I giggle and kiss his cheek. “We should be leaving.”
His hands trail over my dress. “Fine,” he says. “Let’s go.”
THE drive to the theater is short, and Landon’s hand is curved over mine the entire time.
“I forgot to ask…” he says. “How was your farewell party?”
“I shed a few tears,” I tell him, suddenly a little nostalgic. “But, I consoled myself with the thought that I’m moving to bigger and better things.”
“I love how happy you look at the prospect of editing short stories,” Landon laughs. “It’s charming.”
“Oh shut up.” I punch him playfully on the arm. “We can’t all build hotels all over the world. This is my equivalent if you really want to know. It’s what I’ve always wanted to do. Well…” I pause, “after I changed my mind from undercover agent and racecar driver.”
“You’re an excellent ‘under covers’ agent,” he teases.
My mouth drops open and I give him a shocked glare. “I… I have no idea what to say to that!”
“What? It’s a compliment!” He’s laughing hard and I join him, happy to see him so relaxed. “When I was little, I wanted to be Superman.”
“You and every other little boy.”
“Well…” He grins. “After a while, I decided I wanted to be a pilot. I distinctly remember that. Not just any pilot, one of those World War II Navy pilots.” He chuckles, and his smile turns a little sad. “Then I just wanted Aidan to start talking again.”
His words make me quiet, and I lean toward him and plant a kiss on his lips. “You’ve been an awesome big brother.”
“I know.” He laughs softly. “These days I can’t get him to shut up.”
He can’t hide his pride though. Outside the theater, he spends a long moment gazing at the sign with Aidan’s name at the entrance, his delight written plainly on his face. I think again how lucky Aidan is to have him, how great he has been as a big brother…
He’ll be a great father.
The thought sneaks in uninvited, and I turn my eyes away from Landon, unwilling to entertain it. Love leads to many places, but it’s foolish to assume that it’ll always lead to that. Especially when we hadn’t even discussed that at all.
The red carpet event is dazzling, and I try not to gawk at Hollywood stars. After Landon has been approached by almost every prominent personality in the city, Betsy and Wilson Hayes join us. Betsy immediately envelopes me in a soft hug. “It’s so nice to see you again,” she exclaims, looking me over. “You’re positively blooming.”
I blush, thinking how Landon had everything to do with that. Wilson takes my hand, saying something that echoes his wife, then we all go into the theater where an usher directs us to our seats.
There have been a few changes to the play since the last time I saw it, and the finished version is even more perfect. Elizabeth Mckay, the star, is electrifying, commanding the stage with a skill that seems at odds with her years. I sit beside Landon, so entranced that the intermission is like a punishment. When the curtain rises at the end of the last scene to show all the members of the cast taking their final bow, the applause is deafening.
“Your brother has a bright future ahead of him,” a notable critic tells Landon when we go out to the lobby again. “I saw the whole thing a few days ago, and I couldn’t resist coming back for a second look.”
“I read your review this morning,” Landon is just the right amount of friendly and gracious. “Even if it hadn’t been my brother’s play, that review would have intrigued me enough to add it to my schedule.”
The man laughs. “Well, have a good evening.”
The cast is still backstage, but as many people congratulate Landon as they do the producer, who looks like he’s about to burst from happiness. I remember that Elizabeth McKay is his daughter, and I get it. The best part, I decide, is that after tonight, nobody will ever say again that she got the part because of her father.
Betsy and Wilson leave immediately after the play because they’re having a late dinner with some old friends. Landon wants to go backstage to see Aidan, but a couple of business types waylay him, giving me a chance to wander off to the mezzanine floor to find the bathrooms.
When I emerge a few minutes later, I find Ava Sinclair leaning on the balustrade outside. She’s waiting, and from the gleam in her eyes when she sees me, I guess she’s waiting for me.
“Hello, Rachel.” She smiles. “How nice to run into you.”
“I didn’t know you were here,” I reply, unable to inject any sort of pleasure into my voice. Why is she even in New York? As usual, she looks stunning, a blue evening dress flattering all her curves.
“You didn’t, did you?” She lets her eyes drift over my clothes then languidly pushes away from the balustrade, falling into step beside me as I make for the stairs.
“So you’re still with Landon?”