Mending The Billionaire Movie Star (MacLachlan Brothers Romance Book 1)

by Bree Livingston

  “I really enjoyed your family. You seemed so much happier with them here.”

  In truth, Angus was gutted when they left. He didn’t realize how much he missed them until they arrived.

  “Aye, I was. Am.”

  “Kinda like your empty cup was filled?”

  Angus nodded. “That’s a good way to put it.”

  By the time they’d finished talking, Penelope had her head leaned against the back of the chair with her eyes closed. “I think I need to go to bed. I can’t keep my eyes open any longer.”

  As Penelope got up, Angus stood to face her. He’d said he wouldn’t follow her out for late night talks, but he’d missed their talks. And her kisses. Plus, Barb liked the ratings their interactions got when episodes aired.

  He stepped closer, cupped her cheek, and skimmed his thumb across it. “Now that we’re back in Montana, have you started hating me again?” he teased.

  She gave him a tired smile. “I never hated you, Angus. I was scared of you.”

  “Are you still scared?”

  “Honestly, at this point, I don’t think it would matter. I think I was in trouble the first night you sat next to me on the beach.”

  “Aye.” Angus wrapped his arms around her and kissed her. He knew he wasn’t supposed to. He’d given his word, but she was standing there, eyes like green stained glass staring back, and his willpower had shattered.

  Penelope circled her arms around his neck and melted into him. She was curves and softness. He loved how she fit against him.

  He loved her.

  She suddenly pulled away. “Angus, we said we wouldn’t do this.”

  “I know, and I’m sorry. Don’t I get a little leeway since I was encouraged to come out here?”

  She balled her fists in his collar, pulled his lips down to hers, and kissed him. Pulling back, her gaze held his. “We talked about this. About Zora, Amber, and Jeanie’s expectations. Please don’t do this again. I don’t want you hurt. If you mess this up, it could set you back even further. And now that I’m f—” She stopped short, dropping her hands. Her eyes widened, and her mouth parted.

  Angus’s heart skipped a beat. He was sure she’d almost admitted she was falling in love with him.

  As she lifted up on her toes, her hands slid up his chest and circled around his neck. Penelope kissed him as if she was trying to finish the sentence.

  After she broke the kiss, she said, “If you hurt one of the other women and they make a stink, it could set you back. I can’t handle the thought of you being hurt again. Especially because of me.” With that, she released him and quickly disappeared into the lodge.

  Angus watched her walk away with his heart.

  He loved her.

  He flopped down into the chair. Acting was enjoyable. It was fun and easy. He just wasn’t sure he cared anymore. If he continued to act, Clara would be in the picture. She’d make his and Penelope’s life miserable. At the moment, the debate as to what he wanted more seemed to favor quitting. He preferred Penelope over anything.

  * * *

  By the time the show was over, Angus would be so done with interviews that he’d find it difficult to promote a movie.

  Shaking his hand, Vincent didn’t skip a second before beginning it. “We interviewed Penelope, but we didn’t get a chance to interview you after your date with her in Hawaii. How was it?”

  He smiled. “I loved every minute of it.”

  “Did it bother you that she took you to a waterfall she’d seen with her ex?”

  “No. Actually, I’m glad she did. Maybe she’ll have a better memory of Maui now.”

  Vince nodded. “So, we’re back in Montana. How was the visit with your family?”

  “It was incredible. I’d missed them. I didn’t realize how much until they arrived.”

  “Will you be taking a break and going home for a while after the show?” The way Vincent looked at him, it almost seemed as if he was genuinely interested, but he was an actor too.

  Angus nodded. “Aye, I’ll be taking some time to visit them. I’ve missed my home too. It’ll be good to mend some fences and tend the sheep.”

  “Can’t say any of us can picture that,” Vincent said with a laugh.

  “Naw, I don’t guess you can.”

  The mood in the room shifted, and Angus knew what was coming. “So, Penelope. Things seem to be getting a little serious between the two of you. What about our other bachelorettes?”

  Angus gritted his teeth to keep from saying something he shouldn’t. “I don’t know what to tell you. I enjoy spending time with Penelope. I will keep participating as the show asks me, but I’ll not do anything to hurt her.”

  “Anything else you’d like to tell our audience?”

  What could he tell them? That his world had shifted, and instead of leaving the show unattached, he’d fallen in love before it was even close to over? He had yet to even tell Penelope that. He wasn’t about to let her hear it on a playback. “You know, Vincent, I really don’t.”

  Vincent nodded. “You seem changed.”

  “I am.” A lump formed in Angus’s throat. Being forced to inspect his own heart and motivations had brought about a life-altering change.

  The host turned to the camera. “Things are getting serious here at Celebrity Bachelor. Stay tuned for next week’s episode. I have a feeling we’ll all be in for a surprise.”

  Angus stood and, without a word, made his way to his room. This show needed to end so he could get on with his life. He was tired of being filmed, giving interviews, and sharing Penelope with the world. He needed her and some wide open spaces.

  Chapter 39

  According to Angus, and apparently social media, the only reason anyone was tuning in anymore was the developing relationship between him and Penelope.

  It made living with the other women contentious at best. Well, minus Jeanie. She seemed disappointed but not angry like Zora and Amber.

  Penelope couldn’t understand why. They didn’t have feelings for Angus. Sure, they liked what his name might give them, but how could they want to be with someone just for that? Didn’t they want love and companionship? Could they really be that shallow?

  For the past week, Angus had continued to follow Penelope out to the patio. They’d talk, and, inevitably, they’d end up kissing. She should have stopped him, but…she didn’t want to stop him. And more and more, it seemed they were urged to spend time together. How could she do that and keep her lips to herself? Especially when she liked kissing him so much.

  As she returned to her room after another late-night talk, Zora pushed inside Penelope’s door and shut it, leaning back against it.

  “What do you need?” Penelope made sure her tone was neutral.

  “I saw you kissing Angus tonight.”

  Clearly, she hadn’t been spying well enough, because it wasn’t just that night. Penelope didn’t bat an eye. “Isn’t that part of the show? You’ve kissed him, right? So has Amber and Jeanie.”

  Zora blinked. “Uh, yeah, we all have.”

  Penelope nearly laughed aloud. “Then what do you want?”

  “You need to back off. I see you throwing yourself at him, and he’s being nice. You don’t have what it takes to be with him. I’d hate to see you get hurt, and you will if you keep going after him.”

  “I’m playing the game.”

  With a slight lift of her brow, she said, “I thought you hated the game.”

  Penelope shrugged. “I do, but if I’m here, I may as well enjoy myself, right?”

  Zora squinted and crossed her arms over her chest. “You’re playing with fire. Angus is out of your league. You aren’t even his type. Just remember what I’m saying. If you get hurt, it won’t be because you weren’t warned.” She dropped her arms and softened. “Look, you seem nice. I’m not trying to be nasty to you. Just watch yourself, okay?”

  If Penelope didn’t know any better, Zora was close to patting her on the head.

  Zora opened th
e door, took one last sad look at her, and left.

  Penelope rolled her eyes and shut the door quietly. Not trying to be nasty? Yeah right.

  Angus was going to have to stop slipping out at night and talking to her, no matter who encouraged what. If he wasn’t going to think about his future, she would. These women, if they thought he was playing them, would make his life miserable. There was no way she could let that happen.

  The late nights had thrown her eating schedule off. It had caused her to rely on her insulin a little more than she liked to. Tonight, though, she was starving, and she’d not only need her insulin, but she’d need a snack, too, if she was going to keep herself from crashing.

  She quietly tiptoed into the kitchen, quickly ate a snack, and hurried back to her room. It would be enough to get her through the night. She’d have to do something to get her schedule back on track, though. Needles didn’t bug her, but they reminded her how much she hated the dependency.

  Lying on her bed, she stared at the ceiling, letting her thoughts wander from Angus to the show and the three other women. He’d still been taking them on dates, which was awkward. There was a tension hanging in the air that had started right after their families visited. It was as if they knew a choice had been made, and they weren’t it. They weren’t making Angus miserable, but that didn’t mean they couldn’t start.

  If Angus followed her tomorrow night, she would come back inside and hide in her room. After the show, when it was all done, they’d discuss where things could go. Could it go somewhere? The one thing she was certain of was that she loved him more than she’d ever loved any other man.

  Penelope sat up, startled at the internal confession. She loved him. Oh, she loved him. It terrified her. If he broke her heart, she’d…be more than broken-hearted this time. Crushed didn’t even seem to encompass the depth of pain she would experience.

  With a quick glance at the clock, she figured it was long enough after eating that she should check her blood sugar. After checking it, she grabbed her insulin vial and gave herself an injection.

  Another thing she was sure of, she wasn’t getting to sleep at the moment. Not with the way her thoughts had drifted. A thrill of excitement pulsed through her. She loved Angus.

  Instead of tossing and turning in her room, she decided to go outside. Hopefully, Jeff was the forgiving type for waking him up. Penelope squeezed her eyes shut as she opened the door and tiptoed to the patio. Her robe was no match for the frosty air. She stoked the fireplace and pulled the chair closer to prop her feet on the hearth.

  Penelope rested her head on the back of the chair, trying to relax enough that she could go to sleep. Of course, her thoughts were no calmer on the patio than they had been in her room.

  As she relaxed in front of the fireplace, beads of sweat began pouring from her temple, her body began trembling, and her heart raced. She pressed her shaky palm to her forehead. The longer she sat there, the worse she felt. A diabetic reaction? It didn’t make sense. She’d been extra diligent since that night she had those three drinks.

  For once, she was glad they were filming. “I need help,” she whispered as she stumbled to the patio table and braced her hands on it to keep herself from falling. “Please, I need help.” She tried to make the plea a little louder.

  With the room spinning, the onset of a headache made it hard to think. Nothing like this had happened in such a long time.

  “Penelope?” Angus rushed to her and wrapped his arms around her.

  Chapter 40

  “I don’t feel good.” Penelope groaned and slumped forward.

  Angus smoothed her hair back as he held her. “Penelope?”

  “What’s wrong?” Barb asked as she came running up.

  “I don’t know,” he replied, pressing his fingers against her neck. “We need an ambulance. I do know that.” He picked Penelope up and took her to the great room. “Her heart is racing, and she’s clammy.”

  “Ambulance is on its way,” Jeff said as he walked in behind Angus and Barb.

  Angus sat down with her in his lap. He didn’t care about anyone’s opinion at the moment. “I hope it’s fast. She doesn’t look right.”

  The vibrant woman he’d fallen in love with was limp and pale. If something happened to her, the hurt he’d experienced with Clara would seem like nothing.

  “What’s going on?” Zora asked through a yawn.

  Amber and Jeanie walked in behind her.

  Barb turned. “We don’t know yet.”

  “Poor thing,” Jeanie said.

  “Would you ladies go back to your room, please? I’ll fill you in on what’s going on in a little while, but for now, I need to speak to Angus alone.”

  For once, Amber and Zora were gracious not to grumble or give any snide remarks. Jeanie gave him a sympathetic look and left with them.

  Barb waited until she heard their doors shut. “Angus.”

  “I’ve received more letters?”

  “Yes. We’ve given them to the authorities. They were all exactly the same. Wording and everything.”

  Angus’s chest tightened. “Do you think she was poisoned again?”

  “You should check her blood sugar,” Jeff said from behind the camera.

  “What?” asked Barb. “And cut filming. We don’t need this getting out until we find out who’s responsible.”

  Jeff made a slashing motion with his hand, and the crew stopped everything.

  “My best friend in high school was diabetic. This looks like a blood sugar thing,” Jeff said.

  “Do you know how to check it?” Angus asked.

  “Yeah.” Jeff hurried out of the room, returned with her monitor, and checked her. “This is really bad. She’s below sixty. Anything below seventy is too low.”

  Angus held her closer. “Can we help her? Give her something, maybe?”

  “No. I wouldn’t. When my friend had this happen, the teacher panicked. Tried to give him something, and he nearly choked to death. The ambulance should be here any minute,” Jeff said.

  Barb patted him on the shoulder. “Wait for them outside and fill them in on what you suspect is happening.”

  Jeff nodded. “You bet.”

  Angus waited for Jeff to step outside and palmed Penelope’s cheek. “I’m in love with her. I know I can’t tell anyone because it would ruin things, but I am.” The rush of emotion made him speechless. He couldn’t lose her. He’d just found her. He needed years to love on her and be loved by her.

  “I know, love.”

  Their heads snapped up when they heard the ambulance. Moments later, the paramedics rushed through the door. Angus put her on the gurney and raked both hands through his hair. His heart was being shredded. She looked so fragile, and he felt completely helpless.

  A paramedic checked her vitals as the other gave her a shot of something.

  The paramedic caught him staring. “It’ll help her until we can get her to the hospital.”

  “I’m going to the hospital with her, Barb. Think they’ll care?” He nodded to the hall where Zora, Amber, and Jeanie’s rooms were, thankful they were in them.

  “I’ll tell them you felt responsible and you wanted to make sure she was okay.”

  “Aye, that’s not a lie.”

  “A car is waiting out front so you can follow the ambulance.” Barb handed him a sheet of paper. “Show them this. It’s a HIPPA form that allows them to speak to you. I’ll be there in a little while.”

  “Thanks.”

  The paramedics rushed her out with Angus following. He sat quietly in the car the entire ride. If his stalker was targeting Penelope, he wasn’t sure what he was going to do. If something happened to her because of him or his stalker, he’d never forgive himself.

  At the hospital, Angus stayed in the waiting room. Time slowed, and the helplessness he felt at the house engulfed him.

  Daylight was breaking before they got her stable, and her doctor decided she needed to stay for observation. Whatever had happened
to her had nearly killed her. Angus hoped the tests would tell them what or how it had happened.

  When Barb showed up at lunchtime, he had yet to sleep, and exhaustion was making him feel heavy. “Let me guess, the ladies had something to say about me coming with her.”

  Barb rolled her eyes. “Nothing to concern yourself with. I took care of it. How is she doing?” She handed him a small bag with some clothes and toiletries.

  He sighed at the prospect of having a shower. “She’s stable.”

  “Has she woken up yet?”

  Angus shook his head.

  “Oh, love.”

  The door opened, and a doctor walked in. “We got the blood tests back.”

  Angus stood. “Okay.”

  “Is there any chance I can see the insulin she took?”

  Barb nodded. “I had a feeling this would be needed.” She handed him the vial. “This was the only one open.”

  The doctor looked at the label. Lines creased his forehead. “This vial says it’s long-acting insulin, which is the correct kind for her, but what’s in it is short-acting insulin. Do you know what pharmacy filled this?”

  Angus’s heart raced. The stalker. “I don’t know. She brought it with her.”

  “And was this the only vial she had?”

  “It’s the only one I found,” Barb replied.

  “Okay, well, it’s good someone was around. If this had happened while she was alone, we’d be having a different conversation. We’ll get this tested and find out what it is.” The doctor turned and left the room.

  “How did the stalker get in the house?” Angus snapped at Barb. The lack of sleep and stress had set him on edge. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean for it to come out like that.”

  “I know, and to answer your question, I don’t know.”

  “She takes her insulin at night right before bed. I know we’ve been having late nights, but this happened at three a.m. I don’t understand what happened.” He swung around, palming his forehead. “Do we know what was in the creamer yet?”

  “No, I don’t know any of the answers yet, love. I have to get back. Zora and Amber are like a walk through a lion’s den. They need to be distracted.”