to see the Cove Corps. She gathered her dancers for a group hug, a ritual they shared before every show.

Paige put a hand to her queasy tummy. “I think it’s worse when people in the audience know you.”

“Yeah,” Emma said. “Like my little brother will probably call out my name and jinx me.”

“That’ll be after I slip and land on my butt.”

“Face it. We’re going down.”

“Stop it, you guys.” Casey patted their backs. “Just focus on the dance as we rehearsed it, and you’ll do great. And don’t worry about whether or not we win the final prize. What you’ve already achieved is amazing. I’m so proud of all of you.”

Casey understood too well the fear of things going wrong. Of seeing your luck go south even after you’ve given it your best. Life wasn’t always fair. She’d learned that lesson, but wasn’t about to dampen their dreams with even a trace of her cynicism. The same cynicism that was giving her cold feet over the elaborate performing arts academy Drew was building.

Sure, she’d had an enthusiastic hand in shaping it, but now that it was becoming a reality her anxiety and doubt started taking over. Running dance classes and her little Cove Corps was one thing; heading an arts center with a multi-faceted school, a studio-theater and a charitable outreach program seemed like more than she could handle. Drew had even bought a nearby farmhouse he wanted to turn into a twenty-room bed-and-breakfast to house students coming in for residential summer programs.

Scariest part of it was if Casey failed this time she would not only be letting her kids down and screwing up on her own dream — she’d be failing Drew.

Because this dream also belonged to him.

Standing on the side of the room in her jeans, sneakers and hoodie, she couldn’t help peeking out the corner of her eye at him now. Drew sat on a card chair in the front row. He wore a denim shirt that made his eyes look even bluer. The open collar accented his wonderful jaw and sexy Adam’s apple. Rolled up sleeves showed his muscular forearms, one hand holding a jack o’lantern Josh had probably picked out.

Casey loved Drew’s hands. So strong and warm. Hands that knew just how to touch her.

At two o’clock sharp Hannah Gibson, a reporter from the local newspaper, walked on the stage, mic in hand. She told the crowd about the exciting day she’d had when Casey allowed her to travel along with the Cove Corps last week and go behind the scenes for their appearance on
Got Moves
. “Now, here they are. The Cove Corps!”

The group danced three of the pieces they’d done for the live TV audience, and each garnered wild applause. Josh, who did the most gymnastic moves, had them cheering throughout. Clearly star potential.

Casey peered at Drew again to catch a glimpse of that proud papa look on his face. He must have sensed her watching him because at that moment he met her gaze and rewarded her with a smile that sent shivers clear to her toes.

It took her a while to recognize the familiar looking man sitting next to Drew. His father. Aside from his blue eyes, he and Drew were miles apart in appearance. She wondered if his presence today was a first. Drew had once told her how troubled he was over his father’s rejection of a grandson who would never be the kind of boy Andrew Sr. preferred.

Casey missed those intimate talks she used to have with Drew, often while cradled in his arms after an exhausting round of sex. Four weeks had passed since Drew’s late night phone call when he’d asked her for another chance and she’d refused him. And every day she questioned her decision. No matter how hard she tried not to, she still loved him. And sometimes she needed him so badly she thought any amount of heartache he’d cause her down the road would be worth it just to have him back for a little while.

After the show people clustered around Casey with praise and friendly wishes. Drew did not join them, but gave her a quick thumbs up — from a distance. She met her kids near the makeshift dressing room to soothe any boo-boos, remind them of rehearsal schedule and collect costumes. Then she beat a quick path toward her car.