Free At Hidden Falls (Angel's Bay Novel) by Barbara Freethy Page A

theater blood runs in your veins.”
    He wanted to deny her words, but he couldn’t quite do that. And as he looked at the tall building that held so many of his family’s dreams, he couldn’t help but be inspired by the architecture, a mixture of Spanish revival and colonial. Designed in the 1920s by a renowned California architect, the theater had been constructed with a sense of importance. For almost a hundred years, this building was where people came to escape the dull reality of their lives. Despite the somewhat isolated location on the central coast, the winter and summer productions were always well attended, drawing audiences from all over the country, the professional performances packing the house for each and every show.
    As he followed his sister under the archway and through the courtyard, he imagined the scene on performance days—summer nights when the fountain statues would flow, and audience members would sit at small tables and sip cocktails during intermission. Without the benefit of the lights, tables, and people, the courtyard looked old and worn, much like the rest of the theater.
    Stepping through the front doors, he noticed how the ornate lobby also showed signs of age, from the chipped paint in the wall murals to the cracks in the ceiling. The carpeting on the stairs leading up to the balcony was threadbare in places.
    “There’s a lot that needs to be done,” Nick said. “And that’s just what I can see on the surface.”
    “I know, but we have to find a way to make it happen.”
    “It will take an enormous amount of money. Mom and Dad need to be realistic.”
    “No one in this family is big on reality,” she said with a smile. “You should know that by now.”
    He knew all too well. There had been a time when he’d chased his own dreams and been just as caught up in a world of illusion.
    “Ready?” Tory asked, reaching for the door leading into the auditorium. “This might be your last chance to back out.”
    “I’m not committing to anything until I’ve done my research.”
    She shook her head. “I never thought you would grow up to be so restrained. You used to be a lot more spontaneous, Nick. Sometimes I barely recognize you.”
    Sometimes he barely recognized himself, but spontaneity had turned him into a father at the age of nineteen. These days, he looked before he leaped.
    As he followed Tory into the auditorium, he realized it had been at least a decade since he’d been inside. He’d always managed to avoid the building on his visits to Angel’s Bay.
    The inside of the theater was just as ornate as the exterior. The side boxes on the mezzanine levels were beautifully carved and separated by thick velvet curtains and ropes. The ceiling high overhead had been painted with twinkling stars to make the audience feel as if they were watching an outdoor performance.
    As he took in the details, a surprising sense of anticipation ran down his spine. This theater was where he’d first fallen in love with designing and construction. His uncle Richard had taught him how to build sets as soon as he was old enough to pick up a hammer. He’d been amazed to see worlds created within days, and he’d been hooked.
    Professionally speaking, this architectural project could be spectacular, but he had a lot of personal reservations. He kept his feet grounded in reality, and this old theater had a way of making people believe in the impossible, which usually led to a painful let-down.
    Today there was a lot of action going on inside. Seats were being pulled out to be reupholstered, two men were putting up a frame along the back wall of the stage, and various members of his family were standing around a long table at the front of the stage As usual, they all seemed to be talking at one time. Where there were actors, there were egos, and demanding needs for attention.
    He drew in a deep breath as he climbed the stairs. He loved his parents, his grandparents, his aunts, uncles, cousins .