CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
Cara
As Edward was folding the last of his clothes up and putting them in his suitcase, I got an email from Kelisha. I read over it quickly, relieved.
“What does it say?”
“That the police don’t suspect foul play in the lighting incident.
They’re calling it an accident. So, that’s great,” I said, glancing at him.
“She also says practice will resume tomorrow at the studio, but that there won’t be any performances for at least ten days for repairs to the stage at the theater. ”
He closed his eyes. “I’m so glad police don’t think it was purposeful, but I wish I could be here with you. You’re going to have your nights free.”
“Me too.” I really didn’t want him to leave, but I didn’t want to make him feel worse about it. If I didn’t have to attend practices, I would head back to Wixby for a bit.
“Declan’s looking over things at the orchard for me, but I’m not sure he can swing ten days of it. That’s asking kind of a lot.”
He rubbed the back of his neck.
My phone buzzed. “Oh, it’s a text from Kelisha.
” I skimmed it. “Huh. She wants to make sure I’ll be at practice…
and she wants to see me beforehand.” I frowned.
“I wonder what that’s about. I don’t skip practice.
She knows that.” I worried that it had something to do with the lighting incident.
Something she didn’t want to email out to the entire ballet company.
I texted her back to let her know I’d be there right after I dropped Edward off at the airport.
“I wonder if this is somehow related to the Harts,” I said.
“God, I hope not. But I wouldn’t be surprised. Promise me you’ll let me know if she says anything else about the investigation,” he said, giving me a look. “Or the Harts. I want to know, okay?”
I told him I would tell him whatever it was she wanted to talk to me about. The past few days had felt like a dream, and I’d pushed all thoughts and worries about the Hart family to the deep recesses of my mind.
Seemed like that time was over now.
It was awful dropping Edward at the airport after our magical few days together. I held it together when I kissed him goodbye, but then I cried most of the way back to my townhouse to get changed for practice.
The days had passed in a haze of talking, laughter, mind blowing sex, and getting to know each other even better than we already did, and I knew I would never forget them. Without a shadow of a doubt, I had fallen head over heels for Edward Ashton. Again.
And I had to let someone know. I texted Livy as I sat in the parking lot outside the dance studio before practice one morning.
Me: I’m in love.
Olivia: OMG. I knew it! Monty, right?
Me: Sometimes you’re an ass, Livy.
Olivia: ??
Me: Edward, of course.
Olivia: I know. I’m just messing with you. I’m so happy for you! When’s the wedding? Don’t make me wear an ugly dress.
Me: Ha! Not engaged yet. Could you imagine Dad’s face if I just showed up engaged after not even telling him I was dating anyone?
Me: I think I would marry him tomorrow, though. And I’m thinking bright orange mermaid-style dresses with lots of ruffles, a long train, and huge iridescent sequins. You’ll be so pretty.
Olivia: Wow… I think I might be out of town for your wedding.
Olivia: Seriously, though, this is awesome. You really are in love.
Me: I really, really am. I just dropped him off an hour ago. I miss him already.
Olivia: What are you going to do?
Me: I don’t know. I even cried all the way home from the airport.
Olivia: That’s intense.
Me: I think I’m going to finish out this season and move home whether I get a new company or not.
Olivia: Okay—this is a conversation that has to happen, but I have to go. It’s work related.
Me: I guess career takes precedence over your favorite sister’s love life.
Olivia: Only because I’m trying to solve a decades old murder.
Me: Um… what?
Olivia: I’ll tell you all about it later.
Me: You better! What the hell? Also, whatever it is you’re doing, be careful.
Olivia: You know I always am. Gotta go.
Me: Love you
Olivia: Love you more
I shook my head, wondering what in the world Livy had gotten into now.
I leaned my head back on the headrest. I didn’t want to get out of my car after I finished texting.
I was unmotivated after my days off, and I just stared at the building.
I didn’t want to go back to work today, and I wasn’t sad to miss a few performances.
This was different for me, and I wondered if my burn out was more serious than I had previously thought.
But I knew I needed to get going. I would think about that later.
I got out of the car thinking about what Kelisha was going to talk to me about.
I assumed it was the lighting incident. I was glad the police had determined the lights dropping onstage to be an accident.
Edward had confessed that he was skeptical, but there wasn’t much he could do about it.
I wasn’t sure how I felt about it, either, but I hadn’t let on with him.
I didn’t want him to worry even more about it.
As I walked into practice, Kelisha seemed to be waiting for me. She also didn’t appear to want the other dancers to know that she’d already texted asking to see me. I went along with it, of course.
“Cara, could I see you for a moment?”
Her eyes scanned over me quickly, and I hoped she couldn’t tell that I’d gained three pounds while Edward was here. “Sure,” I said and followed her to her office.
“Have a seat.” She gestured to one of the chairs in front of her desk.
I sat.
She kept up her formal tone until she’d closed the door. Then she turned around and seemed looser, more like herself. Even though I’d known her for six years now, we hadn’t become close like this—comfortable with each other—until I’d told her I was leaving.
Kelisha paced in front of her desk before talking. “Cara, I’m not convinced the lighting incident was an accident.” Her eyes met mine. “And… I don’t know that I trust the police who led the investigation.”
My eyebrows shot up. “Why do you say that?”
“It’s a gut feeling.” She stopped walking and stared at me with narrowed eyes. “How close are you to,” she looked around and whispered, “the Hart family?”
Oh my gosh. If Kelisha was suspicious of them, this was serious. “I used to be very close to them, but lately things have grown strained. Why?” I didn’t tell her about the conversation I’d overheard Nora having with the other dancers. It seemed too personal.
“As I already told you, the Harts tell anyone who’ll listen that you’re practically engaged to their son, Monty. And I don’t trust the police to remain impartial whenever a Hart family member could be suspected of something.”
I had to fight to keep my mouth from dropping open. “You think the police would… overlook something suspicious if the Harts were involved?”
She frowned. “Don’t be na?ve. I absolutely believe there are members of the police force that would look the other way if one of the Harts was suspected of a crime.
The Harts are extremely influential in this town.
Surely I don’t have to tell you that.” She leaned forward and lowered her voice even more.
“And I’ve seen how Monty looks at you. At first, I thought it might be a mutual attraction, but then I saw you with your boyfriend the night of the season kick-off party at the Harts’ estate.
And, of course,” she gave me a pointed look, “there was that strange night in the parking lot.”
“That was awful. I don’t think Monty necessarily wants to hurt me, but that night I wasn’t so sure.
It’s the only time I’ve been scared of him.
You being there saved me from whatever he was going to do—whether it was try to hurt me, try to kiss me, or just ask me out again. You stopped it. Thank goodness.”
She tapped her pen on her desk for a moment before she said anything else. “I don’t think he wants to hurt you. I just think he’s obsessed with you. And that’s plenty bad enough.”
I agreed, and, thinking she was done, stood to leave.
“Wait. I have a few more things to say.” She glanced at the door. “Could you lock the door?”
Startled, I almost blurted out, ‘why?’ but stopped myself in time and just did as she asked. I locked the door and hurried back to my seat.
“Garrison Hart would do pretty much anything to make sure that Nora takes your spot as principal dancer,” she went on.
“And Nora… let’s just say she’s not your biggest fan once you turn your back.
” The look on her face was both pained and sympathetic.
I could tell she was hoping this wasn’t news to me.
I nodded, surprised she was aware. But I was learning that not much got by Kelisha. I told her the hurtful things I’d overheard Nora saying about me.
“I’m sorry you heard that, but I’m relieved you’re aware of how she feels about you.
” She sat down and looked across her large desk at me as if trying to decide if she was going to tell me something.
I started to grow more and more nervous.
“And the worst part is that I saw her boyfriend, Eric Hightower, in here after hours the night before the stage lights fell. He was onstage, and it looked like he was up to something. He stopped whatever it was once I came in. I asked him to leave, and he got an attitude with me. But I stood my ground.”
I bet she did. Kelisha was tiny, but what she lacked in size, she more than made up for in personality. She left you with the feeling that she was big, even though it wasn’t true.
“Then I did some research on him. Did you know his family, especially his father, has a very shady reputation?”
“No,” I said. “He just makes me uncomfortable.”