Page 78 of Wild Dreams

Eli had gotten so much interest in tickets we'd committed to three performances, one on Friday night and two on Saturday.

On the night of the first performance, I arrived at the theater after work, knowing I'd be running the rest of the night.I immediately jumped into the fray, helping kids with their costumes, hair, and makeup.

The set was on stage, and the holiday decorations hung on every available surface. The kids were excited because Christmas was only a week away.

As the theater filled, I couldn't quash the hope that Chance would appear, that he'd want to support me after all.

I hovered by the curtain on the stage, watching people file in, chattering excitedly about the set you could see from the seats, the tree, and the fireplace.

The theater itself was decorated for Christmas with multiple trees in the lobby and wreaths on the doors to the auditorium. We'd used real trees, so the smell of evergreens permeated the space.

Scarlett appeared at my side. "How does it look?"

"It's filling up."

Scarlett wrung her hands. "Eli said we're sold out."

I glanced over at her. "That's amazing."

Her face screwed up. "And terrifying. What if we mess something up?"

"I'm sure something will go wrong. A kid will forget a line or bungle a costume change, but we're going to be fine."

Scarlett let out a breath. "I hope you're right."

I peeked out through the curtain again. I told myself I wasn't looking for a certain sheriff in the crowd.

"How you've been with your parents selling the house?"

I sighed, drawing back from the curtain. "I was upset at first, but I'm okay now. They hired a Realtor and are handling everything from Arizona."

Scarlett frowned. "Then what's been the problem? You've been down lately."

I'd hoped she hadn't noticed that. "I was seeing someone, and I thought it could be more, but I was wrong."

Scarlett's eyes widened. "Someone from the dating app?"

I shook my head. "Someone in town."

Her brow furrowed. "You're dating someone in town, and I didn't know about it?"

My stomach rolled. "It didn't last long, and he wanted to keep it a secret."

Scarlett shook her head. "I'm kind of in shock. I never would have expected you to be involved in something like that."

"I didn't want a fling, and I wouldn't have started anything if I didn't sense there could be more. But the signs were all there. I should have known that wasn't what he wanted."

"Are you going to tell me who it was?"

I hesitated, not sure this was the time or place. "I don't want you to get upset. It's opening night."

"I'll be okay. Tell me." Scarlett clutched my arm.

I pursed my lips. "I don't want you to get upset."

"Why would I get upset?"

I met her gaze, and I saw the moment she realized the truth. "No." She drew out the word. "You and my brother."

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