by Tessa Gray
Table of Contents
STARS OVER TEXAS
Acknowledgements
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Epilogue
STARS OVER TEXAS
Dreamcatchers Series Book 2
TESSA GRAY
SOUL MATE PUBLISHING
New York
STARS OVER TEXAS
Copyright©2018
TESSA GRAY
Cover Design by Wren Taylor
This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, business establishments, locales, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the publisher. The only exception is brief quotations in printed reviews.
The scanning, uploading, and distribution of this book via the Internet or via any other means without the permission of the publisher is illegal and punishable by law. Please purchase only authorized electronic editions, and do not participate in or encourage electronic piracy of copyrighted materials.
Your support of the author’s rights is appreciated.
Published in the United States of America by
Soul Mate Publishing
P.O. Box 24
Macedon, New York, 14502
ISBN: 978-1-68291-650-6
www.SoulMatePublishing.com
The publisher does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility for author or third-party websites or their content.
Stars Over Texas is dedicated
to my wonderful friend, Nancy Carroll.
Thank you for thirty years of friendship,
encouragement, and most of all,
for talking to me with that adorable
Minnesota accent. Do I love you?
You betcha!
Acknowledgements
A special thank you to DARA (Dallas Area Romance Authors), Debby Gilbert of Soul Mate Publishing, and my incredibly gifted editor, Janine Phillips who always brings out the best story whirling around in my head.
Prologue
Just put a gun to my head, Blake, and let’s get this over with. I’d rather die than stay married to you.
Meredith Chapman’s stomach pitched violently as she readjusted her seatbelt, preparing for their plane to land. Her husband sat next to her, his shoulders stooped, head slumped over as he pounded out another text message. Humiliated that several passengers across the aisle were staring, she made one last attempt to get him off the phone.
“The plane’s about to land, Blake.”
His blue eyes were piercing as he dismissed her comment. “I’m almost done. Quit nagging, will you?”
“Sir, all electronic devices must be turned off.” The meticulously dressed flight attendant leaned over and placed her hands on her hips as she gave her order.
Forcing an apologetic smile at the flight attendant, Meredith tried desperately to make up for the fact that the man she’d fallen out of love with years ago was behaving like a complete ass.
The attendant’s voice grew louder as she implored him to comply. “Sir, I’m telling you one last time. Turn off your cell phone.”
“Blake, please,” Meredith pleaded, cringing amidst the glare of several onlookers as her husband continued causing a scene.
“Oh, all right.” Slamming it shut, he sank down in his seat, looking like a small child who’d been reprimanded.
Without warning he grabbed Meredith’s arm, wrapping his fingers around it so tightly the blood pounded in her ears and her sight grew hazy. “Don’t ever embarrass me like that again. Do you hear me?” he hissed through clenched teeth.
When he finally released his tight grip, she settled back in her seat, and closed her eyes, blinking back tears.
Chapter 1
As Meredith stared into the throng of classmates at her twenty-year high school reunion, she prayed someone—anyone—would come to her rescue. Throughout the night, the attendees engaged in conversation, and the volume of their voices swelled as the evening wore on.
Glancing over at Blake, she studied the way he managed to surround himself with a sea of admirers. The irony, of course, was that this wasn’t even his reunion; it was hers. But Blake always had a knack for sucking the air out of a room the minute he entered it. It was always all about him.
The dream vacation they’d taken last month, the one that was supposed to rekindle their relationship, had been a bust. In the weeks following Blake’s outburst on the plane, she’d begun having dizzy spells. The least little thing caused her to become overwhelmed—something she had never experienced prior.
As per the specialist Blake had consulted, she was suffering from panic attacks. The doctor had prescribed medication, but she resisted taking it. Some people might rely on external forces to help get them through rough times, but she wasn’t one of them.
She stared at the nasty purple bruise on her arm, wondering when it would completely heal. Blake’s explanation of the bruise was that Meredith had suffered a fall when she’d unfastened her seatbelt, sprung to her feet, and collapsed into the aisle of the plane.
Folding her arms, she stood patiently at the reunion, watching Blake do what he did best . . . work the room.
Suddenly his hand shot up, and he motioned her to join him. “Mere, hey, baby. Come over here. Stop being a stick in the mud.”
As Meredith slowly made her way over to the crowd of admirers Blake had attracted, she watched him wave his hands wildly about, as he often did when trying to explain something. The usual joke would follow, of course. Was he Italian? Only Italians used that many hand gestures. Everyone would laugh. He had it down to a science.
To Blake’s credit, he wore his rented tuxedo really well. He looked every bit the part of a successful corporate professional as he rocked back and forth on those shiny, black Italian loafers. As he raked his fingers through his thick, sandy-colored hair, she decided that despite the fact she could barely tolerate him, he was indeed one of the best-looking men in the room.
Had Meredith been anyone else, she would have been attracted to this gregarious, handsome man. But having spent most of her adult life with Blake trying to create that picture-perfect marriage she always yearned for, watching him seduce the crowd made her nauseous.
As she made her way across the ballroom to occupy her dutiful place beside her husband, Blake gave her “The Look,” the one that told her he’d had just enough to d
rink, had enough of the crowd, and was ready to go back to their hotel room. Now.
A high-pitched squeal punctuated the air, causing everyone in the room to take note.
“Meredith Gustafson. Oh . . . my . . . god!”
A dark-haired, petite woman raced toward Meredith. It wasn’t until the woman was several feet away that Meredith finally recognized her.
“Gloria. Oh, Gloria, I can’t believe it’s you!” Meredith said, shrieking as loudly as Gloria had moments earlier.
“You look amazing, Mere! You haven’t gained a pound since high school. I should hate you, of course, but I don’t.” Gloria said, then laughed as she gave Meredith a playful punch in the arm before hugging her tightly.
Meredith stared down at her friend who had been nicknamed ‘half-pint’ because of her tiny stature. Gloria hadn’t aged a day since the two had graduated from Sleepy Hollow High School.
Her freshly scrubbed skin was void of a single wrinkle and that shiny, black hair of hers didn’t contain one gray strand.
The couple pounds she gained over the decades had rounded out her once-boyish figure nicely, Meredith thought. The woman had a glow that radiated through the entire ballroom. Gloria beamed as she extended her hand to several classmates who now surrounded her. “You look beautiful, Gloria,” Meredith said, as she hugged her friend.
Blake’s face twisted into a frown as Gloria invaded what he no doubt considered his turf. But he did the polite thing and shook her hand. “I’m Blake Chapman, the lucky bastard who snagged Meredith. And FYI, her last name’s Chapman now.”
As he wrapped an arm about Meredith’s waist, crushing her tightly against him, she winced. When he began rubbing her backside with a hand, as though marking his territory, Meredith grimaced.
“So pleased to meet you, Blake.” Gloria smiled at him and dipped her head.
Blake released Meredith and straightened his tuxedo. But within seconds, he grabbed his wife once again, pulling her tightly to his side.
“You definitely win the award for the best dressed man in the room. My Tommy doesn’t even own a tux.” Gloria shook her head as she spoke and chuckled. “His family refers to them as ‘monkey suits.’ But I like them.”
A dark-haired man of medium height began walking toward them, and Meredith knew instantly who he was.
Stepping away from Blake’s possessive hold, Meredith turned to greet Gloria’s husband. “You must be Tommy. Gloria sent me pictures years ago of your wedding. It was a beautiful wedding, although Gloria’s dad always claimed you robbed the cradle,” Meredith said, chuckling.
“Guilty as charged,” he said with a laugh and a look of little surprise.
Meredith listened to the way Tommy formed his words and translated the remark which came out more like ‘Guilty as chahged,’ and remembered that he was a Boston cop. As his face reddened, she wondered if he felt out of place.
“Guess I could’ve dressed up more. Not sure khaki slacks and a golf shirt was the way to go.” He glanced over at Gloria, a somber expression on his face.
His wife rushed to his side and quickly linked her hand through his. When she stared up at him, it was with complete adoration. She spoke softly, her words thick with emotion. “You’d look great in a hand-me-down from a Goodwill store, Tommy.”
The two locked gazes, and for several seconds, Meredith felt out of place.
“Get a room.” One of the classmates yelled, and everyone laughed.
Meredith had expected that Tommy would be even more embarrassed by the comment, but it didn’t seem to faze him. He smiled down at his wife again, but quickly looked up into the crowd. “Blake may be a lucky bastard, but so am I. I’ve been married to this woman for nineteen years. It’s good when you get it right. We’re raising five amazing kids, and I can count the fights we’ve had on one hand.”
“Tom, have you told them that you’ve got extra fingers on your right hand? We’ve had more fights than he admits to.” Gloria’s comment took a second for everyone to catch on to, but when they finally did, the laughter was unanimous.
“She’s a mess, ain’t she?” Tommy kissed the tip of Gloria’s nose after he said it, and she snuggled even closer.
Gloria began reminiscing about the past. “Remember when we were kids and sat on the dock at my parents’ cabin? Those were good times, weren’t they?”
“We were both going to get married and have a gazillion kids. And live happily ever after, of course,” Meredith interjected.
“Oh, and don’t forget! You were going to be a famous astronaut.” Gloria barely got the words out when Blake sniggered.
“Seriously? She almost failed college chemistry.” Blake smirked and rolled his eyes, and Meredith’s mood plummeted.
Gloria’s face clouded at Blake’s caustic remark, and Meredith felt her humiliation mounting.
Finally, Meredith spoke. “I’m afraid I wasn’t very motivated during college.” She said nothing else, hoping the conversation would thread into a new direction.
Just as she always had, Gloria seized the opportunity to defend Meredith. “Mere was always a smart girl. She could have done anything she set her mind to. You’re married to her, Blake. You, of all people, should know that.” Gloria glanced over at Meredith with narrowed eyes.
Tommy McMahon stood quietly, his arm draped about his wife’s shoulder. He listened attentively as the two women spoke, but within a minute or so, he removed his arm from his wife’s shoulder. “Meredith, I can’t tell you all the times Gloria’s talked about you. It’s so great you two finally get together. How about I leave you gals alone and let you catch up?”
Thankfully, Gloria quickly accepted his offer. “Actually, that would be awesome. How about we get a drink and head out to the lobby? Like my husband says, we’ve got a lot of catching up to do.”
When Tommy nodded, Gloria smiled.
Blake glanced down at Meredith, a look of disapproval on his face. His eyes narrowed, and his lips thinned as he spoke. “That’s probably not such a good idea, Meredith. We should probably call it a night.”
Meredith’s mood soured at Blake’s comment. His eyebrows were arched, a disapproving frown working its way across his entire face.
Staring at Gloria, she realized it might be years before their paths crossed again. As Meredith contemplated the dilemma Blake now presented, she made her decision.
“That sounds like a plan, Gloria. I don’t know when the two of us will see each other again.”
Blake gave her “The Look” once more. This time she knew he was telling her silently she had crossed the line. When he finally reacted to what she’d said, his tone was terse. “Maybe you girls can catch up another time. I’ll get us a couple of whiskeys, Meredith. We can bring them up to the room.”
That’s right, Blake. Get good and plastered so you can stand the sight of me naked.
“Gloria and I have lots of catching up to do. I’ll be up later, Blake. Don’t wait up.”
Meredith could feel Blake watching her every move as she and Gloria headed over to the bar, leaving her husband standing completely alone.
~ ~ ~
As the two women stood at the bar, Gloria glanced over at the drink Meredith had ordered and chuckled. “That’s a fancy-looking concoction, Mere. What’s it called?”
“Hurricane. It’s a Hurricane. They’re a big hit in New Orleans. Blake’s taken me there a ton of times. I love that city.” Meredith’s cobalt eyes lit up as she spoke, and Gloria considered that Meredith seemed happier talking about Blake when he wasn’t in the same room as her. “Of course, Blake takes me everywhere. He’s an extremely successful businessman.”
“Sounds like you and that husband of yours are in the top one percent the politicians always talk about.” The comment shot out of Gloria’s mouth before she could stop hersel
f. She initially hoped it would go right over Meredith’s head, but when she saw her friend look down and begin fingering a napkin, Gloria realized she hurt Mere’s feelings. “I’m sorry, Meredith. That was insensitive.”
“No, no. It’s okay. I’m sure we have better things to talk about then all the trips Blake’s taken me on.” Meredith’s voice trailed off after she made the remark, and she stared down at the floor.
“It may not be my place to say this, but you don’t seem all that happy.” Gloria placed a hand on Meredith’s shoulder, noting that her lower lip had begun quivering. “Sorry, Mere, I didn’t mean to upset you.”
To her surprise, Meredith quickly regained her composure. Lifting her drink up for the bartender to see, Mere called out, “One more for me, bartender. And, how about making one for my friend? You’re going to love these, Gloria,” Meredith said, her sullen look replaced by a broad smile.
“So. Tell me about your kids,” Gloria said, steering the conversation in a different direction. “You and Blake have two, right? I suppose the older one’s just about to head off to college.”
“Carly’s thirteen and Travis just turned nine,” Mere said, studying her drink.
Gloria scratched her head, trying to remember the last time the two friends had communicated. For some reason, she’d thought Meredith and Blake had an older child. “I thought you had a child much older than thirteen. Guess my memory’s not what it used to be.”
“Blake and I lost a son after our first year of marriage.”
“Oh, I’m so sorry, hun. I’d forgotten . . .”
“It’s all right. Time heals most wounds,” Meredith said, as she twirled her perfectly coiffed blond hair, a sad expression on her face. “I’m afraid I wasn’t a very good candidate for having children. All my pregnancies were high risk. I’m just grateful for the two children we have. I try not to dwell on the past.”
