Chapter 21 #2
The doctor smiled, then grew more serious as she opened the exam room door. “Stop at the reception desk and make an appointment for one month. But call me if anything comes up in the meantime.”
“I will. Thank you.”
As the doctor left, Lauren picked up her purse and rose. Devyn did too. And her sister stayed close while she set up the appointment. Closer yet after she tucked the cane under her arm instead of using it as they walked to the car.
Lauren shook her head—but kept her attention on the pavement while they traversed the parking lot. “I’m fine, Devyn. Steady as a rock. My brain is firing on all cylinders again too. You don’t have to hover.”
When there was no response, she looked over.
Her sister’s brow was wrinkled, and she seemed distracted. Like she’d been ever since rehearsal last night.
What was going on?
“Hey.” She stopped. “Are you with me?”
Devyn walked another couple of steps. Halted. Pivoted back. “What’s wrong?”
“I should ask you the same question. Who’s the one with brain fog now?”
Her tease didn’t elicit the hoped-for smile.
“Sorry. I was lost in thought.”
“No kidding. Is there an issue with the show?”
“No. It’s coming along fine.” She motioned toward the car. “Let’s head home.” She continued toward the Focus without waiting for a response.
Lauren followed more slowly, debating her strategy as she slid into the passenger seat and stowed her cane.
Should she probe or back off?
Hard to know for sure. While they were beginning to repair their frayed relationship, it might be premature to push too hard.
But if there was a problem, it was possible Devyn could use a sounding board. Offering a sympathetic ear was the least she could do after all her sister had done for her over the past few weeks.
Worst case, Devyn would shut her down.
Best case?
They’d break down a few more of the barriers between them.
As Devyn put the car in gear and pointed it toward the parking lot exit, Lauren took the plunge.
“Look, I know we haven’t been close in the past, but I hope that’s changing.
You’ve been acting strange since you got home from rehearsal last night, so I assume there’s a connection.
If you want to talk about it, I’m available. ”
And now that she’d lobbed the ball into her sister’s court, she sat back—and waited.
Devyn gripped the wheel tighter, Lauren’s offer hanging in the air between them.
Apparently, the tizzy she was in—prompted by Isabel’s proclamation last night that Aaron was coming to rehearsal Sunday and planned to stay for a dance lesson afterward—was on display for all the world to see.
Or at least for her sister to see.
And three hours of intermittent sleep last night hadn’t helped clarify her thinking.
If she shared the cause of her distraction, though, Lauren would likely think she was crazy to be so captivated—and flustered—by a man who had no place in her world.
On the other hand, perhaps talking through her dilemma could help her sort out her—
“Sorry. I didn’t mean to butt in.” Lauren’s lighthearted inflection seemed a bit forced. “Just because we’re sharing a roof doesn’t mean—”
“Wait. You aren’t butting in. To be honest, I’m kind of . . . embarrassed.” Devyn pulled out of the lot and accelerated. “To cut to the chase, I agreed to do a favor for someone, and now I’m having second thoughts.”
“Why don’t you just tell them you changed your mind?”
“If I back out, I’ll have to explain why.”
“Is that a problem?”
Devyn could feel Lauren’s gaze on her as she flipped on her blinker and switched lanes. “It would be awkward.”
A few seconds of silence followed her admission, as if Lauren was formulating a careful response.
When her sister spoke, her tone was cautious. “If the favor’s for someone in town, I may be able to give you a few insights about how to approach them. I know most of the players here.”
That was true.
Yet once she mentioned Aaron’s name, there was no going back.
However . . . Lauren had bared her soul about Dennis, and this situation was small potatoes compared to admitting you’d stuck with a loser who’d controlled your life and cheated on you.
And sisters who were close—or wanted to be close—shared the good along with the bad.
May as well go for it.
“It’s Aaron Steele.” She hung a left and pulled onto 101, tightening her grip on the wheel. “I offered to give him a swing dance lesson, and he’s taking me up on it after rehearsal Sunday. Isabel passed on the news last night.” She filled Lauren in on the wedding dance bind he was in.
More silence.
Devyn peeked at her passenger.
Her sister’s puzzled expression suggested she had no clue why this was a problem.
“Sorry.” Lauren confirmed that impression a moment later. “I can’t figure out why you’d want to retract your offer, but if you do, Aaron’s a nice guy. He won’t hold it against you.”
Devyn tightened her grip on the wheel. This was where it got sticky. “The thing is, I don’t really want to back out. But I think I should.”
“Why?”
She braced. “Because I like him. Too much.”
More silence.
She glanced over to find her sister squinting at her. “You mean you’re attracted to him?”
“Yes. Which isn’t good. I mean, he lives more than three thousand miles from where I live. Being up-close-and-personal with him could be dangerous. What if I end up liking him more?” Devyn huffed out a breath. “That’s not a complication I need.”
“Do you think the interest is mutual?”
Oh yeah.
Aaron may not have said anything, but his eyes spoke volumes. The sizzle definitely wasn’t one-sided.
“Yes, but there’s no potential.” Devyn passed a slow-moving RV adorned with a “Chillin’” bumper sticker. If only. “So the safest way to keep my heart intact is to keep my distance. Which means I should cancel our lesson. Except I can’t tell him why I want to bail.”
A few beats ticked by.
“Didn’t you say Isabel and Ben would be there too?”
“Yes.”
“So it’s not like you two will be alone in a romantic candlelit setting.” Lauren shrugged. “It sounds like a safe situation to me. You can’t get very cozy with two chaperones on hand, right?”
“I guess not.” But their presence wouldn’t put a lid on her hormones.
“How did this dance lesson come about, anyway?”
“It was Ben’s idea.” She filled her sister in on the conversation that had taken place after her short performance on Tuesday.
“You danced for them?”
Was there a trace of hurt in Lauren’s inflection?
Frowning, Devyn looked over again. “Yes. Why?”
“I would have liked to see that.”
Seriously?
“I assumed you’d prefer to keep your distance from that part of my life.”
“A few weeks ago, that would have been true. Not anymore. I haven’t seen you dance since Dad and I went down to the San Francisco Ballet School spring festival when I was about fifteen.”
“I remember that. It was fun to have you both in the audience. And I was thrilled the two times Dad came to New York to see me dance in my corps de ballet days.” Even if the ticket she’d also set aside for Lauren on both occasions had gone unclaimed.
“I’m sorry now I didn’t join him.”
“Can I be honest? Me too. But I can understand why you didn’t.”
“My resentment seems misplaced in hindsight, though. It wasn’t as if you were the one calling the shots when you were a kid.”
“No. Mom was in charge, no question about it. But I understand why you’d be angry. You and Dad made a ton of sacrifices to give me a crack at the gold ring, and I’ll always be grateful.”
Lauren sighed. “You know, I’m thinking that at this stage of our lives, we should focus on the future instead of revisiting the past.”
“I’m on board with that.”
“And in terms of your immediate future, it’s possible you’re worrying too much about a simple dance lesson. You’re paired with toned guys in tights every day.”
“But I’m not attracted to them.”
“I get that. But how hard can it be to teach a few swing moves to Aaron while his daughter and grandfather are close by? It isn’t as if anything romantic could happen.
And just keep reminding yourself that once you’re back in New York, on your own turf and caught up in your usual routine, Hope Harbor and everyone here will fade into the background. Except me, I hope.”
“No worries on that score.” She sighed. “What you say makes sense. I guess I’ll let the lesson stand.” Despite the lurking misgivings no amount of conversation or logic would dispel.
“Well, if you need another pep talk, you have my number.”
Devyn’s spirits ticked up at her sister’s joking tone.
The new easy banter between them was evidence that her goal for this trip was within striking distance. Her relationship with her sister was progressing exactly as she’d hoped it would.
Her relationship with Aaron was another matter altogether. The simple fact was, as long as she stayed in town he was going to disrupt her peace of mind.
Nevertheless, she’d promised him a lesson, and it wasn’t fair to change her mind. So she’d keep it pleasant and professional, pull Isabel and Ben into the fun, and ignore any unruly sparks that managed to ignite.
A raindrop plopped onto the windshield. Followed by another. And another.
She flipped on the wipers, and an instant later, the drops were gone.
If only she could whoosh away memories of Aaron as easily once she returned to New York.
But that wasn’t going to happen, no matter what Lauren thought.
And truth be told, her sister’s good-intentioned reassurance that memories of her trip in general would fade after she left didn’t comfort her.
Despite all the years she’d been gone, Hope Harbor still felt like home.
More than New York ever had, though she’d lived there longer than she’d lived in Oregon.
In fact, now that she was back, the whole notion of leaving wasn’t all that appealing.
But her life and her career were in the Big Apple, and there was no way to change that in the immediate future.
Or at least none she could see.
A ray of sun peeked through the clouds, and her lips flexed. Typical Hope Harbor. Raining one minute, sunny the next—or sometimes both at the same time.
It was magical.
Charley had said that about Hope Harbor once too.
Back when she was waiting to hear whether she’d been accepted at the San Francisco Ballet School.
According to him, a special magic in her hometown often helped dreams come true.
As hers had on the day twenty-plus years ago when she’d gotten the happy news that had launched her on the road to New York.
So if that special magic was still around, perhaps she’d be given a few insights about how to handle the handsome lumberman with the beguiling little daughter who’d captured her fancy . . . and was fast encroaching on her heart.