Page 20 of To Believe In You
“Good.” Issy trooped off to her room.
Matt plunked a finished potato in the bowl. “We?”
“As long as you’re living under my roof, you get tortured when I do.”
“I knew rent wasn’t free.”
Tim chuckled and stashed the broccoli in the steamer basket before rinsing and quartering potatoes. “One hundred thousand dollars for what?”
“Doesn’t matter. I owe them the money, and I’ll pay it. End of story.”
Tim’s eyebrows quirked as if to ridicule him for being touchy. “You know how you could get that kind of money pretty quick.”
Matt set the last potato, peeled, in the bowl, then stood. “Convincing Gannon to rehire me would be anything but quick.”
“A lot quicker than earning what you need by teaching music lessons.”
Since teaching was only part-time, Matt would have to find other jobs, too, but as soon as he said as much, Tim would suggest Awestruck again. Matt tried to head it off. “I’m not throwing my life away again.”
“Awestruck isn’t to blame for the choices you made. It could be different this time.”
“Maybe. Maybe not. I’m not risking it.”
* * *
At least Lakeshoreknew to keep its expectations low. Only a few dozen chairs waited for the audience of the day camp’s performance of Cinderella. Matt followed Tim toward the meager rows, and the manager chose a spot on the aisle, leaving Matt to step over his knees to get a seat.
Settled, he opened the program. As promised, Isabella had the lead role. He would’ve expected her to feel the pressure last night and beg help practicing the script, but instead of showing nerves, she’d rhapsodized about her school’s acting program. Some Broadway stars had started there, and Issy intended to be the next. “She have a lot of lines?”
Tim glanced at the program. “We’ll see. She learned it all here.”
“Mind if we squeeze in?” Adeline stood at the end of the row, flanked by Gannon and Lina.
Matt’s lungs turned to stone. He’d thought Tim had invited him because he didn’t want to come alone. Since he had plenty of company, either Tim had meant what he’d said about torturing Matt, or the manager hoped to get Matt and Gannon talking.
As if that would get them anywhere.
The lead singer’s focus on Matt was intent, like when Krissy’s cat spotted a toy and had yet to decide whether to let it be or hunt to kill.
Tim got to his feet to let the group pass.
Matt rose and bumped Tim’s shoulder, but the guy didn’t take the hint and step into the aisle. Adeline passed with a sweet smile, her shoulder brushing Matt’s chest. Gannon kicked Matt’s toe on his way by and muttered an apology.
As Lina slipped by, she carefully angled her body away, but the clean scent of her perfume invited him to shift closer, see if her flowy T-shirt or curls were as soft as they looked. He could easily brush her sleeve and blame it on the close quarters.
But what would he gain?
She could wear the softest cashmere and still be hardened to Matt in every way that mattered, as the down-turned corners of her mouth suggested. Developing feelings for someone who automatically frowned whenever he was near would be a self-destructive indulgence. He’d learned to deal with his other unhealthy cravings. This one, he’d stop indulging here and now, before temptation led to disaster. He retook his seat, but from there, he had way too good a view of the way Lina’s jeans hugged her hips as she turned to sit. He lifted his hand to block his line of sight before realizing how obvious the movement was.
If he’d known what Tim was up to, he never would’ve come.
Clumsily, he scratched his neck until he heard her settle. When he lowered his arm again, she eyed the narrow space between them like a princess wishing for an alligator-infested moat.
Might be too late to act natural, but he tried a smile anyway. “Here for Issy?” As he shifted, his heel caught on something. He leaned to check.
Lina’s purse.
She shoved the bag farther under her chair and acknowledged his apology with a begrudging smile. “Isabella and Bailey, the daughter of another Key of Hope instructor.”
