“And I used to like watching these little family scenarios unfold,” Hank said. “A lot of couples had dates there too. The common denominator was that almost everyone came in after a movie or a Broadway show.”
The memories Ella had of her and Papa at their Broadway shows would stay with her forever. “So what does this all mean for you?”
“It means I went into acting to be a part of that dynamic.” He shifted, and a pained look crossed his face. “I have great parents. But we never did things like that together. I craved having family time. But Dad has a really strong work ethic and he was almost never home. And Mom, she was busy with her social life. The honest truth is, she was simply too self-absorbed to notice us that much. She left a lot of the rearing of her four children to nannies.”
“I never knew you had nannies!”
“It’s because I was embarrassed to tell you. Your family sticks together so much. Mine is more formal. We love each other—don’t get me wrong—but my childhood, apart from playing with my brothers—felt a little disjointed.”
“So acting brought you into that sphere of connection. People could talk about you over their ice creams. Kids and parents could bond. So could couples.”
“I think so. When Dad tried to push me to law school, I pushed back so hard because I was trying desperately not to recreate his life. I wanted to be a part of a warm conversation. Not be assessed all the time.”
“Assessed?”
“My parents were always trying to make sure their kids’ accomplishments met their high—and fairly narrow—standards.”
“Oh.” She felt for him. Deeply. And she was upset they hadn’t had a talk like this ten years before. She’d sensed that when she’d shared Thanksgiving dinner with Hank and his family that long ago day, there had been some tension, but she’d been worried about the pregnancy scare, and he’d not been ready to talk about his family after that dinner. So they never really tackled his relationship with his parents head-on.
“So you’ve never felt quite that acting was your thing,” she ventured to say, “because you were getting into it not for the love of the dramatic arts but because it was a way to rebel against your dad and enter into those conversations families had to connect with each other.”
“Exactly. I became a part of pop culture, anathema to my dad. And it also meant I was sort of embraced by a lot of people.”
“Did you talk about this with your parents while you were home?” Ella hoped he had.
“Yes,” Hank said. “We had a brutally frank talk, and there were a lot of apologies on their side. And I said I was sorry too, because the truth was, if I had talked openly to them ten years ago, my career trajectory might have stayed bumpy for a while longer, but I might have been more true to myself.”
“Don’t beat yourself up,” Ella said. “You felt a lot of legitimate pressure from your dad. And you were young.”
“I know. I’m not going to have any regrets. Acting has given me exactly what I hoped it would. I became part of the worldwide family conversation.” He grinned.
“That’s very cool.”
“It is. It also made me wealthy. I can take time off. I can quit—if I want.”
“Do you?”
“I’m not sure yet. I have obligations over the next two years that would be tricky to get out of. And in a way, I don’t want to, now that I see myself more clearly. I can ponder my future while I’m acting. How much do I really like the actual art? And how much of this career was about fighting my personal demons?”
He stood and held out his hand to her. She grabbed it and they walked to the very front of the bow, let go of each other, and gripped the railing. What a gorgeous view of the historic peninsula city of Charleston lay before them! The antebellum homes on the Battery were stunning. The panoramic sight really hadn’t changed much in more than two hundred years.
“I love acting,” Ella said, her hair blowing out behind her, “but I realize I can practice the craft anywhere and still be happy. Which is what I love about community theater.” She wrapped her fingers around the bronzed knuckles of Hank’s right hand. “I’m really happy for you.” She felt a lump in her throat as she said it. He’d had a huge breakthrough, and she was honored he’d shared it with her.
Of course, she wanted to know how she fit into the picture, if at all.
He turned toward her, and she toward him. Leaning on the railing, he wrapped his arms around her waist. “I want to be based out of Charleston,” he said. “I’ll have to travel a lot over the next two years, but if you can put up with that—and join me whenever you’re free—I’m convinced we can take our second chance, Ella, and run with it. Whatever I decide about acting, I’m going to get involved in the business from Charleston. But I suspect”—he swallowed hard—“I suspect I’m going to find other things to do. Somehow I want to get involved in connecting families through exposure to the arts, especially families who have a hard time making ends meet. I feel I can honor your father that way too, and all the sacrifices he made to help his little girl find her dreams.”
“Hank, this makes me so happy.” Ella was crying. She was laughing somehow too.
“Me too.” Hank wiped away some tears from his own eyes. But he was grinning. He was a new man.
And Ella, loving him, was a new woman. She’d never been happier.
“I’m dressed to go to the Aquarium gala,” he said, “if you need a date.”
“I do,” she said. “I’ll need a date for the rest of my life.”
Bring him home, Bring him home … those short words from the song in Les Misérables came to Ella then. The trawler lifted on an ocean swell and a breeze, its bow pointed toward the Battery, Charleston’s church spires rising high behind its historic homes to a coral sky.
“I want to be that guy,” Hank said, and kissed her.
ALSO BY KIERAN KRAMER
A Wedding at Two Love Lane
Christmas at Two Love Lane
Trouble When You Walked In
You’re So Fine
Sweet Talk Me
THE HOUSE OF BRADY SERIES
Loving Lady Marcia
The Earl Is Mine
Say Yes to the Duke
THE IMPOSSIBLE BACHELOR SERIES
When Harry Met Molly
Dukes to the Left of Me, Princes to the Right
Cloudy with a Chance of Marriage
If You Give a Girl a Viscount
Praise for these other novels of delightful contemporary romance by USA Today bestselling author Kieran Kramer
YOU’RE SO FINE
“Kieran Kramer writes a sexy, sassy Southern romance with heart.”
—Jill Shalvis, New York Times bestselling author
“Kramer dishes up another delightful contemporary romance that is deftly seasoned with sassy Southern wit, snappy dialogue, and plenty of smoldering sexual chemistry. Readers who fell in love with Susan Elizabeth Phillips’s Dream a Little Dream (1998) or Ain’t She Sweet? (2004) will definitely want to add Kramer’s latest sexy, sparkling, spot-on love story to their reading lists.”
—Booklist
“Filled with smart, believable characters and fresh, witty storytelling. A sexy, poignant romance wrapped in Southern charm and lightly accented with Hollywood glamour.”
—Kirkus Reviews
“A superbly written, powerful, and touching book.”
—Fresh Fiction
SWEET TALK ME
“The perfect combination of good-natured sass, sultry sexual tension, and hint of Southern crazy. I loved this book.”
—Tracy Brogan, author of Crazy Little Thing
“A sweetly sexy love story that is everything a romance should be … a knockout!”
—Booklist (starred review)
“The banter between these characters was fun to read and I loved the tension that flowed between them … a great read to lose yourself in for a few hours.”
—Night Owl Reviews (Top Pick)
“Readers wh
o enjoy works by Nora Roberts and Luanne Rice will want to give Kramer a try. This reviewer predicts that the beaches this summer will be covered with copies of Sweet Talk Me.”
—Library Journal (starred review)
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
USA Today bestselling author Kieran Kramer is a former CIA employee, journalist, and English teacher who lives in the Lowcountry of South Carolina with her family. Game show veteran, karaoke enthusiast, and general adventurer, her motto is, “Life rewards action.” Find her on Facebook, Twitter, and at kierankramer.com. Stay connected to Kieran on-the-go with her FREE mobile app available for iPhone and Android devices, or sign up for email updates here.
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CONTENTS
Title Page
Copyright Notice
Prologue
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Also by Kieran Kramer
Praise
About the Author
Copyright
This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.
SECOND CHANCE AT TWO LOVE LANE
Copyright © 2018 by Kieran Kramer.
All rights reserved.
For information address St. Martin’s Press, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010.
www.stmartins.com
eISBN: 9781250111098
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St. Martin’s Paperbacks edition / September 2018
St. Martin’s Paperbacks are published by St. Martin’s Press, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010.
Second Chance At Two Love Lane Page 28