The One That I Want by Marilyn Brant

that from the perspective of anyone looking in on me—and I’d caught Ben glancing curiously in my direction more than once in the past hour—I appeared to be calm, contented, and having a lovely time.
    But I was acting, just as much as a professional actor like Dane Tyler might act when putting on a live performance. I knew no one around me, however friendly or nice, could see into my heart.
    I missed my daughter.
    And I missed my late husband.
    But, surprisingly, what I missed most of all was being fully myself.

Chapter Ten

    One of the downsides of living in a small suburb was that the people in it knew where to find you, even when you didn’t want to be found.
    Especially then.
    Which was how it came to pass that, despite my better judgment and my vow never to lay eyes on the popular Dane Tyler in person again (I could hardly avoid seeing him onscreen), I got talked into attending a radio interview and an afternoon tea reception for the asshat.
    “But you have to come to the radio station,” my best friend informed me Monday morning. Shar knew I’d be grocery shopping at Mirabelle Market then, as was my habit during vacations, and she cornered me in the middle of the produce section. “My brother is doing the on-air interview!”
    In my opinion, Shar had too many brothers. Not that I was going to tell her that. The one she was referring to today, Blake, happened to be a DJ at 102.5 LOVE FM, Mirabelle Harbor’s only local radio station.
    “No,” I said to her for the second (third?) time, pretty sure I couldn’t have been clearer in my enunciation.
    “Julia—”
    “I told you how badly things went with Dane after the dress rehearsal. I don’t want to be in the same room with him ever again. Period.”
    “But he apologized to you. He sent you flowers. You can put your differences aside for Blake’s sake. He needs a healthy listening audience at the reception. His job depends on whether or not the bosses think he’s making a good impression on station’s fans and is drumming up more community interaction. If Blake can get enough people to show up and be excited, the head guys will be pleased. And if the bosses are pleased, he’ll be able to keep doing his show. He was the last DJ hired, and he’ll be the first person they let go if the listenership is down.” Shar took a couple of deep breaths before continuing.
    “Look, Julia, I love my brother, but you know how impulsive Blake can be. This is the only occupation that has held his interest in years, and he was the one who suggested the Dane Tyler interview to the upper management. He really does need for this to work.” Her vocal tone, facial expression, and body language were all pleading with me to go along with her plan.
    Usually, I would do whatever she asked without question. But this?
    I groaned.
    All I knew for sure about Blake Michaelsen was that he was as talkative as his kid brother Chance was quiet. He had a snarkiness about him that made him stand out among the Michaelsen siblings. And, as his younger sister had said, he tended to be more shoot-from-the-hip impulsive than all of them, with the possible exception of Chance’s twin, Chandler, who lived somewhere in Virginia. Or was it Georgia. I couldn’t remember. That guy just kept moving.
    So, I understood Shar’s fears. She wanted Blake to be successful and contended or he might leave the area. And Shar was extremely clannish when it came to her brothers. She was determined to keep them nearby.
    I sighed. “I’d like to help, but it would be far worse if there was a scene. What if the awkwardness and antagonism between Dane and me reappeared today? That would be the worst thing that could happen for your brother.”
    “Let me say this again—Dane Tyler, Mega Star of the Silver Screen, apologized to you . I read the note he sent you. I saw the flower arrangement. It was as big as Nebraska. He wants to see you again. He gave you VIP tickets to his post-play party—”
    “Which,