Page 56 of Sidelined By Love

“We’ll keep working until you’re the brightest star on that stage,” Zoe says, swinging their hands.

Kenna’s head snaps up, her smile beaming and blue eyes glowing. “Really?”

“Absolutely! You’ll know your audition material so well that you won’t have room to be nervous. You’ll wow that director.”

Bouncing on her toes, Kenna begs, “Can we start right now?”

Zoe opens her mouth, but I cut her off. “First, we celebrate! I’m taking us all out for dinner.”

“To Casa Fiesta?” Kenna hangs on my arm, and I look down at her seriously.

“Would we go anywhere else to celebrate?”

She screams and does some sort of spinning happy dance.

“Go ask Denise and Jerry if they’ll join us.”

She nods and races for the kitchen, stopping just before the archway that leads into the foyer and turning back to me. “You might want to comb your hair before we go though.” Then she’s gone. And I clap a hand over my mouth to keep from laughing out loud.

Zoe isn’t nearly as restrained, her smile breaking with a rolling giggle. “She has a good point.” Stretching onto her tiptoes, she runs her fingers through my hair. I can’t keep my eyes open at her touch and indulge in it. Just for a second.

“Better?” I finally ask as I look back down at her.

“Not really.”

“And whose fault is that?”

“Really?” She manages a shrug, completely ignoring the disaster of her own hair. It’s turned limp and floppy and far too tempting. “Clearly your own.”

“And how do you figure that?” The distance between us is rapidly disappearing, my heart slamming against my ribs. That coconut scent swirls around her, dragging me in.

“You started it.”

“Agree to disagree,” I whisper as I press my lips to hers. I just need one more taste. Tonight.

Tomorrow is another story altogether.

Her hand on the center of my chest, she pushes me back after far-too-brief a moment. “Are you sure this is a good idea? There could be paps there.”

“I know the owner. I’ll call ahead and get us the private room.” I turn to pick up my bag from the spot where it landed in the doorway, catching one last look at the disaster job I did on her bun. It’s gone from messy to catastrophe. “Besides, I’m not sure anyone would recognize you with that hair.”

She huffs, shoving her hands into the mess as I stroll away, not even trying to tame my grin.

Eighteen

Zoe

There are three extra trucks in Grant’s driveway when I pull up to his house the next afternoon. I should have called. He clearly has company. And I have had much better ideas.

I look down at Bronco, who’s sitting in the passenger seat, his newly trimmed coat shiny but eyes just as red-rimmed and droopy as ever. He’s judging me. I can tell.

“What?”

He woofs in response.

“It’s not my fault. We didn’t get a chance to talk last night. And I want to thank him for asking his publicist for setting the story straight. And . . . and . . .” I would like a repeat of our kiss. But I can’t even manage to say that part out loud.

In part because that’s admitting I want to be with him. And maybe a little bit in part because I could just drag him down.

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