All I Ever Wanted(24)

Arabella had finally caved and slept in the master bedroom because she couldn't give up the amazing ocean view, but being curled up in Grady's bed created images that had her tossing and turning after she finally attempted to go to sleep. Her earlier close encounter with his bare chest didn't help matters, and now she felt groggy, grumpy, and nervous. "Should have risked the coffee," she mumbled.

Hopefully, dancing would increase her endorphins and she'd somehow get through this scary-as-hell first day. Stiffening her backbone, she hoisted her gear over her shoulder and walked around the sidewalk leading to the rehearsal hall.

The pool shimmered in the Florida sunshine, and graceful palm trees reached toward the cloudless, pale-blue sky. A slight breeze cut through the humidity, but she could tell that today was going to be a hot one. As she got closer to the rehearsal hall, she could hear Heartbeat singing their huge hit "Surrender." She couldn't help but stop to listen. On the surface, their music seemed to be classic bubblegum pop, but Jimmy's lyrics had depth and meaning that took the songs beyond simple dance music.

Arabella stood there and listened to Grady singing lead while the brothers harmonized. Their voices sounded stronger, richer, and she had to smile, knowing that her simplified choreography would fit their more mature image. She'd always known that making girls scream minimalized their true musical talent, casting them as a flash-in-the-pan boy band. The Beatles had stopped touring because they couldn't hear themselves sing over screaming girls.

Although there were exceptions, the unfortunate truth was that the shelf life of boy-band heartthrobs didn't last long beyond their teen years. Knowing how hard Heartbeat had worked toward perfection, Arabella thought they deserved more credit, and as she stood there and listened, she was stunned by how amazing they sounded.

Grady's voice especially seemed to wash over her, and if she hadn't been loaded down with her gear she would have swayed to the music. After the breakup, she'd refused to play Heartbeat's records and always changed the channel if they came on the radio. Until accepting the job, she hadn't heard them sing in years. But to hear them live brought an unexpected lump of emotion to her throat.

God, she'd been so deeply in love with Grady. And Jesse, Jimmy, and Oliver were like the siblings she'd often longed for as a kid but never had growing up. They'd filled a void in her life that had remained a gaping emptiness since the day she'd walked out.

"Stop thinking about the past," she whispered to herself, even though she knew that would be an impossible feat. When then song ended, her stomach did a little flip. She had to go in or risk being late. After sucking down the last little sliver of peppermint, she squared her shoulders.

But then Arabella's pulse pounded and her nerve ran away like the hounds of hell were after it. She stared at the door to the rehearsal room and then spun around. A couple of moments later she stood by her car, fumbling in her purse for the keys.


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"Going somewhere?"

Startled, Arabella looked over the hood of the car and spotted Grady walking her way. "I forgot something," she said, but she knew by the frown on his face that he didn't believe her.

"So you lugged all your stuff with you to get your forgotten something?"

Arabella felt heat flood her cheeks.

"You were leaving," he said flatly.

Arabella shrugged and felt a trickle of sweat roll between her shoulder blades. "No . . ." she said, but then sighed. "Okay, yeah, I was," she said, and waited for a smart-ass remark. She was hoping for one so she could say something smart-ass back. She watched him warily while he walked over to the passenger side of the car. And damn him for looking hot as hell in black running shorts and a snug white T-shirt. Why couldn't he have a pot belly or a weird long beard or something? "Apparently what I forgot was my nerve," she finished.

"I thought we worked this all out?"

"Me too," she said, horrified that her voice was shaking.

Grady's frown softened and he took a step closer. "Then why the hell are you leaving?" he asked, his tone surprisingly gentle.

Arabella felt tears coming on and had to close her eyes and grit her teeth to hold a huge, noisy crying jag at bay. God, she wanted him to take her into his strong arms and tell her that everything was going to be all right. It hit her hard that she needed a soft place to land in her life. A shoulder to cry on. Someone to love her.

"Come on, Arabella. Get your ass in there. We need you for the reunion   concert. Please, do this for Mom."