The Producer's Unlikely Bride

by Lorana Hoopes

  Ava shook her head. All this time, she’d thought her parents were perfect. How many good relationships had she walked away from simply because they weren’t perfect? “Why did you never tell me?”

  Her mother smiled and took her hand. “I thought it was evident, Ava, but now I see we should have been clearer about our relationship. Fairy tale romances are just that - fairy tales. Relationships, and marriage in particular, take work. They are messy and complicated and impossible without God’s help. Now, do you want to tell me why you aren’t dating Justin for real?”

  A soft snort escaped Ava’s lips. “I told you Mom, it’s a fake relationship. Besides, we are way too different, and I may have pushed him away.”

  “Oh, I doubt you’ve pushed him away. At least not for good, and I think something might have changed while you weren’t looking. The man drove you all the way out here, and the expression on his face was not the look of a man who hated love but of a man in love.”

  “No, he might have been yesterday, but then I had to go and meddle with things.”

  “Whatever you meddled with, you can ask for forgiveness. That’s also a part of relationships. You will make mistakes. So will he. You just have to learn to ask for forgiveness when you do.”

  Her mother was right. “I should go find him.”

  “Yes, I think you should.”

  Chapter 19

  Justin stared at the cross in the little chapel. He hadn’t needed to go to the chapel to ask God to forgive him, but he’d wanted to. Standing near a cross had once held a special meaning to him, and the power covered him again as he dropped to his knees.

  “Lord, I’m so sorry. I’ve been angry at you for so long that I am unsure how to talk to you anymore. I’ve shut you out and tried to live life my way, but it’s not working. The anger is eating me up inside. Help me not to be so angry. Help me open the doors and let you back in.” He was sure there was more he needed to say, but the words wouldn’t form, so he let his heart do the talking for him.

  When he had poured out everything he had, he opened his eyes and stood. “Thank you,” he said to the chaplain who stood off to the side.

  “You are most welcome. Is there anything else I can do for you?”

  Justin ran a hand across his chin. “Yeah, can you tell me where I might get my bone marrow tested?”

  The chaplain tilted his head as he thought. “I think our oncologist could help you. Let me get you his name.” He disappeared through a doorway and returned a moment later with a white business card.

  Justin took the card and tucked it in his pocket. He would get tested but before he did that, he needed to check on Ava and apologize to her. She was probably still with her father, but if not, she would wonder where he was.

  The waiting room was still empty when he opened the door, but a moment later, Ava appeared down the hallway. She smiled when she saw him, but it wasn’t her normal smile. It was tentative, hesitant, and much tighter than normal. Did that mean bad news then?

  “Hey, I’m glad you’re still here,” she said when she reached him.

  He grabbed her hands and squeezed. “Of course I am. I wouldn’t leave without telling you. How’s your father?”

  She shrugged and wiped the corner of her eye. Justin saw the wet sheen on her finger before she rubbed it away. “He’s still out, and he doesn’t look like my dad at all, but I’m trying not to worry.”

  He moved his hands to interlock his fingers with hers. “That’s good. I’m sure he will be okay. Heart attacks are scary but they happen a lot, and trained doctors understand how to treat them.”

  “They are….” she said slowly and Justin felt the ‘but’ coming before it left her lips, “but it made me realize how short life is. I know we said this wasn’t forever, but I want to get married and have a family of my own.”

  Justin opened his mouth to agree with her, but she continued, “I had a great discussion with my mother, and I understand now that love isn’t perfect, and I’ve been pushing people away for the wrong reasons, but it also made me realize the right reason.”

  Though she paused, he didn’t say what was on his mind because it was clear she needed to get this out. Instead, he took her bait and asked, “What’s the right reason?”

  “They need to have a relationship with God. My mom told me their marriage was actually rocky for a while and it was only their faith in God that got them through it, so that’s my line, and I won’t cross it. I’m sorry for going to your brother, and I hope we’ve done enough to save your image, Justin, but I can’t pretend to be your girlfriend any longer.”

  Justin bit back his smile. She thought she had the upper hand, but she didn’t know he’d had his own epiphany as well. “I forgive you for going to Garrett, and I hope you’ll forgive me for my anger earlier. It was misplaced. I was putting my anger at Candy on you, and that wasn’t fair. Now, about this relationship issue... How about we stop pretending and you be my girlfriend for real?”

  She blinked at him. “Did you not hear what I just said? I care for you Justin, more than I should, and I forgive you, but I want someone who will pray with me, attend church with me, and have devotionals with me. You told me you haven’t spoken to God in years.”

  “And I hadn’t, but I just came from the chapel. Ava, being here reminded me of Carol dying. The last thing she did was make me promise not to give up on love, but I had. Being here forced me to realize how unhappy I’ve been, and while I was waiting for you, Margie approached me. Evidently she volunteers here. She helped me see that part of that unhappiness was giving up on love, but the other part was giving up on God. So, I asked Him to forgive me and help me get over my anger and I’m going to get my bone marrow tested to see if I can help Garrett.”

  Her eyes widened. “You are?”

  He nodded. “It’s the right thing to do, and you were right. I’d never forgive myself if I could’ve helped Garrett and didn’t. I’m still hurt and angry at them both, but I’m willing to work on letting it go, and I’m hoping you’ll help me with that.”

  “Me?”

  “Yes you. You’ve turned my world upside down since I met you, and now I can’t imagine you not in it. You even got me to relax about my hair.”

  She smiled as she ran a hand through it. “We’ve still got some work to do there.”

  “What do you mean? I know it’s crazy looking right now and probably because I only used half a can today instead of the whole can.”

  She giggled and moved her hand to his neck. “That’s a start. And can we talk about the jeans?”

  He glanced down at his pants. “What about my jeans?”

  “They have a permanent crease, Justin. Who irons blue jeans?” Her other hand joined the first around his neck and he moved his arms to the small of her back.

  “You mean that’s not a thing?” He lowered his head slightly bridging the gap between their lips.

  “That is most definitely not a thing.” Her eyes held his as her lips parted in invitation.

  “Then I guess it’s a good thing I have you to help me.” He pressed his lips against hers savoring the softness of the kiss. The first kiss had surprised him, the second one had sent his body tingling, but this kiss was the best yet. He let the emotions run through his body waking up areas that had lain dormant for years - his toes, the tips of his ears - every nerve ending tingled, and he allowed the light to sweep away the darkness he’d been living in for too long.

  “Ava, he’s awake!”

  Her mother’s voice ripped them apart and dissolved the electricity coursing through Ava’s veins. As if guilty, they jumped apart, but her mother either didn’t care or didn’t notice.

  Ava’s heart still pounded in her head as she followed her mother back to her father’s room, and she forced herself to breathe slowly. She could feel Justin behind her, this masculine presence that sent her knees shaking, but she couldn’t focus on that now. Her dad was awake, and she needed to focus on him.

  “Sorry if I scar
ed you.” Her father pulled the oxygen out of his nose as she reached his bedside. His voice was so quiet and so unlike his normal deep timbre that Ava wasn’t sure he had actually spoken until his eyes found hers.

  “Dad,” she placed her hand on his arm, “are you okay?”

  “I guess that depends on how you define okay,” he said slowly. “My chest feels like someone dropped an anvil on it.” The corner of his mouth twitched into a small smile. “Better than feeling nothing though I guess.”

  “Dad, don’t kid about stuff like that,” Ava said. “It’s not funny.”

  “Relax honey, I’ll be fine.”

  “I don’t know about that, Bruce,” her mother spoke up. “The doctors are talking about bypass surgery. I told you to stop smoking those cigars.”

  “I’m sure the cigars aren’t all to blame,” her father said.

  “No, but they certainly don’t help. You have to eat better, Dad.”

  “Okay, I will.” His eyes flicked to Justin behind her. “Are you going to introduce me to your friend?”

  “Oh, um, right. Dad, this is Justin. He’s my…. Boyfriend?”

  “Is that supposed to be a question?” He looked to Ava and then to Selene.

  “It’s complicated, sir,” Justin said, “but let’s just say that we are sure now.”

  “I’ll fill you in on it later,” Selene said placing a hand on his arm. “For now, I think we should let you rest.”

  “We should probably be heading back anyway. I have a test to do, and you have a book to finish.”

  Ava nodded, but she didn’t feel ready to leave. Even though her father was awake and talking, it didn’t diminish her fear that something might happen to him afterwards. “You go ahead. I’m going to stay with my dad.”

  “No, you aren’t,” her father said. “I’m fine, and you have a book to finish. Let the man take you home. You can always come back later if you feel the need.”

  Ava took a deep breath. She didn’t want to leave her father, but she wasn’t going to argue with him especially not while he was in a hospital bed. The last thing she wanted to do was bring any more stress to his heart. In addition, she was behind on her book and needed to finish it, and Justin had been kind enough to drive her here. She couldn’t keep him hostage here forever.

  After leaning in to give her father one more hug, she followed Justin back to his car praying that everything would be okay with her father.

  Chapter 20

  Justin grimaced as he shrugged back into his shirt. The bone marrow aspiration had been painful and even after the numbing, he’d still felt a stinging sensation.

  “Keep the site clean, but don’t get it wet for twenty-four hours,” the nurse said as she handed him his discharge papers.

  “Okay, and you will let me know if I’m a match for Garrett?”

  The nurse offered a small smile. “Of course. As soon as we know we’ll call you back in. You are doing an amazing thing.”

  “Thanks.” Justin grabbed his things, thanked the nurse, and headed for the exit sign. He tapped in Ava’s number to see if she wanted to grab dinner, but before he hit send, a voice grabbed his attention.

  “Justin?”

  Justin lifted his eyes from his phone to find his brother staring at him. He’d hoped to avoid running into Garrett, but he’d known it might be a possibility. “Hey Garrett.”

  “What are you doing here?”

  Justin shrugged trying not to focus on how sick Garrett looked. His clothes hung on him and his skin was an ashy color. “Liz told me you needed more bone marrow.”

  “And she told me you said no.”

  “I had and then an encounter with God and a lovely woman changed my mind. In fact, I believe you’ve met her. I’m still working on forgiving you, but I would never forgive myself if I could have helped and didn’t.”

  Garrett’s eyes glistened, and he ran a hand across his chin. “Thank you, and in case Ava didn’t tell you, you were right about Candy. She left me a year ago when I first got sick. Said she couldn’t handle playing nursemaid.”

  “Why didn’t you say anything?”

  “I tried to, but you wouldn’t listen. I should never have chosen a woman over my own brother. I’m so sorry, man.”

  Justin saw that Garrett was barely holding it together and compassion welled up inside him. Suddenly he saw his brother as he believed God saw him. He’d made a mistake, but Justin had too. Justin had turned his back on his creator for years, and yet God forgave him. Surely, he could do the same for his brother who not only was hurting but had been hurt by the same woman.

  He placed a hand on Garrett’s shoulder. “I’m sorry too. I shouldn’t have shut you out of my life. We all make mistakes, and mine was punishing you. I can’t get that year back, but we can kick this thing together and have years to come in the future.”

  Hope glistened in Garrett’s eyes and Justin pulled him in for a hug. He only hoped they would have time to reconnect.

  Ava glanced around at the small gathering of friends and smiled. She’d organized this little get together to celebrate her father being released from the hospital following his bypass surgery and Justin’s recovery from the bone marrow transplant, but it also served nicely as a way to introduce him to her family and meet his friends. “I’m going to get a drink. Would anyone else like one?”

  “I’ll help you,” Justin said putting his hands against the chair arms.

  Ava pushed gently on Justin’s shoulders to keep him from getting up. “Nope, not you. You are supposed to be taking it easy. I will bring your drink to you.”

  “I’m fine, Ava,” he grumbled. “It’s been four days.”

  “And the directions say you should rest for five to seven days. I’m just trying to follow the rules and the schedule you’ve been given.” He was so stubborn sometimes, but she could be just as stubborn. She leaned over and kissed him on the cheek.

  Peter laughed and lifted his drink in salute. “She’s got you there, Justin.”

  Justin crossed his arms and leaned back in the chair. “It’s a recommendation, not a schedule.”

  His scowl did nothing but enlarge her smile as Ava knew he enjoyed being taken care of. Justin, like most men, morphed into the biggest baby when he wasn’t feeling well. She’d spent the last four days at his house working so she could help him out until he was one hundred percent cleared. Peter had offered to take the nights, and while Ava was tiring of playing nursemaid, she had enjoyed the time with Justin.

  It allowed their relationship to progress, and he’d even helped her finish her book. It was nice to have a man’s opinion on it, and it turned out they had more than just a love of the ocean and Code Red Mountain Dew in common. They also both loved to play scrabble (she usually clobbered him) and solitaire (he always smoked her time). They both enjoyed walks though those were on hiatus until Justin was cleared, and they both preferred cats over dogs.

  Ava would never have thought it possible, but Justin had changed so much since letting God back in his life that she could even see a long-term future with him. Sure, he still used a little too much hairspray, and he’d cringed the first time she handed him jeans with no creases, but those were small things.

  “There you are,” she said to Gen as she entered the kitchen. “I’ve been looking for you.”

  Gen looked up from the drink she was sipping. “I came in to check my email and do I have news for you.”

  Ava crossed to the fridge and pulled out the punch to refill hers and Justin’s cups. “What news?”

  “The publishing company loves your new book.”

  “That’s great.”

  “And they want to offer an advance on your next book.” Gen squealed and turned the phone so Ava could see the screen as well.

  “What?” Ava’s eyes scanned the email. “I can’t believe it.”

  “I can. I told you that you were an amazing author. You just needed to believe it yourself.”

  Justin smiled as Ava approached, bu
t he could tell something was on her mind. Tiny creases dotted her forehead that weren’t normally there and an expression he couldn’t place lay across her face.

  “Everything okay?” he asked as he took his cup.

  “Yeah, I just found out that my publishers are offering an advance for my next book.”

  Before she could stop him, Justin pushed himself up and wrapped his arms around her. “That’s amazing. I knew you were an amazing author, and you deserve it.”

  “I just didn’t expect it. I never thought I’d be given that kind of money as an advance.”

  “Ahem,” Peter cleared his throat and the attention in the room shifted to him. “If we’re sharing news, I have some of my own. I’ve been approached by MDR Studios to produce a new romantic sitcom, and I’ve said yes.”

  Justin’s jaw fell open. He had always thought he would be the one to leave the show first, but now Peter would be. “What does that mean for Who Wants to Marry a Cowboy?” Of course, what he really meant was, what does that mean for me?

  “I was going to talk to you about that. There are two options for you. One, you can continue the show either as the producer or host or both-” Justin wasn’t sure he liked that option. Peter was the only reason he had stayed on the show as long as he had. “Or two, you can come be my lead actor.”

  “You have the power to offer me that role without even an audition?” Justin’s head was spinning. Acting had always been his dream, but hosting had been as close as he’d gotten.

  “It was part of my conditions. I told them I wanted to have the decision on the lead actor and the lead writer. I was hoping maybe Ava would like to take a chance writing for the sitcom as well.”

  “What?” Ava’s mouth had fallen open and her wide eyes stared at Peter without blinking.

  “I read your book - the newest one as well as your first. You’re funny, and you would make a great scene writer. I’d be honored if you’d write for me, and you’d still have time to write your books on the side.”