“It means that you can’t put a stop to what she does, or what any woman does for that matter. You’re my older brother and I’m surprised you haven’t learned that by now.” Jake shook his head and winked at Cara.
She blushed, and I wondered if anything was happening between those two.
“Water. I’d give anyone my next paycheck if you get me a glass of water right now,” Iona said as she rolled her body along the wall.
Cara appeared with the expensive bottle of water and Iona’s trembling hand took it from her.
“Slowly,” I warned moving close to her. “Just a few sips at a time.”
I was disappointed Iona wouldn’t be up for what I had planned for today. I was going to pack a picnic and hike around the mountain so we could take in the changing colors of the leaves. It’s beautiful this time of year and with the cooler weather, it’s perfect for snuggling on a blanket under the sky.
Instead, I was now going to be holding her hair back as she puked the day away.
“Maybe I should take you to the hospital. I don’t want you to get dehydrated.”
She shook her head. “No, I’m fine. Just something I ate.”
“Like pickle juice and raisins?” Cara mumbled while rolling her eyes.
I bit my lower lip to hide my smile. That was the first time I had witnessed Cara be a smart-ass. Maybe she was being polite because she wasn’t in Hollywood but spending the last week with her, I wondered how she survived out there.
But now I saw she had a secret snarky side, and I knew there was a hidden rebel under all that sweetness.
“I’m going to shower away the sick and then lie down. Cancel anything you have planned for me today.”
“Um, we were going to meet with Terrance about filming you and Tyler for your reality series.”
I widened my eyes in surprise. “Wait . . . What reality series?”
I wasn’t serious about the dirty vet series and hadn’t heard a thing from Terrance or anyone from Hollywood.
“Ugh, I forgot about that. Tell Terrance it’s a no go for the series.”
“What series?” I put my hands on my hips and glared at Iona. It was one thing for me to come up with something but another for her to include me in a series I didn’t know anything about.
She bit her lip and fluttered her eyes at me. “Now, don’t be mad . . .”
I clenched my jaw, preparing myself for her explanation.
“I sort of agreed to allow Terrance to film us for a docu-series about a celebrity in a relationship with a non-celebrity.”
“What?”
“It was when we were out on my birthday and you flirted with those women. I was mad.”
“You told me to flirt with them!”
She lifted her arms in the air with a large shrug. “But that didn’t mean you had to do it. I was hurt.”
I never wanted to cause her pain, but Iona being hurt because I flirted with those women only meant one thing—she had feelings for me.
“I did. And I’m sorry. Can you forgive me?” She looked up at me with hair sticking to her cheek. She was adorable, even with the smell coming from her body and her hair in disarray.
“Of course, I forgive you.”
“We also have the mayor’s thing about the float and schedule. Do you want me to cancel that, too?”
“Yes,” I answered for Iona.
I hated that Keaghan Bailey was going to be anywhere near Iona. He was a dickhead growing up and hadn’t changed since. Now that he was mayor, it only amplified his dickishness. Now he could be an asshole and people had to smile and nod while shaking his hand.
I remember how he treated Iona and if I hadn’t been in her life, he would have tried more. There was something I overheard in the boys’ locker room while we were changing for gym class before the end of year dance. He had no idea I heard him gloat to his buddies about what he had planned to do to Iona. I made sure it never happened, but I never told Iona. She had been through enough in her life and didn’t need to be frightened like that.
“I’ll go,” I said.
They all turned their heads to me. Cara and Iona looked surprised, but Jake shook his head and moved toward the refrigerator.
“But Iona is the one who’s on the float and taking part in the festivities,” Cara’s said as her eyes bounced between me and Iona.
“But you’re going,” I pointed out.
“She’s my assistant. She keeps track of my schedule and appearances. Without her, I’d be lost,” Iona said with a sickly smile.
“Really?” Cara whispered, red creeping up her cheeks.
“Yes. I think of you not just as an assistant, but also my friend. I’d do anything for you. Just ask and I’ll make it happen. As long as it doesn’t involve me eating right now. That can’t happen.” She placed a hand on her stomach and grimaced.
“Actually, it’s the mind and body web series I thought up. You brought it up last week in the mayor’s office. I wanted to host the series . . .” Cara seemed to be holding her breath after she spoke.
“I had no idea you wanted to do it. I thought you came up with the idea as something for me to do.”
“What would it be about?” I asked, intrigued by the mention of mind and body.
“It would be a web-only series where I would focus on a different topic each episode. Something with health. Like one episode would be about how we eat.” Cara waved her hand toward the raisins and I shuddered. “I was thinking of interviewing professionals in the field, the average person’s experiences, and with Iona’s help, some celebrities.”
“That sounds amazing. I’d watch it,” Jake said as he cut up some hard-boiled eggs to toss into his breakfast salad.
I watched Iona as some color returned to her face. “That does sound great. I think you’d be the perfect host, Cara. You’re a wonderful listener and it’s easy to open up to you. I could produce it if you want?”
Cara’s smile grew wide and she pulled Iona into a hug.
“Yay, hugs,” Jake said and got in on the action.
“Get off my fiancée.” I pulled his arm back before he could engulf them.
“Does this mean I can meet with the mayor?”
Iona put her hands on her hips after letting go of Cara. “Why would Cara hosting a web series have anything to do with you meeting with the mayor about the parade schedule?”
“You are in a giving mood. You said you’d do anything for Cara. What about me? Would you let me have this one thing? Please, Iona.”
She held up her hand. “I don’t even want to know why you want to meet with him, but if it’s what would make you happy, go with Cara today. But let her do most of the talking. She knows what I want.”
“Oh, don’t worry. I won’t do much talking at all.” I clenched my fist behind my back.
TWENTY-FOUR
Iona
“This wasn’t what I had in mind when I said we needed to meet,” Babette said as she sat in the corner of the room at the doctor’s office.
“Blame Tyler. He made me come here,” I said as I once again adjusted the paper gown I was wearing.
I had been throwing up for the last four days. Tyler was worried about me, as was Cara and Jake. And, if I was being honest with myself, so was I.
Jake drove me and Babette here today and he now waited in the waiting room.
I’ve had stomach bugs before, but nothing like this. I was having trouble keeping water down.
“If the doctor can fix this,” she waved her jewel-covered hand at me, “then you should thank him.”
“The doctor?”
“No, your fiancé.”
“Fake fiancé, you mean.”
The corner of her lip twisted. “Whatever you say . . .”
I wasn’t too happy with him right now. He met with the mayor yesterday and punched him, then I had to collect him from the police station. Luckily, Sheriff Heart was fond of Tyler. He mentioned in our meeting, before he let Tyler go, that he saw him as a lost
puppy.
The sheriff asked if I would meet him for some questions later and I agreed. I just hope it wasn’t about Tyler.
Garrison knew what an asshole the mayor was and didn’t lock Tyler up. But the mayor threatened a lawsuit, which was why I had to reach out to Babette.
I played with Tyler’s grandmother’s ring on my finger. He was doing a great job as my fiancé, except for punching the mayor.
The way he looked at me and the sweet things he’d say to me made my heart ache in a way it never had. And when I thought about the end of the month and heading back to the West Coast, the ache grew painful.
I didn’t want to leave.
“Once I play my part at the apple festival, I can start packing. Cara’s done a great job mentioning all my involvement in town on my social media pages. She said my following has gone up quite a bit. That’s a good sign, right?”
Babette nodded but sighed.
“What?”
“It’s just this stupid rumor about Tyler killing animals. It won’t seem to die. Has he noticed anything different with people reacting to him?”
Pretty much everything, since I showed up, has been different for him. I knew Tyler liked the simple life and mine was anything but.
That’s why when he professed his love, I thought it was some ploy to get rid of me. Why would a hot guy like him—who only wanted peace and quiet in his life—fall for a train wreck like me?
I was a mess and the opposite of quiet.
“He did mention that the office had been slow over the past few weeks.”
“I’m going to look into it. When I researched him, he was the perfect candidate for your fiancé. Something isn’t right.”
“You researched him? When?”
Babette was thorough so it shouldn’t surprise me that she found out everything she could on Tyler, but I felt protective of him for some reason. I never wanted the Hollywood crazy to touch him but with me in his life, I suppose that was impossible.
“When I was looking up your hometown before I bought your old house. Magic Mike mentioned you having a comeback to help your career.”
“You discussed this with your masseuse?”
She sighed and nodded. “He overheard me on the phone with the producers about the film shutting down. I was distraught. He was trying to help. At least, I thought he was.”
“Do you normally discuss work with your masseuse?”
“I got sloppy, okay, I.D? I’m not perfect. I let some sexy abs and magic fingers blind me to the truth. Anyway, the idea of going back to their roots for celebrities to heal is so played out, but there’s a reason for that—it works. The public falls for it every time. And, falling for your old flame in the process is a double-whammy.” She nodded. “He was right about that. I knew you’d win the hearts of the public. And if the public loved you, then producers and directors would soon follow.”
“Um, I’m confused. Did you look up all the people I used to know in Fire Lake before you bought the house or did he look them up?”
“I did. But only a few but I mostly researched Tyler.” She refused to look at me as she tapped on her folding phone.
I sat there for a moment as pieces of Babette’s puzzle slowly fell into place.
“Did you know he bought that house? Is that why you purchased it?”
If that were true, she could be arrested, along with the agent and former owner. That was illegal and Tyler told me the sheriff was working on the case.
Now the sheriff wanted to meet with me. I hoped it wasn’t to ask questions about Babette.
“I’m the best agent, Iona. Remember, I know what people want before they do.”
Something icy coursed through my veins. She never called me Iona. I swallowed with fear at what might be her answer to my next question.
“Did you even buy that house?”
“Ms. I.D., sorry for the delay. We had a backup with the test results. It seems everyone decided today was the day to get a pregnancy test.” The doctor walked in and laughed. Her four-inch heels clicked on the floor as she moved toward the small built-in desk.
“Pregnancy? I came here because I have the stomach flu.”
She sat on the small black rolling stool and waved her hand at me. “It’s standard procedure. A woman comes in complaining of throwing up, she gets tested for pregnancy. It’s normal.”
Both Babette and I let out a breath. That was a relief. While I knew Tyler would make a wonderful father one day, I was sure he wouldn’t want a baby in his life so soon. Sure, he was old enough, but the man just bought a house.
Besides, back in high school, he would rant about how his parents should never have been parents. How he wouldn’t make that same mistake.
When I mentioned the miscarriage, he never brought it up again. He must have been relieved that we didn’t have a kid together.
“Imagine me being a mom.” I snorted.
“Yeah, even I’m not that good of an agent to spin that one.” Babette joined in the laughter.
“Well, this is awkward . . .” The doctor bit her red-painted lip as she swiveled toward me on the stool.
“What?” I asked.
“You’re pregnant. Congratulations!” She made a hissing sound as if it was the roar of a large crowd while waving her hands in the air. I glared at her until she stopped. “You are almost six weeks along. Your due date should be June twenty-first of next year.”
My mouth fell open.
“But you told her it was a standard test. That it was normal.” Babette’s voice was getting higher and higher-pitched with each syllable.
“I meant taking the test was normal. Not that the test results were normal. Which, if you think about it, wouldn’t be a pregnancy test result anyway. It’s either positive or negative, not normal or abnormal.” She giggled at her stupid doctor joke.
“The nausea is pretty typical during the first trimester. What you want to do is eat more small meals. If you’re feeling sick, try some plain crackers and mild ginger tea. Just small sips, not a lot all at once. I’ll give you two a minute to discuss this.”
I stared at the floor as I heard the clacking of her shoes disappear when the door closed. A rush of memories flooded my head. Thoughts of the last time I was in a doctor’s office pregnant caused my eyes to burn. Last time my mother was with me, and I was a scared teenager.
Now, my agent was with me and I wasn’t scared, but I was bitter.
“I’m going to be blamed for this, too,” I mumbled.
“Tyler wouldn’t blame you. I don’t think he’s that sort of man.”
I didn’t mean Tyler, though he wouldn’t want me after he found out. The people who knew me would never blame me, but the others . . . they’d salivate at the chance to call me names and twist this into something terrible.
Desperate actress tricks old flame into marrying her by getting pregnant.
Whose baby is it anyway?
Fake Fiancé. Fake Pregnancy. Is anything real in I.D.’s life?
The last one was when I lose the baby. Because of all the thoughts running through my mind right now, that’s the scariest. That’s the one causing the tears to run down my face.
I placed my hand on my abdomen and shook my head. “Please, don’t leave me.”
“I.D.” I heard the chair scrape against the floor and a few seconds later, Babette’s arms were around me. She may be cutthroat in Hollywood, but the woman gave a good hug. “We say nothing. We can hold out for as long as you want. I can fly my stylist in to fit you with clothes that can hide your belly. I will always have your back.”
“Thank you. Maybe we keep it on the down low, at least until the first trimester is over?” I swipe the tears on my cheeks.
“Yes. Makes sense. Now, for that fake fiancé of yours. When do you want to tell him?”
I groaned at all the adulting that was happening in this room.
“When I get home. I’ll tell Tyler first thing.”
Home. But where was home? Here,
with Tyler? Or back out West?
TWENTY-FIVE
Tyler
It had been two days since Iona went to the doctor and she wasn’t any better. I asked her what was wrong, and she mumbled something about the flu. I hadn’t seen any medication and wondered if she refused it.
“I’m so glad you called, Dr. Ferguson. I had been meaning to meet with you,” Babette said from the same booth I met her at over a month ago.
I scooted in and glanced around, wondering if I had been followed. Iona had no idea I was meeting with her agent. I had tried to ask Cara what was wrong with Iona, but she played the innocent to perfection. I knew Iona told her something, but she wouldn’t give me a single clue as to what’s wrong with my fiancée.
Now I was scared Iona had some terrible disease that would take her away from me forever.
“Good, because I need the truth.”
I was done wasting time. If Iona was dying, I wanted to know so I could run into her arms and spend every last second on this Earth cradling her.
She smiled. “Great! I wanted you to know that the house is yours. I spoke with my lawyer, and we realized that your documents are legal and mine were flawed. Instead of some court battle over who owns what, I’m stepping aside.”
“I thought I had to go along with the fake fiancée thing until the end of October before you gave me the house?”
She nodded and lifted the menu. “I.D. got those apple fritters last time and they looked delicious. Maybe I’ll try those and some coffee.” She lowered the menu and leaned forward. “That coffee is addictive. If that company ever decided to sell it outside of this place, they’d make a killing. Too bad I’m not in the coffee business.”
“We’re talking about the house, not coffee.”
“Are you sure? Because I thought you wanted to meet me to discuss I.D.”
“Yes. I mean no. I mean, yes, Iona and the house.”
She waved her hand at me and sat back. “Then go on.”
No wonder she got things done in Hollywood. People probably agreed to anything she said just so they could get away from her.
Lost and Found (books 1-3): Small-Town Romantic Comedy Page 39
