One more shot at the real thing...

With her recording career on the slide, Deanna Hart heads home to Cleveland to search for new inspiration. What she finds is a man who has never stopped thinking about her. Eric Bell is now the principal at their former school, and he’s never been shy about trying to get her attention. Down-to-earth and downright sexy, Eric is about to open Deanna up to new possibilities.

But just as soon as they find each other, a crushing Hart family secret could end Deanna’s dream of starting over. Will she be able to capture the kind of love she has never believed in, the kind that lasts forever?

Though there was no need for him to continue touching her, he didn’t remove his hand. Deanna stared up at him, feeling her internal temperature rise.

And then he did something she didn’t expect. He lowered his hand to her waist, then put his other hand on the other side of her waist.

Deanna didn’t need the jacket to keep warm. Not at all…

“I never forgot about you,” Eric said in a low, throaty voice.

Dusk had turned to dark since they’d arrived for dinner, and the streetlights provided the only illumination as they stood on the sidewalk. But Deanna wouldn’t have needed that to see the heat swirling in Eric’s eyes.

“I…” She didn’t know what to say. This moment was surreal. Certainly one she’d never expected to experience. Not after she had run from Cleveland and left everyone and everything here in the rearview mirror.

“But truly,” Eric went on, “this is what I thought about. Wondered about. Wished I’d gotten the chance to do.”

“Hmm?” Deanna asked, not understanding.

But a moment later, Eric’s comment became crystal clear when he placed a finger beneath her chin, tilted her head toward his, brought his mouth down onto hers and kissed her.

KAYLA PERRIN

has been writing since the age of thirteen and once entertained the idea of becoming a teacher. Instead, she has become a USA TODAY and Essence bestselling author of dozens of mainstream and romance novels and has been recognized for her talent, including twice winning Romance Writers of America’s Top Ten Favorite Books of the Year Award. She has also won a Career Achievement Award for multicultural romance from RT Book Reviews. Kayla lives with her daughter in Ontario, Canada. Visit her at www.KaylaPerrin.com.

Heart to Heart

Kayla Perrin

www.millsandboon.co.uk

Dear Reader,

If you’ve been reading my Harts in Love series, I hope you’ve thoroughly enjoyed Callie’s and Natalie’s stories. This is the final book in the trilogy, featuring the middle sister, Deanna.

Have you ever had a male best friend? He’s the one you felt comfortable telling everything to, sharing all of your problems with. But…he’s your friend. And though he has all of the qualities you want in a partner, you don’t want to risk losing the friendship by taking a chance on love with him.

Sound familiar? Sometimes, we fear losing a friendship with someone who would otherwise be ideal for us. It’s amazing how often we let fear stand in the way of what we want and need.

That’s the dilemma Deanna faces. And just like those faced with this scenario in real life, she’ll have to make a decision—cling to the friendship, or take a chance on love?

I hope you enjoy Deanna’s journey!

Kayla Perrin

This book is dedicated to my parents’ love story.

Forty-five years ago, they met each other and knew.

Sadly, my father’s recent passing brought an end

to their forty-two-year marriage.

But one thing is certain:

Love never dies.

Cling to that, Mom.

Remember the love you shared.

In this world full of breakups and divorces,

you had something special and rare.

And it will never die.

Contents

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Epilogue

Chapter 1

The woman’s scream pierced the air. The room was dark, and she was struggling with the man, trying to escape his strong grasp. But the more she jerked and fought to free herself, the rougher he was with her.

She screamed again, a blood-curdling cry. And then the man slapped her. Slapped her so violently that she fell to the ground.

“Nooo!”

Deanna Hart awoke, bolting upright in the bed. Her chest was heaving, and her pulse was racing. And the sheets were damp with her sweat.

It took no more than a couple of seconds for her to realize that she’d been dreaming. That the last scream came not from the woman in her dreams but from her own lips.

Deanna drew in a deep breath, the image still fresh in her head. She’d had this dream before. And it was always the same. The man roughing up the woman. The woman being slapped and falling to the ground.

Every time, that’s when Deanna woke up. As the woman fell to the floor in the dark room.

Her heart still beating rapidly, Deanna hugged her knees to her chest. She’d been having this dream ever since Brian James had hit her when she tried to end their relationship six months ago.

Glancing at the clock, she saw that it was just after three in the morning. The house was quiet and still. But she could hear the pounding of her heart in her ears.

Deanna was at her uncle Dave’s house in Cleveland. She was out of harm’s way. And yet, whenever she had this dream, she felt distinctly unsafe.

There are thousands of miles between you and Brian, she told herself as she lay back down and snuggled up against her pillows on the opposite side of the bed, where the sheets were still dry. Besides, since that night, you haven’t heard from him. There’s no reason to fear him anymore.

Her mental pep talk helped ease her mind. He had hit her only once, but it was a truly ugly exchange that Deanna never wanted to experience again in her life.

We’re better off as friends, Brian. I realize that now.

You’re breaking up with me?

We shouldn’t have mixed business with pleasure. Things have become complicated. Let’s finish my album first—

That was when Brian had violently grabbed and shaken her, and Deanna had been seized with fear. But she wasn’t about letting a man terrorize her, so she had wriggled and pushed against him, struggling to get free of his grip.

“You think you’re going to walk away from me?” Brian had screamed, spittle flying from his mouth. And as Deanna had continued to tussle with him, he had smacked her. Smacked her so hard that he’d busted her lip and drawn blood.

Seeing the blood, he had immediately looked horrified. Then he had apologized. Apologized over and over again, as if that would absolve him of what he’d done.

Deanna now understood how some people suffered post-traumatic stress for long periods of time over one life-altering event, because something about Brian’s attack had left her with a disconcerting feeling. Even though she had cut off all contact with him, had not returned his calls and had not heard from him since April, here she was, away from Los Angeles for four months, and she was still dreaming about the attack.

Deanna frowned—there was something weird about the dream. Something she couldn’t quite place. And it went beyond the fact that she couldn’t see her own nor Brian’s face. Every time she woke up, there was a sense of something that left her anxious. Because sometimes, she got the odd sensation that she wasn’t even dreaming about her and Brian at all.

Which didn’t make sense, of course. The nightmares had started only after Brian had assaulted her.

Deanna closed her eyes, but it took only a short time for her to realize that she wasn’t going to fall back asleep. So she got out of bed, opened up her MacBook and did what she had done practically every day for the past three weeks. She went online to do a search for “Hart” in Georgia.

Georgia was a big state, and Deanna had been hoping to find a trace of her mother online. Ever since her sister Natalie had gone to Philadelphia to search for their mother and found a clue that pointed to her being in Georgia, Deanna had been extremely hopeful. Natalie had met a woman who had known their mother, and she had been adamant that Miriam Hart, who’d gone by a different name, had been in Philadelphia as recently as a few months earlier. According to this woman, Miriam had headed to Georgia to deal with an issue “once and for all.”

What that issue was, Deanna had no clue. But during the talks that she’d had with Natalie and their other sister, Callie, they’d come to the conclusion that something bad had happened with their mother and aunt. Auntie Jean had never talked about her parents, nor any other members of their extended family. As kids, neither Deanna nor her sisters had questioned that. Uncle Dave had had plenty of relatives, so they hadn’t paid attention to the fact that Auntie Jean had none. Now, in the wake of their aunt’s death—where no one from her side of the family had even shown up at the funeral—it finally dawned on them that something was odd.

Of course, Miriam and Jean’s parents could have been deceased, and perhaps they had been the only two children. There were certainly logical explanations as to why Auntie Jean had never been in touch with extended family members.

She went back to deal with something once and for all….

Those were the words that gave Deanna pause. The words that had all of the sisters both hopeful and concerned.

Callie, the eldest sister and always the most rational in her thinking, was adamant that whatever their mother needed to deal with could have been taken care of in three months. Deanna tended to agree.

So where was she? Why hadn’t she finally come back for them?

Was her mother still afraid of her old boyfriend, Rodney Cook, the man she had run from twenty-three years ago? Back then, Miriam had agreed to testify against him, but she had fled before doing so, deciding to take her chances on her own while leaving her three daughters with her sister. Did Miriam not know that Rodney was back behind bars? Could she still view him as a threat to her life all these years later?

Still so many questions, no answers.

Though Deanna had thus far not had success with her search, she would not be deterred. She opened her browser and typed in the White Pages search engine. It was easier to search city by city, so she chose one she hadn’t already, looked up the Harts that were listed and saved those numbers in a document. Come morning, she would call each.

Callie’s fiancé, Nigel, was, of course, doing things on his end as a police officer, and he certainly had more resources than Deanna and her sisters did. But Nigel’s investigation had led to a dead end in Philadelphia. It was Natalie’s search in the neighborhood that had yielded results.

Which only served to show that with more hard work and determination, Deanna and her sisters could track down their mother on their own if need be.

Finally exhausted, Deanna went back to bed, where she hoped she would sleep and not have another bad dream.

* * *

“Auntie Deanna,” Kwame said excitedly. “Will you come to my school and talk to my class?”

Deanna looked up from her iPhone, where she had been once again searching for Harts in Georgia. Every one she had called that morning had led to more dead ends.

“What’s that, sweetheart?” Deanna asked her nephew. She had zoned out of the family gathering at Callie and Nigel’s place which was only a few blocks from Uncle Dave’s. Having consumed a burger, potato salad and a cup of lemonade, Deanna had headed inside, where she had picked up her phone and begun her search again.

“Will you come to my school and talk to my new class?”

“Talk to your class?” Deanna repeated. “About what?”

“About your music!” Kwame said with enthusiasm. “You’re famous. Everyone in my class is excited that you’re my aunt. So I asked my teacher if you could come and talk to us, and she said that’d be awesome.”

Deanna wouldn’t exactly say that she was famous…not now, anyway. Not when she had dropped off the map for three years. But that wasn’t something that Kwame needed to concern himself with. To him, she was an aunt who had had success in the music industry. There was no doubt that the kids in his class would be fascinated with her, as he was.

Kwame had asked her a million questions about her career, but the toughest one was, “When are you gonna make another album?”

That question had been the hardest to answer, and the most painful, given what had recently happened with Brian.

Pushing the thought from her mind, Deanna said, “Sure, hon. That sounds like something I can do.”

“Cool!” Kwame exclaimed. Then he bounded out of the room and back onto the patio.

No sooner than he was gone Callie stuck her head through the door and said, “Why are you in here by yourself? Everyone’s going to think that you’re antisocial.”

“Sorry,” Deanna said. “I was just trying to check something.” She held up her iPhone.

“That’s the problem with today’s technology—people are too addicted. They forget their families exist, even when they’re at a family gathering.”

“I know, I know,” Deanna said. “And you’re totally right. It’s just…I was trying to find more leads regarding our mother. I keep feeling that the one clue we need is just around the corner.”

“I hear you,” Callie said. “And you know I want the same thing. But there’ll be time for that later. Besides, who knows how many more beautiful weekends we’ll have like this?”

Callie was right. It was mid-September, and the weather had already started to cool down. There had been some downright chilly days in the past couple of weeks, but today was bright and sunny, definitely a day that should be spent outside.

So Deanna slipped her phone into the pocket of her slacks and headed back out onto the patio. Happy chatter filled the air. It was a small gathering, the immediate family with one notable guest: Michael Jones.

Natalie was now dating the wide receiver for Cleveland, and they both seemed radiant. Even Uncle Dave’s spirits had improved dramatically in the past month. Seeing two of his nieces find love was bringing him immeasurable joy.

Deanna’s gaze went from Natalie and Michael, who were sitting side by side and holding hands, to Callie and Nigel. They both stood at the barbecue, where Nigel was placing the newly grilled corn onto a plate, and Callie was basting them with butter. The two had fallen into a happy, domestic routine, and to the outside world it would seem they had been together for years. Perhaps they had been—in their hearts. Deanna had never seen two people more in love than Nigel and Callie, and the fact that they had reunited after being apart for ten years proved that they had the kind of love that could stand the test of time.

“Grilled corn,” Callie announced, walking with the plate toward the patio table. “Get it while it’s hot.”

“My favorite,” Deanna said, snagging the first piece. The others quickly snatched up the remaining ones.

“So, Deanna,” Callie said as she took a seat beside her. “Nigel’s wondering if you have a boyfriend in California.”

At the question, Deanna’s eyes widened. “What?”

“A boyfriend,” Callie repeated. “You know, someone you’re seriously dating.”

“I know what you mean.” Deanna made a face. “But I’m wondering why the question. I’ve been here four months and you haven’t heard me mention any male friend.”

“I know,” Callie said, “but Nigel didn’t want to assume.”

Deanna eyed her sister tentatively. “I don’t have a boyfriend.”

“Oh, good.” Callie smiled. “So you’re free and single.”

Deanna noticed that Michael and Natalie were no longer gazing into each other’s eyes but staring at her with interest. She made a face. “I’m wondering why Nigel is concerned about the status of my love life.”

Callie looked toward Nigel. He gave a nod, indicating his agreement for her to explain why. “Nigel has a friend at the police station,” Callie said. “He thinks that maybe you two will hit it off.”

Deanna raised both eyebrows. Her future brother-in-law was interested in her finding a man? Deanna highly doubted that. She would bet her last nickel that Callie had put him up to it, and maybe even Natalie, too. Now that both Callie and Natalie had found love, would they have a steady stream of police officers and football players for Deanna to choose from?

“So because both of my sisters are happily coupled off, I have to find someone, too?” Deanna asked.

“Something like that,” Natalie said, grinning widely. Though she and Michael were sitting beside each other and holding hands, Natalie’s legs were now extended and stretched out on Michael’s lap. They were completely at ease together, totally content. Deanna didn’t remember seeing her sister ever look quite so happy.

“And Nigel thinks that Marshall would love you,” Callie went on. “You said he’s a fan of her music, didn’t you, sweetie?”

“Yep,” Nigel agreed. “He said he’s followed your career, loves your music, thinks you’re beautiful.”

Deanna refrained from rolling her eyes. She didn’t want a man who liked her for her music. All too often, a man was enamored with her public persona and not the real her.

“If it’s all well and good, I think I’ll pass on being set up.”

“Come on,” Callie said. “What could it hurt?”

“I never do well on blind dates. I don’t know why, I just don’t. I guess I feel too awkward, which causes the whole date to spiral downhill.”

“Then don’t think of it as a blind date,” Callie said. “Think of it as an evening where you’ll be meeting someone new.”

“I’ll still say no,” Deanna said with a frown.

Callie shook her head. “So stubborn.”

“What could it hurt to meet him?” Natalie asked. “Maybe Callie and Nigel could have us all over, so it’d be less awkward.”

“Right now, the last thing on my mind is dating,” Deanna said. “I’m more interested in finding our mother.” She didn’t want to add that the experience with her ex Brian had really

shaken her. She could happily remain single for a long, long while.

Deanna hadn’t chosen wisely before when it came to love. She’d had her heart broken, and she knew that she had also broken her share of hearts. There had been men who were into her—perfectly nice men whom she hadn’t been able to give all of her heart. For the most part, her career had been her everything, her main focus.

Which was what made the demise of her relationship with Brian even harder to stomach. In a sense, he had been the perfect man for her because he was involved in the music industry. He was an established producer, and Deanna had met him at a party and had been ecstatic when he told her that he admired her music and wanted to work with her. It hadn’t taken her long to realize that Brian was also romantically interested in her. They’d gotten along well, their banter had been easy and the flirtation had been fun. So Deanna had decided to throw caution to the wind and take a chance on love with Brian. She had begun to fantasize that they could become a music industry super-couple….

Instead, Deanna had learned a horrible lesson about mixing business with pleasure.

It was a lesson she had learned when she first left Cleveland and went to Hollywood. When, as a twenty-one-year-old girl, she met the man who would help get her career off the ground.

“Dee?” Natalie said tentatively.

Jerking her eyes to her sister’s, and seeing the look of concern, Deanna realized that she was gripping the beer bottle in front of her…one that didn’t even belong to her.

“You okay?” Natalie asked.

“Sure,” Deanna replied, trying to sound as casual as possible.

She released the bottle, but she couldn’t as easily release the painful memories that plagued her.

Chapter 2

Deanna saw Kwame waving enthusiastically as she approached the doors to his school. The same school she had attended as a child.

It was weird being here after all these years, like a definite step into the past. The building looked so much smaller than Deanna had remembered. Funny how when you became an adult your perspective changed.

It was two days after Kwame had asked if she would come talk to his class, and he had called her over the lunch hour to say that his teacher would like to meet her to discuss the idea. Deanna had promised that she would come at the end of the school day to speak with the teacher, which she guessed would be a meeting to determine how best to incorporate her visit with whatever studies the children were doing.

Kwame was beaming now as she approached, clearly thrilled at the fact that his idea of her talking to his class was one step closer to coming to fruition.

Deanna couldn’t help but smile in return. A child’s energy and happiness were infectious, and giving just a little bit of her time was clearly worth it. Just seeing how happy it made her nephew was already repaying her in leaps and bounds.

Kwame opened the door as she reached it, saying, “Auntie

Deanna! I already talked to the principal about it, and he thinks it’s a great idea. And he wants to meet you, too. Actually, he says he knows you already but that he wants to see you again.”

Kwame was speaking in a rush, and Deanna quietly shushed him. “Whoa, you’ll have to slow down. Your principal wants to meet me?”

“Uh-huh. He said he knows you.”

“He knows me?” Deanna gave Kwame a skeptical look. “Or he knows who I am?” She would bet that it was the latter. Given that she had grown up in Cleveland, most people here knew that she was the Deanna Hart who had made a name for herself in the music industry.

“He knows you,” Kwame stressed. He took her hand. “Come this way. He’s in the office.”

“I’m sure he means that he knows who I am,” Deanna said as Kwame led her toward the office doors.

Kwame stopped mid-stride and faced her. “Uh-uh. He said he was excited about seeing you again.”

“You mean he knows me knows me?”

“Yeah. He said he knew you before you got famous.”

Deanna frowned slightly, now curious. Had she known any principals?

Before she even thought to ask the man’s name, Kwame was opening the office doors and leading her inside. And that’s when Deanna stopped dead in her tracks.

Eric Bell. Good Lord in heaven, was it really him?

His lips curled in a smile—the same room-brightening smile she had seen many times years ago—and Deanna was absolutely certain. Just over six feet tall, with that flawless golden-brown complexion—yep, it was definitely Eric Bell.

Her former boyfriend’s brother.

“Eric?” Deanna said cautiously, though she knew it was him. He was more muscular than he had been before—most notably in his chest and his shoulders. And unlike years ago, he now had a neatly trimmed goatee framing his mouth. A decidedly sexier look, Deanna couldn’t help thinking.

“Deanna.” He stepped toward her, his dimples evident as he continued to grin. His smile always did exude warmth. It had brought her comfort in the aftermath of Marvin’s betrayal. “You’re back in town.”

“I can’t believe you’re here.” Though where she had expected him to be, she wasn’t sure. “I can’t believe you’re the principal at this school.”

“Is it really that surprising?” Eric asked. “I’d just started teaching when I knew you, and I used to say that I planned to become a principal one day.”

She nodded, remembering now. But the truth was, she had forgotten about Eric’s ambition. She had been so absorbed in her own drama at the time that his career goals hadn’t been at the forefront of her mind. He had been her friend—the brother of the boyfriend who had done her wrong—and a person who had given her many pep talks and tried to help her get over Marvin. He had been a great support for her during her problems with Marvin and her sister Natalie—the sort of guy who could uplift anyone’s spirits, and Deanna had known that he would be the kind of teacher kids would love.

“A teacher, yes,” Deanna said. “I guess I didn’t think you’d be a principal already. I mean, I thought a person would have to be a lot older to be a principal. I turned thirty this year, so that’s got to make you, what, thirty-three, thirty-four?”

“Thirty-four in a few weeks. Good memory.”

“But isn’t that young to be a principal?” Deanna asked.

“Let’s just say I dedicated myself to the pursuit of my career,” Eric explained. “I was promoted to principal a year ago.”

“Ah,” Deanna said, nodding. That was something she could understand. Putting yourself completely into pursuing your passion—she had done the same.

She found herself glancing at his ring finger and noting that it was bare. Had he, like herself, lost out on relationship opportunities because he was so determined to succeed in his chosen field?

Why was she even wondering if he was married?

It was just that she wanted to know more about him. He had been her friend, and when she’d left town, she had dropped him like a hot potato. In part because her breakup with Marvin was such a hard experience for her at the time, and she hadn’t wanted to relive those memories by staying in touch with Eric.

“I told you he knew you,” Kwame said.

Deanna glanced down at her nephew. “Yes, you did.”

“I think an old friend deserves a hug,” Eric said.

When Deanna returned her gaze to him, she saw that he had opened his arms and was closing the distance between them. She walked into his embrace, noting as he enveloped her in a warm hug that he felt and smelled incredible.

Easing back, Eric said, “Why don’t we go to my office?”

“Sure.”

Both she and Eric turned at the sound of someone clearing their throat. Behind the counter in the office sat a biracial woman with long, tightly curled hair held back with a red headband.

“Oh, I’m sorry,” Eric said. “Deanna, this is Michelle, the school secretary. Michelle, this is Deanna Hart.”

“I know.” Michelle beamed. “I’m a fan.”

“Is that right?” Smiling, Deanna approached her and extended her hand. Michelle pumped it heartily. “Nice to meet you,” Deanna added.

“The pleasure’s all mine,” Michelle told her.

Deanna glanced around the large office space. “This looks almost the same as it did twenty years ago,” she commented. “Obviously it’s had a paint job or two, and some of the furnishings are different, but other than that it hasn’t really changed.”

“The building’s been updated in terms of repairs and fresh paint, but the idea was to keep it looking as much the way it did when it opened in 1955.”

“And it does,” Deanna said. “This is like a blast from the past.”

Eric gestured to the open door about ten feet away. “My office is this way.”

“A trip to the principal’s office,” Deanna said. “Should I be as concerned as the day I got in trouble for fighting Jenny Lawrence on the playground?”

Eric chuckled. “Not at all.”

“You went to the principal’s office when you were a kid?” Kwame asked, his tone saying he was surprised.

“A time or two,” Deanna admitted sheepishly.

Kwame glanced at the wall clock. “Oh, I’ve got to head to my basketball practice.”

“Sure thing,” Deanna said. “I’ll see you in a bit, then.”

Kwame bounded out of the office—did the kid ever walk?—and Deanna followed Eric into the office, smiling softly as she saw his name on the gold plate on the door.

PRINCIPAL E. BELL.

“Congrats on becoming principal,” she told him, gazing around at the plaques on the wall. They highlighted his various educational accomplishments. “I’m very impressed.”

“Thanks,” Eric said. He closed the door. “Have a seat.”

Deanna took a seat in front of his desk. Eric rounded the desk and sank into his plush leather chair. Folding his hands in front of him, he merely stared at her for a few seconds. “It really is great to see you. I always wondered how you were doing.”

“It’s great to see you, too, Eric.”

“I read about your aunt’s death. I’m very sorry.”

A wave of sadness washed over Deanna. “Thanks. It’s been hard, but my aunt dying brought me and my sisters back to Cleveland. Which got us to work out our differences.”

Eric nodded. “The proverbial silver lining. I know your aunt is looking down on you all with approval.”

“Yes,” Deanna agreed, a smile touching her lips. “I believe that, too.”

“I sent you an email once,” Eric said, changing the subject. “But you didn’t respond.”

“You did?”

“Yeah. To your website. I guess you get too many messages from fans to notice that one was from me. Either that or you didn’t want to respond,” he added, his tone lighthearted.

Deanna grimaced. “I’m sorry. Of course I would have responded had I seen your email. I didn’t even check my messages—I had a couple of assistants do that for me. They shared some of the fan mail with me, but not all. They even sent out my responses. Sometimes they would flag certain messages and not respond if they thought they sounded suspicious. For example, if they thought someone was trying to use a feigned past association as a way to get to me, they especially wouldn’t let me see the message.”

Eric nodded. “Guess that’s what happens when you become rich and famous.”

“It all sounds so superficial, doesn’t it?” Deanna commented. She had never been totally comfortable with letting others read and respond to her fan mail, but she’d been advised that it was the best way. “It was just easier to have someone else deal with the fan mail while I concentrated on the music.”

“Of course. I wasn’t passing judgment. Just letting you know that I tried to reach out to you.”

“I’m the same girl you knew years ago,” Deanna said. It was important that he know that. Yes, she had left and gone to Hollywood, but she had been running as much as she had been chasing a dream. Now that the dream had crashed and burned, she didn’t even know if she wanted it anymore.

“I don’t doubt that,” Eric said. “It’s why you’re here right now. The fact that you’re willing to talk to the students about what you do shows you’re the type of person who wants to give back.”

“It’s no big deal,” Deanna said, waving a dismissive hand.

“Don’t sell yourself short,” Eric said. “You talking to the students will be very inspiring. Your influence will be stronger than you know.”

Deanna shrugged. “I certainly hope so.”

“It will be, trust me. I’ve discussed your visit with Mrs. Mortensen, Kwame’s teacher. And she said that any time you want to come in will be great.”

“Oh,” Deanna said. “I thought I was going to have a meeting with her this afternoon.”

“Actually, I’m the one who wanted to speak to you.”

“You?” Deanna asked. “To say hi?” she added with a soft chuckle.

“No. I wanted to speak to you because I have another idea in mind, as well. Something else for you to consider.”

Deanna looked at Eric with a question in her eyes. “What’s that?”

“Our eighth-grade drama club is going to be doing something different this year—a musical production. Annie. Peter Guy, our music teacher, was supposed to be directing the production. But he was recently in a bad car wreck and will be off for months. Sanjay Singh, one of our history teachers, stepped up to the plate to say he could take over directing.”

“A history teacher?” Deanna questioned.

“He said he used to perform in community theater,” Eric said with a shrug. “And he’s helped Peter out with some plays in the past. Given the circumstances, I didn’t have much choice. Yes, there’s a new music teacher here in Peter’s place, and I’m sure she could do an adequate job directing the musical production. But when Mrs. Mortensen talked to me about Kwame’s suggestion, the idea came to me that I could ask you if you would mind helping out. Lend your musical expertise.”

“You want me to work on your school’s musical production?”

“In the capacity of a music coordinator, which really could be whatever you want it to be. The main thing would be to have you working with the children, which I hope might inspire some of them to come out of their shells.”

“But I don’t understand. If they’re in a drama club, aren’t they already outgoing?” All of the actor types Deanna knew in Hollywood were anything but shy.

“Not exactly,” Eric said. “Some, yes. The drama club obviously attracts kids who are extroverts. But I’ve personally challenged some kids to join the drama club as a way to help boost their self-esteem. They’re doing it because they respect me, and because I promised the group a trip to New York for an actual Broadway musical at the end of the year. They are capable of more than they believe they are, and they need a challenge—something they can conquer—that will help build up their self-image. I figured having someone like you here working with them might inspire them.”

“That’s a really great idea,” Deanna said, not in the least surprised that Eric had become a principal at such a young age. He had a knack for figuring out ways to inspire people.

“Thanks. What do you think? The drama club meets twice a week after school. Wednesdays and Thursdays. If you’re interested, you could come tomorrow.”

“’I’d be happy to help out,” Deanna said.

“Now, it would be a volunteer position—”

“Oh, that’s fine,” Deanna interjected. “I don’t need to be paid to help out with a school production.” She still had a healthy bank account, and giving back was one of the things that she wanted to do in a more meaningful way. It was one thing to donate cash to causes but another thing altogether to actually work at something where you made a difference. She had seen how much joy Natalie had gotten from working with the Compassion For Families charity, how gratifying that had been for her.

“Yeah?” Eric asked. “It’ll be a good couple months of work. Once a week in the beginning, but likely a few times a week as the production date gets near.”

“Which is perfectly fine with me.” She paused. “Though I have to be honest. There are a few things going on in my life that might demand my time unexpectedly. I anticipate being available for every rehearsal, but something might come up. As long as that won’t be a problem…”

“It’s a volunteer position,” Eric said, and he gave her a look as if to say he couldn’t expect her to give up her life for the cause. “That’s not a problem…unless you realize you can’t make it to most of the rehearsals.”

“I’m in town for the foreseeable future.” She was certainly in no rush to get back to Hollywood.

“Great. When you come tomorrow, I’ll introduce you to Mr. Singh.”

“I look forward to it.” A beat passed, then Deanna pushed her chair back and said, “All right. Tomorrow, then.”

“Actually,” Eric began. “What are you doing right now?”

“Now?” Deanna repeated. “I was just going to head back home. Though since I’m here, I figured I’d watch Kwame at his basketball practice, then drop him home.”

“So, no plans for the evening?” Eric pressed on.

“Nothing in particular, no.”

“Then perhaps I can persuade you to join me for dinner after you’ve dropped Kwame off?” Eric smiled, a warm and charming smile that brightened his whole demeanor. “I was going to head to a restaurant for dinner tonight—something I’d much prefer to do with company.”

“You’re inviting me out to dinner?” Deanna asked in a playful tone.

“Why not? We can catch up on old times.”

“Nearly nine years,” Deanna commented wistfully. “A lot has happened for both of us since then.”

“That’s for sure, superstar.”

“Oh, stop,” Deanna told him.

“Seriously, though. I want to hear about everything. How you made your career happen. Everything.”

And then there was something about the way Eric’s gaze held hers that made her think that “everything” included hearing about her love life.

Or was it just Deanna who was interested in his? Because when she’d looked around his office, she hadn’t seen pictures of him and a special female. Which surprised her, given that Eric was certainly an eligible bachelor. He was gorgeous, amiable, inspiring and easy to talk to. And he didn’t have a phone full of female contacts he could call to join him for dinner? How come a woman hadn’t already swept him off his feet?

“So, what do you say?” Eric asked. “Are you going to leave me to eat dinner by myself?”

It had been eight years since she had seen Eric, almost nine. And she had always enjoyed their conversations. His friendship was one she’d cherished, one she shouldn’t have let slide when she left town.

“Dinner with an old friend?” Deanna began. “How can I say no to that?”

* * *

Dinner with an old friend.

Eric felt an odd sensation in his stomach at her words. He had been an old friend…and yet he felt the term didn’t adequately sum up the nature of their past relationship.

All those times he had held Deanna as she had cried. Held her and treasured the feeling of her in his arms.

Held her and hoped…

Marvin, Marvin. Deanna had been so obsessed with his lying, cheating brother that she hadn’t been able to see a life beyond him. Eric had tried, as gently as he could, to tell her that she could do a heck of a lot better than Marvin, if only she would open her eyes.

Well, she’d opened them all right. Opened them and run clear to California.

He had hoped that she would—

Eric promptly cut the thought off. Why was he letting himself get distracted by thoughts of the past? The only thing that mattered right now was that he was truly happy to see Deanna. He had missed her all of these years. She’d left and cut her ties to Marvin, as well as to him. He’d been able to know she was alive and relatively how she had been doing by following her career in the media. There hadn’t been news of her dating this actor or that musician, which he’d always been happy about, though he suspected that she’d simply kept her love life out of the news.

His eyes took in her features now. Nine years had aged her face in only the most positive ways. She looked more mature, more womanly. And even more striking than she had when he had last seen her in person. Some stars were always touched up when they were in photos and on television to the point where they almost looked like different people without makeup. But Deanna’s caramel skin was blemish-free, and with only minimal makeup on, she was a knockout. Her beautiful smile exposed a set of perfect, white teeth, and her long lashes framed wide, expressive eyes. The kind of eyes that seemed to reach right through the screen and touch a person’s soul. It had been no surprise to Eric that she had done well in the music industry. She had the look of a star.

“Why are you looking at me like that?” Deanna asked, glancing away uncomfortably.

“Your hair,” Eric quickly said, clearing his throat. “It’s shorter than it used to be.”

Deanna fingered the short hair at her nape. “You like it?”

“Yes, it’s very nice,” he replied.

She offered him a small smile. “So, as for dinner, did you have a particular place in mind?”

“Yeah, I did. Unless there’s a particular place you want to go.”

“I wouldn’t mind going to A Taste of Soul,” Deanna told him.

“Ah, Michael Jones’s restaurant,” Eric said.

“Yeah. The food is great. Have you been?”

“A few times.”

“And you like it?”

“It’s a great restaurant. Let’s go.”

“Good. Here’s some news. Michael Jones and my sister are dating.”

“Really?” Eric asked, surprised. “Natalie?”

“Yeah. I don’t know if you heard on the news about her divorce from Vance Cooper, the one who plays for the NBA?”

Eric nodded. “Definitely. I was sorry to hear about it. So many of these men out there get a good woman and don’t know what to do with her.”

Deanna nodded, looking at him with a curious expression in her eyes. Eric wondered what she was thinking, but she didn’t say.

“Anyway,” Deanna continued, “I’ve been there once, and the food is fantastic. Whether my sister was dating Michael or not, I’d go there again.”

“Of course. The food is great, the atmosphere is lively. What’s not to like?”

Finally, Deanna stood. Eric did as well. “I’ll drop Kwame home, then get ready. When should I meet you there? Is six o’clock good?”

“Sure. That’s great.”

Eric spoke casually, but he was all too aware of the familiar flush spreading over his body. The one he’d had every time he had held her close in the past, and when he’d watched her on TV.

He had waited nearly nine years for this moment, this opportunity to see Deanna without the shadow of his brother hanging over their heads.

And in just over two hours, he was going to make the most of it.

Chapter 3

Though Deanna had been more than appropriately dressed for dinner—wearing boot-cut jeans, a white blouse and a black velvet blazer—she went back to Uncle Dave’s place and changed. Her outfit now was decidedly more upscale. She was used to dressing up and going out to fancy dinners in L.A., and she relished the opportunity to put something on now that was a little fancy.

Though, as she looked at her reflection in the mirror, she couldn’t help wondering if she had gone a little overboard.

She was wearing a black sheath dress and low-heeled black sling-backs encrusted with colorful jewels. Her hair was short, so she didn’t have to worry about fussing over that. She slicked it back, added some mousse so it would stay in place and concentrated on the features that she liked to accentuate. She added mascara to her lashes, eyeliner and a burgundy shade of lipstick.

Uncle Dave’s wide eyes and low whistle when she came downstairs made it clear she had dressed to impress. “You going to some fancy award show?” he asked her.

Deanna chuckled as she went over to him where he sat on his recliner, then gave him a kiss on the forehead. “No. I ran into an old friend. He’s taking me out for dinner.”

“Hmm…another romance brewing?”

“He’s an old friend,” Deanna stressed. “You remember the guy Natalie and I were fighting over all those years ago?”

Uncle Dave frowned. “Tell me you’re not going out with Marvin!”

“No. Definitely not. His brother, Eric, is the principal at Kwame’s school. I saw him today. And we’re going out now to catch up on old times.”

“Hmm.” Uncle Dave gave her a curious look. “Dressed like that?”

“I’ve got a suitcase full of nice clothes I haven’t had a chance to wear,” Deanna told him. Then she started for the door. “See you in a couple of hours.”

A short while later, when Deanna got out of her car and walked toward Eric where he stood waiting outside of the restaurant, the first thing she noticed was the way his eyes widened as he took in her appearance.

“You changed,” he said, his voice laden with approval.

“I figured I may as well get dressed up for the occasion. It’s not every day you run into an old friend and get the opportunity to get reacquainted.”

Deanna wasn’t sure if Eric even heard her reply, because his eyes drank in her appearance from head to toe, as though he was transfixed. “Wow. Seriously, wow. You are ravishing.”

For some reason, Deanna felt a tingling sensation in her belly. “Thank you.”

Eric made a sweeping hand gesture, indicating his outfit and frowning slightly. “I didn’t get to change.”

“You look great,” she told him. And he did. His black slacks, beige shirt and black blazer looked good on him. He had taken off the tie he’d been wearing at school earlier, which now made his professional look more GQ sexy.

“All the same, I wish I’d been able to vamp it up a notch to truly complement you.”

“Now you’re making me wish I hadn’t changed,” Deanna said.

“Nonsense,” Eric told her. “I’m glad you went to the effort to get dressed up for me.”

“I’m glad you approve.”

His eyebrows wriggled as he offered her his elbow, and Deanna cocked her head as she slipped her arm through his.

What were they doing? Flirting?

The question fled her mind as Eric opened the door and led them into A Taste of Soul. They were immediately greeted with a bright smile from a pretty young woman behind the hostess stand.

“Table for two?” the woman asked.

“Yes,” Eric and Deanna said at the same time.

The woman picked up two menus and then began to lead them into the restaurant. Eric commented, “I wonder if we’ll see Michael Jones.”

“The owner, Michael Jones?” the hostess asked, looking over her shoulder at them. “He’s not here.”

“He’s headed out of town for an away game,” Deanna explained. “My sister went with him.”

The hostess stopped at a four-top table near the window and set the menus down on it. Then she placed her hands on her hips as she looked at Deanna. “Your sister’s— Of course, you’re Deanna Hart.”

“That’s me.”

“I’m Sandra.” She extended her hand, and Deanna shook it. “Nice to meet you.”

“Nice to meet you as well, Sandra. This is Eric, a friend of mine.”

“I’ve never seen Michael so smitten,” Sandra commented. “He’s really into your sister.”

“That’s good to hear, because she’s really into him.”

“Vivian will be your server tonight,” Sandra told them. “She’ll be out shortly.”

“Sounds like it’s going really well between your sister and Michael Jones,” Eric commented once Sandra walked away. He pulled Deanna’s chair out for her.

“It is,” Deanna said, sitting. “It’s almost like they were destined to meet.” Eric helped push her chair back under the table, and Deanna grinned up at him. “Why, thank you. You are certainly a gentleman.”

Eric sat opposite her. And even though Deanna had lifted the menu and was perusing it, she could sense his eyes on her.

“What?” she asked, looking at him and finding that, yes, he was staring. She touched her hair self-consciously.

“Just thinking about how odd it is that we’re both here, about to have dinner. Given that I thought I’d never see or talk to you again.”

“I know. When I woke up this morning, I never dreamed I’d be here with you this evening.” Deanna paused. “Sometimes life offers you nice surprises.”

“You remember all those talks we used to have?” Eric asked.

“Are you kidding?” Now Deanna made a slight groaning sound. “But most of them, I would rather forget.”

“Why?”

“Why?” Deanna repeated, bulging her eyes. “The way I cried over Marvin like a fool? What you must have thought of me.”

“I thought you were a beautiful woman who’d fallen for the wrong man. It happens. A lot.”

Deanna shrugged and again looked at the menu. But she knew what she was going to have. The last time she’d been here, she had contemplated the Cajun catfish with collard greens but passed it over for the gumbo. “I’m having the catfish,” she announced.

“That’s a great choice,” Eric said. “I’m going to have the same.” He closed his menu. “You want wine?”

“White?” Deanna asked.

“White’s good. Sauvignon blanc?”

“Excellent choice.”

Vivian, the waitress, arrived with a basket of warm corn bread, which Deanna dug into as Eric placed their orders. She then promised to be back with the wine momentarily.

Deanna looked toward the stage area, where an attractive young man had just appeared. He looked stylish in a fedora, cream-colored dress shirt with tie, dark jeans and black loafers. A few people cheered as he sat behind the keyboard, which led Deanna to believe that they were already acquainted with this musician.

“So, what have you been up to for the past nine years?” Deanna asked.

“Other than dedicating myself to work?”

“Certainly it couldn’t have been all work, no play,” Deanna said. “You’re not wearing a wedding ring, but that doesn’t mean you’re not married.”

“Why?” Eric asked, giving her a playful look. “You interested?”

“Just wondering,” Deanna said. “A lot can happen in nine years.”

The musician hit a few keys on the keyboard and then paused. “Evening, ladies and gentlemen. My name is Trey Martinez.”

There were more hoots and whistles. Then Trey began to play. Moments later, he began to sing. He had a sultry, smooth sound and reminded her of Brian McKnight.

Deanna turned back to Eric. “So?” she prompted. “Are you going to answer my question?”

Eric swallowed the piece of corn bread he’d bitten before answering. “Actually, I was married. But it didn’t last long. Not quite two years.”

Deanna looked at him, into his handsome face and bright eyes. Maybe it was the love ballad that Trey was singing, and the romantic atmosphere with two lit candles on the table. But it struck her just how totally sexy Eric was. She hadn’t truly taken notice of this fact years ago, because she’d been so obsessed with Marvin. But there was no denying it now.

Eric was superfine.

Which prompted the question, why would any woman let him go?

“Why did you divorce?” Deanna couldn’t help asking.

And that was when she saw the first sign of discomfort flash in Eric’s eyes. So much so that she quickly said, “You don’t have to tell me. It’s really none of my business.”

“We just…we just didn’t see eye to eye on everything. Irreconcilable differences, if you will.”

Vivian returned with the two glasses of wine. With an amiable smile, she placed them on the table and then went on her way. She seemed to be the type of server who believed in being unobtrusive, and Deanna appreciated that.

“I made mistakes,” Eric went on, still talking about his marriage. “I was focused on my career. I’m not saying I ignored my wife, but she wanted me to take her out to dinners all the time, to the movies, the theater. And we did go out—don’t get the wrong idea. But not all the time the way she wanted. And one other thing she really hoped for that I hadn’t realized when we got married was that I would travel with her during the summer. She had dreams of going to Italy with me, to a cooking school in Tuscany for a few weeks—which I wasn’t opposed to, but the summer after we married was out of the question. I was working on completing my second master’s, and she wasn’t happy that I wouldn’t go with her.” Eric sighed softly. “I knew that I wanted to achieve certain goals by a certain time. I was focused on that. So focused that I didn’t realize I was losing my wife.”

He had recited these facts so casually that Deanna had to wonder if he had been at all heartbroken over the downfall of his marriage.

“You didn’t even make the two-year mark?” she asked.

“One year, nine months. Ellie said it wasn’t working, that we weren’t on the same page. And I agreed.”

Deanna sensed that there was more to the story, something important that he was leaving out. Or was it just that in her experience, things weren’t so black and white? “You seem so…I don’t know—comfortable about everything?” she said to him. “I’m sure it must have been a terrible time for you.”

“Ellie is a great girl, and I wish her nothing but happiness and success. But we weren’t right for each other. We were two friends who both wanted to get married and thought, hey, why not to each other? But we weren’t meant to be.”

“You say that so matter-of-factly.”

“We’re still friends. Ellie has gone on to marry someone else. Now she’s the wife of some cruise ship director, and I understand that they travel quite a bit. She’s happy. And I’m happy for her.”

“I see,” Deanna said. Maybe she was reading into things, thinking there was more to the story than there really was. “Well, it happens.”

“And sometimes things happen for a reason.” Eric held her gaze as he raised his wineglass. “To new beginnings.”

And as Deanna looked into Eric’s magnetic eyes, she was struck once again with just how gorgeous he was. She clinked her glass against his. “To new beginnings.”

The patrons applauded as Trey finished his first song, and he promptly began the second one. “What about you?” Eric asked. “I’ve never heard any reports that you were married, but that doesn’t mean you never tied the knot.”

Deanna shook her head. “No. I never got married.” She paused. “Perhaps I was a little like you. Very focused on my career.”

“I bought your albums,” Eric said. “And I’m not saying this just because I know you, but you’re supremely talented.”

“Thank you,” Deanna told him.

“You have anything new coming out?” Eric asked. “I’ve been waiting for the next album to drop.”

Deanna deliberately lifted her wineglass to her mouth and took a sip. Eric watched her every movement. She felt as though a spotlight were on her as she swallowed, then finally spoke. “Well, not right now,” she answered, hoping he didn’t pick up on the discomfort in her tone. “I was working on some stuff, but…not anymore.”

Eric gave her an odd look, but he didn’t press her for details. Maybe it was obvious to him that she didn’t want to talk about it, and for that she was glad. She didn’t want to get into the story about Brian.

“I’m surprised you haven’t asked me about Marvin.” Eric chuckled softly.

Deanna rolled her eyes in a playful manner. “I think it’s fair to say I did more than enough talking about him nine years ago. I can’t believe how pathetic I was.”

“You weren’t pathetic. You were…passionate.”

Deanna’s eyebrows shot up. “Passionate?”

“Yeah. You used to be so full of fire whenever you spoke to me about Marvin. You got so heated when you complained about him doing you wrong.”

Deanna cringed as she remembered just how often she had complained about Marvin. Had she been smart, she would have dumped him without a second thought the moment she had learned about him and her sister and not looked backward. Instead, she had fought for him—and helped ruin her relationship with Natalie in the process. “Ugh…so young and stupid.”

“Not young and stupid. Young and hopeful was more like it.”

“You always were good at putting a positive spin on everything.” Deanna sighed. “I guess I may as well ask—what happened to Marvin? What’s he doing with his life?”

“My brother.” Eric rolled his eyes. “Same old Marvin. You talked about being young and foolish—well, he’s now older and still foolish. I hoped he would grow out of his player ways, but he didn’t. He’s on a second divorce now.”

“What?”

Eric nodded. “Yep. He was married to a girl from here, really nice girl he met in college, Beverly.”

“I remember Beverly. Beverly Bonaparte?”

“Yeah, that’s her.”

“I can’t say that I’m surprised.” Deanna shook her head. “Wow.” Then she said, “Okay, I’m over it. What happened to their marriage?”

“What you’d expect of Marvin. Beverly loved him, but, yup, he cheated on her. Time and again. They have two kids, twins. A boy and a girl. The so-called perfect family. But not for Marvin. Nope, he wasn’t happy unless he could have more women. Sometimes I wonder how it’s possible that we’re related.”

“I wondered the same thing many times myself.”

Something changed in Eric’s expression. Giving her a pointed look, he asked, “Is that all you wondered?”

Butterflies fluttered in Deanna’s belly. Suddenly, she didn’t know what to say.

Eric held her gaze for a moment longer, then smiled softly and reached for more corn bread. “Anyway,” he went on, “Beverly and Marvin divorced, then Marvin headed to New Orleans to be with some other woman. Beverly moved to Cincinnati, so we hardly see the kids.”

“Oh, that’s awful,” Deanna said. But she was all too aware that Eric had just let her off the hook concerning whatever he had been curious about.

“Tell me about it. The twins are five, and I try to stay in touch with Beverly as much as possible. But she’s remarried, so she doesn’t have as much time for us as she used to. I think in the beginning she stayed away a lot because she didn’t like the reminders of Marvin. And because things had gotten ugly between them. Sometimes, the extended family can’t help but become casualties when divorce happens.”

Deanna nodded. She was thinking about Callie. Callie and Nigel hadn’t divorced, but she hadn’t been able to know her nephew until now because Callie had left, fearing that any contact with any of them would’ve led to Nigel finding out that she’d had his child. Thank goodness, they had all reunited—and now Callie and Nigel were together the way they should have been in the beginning.

Deanna shared that story with Eric, and when she was finished he said, “You would never know they’d been apart. Kwame talks about his mother and his father as though they were always together. He seems well-adjusted and happy.”

A smile touched Deanna’s lips. “He is. He’s elated to have met his father and thrilled that his parents are back together. You’d never know that he hadn’t been in Nigel’s life until a few months ago.”

Vivian arrived at the table with their dinner orders. “Two Cajun catfish dinners,” she announced, placing the steaming plates on the table in front of them. “Now, if you need anything else, let me know.”

“Sure thing,” Eric told her.

“It smells delicious,” Deanna commented.

“Wait till you taste it.”

Deanna did exactly that and then moaned in pleasure. “Oh, wow. This is amazing.”

Eric cut a morsel of his fish but held it in front of his mouth as he spoke again. “It sounds like your sister and Nigel had issues to work out, and as hard as it must have been for you all, having to come back here for your aunt’s funeral allowed healing to take place.”

“You’re right about that,” she said, but she couldn’t help thinking that Eric was truly insightful. Perhaps that was why she had been compelled to tell him her problems as a teenager. He was the kind of guy who got it.

“Sadly, Marvin is hardly in his kids’ lives. I don’t think he sees them at all.”

“It’s tragic, isn’t it? People divorce, and suddenly they’re not a part of their children’s lives. It shouldn’t be that way.” Deanna paused. “You said Marvin is on divorce number two?”

“Yep. He was married to this other girl for two years. No surprise, she left him. And the worst part is, she has a child with him, too. I’ve only seen his daughter once.”

“Wow.”

“I hardly talk to my brother,” Eric admitted. “He’s shacked up with some other woman in Louisiana. I don’t think he’ll ever get it.”

Silence fell between them, and they began to eat their dinners while listening to the smooth sounds of Trey Martinez. The man was good.

Deanna was halfway through her meal when she felt Eric’s

eyes on her. Slowly, she lifted her gaze and saw that yes, he was looking at her.

And something about the way he was staring at her made her breath catch in her throat.

“How old is your other niece?” she asked, hoping to alleviate the awkward tension she was now feeling.

“Cecelia’s eighteen months old,” Eric said.

No, it wasn’t awkward tension, Deanna realized. She was very distinctly feeling a sexual rush. But she tried to ignore it. “And what are the twins’ names?”

“Devon and Daneesha.”

“I bet they’re darling.”

“They are,” Eric confirmed. A beat passed, then, “You know what I’d really like to talk about?”

Deanna shook her head slightly, but her stomach was still fluttering.

“No,” she told him.

“I’d like to talk about us.” Eric held her gaze, his eyes not wavering. “About you and me.”

Chapter 4

For some reason, Deanna felt a wave of heat envelop her. You and me.

What exactly did he mean by that?

“Us?” she asked faintly, wondering why her pulse had picked up speed.

“All those years ago, when you used to come to me and cry on my shoulder about Marvin, did you never…” His voice trailed off.

“Did I never what?” Deanna asked.

Eric paused, and Deanna wondered if he wasn’t going to finish his statement. And she wanted him to, wanted to hear what he had to say.

“Did you never wonder about me? Did you never look at me in the way that you looked at Marvin?”

She felt a tightening in her chest, the kind she felt when she was attracted to someone. And yet, there was only one way to answer the question honestly. “I was so wrapped up in Marvin that someone else could have come into my life with a neon sign from God shining on him that said he was Mr. Right, and I wouldn’t have noticed.”

Eric grinned, and not for the first time Deanna noticed the way the faint lines around his eyes crinkled when he smiled, as well as those two little dimples in his cheeks. Had he always been this good-looking?

“I like that,” he told her. “What you said. It set up a really great visual image.”

Deanna shrugged. “The songwriter in me, I guess.”

“What about now?” Eric asked.

Deanna looked away for a moment, then back at him. “Now…” She drew in a deep breath. “There’s no denying that you’re an attractive man,” she said, “but we’ve always been friends.”

“And you don’t want to cross the friendship line?” Eric said, point blank.

“I…this is all out of left field,” Deanna admitted.

“For you, maybe. I was always interested in getting to know you better, but you only had eyes for my brother.”

“What?” Deanna gave him a questioning look. “Are you serious?”

“Yeah,” Eric said softly. “But you were my brother’s girl. And even if you weren’t, I was nearly four years older than you, which is ancient when you’re nineteen. I knew that you never looked at me that way. Why am I even telling you this?”

Deanna shifted in her seat. This was getting somewhat uncomfortable. She liked Eric, and he seemed to be the same decent guy he always was. Not to mention that he was easy on the eyes. But…

“I haven’t seen you in almost nine years,” Deanna said.

“And I never forgot you in all that time. I guess what I’m saying is that I hope that now—without Marvin or anyone else between us—maybe you and I can get to know each other on a different level.”

He was serious. Deanna had to take a moment to digest everything Eric had just confessed to her.

“This guy’s good,” Eric commented, indicating Trey Martinez at his piano.

“Yeah,” Deanna agreed. “Really talented.”

“You going to have dessert?” Eric asked.

“I wasn’t planning on it,” she told him.

“The peach crumble is great. Maybe we can share it.”

“Okay, you’ve twisted my arm. Let’s get one each.”

Eric raised a hand to flag down Vivian, and she came over to the table. “Two peach crumbles,” he told her.

“How was the catfish?” Vivian asked.

“Fantastic,” Deanna told her.

“Great.” Vivian collected their plates. “Any coffee?”

“I’ll have one,” Eric said.

“Me, too,” Deanna chimed in.

And as Vivian sauntered away, Deanna couldn’t help thinking about Eric’s bombshell. Was it true? Had he always been interested in her?

And how did she feel about that?

Just the question caused her stomach to tingle. There was no doubt that she was feeling a definite attraction to him today. For the first time, she was seeing him for what he was—a man, and not just a sounding board. What wasn’t there to like? He was tall, handsome, well-spoken. It wasn’t like pulling teeth to get information from him. He was the kind of guy who knew how to talk to a woman. That was hugely appealing.

But he was also her friend. And Deanna was no good at relationships. She had proven that time and again.

She’d had girlfriends who’d dated their male buddies, only for it to end in disaster. And then not only was the relationship over, but the friendship was, as well. Deanna could easily explore more with Eric…but at what cost?

The desserts came, which they ate while enjoying Trey’s music. He finished a particularly poignant song about love and loss to huge applause, after which he bowed and thanked everyone for listening. “I’ve got CDs for sale,” he added. “Only ten dollars. If you’re interested, come on up.”

Lifting her clutch purse off of the table, Deanna stood. “Ten dollars is a steal. I’m going to get one.”

She noticed others were approaching Trey, also eager to buy his CD. As she waited, she pulled two twenties out of her wallet. And when it was her turn to step up to Trey, she said, “I’ll take two.”

He began to scrawl his signature on the first case with a silver Sharpie. “You enjoyed the show?”

“Oh, no doubt,” Deanna told him. “You were amazing.” As a musician, she knew how nice it was to receive feedback. “Definitely very talented.”

“Thanks,” he said, beaming. “That means a lot, coming from someone like you.”

“Someone like me?”

He gave her a knowing look. “I know who you are,” he said. “And yeah, to hear that you enjoyed my music just made my night.”

He passed her the signed CDs, and she saw that on the top one he had written Ms. Hart, it’s a pleasure!! Which only confirmed that he knew exactly who she was.

“Thank you,” Deanna told him. Then she gave him the money.

“No problem,” Trey said, accepting the bills and heartily shaking her hand. Then he noticed that she’d given him two twenties and said, “You gave me too much.”

He offered her back a twenty, but Deanna waved a dismissive hand. “That’s a steal for the entertainment you provided.”

And she was suddenly struck with an idea. For the past few years, she thought that to continue her career meant releasing another album. But that wasn’t necessarily true. She could just as easily have a fulfilling career singing at small venues and clubs. Performing in a more intimate setting, like she had at the charity auction her sister had hosted last month.

“Hopefully I’ll see you here again,” she told Trey.

“Every Tuesday night, six-thirty.”

Deanna felt the hand creep around her waist then, and tingles of pleasure shot through her side. She looked to her right, into Eric’s handsome face. And her heart began to thud hard. Good Lord, Eric’s hand felt good on her body.

His fingers splayed over her hip, and a slow breath oozed out of Deanna. She missed a man touching her like this, she realized.

Eric offered his free hand to Trey. “Great show.”

Trey pumped his hand. “Thanks, man.”

“I’ve settled the bill,” Eric told her as he led her a few steps away.

“Oh, thank you.” She passed him one of Trey’s CDs. “And this is for you.”

Eric eyed the CD. “Great, thanks.”

His hand stayed on her waist as he led her to the restaurant’s exit. Deanna felt warring emotions inside of her. On one hand, she wanted to throw caution to the wind and tell Eric that she wanted to go back to his place with him. She was certain that he would be an excellent lover.

But on the other hand, she couldn’t stop thinking about the fact that this was Eric, Marvin’s older brother. A friend she had always been able to count on.

A friend she didn’t want to lose again.

They said goodbye to the hostess and then headed to the door. Eric released her as he pushed the door open and held it for Deanna to pass.

Deanna felt a little chill as she stepped outside and the night air enveloped her, and she rubbed her arms.

“Here.” Eric slipped off his blazer and put it around Deanna’s shoulders.

“Thanks,” she said.

“I bet you forgot how cool it can get here, living in sunny California.”

“California has its share of cold days,” Deanna told him. “I really enjoyed the dinner. It was nice to get out,” she added.

“No problem. Thank you for joining me.”

She began to shrug out of his jacket. “I’ll be fine getting to my car. It’s just around the corner.”

Eric placed a hand on her shoulder, stopping her from removing the jacket. “You can return it tomorrow.”

“Oh. Okay.”

Though there was no need for him to continue touching her, he didn’t remove his hand. Deanna stared up at him, feeling her internal temperature rise.

And then he did something she didn’t expect. He lowered his hand to her waist, then put his other hand on the other side of her waist.

Deanna didn’t need the jacket to keep warm. Not at all…

“I never forgot about you,” Eric said in a low, throaty voice.

Dusk had turned to dark since they’d arrived for dinner, and the streetlights provided the only illumination as they stood on the sidewalk. But Deanna wouldn’t have needed that to see the heat swirling in Eric’s eyes.

“I…” She didn’t know what to say. This moment was surreal. Certainly one she’d never expected to experience. Not after she had run from Cleveland and left everyone and everything here in the rearview mirror.

“But truly,” Eric went on, “this is what I thought about. Wondered about. Wished I’d gotten the chance to do.”

“Hmm?” Deanna asked, not understanding.

But a moment later, Eric’s comment became crystal clear when he placed a finger beneath her chin, tilted her head upward to his, brought his mouth down onto hers and kissed her.

* * *

He kissed me.

It was all Deanna could think about later as she lay in bed, wondering what exactly had happened.

One minute, she had been going out for dinner with an old friend to catch up on all that had happened in his life over the years. The next, he had been revealing that he’d always been attracted to her.

And then he had laid one on her.

Deanna felt warmth as she thought about it. Her toes actually wiggled. Oh, boy—did Eric ever know how to kiss a woman….

Right there on the sidewalk, as his mouth had come down on hers, she was lost. His velvety smooth lips had made the sweetest contact with hers, and Deanna had sighed with pleasure.

The kiss had been full of fire, eliciting passion while respectfully not crossing the line. He had left her bedazzled while kissing her without using his tongue. Instead, his lips had skillfully and teasingly played over hers. And when he had softly suckled her bottom lip, Deanna had thought she would go mad with lust.

That’s what she was feeling now as she lay on her bed. Lust.

It had been a long time since she had slept with a man. She and Brian had gone to bed only a few times, and she hadn’t felt a smidgen of the fire and passion in his bed as she had tonight while kissing Eric on the street.

Before Brian, it had been a good year since her last relationship. And she hadn’t really missed the sex.

But now…

Deanna rolled onto her back and closed her eyes. Closed her eyes and replayed the kiss with Eric in her mind.

They hadn’t even exchanged phone numbers—she was going to see him tomorrow, anyway—but she was so hot and bothered that a part of her wished she could call him now, that she could pay him a visit….

“What am I thinking?” she asked herself. “One decent kiss and you’re thinking about getting naked? Deanna, what is wrong with you?”

Though in all fairness, it had been more than a decent kiss. It had been an amazing kiss.

So amazing that she couldn’t wait for the hours to pass so that she could see him again at school tomorrow.

* * *

No doubt about it, the kiss had been worth the wait.

Eight years and ten months after the last time he had seen her, Eric had finally done what he’d always wanted to do. Tasted Deanna’s lips to see if they were as sweet as he imagined they would be.

And, man, were they ever! He had heard people say that a kiss could determine if there were truly sparks between people, and based on the kiss he and Deanna had shared, they had generated enough heat to melt the snow in Cleveland on a winter’s day.

He’d heard her soft purr of protest when he broke the kiss. Had seen the dazed look in her eyes as he gazed down at her.

Yes, the kiss had come out of the blue—at least for her. But it had proven a point.

They had chemistry.

The kind of chemistry Eric couldn’t wait to experience in a bedroom.

But that wasn’t all that he wanted, which was why he knew better than to push things too quickly. As much as he suspected—based on the fact that after the kiss Deanna had asked him if he was just heading home—that another kiss or two and she would have been agreeable to spending the night with him, he had refrained.

Because the chemistry certainly wasn’t one-sided, and they were bound to explore their sexual connection sooner or later.

In the meantime, Eric wasn’t about to blow the opportunity he’d been waiting for by rushing the sex.

Because eleven years ago, when Deanna had started dating Marvin, Eric had felt that she had chosen the wrong brother.

Chapter 5

The next day, Deanna went to Kwame’s school shortly before three-thirty as planned. She went into the office, where she saw Eric talking to the secretary. Hearing Deanna enter, he looked in her direction.

And damn if his smile didn’t cause her heart to flutter.

His eyes held hers, and Deanna couldn’t help wondering if he was thinking about the same thing she was.

Their kiss.

She swallowed. Just seeing those full lips, she could feel them on hers again. Who was she kidding? She didn’t need to see his lips to remember the kiss.

She had relived it many times during the night.

Why hadn’t someone snatched him up? Simply because he had been too busy with work? Was that his issue? There was no doubt that he was a good catch.

“Hey,” he said, walking toward her.

Deanna wasn’t sure if he was going to hug her, but she darted her gaze in the direction of the secretary, a silent way of saying she wasn’t sure a hug would be appropriate here. Not now that Eric had changed the landscape of their relationship by telling her that he’d always been attracted to her.

And whether he simply caught her meaning, or didn’t plan to hug her regardless, he kept his hands at his side. He simply said, “It’s good to see you again.”

“I’m glad to be here. I’m excited to work with the kids.”

Eric nodded. “Let me take you to the auditorium. The rehearsals will just be starting, so this is a good time for me to take you in and introduce you to everybody.”

Deanna followed Eric the short distance from the office to the large double doors she remembered from her childhood.

And as she had thought upon seeing the exterior of her old school, the auditorium that had once seemed large and daunting didn’t seem nearly as big now. Oh, it was definitely a good size, but it certainly looked smaller from her perspective as an adult.

At the end of the seating area was a stage. Deanna could remember performing Christmas and Easter plays there.

A number of kids were seated in the front row, and Deanna could only see the backs of their heads. An Indian man in jeans and a short-sleeved dress shirt sat on the edge of the stage with his feet hanging over.

“If I didn’t call your name, you can still have a part in the chorus,” the man was saying, “but I’ve made my decisions about the lead roles, and my decisions are final.”

As Deanna and Eric walked down the sloping floor toward the stage, the man stopped speaking. Eric moved forward with purpose, and as he got close enough to the stage, he said, “Mr. Singh, this is Ms. Hart.”

Mr. Singh hopped off of the stage and walked toward Deanna with his hand outstretched. When he reached her, he shook hers firmly. “Call me Sanjay.”

“Hello, Sanjay. I’m Deanna.”

Sanjay Singh looked to be in his late forties or early fifties, and he had a stern look about him.

That sternness was proven when, a moment later, he whipped his head to the right and said, “I won’t tolerate any excessive chatter. No one speaks until I say otherwise.”

Inwardly, Deanna cringed. For a man working on a theater production, he seemed to be tightly wound.

Then Sanjay turned back to her. “So, you’re a professional recording artist. Sorry, I never heard of you.”

It was the kind of comment that Deanna suspected was intended to knock her down a notch. And Eric must have figured the same thing, because he clamped a hand down on Sanjay’s shoulder and said with humor, “Don’t mind him. Sanjay’s been living under a rock for the past decade.”

The kids snickered at the comment.

“I didn’t mean to come off as crass,” Sanjay quickly explained, duly put in his place. “It’s just that I don’t keep up on current music. I’m a classical fan.”

“Classical music is great,” Deanna said, trying to put him at ease. But she was a little on guard, getting the sense that Sanjay wasn’t exactly happy to see her.

“And that’s exactly why I figured that Ms. Hart’s expertise would be invaluable to you with regards to this production,” Eric said. “Especially since you’re filling in for Peter.”

Sanjay nodded. “Yes, of course.”

Eric moved to stand in front of all the students. “I’m excited about this production, and I hope you are, too. And because Mr. Guy can’t be here, I thought I’d ask an old friend of mine to help out with the musical end of the production. She’s had success in the music industry, with two albums

released. Some of you may have heard of her.” Eric paused, then grinned as he said, “Ladies and gentlemen, this is Deanna Hart.”

Eric gestured to her, and Deanna stepped forward. The kids had already been throwing curious glances in her direction, some of them whispering amongst each other despite Sanjay’s stern warning. She knew that at least some of the kids had recognized her.

Now, as she stepped in front of them, most were smiling excitedly, while some appeared to be blushing. “Hello,” she said to them. “Nice to meet you all.”

There was a chorus of hellos in return, and some of the kids waved and giggled.

“I’ve never worked on a Broadway production,” Deanna began, “but I have done some theater—right here at this very school. And I know music. So I’m really looking forward to working with you all.”

One of the kids made a funnel around his mouth with his hands and hooted, indicating his happiness over this news.

Конец ознакомительного фрагмента.

Текст предоставлен ООО «ЛитРес».

Прочитайте эту книгу целиком, купив полную легальную версию на ЛитРес.

Безопасно оплатить книгу можно банковской картой Visa, MasterCard, Maestro, со счета мобильного телефона, с платежного терминала, в салоне МТС или Связной, через PayPal, WebMoney, Яндекс.Деньги, QIWI Кошелек, бонусными картами или другим удобным Вам способом.