He took a deep breath, then said, “Carly, listen to me. I’ve been trying to tell you this almost from day one, but the timing just never seemed right. I quit the force before I left Edmonton. The very day I got Bill Brown’s letter. The day before I flew to Toronto.
“In hindsight, I know it was a really dumb thing to do, but the letter said that Gus had left the entire estate to me. And when I phoned to ask about it, I got told that Wild Action was making pots of money. And I’d had it up to my eyeballs with the job, so…”
He stopped talking. Carly had undraped her arms from around his neck and was trying to tug the sheet over her nakedness—all the while glaring at him.
“You quit your job before we even met. You never had a job to go back to at all,” she added, giving the sheet another hard tug.
When that knocked the receiver off the phone, she grabbed both parts and heaved them through the air. As they crashed onto the floor, she succeeded in getting the sheet tucked around herself.
“Carly, just listen,” he said, trying to ignore the fact that she was now covered up while he was still buck naked.
“You quit your job and lied about it So what else have you been lying about? And what the hell game did you think you were playing?”
“I haven’t been playing any game.”
The coldness of her expression sent a shiver down his spine, but he pressed on. “And I didn’t exactly lie. I just didn’t mention I’d quit.”
“Oh, puh-leese!”
“That’s all it was!”
“That’s all it was? You mean I hallucinated the part where you pretended to call your boss and asked for time off? So you’d make me think that your only motive was to play white knight and help a damsel in distress?”
“Carly, I didn’t try to make you think that. I didn’t intentionally set out to make you think I was being some kind of Sir Galahad. But by the time I realized that’s the way you were reading things…Look, I know I should have explained. I’ve known it all along.”
“Then why not explain right now” she said icily. “I can hardly wait to hear.”
“All right,” he said, scrambling to get his thoughts organized. “Brown had barely said that Gus had actually only left me forty-nine percent of Wild Action before you started talking about how it was just earning enough to scrape by and that if you screwed up with this damn movie, it would probably bankrupt us. So, not surprisingly, I felt like a bit of an idiot for having rashly quit my job. And I didn’t see any reason to admit my idiocy to three strangers.”
“Strangers? You’re calling me a stranger?” Looking absolutely furious, she waved her hand at his nakedness.
“Well you were a stranger then!”
“I don’t believe you, Nick Montgomery. I simply do not believe you.”
“But it’s the truth. I—”
“That is not what I mean! Dammit, the truth is that you only volunteered to help because you could see your inheritance going down the toilet. And if I’d known that from the onset, I wouldn’t have cared much. But to put on an act about having to take time off work, to make me think you were rearranging your life to do me a favor…”
“I told you! I didn’t intentionally try to make you think that.”
“Well, intentional or not, it just makes me so mad! And to let me go on believing your lies all the way into bed is unforgivable!”
“All right. I made a mistake. But I didn’t lie about loving you.”
“Oh, and I’m supposed to believe that just because you say so? The way I believed you had a good job and that you were trying to help save Wild Action mostly for me? Dammit, what you were really trying to save was your own ass! Which I’d like you to get out of my bed. Right this second!”
“Carly, I know I said this before, but I honestly did mean to explain.”
“Sure you did.”
“I did.”
“Then what stopped you?”
“I…well…it was…”
“Dammit, Nick, just get out of my bed!” With that, she burst into tears.
“Carly, I—”
“Get out!’” She fiercely wiped her eyes. “I don’t know how I could have thought you were wonderful when you’re positively despicable. You know what I assumed when that man said you’d quit?”
He shook his head, feeling more miserable than he’d ever felt.
“I thought you’d phoned Edmonton and quit because you’d decided you wanted to stay here with me.” Fresh tears began to flow, but she kept going. “How could I have been such a moron, when all the time you were laughing at me behind my back?”
“Dammit, Carly, I wasn’t—”
“Dammit, yourself! I want you gone in the morning.
“Look, just calm down a little, okay? We’re a long way from home free with Jay, so you still need my help.”
“I don’t need anything from you. I…Oh, rats, I wish to hell I didn’t! But the minute this shoot’s finished, I want you out of here. We’ll have to get the lawyers to figure out some way to divide the estate, because once this movie’s done I never want to see you again.”
CHAPTER TWELVE
Long Day’s Journey into Fright
THE MORNING WAS WARM, but gray with threatening rain. It matched Carly’s mood to perfection.
She didn’t bother making anything for breakfast because she knew she’d never be able to eat. After she’d spent half the night crying, her throat was aching, still tight with tears.
But at least she didn’t have to face Nick quite yet. There was no sign of either him or the Marx brothers, so he must have taken them for a walk—undoubtedly to avoid her.
They could only avoid each other for so long, though. And she didn’t know how she was going to cope with having him around until the shooting was finished when she was so…
Heartbroken might sound melodramatic, but it was the right word. She’d fallen in love with him thinking he was someone special, a man she could trust, and learning that he’d been lying to her from the very beginning had been devastating.
Since her stomach wasn’t up to coffee, she simply poured herself a glass of orange juice, then went into the solarium and morosely sat down beside Crackers.
The parrot didn’t utter a sound, which told her she was giving off really bad vibes. And she could feel them getting even worse when she spotted Nick coming across the clearing with the dogs.
Merely seeing him made her want to run and hide. But she could hardly spend the day locked in her room when her parents and Lisa would be arriving any minute.
She only hoped she was up to putting on a good act for them so they wouldn’t realize something was wrong.
The kitchen door opened, and the Marx brothers bounded in to greet her. Ignoring Nick, who followed them inside, she gave hard hugs all around.
The dogs weren’t wolves in sheep’s clothing like some people she could name.
“Carly, could we please talk about last night?” Nick said quietly.
She looked in his direction without meeting his gaze, telling herself to keep a tight rein on her emotions. “I think we’ve already said everything there is to say,” she managed evenly. “So let’s just go back to being strictly business partners and give Jay the rest of the scenes he wants. In the meantime, my parents and sister will be here any time, and I’ve still got some things to do.”
Standing up, she added, “Maybe you should work with Attila a couple of times today. We’d better keep him sharp until Jay’s finished shooting his scenes.” With that, she walked out of the room.
Nick watched her go, pain twisting up through his chest.
“Trouble,” Crackers said. “Trouble.”
“Tell me about it,” he muttered.
All four dogs trailed after Carly without a backward glance—as if wanting to ensure that he knew where their sympathies lay—and it took every bit of his willpower to keep from following right along with them. He wanted to make Carly listen to him.
On the other hand, h
e wasn’t a total fool when it came to women, even if he was having trouble believing that right now. So, as much as he wanted to fix things between them, he knew it would be smarter to give her some time, to let her calm down enough that he’d be able to make her understand.
But what if he couldn’t? What if, by the time the movie was finished, she was still convinced she wanted him out of her life? What if he’d lost her through his damn stupidity?
That thought scared the hell out of him. He might not be sure how they’d work out the logistics of a life together, but he knew he’d still want her when he was old and gray. And he sure didn’t want to spend the rest of his life pining for a lost love.
Running his fingers through his hair, he told himself to try thinking only positive thoughts again. All he needed was a plan. Or maybe he’d better make that a dozen of them. As angry as she was, he doubted one would be enough.
Grabbing Gus’s cowboy hat from its peg, he headed back outside. She’d asked him to work with Attila, so he’d make doing what she wanted Plan A.
And when her family got here, he’d do his darnedest to charm them. If they liked him, it certainly wouldn’t hurt. Then, for Plan C…
He started down the hill, not able to come up with a Plan C. He would, though. He’d win her back if he had to work his way through the entire alphabet.
“AND THIS IS MY sister, Lisa,” Carly said, looking at her sandals rather than at Nick, because every time she looked at him she could feel someone turning a knife in her stomach.
But she just couldn’t seem to keep her eyes off him, and when she glanced up he was giving Lisa a killer smile.
“It’s a real pleasure meeting all of you,” he said, extending the smile to include her parents.
Carly cringed inside, thinking how she’d been so thoroughly taken in by those open and honest-looking smiles.
When she forced her gaze away from him again, her mother caught her eye and gave her a look that said, “Doesn’t this seem like an interesting man.” Lord, if Mother only knew. They hadn’t even made it into the house yet, and Nick was already winning them over. Apparently, the rest of her family were no more perceptive than she was.
“It’s too bad your husband couldn’t come” he was saying to Lisa.
“Oh, he’s away—gone off to a training course in Chicago for two weeks. But since he’s not a Garth Richards fan, he doesn’t figure he’s missing much.”
Just as Carly was about to suggest they go inside, Lisa whispered, “Oh, look, it’s him.”
She glanced down the driveway and saw Garth— accompanied by Sarina.
“Did you ask them to drop by and meet us?” Lisa said.
Carly shook her head, wondering what the stars wanted.
She didn’t have to wait long to find out She’d barely introduced them before Garth said, “We came to ask a favor. We’ve been feeling positively stifled out here in the middle of nowhere, and when we woke up and saw this dreary morning…Well, we decided the only way to cheer ourselves up was to go to Toronto for a first-class lunch”
“Oh, you don’t have to go that far,” she told him. “There are a couple of really good restaurants in Port Perry. My favorite is called—”
“We have our hearts set on a big city restaurant,” Garth interrupted. “But Jay says he can’t spare a vehicle and driver. And when we called the limo service we used coming here, they were completely booked for today. So…”
“So you’d like to borrow my van?” Carly concluded.
“Well, it’s very kind of you to offer,” Sarina said. “But I’m afraid we’d need a driver, too. You see, I don’t drive, and Garth’s license is…temporarily suspended.”
“Some states have ridiculous drinking-and-driving laws,” he muttered.
“So our original thought,” Sarina went on, “was that it would be fun to treat you and Nick to lunch.”
Before he had a chance to open his mouth, Carly said, “I’m afraid Nick’s got a hundred things to do today.” There was no way in the world she was going anywhere with him, let alone all the way to Toronto and back.
“Oh. Well, as I said, that was our original thought But now that we know your family’s here, why don’t the four of you come? There’s room in your van for six, isn’t there?”
While Sarina was speaking, Lisa gave Carly a surreptitious but sharp poke in the ribs—her way of voting for going.
Then their father said, “Well, thanks. It’s nice of you to invite us, but I’ve had enough traveling for today. And the Toronto traffic does terrible things to my wife’s nerves.
“But what about you two?” he added, glancing at his daughters. “You look tired, Carly. A little break and a nice lunch would probably do you good.”
“Yes, you don’t look your usual self,” Mother chimed in. “So why don’t you and Lisa get changed? Your father and I can settle ourselves in after you’ve gone.”
“And once you’re settled,” Nick said, “I’ll take you down to the camp and introduce you to some of the other movie people. We could probably even have lunch there.”
Mother shot Carly a second look, this one saying Nick was positively charming.
“You’re sure you don’t mind taking a perfect stranger to lunch?” Lisa was asking Sarina and Garth.
“We’d be delighted to have you,” Garth told her.
“Then we’d be delighted to go. We’ll only be a few minutes.” Lisa took Carly’s arm and propelled her into the house.
“Lisa, this is ridiculous,” Carly complained the instant they were out of hearing range. “I don’t want to go for lunch with those two.”
“Oh, don’t be a party pooper. You know I’ve seen every Garth Richards movie ten times. And spending a few hours with him will be fantastic!”
That’s what you think, Carly said silently.
“Besides, you don’t like Mildred Walker any more than I do.”
Carly had no idea what the relevance of that remark was, but it was true. Mildred Walker had been their principal in high school, and now Lisa was teaching under her—which she claimed was the worst aspect of her job.
“Come on, Carly. Just imagine the next time Mildred starts in on her Marlon Brando story. You know, the one about how she met him at a cocktail party centuries ago. Picture her face when I tell her that Garth Richards took me to lunch.”
THE RESTAURANT AT THE TOP of Toronto’s CN Tower was floor-to-ceiling windows and slowly revolved to afford a hawk’s eye view of both the sprawling city and the choppy gray water of Lake Ontario.
Even under a gloomy sky, it was a lovely spot. And Carly knew that if she hadn’t been feeling so miserable, she’d have enjoyed lunch. Even if Garth had talked about himself practically nonstop.
But the way things stood, the panoramic views that Lisa and Sarina were still oohing and ahhing about left her cold. And she hadn’t even tasted the food, which the others said was excellent.
When the waiter arrived with the bill, Garth didn’t even glance at it, simply handed over his gold card. Then he looked around once more, as if he just couldn’t believe nobody in the place had recognized him.
Carly finally took pity on him and said, “I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but most Canadians are pretty reserved. In a classy restaurant like this, it would be unusual for anyone to bother you and Sarina for autographs.”
“Really?”
Given his expression, he was thinking that Canadians didn’t know what they were missing.
“Well…dear…” Sarina murmured to him.
“Oh, yes.” He looked across the table once more. “You know, Sarina and I were thinking. We’re not in any of the scenes Jay’s shooting tonight, so it would be fun to stay in town. We can pick up some theater tickets and have a nice dinner, then hire a limo to drive us back tomorrow.”
An uneasy feeling began curling around in Carly’s stomach—mingling with the sick one that had been lodged there since last night. She’d bet the bank that Jay would have twenty fits if she
arrived back without his stars.
“What about tomorrow?” she said. “Are you sure Jay isn’t planning on shooting any of your scenes in the morning?”
Sarina lifted her shoulders in a graceful shrug that said, “Who cares?”
It made Carly feel like reaching across the table and shaking her. Sarina and Garth weren’t the ones Jay would try to murder if he wanted them and they weren’t there.
“Well…maybe we should at least phone him and make sure he won’t be needing you,” she suggested.
“Oh, he still has days of shooting that don’t involve us,” Sarina said blithely. “And if he was intending to do any of our scenes in the morning, he can always improvise.”
The waiter had returned, so Garth dealt with the charge slip. Then he graced Carly and Lisa with his famous Latin-lover smile. “When we get back to ground level, Sarina and I will just grab a cab.”
Carly’s blood was simmering, but what could she do? She could hardly hog-tie them and take them back kicking and screaming. Although, if she had any rope in the van, she’d be tempted to try.
“Want to sneak in a little shopping before we start back?” Lisa asked as they headed for the elevator.
“No, I take after Mom when it comes to Toronto traffic, so I don’t want to end up driving in rush hour.”
Lisa didn’t say another word aside from her goodbyes to Sarina and Garth, but after they’d climbed into their taxi, she said, “What on earth is wrong with you today?”
“With me? Nothing. So what did you think of the real-life Garth?”
“Let’s just say I won’t be seeing any more of his pictures ten times. But that’s not what we were talking about What’s with you?”
“Well…it’s just that I’m worried about how Jay’s going to react to this—to Sarina and Garth staying here. He’s not going to like it, and I’m the one he’ll blame.”
Lisa shook her head. “There’s something else. You looked like death warmed over when we arrived this morning, and you’ve been about as talkative as a clam.”
When Carly didn’t reply, Lisa was silent the rest of the way to the parking lot. Once they’d climbed into the van, she automatically dug into the glove compartment for Carly’s map of Toronto. She knew, from experience, that her sister needed a navigator.
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