Page 2 of Havoc for the Holidays

“No—oh,” I stammered as soon as my gaze landed on the subject of our conversation. Whatever my preconceived notionshad been about the unknown child of our beloved dance instructor, they evaporated in an instant. As did all the moisture in my mouth.

Ezechiel Billings, the prodigal son, was a stunning man. If you looked up the word gorgeous in the Oxford Dictionary, it would be a full-page spread featuring this man's photo. Lean, lithe, dressed in dancer’s tights and a sumptuous tunic-style shirt in a shade of emerald that made his skin look like porcelain—he belonged on a runway in Paris, not some minuscule dance studio in the middle of nowhere. His dark, ebony hair fell over his brow and he flicked his head to shift it to the side before staring into the depths of my soul with the darkest brown eyes I'd ever seen.

“Okay there, bud.” Lincoln reached over and gently lifted my chin to close my mouth. “Oh is right, though.”

The heat rose even higher in my face. I'd been caught staring. How horrifying. “Oh.”

“Oh.” Snickering, Lincoln nudged my side with his elbow. “Is baby Ollie ready to get back in the saddle?”

“Shhh. Hush. No. God,” I scoffed, trying to keep my voice barely a whisper. “Never. Goodness.”

“Methinks the boy doth protest too much.”

“You're being unfair. I was just… taken by surprise.” I smoothed my shirt with anxious, clammy hands.

“Because he’s gorgeous. You're allowed to look, Olls.”

“Shhh!” I froze once the realization over how loud I was hit. For the second time since arriving, every eye turned toward me as Lincoln tried to smother his cackling. “Uh… so sorry. Do carry on.”

I waved my hand and tried to force my lips into something resembling an apologetic smile. It likely looked more like a pained cringe, which was far more accurate.

“Now, I know this is a lot of change, my little stars, but I promise you that I'll still be here as much as I can.” Judy, seatedon a stool beside her son, leaned forward to prop her elbows on her knees with a warm smile. “But in happier news, are we all ready to hear what our Holiday Showcase will be?”

The children erupted with exuberant cheers from all around the studio, so loud I swore the large windows facing Main Street rattled in their casings. There were toddlers, young children, and quite a few adolescents and teenagers in the mix. Even the handful of adult students I recognized as regulars at the studio applauded with unbridled enthusiasm.

“Settle, hush.” Judy made gentle, soothing motions with her hands, the patient smile never leaving her face. “Our Holiday Showcase this year will be based on my Ezechiel’s critically acclaimed rendition of…”

She paused for dramatic effect as the room fell eerily silent. Even I found myself holding my breath with anticipation. She was nothing if not a performer. An effective one, at that.

“The Nutcracker ballet!”

The uproar hit with such force, I viscerally recoiled and stumbled over my feet in the face of it. Excited shrieking, raucous applause, and cacophonous chatter filled the studio to overflowing. My head spun as I blinked to try and clear the chaos from my mind. I blinked even more rapidly as a young girl appeared in front of me with an armful of papers.

“Here you go, Mr. Branson!”

As I swept my eyes over the papers foisted upon me, my stomach dropped. Becs’ practice schedule for the next six weeks left me in a panic for how packed it was. My work schedule made it hard enough to get her to her weekly practices on time. It became difficult to swallow the longer I skimmed the page.

“Hey, you know we're more than happy to help, Ols.” Reading the worry on my face, Lincoln squeezed my shoulder. “Don't be afraid to ask for it, yeah?”

My eyes darted to Linc’s face as my lips curved into a wobbly smile. “I appreciate it. This is… rigorous.”

“We’ll make it work.”

I murmured my appreciation as the schedule captured my attention again. Without Lincoln’s help over the years, my life would have been even more disastrous than it already was. I'd had to put my pride aside more than I wanted to in order to avoid disappointing my darling girl. It appeared I would be doing even more of that in the coming weeks.

I searched the crowd until the bright red bouncing curls of my daughter became visible. Her joy was infectious. She'd gotten her wish to join the troupe of sugarplum fairies and in the end, that was all that mattered. So long as my baby was happy, I was happy. Even if that meant admitting I couldn't do it all alone.

My worries started to subside as the music of her laughter rose above the noise in the studio. They disappeared completely as she caught my eye and smiled as bright as the sun. It seemed I was finally forgiven for almost ruining everything. This time. I tucked that win close to my chest as I returned her wave from across the room. It would all be worth it to keep that smile on her face.

Chapter two

Ezechiel

“I'm even more convinced than ever that this is a terrible idea.” I leaned closer to whisper the words to my mother as the bedlam continued around us. “There are so manychildren.”

“Yes, and they are delightful. You’ll do fine,” she murmured in response from her perch on the stool. “Go mingle. Get to know everyone.”

“Mingling requires cocktails and hors d'oeuvres, Mom.” I swept my hand over the mass of writhing bodies in front of us. “I see neither.”

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