State of Grace: A Moonflower Cove Romance

by Addison Clarke

  A few hours later, the two of them headed across town to the theatre. Although it was on the other side of town from the farm, the drive took less than ten minutes. Isla parked the Jeep near a side door, and they headed inside. The Moonflower Cove Theatrical Company practiced in the local university theatre, which was nothing extravagant. Orange upholstered chairs lined a few dozen rows, and elegant hand-built and hand-painted props lined the stage. Overhead, a cat-walk held dozens of spotlights that shone brightly onto the stage.

  “Bryce?” Isla called out, and a rusting noise was heard somewhere backstage. They walked up the stairs on the side of the stage as Bryce appeared from behind the side curtain. Blake examined Bryce, who was excitedly waving at them. She was dressed in a pair of overalls held together more with paint than fabric. Blake liked her immediately; she gave off the genuine excitement of a very good kindergarten teacher.

  “Hey, Isla.” The two embraced quickly as Bryce’s eyes shifted to Blake. “And you must be Blake. It’s so great to meet you.” Closing the space between them, Bryce hugged Blake without any hesitation. Blake reluctantly returned the hug quickly before pulling out of the embrace. “Let me say I was floored when Isla said you might be interested in helping me out.”

  “Why’s that?” Her brow furrowed in confusion.

  “Well, I mean,” Bryce waved her hands up and down as she gestured to Blake, “you’re Blake Calloway. I know you’re Isla’s daughter, but still. I thought this would be beneath you.”

  “It’s not,” Blake responded quickly. She hated that people thought she was too good for helping out the local community theatre. Unlike some celebrities, Blake had worked hard not to let her minuscule fame get the best of her. Thankfully she didn’t have to worry about hoards of paparazzi everywhere she went, but still, Blake knew people would recognize her. “I mean, I don’t know how much help I could be, but I’m willing to help however I can.”

  “That’s wonderful to hear.” A nervous smile formed on Bryce’s lips as she clasped her hands together. “Well, rehearsal starts in about an hour. If you want, I can run over some of my notes with you to give you an idea of what to be on the lookout for tonight.”

  “That sounds great.” Nodding, Blake followed Bryce back down the stairs and into the second row of chairs, where Bryce had constructed a makeshift desk. She’d sat a small table over the first row of chairs, and Bryce had notes scribbled on various sizes of paper around the desk.

  “I’m going to head back to the house.” Isla pointed toward the side door they’d entered through a moment before. “Give me a call when you want me to pick you up.”

  “Will do.” Blake put two fingers up to her temple and mock saluted Isla. Once the doors were closed behind Isla, Blake settled into one of the chairs as Bryce did the same. She had no idea what to expect during the rehearsal, but the fact she would get to see Alexis in an hour made all the nervous anticipation worth it.

  Chapter 12

  For the fifth time in as many rehearsals, Alexis wondered what the hell she had been thinking when she’d auditioned for the Moonflower Cove annual summer musical. She had portrayed minor characters before, but she’d never taken the lead. Hell, she’d never even taken the co-lead, and yet for some reason, she decided to jump in with both feet and go out for the starring role.

  Alexis knew every line of the musical by heart, thanks to the countless times she’d listened to the soundtrack. She had no doubt she could hit all the lines and notes in the songs. It was her acting that was shaky. Even in the empty theatre, Alexis was nervous at the thought of the crowd that would fill the theater in a few weeks. If her fear of performing in front of a crowd wasn’t as high as her fear of letting people down, she’d have already quit. But Alexis couldn’t do that to the rest of the cast or Bryce. They’d all worked so hard. The least she could do was stick it out for them.

  “Ok, so,” Emily walked quickly over to Alexis, carrying a bundle of costumes she’d been working on, “I don’t want to freak you out…”

  “Then don’t say whatever you’re about to say.”

  “…but Blake is here.”

  “The f-u-c-k.” Alexis dropped the stapled script in her hand on the hardwood floor as she spun around to face Emily. Emily rapidly nodded as she jutted her head toward the stage.

  “I saw her out in the audience with Bryce. And Harper’s not here, so you can cuss.”

  “What is she doing here?” Darting over to the side curtain, Alexis peaked around to see that Blake was indeed sitting right beside the director. The two looked to be deep in conversation over a yellow legal pad in Bryce’s hand, and Alexis openly grimaced.

  “Do you think she’s talking over the acting coach gig since Andrew flaked out on her?” Emily came up behind her as she leaned around Alexis to see Blake as well. Nodding and making a low whistling sound, Emily playfully shoved Alexis’s shoulder. “Why haven’t you introduced me to her yet?”

  “I’ve only hung out with her twice.”

  “Two times more than me.”

  “Do you think she would take the acting coach gig?”

  “I mean, even Sophia has met her.”

  “Will you stop complaining and focus?” Alexis let the curtain fall back into place as she put a hand on her hip, and she faced her friend. “What is she doing here?”

  “Well, rehearsals start in a few minutes, so we’ll find out then.”

  “Ugh.” Walking over to her previously discarded script, she picked it up and looked it over again. They were working on the final blocking for the opening number, and Alexis was exponentially more nervous than before, the possibility of messing up in front of Blake seemed devastating. She ran her hand through her hair nervously as Emily came over to her.

  “Do we not like her or something?”

  “No, no.” She shook her head harder than she meant, and it caused her hair to flip into her face with each shake. “We like her. It’s that…it’s Blake. And,” Alexis tilted her head to one side, “I don’t know, there was this moment last night where I got the vibe that there was…I don’t know.”

  “Oh,” Emily held out the word longer than necessary. “You like her.”

  “No. Yes. I mean…ugh.” Putting the script under her arm, she ran her hands over her face in frustration. She wished the water bottle she’d brought with her was filled with tequila instead of water. Blake being at rehearsal was the last thing Alexis needed to happen tonight. The kiss the night before had confused her as much as it had excited her.

  “I’ve never seen you like this before.”

  “A hot mess?” Alexis raised her eyebrows and nodded. “Yes, you have.”

  “It’s not that.” Shaking her head, Emily started to say something else. However, Bryce’s clapping hands cut her off as the cast made their way to the stage. Alexis waved her off as she headed out on stage as Emily sat at the sewing machine she’d set up backstage.

  “Ok, everyone.” Bryce clapped her hands again. “Gather around. I have some news.”

  Bryce Dawson had been the best thing that’d ever happened to the Cove’s theatre scene. Before Bryce created the theatrical company, the town was limited to the Moonflower Cove Elementary School’s production of You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown every year. But Bryce had brought high-quality productions to the Cove for nearly a decade, and Alexis hoped the streak of every night selling out wouldn’t come to an end thanks to her horrible performance.

  “So, I’m sure you all know who this is.” Motioning to Blake, Bryce beamed with pride as rumblings made their way around the group. Alexis was the only one who wasn’t surprised to see her there. “But, for those of you that don’t, this is Blake Calloway. Blake had graciously agreed to watch tonight’s rehearsal and give me feedback, so we’ll know what we need to work on.”

  A series of groans and gasps made their way through the cast. At least Alexis wasn’t the only one that was concerned about Blake’s presence at the rehearsal. Although Bryce had worked in the film indus
try for a brief time, Alexis was never intimidated by her. But Blake, on the other hand? Blake intimidated her.

  “Now, don’t worry. Neither Blake nor myself are expecting perfection.” Everyone let out a relieved laugh. “But it will be helpful for me to have another set of eyes and ears to catch things I might be missing or things that need to be changed. Oh, and please keep our new secret helper off of social media. I will have no hesitation in recasting whichever of you decides to post about Blake being her.” Despite the laughs around the room, they all knew Bryce was serious. “Ok, so,” Bryce clasped her hands together excitedly, “let’s start with the opening number.”

  Over the next three hours, they performed the opening number so many times that Alexis had lost count. Her feet were aching, and her voice was tired by the time Bryce called it a night, and they all shuffled out to their cars. Alexis had surprised herself by not feeling nervous at all performing in front of Blake. She’d even purposefully found herself catching Blake’s eyes to pull a smile from her.

  “Hey, you wanna get ice cream before we head home?” Emily popped the trunk of her car as Alexis put her duffle bag into the back. Alexis had to come straight from the lunch shift to rehearsal and changed clothes in the dressing room at the theatre. She pulled the hair tie from her ponytail and let her long hair free to fall around her face. “Sophia hasn’t let me buy ice cream in forever, and I haven’t babysat Harper in weeks.”

  “I love that the biggest reason you ever want to watch my kid is to take her to get ice cream so you can get ice cream yourself.”

  “Did someone say ice cream?” Blake. Alexis turned toward the voice as she slammed the trunk shut. She looked stunning in jeans and a form-fitting baby blue top that made her eyes pop even in the darkened parking lot.

  “Um, yes.” Emily perked up as she clasped her hands together in front of her chest. She bumped her shoulder against Alexis’s. “Alexis and I were talking about going to get ice cream before we headed home. Would you want to join us?”

  “I would love to.” Blake’s smug smile was irresistible.

  “Great.” Emily clapped her hands happily. “Do you want a ride?”

  “Sure. I was supposed to text Isla to pick me up when we got done.” She pulled out her phone. “I’ll just send her a text and let her know I’m going to grab some ice cream with you two and to pick me up later.” Blake laughed nervously. “God, I feel like a teenager.”

  “I’m Emily, by the way.” Emily’s quick shift in conversation caused both Alexis and Blake to turn toward her. She held out a hand to Blake and they shook hands. “I’ve heard so much about you, and it’s so great to meet you finally.” Turning toward Alexis, Emily let her eyes go wide for a moment before turning back to Blake.

  “Nice to meet you, too.” Blake let go of Emily’s hand and put it into her pocket. “You work at the bar, right?”

  “I do, yes.”

  “I saw you there the first time I came in there.”

  “Oh, you noticed me, huh?” It seemed like Emily was flirting with Blake, but Alexis knew it was all in good fun. There was no one on Emily’s radar but Sophia. Those two had what Alexis wanted one day. They were utterly in love with each other, and despite their ups and downs, they always stood by each other.

  “I noticed Alexis, too.” Reaching out, Blake twirled a strand of Alexis’s loose hair around her finger for a moment. Their eyes locked together, and everything else around them disappeared. It was only Alexis and Blake, and nothing else mattered. Alexis would have stayed in that moment forever, but Emily’s not-so-subtle cough beside her pulled them both from their intimate moment.

  “Well, then,” Alexis shook her head slightly and Blake’s hand fell back to her side. She loosely draped an arm around Emily’s shoulder. “Please forgive my friend here. She’s not used to being out in public around other people.”

  “It’s ok.” Waving her off, Blake laughed as Emily shrugged to try to get Alexis’s hands off her shoulder. Alexis didn’t budge as she turned Emily around and faced her toward the driver’s side door.

  The drive to the ice cream shop was short, and the only thing between them was the sound of Taylor Swift playing through the car’s speakers. Looking over her shoulder, Alexis smiled back at Blake. She was utterly unprepared to find Blake looking back at her with a slight pink color on her cheeks. Blake licked her lower lip; Alexis turned back around, embarrassed and excited. “Have you been here yet?” Emily opened the car door for Blake, and it didn’t go unnoticed by Alexis. She felt jealous of the simple gesture and wished Blake had been sitting on the same side of the car as she was so she could have done that.

  “A couple of times, yes.”

  “This place is the best.” Opening the door to Any Given Sundae, Emily smiled as Blake and Alexis walked in. Alexis watched Blake look around the multi-colored shop. It was a funky design with old license plates and hubcaps and bicycle tires all over the walls. The grey hardwood floor had large polka dots painted all over it, and Harper always made it a point to hop from one to the other every time they stopped by. “I recommend the cookies and cream. It’s mine and Harper’s favorite.”

  “What’s your favorite?” Blake looked past Emily straight at Alexis. She felt she was in the world’s brightest spotlight with Blake’s blue eyes entirely focused on hers. Alexis noticed out of the corner of her eye that Emily’s mouth was slightly open, and she rested the urge to chuckle.

  “Reese’s Cup yogurt with extra Reese’s Cups on top.” She proudly grinned as Blake rolled her eyes. Beside her, Emily let out an exasperated sigh. “And sometimes, if I’m feeling rebellious, I add some Oreo crumbles and chocolate syrup.”

  “Sometimes I wonder who’s the child, her or Harper.”

  “Most of the time, it’s me.”

  “I can see that,” Blake agreed.

  Alexis feigned hurt at Blake’s remark, which drew a laugh from Blake. As Emily placed her order, Alexis stood shoulder to shoulder with Blake and relished in the feel her closeness, their bare arms brushing against each other. Of course, Blake looked insanely better in her attire than the yoga pants and t-shirt Alexis had on. She nervously tugged at the hem of her shirt to pull it away from her stomach. There was still stubborn baby weight Alexis wanted to lose but always enjoyed ice cream more than exercise.

  “After you,” Blake motioned for Alexis to place her order with a sweeping gesture of her hand and a slight bow. She put her order in as Blake followed behind her and did the same. “May I get one scoop of cookies and cream and one scoop of Reese’s Cup in a waffle cone, please?”

  “Seriously?” Emily placed a hand on her hip from her place at the register.

  “I want to know which of you have the better taste in ice cream.”

  “You two are perfect for each other.”

  The nonchalant comment left Emily’s lips so effortlessly that both Blake and Alexis froze and looked at each other to see if they’d heard her correctly. Alexis shrugged as she picked up a spoon from the metal cup by the register and stuck it into her large cup. Heading for an open table by the large front window, Alexis took the bench seat with its back to the wall as she watched Blake and Emily argue over who was going to pick up the tab. Emily won out, which was no surprise at all to Alexis.

  “Your friend is mean.” Blake sat on the bench seat beside Alexis as Emily slid into the chair across from them. Her hand froze between her ice cream cup and her mouth as Blake’s hips bumped into hers, and she didn’t move away. There was plenty of room on the seat, they didn’t have to sit so close, and yet Blake had chosen to sit as close to Alexis as she could get; a move that didn’t go unnoticed by either Alexis or Emily - if the subtle look she gave was any indication.

  “We basically kidnaped you and made you come with us. You’re our guest.” Emily reached her spoon out, scooped some Reese’s crumbles off Alexis’s ice cream, and put them on her own. It was the same thing Harper did, and Alexis couldn’t remember who had started it first.


  “I was a voluntary participant in the kidnapping if you want to tell the police that.”

  “Noted,” Emily nodded seriously, but a smile played on her lips.

  Once again, the easy banter between them was so natural that it startled Alexis. Startled but didn’t scare her. She found herself enjoying the way Blake would touch her arm when she laughed at something, or the way she had wiped ice cream from the corner of her lips with more tenderness than Alexis knew was possible. Alexis had noticed how Emily’s eyes had widened across the table, and she hoped she wouldn’t comment on it. Whatever was happening with Blake was so new and uncertain that Alexis didn’t want anyone or anything to jeopardize it.

  “Do you want me to drive you home?” Emily asked as they tossed their trash into the can by the door and headed back outside. Alexis noticed that Blake kept close by her side, and she looked at Alexis for an answer. Of course, Alexis didn’t know what to say. She knew what she wanted to say but didn’t know what she should say.

  “Um, no.” Blake shook her head. “That’s ok; thank you, though.”

  “You’re not walking home. It’s dark, and there’s TMZ.” Alexis firmly nodded.

  “You’re right.” God, could her laugh be any more perfect? “I thought maybe I could walk you home.” The statement caught Alexis so off guard that she stumbled. “I can text Isla to pick me up there in a few minutes. We’re not far from your apartment, right?”

  “Um, yeah. Right. Yes. It’s um,” Alexis pointed down the street, feeling rather dreamy and floaty. She felt a light touch on her arm as Emily adjusted the angle of her wrist to point it in the right direction, “a few blocks that way.”