“Hank, I was wondering when you’d get here,” Elizabeth said, her expression serene.
Not a line of concern marred her smooth face. If he didn’t know better, he would believe she and his brother had been discussing the weather and not his capacity to love another human being.
“Connor and I were just catching up before he returns to school.”
Hank ignored Elizabeth and focused on his brother, who had on a UCLA T-shirt and a pair of gray sweatpants. He looked like he’d been hitting the gym. A tuft of curly blond hair escaped from under his red Angels ball cap. “Thanks for taking such good care of Woodrow while I was gone.”
Connor raised his blond eyebrows at the faint praise,but Hank moved forward until he stood in front of his brother, man to man. “I haven’t been the best big brother to you, have I?”
Connor took off his ball cap and scratched his head, a question in his blue eyes, so much like Hank’s own. “You didn’t know I even existed until last year. You’ve been fine.”
There was that word again,fine.How come everyone in his life wanted to say everything was fine? He shook his head. “No, Connor, I’ve not been fine. Not in a good long while. You were right about me. I’ve been unhappy and unaccepting of you. I’ve been grumpy and mean and distant. But with your help and a little luck, I hope to get beyond fine.”
Connor straightened, a slow smile filling his face. “Whatever you need, big guy.”
Hank laughed. “Right now, I need a drink.”
Elizabeth spoke from behind him. “Whatever are you two yammering on about? Hank, did something go wrong during the podcast?”
He turned to face Elizabeth. “You can say that.”
Instead of elaborating, Hank walked to the liquor cabinet and found the rum. Time to rehearse his next lines. He wanted to get this right. He poured the drink and added coke and ice.
Elizabeth stood and moved toward him. “The interview was going fantastic when I left early to change clothes and come here. Was it something to do with Melanie?”
Hank downed half of the drink. “Bethany was accused on national television of entering someone else’s recipe in the baking contest. You know, the contest she hoped to win to repurchase her building?”
Elizabeth fixed him with a serious look. “That’s unfortunate. I did what you asked of me and helped her get thevotes she needed to final. It’s not my fault she didn’t submit a qualified entry. Why are you so upset?”
“I’m upset because she’s been wrongly accused. But it doesn’t matter that she didn’t win. I plan to give the building back to her.”
Elizabeth’s penciled eyebrows jerked toward her brow line. “That’s ridiculous. Why would you do a thing like that?”
“Because he loves her, that’s why,” Connor said, a broad smile lighting up his face. “I told you he loved her. That’s why he’s been all mopey and mean.”
“Impossible. Tell me you don’t think you’re in love with Bethany Parker, Hank. That’s not going to do a thing to help your career.”
Hank took a final swig of his rum and coke and contemplated Elizabeth’s worried face. “Ah, that’s where you’re wrong, Elizabeth. Loving Bethany is going to change my career completely.”
“What do you mean Bethany Parker’s going to change your career completely?” Elizabeth asked, gazing at him with a mixture of horror and concern. “Hank, you’re not thinking of giving up acting for her, are you?” She stood facing him, hands on her hips and eyes wide with disbelief and panic.
His gaze flicked to Connor who remained by the window, a broad smile still on his face.
“No, I’m not giving up my career.”
She lifted her hands toward the ceiling. “Oh, thank God. For a moment there, you had me worried. I thought you were going to tell me you’re moving to Cleveland. I don’t think I could stomach living in that horrible city.”
Hank folded his arms across his chest. “Oh, Iamgoing to move to that horrible city.”
Elizabeth gasped, the sound a sharp contrast to Connor’s bark of laughter. “You can’t be serious.”
Hank returned his glass to the bar and poured himself a bolstering drink. “More serious than I’ve been about anything in a long time. I own a house there, which I’ve been fixing up, and I plan to relocate. But don’t worry. I’m not ending my career. I plan to invest in a business. But not a fitness center. I’ll open my own production studio.”
“Have you lost your mind?”
“No, I believe I’ve found it. I plan to talk to Blackie and the producers tonight, so don’t think of calling them. I’ll convince them to complete the filming in Cleveland.”
Elizabeth advanced toward him like a soldier preparing for battle. “Why would they agree? Filming has already begun in California.”
