AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I groaned and nodded. “That’s how she got me. I don’t mind giving back and spending the time or anything.”
“There’s something else going on. Are you going to tell me, or do I need to call in the big guns?”
I glanced around to make sure no one was close by. I might have grown up in town right alongside the gossip, but that didn’t mean I wanted to spread it myself. Mav looked around as well, and we were in full-on covert op mode.
“I met someone the first night I volunteered.” His eyebrows shot so high on his hairline; I was almost concerned for the man. “Aster,” I let her name fall between us as a fact, not a question.
“Aster? As in the owner of On Pointe? Aster who I went to school with?” His voice was rising with each question, and I was sure I’d have to grab him and put him a headlock or some shit to get him to calm down. He pointed right at me, a snarl in his voice, “You better not be fucking with her. She’s a good person and a good woman.”
I wasn’t at all intimidated. He may be my boss, but I got right in his face, unwilling to back down or be misunderstood. “She’s mine,” I growled.
Maverick transformed right in front of my eyes. His shoulders relaxed and he took a step back before rubbing the back of his neck and shooting me a wide-eyed look. “Well, I’ll be fucking damned.” He barked out a quick laugh as if he couldn’t contain it. “Not going to lie, considering your whole fun loving, I don’t give a fuck attitude about pretty much everything, I did not see this one coming.” He rubbed his hands together and muttered, more to himself, “Lark is going to love this.”
“You’re not going to tell her anything,” I insisted.
Maverick shot me a look as if he thought I was out of my damn mind. “I don’t keep anything from my wife,” his voice brokered no room for argument. I sighed and rolled my eyes, knowing damn well it was true. “Evie loves going to Aster’s ballet class and Lark is a fan of the woman. She’ll be happy for you both. You might need an ally,” he pointed out, “because Aster has walls about a million miles high.”
“I’ve noticed,” I sounded like a toddler about a second away from a temper tantrum.
“She came back different,” he whispered, and my eyes snapped up to his from the ground. “Growing up her dreams were always much bigger than our small town. Everyone knew it was only a matter of time before her name would be in big lights in the big city where she’d find success dancing.” I swallowed hard, not sure if I wanted to hear any more. “When she left, she was bright and bubbly, but when she came back, she was,” he paused as if looking for the right word, “muted. No one knows what happened as far as I know.”
“There are times when I see so much pain and regret in her eyes,” I admitted, unsure if I’ve said too much.
Maverick nodded and reached over to give my shoulder a squeeze. “If she’s yours, don’t let her push you away. I have a feeling being with her will be good for you and you’ll be good for her. When you feel that pull, it’s something you can’t ignore.” He winked and smirked at me before he held his arms out to his sides. “Just look at me.”
I gave him a little shove that had us both chuckling. But I did understand his point. Maverick was known as a manwhore. Then Lark showed up and he changed in an instant. He never looked at another woman. She was it for him and still is. He has a woman he’s devoted to, he has a family, and the man is practically fucking giddy with joy. It would be disgusting if it wasn’t so damn heartwarming.
His words are replaying in my mind now as I walk into the community center after I went home to shower and change. I haven’t been able to stop thinking about what he told me. I wonder what the hell happened to her when she left and why she came back. If she had such big dreams, why did she give them up?
My stomach twists at all the possibilities, most of which are too damn horrific for me to even consider. I imagine being a dancer, especially in a big city which would attract a lot of talent, wouldn’t be easy. Is it that simple? Did she find out she wasn’t as talented as she thought? Or did something sinister happen?
When I spot Aster across the room, already assembling more of the goodie bags, I push those thoughts away. I want her to give me her secrets when she’s ready. I want her to give me all her pain and her burden. My shoulders are strong enough and broad enough to help carry the load.
First, I’m going to need to earn her trust.
I plop down in the chair next to my little Spark, and her eyes snap to mine, the surprise on her face quickly melting away to something like acceptance. It’s not excitement, but I’ll take it for now. It, somehow, feels like a victory to get that much.
“Hi, little Spark,” I bump my shoulder against hers, “I missed you. How was your day?”
Her eyes narrow on me before she goes back to stuffing bags with a few coloring books and crayons, sticker sheets, bubbles, and a small stuffed animal. It’ll be a good gift for the kids to get, no matter what other toy they walk away with. It feels damn good to be helping the community.
I was lucky growing up. I know it.
“It was good. Normal,” she tries to dismiss my question and totally glosses over the whole missing her thing.
I don’t let it get to me. I’ll find a way around her defenses.
I find I can’t help myself and push her a little more. “What’s one thing that was awesome today?”
She gets the sweetest smile on her face, and it makes my heart pump faster in my chest. “My intermediate class nailed their choreography today. It looked like they were floating across the studio floor.”
“You love teaching them, don’t you?”
“I do,” she gets a far away look in her eyes but shakes it off quickly. “I love all my classes. I love the determination of the older kids and the pride when they master something they were finding tricky.”
“You said before the little kids are your favorite classes. Why?”
“They’re just starting out and I get to foster a love of dance, music, and movement in them,” she admits while blushing a little. “It’ll help them in so many areas of their life and they don’t even see it, because they just love to show up and have fun.”
