She turned and slid her arms around his neck. “Ditto. You were the perfect Tony.”
“I felt very connected to the part.” He kissed her but pulled back before things got too hot and heavy. “It was the perfect first role…and the perfect one to retire on.”
Sophie smiled up at him. “This is it?”
“I think I might be better behind the scenes. And in a supporting role for the theater owner.”
“I loved having you onstage,” she said. “But you really are good at the supportive stuff.”
He leaned in to kiss her again, but before their lips touched, Sophie heard, “Next time we do a musical!”
Colin had just entered the room. Finn groaned, and Sophie snorted. “Looks like someone got bit by the theater bug,” she said.
“Spotlights and applause,” Finn said with a nod. “Right up his alley.”
“Well, we have some work to do before we can go that big,” Angie said. “But I’ve got some ideas.”
Sophie unwrapped herself from her friend’s son and turned to face Angie. “You do?”
“Yes. And I’m going to reinvest my twenty percent into the physical building for the first year. We’ll replace the seats and carpeting first.”
Sophie frowned slightly. “Your twenty percent of what?”
The room had quieted, and Angie gave her a huge smile. “My twenty percent ownership in the theater.”
Sophie shook her head. “I don’t understand.”
“I loaned your father thirty thousand dollars,” Angie said.
“Right.” Sophie’s heart started thumping even though she wasn’t sure why.
“Well, when I called in his IOUs, right before he decided to pack up and leave town, he didn’t have the money. Or,” Angie said, “he wasn’t willing to repay the money, anyway.”
Sophie felt Finn’s hands settle on her shoulders, and she appreciated his touch. “That sounds like Frank.”
“Well, I informed him that the IOUs he wrote were legally binding contracts according to my nephew the lawyer,” Angie said. “And then I offered to take shares in the theater as payment. So I’m now a twenty percent owner.” Angie stepped forward and took one of Sophie’s hands. “Your dad isn’t your equal partner anymore, honey. You’re the majority owner of the Birch Community Playhouse.”
Sophie stared at her as thoughts rattled around in her head, the realization sinking in slowly. Angie had freed her from being Frank’s equal partner. “Angie—” Sophie’s voice caught. She cleared her throat. “I don’t know what to say.”
“Say you’re happy about it,” Angie said, squeezing her hand. “This was my idea from the second I offered him the first loan. But I couldn’t tell you about it. I didn’t want him to realize what I was doing until he was in over his head, and I knew he’d get suspicious if you weren’t stressed out about the whole thing. I’m sorry to make you worry.”
Finally it fully sank in. Sophie grabbed Angie and hugged her tightly. “Angela Kelly, you are amazing!”
Angie pulled back and gave both Sophie and Finn a look. “I thought I was naive and innocent.”
Sophie laughed. “No, ma’am. I stand corrected. You just outmanipulated Frank Birch. That takes feistiness.”
Angie grinned a grin that was so much like her oldest son’s that Sophie caught her breath for a moment.
“Well, thank you very much. I always thought I had some sassiness in me.” Angie gave her a wink.
Finn laughed. “I’m a little concerned about an increased level of sassiness in you, Mom.”
“Then look out,” she said with another big smile. “The Birch Community Playhouse is now in the hands of two of the most…vivacious…women you know.”
“I don’t know how to say thank you,” Sophie told her.
“Just…stick around.” Angie lifted her gaze to Finn over Sophie’s shoulder. “And love us.”
Sophie felt her eyes stinging, but she nodded.
Angie leaned in and gave her a kiss on the cheek. “You don’t have to thank me for having your back. I’ll protect you and help you however I can, whenever I can.”
Sophie sniffed as Angie moved off into the crowd and conversation started again.
Finn’s hands slid to her waist, and he pulled her back against him. “By the way, that runs in the family,” he said against her hair.
She turned in his arms. “Which part?”
“All of it.”
“The part about me wanting to stick around?”
“Uh, yeah, you’re not going anywhere. You’re mine.”
She let out a happy sigh and snuggled into him. Because she was, no doubt about it, totally his.
Zach Ashley is an EMT who lives to save people, while Kiera Connelly is a graphic designer who prefers to hide behind her computer. When disaster strikes and Zach must rescue Kiera, there’s an instant attraction. The two don’t agree on much, but despite their differences, they have one very important thing in common: they are crazy about each other.
Please turn the page for an excerpt from Completely Yours.
I like the new troll spell and the expanded fairy kingdom, but what happens if you get through the forest without finding any gems?” Aimee asked.
“You’d have to avoid all of the paths to not find one eventually,” Kiera pointed out.
She and Aimee were sitting in a coffee shop about four blocks from where Aimee and Zach lived. It was officially twenty-four hours after her concussion, and Kiera was feeling good as long as she kept ibuprofen in her system. They’d agreed to meet here while Zach worked. Maya and Sophie had been, predictably, thrilled when Kiera had told them she was going out for the afternoon. They didn’t need to know that she was spending the time showing Aimee some of the new Leokin designs she’d been working on. Though Kiera had to admit that getting someone’s reaction in real time, in person, was actually pretty fun. And when it was a hardcore Leokin girl like Aimee, it was also very helpful.
“But the witches and even some of the elves would be able to avoid the paths and make it through the whole forest,” Aimee said.
Kiera nodded. Aimee had a point. She typed a note about Aimee’s observation into the chat window she had open with Dalton.
“Dalton says we could distribute the gems with the moonsky flowers in the forest,” Kiera read to Aimee a moment later. Witches and elves were the only ones who could see moonsky flowers and benefit from their powers.
“That would work. But the gems will be too big to be hidden in the moonsky flower bushes,” Aimee said.
Kiera typed another note to Dalton, then made a few tweaks to the gem graphic. She sent it to Aimee, who opened it in her e-mail program immediately.
“Yes, that’s perfect.”
Kiera grinned at her. “Awesome.” She typed, “Aimee approved” into the chat window. Dalton sent her a thumbs-up.
“I can’t believe it,” Aimee said, sitting back in her chair.
Kiera looked up. “What?”
“I’m hanging out with Kiera Connolly, chatting online with Dalton Sagel, and giving input into new Leokin stuff. This is awesome.”
Kiera was flattered by Aimee’s admiration. But she was also worried. On the one hand, she didn’t want Aimee to get too attached to her. This whole thing was going to be over in a few weeks. On the other hand, if Aimee was more open and friendly with Zach because he was dating Kiera, then it was a good thing.
Ignoring all of those confusing thoughts, Kiera gave Aimee a smile and focused on her work. Leokin was always the answer when things got confusing in the real world.
Her phone started buzzing, and she glanced over. Zach was calling. She frowned and reached for the phone.
“Hello?”
“Hey, Princess.”
His deep voice made shivers dance through her. “Hi.”
“Where are you?”
“At the coffee shop near your place.”
“What are you doing?” he asked.
Kiera narrowed her eyes. “
Talking to your sister.”
“Great. I thought I’d swing by after my shift and say hi.”
She knew that Zach had told Aimee he’d be by around four. She’d been hoping to see him. She leaned back in her chair, trying to make her tone nonchalant. “Okay.”
“Everything going well?”
“You’re checking up on us?”
“No. Just thinking of you and wanted to say hi.”
She wasn’t sure she believed him, but she couldn’t help that her heart flipped a little at that idea. Still, she didn’t want to encourage quick calls “just to say hi.” She hated talking on the phone, and unimportant phone calls interrupted her work flow, and, most of all, this whole thing with her spending time with him and Aimee had been his idea. If he felt he needed to check in all the time, they needed to rethink their plan.
“You still there?” he asked.
“Yep.”
“And everything is okay.”
“Yes.”
She was sure the short, one-word answers drove Zach crazy. He was a talker. But she wasn’t.
“You’re not very talkative,” he commented a moment later.
She smiled in spite of herself. “No, I’m really not. I don’t like talking on the phone.”
“Oh.” He sounded confused. He probably was, she thought, her smile growing. Zach was clearly an extrovert who didn’t get introverts.
She heard him sigh.
“So if I want to check in, say hi, make plans…”
“Text me,” she said cheerfully.
She imagined the exasperated look she’d already seen a few times from him.
“Okay,” he finally said. “But I will see you later. And you’ll talk to me in person, right?”
“Within reason,” she agreed, wondering if her grin was evident in her tone. She wasn’t sure why it was fun to poke at Zach. Maybe because he seemed so sure that he knew exactly how things should always go. She liked shaking up his expectations a little bit.
“Right. Okay.” He sighed again.
“See you later,” she said.
“Yep. See you.”
She chuckled as she disconnected with him.
“So you didn’t mention anything to Zach about me meeting up with my WOL friends, did you?” Aimee asked.
Kiera looked up. “No. Why?”
“He won’t like it,” Aimee said. “But I’ve been thinking about doing it more and more. You think it’s okay, don’t you?”
Kiera frowned and moved her hands off her keyboard. “I understand that you feel close to them even with having never met them,” she said. She and Pete and Dalton were close and worked well together in spite of living three thousand miles apart. “And I don’t think meeting them is a bad idea. Why wouldn’t Zach like it?”
“He doesn’t get the online friendship thing.”
Just then her phone rang with a text. From Zach. She rolled her eyes but opened it.
Is Pete your boss?
He wanted to know about Pete? She typed back. Yes. And one of my best friends.
So you’re not in love with him?
She laughed. No.
Good.
She stared at the word for a moment.
Then she forced herself to concentrate on Aimee. “But this would be in person,” she said about the meeting with her online friends. “Wouldn’t Zach like that you were moving it into the real world?”
Aimee shrugged. “Yes and no. He’d like that I was being more social, getting out. But he wouldn’t like to know how close I’ve gotten to them and that they’ve been helping me through everything.”
Kiera frowned. “Why not?”
“Zach likes to be the one I need for everything,” Aimee said. “He likes to be the one everyone needs for everything.”
Kiera had no idea what to say to that. It didn’t shock her. But she didn’t want someone all mixed up in her stuff. Zach’s wanting to be involved in everything all the time should be a mark in the con column. So why was it kind of attractive?
Another text came in. She was surprised to feel her heart flutter at the sound.
Have you had your heart broken before to the point that it made you hole up in your room for two months?
She shook her head. She wouldn’t have personal conversations with him, but he thought she’d tell him personal things via text?
But as she thought about it, she realized this was a lot easier. She didn’t have to see the other person or think about what they were seeing in her face. And she knew already that Zach would keep pushing.
Yes. Her breakup with Mitch had messed her up for longer than two months.
What happened?
First love. Mitch. Very controlling. Tried to change everything about me.
Kiera hit send before she thought about it or read it over. She couldn’t believe she’d told him that. But maybe it was good for him to know where she was coming from. Their relationship was just a temporary, mostly fake thing. But it wouldn’t hurt for her to put all her cards out there.
Change you?
She took a breath. Hated all my hobbies, didn’t want me to spend time with anyone but him. Wanted me to change my hair and the way I dressed. Wanted me to lose weight.
You told the bastard to fuck off?
She smiled. Essentially that was exactly what she’d told him. Yes. She hesitated over her next words. But she ended up typing them anyway. So he moved on to Juliet.
Who’s Juliet?
She was my best friend, Kiera told him, feeling the familiar stabbing pain in her chest.
What did she do?
Became his perfect woman.
And when he’d insisted that she needed to lose weight too, she’d developed an eating disorder that had landed her in the hospital. Kiera had gone to try to talk her into leaving him, to let Kiera take her home. But Juliet had chosen the emotionally abusive asshole over her best friend.
But you stopped it? Got her away from him?
His question made Kiera’s heart squeeze. Tried. And failed.
He took a long time to answer. I know how bad that hurts.
She didn’t know what to say to that. Juliet had met Mitch because of Kiera. If Kiera hadn’t gotten involved with him, he would have never had Juliet on his radar. Kiera knew that, in part, Mitch had gone after Juliet because he’d wanted to get back at Kiera for rejecting him. So yes, she felt somewhat to blame. But Juliet had made her choices. Kiera had given her an option for getting out, and she’d turned Kiera down. It did hurt. But there was nothing she could do about it. Besides try to keep anything like that from happening again.
Something about Zach’s answer nagged at her, though. Was Zach talking about his relationship with Aimee? He was trying and failing to help her? She never delved into other people’s personal angst and drama, but suddenly Kiera needed to know.
“What have your friends been helping you through?” she asked Aimee hesitantly.
Aimee looked up from what she’d been doing on her computer. She blinked. “Getting over my sister.”
Kiera felt a trickle of foreboding go through her. “What do you mean?”
Aimee sighed. “I don’t know. I can’t explain it. Even before Josie died, Leokin was this place where I could…get lost. And then after she was gone, it was the only place I felt like myself.”
Kiera froze.
She didn’t move or make a sound.
Holy crap.
She glanced up, but Aimee was concentrating on her own computer screen.
Kiera held her breath. Aimee had lost her sister? Zach had lost his sister? This was definitely messy family stuff. Was Aimee not handling it well? But Kiera knew…Aimee was immersing herself in the game to avoid everything.
Kiera got that. She so got that.
Aimee sniffed and shifted on her chair. “I feel bad sometimes, but I never had a sister in Leokin, so I didn’t miss having a sister there. That made it the only place I wanted to be. I missed having a sister everywhere else.”
“No, she was in a band. A rock band. She played guitar and sang. She was awesome.”
Kiera could hear Aimee’s smile, and she looked up to catch it.
“They were coming home from a gig really late one night, and Hunter, he was the bass player and the lead singer, was driving. He was so cool.” Aimee’s voice trailed off for a moment. Then she said, “He fell asleep at the wheel and crossed the center line into oncoming traffic.”
Kiera blinked and forced herself to breathe as she stared at her screen, where the stream bubbled happily by the tall trees and long grass of the meadow.
Kiera had to say something. And the thing was, she kind of had something to say. She didn’t have any siblings, but she’d had someone she’d thought of as a sister. And she’d lost her. Not to death. Juliet had chosen to leave Kiera’s life. Not the same thing exactly, but Kiera knew the pain of losing a loved one and knowing your life would never be the same.
But she was out of practice. Since Juliet’s betrayal, Kiera had made a firm habit of staying out of people’s business and keeping them out of hers. She believed that people needed to make their own decisions and their own mistakes.
Condolences weren’t the same thing as advice, though. “I’m really sorry about your sister, Aimee.”
“I miss her every day,” the younger girl said softly.
“You’ll miss her every day forever,” Kiera said honestly. “But thinking about her won’t always squeeze your heart so hard that you can’t even take a deep breath.”
There was a long pause, and then Aimee said softly, “That’s exactly how it feels sometimes.”
Kiera nodded. “I know.”
Aimee swallowed hard. Then she gave a little nod and inserted her earbuds into her ears.
Each got absorbed in what was on her screen, and Kiera ignored all thoughts that went anything like, “Did I do okay?” “What’s she thinking?” “Did I mess that up?”
She’d told her the truth. And Aimee wasn’t her responsibility. Kiera knew the girl was hurting, but she had a big brother who was amazing and protective and sweet. He was taking care of her, Kiera was sure.
Totally His Page 27
