All A Heart Needs B&N by Barbara Freethy Page A

start your own dance school."
    "That sounds like a really big job."
    "You know how they're run. You told me you practically grew up in a school."
    "I also know they're a lot of work. And I don't know much about running a business."
    "You can learn."
    "I also want to give Kyle a good childhood. I don't want him to grow up the way I did, with a mother who was always at work."
    "That will never happen, Jess. You are not your mother. And sometimes kids need to see their parents going after their dreams. It can be inspiring."
    "Watching my mother go after her dream just pissed me off."
    "Well, she didn't do it the right way."
    "That's true," she murmured.
    Sean turned down an alley and parked next to a building. "We're here."
    "Which is where exactly?" she asked, looking around. All she could see were the back doors of a bunch of warehouse-type buildings.
    "Come on, I'll show you."
    They got out of the car, and he led her toward a door with a sign that read Ashbury Studios.
    "Is this a music studio?" she asked. "Is this where you record?"
    "It's where I'm going to record—when it's done." He opened the door and waved her inside. "Watch your step. We're still in the construction phase." He flicked on the light switch and she could see a long hallway covered with drywall. He led her down the hall, pointing out some smaller rooms along the way. "These are the rehearsal rooms that we'll be renting out. Then we have two studios, one for groups and another for solo artists." He opened a door at the end of the hall and waved her inside. "This is the main studio or the live room as we call it."
    She glanced around the large space. It was modern in design but the exposed beams gave the room a warmer tone. At the far end of the room was a panel of glass that led to a smaller room.
    "That's the control room where the engineers will work," Sean explained. "We should have the console installed next week."
    Her brows drew together as she tried to keep up. "You keep saying we. Who's we?"
    "My partner, Hunter Thomas."
    "Your partner? Wait a second." She gave him a questioning look. "This is your studio? You're the owner?"
    He gave her a proud smile. "Surprised?"
    "Yes," she admitted. "When did all this happen? Why doesn't anyone in your family know about it?"
    "Because it's still a work in progress. Hunter and I have known each other since we were in high school. We played in a band together at one point. Then Hunter decided to become a sound engineer and producer and made his way to L.A. We always kept in touch. We had this dream that one day we'd open our own studio. Well, last year Hunter and his brother inherited this building from their grandfather. Hunter's brother lives in New York and didn't want anything to do with the property so he sold me his half."
    "That must have been expensive."
    "It was. But I've been saving money for a long time. I've lived pretty cheaply, knowing that I wanted to be ready in case an opportunity presented itself. Luckily, Hunter's brother was able to give me a deal."
    She stared at him in astonishment. "I didn't think you were the plan-ahead type."
    "Only when it comes to music," he conceded. "I made some good money last year, not just with the band, but with some songs that I sold to some big artists."
    "This is amazing."
    "Not yet, but I hope it's going to be amazing. We envision it as a multi-purpose studio, because so many people can record on their computers now. But they still need rehearsal space, lessons, and advanced engineering facilities. We're going to provide all that. And we're going to rent the upstairs space out as well and use that to bolster the bottom line."
    She could hardly believe the man she'd thought of as a free spirit was talking about profit margins and bottom lines. There were a lot more layers to Sean than she had imagined. "I'm impressed. The space is great, the location is good, and you know the music business inside and out. It's the recipe for success."
    "We'll see. Let me show