All I Ever Wanted(44)

Other than at her grandmother's house, Arabella had never felt so much at home or at peace. She couldn't remember the last time she'd had to suck on a peppermint, but the closer the concert came, the more she knew she had some monumental decisions to make.

"Knock, knock."

Arabella turned around at the sound of the deep voice.

"Jimmy!" Arabella said in surprise.

"I rang the doorbell but you didn't answer so I took a chance that you were out here. Mind if I join you?"

Arabella pointed to the lounge chair next to hers. "Of course not. Can I get you something to drink?"

"I'm good for now," he said in his quiet tone.

"What's up?"

"Do you have a few minutes?"

"Sure."

Jimmy cleared his throat. "We needed you to come to the rescue and refine the choreography for the concert, but that wasn't the only reason we wanted you here."

Arabella sucked in her bottom lip and waited.

"I'll get right to the point. Grady never got over you leaving."

"Jimmy-" Arabella began, but he raised both palms in the air.

"I'm not placing blame. That's not what this is about. And I'm not here to meddle in your business."

Arabella tilted her head and he gave her a small grin.

"Okay, I'm sort of meddling, I guess. The point is that I haven't seen Grady this happy in a long time. Creating the foundation helped get him grounded and gave him purpose, something necessary to achieve happiness."

Arabella nodded.

"But you brought that light back into his eyes. The piece of the puzzle in his life that was missing."

A mixture of joy and fear skittered around in her stomach.

"See, I'm writing this book about our life as Heartbeat, all the way back to when we did our Friday-night talent shows for Mom and Dad," Jimmy said with a hitch of emotion. "You are part of the journey, and before the book is done, I'd like to have a happy ending for you and Grady."


      ///
       
         
       
        

"Jimmy, it's more complicated than that."

"Really? Because you seem happy too. Am I wrong?"

"No . . ."

"Then enlighten me."

Arabella shook her head, not willing to divulge her financial struggles or her personal fears.

Jimmy turned sideways in the lounge chair and looked at her. "No one knows I'm here. And this conversation is private," he said in a gentle tone, and, without wanting to, Arabella found herself opening up to him.

"Hip, Hop, Health is struggling financially." She blew out a sigh. "It took off like a firecracker and I expanded way too quickly, overextending to the point where I have trouble making the payroll."

"That's no big deal." Jimmy shrugged. "Grady can help. Or any of us, for that matter. We have more money than we know what to do with and honestly don't care about."

"I can't. That's not the way I roll."

"Well . . ." Jimmy leaned his elbows on his jean-clad legs. "I need to make an investment. You'd be doing me a favor."

"Right." Arabella smiled at Jimmy. "You're such a good guy. How come someone hasn't snatched you up yet?"

"Bella, you know you're like a sister to us. We've missed you too. Can't you figure all the business stuff out and live here?" He pointed to the ocean. "Not a bad view."

Arabella felt a sharp stab of emotion and had to close her eyes.

"So, Grady told you?" Jimmy asked.

"That he built this house for me?" She nodded slowly. "Yeah," she said, and her voice cracked. She wished she could tell him more. "You don't understand. . . ."

"I think I do," Jimmy said, and she looked over at him. "Losing our parents at such a young age left its mark on us. Our parents were our rock, our foundation, and when we lost them . . ." Jimmy scrubbed a hand over his eyes. He cleared his throat. "The point is that loving so fiercely is scary as hell. And that's the way the Hearts love." He blew out a breath. "And probably why we avoid relationships. The pain of losing someone is too hard to bear. Basic psychology, I guess."

"I get it, Jimmy. My issues with trust contributed to me fleeing instead of getting to the bottom of what happened that awful night," she said, but felt the sudden pain of the other reason she couldn't divulge. But maybe she should . . . just to see his reaction, to get her guilt off her chest. But she didn't want to burden Jimmy with the loss of her and Grady's baby, and it would be a loss for him as well. A heavy ache settled in her chest, and it wouldn't go away.