Page 70 of The Sound of Harmony

“I’m fine,” he said. “But we should probably talk. Because I think you’re asking me if I’m doing okay financially.”

Emma leaned away from him. “I wasn’t. Honestly, I assumed you were set for life.”

“I’m not,” he said. “Especially since I quit my job this morning.”

Emma’s brow furrowed, but she showed no other signs of surprise. “I thought you were going back to it.”

So did I. “I’m keeping things loose for now,” he said.

“But you’re still writing music?”

“Hold on, let me check.” He put a hand to his chest. “I’m still breathing, so I’ll say yes.”

Emma smoothed her hands over the tops of her thighs, as if pressing out creases. “How does that work? You’re just a classical music genius and people throw money at you?”

“That’s how it works for Eric Whitacre,” Kendrick said. “He flips that long blond hair and money falls out.”

Emma swiped a dismissive hand in front of her. “That guy.”

“Bastard,” Kendrick said. “The rest of us have to work our asses off.”

“You do seem a little young to fully retire.”

“I just got my first lawn. It’s too soon to yell at kids to get off it.”

“Do you like kids?” Emma asked.

Kendrick blinked at her, tongue-tied. First the financial question and then the kids question? This was moving fast.

“Because I was thinking about your friend Ben,” Emma said. “And thinking about teaching. You could work in a school or give private music lessons. But judging from the panicked look on your face, maybe that’s not for you.”

Kendrick exhaled a loud breath. She was talking career, not personal. “It’s not for me,” he said.

Emma gave him a wicked grin. “You can always get a realtor’s license and start working with Mitch.”

Kendrick put a hand on his forehead and slumped dramatically over the keyboard. “Icky.”

“Did you just say icky? I haven’t heard that since I was twelve.”

“I think you’ve hit on the problem. It’s not Mitch. It’s me. There’s something about him that brings out my inner twelve-year-old. I don’t like it.”

Emma leaned over, half falling onto his lap. She kissed his cheek. “I prefer the grown-up version of Kendrick, thank you very much. The one that’s all man.”

He kissed her back, sliding his hands under her t-shirt, around her waist, and up her ribs. Her body excited him beyond belief. He was also completely and utterly starving. “You know,” he said, “I’m feeling some very adult thoughts right now. For example…”

Emma pressed closer, the heat of her body melting into him. “Yes?”

Kendrick stood and pulled her up after him. “A grown-up woman has offered to treat me to dinner. Like a mature man, I’d like to take her up on it.”

Emma paused, her mouth half-open. “Not where I thought you were going with that, but sure.”

“Perhaps there will be another offer, later?”

“Perhaps,” she said, walking her fingers up his arm. “If you’re on your best behavior.”

“I’ll just be myself,” he said.

“Same thing.”