“Are you hitting on my mother again?” Jenna asked as she walked up.
“Hey, Sunshine.” He swept her up in a hug, then twirled her around before setting her on her feet again. “How’s it feel to be old?” He tugged at a lock of her strawberry blond page boy.
“Shut up and give me my present.” Like it or not—and she often didn’t—Jenna was everyone’s kid sister, and she looked the part, her nickname reflecting her personality, a pretty, sunny girl who was the eternal optimist, the person who always brightened the day.
She was also every bit a worthy successor to her mother. She might not have children, but she was always taking one sad case or another under her wing, relentless about doing what it took to solve her charges’ problems or make their lives better. Like her mother, she was slender and lovely, and pure steel ran through her spine.
“Don’t you have to wait to open gifts until after we have cake?”
“I’m the birthday girl. I can do whatever I want.”
He glanced toward a table piled with packages. An adjoining one was currently being stocked with steaming platters of food by Sophie and her chef. “That doesn’t seem to be Sophie’s game plan.” He held his package high, far past her reach. “And I’m hungry.”
“Then I won’t introduce you to Violet.”
“Violet who?”
She nudged an elbow into his side. “Yeah, right. You know you’re dying to meet her. Who wouldn’t be?”
“Well, yeah. Since I’m not stupid.”
“Give me my gift, then.” She waggled her fingers.
Instead, he dangled the gift bag in his hand and began to back away. “If you’re so impatient, birthday girl, come and get it.” He picked up his pace, his eyes on Jenna as she squealed and started after him.
“This better be a great gift, smarty-pants.”
“Maybe there’s nothing in here.” He grinned at her, then feinted to the side as she grabbed for the bag.
“Oof!”
He smashed into someone and whipped around, using his quick reflexes to grab the falling person—
Then he realized he was holding America’s Sweetheart in his arms.
And Delilah was right.
Violet James was even more beautiful up close.
* * *
“I’M SORRY. DID I HURT YOU?” said the new arrival at the party. “I was—”
“Being a brat and not letting me have my birthday present,” said Jenna, approaching from behind him.
He didn’t respond to Jenna. Instead, he quickly set Violet on her feet and steadied her. “Seriously, are you hurt?”
“I’m fine,” Violet managed to answer, looking up into worried gray eyes. Six feet, she guessed, lean and athletic, tousled tawny hair.
“Well, don’t I feel like a moron? Plowing right over a woman isn’t the usual ploy for making a good impression, or at least not one I’ve tried before.” Then he grinned, and strikingly handsome became breathtaking. He stuck out a hand. “JD Cameron. How am I doing so far? Wowed yet?”
Charming, too. Her first instinct after everything she’d been through was to go icy, but that would be giving Barry’s betrayal too much power. Plus, Sophie said he was the next thing to family and she could trust him. She would try. “Let’s just say I won’t forget our meeting.” She slid her hand into his and smiled.
“Ouch. So I need another ploy. Hmm, let’s see…I’m guessing people tell you all the time how beautiful you are, so I won’t bother with that. And I already know what you do for a living, so strike that one. Then there’s what’s your sign but I could find that out pretty easily online, I imagine, so that leaves…” He stared blankly then snapped his fingers. “Got it.” His gaze locked on hers, his eyes sparkling with mischief and fun. “What’s a fine filly like you doing in a one-horse town like this, little lady?” His voice was a perfect cowboy twang as he tipped an imaginary Stetson then stuck his thumbs in an invisible gun belt.
Oh, yes, clever and charming in addition to his good looks. She wondered what he’d think if he knew that what actually tempted her about him was the hint of shadows in his eyes. For all his good-natured banter, she sensed more depth to him than his manner revealed.
“Mostly wondering why you won’t let the poor little birthday girl have her present.”
He snorted. “Poor thing.”
“Yeah!” Jenna stuck out her tongue at him then grinned at Violet. Deftly she snagged the gift bag from the ground and looped her arm through Violet’s. “My new best friend and I will be over at the gift table if you need us.”
Violet laughed and let herself be led away.
* * *
JD FOLLOWED HER WITH HIS EYES but stayed where he was for now. They’d been introduced. He’d play it cool, as he’d planned from the start.
He was surprised to discover, though, that for the first time he could recall, he was nervous around a woman. Amazing how easily he’d fallen back into being a lame jokester, as though he was still in junior high.
Real good, dumbass.
Zane strolled over. “Your fatal charm not working, Romeo?”
“Bite me.”
“She’s been through a rough time,” Zane said.
“Like what? Her manicurist didn’t get the polish color right?”
“No, idiot. Her husband cheated on her. Got caught with photos all over creation. What, you live in a cave?”
“Oh.” Vaguely he recalled some buzz but he’d paid little attention to it. “Tough break.” She probably wasn’t a big fan of men right now. That would make it hard for him to get any information out of her.
“It was a tough break. They don’t come any nicer than Violet. She’s the real deal, not a fake bone in her body. That bastard humiliated her, and the press has been on her like a pack of dogs. That’s why she’s here, hiding out.”
Wow. She was so larger-than-life onscreen, it surprised him how delicate she actually was. She seemed…fragile. A little broken.
Exactly what always stirred his Sir Galahad impulse.
Reality check, bonehead. She was richer than God and could hire all the pampering and ego-stroking she needed.
Speaking of pampering… Avery Lofton and all those packages came to mind. So this was who he was coming to see. JD wondered why. If she was so broken up over her marriage surely they weren’t involved romantically. And he sure didn’t want to think America’s Sweetheart was involved in Lofton’s sordid dealings. But even if she wasn’t a part of the money laundering, how much did she know?
“Hey, you ready for some grub?” Zane asked.
“Always.” JD dragged himself out of his musings.
“Me, I’m gonna sit with my lady.” Zane nudged his side with an elbow. “Too bad you ticked off the birthday girl and blew your shot with the only other unattached woman here.”
JD mock-punched his shoulder. “My heart belongs to Addie, anyway. I’ll go sit with a female who appreciates me.”
Zane snickered and waved over his shoulder as he walked off.
CHAPTER FOUR
EARLY THE NEXT MORNING Violet used the rope conveniently threaded through the hammock to send herself swaying again. So peaceful…she opened her eyes and watched the live oak branches above her, breathing in the serenity for which the hotel was aptly named. This morning was especially quiet since she’d urged Sophie to sleep in. Sophie had reluctantly agreed, but only after loading Violet down with enough muffins and fruit for a week.
Violet had had a wonderful time last night with the Montalvo/MacAllister clan. The party had reminded her forcibly of just how much she missed people. She’d slept more than any human should, read until her eyes blurred. This place was gorgeous, but she was close to begging Sophie to put her to work. Idleness h
ad never been her cup of tea.
It was time to go out. Live in the world again. She’d always faced her fears in the past, and she wasn’t going to give in to them now. She threw her legs over the side of the hammock and rose, glancing down at her attire. In plain black yoga pants and a hoodie, hair scraped back in a ponytail, surely she looked nondescript enough to avoid notice. She’d put a ball cap on her head and was wearing sunglasses to hide the eyes too much of the world would recognize.
There was a coffee shop a couple of blocks away, Jenna had mentioned last night.
She wanted desperately to go running, but she’d use this quick jaunt to reconnoiter the area, then make better plans for later.
At the notion of venturing out, her spirits lifted. She hurried to her quarters, grabbing cash and the key card Sophie had told her would, along with her personal code, get her in and out of the innocent-looking but highly secure walking gate beside the remote-control entrance used for vehicles.
Then she was on the other side of the gate, and for a moment the freedom was almost frightening. She had to remind herself that it was she who’d immured herself inside the fortress, that she was not a prisoner escaping. But she also felt naked and exposed, as she did whenever she left her compound in L.A. on foot.
Though, in reality, she could hardly remember the last time she’d done so in L.A. Too much of her life was spent being whisked from one safe vehicle to another, from one carefully chosen venue to the next.
When she was a kid, she’d ridden her bicycle everywhere, spent untold hours exploring with her brothers or friends. Ventured fearlessly and joyously into the unknown.
Had she realized, when she’d set her sights on acting, on being the best, what the price would be? The freedom she’d be sacrificing?
She had not. And yet, Violet grinned, ruthlessly honest with herself…she wouldn’t have listened even if anyone had warned her.
But she wasn’t going to waste this beautiful morning pondering the road not taken. She was going to remember what it was to be bold and fearless, and she would relish every second of this outing. She increased her steps to a good, strong stride, letting her muscles warm as she drank in her surroundings.
Soon she reached South Congress Avenue, for which this SoCo district was named, according to Sophie. She hadn’t asked Jenna for directions last night, not envisioning that she’d leave the hotel this soon, so she glanced up and down the wide street, then spotted the sign for the coffee shop on her left, across the street and a block or so up.
She waited for the light then crossed, unable to resist smiling widely because no cars skidded to the side, no photographers jumped out.
No one noticed her. No. One.
“I love Austin.” She laughed and barely resisted shouting, throwing her arms out wide to embrace this place. “Oh, yeah, Violet, that would be just genius. Draw attention to yourself.” Still, she did a quick little dance step then forced herself to stop grinning like a fool.
She couldn’t take it all in fast enough as she passed the old motor court all shined up, the mix of funky shops she was dying to prowl. Somewhere up here was a huge costume shop Avery had mentioned to her.
When she reached the coffee shop, she noted that it was more of a stand than a restaurant—all the seating was outside, some under an extended roof and some under the trees. She spotted a table and thought how lovely it would be to simply sit there unobserved.
Though it was early, there were still a number of customers, and she waited in line behind two. The street sloped ever upward, she noted, and then realized that of course it would because the land would drain into the lake she had glimpsed from her aerie. She turned her head to the right to get a different view.
And gasped. Lowered her sunglasses to see it better. There was the lake, a big slice of it, and beyond that downtown, all framing a building she thought must be the state capitol.
“Nice view, huh?” said the woman in front of her.
“Gorgeous,” Violet responded. “Your first visit?”
“It is. I like the city.”
The woman’s head tilted slightly, her eyes narrowing in a questioning expression Violet knew all too well. Quickly she jammed her sunglasses in place. Mentally held her breath.
The woman shrugged. “Too many people do. It used to be a simple college town, and we preferred it that way.”
A guy in front of her snorted, glancing back over the woman’s head at Violet. “You’ll get used to opinions like that. Around this part of town you find all sorts of folks who live in the past. Go across the river, and you’ll find the future. People who aren’t clinging to the Sixties and Armadillo World Headquarters.”
The woman frowned slightly. “I’m not—”
He laughed and nudged at her. “You are. Give it up, Clarice. You came here from somewhere else, too. Most of us did. Austin’s unique, and we all love it.” He glanced at Violet again. “Welcome. You’ll fall in love here, too. Even with curmudgeons like Clarice.”
“I am not.”
“You know you are.”
The two paid for their drinks, still cheerfully quarreling as they walked away.
Violet stepped forward to place her order and felt a gaze on her. Out of the corner of her eye she could see that one of the baristas was staring. As quickly as she turned her head in his direction, he looked away.
But the glow of the morning dimmed a little. She nearly didn’t order.
No. I am not running away.
She ordered and paid. Resolved not to duck her head and hide as she waited, feeling too exposed. The barista leaned toward another employee, and as he spoke, she felt the other barista’s eyes dart in her direction, then shift away.
When her drink was ready, she hesitated. Suddenly she felt not free but alone. Vulnerable. Her phone was in her pocket. She could call Avery, but it would take him forever to get here. Sophie would come, but Violet had promised her a lazy morning, and Sophie more than deserved it.
No one. She had no one. She was in a place she didn’t know, had no idea where to go to be safe if—
Stop it. No one is whipping out a camera. No one is approaching. No mob is forming.
But any of that could happen. More than one head was turning curiously in her direction now. But no one got up and came toward her with pen and paper. Not exactly a crowd gathering, but—
It could start with just one person. Her head whipped around, but she could spot nowhere that would be hidden, no seat where she could be tucked away to watch but not be watched herself.
Heart pounding, Violet nearly tossed her coffee in the trash and ran, but she refused to let herself.
The teenage boy brought her fears to life as he walked right up to her. “My sister and I are wondering. Are you Violet James?”
Hearing her name spoken out loud, seeing heads whipping her way…
You asked for this life. And you love your fans. Do not let one terrible experience turn you into a cynic and a coward, not after you’ve managed to remain human this long. “I am,” she said, her voice only shaking a little as she watched for the cell phones to come out, the tweets to begin. “Isn’t it a beautiful morning?”
“Not half as beautiful as you.” Then he blushed.
Violet loosened her grip on her coffee. “You’re very sweet to say so. I need to go, but would you like an autograph first?”
“Um, could I get a picture with you?”
Violet fought back the sickness in her belly, knowing that she’d destroyed her own haven. News of where she was would spread and the paparazzi would swarm her.
“Of course. Want to invite your sister?”
* * *
JD STOOD SIPPING COFFEE on the back porch of the South Austin two-story he’d bought a year ago and was slowly bringi
ng back to life. He was late getting up this morning after a restless night of dreams peopled with terrified women crying out for his help.
Violet James had been polite last night, but she was clearly more at ease with the others. She hadn’t stayed much longer at Jenna’s party, so all he really learned was that she was the mysterious guest Avery Lofton visited daily. He certainly hadn’t made a connection with her that gave him a good excuse to talk to her again.
His cell phone rang. “JD?”
“Yes?”
“It’s Sophie. How are you?”
His forehead wrinkled. She’d only seen him maybe twelve hours ago, and she’d never called him before. “Okay,” he replied cautiously. “Everything all right there?”
“Oh, yes. Of course it is,” she said hastily.
“Cade’s okay? Nothing’s wrong with his family?”
“No… I mean, yes, he’s fine. They’re all right, too.” She hesitated.
“Can I help you with something?”
Big sigh. “I need a favor, JD. It’s going to sound weird.”
He didn’t know Sophie nearly as well as he did the rest of the family, but he knew enough to understand that asking for help was something Sophie did only rarely. She’d have killed herself trying to renovate and finish the hotel on her own, for instance. Cade and Jenna had brought all their family and friends—including him—to help Sophie finish the landscaping so that she could open in time, but her struggle to accept the help was clear to all of them. Life had not handed Sophie any breaks, yet she’d rebounded from tragedy not once but twice and had excelled in spite of it. She’d made herself a success. So for her to ask a favor now, she must not see any other option.
“I’m okay with weird,” he said.
Faint laughter. “Well, that’s good.” Another hesitation, then a rushed breath. “Okay, here’s the thing. It’s not me who needs the help. It’s Violet.”
“Violet James?” His mind was racing. “What could she possibly need from me?”
“I need you to take her out,” Sophie said in a rush.
On His Honor Page 5
