Reckless Abandon(61)

“I don’t know. I just know it will get better use with you. Selling it feels wrong. I can’t imagine her going to the wrong person. You two just look right together.”

Allyce takes my answer and seems to understand it in an odd way. She places the bow to the strings and starts playing. As soon as the bow hits the strings I feel burn in my eyes and a feeling of loss takes over me. Before I start to lose it, I turn around and start to walk away.

My feet are just a few feet from Allyce when she stops playing. “Wait.” She says and starts to walk toward me. “What do you do now? I mean, now that you can’t play?”

I turn back around toward Allyce. “I work at the Juliette Academy. It’s a free music school over on—”

“I’ve heard of it. Wait right here.” She says before walking back to her spot and gathering up her old violin that was wrong for her. She puts it back in its case and walks it over to me. “Here. Pay it forward.”

“No. Thank you but you don’t have to do that—”

“Actually, I do. I believe in karma. Giving you an old violin for a new one is the least I can do.”

I nod my head and with pure reluctance accept it. “Thank you.”

Allyce nods her chin and steps back, walking to her place by the bench. “Any requests?”

“La Vie En Rose.”

With a smile, she lifts the violin to her chin and starts to play. The beginning chords vibrate so beautifully. I can’t stand to listen so I take the old violin and walk out of the park. My heart rate is not as rapid as I thought it would be. My anxiety levels are manageable. This was a good thing to do. It was right. My mouth is widening on my face. I actually feel okay.

Near the exit I see a black SUV and today I don’t think it’s a coincidence. My smile instantly fades.

I stomp over to the car and as soon as I reach it, I grab the handle and open the back door. I nearly jump out of my skin when, instead of finding an empty backseat, my entire field of vision is filled with Alexander Asher.

As the door opens, his body jerks back in surprise. He must not have expected me to approach the vehicle, let alone open the door. His mouth is open and his eyes are wide; a shocked expression mirroring my own.

Okay, I’m surprised, too. I assumed Devon was the driver but I’m not prepared to see him here. I was just going to launch the case into the seat and slam the door or something.

“Here.” Hands shaking, I shove the case onto his lap. His hands rise as he stares at the violin resting on his thighs. “It’s a gift for the school.” I step back and am about to close the door when I add, “And stop following me.”

I make a point to slam the door as hard as I can and walk away.

Yeah, so you know how a minute ago I was pretty calm and cool? Well, not anymore.

Karma is a bitch.





A ninja turtle, four Elsas, and an astronaut knock on your door. What do you do? You give them candy.

I’m glad Mattie gave me a heads up on the amount of kids that would be knocking on the door tonight.

I put orange Halloween lights in my apartment window and have been standing at the building’s door with a giant bowl greeting the trick-or-treaters. I got tired of walking back and forth from my apartment so I thought it was better to just stand post at the front of the building.

“Happy Halloween!” the kids chant as they walk away. Another group approaches and we start all over. This time there are only two Elsas, a Cinderella, and a Darth Vader.

“If I ever have kids they are never allowed to dress like Elsa.” Mattie startles me when he creeps up behind me.

I place my hand over my heart and catch my breath. “Geez, give a girl a warning.” Looking down, the trick-or-treaters are staring up at me with their open trick or treat bags.

Mattie snakes an arm around me and grabs a Reese’s Pieces from the bowl. “Damn, woman, you give out good candy. I thought you couldn’t give out anything with nuts to kids anymore?”

“What do you know about kids? You’re still one yourself?” I scoff.

Mattie hold up his hand showing his middle, ring, and pinky fingers. “Three sisters. Seven, ten, and fifteen. All from my dad’s second marriage and trust me, they live in a nut-free world.”

He pops the Reese’s in his mouth and moans as if he just tasted the most tender piece of filet mignon. He swallows and points a finger at me. “And don’t call me a kid. I’m the same age as you.”

I give him a laugh. “No. You’re in school. I run a school. You’re a boy. I’m a girl. In maturity years that’s like a decade.”

Mattie puts an arm on my shoulder and pats it lightly, “Yes, mam.”

I offer a wry smile at his sarcastic remark. When he steps in front of me I appraise his costume for tonight. “Beetlejuice?”

“Robin Thicke. You should see my girl’s costume. She’s a goat.”

The look on my face is filled with confusion because I have absolutely no idea what he is talking about. Mattie lets out a belly laugh that carries him to the corner and out of sight.

I back away to close my door when something catches my eye. A light reflects off a piece of chrome from across the street and I step forward to look again. There is a shiny motorcycle parked on the opposite side of the street. Standing beside it is a piece of gold, brighter than the setting sun.