He really couldn’t believe all of these people had shown up. There were fellow actors, directors, pillars of the music industry and people he didn’t recognize, but what they all had in common was that they were happy to be here. All were smiling, talking and greeting each other. Food and drink flowed freely. The golf course looked better than it ever had, thanks to Gabrielle’s insistence.
He’d already had compliments and slaps on the back that his scars had healed so well. After that doctored photo in QTR, where they’d made him to look like some sort of monster, people were pleasantly surprised by his normal appearance. It felt surprisingly good to greet friends and acquaintances. And he had Gabrielle to thank.
A mariachi band played in the background as well-dressed people mingled. Deacon worked his way past the crowd. He was headed for the rose garden, hoping to gain a moment alone. Though people had been accepting of him, it was all a bit overwhelming.
And then Gabrielle appeared in the distance.
Deacon came to a halt. It couldn’t be her, could it? Not after the way they’d ended things. He blinked and looked again.
She was gone.
He expelled a disappointed sigh. It must have been someone that resembled Gabrielle. He assured himself it was for the best. She would soon forget him and move on with her life.
And then Gabrielle came back into view. She had on a yellow crocheted dress. The spaghetti straps showed off her slim shoulders. The plunging neckline hinted at her voluptuous breasts. He swallowed hard. A slit ended high up on her thighs, letting the crocheted high-low skirt show off glimpses of her long legs. She really was a looker.
It was then that he noticed a man next to her. The guy was chatting her up. Deacon stood too far away to overhear what was being said, but Gabrielle was smiling. However, it wasn’t an easy smile. It looked forced. Yet, the guy acted as though he didn’t have a clue she was only putting on a show of being nice to him.
Deacon’s body stiffened as this man had the audacity to reach out and put his hand on Gabrielle’s upper arm as though they knew each other intimately. If Gabrielle’s body gestures were anything to go by, the attention was unwanted. Deacon started forward. Before he reached the two, the guy leaned over and whispered something in Gabrielle’s ear. She pulled away. What did the man think he was up to? Couldn’t he tell Gabrielle wasn’t interested?
Deacon’s steps quickened. He would step in. Or should he? He slowed down. Was it his place to step in? After all, he had told Gabrielle to go away. What would he be telling her if he were to step in now?
Yet, this was his estate. He had a right to see that none of his guests were unduly harassed. Determined that he had a right to make sure things were all right, he continued in Gabrielle’s direction. He could see that she was no longer smiling and her gaze was darting around as though to find an excuse to slip away from the guy.
Deacon was almost at her side, when someone stepped in his way, blocking his view of Gabrielle. “Excuse me.”
“Deacon, old boy. It’s so good to see you.”
Deacon focused on the man speaking to him. It was his agent. A man he used to speak to at least once a day, but since the accident, his agent hadn’t bothered to call. The man had obviously given up on Deacon, figuring his pretty face was gone forever. Now that his face had healed, Deacon wondered if his agent realized he’d given up too soon.
“Harry, it’s good to see you.” Deacon did his best to smile, even though he didn’t feel like it—not for a man who, for all intents and purposes, had told him in the hospital that his future in Hollywood had gone up in flames along with his good looks. Of course, Harry had been smart enough to put it in friendlier terms, but that’s what it amounted to.
“You know I’ve been trying to reach you—”
“I’ve been busy.” Deacon knew whatever Harry wanted would be what was good for Harry and not something that would help Deacon. “Could you excuse me for just a moment—”
“Not so fast. We should talk. This fund-raiser was a brilliant idea. It certainly squashes those rumors of you becoming some sort of recluse. I’ve never seen the estate look better. And you, well, it’s remarkable. If I hadn’t seen you in the hospital, I’d never believe the extent of your injuries.”
“The plastic surgeon did an amazing job,” Deacon murmured tightly.
“Indeed. And this event is a great chance to get you back in the swing of things. Everyone seems to be having a great time.”
“My assistant gets the credit. This fund-raiser was her brainchild.” It wasn’t until the words were out that he realized Gabrielle was no longer his assistant. She was...well, they no longer had any sort of official relationship, but it sure didn’t feel that way to him when he saw that other guy hanging all over her. Where had she disappeared to?
“This assistant, she sounds like a miracle worker,” Harry said. “Perhaps I should try to steal her away from you.”
The forced smile slipped from Deacon’s face. “I don’t think so.”
“Well then, I’ll get straight to the point of my calls. I have a part in a movie that I think you’d be perfect for—”
“No.”
“No?” The agent’s mouth gaped. “But surely you want to get back to work.”
“I am working. I’m finding that I like being behind the camera more than I like being in front of it.”
“So the rumor is true?”
“Yes. I’m starting to back some movies, and I’ll see where things go from there.”
The agent nodded as he digested the information. “If you change your mind, give me a call.”
“I don’t think that will happen.” Deacon had to admit it felt good to know what he wanted in life. And what he wanted most was Gabrielle—even though he couldn’t have her.
The agent’s eyebrows rose with surprise before his face settled into a smile. “I knew you weren’t one to hold a grudge. Glad to hear all of the ugliness is in the past.” And then as though the man didn’t know what else to say, he said, “Well, I should be moving on. I have other people that I need to speak to.”
Deacon didn’t say a word, not wanting to waylay the man. After the man moved on, Deacon’s gaze scanned the area for Gabrielle. He didn’t see her. But there were so many people that she could be anywhere.
He started moving through the crowd, but it was slow going with so many people wanting to greet him. He did the obligatory handshakes and pasted a smile on his face. But he didn’t linger. He needed to find her. He needed to—to what? Make sure she was okay? And then what?
He wouldn’t know the answer to that until he caught up with her. He stopped and turned in a circle looking for her. She had to be here. And he wouldn’t stop until he found her.
CHAPTER TWENTY
SHE SHOULDN’T BE HERE.
But she couldn’t stay away.
To Gaby’s surprise, the morning after she’d left the Santoro estate, the complaint against her father had been formally withdrawn. He was free and clear. There was no reason for Gaby to ever see Deacon again—but seeing him was exactly what she had planned.
She owed Deacon an apology. Instead of helping him with this fund-raiser, she’d only made things worse for him. QTR had issued a series of malicious articles about Deacon. She recalled the morning’s headlines on the QTR magazine. It was all over the newsstands, grocery stores and internet: Beast Hides from Public & Justice.
It appeared that QTR was intent on running a series of damning articles about Deacon. It killed her to read how they’d stolen her words. QTR had twisted the facts and made up other things. They’d embarked on an all-out campaign against him. No wonder she hadn’t spotted Deacon amongst his guests. The fact that he had even let the fund-raiser go forward amazed her.
When he’d banished her from the estate, she’d worried that he would once again hide away in his darkened office and keep
everyone outside the tall estate walls. And after those atrocious headlines, she wouldn’t blame him if he cut himself off from the outside world.
She didn’t care what Deacon said, she knew he had a good heart. She couldn’t—she wouldn’t—accept that he’d recklessly taken her aunt’s life. It had been a horrible accident. End of a very sad story.
She’d been talking frankly with her father—something she should have done before things had gotten out of control. And the fact that her father had agreed to attend the fund-raiser with her was the first step on the road to forgiveness, even if her father would vehemently deny it. He said he was only here because Gaby had planned the event. He refused to acknowledge that the event had anything to do with Deacon.
Her gaze scanned the enormous crowd of finely dressed people. Was Deacon really somewhere among them? She had to try and fix things. She at least had to try. She didn’t like the way they’d left things.
“Hey—” Newton nudged her “—isn’t that the guy that acts in The Screaming Racers?”
She hadn’t seen the action movie, but she had seen the previews on the television in her father’s living room. “Yes, I think it is.”
“What do you think he’s doing here?”
“Supporting a good cause.”
“I don’t know. He’s a big star. Why would he come here to the beast’s lair?”
“Newton, don’t start.”
“Hey, it’s what they called him in the headlines. You know, the story you helped write.”
She gave Newton a stern look. “I only agreed to bring you here because you insisted that my father might need help getting around. But we could leave now—”
“Okay. Okay.”
He pressed his lips together into a firm line. But his eyes told a different story. If she wasn’t careful with him, he would make a scene. She sincerely regretted bringing him. As soon as she placed some tickets in the raffle baskets, she’d gather her father and Newton and they would go.
“Go find my father. You know, the reason you’re here?” she said. “I need to go buy some raffle tickets.”
“I’m hungry. Maybe we’ll get some food.” Newton walked away.
With Deacon nowhere in sight, Gabrielle made her way over to the table where they were selling the tickets for the twenty-five elaborate baskets that had been generously donated by area businesses.
Gabrielle couldn’t help but smile as she observed all of the people gushing over the beautiful baskets and buying an arm’s length of tickets at a time. This event was turning out better than she’d ever imagined. She wished Deacon could find some comfort in knowing that these people were in attendance in spite of the nasty headlines. That had to mean something, right?
With guests still streaming through the gates and the press along the road photographing the event, this was certainly going to give Deacon some positive spin. She pulled her cell phone from her purse. She clicked through to the different social-media sites to find that Deacon’s name was trending. And this time, his name was linked with positive news.
Her lips lifted into a broader smile.
She’d done it. She’d kept her word to Deacon. The fund-raiser appeared to be a smashing success. But this event wasn’t nearly enough to make up to him for the lies that were lining every grocery store checkout and splattered on the internet. If only she could explain properly, maybe he’d believe her.
But where was he? She’d already worked through the crowd of guests and walked the whole way around the estate. And now, she was back where she’d started, in the garden. There had been no sign of Deacon amongst the pink tea roses, the purple climbing roses and the many other varieties of blooms that took root in the impressive garden.
The truth was she shouldn’t have left when he’d told her to. She should have...well, she wasn’t sure what she should have done. But leaving hadn’t been the right answer. Because every minute she was away from him, the gap between them yawned even wider. She hoped it wasn’t too wide for her to cross. Because she missed him with every fiber of her body. Life wasn’t the same without him in it.
And then she remembered something her aunt had told her way back when she was in elementary school. There had been some trouble between her and another girl. Her aunt’s sage advice was that a gentle word or a kind action could be more powerful than the strongest objection or the harshest retaliation. Her aunt had been a gentle soul. And Gabrielle had a feeling that her aunt would understand why she was doing what she was doing with Deacon. Or at least she hoped so.
“Hey, Gaby! Wait!”
It wasn’t Deacon.
Her heart sunk a little.
With a forced smile, she turned to find Newton running back over to her again. “I thought you went with my father to find the food.”
“Your father found someone to talk to and I decided to bring you a drink.”
She realized now that he must have had more than one himself. He lurched toward her, spilling the drink on her bare arm, and then making as if to pat her dry with his free hand, surprising her.
Gaby turned, jerking away from his touch. “Stop. I’m fine...”
It was then that she spotted Deacon. He noticed her at the same time. Newton was still talking, but she was no longer paying attention. Her full focus was on Deacon.
“Excuse me.” She moved past Newton and headed straight for Deacon.
Please let him listen to me before he throws me out.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
GABY’S STOMACH SHIVERED with nerves.
As Deacon approached her, she forgot about everyone else around them. In that moment, it was just the two of them. She started moving toward him. Although the closer she got to him, the more she noticed the tenseness of his body and the rigid set of his jaw. She braced herself for a confrontation. She understood how he’d think that she’d turned against him.
They stopped in front of each other. At the same time, they said, “I’m sorry.”
Gaby’s gaze searched his. “Do you mean it?”
He nodded. “I never should have told you to leave like that.”
“And I should have stayed. I need to tell you how sorry I am—”
“You!” Newton wedged himself between her and Deacon. “You killed her aunt. You should be in jail.”
A hush fell over the growing crowd.
“Newton! Stop.” Gabrielle saw the pain that his words had inflicted on Deacon.
Newton turned on her. “How can you defend him?”
Gabrielle’s gaze went from Newton to Deacon. If there were ever a time to be honest with herself and everyone else, it was now. “I’m defending Deacon because I’ve come to know him. I know that he’s a good man with a big heart. He would never intentionally harm a person.” She turned to Deacon. She stared deep into his eyes. “I know this because I love him.”
“You can’t. He’s a killer.” Newton shouted the accusation.
By then a crowd had formed around them. People were pulling out their cell phones and filming the scene. This mess had gone from bad to worse.
“He’s my best friend,” she countered.
“Don’t,” Deacon said. “I can defend myself.”
“I’m only speaking the truth,” Gaby said, feeling very protective of him.
Before Newton could say another word, Gaby’s father rolled his wheelchair between them. He turned to Newton. “That’s enough.”
“But he is a—”
“Hero,” her father said.
“What?” Newton stared at her father like he’d spoken another language.
Her father cleared his voice. “I should have said something earlier. The official accident report was released this afternoon. There is irrefutable proof that Deacon is innocent.”
“What evidence?” Deacon approached her father.
“I’ll admit
my protest in front of your place may have been rash, but it garnered a lot of attention.” He held up a hand, staving off Deacon’s heated words. “Before you say anything, it was that protest and those interviews that brought forward a reluctant witness. They have a video of the accident. It has cleared you, Deacon. My sister was the one that swerved into your lane.”
Gaby reached out and took Deacon’s hand in hers. She smiled through her tears. At last this long, hard journey was over.
She turned to Deacon. “Did you know about this?”
He shook his head. “I haven’t touched my mail or listened to my voice mails today. I was busy making sure all of your plans for the fund-raiser were carried out.”
Gaby’s father turned to Deacon. “And I owe you a big apology. Instead of accusing you of horrible things, I should have been thanking you.” He held out his hand. Deacon hesitated and then he withdrew his hand from Gaby’s grasp in order to shake her father’s hand. “Gaby tells me that you don’t remember much of the accident, but the witness reported that at great risk, you attempted to save my sister.”
Deacon visibly swallowed. “I’m sorry for what you’ve gone through.”
“Thank you.” Her father’s gaze moved to Gaby and then back to Deacon. “As long as you keep my daughter happy, we’ll get along just fine.”
Gaby glanced around to find that Newton had disappeared. She scanned the crowd for any sign of him. Thankfully she didn’t spot him. She hoped he just kept going. The farther away, the better.
When she finally turned back to Deacon, he presented her with a single, perfect red rose. The simple gesture had a profound effect on her heart and love spilled forth.
Gaby lifted up on her tiptoes and looped her arms around his neck. “There’s something else I came here to say.”
At the same time, they said, “I love you.”
As the crowd of onlookers cheered, Gaby leaned into Deacon’s embrace. He claimed her lips with a kiss that promised love and happiness.
EPILOGUE
Six months later...
Beauty and Her Boss Page 15
