Center Stage by Bernadette Marie

of it.
    He certainly didn’t mind Carlos. Heck, if he had to have a brother-in-law, he’d have chosen him personally. He’d never seen a harder working man. But the part he’d forgotten about was when you “stopped by,” you couldn’t leave.
    Carlos and Christian had just returned from something to do with baseball. John hadn’t ever taken the time to notice that baseball was all Christian was into, much like he didn’t know Clara was a performer like her aunt. Eduardo had his sights on engineering, that he knew.
    Once Madeline had let them into the house, she and Arianna went on like a couple of little girls at a slumber party. He’d heard Zach mention this phenomenon with Arianna and Regan, and Madeline was as much their sister as Carlos was their brother. He figured he was in for a long night, and that hot kiss they’d shared before they left home was more than likely forgotten.
    The moment Carlos had seen him sitting at the table with the women, he’d pulled a beer from the fridge and handed it to him.
    “C’mon, I have a pool table in the basement.”
    John followed, happy to have the distraction.
    When they made it to the basement, Carlos began to rack the balls. “You might be here all night if those two get to talking.”
    “I figured as much.”
    “Madeline has missed Arianna. I’m glad she moved back.”
    John twisted the top from his beer and took a sip. “I think she is too.”
    Carlos took the holder off the balls carefully and exchanged it on the rack for a pool cue. “She hasn’t heard anything else from Alexander Hamilton, has she?”
    “I don’t think so. I’m not sure what his motivation in scaring the hell out of her was, but it worked.”
    Carlos hit the balls and sent them rolling. “Solids.” He lined up another shot. “I tell you what. If the man comes near my sisters, or my family, they’ll be locking me up for a very long time.”
    He understood that sentiment. “I’ve done business with him a few times. I know four years ago Zach had all intentions of sending me to that job. I’m glad it didn’t pan out.”
    Carlos laid the stick on the table and picked up his beer. Obviously the game was a distraction to get John in the basement. That was just as fine.
    “You don’t really think he wants Regan’s baby, do you? The one she gave up, I mean.”
    “I think the Keller family stopped him from his intentions, and he’s a vengeful man.”
    Carlos shook his head. “I never did like Curtis telling him they both died. But it made him go away. Regan needed that.”
    “She never kept in touch with the adoptive family?”
    “No. She never even looked at the baby. Curtis is the only one who ever saw her.” He shrugged. “Seems like a long time ago.”
    “Wasn’t really.”
    Carlos took a pull from his beer. “Nope, sure wasn’t.”
     
    Arianna knew she’d made Clara’s night by telling her the news. Madeline had screamed aloud, too. It was going to be a wonderful production, and she couldn’t wait to get started.
    But, at that moment, she was digging into a cherry pie slice at Village Inn, and it was heaven.
    She looked up to see John nursing a cup of coffee and staring at her.
    “What?” she asked with her mouth full.
    “You’re beautiful when you’re enjoying things.”
    She swallowed the large piece she’d shoved in her mouth and wiped off her lips. “You’re one of those men, huh? The kind that feed women sweets just to see them devour it?”
    John shrugged and smiled from behind his mug.
    Arianna loaded her fork with a much smaller bite. “I’ll have to remember to keep going to yoga, or you’ll make me fat.”
    John sipped his coffee. “Clara seemed excited about Annie. ”
    “Oh, she is.” She swallowed the next bite and then washed it down with her bitter and cold coffee. “I told you it was what she’d want. And did you hear about Christian? He’s going to be playing varsity, and he’s only a freshman.”
    “Pretty talented