Center Stage (3 page)

“Things could get very cozy with you two living within feet of each other.”

“I’m sure they could, but they won’t. I respect your sister-in-law. She’s safe with me around.”

Zach nodded. “You do know I get my share of gossip. Regan and Arianna are very tight.”

“And there is gossip where I’m concerned?”

“Just that Arianna took a liking to you.”

“Well, she’s a nice girl. Trust me, the last thing she needs is some old man, and I certainly don’t plan to hit the dating pool again.”

Zach shrugged. “At least she’ll have you close.”

He turned and left the office, and John rubbed the tension from his temples. He guessed it was time to find a new place to live.

It was past four in the afternoon when Arianna finally woke. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d slept that long. But she needed it.

For the past fifteen years she’d been burning the candle at both ends trying to make a name for herself. She’d done that, but there had to be more.

She rolled off the air mattress John had left her and headed downstairs for another piece of cold pizza. Perhaps she could arrange for someone to give her a lift to her sister’s house to pick up the car she kept there. There would need to be some groceries purchased. After all, a woman couldn’t live for long on cold pizza and beer.

By five o’clock she’d showered and changed her clothes. She made the little bed on the floor and arranged her suitcase just right. Housekeeping was easy if you only had one bed and one suitcase.

She pulled her phone from her pocket to call her brother when the doorbell rang. She hurried down the stairs to the door, and when she opened it, she certainly wasn’t disappointed. There stood John with a bag of groceries in his arms.

“I knew you didn’t have anything in your fridge yet so I brought a few staples.” He handed her the bag.

“How is it that in two days you’ve become my knight in shining armor.”

“I come with gray hair only, no armor.”

There was a flirtatious flutter in her, and it was going to surface. She couldn’t help it. The man did something to her.

“Some women find gray very sexy,” she said as she turned and walked toward the kitchen. “C’mon in for a bit.”

He shut the door and followed her.

She watched him walk slowly through the living room. She’d ruffled his feathers. But what she’d like to do is ruffle that hair he was complaining about.

She opened the door to the refrigerator and ducked behind it to keep her smile hidden. She was desperate. Maybe she should head to a bar, pick up a guy, and bring him home for a bounce on the air mattress. John wouldn’t be the guy to take her up on such, but he was certainly stirring her up.

“I figured you could use a ride to your sister’s house to get your car.”

Arianna closed the door to the refrigerator and nodded. “I had just picked up my phone to call Carlos and ask him to come get me when you showed up. So, yes, I could absolutely use a ride.”

“Then I’m your guy.”

He most certainly was.

She grabbed her coat and locked the front door. She followed him to the beat up truck in the driveway. “How come Zach doesn’t give you a company truck?”

John opened the door for her and waited for her to climb in. “I have one.” He shut the door and walked around to the other side.

“Then why don’t you drive it? This truck has to be as old as Tennessee.”

He gave a shrug and started the engine. It protested and finally growled into commission. “I never needed anything better. My tools are in the back, my name is on the title, and she’s paid for. What more does a guy need?”

“How about dinner?”

He turned and looked at her, his eyes questioning.

“Let me take you to dinner. This is the second time in two days you’ve come to my rescue.” She shook her head. “No, wait, the fourth.”

“Fourth?”

“I forgot to thank you for the bed.”

He chuckled. “My pleasure. Figured you’d rather have something to sleep on than the floor.”

“It was very appreciated. And thank you for the groceries.”

“My pleasure.”

She clasped her hands together and put them in her lap. She hoped the heater would start warming up. “So what do you say? Dinner?”

He bit down on his lip, and she figured he was going to turn her down. John Forrester wasn’t one to get mixed up with a woman, and here she was offering dinner. Oh, she was going to make him her pet project. She’d have her way with the man if it killed her, just to say she’d broken him.

“I suppose I could eat. What did you have in mind?”

“Bar-b-que.”

“Missed home, huh?”

“Absolutely.”

He wasn’t sure what he was doing driving her downtown for dinner. He should have told her no. It was bad enough he hadn’t found a new apartment yet and he was going to have to tell her he lived in the same house, and living under the same roof didn’t seem like a sound idea. The woman had him thinking thoughts he hadn’t thought in years. There was no way he was getting involved with the boss’s sister-in-law, for one, and he didn’t need another woman in his life. One had been enough.

John pulled the truck into the lot at Steve’s BBQ Pit and Beer. Immediately Arianna let out a snort.

“Regan told me about this place.”

“Did she?” He opened his door and climbed out. He would have helped her out of the truck, but she was already closing the door and walking toward the restaurant. His ex-wife would have needed the pampering, but not this one. She was as strong headed as they came.

“I think this was the first place Zach brought her when he was trying to make his moves on her.”

John stopped walking. He’d forgotten about that. He sure hoped Arianna wasn’t thinking the same thing.

She turned back and looked at him. “You comin’?”

He gave her a nod and followed her inside.

The greeter at the front walked them to a booth in the corner. He’d thought about requesting two seats at the bar, but Arianna bounced into the booth and pulled out a menu.

“I haven’t had good ribs in a long time.”

“This is the place to get them.”

When the waitress came to the table, they each ordered a beer and placed their dinner order. Arianna tucked the menu back into its place behind the salt and pepper shakers, laced her hands on the table, and looked right at him.

“So, anything new since we last dated?”

John cleared his throat and wished his beer would arrive quickly. His mouth had gone dry.

“Dated?”

“Just kidding.” She sat back against the booth. “Why are you all worked up having me around?”

“Am I? I didn’t notice.”

She nodded. “C’mon, I didn’t make any plays on you at Carlos’s last wedding.  We just had a good time.”

“We did.”

The waitress set their beers down, and John took in after his. Of course he’d only have one if he was driving, but he might have to have an entire six-pack when he got home.

“I’m glad Madeline and Carlos are back together. I liked Kathy, but Madeline was the one for him always.”

“And Curtis and Simone? When are they getting married?”

“When she can fit into a dress again.” She leaned over the table on her elbows. “What do ya say? Be my date?”

“People will start to talk.”

“Let ‘em.” She leaned back and took a sip from her beer. “One thing you won’t find me doing is getting married and having babies.”

He felt his body heat rise. “Really? All these babies being born and you’re not getting baby fever?”

She shook her head. “No way. I have other plans in my life.”

“Like what?”

She shrugged. “I think I’d like to teach theater. Maybe even own a theater someday. You know, community theater. Perhaps write some plays.”

He nodded slowly.

Arianna took another sip of her beer. “You think it’s stupid, don’t you?”

“Not in the least.”

In fact, he knew of a theater that was slated for demolition if it wasn’t purchased. He’d look into it and see if it was worth saving. Then maybe he’d tell her about it. After all, she seemed safe enough. She didn’t want marriage or kids. Maybe they could just share a meal and a beer after all. Then again, what came after that?

Chapter Four

It was later than John had thought when he finally pulled up to Zach’s house. Zach’s office light was on. He wanted to laugh at the man. He was brought up all business, and it didn’t seem as though much had changed, but John knew the family he was building was more important than any business venture. He’d seen it in Zach’s eyes the moment he’d fallen in love and again when Alexander Hamilton had approached them at a business meeting and threatened Regan.

John’s fingers tensed around the steering wheel. Zach would go to the ends of the world to protect his wife and, now, his children. Losing multi-million dollar builds didn’t matter when you loved someone.

Zach loved what he did. But he loved his family more.

John stopped the truck and turned off the engine.

Arianna looked at the house and then back at him. “Thank you for the ride and for dinner.”

John gave her a slow nod. “My pleasure.”

“But I still owe you a meal. I think I had said I was taking you out.”

“I’m very southern. I don’t know if I’m going to be able to let you pay for my meal.”

Arianna let out a grunt and shook her head. “Get over it, Forrester,” she said as she zipped up her coat.

“I’ll do my best.” He opened his door. “I’ll get the door.”

He shut his door behind him and walked around the front of the truck to the other side. She already had it open when he reached for the handle.

“You are a good-ole-boy, aren’t ya?”

“I try.” He held out his hand for her to take as she climbed out of his old truck.

When she landed on the ground, she was close enough that he could feel the heat from her body. He deliberately took a step back.

“Do you want me to wait for you and follow you back to your house?”

Arianna laughed and rested her hand on his chest. He was glad he had a heavy coat on so she wouldn’t feel the rise in his heart beat when she’d touched him.

She shook her head. “I’ve been around these roads my whole life. I’ll be fine.” Arianna lifted herself up on the balls of her feet and planted a kiss on his cheek. “Thanks again for saving me all the time.”

He cleared his throat and tried to clear his mind. “Always my pleasure.”

Zach opened the front door and stepped out onto the porch. “Are you two going to make out in my drive?”

Arianna laughed easily again. “I certainly wouldn’t do that here if I were. I can think of a million other places to be making out.” She walked toward the house and turned back to John. “Thanks again. I’m going to go kiss Tyler.”

“Don’t wake him up,” Zach warned.

“I promise.” And she was gone.

Zach walked down the steps, his arms crossed over his chest to obviously fight off the chill, and toward John.

“Did you take her out on her first night back?”

“Just offered her a ride out here is all. We did catch a bite to eat. She had a hankering for bar-b-que.”

Zach’s eyebrows rose. “Steve’s.”

“Only place to go, right?”

“Right.” He sincerely hoped Zach wasn’t reading anything into his dinner with Arianna. He didn’t need Zach or Regan filling her head with any ideas.

Arianna drove the dark roads back to town. The image of John and Zach standing in the drive talking had burned into her mind. She’d watched them from Tyler’s bedroom window. There was a comfort between the two men, much like that of her brothers when they spoke. She couldn’t help but wonder what they were talking about. Did they talk about her?

It was silly to think about, really. She didn’t come home to find a man. She came home because she didn’t feel safe in New York anymore, and she didn’t feel as though her family in Nashville was safe either.

Arianna wiped the back of her hand over her forehead. The decision to move back to Nashville had been quick. She’d quit her job and had her things packed within two weeks. After all, when you hear a big investor with the theater wants to meet you and then are suddenly face to face, alone in the dressing room, with the man who tried to murder your sister and her baby, panic takes over.

She turned down the road that would take her home and had to force herself to slow down. It was as if she couldn’t lock herself in her house fast enough.

She finally pulled into the driveway, threw the car in park, and sat there.

How could she have ever known Alexander Hamilton was the man coming to meet her? Never, in her wildest dreams, would she have thought he’d show his face again.

Arianna had mixed emotions about Curtis telling Alexander that Regan had died after the bastard had beaten her when she was pregnant with his child. She’d always been afraid it would come back to haunt them. Arianna thought they should have had him turned in, thrown in jail, or even murdered.

But it hadn’t happened her way, and eventually Alexander Hamilton crossed paths with Regan. He knew they’d lied to him, and he wanted to know where the baby was.

Arianna sucked in a breath. She’d kept the secret of the baby. She had told him to his face that the baby had died, but she wasn’t sure he had bought it—and she wasn’t even sure he had cared. Alexander Hamilton was all about power, and when he’d approached her, he’d had power over her. But what she feared was that he’d come that close to her so what would stop him from coming to Nashville?

Zach would always protect Regan, but as her older sister, she felt the need to be there. Family was family, and you took care of your own. That was exactly what Arianna would do.

She took her keys and unlocked the glove compartment of her car. From inside, she pulled out the gun she’d kept there since she’d last lived in Nashville. She was sure Regan didn’t even know it was in there, or she certainly wouldn’t have let her keep it there.

Arianna slid it into her purse and stepped out of her car. She could see the lights from the basement windows, illuminated in the dark. Tomorrow she would make a point to meet her tenant. Tonight she was going to climb into that silly bed that John had left for her and get a good night’s sleep.