“Tanner.” Serena practically leapt over her brother and threw her arms around him. “I didn’t think you were coming.”
He laughed as he hugged Izzy’s sister. At least she was happy to see him, even if Justin wasn’t. Even if Izzy wouldn’t be. “I wasn’t. This was a last minute decision.”
Hayley squeezed in between the two of them. “This is perfect. I can’t wait to see Izzy dance. She’ll have so many people cheering for her.”
He wrapped his arm around Hayley’s shoulder. “Remember, honey, you don’t cheer at the ballet until the end.”
“That’s right,” Serena said. “But Izzy always knows where we sit and she smiles in my direction, even though she can’t see us. So keep your eyes on her and maybe she’ll wave.”
“I hope so.”
“Shh.” The couple in front of them turned around, their fingers across their lips. Tanner chuckled. They were kinda making a scene.
They retook their seats just as the overture ended. He took that moment to study the playbill that had been hastily shoved in his hand when they’d entered. There was Izzy, one hand high and the other by her side as she stood on pointe with her leg extended beyond her. A ballet skirt flowed down from her waist, and he could practically see it sway. The caption read Isabella Harper returns as Swanhilda.
He ran his hand over the image and closed his eyes. If only she could feel his presence, to know that he was watching… and that he loved her.
The curtain rose, and a minute later, she danced onto the stage. Emotion poured out of her, shone through her, as she performed the intricate moves that told a beautiful story of love and loss and finding that love again. It was fitting that her ex-boyfriend held the role of the villain. And Tanner hated to admit that Erik and Izzy made a striking dance pair.
But that was it. She didn’t look at him the way she looked at Tanner. Her gaze was professional with her partner; it held none of the heat that permeated every glance, every look, when he and Izzy were together. Why he’d thought this man was a threat was beyond him. All of his fears that Izzy would go back to Erik were unfounded. She’d tried to assure him of that, and he should have believed her.
Izzy had to take this opportunity—she was made to be on the stage. Just like this. And he was so glad that he’d gotten his head out of his ass and come to see her. He’d let his pride, and his fear, get in the way of what he wanted for too long. But not anymore.
When the music reached the final crescendo and the curtain dropped, he leapt to his feet. His cheeks ached from smiling, and he smacked his hands together so hard that they hurt. After several bows, the curtain finally dropped for the last time. A minute later, Izzy stepped in front of the curtain with a man. Her face was flushed, the color giving life to her cheeks. She heaved a couple of breaths but didn’t look like she’d been working for the past two hours. Damn, he’d missed seeing her smiling face.
The house lights came up and the audience retook their seats.
The man beside Izzy handed her a microphone. “Thank you all so much for coming today.”
A few whistles and cat calls rang out from the crowd. Izzy handled them like a pro—smiling and waving at the crowd. “Thank you.”
She looked down to where they were sitting and smiled and waved at her family. Then her gaze landed on him. She raised her eyebrows, only slightly, but enough that he could see, and her smile grew bigger. She finger waved at Hayley but her gaze lingered on him before she turned her attention back to the crowd.
“Thank you so much for coming to our special benefit performance tonight. I’m so thrilled to see so many boys and girls with us today. Coppelia was the first ballet that my father took me to as a young child, and I was hooked. I am so pleased that we were able to perform this wonderful story as a benefit to the Boys and Girls Club of Harlem.”
The applause swelled, and Izzy thanked the crowd. It took a few minutes before they quieted down again.
“Thanks to the generous contribution of our patrons and the proceeds from the tickets you purchased tonight, we will be donating more than one hundred thousand dollars to this wonderful and worthy cause.”
The crowd exploded in applause again. Izzy laughed and raised her hands to quiet them. “As many of you know, I recently returned to New York after recuperating from an injury in my hometown of Cedar Hill, Pennsylvania. There is a wonderful center there, Jason’s House, that provides a safe place for teens, away from the gangs and the drugs of the city. I was inspired by the work being done at Jason’s House and felt strongly that my return performance should benefit teens as much as that wonderful center does. Thank you so much for your support.”
The crowd rose to their feet again, but Tanner was stuck to his chair. He’d figured that Jason’s House had inspired the charity aspect of the show… but he had no idea. His heart ached with his love for this wonderful woman. She could have just performed and left things as they were, but she had spearheaded the effort to make a substantial donation to help the kids who needed it most.
Now he hoped that she would forgive him for not having enough faith in their love to realize it could survive the separation. And for ignoring her because he was hurt that she chose New York over him. Now he understood that it was never a choice for her—ballet was as much a part of her as anything else. He hadn’t believed that they could find a way to have both. Until now. They had to find a way to make it work.
“Come on, Daddy. Serena said we could go backstage with them. I want to give Izzy her flowers.” Hayley grabbed his hand and dragged him down the row of seats. They crept to the side of the theater and through a door.
Backstage was a chaos of dancers in costumes, family members and friends sharing hugs and congratulations. Loud voices were raised in celebration. They edged slowly down the hall. He kept his hand tightly around Hayley’s. Was he trying to reassure himself or Hayley that everything was going to be all right?
But he hadn’t needed to worry. Where he’d expected her to shy away from the strange people and unfamiliar setting, she smiled and laughed as they made their way toward Izzy’s dressing room. Hayley had come so far in the past few months, and he had Izzy to thank for that. She’d brought his daughter out of her shell and helped her to trust in people again.
“Izzy!” Serena yelled her sister’s name and then she and Alexis rushed forward to wrap Izzy in a hug. Justin followed his sisters.
Tanner rested his hand on Hayley’s shoulder when she started to follow. “Wait a sec. Let her visit with her family first.”
“But she’ll want to see us?” A bit of Hayley’s fears broke through.
“Of course she will, honey.”
As he said those words, Izzy’s gaze landed on his. A sparkle lit her eyes. Her smile was like a shot straight to his heart, and all of the frustration of the past month melted away, leaving him with just the love between them. Even while her siblings were chattering around her, she didn’t look away.
He leaned down and spoke to Hayley, his gaze never breaking from Izzy’s. “Go ahead, honey.”
Hayley rushed forward and Izzy’s siblings stepped back. “Izzy! You did great. We got you these flowers.”
Izzy crouched down and wrapped her arms around his daughter. He stood back as the two most important people in his life shared a private conversation. Hayley chattered on and on, but Izzy didn’t once look away or act as though she wasn’t interested in what Hayley was saying. This was exactly the kind of woman Hayley needed, and if he had his way, Izzy would be a part of their lives. For a very long time.
Finally Izzy stood and she searched until she found him again. He smiled as he took her in, her beautiful, sparkling eyes, her lithe body in a long, flowing emerald-colored gown. You’d never know she just performed for two hours on the stage under the hot lights.
He stepped toward her, and the sounds around them faded away. One of Izzy’s sisters, he wasn’t sure which one, shuffled Hayley off to the side.
It was just the two of them.
/>
He rested his hands lightly on her arms. He didn’t want to presume that he could pick up where they left off. If that was what she wanted at all. But he couldn’t stop touching her, feeling her skin on his. “You were wonderful.”
“I can’t believe you’re here. I didn’t think you were coming.” Her voice was low and husky, and the sound washed over him, spurring a twinge in his gut.
“I wasn’t. For a long time, I told myself it was better if we had a clean break. Better for me and better for Hayley.”
The smile fell from her face, and she looked away.
“But I was wrong.”
Her mouth formed an O and then the sparkle returned to her eyes.
“I missed you more than I thought possible for this past month. I know I said that we could never make it work long distance, but being without you showed me that you are worth fighting for.”
“Tanner, take a breath.”
“I will. Just let me finish this.” He took her hands. The words came fast, as though he was about to explode from the anticipation. Whatever it took, he would convince her to take one more chance on him. “Whatever it takes for us to be together, I’ll do it. If I have to come to New York every weekend to spend a few hours with you, I’ll do it. If I have to travel around the world as you tour, I’ll do it. Just as long as we’ll be together.”
She bit her lip. It was all he could do to keep from leaning in and nibbling that spot until she opened for him. But he waited until she was ready to respond. “Well, what about if you have to drive about a mile and a half?”
He startled. He couldn’t have heard her right. “What are you saying?”
“I’ve retired permanently from the company. This show was my only performance. I’ve proven to the world, and more importantly, to myself, that I could come back. A few days of grueling rehearsals and aching muscles and painful feet reminded me that it wasn’t the glamorous life that I remembered. And I missed my students.”
He held his breath while she spoke, afraid to let it out for fear that this was all a dream. “You’re coming home?”
She smiled and nodded. “As soon as I can collect my things. I loved performing tonight, but I’ve done what I needed to do. The way things ended before just left so many questions unanswered.”
His heart kicked up a beat. It was almost too good to hope for. “But you have the answers now?”
“I do. And I’m ready to start the rest of my life.”
He couldn’t wait another moment to have her in his arms. She melted into him and looked up into his eyes with such love. He lowered his head until their lips were just a breath away. “I love you, Isabella Harper.”
“I love you, too, Tanner Ross.”
With a press of his lips to hers, everything that had been turned upside down the day she left for New York was put right again.
Epilogue
“Where are we going?” Tanner had blindfolded Izzy before he settled her into his SUV. She had tried to pay attention to his turns, but after the first few minutes, she just laughed when she realized he was intentionally driving her in circles.
“You’ll see.” His hand had been resting on her knee since they’d pulled out, and she covered it with hers, linking their fingers together. In the months since she had been back from New York, it had been tough to steal time together. The few moments that they did have were intense. She hadn’t known that she could love someone like she did Tanner, and he kept showing her how much he loved her every day.
The car finally came to a stop. “Wait right here.”
She heard the door open and click closed. She felt like an idiot, sitting God knows where with a blindfold over her eyes. Maybe a little peek would give her a clue where they’d gone. She reached to nudge it aside it when the door beside her opened.
“Oh, no, you don’t.” Tanner rested his hand on her arm and helped her out of the car. She stepped onto pavement. So she was in a parking lot or on a street. But she couldn’t tell anything else. A car drove by from time to time and she heard some voices, but none that were recognizable.
“Watch your step.” Tanner nudged her forward. After a short walk, she could tell that she had entered a building.
The sounds of the street were muffled, and lights buzzed overhead. His hand left her arm and she reached her hands in front of her. “Tanner, what’s going on?”
He didn’t answer for a minute.
“Tanner?”
“You can take your blindfold off.” His voice was further away from her now.
She reached behind her head and removed the scarf. She blinked twice and then the room around her came into focus. He’d brought her to Jason’s House. And Tanner was in front of her, on one knee.
“Izzy. I didn’t think I had it in me to love again. To risk the pain. But then I met you and a light turned on in my life. I love your strength and your spirit and your determination. And I love how you love Hayley like she’s your own. We want you to be a part of our life.” He fumbled in his pocket and then extended his hand, a ring between his fingers. “Will you marry me?”
Her hands flew to her mouth. After years of feeling unlovable, she’d finally found the man to show her that she deserved to be loved.
“Of course I’ll marry you.”
He leapt up and pulled her into his arms. Her heart almost burst, and she couldn’t stop her hands from shaking.
Tanner spun her around. “She said yes!”
All of a sudden, Serena, Alexis, Justin, and Mom burst in the room from the back. Right behind them were Hayley and Mary. Even Blue joined them, yipping and barking and jumping at Hayley.
“I’m so happy for you, sis. Tanner’s perfect for you.” Justin wrapped her in a hug.
“Thanks, Justin.”
He nodded into her shoulder but then let her go and turned away.
Hayley rushed up, without Blue, and threw her arms around Izzy’s waist. “I’m so happy you’re going to marry Daddy. Does this mean you’re my Mommy now?”
Izzy crouched down so she could look Hayley in the eye. Her question might sound innocent enough, but Izzy knew that deep down, Hayley was worried about whether Izzy would leave. Or what may happen if Vanessa ever returned. “Well, honey, you already have a Mommy. Even though she’s not here with you, I know that she loves you. How could she not? You’re wonderful. I’m going to be married to your Daddy, and I’ll be your stepmother.” Izzy scrunched up her nose. “But I hate that word, don’t you?”
“It reminds me of Cinderella. Blech.”
“I agree. So what should we call me?”
Hayley quirked her mouth and tapped her temple with her finger. God, Izzy loved this girl so much. Then she threw her hands up. “I’ve got it.”
“What, honey?”
“How about S’Mom?”
“Smom?”
“No, S’Mom, like s’mores.”
“O… kay.” Where was Hayley going with this?
“Well, s’mores are warm and gooey and good, and that’s how you make me feel.”
Tears pooled in her eyes and dripped down her cheeks. She pulled Hayley back into her arms. “Oh, honey. That’s wonderful. I love you.”
“I love you, too. So much, Izzy, I mean, S’mom.”
Over Hayley’s head, she caught Tanner’s gaze. He mouthed, “You okay?”
She nodded and then mouthed back, “I love you.”
He rested his hand on his chest and smiled at her. He and Hayley had captured her heart the day they’d danced into her life.
* * *
I hope you enjoyed Tanner and Izzy’s story. Chasing Dreams is Book 1 in the Harper Family series. All of the stories are stand-alone complete stories with a guaranteed happily-ever-after. But come back over and over to see old friends and meet new ones.
If you enjoyed this book, I would be extremely grateful if you’d leave a short review on Amazon. Reviews help other readers find my books and are especially helpful to new author.
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Turn the page to find out which of the Harpers will find their happily-ever-after next!
THE NEXT HARPER FAMILY NOVEL... Chasing Hope
Justin Harper married the girl he loved with dreams of a house full of kids and love. But when that didn’t become a reality, their relationship strained. The tension builds until they bubble over, angry words are flung, and he moves out.
But beneath all the anger, he's still in love with the woman he married. Is there any way to get the old Maddie back?
Maddie Harper has always dreamed of a big family after growing up an only child. When her marriage with Justin collapses, she knows she has to take a tough look at herself or risk losing her chance at forever.
When Justin wages a campaign to reignite the flame that has died out, Maddie remembers the person she once was. But underneath their newfound love, both have reservations. Justin worries he'll never be enough for her unless he can give her another child and Maddie knows if she can't let go of that dream, she'll also have to let Justin go—forever.
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Join my fan group to talk about my books and participate in exclusive giveaways!
Turn the page for an excerpt from One Last Risk, book 1 in Nancy’s Oak Grove series.
ONE LAST RISK
Book 1 in the Oak Grove Series
By: Nancy Stopper
CHAPTER ONE
Lucas Bennett’s hands shook, adrenaline coursing through his veins. When the engine pulled up, thick, gray smoke billowed out of the burning barn. Horses’ panicked whinnies and mournful cries from the family filled the air. By the time his crew hustled to establish the perimeter and pour water on the fire, it would be too late. There wasn’t time. Flames darting out the barn’s doors and the melted holes in the metal shingles on the roof didn’t matter. He couldn’t let the beast take everything from this family.
Chasing Dreams: A Small Town Single Dad Romance (Harper Family Series Book 1) Page 24
