Page 83 of Whisper Of Attraction (Whisper Lake 3)

CHAPTER 25

“Great job! You killed it!” Axel gave Ricky a one-arm hug as he waited backstage for Izzy.

He wasn’t blowing smoke or trying to be nice. Ricky had some serious acting chops. It was opening night and most of the kids’ jitters were painfully obvious, but not Ricky’s. That kid seemed like he was born for the stage.

“Thanks.” Ricky smiled but looked past Axel at the parents and classmates that had gathered backstage. “Do you know where Izzy is?”

“She said she’d be right back. Fiona asked her to go somewhere.”

She’d asked her to go to the restroom with her, but Axel didn’t feel comfortable announcing that.

Ricky stood up a little taller and all the nerves that he hadn’t had on stage seemed to be coming out now. If he didn’t know any better, he’d think that the kid was about to ask his sister to marry him. He cleared his throat before saying, “Izzy told me that you guys are staying.”

“We are.”

Ricky took a deep breath and Axel could see that he was starting to get a little choked up. “I just wanted to say, thank you. Since my dad…since I lost my dad, it’s been hard. And Izzy is just, she’s the best thing in the world. And I’m just really glad that I’m not losing her, too.”

“So am I.” Axel said sincerely.

He’d never thought that he’d think anyone was good enough for his sister, but he’d been wrong. He couldn’t be happier that Izzy was dating Ricky. Granted, they were young and Axel didn’t think it would last, but Ricky was setting the bar pretty damn high for any guys that came after him. And for that Axel would be forever grateful.

It wasn’t the reason he’d made the decision to stay in Whisper Lake, but it had been one in the pro column. He’d been thinking about it for a while but had waited to tell his sister because he wanted to work out all the details before he got her hopes up. He’d finalized things today and he’d told her when she got out of school. She’d hugged him so tight that he almost passed out. Seriously, she had a mean sleeper hold.

Earlier that day, he’d let Seth know that his leave of absence was a permanent one. Then he’d looked at a few houses that he was thinking he could renovate and flip. And he’d rented a space that he planned on using for building, restoring, and refurbishing furniture. The work at the theater might’ve been a cover, but it turned out that he’d forgotten how much he enjoyed working with his hands. It was therapeutic.

Therapeutic.

The last conversation he’d had with Brynn, before the shit hit the fan, played back in his mind. When he’d told her that he knew a better therapy than crying. It was the last time that she’d looked at him with complete trust.

And he only had himself to blame for it.

The way she found out was probably one of the worst ways she could’ve found out. But again, he only had himself to blame for it.

Over the past month, he’d played and replayed all of the times he could’ve told her what was going on. He’d lost sleep, even considered not staying in town, just because it was so painful to see her and be reminded of what could’ve been, and just how badly he’d fucked up.

But then he decided that he needed to do what was best for Izzy. He was her guardian now, after all. This town and the people here were special, and she deserved as much special in her life as he could possibly give her.

“Iz, are you okay? What’s wrong?”

Axel heard Ricky ask and he turned to see his sister walking toward them, her bottom eyelids filled with moisture.

He was about to ask the same question when it was answered for him.

“Hi, honey!” His mother waved wildly at him from behind his sister.

“Mom. You’re back.” He said as she pulled him into a hug.

“That’s right. I’m back. And I was just telling Izzy that I already found a great place for us back in California.”

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Izzy start to break down. Ricky put his arm around her and she crumbled into him.

“Mom, let me talk to you outside.” He started to guide his mom out the back of the theater and looked over his shoulder to see if he could get his sister’s attention, but Ricky was already leading her away. He wanted to tell her not to worry but he didn’t want to cause a scene.

He’d deal with his mom first and then find Izzy. He knew that Ricky would make sure she was okay until then. And if Ricky was called away for some reason, he’d make sure that Brynn or Ali, Fiona or Presley, or Ryder or KJ were with her. And if for some reason they were all busy, then there was Karen Carpenter (not the singer) who ran the B&B, or Kade, or Ethan, or Ethan’s grandmother Daisy, or Jess’s parents John and Bonnie…the list went on and on. There were so many people, layers of people, that truly cared about his sister in Whisper Lake. Which was exactly why she wasn’t going anywhere.

***

Brynn hugged Aliwhen her friend finally made her way through the backstage crowd to the alcove that Brynn was taking a breather in. She’d been going nonstop for the past week and it had all been worth it. Tonight had been a huge success, but there was definitely a standout. “Ricky did such an amazing job!”

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