“Thank you,” she said as she brushed by him.
“My pleasure.”
Outside of the restaurant everyone said their goodbyes. Lydia hugged and kissed them all, including Kent. Pearl shook his hand and pulled Bethany in for a hug.
“Are you okay?” she whispered in her ear.
“I’m just fine, thank you for asking.”
“If you need me…”
“I know.”
Tyson gave a wave as he walked to his truck and Kent still stood close by.
Eric held out his hand to shake Kent’s. “It was nice to meet you.”
“Likewise.”
Susan moved in and hugged him as if they were old friends. “If you’re in town for a while we should do this again.”
“I’d like that.”
They started toward Susan’s car.
Bethany turned toward Kent to say her goodbye. Why did it seem so awkward as if there needed to be more? She should just shake his hand and walk away, but that didn’t feel right.
“Thanks for joining us.”
“No, thanks for letting me. I had a wonderful night.”
“So did I,” she said realizing it was airy and on a sigh. “I’ll see you.”
She finally turned to walk away, but he reached for her arm. “This might seem silly, but would you be interested in going out for some ice cream? I saw a little place not too far from here. I know we just ate a huge meal. I could drop you home after that. I mean, I know you don’t know me, but…”
Bethany held up her finger. “Hold on, okay?”
His eyes were wide and he nodded. She hurried toward Susan who waited for her.
“I’m going to go with Kent.”
Susan’s mouth turned up into a wide smile. “You said he rambles.”
“Horribly. But he just invited me out for ice cream.”
That warranted a chuckle. “He’s a nice guy.”
“He is.”
Eric walked back to them. “You’re going to go with him?”
“Yes.”
“We’ll come too,” he said tucking the keys in his pocket.
Susan rested a hand on his chest. “No, I don’t think that’s the plan,” she said.
“We don’t know him. I’m not letting anything happen to you.”
“Nothing is going to happen. I’m okay,” Bethany argued. “Ice cream and then he’ll bring me home. I think I’m okay with this one.”
She felt as though she were fifteen years old convincing her parents to let her go on a date. Or at least she assumed this was what that would feel like. There had never been any of those kinds of parameters in her life. At fifteen she’d already seen and done more on the Hollywood streets than most would in their entire life. Ice cream with a stranger actually sounded normal to her.
Eric’s steely eyed glare made her uneasy, but Susan somehow managed to get him turned around and headed back to the car. “Call us if you need us.”
Bethany agreed with a nod and walked back to Kent who waited patiently.
“Everything okay? He’s very protective isn’t he? We don’t have to do this.”
Bethany walked and Kent followed so they were headed in the opposite direction. “He’s fine. He’s worried about me and that’s very nice.”
“I’m not a weirdo or anything.”
Bethany pushed her hair back over her shoulder. “You’re not, but there are some out there. We had some drama a few months ago. He’s just taken it upon himself to be my protector.”
“He’s a good guy.”
“Yes he is,” she said as they turned the corner and she realized she was hoping that Kent Black was a good guy too.
Chapter Ten
Kent kept his hands in his pockets as they walked the six blocks to the ice cream store he’d seen. He was having a bit of a surreal moment. He was walking down the street with Bethany Waterbury—on a date.
That might be a little too optimistic to think it was a date. Yesterday she’d run off on him—on everyone. There was nothing that would hold her back tonight either, he imagined.
When he got nervous he had a tendency to ramble, so he was concentrating very hard to not do just that.
Bethany had clasped her hands behind her back, pushed her shoulders back, and seemed to walk with a childish skip. Perhaps he had freed her a bit by taking her away for the moment. Whatever drama they must have had as a family, which she’d mentioned, kept them all a little on edge. Pearl’s constant glances at Bethany hadn’t gone unnoticed. Neither had Eric’s protective stance.
The drama must have centered around her.
A lump formed in his throat. What could possibly have happened to her that kept everyone so on edge?
It was probably some fame thing. There were crazy people everywhere. Hadn’t his own mother stumbled across the movie Misery and called him in a panic? She was afraid some fan of his books was going to kidnap him.
He’d tread lightly. There was no way in hell he was ever going to mention the horror movie marathon from the other night just so he could watch her. That certainly would put him in stalker status—especially with her family.
The shop was busier than he’d have liked at nearly nine o’clock at night. A warm spring evening must have put that in everyone’s mind.
“We can go somewhere else if you’d like,” he offered.
“This is fine. We’ll just get it and walk around.”
They stood in line and ordered. Unlike yesterday, no one noticed or recognized either one of them. That helped put him at ease.
Bethany ordered a scoop of mint chocolate chip in a cone. He winced. What a horrible flavor. He’d stick with good old vanilla.
They took their cones and headed back in the direction of the restaurant.
“This is really good,” she said biting into the cold scoop. Watching her made his front teeth hurt.
“It is. Brings back memories of Friday nights at my house. My dad had a thing for ice cream. That was until the doctor told him to cut it out.”
“I didn’t have this with my mom,” she said as she licked a drip from her finger. “She was always too worried about her figure.”
“Your mom—Violet Waterbury?”
Her lips tightened. “Yes.”
“I suppose the lifestyle in Hollywood is different. You don’t hear of a lot of people being raised there.”
She shrugged. “There’s a lot of us. The focus isn’t on family values though. At least mine wasn’t. I certainly didn’t have what my cousins did here.”
“You weren’t raised around them?”
She shook her head and took another bite from her scoop of ice cream. “No. My dad didn’t marry my mom. My sisters are from one of his wives and my brothers from another. It’s kind of messed up.”
“It’s not messed up. Just different from what I had. I sat with all of you tonight. I’d have thought you were a tight-knit family.”
“I think we will be—in time.”
“How long have you been here?”
“Few months. I came out after my grandfather died.”
“I’m sorry.”
She tossed her hair back again. “I didn’t know him really. I’d met him a few times.”
“So why come?”
“I needed a family,” her voice dipped as she said it and he knew he was tumbling into territory he needed to tread lightly through. And since he was better at digging holes than treading around him, he decided he’d better come up with a detour for the conversation.
“I saw you the other day coming out of a bridal store,” he said licking a drip of his ice cream that threatened to roll over his thumb.
“You did?” She stopped walking. “I thought you said you saw me at the coffee shop.”
Kent pressed his lips together realizing he might have stepped right into that hole he’d dug. “I did.” He wasn’t going to tell her he drove after her to find her. “I happened to be at the barber shop across the street.”
She nodded slowly. “Pearl
owns a bridal shop. We were looking at dresses for Susan.”
“That must have been it,” he said trying to not seem as grateful as he was for the fact that she wasn’t the bride. Of course, she wouldn’t have been walking and eating ice cream with him if she were. “And did she find one? A dress?”
Bethany smiled and the apples of her cheeks lifted toward her soft eyes. “She did. It’s beautiful. Eric is going to be toast when he sees her walking down the aisle.” She licked the sides of her dwindling ice cream scoop.
“They’ve been together a long time, haven’t they? They had a rhythm.”
She looked at him and a crease formed between her brows. “A rhythm?”
“Yeah, you know when two people are just, well, perfect for each other. They anticipate the other’s words or movements. They could talk without saying a word. Little gestures between them mean a whole lot more to them than to anyone who might have caught it. Rhythm.”
The smile slowly faded. “I’ve never noticed that.”
He shrugged. “I notice that kind of stuff all the time, but it’s what I do.”
“Right. And no, they haven’t been together long. Eric has known Susan as long as I have. They met at my grandfather’s funeral.”
Now he knew his forehead was creased. “He picked her up at his grandfather’s funeral?”
That eased the tension a bit. “She catered it. But I think his step-mother had plans the whole time. It worked out.”
“What about you? Have you ever had rhythm with someone?”
The smile faded away completely. “No. Not with anyone. Not even my mother.”
Kent stopped and turned toward her. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to bring up anything bad. I keep doing that, don’t I?”
“It’s not your fault. Until a few months ago I didn’t know that anything good truly existed.” She began walking again and he kept her stride. “Susan moved here to start a new life after a divorce. She had it in her to be who she wanted to be and to get away from what wasn’t working. She’s my idol. I want to be that person. The one that makes a change when something isn’t working.”
“You moved here from California. Isn’t that what you were doing?”
“Not on purpose. I was desperate. My mom died and left me with a lot of debts. I worked it off and thought maybe it was time I got to know my dad. Then I got here and, well, let’s just say nothing works the way you plan it.” She looked down at the last few bites of her ice cream and he thought she just might be sick.
“My car is in the next block. I’ll take you home.”
She stopped again, throwing the last of the cone in the trash and wiping her hand on the napkin before discarding it.
“I ruined your evening, didn’t I?”
He stared at her. How could she think that? “Not at all.”
“You were hoping for a night with the actress you enjoy watching. Not some nut job who doesn’t even have rhythm with anyone.”
He threw his unfinished cone into the trash and moved toward her. He wanted to scoop her up, but that didn’t quite seem appropriate at the moment.
“I was hoping to get to know you, that’s all.” He stepped in a little closer. “Bethany, no one is perfect. You’re young and you have a whole life ahead of you to find rhythm with someone and with yourself.”
Willing himself even closer, he took a bold move and touched her hair. That wavy, red mane that absolutely was her calling card.
“You’re leaving soon, aren’t you?” she asked, her voice low.
“No time soon.”
“Where I’m from, people come and go. No one stays forever.”
“That’s not how it works in my world at all.” He brought both hands to her face and she didn’t move away from him. This, he thought, was a very good sign.
“I didn’t scare you away?”
He smiled. “You’re afraid you scared me away? And here, after having seen your eyes glaze over when I talked yesterday, I was sure I’d scared you away.”
“I didn’t want to like you.”
He leaned back. “You didn’t want to?”
“Everyone was making a fuss about you. I didn’t want to like you. I didn’t have any intentions of reading your book either. But it sucked me in and then I was mad at you for keeping me up all night.”
He laughed. He didn’t mean to, but he did. “Were you upset that I wasn’t the ass you were expecting?”
“Maybe,” she said easing toward him, his hands still cupping her face. “You’re very sweet and easy to talk to.” She placed her hands on his chest and he was sure she could feel the hammering of his heart. He thought it just might explode.
“Sweet. I think that’s a word I’ve heard too much in my life. It makes me sound like a sissy.”
She shook her head. “No. I’ve never met a man like you in my life. You’re not loud and boisterous. It’s not all about you all the time. Your creative mind doesn’t give you license to…”
He eased back. “I don’t expect anything from you,” he said. “Is that what men mean to you? People who are always expecting?”
“I’ve never known it any different.”
“Bethany, I’m not like that.” He thought it would be best to pull his hands back, but he just couldn’t do it. “I don’t care how many movies you’ve made or who your mother or father are. I want to get to know who you are. The real you. Not the one covered in blood.”
She chuckled. “And you’re not just some guy who lives his life stargazing and dreaming up new galaxies?”
“No. That’s exactly who I am. I’m a great big nerd who seriously has thought about volunteering for that first Mars community.”
She laughed—hard. “Oh.”
“Are you the girl who is only covered in blood with an ear piercing scream?”
“No.”
“Are you only Violet Waterbury’s daughter?”
“No,” the words were tighter.
“Who are you?”
Her eyes grew moist. “I don’t know.”
“I do. You’re Bethany from Georgia. Young and beautiful and full of wonder. You’re trusting. You’re exciting. And right now you’re in my arms and I’m not really sure how that happened.”
Her body shook against his. “Are you going to kiss me?”
“I want to.”
“Do it.”
He kept his eyes locked on hers for another moment and then tipped his head to the side and moved in.
Chapter Eleven
Bethany gripped the front of Kent’s shirt as he moved in to kiss her. His eyes had closed and his warm hands pressed against her face.
The world around her spun, much as it did when she took those pills with her mother’s name on them.
She closed her eyes and let her body press against him.
His lips were pliant against hers. Warm and soft. Hungry yet gentle.
He didn’t pull back with just a press of the lips. He deepened the kiss.
Kent’s hands slid from her face, down her arms, and to her hips where he pulled her even closer. Lifting her arms around his neck, she opened her mouth to him and he took.
His tongue swept across hers and the moan that escaped between them could have belonged to either of them, but she was sure it was hers.
Kent’s hands slid to the small of her back and pressed her even closer than she’d thought was possible.
Was this rhythm? She suddenly began to hope so, because with all the men she’d been intimate with, this topped the list. This one kiss was wildly passionate and gentle all at the same time.
She’d nearly forgotten they were standing on the sidewalk as people drove by.
Kent eased back, but his eyes didn’t open. He looked as though he were holding on to the moment, just as she was.
“I seriously didn’t expect that,” he said, opening his eyes and gazing into hers.
“It was nice.”
“It was more than that.” He stepped back, taking her hands in his.
Lifting them to his lips, he pressed a kiss to each one. “Tell me I can see you again. I’m not used to women kissing me like that. I might just be lightheaded enough to think you might.”
Her insides were in a knot and she found herself having to press her hand to her stomach. “I’d like to see you again.”
Kent’s mouth turned up into a warm smile. “Good. C’mon, I should get you home before your cousin starts searching the streets looking for you.”
Hand in hand they walked down the street to the restaurant they had dined at. Stopping in front of an old minivan, he pulled his keys from his pocket.
“This is your car?”
He winced. “Yes.”
“Not what I’d expected.”
“What did you expect?”
How did she tell him she expected anything other than a minivan? “I don’t know. I thought only people with kids drove minivans.”
“Or people who just need a reliable car. I bought it from my sister. I can honestly say if I’d thought I was going to drive a beautiful woman around I would have at least rented something nicer.”
She liked him. A day ago she didn’t want to, but she did.
“I think it’s just fine,” she said as he opened the door.
“The bonus is I’ve had it detailed every three months. No milk stains or French fries in the seat. That makes it a bachelor’s car.”
“Well, then, I guess it is the perfect ride.” She slid in and he closed the door.
The interior smelled of him, his musky cologne and shampoo. She sighed as she took inventory of the tingles that raced through every inch of her body. She wasn’t going to let him go home. She was going to wrap him up in her arms all night long and make him promise to never leave. Once she was done with him he wouldn’t want to. No, he’d be the first one to want to stay forever, especially since he didn’t want anything from her.
Kent opened the door and slid into the car. “Okay, directions please.”
She gave him the address. “Easiest way is to go down about six blocks and take a left.”
“Where does everyone else live? Around here?” he asked as he pulled away from the curb.
“I live with Susan, but as soon as their house is finished, she’ll move out to Eric’s.”
Stargazing (The Walker Family Book 2) Page 7
