Off Limit: Claimed by My Ex-Fiancé's Stepdad novel · Chapter 12 of 32

Chapter 12: Terms

"Monday," I said.

"I'm sorry," the understudy said again. "She's paying me triple. I have a kid in Ohio."

I looked at him, soaked and shivering in the wings, and couldn't hate him.

"Go," I said. "Be wonderful over there. Don't let her take a commission she didn't earn."

He hugged me, wet sweater and all, and left.

The crew had gone quiet around the desk.

"We've got two more previews with him this weekend," the flyman said. "Then nobody."

"There's a swing," somebody said.

"The swing's never been on in the role," I said. "He'd need three weeks."

I knew what came after that. So did everybody.

Saturday night after the evening show, Ward and I sat at his kitchen table with two bowls of the pasta I'd made.

He'd learned to boil water. He was very proud of it.

"The understudy's gone after tomorrow," he said. "The swing can't do it. The investor's lawyer is circling. We open in three weeks."

"I can count too."

"So the show needs Jude."

"The show needs a commuter who can sing," I said. "Jude happens to be the only one available."

He put his fork down.

"I'm not going to decide this," he said.

"You're the producer."

"I've decided things for you twice. I'm not doing it a third time. He walked out on your show. He lied about you to three million people. If you want him back, he comes back. If you don't, I'll close the show."

"You'd close it."

"I'd close it."

"You mortgaged your house for it."

"I know what I did."

I sat back and looked at him across the table.

He meant it. I could see it in his face. He'd close his family's theater's biggest show in thirty years before he'd make me take Jude back.

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