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him. Or maybe she just didn’t want to lose her job.
    He placed both hands on her music stand, big calloused knuckles that could have been involved in construction, not holding a baton. “Yes, it’s the only way.”
    The whole orchestra turned into a blur until it was only her and him, and he was waiting. She stared at his jutting chin and those lips—full and arched with just a sprinkling of stubble. She stood, wondering why the hell she was listening to him.
    Because I don’t have a good reason not to.
    She placed her hands over his, pushing down the music stand separating them. This was it. She was going to kiss him, and it seemed like the most logical, reasonable thing to do.
    The music morphed from Don Juan to Beethoven’s fifth. The foreboding da da da dum rang in her head and rumbled in her gut. She covered her ears.
    Wait a second, she thought . This song isn’t on the program.

    Melody snapped awake, tangled in her sweaty sheets. Her apartment was pitch-black except for a faint glow emanating from her cell as it sang Beethoven’s fifth and vibrated in circles on her bed stand. She pressed the button on her alarm clock. Four thirty-two.
    Who the hell is calling in the middle of the night?
    And what the hell was that dream all about?
    She picked up the cell and checked the caller ID. Laini. Her heart jumped, waking her from the foggy aftermath of her crazy conductor fantasy. Her sister would never call her like this if it wasn’t an emergency. She put the phone to her ear and hit talk.
    Her voice came out, hoarse as a frog. “You okay?”
    “Melody! Thank God you answered.” Laini’s voice shook, making anxiety creep up Melody’s spine.
    “What’s going on?”
    “We’re at Boston Children’s Hospital. Violet’s had another attack.”
    Melody thought of her cute niece standing above a lopsided sand castle, struggling for breath. Her stomach clenched. “Is she okay?”
    “She’s fine for now. The nurses have her on an oxygen mask and she’s asleep. The doctors are running tests to see what’s wrong.”
    “Oh, Laini, I’m so sorry.”
    “It’s okay. I’m just glad we got her here in time. Derek found her lying on the floor in front of our bedroom and for a second I thought…” Laini hiccupped and took a deep breath. “I’m sorry to wake you. I thought you’d want to know.”
    “Of course I do.” Melody would have killed her if she hadn’t called. They’d been there for each other all their lives, and just because Laini was married didn’t mean she couldn’t rely on her little sis for support.
    “Is Derek there?”
    “Yeah, he’s sitting by her bed, holding her hand.”
    Good. At least she isn’t alone. Melody tore the sheets away and stood, looking for something to wear. “I’ll be there right away.”
    “No need to rush. Visiting hours don’t start until the morning.”
    Melody collapsed back on her bed, dirty jeans in hand. She wanted to do something right now for her sister, but if they wouldn’t let her in… “Hang in there, then, and I’ll see you first thing in the morning.”
    “Thanks, Mel.”
    “No problem.”
    Laini hung up, leaving Melody in the dark with the jeans she’d worn to the bar the other night across her legs. The whole thing with Violet made her own problems seem silly, and her dream seriously ridiculous. Thank goodness she had her family to ground her in reality.
    Her sister was right; she wouldn’t sleep for the rest of the night. She loved that little girl as if she were her own. Melody hugged her pillow, turned on the TV, and watched elephants on the National Geographic channel for the next three hours. All she could think of was getting to the hospital and bringing her niece a gigantic, furry stuffed turtle.

    Melody sat in her Fiat, looking down at her pajamas and having second thoughts about running out of the apartment so quickly. Well, it’s not like anyone important is going to be at the toy store on a weekday morning. She watched the