A Christmas Night to Remember(60)
The sort of place he would have longed for as a confused and troubled boy, Melody thought, her understanding causing her to swallow the lump in her throat. Oh, Zeke, Zeke.
‘Of course you’d be in charge of the drama side—the hiring of staff and so on—and I thought you might want to be hands-on teaching dance? We’d need an establishment with plenty of grounds for a swimming pool, tennis court and so on, and a house separate from the school for us would be essential. I’ve no real idea of the mechanics of it all, but I know people who could make it happen as long as the funding was in place.’
‘And we could afford to do that?’ she asked softly.
Zeke smiled. ‘Several times over, sweetheart.’ He guided her glass of wine to her lips and took a sip of his own before he went on, ‘There are other options, of course. You might like to travel for a year or two once your treatment is over—a world tour, staying over for as long as you like if a particular place takes your fancy. Or we could run our own theatre? Something in that line? Or you could run a traditional dancing establishment?’
Melody came straight back to the idea that had fired her imagination. ‘This drama school—wouldn’t it be a huge undertaking to do it properly?’
‘Massive,’ he agreed. ‘The dance side would involve performance, choreography, management and dance theatre, including the history of dance and related arts, aesthetics and critical studies, production, music accompaniment and composition, and that’s without the drama side. Acting, directing, technical aspects, backstage crafts and writing for the stage would all be necessary, along with practical theatre.’
He paused for breath and Melody stared at him in wonder. ‘You’ve really looked into this, haven’t you?’
Zeke nodded. ‘It would be a total life change, Dee. But one which would fit with family life if it was done properly. We would afford to get the best folk for the children on board, people of like mind, and I thought—’ He stopped abruptly and she saw a muscle clench in his square jaw.
‘You thought?’ she pressed quietly.
‘We could make a difference. Not to every child, perhaps—I am a realist—but for the ones we give direction and purpose to it would be worth it. But it’s only an idea.’
She buried her face in his neck for a moment, overwhelmed at the turn their lives had taken. This was perfect, so utterly perfect. And only Zeke could have thought of it.
‘Dee?’ His voice carried a note of anxiety. ‘You don’t have to say anything until you’ve thought about it. It’s a big deal—’
She stopped him by winding her arms around his middle as she lifted her face to his. ‘I love you, I love you,’ she said, over and over again so he would know. ‘And I can’t think of anything better. Think of it, Zeke. Children who have nothing, given a foundation and a pride in the gift they have. Do you really think we can do it? Provide them with a home and hope?’
‘Of course.’ The words were pronounced emphatically, a declaration, and she knew in that moment he would make it happen.
She reached up and placed her mouth on his. It wasn’t often she made the first move, and his reaction was immediate and fierce as he crushed her into him, kissing her with a hunger that touched her to the core. He kissed her for a long time as they murmured incoherent words of love, drawing strength from each other. ‘I can do anything with you by my side, but without you I’m nothing,’ he muttered desperately. ‘Never leave me like you did this morning—without a word, a goodbye. I thought I’d lost you. I need you, sweetheart. You’ve got no idea how much.’
‘I think I have, because I need you every bit as much,’ she whispered brokenly. ‘I’ve been so miserable. Not because of the accident and knowing I’d never dance again, but because I thought I had to let you go. You’re my world, my existence.’
He gave a choked laugh. ‘So we’ve both been tearing ourselves apart because we love each other?’
She smiled tremulously. ‘Maybe we aren’t the smartest kids on the block,’ she admitted weakly. Joy, like warm honey, was spreading through her body with healing reassurance. She could believe this. She could trust him. She had wasted weeks of her life letting fear dictate her actions and rule her mind, but no more. She must have been crazy—stark, staring mad—to imagine Zeke would look at another woman or walk away from her. He wasn’t like her father or her grandfather. He was unique and all hers. Her husband, her love, her life.