Trust Me

perhaps even mulish under certain circumstances, but a woman could trust a man like this. If he made a commitment, he would stick to it.
    Desdemona’s fingers brushed the worn corduroy of Stark’s slouchy jacket. She inhaled deeply. Stark’s faint scent brought forth a warm rush of memory. She had not yet recovered from their lovemaking, she realized. She was still a little giddy.
    “I understand you’ve met Jason and Kyle,” Stark said as their path cleared. He drew her down the center aisle toward the stage.
    “I certainly have. Macbeth brought them by Right Touch twice this week when we needed extra help to load the van. They were great.”
    “I’m afraid they’ve both been struck by stage fever.”
    “I know the symptoms well.”
    Jason popped out from behind the curtain. He waved wildly to get Stark’s attention. “Over here, Sam. I have to put the trees away in the prop room. I’ll be through in a minute. Hi, Desdemona.”
    “Hello, Jason. Great show. The trees were spectacular.”
    Jason beamed. “Thanks.” He vanished behind the curtain again.
    “Hi, Sam. Desdemona.” Kyle hailed them from the wings. “How’d you like the way I handled the curtains?”
    “I don’t see how they could have opened or closed the show without you,” Stark said.
    “Yeah.” Kyle grinned hugely. “The kids in the audience really liked the play, didn’t they?”
    “You were a hit,” Stark said. “I was sitting in the back row, and I saw everyone in the audience applaud like crazy.”
    Macbeth loomed in the shadows. “Hello, Desdemona. Stark. Glad you could make it. Enjoy yourselves?”
    “It was terrific.” Desdemona released Stark’s arm to give Macbeth a hug.
    “Oh, there you are, Desdemona, dear.” Bess sailed across the stage, the grotesque horns of her monster costume tucked under one arm. had not yet removed her makeup. “Who’s this with you?”
    “Aunt Bess, I’d like you to meet Sam Stark. Stark, this is Bess Wainwright.”
    Stark inclined his head in his austere manner. “Mrs. Wainwright.”
    “Call me Bess.” Bess came to a halt and surveyed him from head to toe. “So you’re the one.”
    “Am I?”
    “You’re not quite what I expected,” Bess informed him.
    “Is that right?”
    “You move well.” Bess eyed him with a grudging approval. “You look like you’ve had some decent training.”
    “He has had some training,” Desdemona said. “But not in acting. Aunt Bess, I absolutely forbid you to make any more personal remarks. At this rate it’s only a matter of time before you embarrass me.”
    “Nonsense. No Wainwright was ever embarrassed by anything except a forgotten line or a missed cue.”
    “There’s a first time for everything,” Desdemona said.
    Jason and Kyle reappeared. They were bubbling over with the glow of an acknowledged success.
    “Want to see backstage?” Jason asked Stark.
    “Yes, I would,” Stark said.
    “Wait’ll you see the light booth,” Kyle said. “They’ve got all kinds of neat gadgets up there.”
    Desdemona smiled at Stark. “I’ll wait here.”
    He nodded once and then allowed himself to be led off, stage left.
    Desdemona waited until the three of them had moved out of earshot before she turned to Macbeth. “Looks like the babysitting is going well.”
    “Yeah.” Macbeth smiled slightly. “I was sure glad to see Stark in the audience today. Kyle and Jason had really counted on him being there. He’d told them he would come, but you never know.”
    “Corporate honchos like that have a way of turning up busy at the last minute, especially when it comes to little kids,” Bess said grimly.
    Desdemona shook her head. “If Stark says he’ll do something, you can bet money on it.”
    “I think Jason and Kyle are starting to believe that,” Macbeth observed quietly.
    Twenty minutes later Stark reappeared. Kyle and Jason bounced around him like energetic puppies.
    “We’re going to get some pizza,” Jason said when he spotted Desdemona. “Someplace where they have video games.”
    “You can come along if you want,” Kyle said generously.
    “Thank you.” Desdemona smiled at Stark. “I’d like that.”
    Stark looked relieved, as though he’d been half afraid she would not want to join him and his brothers for pizza and video games.
    Some of Jason’s gleeful enthusiasm faded as they walked out of the theater. His expression turned thoughtful. “Sam, did you know that a lot of those kids in the audience don’t