Aaron waited until the man exited, locked the door, and returned to Devyn. “He was after a fan blade. He said things are heating up at his house. I can relate.” He waggled his eyebrows. “So where were we?”
“Gearing up for act two, I hope.” She moved in close, put her arms around his neck, and gave him a slow smile.
“Happy to oblige.”
She rose on tiptoe to meet his lips. He bent down.
And as the dust motes swirled around them, somewhere in thedistance he could swear he heard the faint, triumphant strains of “Ode to Joy.”
Oklahomawas over.
As the cast took its final curtain call after the Sunday matinee, Devyn high-fived Katherine Parker from their spot in the wings. “I’d say this production was a resounding success.”
The other woman grinned. “That’s fact, not opinion. Four sold-out performances, with the fourth added to meet the huge demand. Tremendous positive publicity for the town. Overflowing coffers for Helping Hands. Standing ovations after every performance. It doesn’t get much better than this for community theater. Thanks again for stepping in to help.”
“It was my pleasure. I’ll be out front, mingling.”
“I won’t be far behind.”
After skirting around props and scenery, Devyn entered the auditorium from a side door.
It was hard to spot Aaron in the crush of people, but once she did, she wove through the crowd toward him.
When he caught sight of her, his intimate smile—the same one he’d been giving her since the day in the vacant hardware store two weeks ago—sent her pulse off the charts. As it always did.
Only after she got close and the crowd parted a bit did she spot the bouquet of red roses in his hand.
Pressure built in her throat.
How had she been lucky enough to meet a guy like this?
He held out the bouquet. “I think flowers are customary after a performance.”
“Thank you. They’re beautiful. But I didn’t perform.”
“No, but you helped the performers shine. That’s worth celebrating.” He leaned down for a quick kiss over the top of the velvety petals.
When he straightened up, Lauren emerged from the crowd, a large gift bag in hand.
“I meant to catch you backstage, but I got delayed by a costume question. I have something for you too. I assumed the flowers would be covered.” She tipped her head toward Aaron. “So I brought this instead.” She held out the bag.
“You didn’t have to get me anything. You worked as hard on the show as I did.”
“Not quite. I had a whole committee to help me.”
Devyn passed the flowers back to Aaron, set the bag on an empty seat beside her, and opened the top. “Oh, Lauren! This is gorgeous.” She pulled out the dance bag she’d asked her to make weeks ago.
“It was supposed to be a going-away present. I doubt you’ll need it as much here, but a promise is a promise.”
“Of course I’ll need it. Ballet teachers tote around a ton of stuff.” She gave her a hearty hug.
“You want me to take it home for you?” Lauren motioned to the bag. “And the flowers? I assume you’re going to the cast party. Maybe with a guest in tow.”
Devyn deferred to Aaron. “Are you still game?”
“I wouldn’t miss it.”
At a delighted exclamation behind her, Devyn glanced back.
