Page 70 of Just Like Home

“Okay,” Charlotte said as if she’d made up her mind to continue on in spite of him. “I’m part of a group that’s planning a big event to help celebrate the life of Julianna Ford.”

Cole’s heart sunk.

“Coach’s sister,” one of the guys said.

“Right.” Charlotte’s eyes darted to Cole’s, and a nervous look washed over her face.

This was about the dance recital? What on earth did she want to talk to his team about a dance recital for? He almost wondered if he should jump in—save her from making an embarrassing mistake. She was, after all, a woman who seemed not to understand men.

Instead, he stayed quiet.

Charlotte looked away, as if trying to figure out how to proceed. There was something about the way she moved—a strange contradiction of sorts. An embodiment of both grace and awkwardness.

At the moment, the awkwardness had the upper hand.

Finally, Charlotte went on. “Well, I had kind of a crazy idea that you guys might want to be a part of it.”

What was she suggesting? Cole had already made it clear he wasn’t going to get on that stage, so was she here to manipulate him by using his team?

“What do you need from us, Miss Page?” Asher asked.

She smiled. “Well, I’m helping put together some of the numbers featuring people in the community, sort of tribute numbers for Julianna.”

“And you want our sick moves?” Hotchke started the hip gyrating he’d perfected earlier and the boys laughed.

“Hotchke.” Cole’s tone warned.

Hotchke held his hands up in front of him in surrender. “Only jokes.”

Charlotte’s eyes had widened, her cheeks flushed.

“Sorry,” Cole said. “They’re like this all the time.” Why did he feel like he needed to protect her? She was probably stronger than his entire team put together.

But it wasn’t her strength he wanted to protect. It was her innocence. Sure, he’d known there was something different about her, but the article he’d read confirmed it.

When asked about her personal life, Page goes quiet.

“You mean, like my love life?” She asks the question tentatively, as if she’s worried she’ll have to answer it.

When I tell her, yes, that’s exactly what I mean, she shifts in her chair, pulling a long, toned leg up underneath her. “Sometimes we have to make sacrifices for our art,” she says. “For me, a personal life is one of those sacrifices.”

It’s an art worth sacrificing for, but even so, it’s difficult not to feel sorry for the beautiful ballerina. Of all the things she has to sacrifice, love seems the unfairest.

He’d wondered what that meant. How much of a sacrifice had she made when it came to love?

Bilby’s gaze darted to Cole, a quizzical look in his eye.

Great, Matt would probably prod him even more about “the story” between him and Charlotte if his entire tone changed when he spoke to her.

“What are you suggesting?” Cole asked curtly.

“Well,” Charlotte said. “We were hoping you guys might get involved.”

A quiet, confused murmur zipped around the circle like electricity.

“You actually want us to dance?” Hotchke asked. “Dude, I was totally kidding.” Again with the hip gyration, which warranted groans around the circle. At least the other boys weren’t encouraging his borderline inappropriate behavior.

“Well,” Charlotte said. “Yes. But maybe not quite like that.”

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