Windswept (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour) by Diana MacArthur Page A

Ryan’s hand closed around hers and squeezed gently.
    Cadence’s phone ringing startled her, and she fumbled in her purse. Seeing her father’s name on the display, she swallowed nervously. Time to deal with the Friday night phone call.
    “Hi, Papa,” she said.
    “Cadence,” he replied gruffly. “It’s awfully noisy. You’re not at a party, are you?”
    Cadence winced. “No, Papa, I’m at a restaurant,” she replied. “I’m actually in Cambridge.”
    His silence indicated his surprise. “Why are you here?” he asked.
    “I’m coming to your concert tonight,” she said.
    “You are? Who are you coming with?” he asked.
    “Chris Clements invited me, and I got a drive with Ryan Matias,” she said. “Papa, I…”
    “Chris and Ryan?” he said. “Wait…they were looking for a flute player, weren’t they? Don’t tell me you’ve joined their trio!” he thundered into the phone.
    His anger surprised Cadence. She had thought he might be happy for her to be pursuing her professional goals. “I have joined them, Papa,” she said. “I want to perform and this…”
    “Cadence, you need to be focused on school right now and finishing your degree,” he said. “You can’t be practicing for performances with them, too!”
    “Papa, it’s okay. I already…” she began.
    “I have to go,” he stated in a clipped voice. “We’ll talk about this later.” The phone went dead in her hand.
    She glanced up to see Ryan and Chris both looking at her with grim expressions. She looked down at her plate. Suddenly she wasn’t hungry anymore. Ryan took one of her hands, and Chris slid an arm around her shoulders.
    “Don’t worry about it, Cadence,” Ryan said. “You told me yourself that Professor Milton said you were ready for your recital. I’ve seen your study schedule. You are a very dedicated student, and there is no doubt in my mind that you will be graduating with honours.”
    “Ryan is right,” Chris said. “We promised not to keep you too busy until after graduation. There is just the one concert next week, and you know the material very well already. You’re going to make yourself sick if you worry about this too much.”
    Their words made sense, but Cadence felt deeply ashamed. By the time Chris left to change and warm-up, she was feeling worse than she had been before. Ryan seemed to read her mood and wisely didn’t say anything more on the subject. He paid the bill, and they headed out to the theatre.
    Cadence was impressed with the seats. They were in a box just off the stage and had an excellent view. When her father was announced, he strode onto the stage to loud applause. He bowed, and as he turned to take to the podium, his eyes met Cadence’s. His mouth tightened and before he started the piece, Cadence could have sworn he glared daggers right at Chris. Beside her, Ryan squeezed her hand.
    The music was wonderful, and Cadence found herself relaxing a bit in spite of her worries. She had always been fascinated watching her father conduct. His presence on the podium was formidable, as it was in person. The orchestra was his instrument, and he played it with precision. At the end of the concert, Cadence joined the rest of the audience in a standing ovation. Her father smiled at the audience, and she thought perhaps he might be in a better mood. Maybe he’ll be ready to listen to me now, she thought and mentally prepared herself to see him.

Chapter 7
     
    Cadence was standing in the reception room with Ryan at her side and a glass of white wine in her hand talking animatedly with Anna Jones, principal flutist of the Cambridge Symphony and Cadence’s first flute teacher. The woman seemed pleased to hear that Cadence was playing in Windswept. “I always told your father you had a gift,” she said fondly to Cadence. “I am looking forward to hearing the concert next week.”
    “She’s amazing,” Chris said as he came up behind her. “Ryan and I are in awe of her.” Cadence