Chasing Dreams_A Small Town Single Dad Romance

by Nancy Stopper

  “Your family is coming, yes?”

  Izzy smiled. “They wouldn’t miss it.” She’d been so excited during the group Skype with her Mom and siblings. They’d been thrilled about the performance and promised they would be center stage when the curtain was raised next week. She’d invited Tanner and Hayley as well, but he’d never responded.

  “It’s time to get back to work. I have spoken with Erik, and I am confident that he’ll get it this time.” Madame Katarina shook her head. “Are you sure we can’t convince you to change your mind?”

  The woman had expressed her disappointment at Izzy’s decision. But in the end, Izzy’s future wasn’t in New York. Erik had berated her, as usual, since her decision didn’t involve him. He’d tried to reignite their relationship, too, but she’d reminded him in no uncertain terms that she would not be returning to him.

  Besides, she had Tanner. Didn’t she? She took one last glance at her screen, where her text remained unread. Hopefully next week wouldn’t be too late to salvage her relationship with the only man she loved.

  “Isabella, I need you. We’re going to get this,” Erik yelled from the stage.

  “His highness bellows.” Izzy laughed and Madame Katarina joined in. Izzy dropped her phone in her bag, the screen going dark. “Let’s do this.”

  * * *

  Ring. Ring. Tanner forced his eyes open. Two o’clock? Nothing good ever happened at two o’clock in the morning. He fumbled for the phone, blinking his eyes a couple of times as he studied the number on the screen.

  It was too much to hope it was Izzy, calling to say she hated New York and she was coming home.

  “Hello?”

  “Tanner? It’s Detective Balkin. Could you come down to the station?”

  “Right now?”

  “Yes, sir. We’ve caught the culprit who’s been involved with the vandalism at Jason’s House.”

  Tanner leapt out of bed. Finally a piece of good news. “Did you catch him in the act?” he asked as he dragged his jeans on and yanked up the zipper while trying not to drop his phone. Finally he could offer some resolution for the kids at the center.

  “We just need you to come down here, sir.”

  “I’ll be right there.” He clicked off. Why wouldn’t they tell him more? Well, he’d know soon enough. He pulled a T-shirt over his head and raked his fingers through his hair. That would have to do. It wasn’t like anyone cared what someone looked like in the middle of the night.

  He dashed a quick note to Mary and hurried down to the station. It was only a few minutes before he was squinting from the bright lights in the lobby of the Sheriff’s Department. He introduced himself to the dispatcher manning the front desk, and she motioned for him to take a seat.

  He’d almost dozed off in the chair when footsteps squeaked across the tile floor. Detective Balkin walked around the counter and extended his hand to Tanner as he stood. “So sorry to have you come out in the middle of the night. But I knew you’d want to know as soon as we had a break.”

  Tanner bounced on the balls of his feet. He couldn’t wait to confront the jerk who had violated their space. “Is he back there? The one responsible for all the damage at the center?”

  “Yes, she is.”

  “She?” Tanner’s heart fell. As soon as the word sank in, he knew exactly who was responsible.

  Sandra.

  She hadn’t been around the center much recently, and when she was, she was sullen and withdrawn. She hadn’t participated in creating the mural with the other kids. He’d tried to draw her out, spend time with her, and get her to talk about what was going on in their counseling sessions, but she had shut down.

  Damn. This was all his fault. He’d been spending more time with Izzy, and that had taken him away from his responsibilities at the center. After the long hours he spent with the kids before Izzy’d come into his life, there was bound to be some impact on the kids who were used to having unfettered access to him. That whole work-life balance he’d touted—it was all bull. He couldn’t do everything that needed to be done and have a life outside the center. And why should he bother trying? The person he wanted to spend time with wasn’t here anyway.

  “Can I see her?”

  “She’s back here.” The detective motioned for him to follow.

  The lights buzzed and blinked, casting a dull, depressing yellow pallor over the entire space when Tanner stepped into the hall. He was taken through another door and then he saw her. She was hunched over on a bench with her hair hiding her face. Steel cuffs wrapped around her wrists in front of her, and a female deputy had her hand resting on Sandra’s back. When the deputy saw him, she rose and motioned for him to take her seat.

  He sat on the bench beside Sandra and didn’t say anything. He didn’t know what to say. From time to time, she sniffled and sobbed. Anguish rolled off her in waves. He gathered her into his arms and laid his hand on her head. While she cried into his chest, he thought about everything she’d been through in her short life. She had been on the right track. What had changed to make her resort to vandalizing the one place that offered her hope?

  “What’s going on, Sandra?”

  She sniffled but didn’t look at him. “I don’t know.”

  “They said they caught you breaking in to the center.”

  She just shrugged.

  He rested his hand on her shoulder. “Can you look at me?”

  She raised her head and he stifled a gasp. Her eyes were red and puffy, the black eyeliner she’d caked on running down her cheeks. He detected the faint hint of a bruise and a barely healed cut on her cheek.

  “Oh, Sandra. They came after you, didn’t they?”

  She nodded.

  Dammit. He thought they’d gotten her away from the gang that had been so much a part of her life in Philly. This was what the center was all about—helping kids like Sandra who didn’t have anywhere else to turn. “I’m so sorry. I know you’re scared right now, and I’m not sure I can do anything about the charges for the breaking and entering and destruction of property. But I can tell you that we’ll be here for you. When you’re ready to talk, I’ll be waiting. I still have hope for you.”

  She buried her face in his chest and sobbed again. Why did everything have to be so hard? He wanted to cry right along with her.

  She finally swiped under her eyes, and he watched her emotional armor go up, like she had forgotten for a minute that she was a tough girl from Philly. She scoffed. “You shouldn’t.”

  “I’ll call your Dad and let him know you’re here. And I’ll check in with you tomorrow, okay?”

  “Whatever.”

  He sat with her another minute and then motioned for the deputy. “I’ll call her father. If there is anything you can do for her, she’s had a rough time of it. I’m convinced there are others behind this.”

  “We’ll pass that on to the district attorney, Mr. Ross. Thanks so much for coming in.”

  “No problem.” With a final look at Sandra, he headed back through the building and onto the dark street. It was hard to believe that this small town that he loved could be sullied by gang violence. This was what he’d tried to escape when he moved here, and what Sandra had been unable to.

  He could see her remorse, feel the anguish in her words. Unfortunately, since the Sheriff’s Department was involved, he wasn’t in a position to sweep this under the rug. Besides, what kind of message would that send to the other kids? They were as upset about the damage as he was.

  Damn, he wished Izzy were here. He would wrap her up in his arms, and she would make everything better, just by being beside him. He debated texting her, but it was the middle of the night. Hopefully she was getting some much needed sleep. He, for sure, wouldn’t be going back to bed tonight. He was too wired after dealing with the reality of Sandra’s involvement in the vandalism at the center.

  If Izzy were here, she’d know exactly the right thing to say. But she’d left him to prove to herself something he’d already known�
�that she could do anything she’d set her mind to. Sure, she promised that they would continue dating, but how feasible was that? She was in New York, and he was here in Cedar Hill, with a daughter to raise. Maybe it was better this way. He couldn’t be with someone whose eyes were always on the horizon. He couldn’t deal with another woman who wasn’t interested in staying.

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Tanner ambled into the kitchen and reached above the stove. That was where he’d tucked a bottle of bourbon that he saved for those times when he was feeling sorry for himself and the lot life had dealt him. If ever there was a time for bourbon, it was now. He poured two shots’ worth in a glass and threw them back standing right there at the counter. He poured another two shots, carried his glass into the living room, and plopped into the chair. He couldn’t sit on the couch without remembering the time he’d spent curled up with Izzy. In fact, nothing about his house felt the same without her. And it had just gotten worse, not better, as time had gone by.

  He’d thought he’d had a good life before, a happy life, just him and Hayley. But Izzy’s departure highlighted how much he was missing out on.

  He didn’t begrudge Izzy her dream. Hell, if he’d been presented with that kind of opportunity earlier in life, he would have jumped at it, too. He just wished that her dream could involve him. She was certainly a part of his long-term plans. Or at least, she had been. He couldn’t count on that now.

  Hayley still hadn’t gotten over Izzy’s leaving. Especially since she hadn’t had a chance to say goodbye. He’d sworn he would never put Hayley in a position to have another woman she loved desert her. But he’d done exactly that. Hayley, in her eight-year-old maturity, had said that she understood Izzy’s dream. Hell, Hayley herself had declared that she was going to be a dancer when she grew up. But despite that, her smiles had been few and far between, and only Blue had been able to draw a few laughs from his daughter.

  He threw the bourbon back, the burn a welcome pain in his throat. But it didn’t surpass the ache in his heart. He slammed the glass down. “Dammit!”

  His phone lit up on the table beside him. He didn’t need to pick it up to know the text was from Izzy. He’d been ignoring her the past couple of days. If he were honest, he’d been trying to pull back since she left. A long-distance relationship would never work.

  He wanted Izzy in his life all the time, not just for a few hours when she could squeeze them in. It wasn’t fair to Izzy for him to demand that kind of ultimatum, but he wasn’t the only one suffering. He couldn’t put Hayley through that kind of yo-yo relationship. It wasn’t fair to her, and frankly, it wasn’t fair to him. None of this was.

  He finally picked up the phone and tapped the button to turn the screen on.

  “I miss you.”

  Boy, she sure had understated what he was feeling. Gutted was a better description. Lonely, too. He stared at the words, his thumb hovering over the screen, fighting his instinct to respond. But how could he find a way to move on without Izzy if he kept hanging on to the crumbs she had left over for him?

  His stubbornness won out in the end, and he didn’t respond to her message. He did, however, click over to the email where she had invited him to her upcoming performance. He had ignored it when it had arrived but now curiosity got the better of him. A click on the link brought up the web site for the dance company. There was his beautiful Izzy, her smiling face gracing the front page.

  As he studied the photo closer, he saw things that others probably didn’t. Her smile didn’t reach her eyes, the dark circles under her eyes betrayed the exhaustion she must be feeling. Rehearsals had to be grueling, but he could only hope she hadn’t fallen into the bad habits that had poisoned her last experience with the company.

  Izzy might not think so, but she was the strongest woman he knew. If she could just draw on that strength, she’d realize that she didn’t need to prove anything to anyone. She had accomplished so much in her life and had so much more ahead of her. If only she didn’t have to do it in New York.

  He scanned the page and found an interesting footnote along the bottom of the screen. Performance to benefit The Boys and Girls Club of Harlem. He smiled. That had to be Izzy’s doing. A cause near and dear to his heart.

  Before he could second-guess himself, he clicked the button to purchase two tickets to the benefit.

  “We’re sorry. This event is sold out.”

  Damn. He’d waited too late, and now he wouldn’t be there for Izzy’s debut. He wasn’t sure if she actually wanted him there or was being polite in inviting him. Why had he hesitated so long when he’d known in his heart that he would be going? How could he miss seeing the woman he loved dance on stage? And his dance-crazed daughter would give anything to see the performance. What in the heck was he going to do now?

  A few hours, many ticket scalping sites, and several hundred dollars later, there were two tickets in his name. The only ones he’d found were front and center, five rows from the stage. But he wasn’t questioning his luck—he clicked to purchase them before they, too, were snapped up.

  * * *

  Izzy shook out her hands and rolled her neck from side to side. It wasn’t like this was her first performance on stage, or even her first performance as prima ballerina. But the nerves had crept into her stomach as curtain time approached. Justin had texted earlier to say that all of them had arrived—Mom, Justin, Maddie, Aiden, Serena, and Alexis. That made six. She’d finagled eight tickets for the show in hopes that Tanner and Hayley would come, too. But Tanner hadn’t even acknowledged her recent messages, much less said he’d bring Hayley. Heartbroken, she’d given the tickets to her roommate, a member of the chorus. Celeste said she’d sell them, and that way they’d have a full house. Izzy had made Celeste promise that the money would go to the Boys and Girls Club.

  Izzy walked onto the stage, the stiff boxes of her pointe shoes smacking the wood. She always loved this time just before they opened the doors, when the theater was still and quiet. This was her time to be alone with her thoughts. Usually she focused on the upcoming show and any last-minute tips from Erik or the director. But today, her thoughts were filled with Tanner. What it would feel like to dance for him, to have him witness her return to the stage and her final professional performance?

  Even though he wouldn’t be here, she would be dancing for him in her heart. When you loved someone like she loved Tanner, it automatically bled through in her dance. She had always been an emotional performer, pouring all of her heartbreak and hurt and happiness and love into her movements. No more so than when she’d been rehearsing this number, knowing that when this performance was over, she would be going home to Cedar Hill… and to Tanner. Hopefully.

  “Miss Harper. We’re ready to open the doors now.” The chief usher spoke softly from beyond the orchestra pit. The gentle, older man had worked at the theater when she was with the company before, and he knew her routine all too well. Besides, it was time for her to do her final warmup and get ready to perform.

  “Thanks, Charles.” She hurried off the stage, but peeked out from behind the curtain as the doors opened and patrons poured into the auditorium and located their seats, reminding her of her own trips to see a show. The first time she’d attended the theater, the magic of the stage and the curtain, the plush red, velvet seats that sank down when she sat in them, had mesmerized her. Maybe, hopefully, someday she could share that experience with Hayley.

  But for now, Izzy had to get ready to perform.

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  “Oh, Daddy, this is so exciting. I can’t believe we’re going to see Izzy.” Hayley would have jumped up and down but for the bouquet of flowers she’d chosen. It was so large it took both of her arms to hold it.

  He chuckled and reached out his hands. “How about I take care of these for you? I’ll give them back when the show’s over.”

  “Thanks, Daddy. I read that ballerinas get flowers after a show, so I wanted to make sure Izzy got some.”


  He laid his hand on his daughter’s back and guided her to their seats. “That’s really sweet of you, honey. I know she’ll love them.”

  Izzy would be thrilled to see Hayley. It was her reaction to him he was unsure of after he’d ignored her messages, all but telling her they were done. She might not want to talk to him again, much less hear his apology and his plea.

  He had to find a way to make this work. The minute he’d clicked the buy button for the tickets, he’d known that this trip wasn’t just to see Izzy perform. He had a more important task. This time away from her had been miserable, proving to him that Izzy was it for him.

  He had considered texting, answering her email invitation, but Hayley had convinced him that they should surprise Izzy. He wanted her in his life, whenever and however he could have her. If that meant weekends in New York and time together between rehearsals, he’d take it. Anytime with Izzy was better than none.

  He and Hayley settled into their red, velvet seats, Hayley’s eyes wide with wonder as she took in the opulent theater, the bright lights, the ornate gold designs on the ceiling, the plush seats. He’d made the right decision when he brought his daughter to see Izzy’s first performance.

  The lights dimmed twice. “That means it’s almost time to start.”

  The seats beside him were still empty, a surprise in the otherwise full house. But just as the music began to play and the crowd noise lowered to a hush, a group of people inched down the aisle toward the open seats.

  As the man turned, Tanner sucked in a breath. He jumped to his feet and extended his hand. “Justin.”

  Izzy’s brother shook his hand but didn’t smile in return.

  “Tanner.” Serena practically leapt over her brother and threw her arms around him. “I didn’t think you were coming.”