She pulled open the glass door that led into Java World. The rich aroma of coffee scented the air and put a smile on her face. She looked to her left toward the dimly lit dining area where assorted tables and chairs were laid out—no Derek. Her gaze landed on the walls, where artwork created by local artists hung, each highlighted with its own mini light. It was always fun to see the revolving gallery of sorts.
She stepped into the short line directly in front of her, focusing on the chalkboard listing today’s special as a white mocha.
“Hey,” a male voice said softly into her ear.
She startled and whirled around holding a hand over her heart. “Derek! I didn’t hear you come in.”
He grinned. “What are you having?”
She pointed to the special on the board. “How about you?”
“Sounds great. Think I’ll have the same.”
She ordered their coffees. “We pick them up at the other end,” Kayla said over her shoulder. A few minutes later they each held a steaming mug of chocolaty goodness. She led the way to a table near the back where they were less likely to be interrupted.
They slid into their seats and Derek took a sip from the large navy mug with Java World’s logo. “Mmm. You were right. They do make good mochas.”
“How is your mom doing?”
“Not bad. She’s back to work. Her business is home based, so that’s made it very convenient for her. She probably wouldn’t have been able to go back to work so soon if she worked in an office.”
“That’s great. I’m happy her recovery is going so well. How’s her speech?”
“Not normal yet and better in the mornings than evenings, when she’s tired.”
“That makes sense.”
She rested her chin on the palm of her hand. “As you know, the Spring Festival is the biggest event we hold in Oak Knoll, so we go all out. I’m in charge of entertainment. We always have face painting and various booths for the kids to play games. Last year we rented inflatables, which were a big hit. My budget is larger this year, so I’m considering bringing in miniature ponies, as well. What do you think?”
“Any kid would be thrilled. What do you do for the teens?”
She bit her bottom lip. The teenagers always slipped through the cracks, and she had no idea what to do. “In the past, several of them have manned the kiddie stations. What do you suggest? My budget is gone unless I don’t do the ponies.”
“I suggest skipping the ponies. What about a dunk tank or movie in the park?”
She pulled a notepad and pen from her purse and wrote his suggestion down. “It’s too cold for a dunk tank, but the movie could work. It’d have to be family friendly, though. What other ideas do you have?”
“What about a concert with a local band?”
She shook her head. “We’ve done that in the past. There should be someone working on that already.”
“You may have the teens covered, then, if the band is good.”
“Margie, the festival coordinator, usually gets the same group every year and they’re not bad.”
He chuckled. “Not bad isn’t exactly a glowing review.”
She shrugged. “I imagine not bad is all this town can afford.”
“Where do I fit into this?” He sipped his mocha.
“I’m not sure exactly.” Her face heated. She’d indicated that she had a job for him only because she’d wanted an excuse to spend time with him. “There’s a committee to make sure all of this happens.”
“What do you do during the festival?”
“Hopefully nothing. I try to plan to the nth degree, but if someone doesn’t show for a shift, I find a substitute. Honestly, I’m pretty busy at the flower shop during the festival. All the stores run a special sale, and I’m stuck at the register much of the time.”
“How about you put me down as a substitute? If you need someone to fill in, let me know.”
“Really? That’s nice of you. I was thinking more behind the scenes. Like maybe setup, but I like your idea.” The only problem was she wouldn’t get to spend any extra time with him if that was all he did. Her cell rang. “I’m sorry.” She pulled it from her purse and frowned. “I need to take this. It’s the festival coordinator.”
“No problem.”
“Hi, Margie. What’s up?”
“The mayor wants to do a parade this year! Can you believe it?”
“A parade?” Kayla wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing. It would definitely complicate things.
“Yes, and he wants all the businesses to enter floats.”
Kayla groaned. “How am I supposed to coordinate the entertainment, run a business and create a parade float? It’s impossible.”
“I know it will be a challenge for the smaller businesses, but I’m sure you could get volunteers to help.”
Kayla’s stomach knotted. This was not what she’d signed up for.
“There’s one more thing,” Margie said. “I don’t know how we could hold a parade with the bounce house and obstacle course inflatables set up on Main Street. It would be a logistical nightmare.”
“What are you saying exactly?”
“Nix the inflatables.”
“But they were a huge hit last year. We saw more foot traffic than ever before, which translates into sales for the downtown district.” She clenched and unclenched her hand. A technique she’d learned as a teen to help release tension.
Derek reached across the table and rested his hand over her fist. “I have an idea,” he said quietly.
“Margie, may I call you back?”
“Sure, but the parade is a go. I’ll be sending out emails to all the downtown businesses.”
“Okay.” She disconnected the call and returned her attention to Derek. “What’s your idea?”
“You could put the playthings for the kids in the park. There’s plenty of green space. The parade will draw more foot traffic than you’ve ever seen at one time.” He gave her hand a squeeze before releasing it. “And I’ll help with your float.”
The park was actually a decent idea. A smile stretched her lips. “Great idea—thanks! I could kiss you right now!” Her cheeks burned as her comment registered in her mind.
“I won’t stop you.” He waggled his brow.
Her thoughts immediately shot to their kiss last night. She buried her face in her hands.
Derek chuckled as he pried her fingers away from her face. “I was teasing. But in all seriousness, you can kiss me anytime.” He shot a cheeky grin her way.
Kayla made a face and rose. “You ready to get out of here?”
“Yep.” He got up and held out his hand.
She slipped her fingers through his.
He spoke softly into her ear as they left Java World. “I meant it when I said I’d like to help with the float. Keep me in the loop. Okay?” He stopped walking and they stood facing each other on the sidewalk.
“I will, and thanks.” She looked into his eyes and her heart tripped as she realized she could see them in a serious relationship if things continued to progress as they were. Then again, maybe this was infatuation. She definitely liked him, but she didn’t know him all that well. He was such a mystery.
He pressed a kiss to her forehead. “If you’re not too busy, we could do something Friday night. Maybe dinner and movie?”
“I’d like that.” Her skin tingled from his touch.
“I’ll call you.”
“DJ!”
“Oh no,” Derek groaned. He gently grasped Kayla’s shoulders and looked directly into her eyes.
Kayla’s heart beat wildly and fear gripped her. The look in Derek’s eyes scared her, more than the idea of building a float.
“Whatever happens next, know that everything I’ve told you is the truth. I really like you, Kayla.” He released her shoulders and turned toward a woman who kept calling out to someone named DJ.
Kayla moved to get a better view of a petite woman with long blond hair and gasped.
“Oh my goodness!” She looked exactly like Estelle Rogers. Kayla was a fan of her movies, except that last one she’d done was awful. What was she doing in Oregon?
* * *
Derek’s heart beat double time as Estelle stormed toward him, her ridiculously high heels clicking on the sidewalk.
Kayla grabbed his arm. “That’s Estelle Rogers! I love her movies! How do you know her?”
“It’s kind of a long story.”
Estelle stopped a couple of feet from him and glared. “It’s about time I found you. Your mother said you were in town. Why didn’t you answer my calls?”
“Kayla Russell, meet Estelle Rogers.”
Kayla held out her hand. “It’s an honor to meet you. I’m a big fan.”
“Thanks. Be a dear and run along. I need to have a word with my boyfriend.”
Derek cringed. “Ex-boyfriend, Estelle.” Kayla shifted beside him and he turned to face her. He grasped her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze.
The light that had shone in Kayla’s eyes was gone, and in its place confusion resided. “You have a girlfriend? Why is she calling you DJ?”
“Estelle isn’t my girlfriend. We broke up more than six months ago.” His stomach tightened. What a mess! “I’ll call you and explain everything later. Okay, Kayla?”
Estelle laughed and looped her arm through his. “DJ, stop toying with this girl. You know you’re mine. It’s time you came home. Your fans miss you.” She batted her lashes and smiled her I’m-a-star-and-everyone-loves-me smile.
“Fans?” Kayla’s face paled. She looked from Estelle to him. Her eyes widened. “Oh my goodness! I can’t believe I was so blind. I understand what’s going on. Don’t bother calling, DJ.” She said his name as if it were a dirty word, then turned and jogged across the street and disappeared inside her florist shop.
His stomach sickened as he rounded on Estelle. “What are you doing here and how did you find me?” He kept his voice low. “I blocked your number for a reason. We are over. Done. Kaput.”
Estelle waved a hand and shook her head. “Jerry told me where you were. Don’t be a child. We had a spat. That’s no reason for you to disappear and block me from your life.”
He rubbed his neck. “I can’t believe this.”
“Believe it, baby, because I’m here to bring you back with me. LA isn’t the same without you. I need you in my life.”
Now he understood Jerry’s prediction that he’d be back in Los Angeles soon. He worked to control his anger and kept his voice cool. “Right. Like you needed all those other men. I’m only a distraction in your downtime. Someone to stroke your enormous ego.”
“Give me a break.” She looked over her shoulder. “Behave yourself. The paparazzi will be here any minute.”
“Where is your bodyguard?”
“I didn’t think I’d need him here, so I gave him a couple of days off.”
Derek narrowed his eyes as he spotted two well-known and aggressive photographers running toward them. “Not a smart move. You brought them here. You deal with them.” He spun around and jogged to his pickup, but before he could pull out, Estelle hopped into the passenger seat holding her spiky shoes.
“This is perfect. They’re going to eat this up.” She feigned a look of surprise and raised her hands to supposedly block their shot.
He rolled his eyes and tore away from the curb. “Where’s your car? I’ll drop you off.”
“And leave me alone with them? No way! Please, let’s find a quiet place to talk. You have no idea what your disappearance did to my career.”
“Nor do I care.” He spotted her Mercedes on a side street and slowed.
“Please, DJ, I’m begging you.” She rested a hand on his arm, her voice panicked. “I know I shouldn’t have ambushed you like I did, and yes, I made an anonymous call about you and me being here, but please don’t leave me alone with them. You know how they freak me out.”
His heart softened. Estelle’s love-hate relationship with the paparazzi was no secret to him or anyone who knew her. She needed to stay in the public eye for her career, but their aggressive tactics scared her. “Okay. We’ll leave your car here for now. But don’t think you’re going to wiggle your way back into my life. When I left Los Angeles, I left everything, including you, and I’m not going back.”
“I’m not leaving without you. I need you in my life.”
A glance in his rearview mirror showed no one following. His shoulders relaxed as they cruised toward his mom’s place. “You don’t need me. I recall you once calling me eye candy. Seems to me all you want is eye candy to parade around with, so don’t insult me by pretending you care about me as a person. You never did.” He whipped into Mom’s long driveway and followed it until he reached the house, which was not visible from the road. He pulled to a stop, took a bracing breath and faced Estelle. Her blond hair curled in soft ringlets around her beautiful face. He’d once loved her. But that was before he realized how shallow she was and that she’d been only using him to further her career. As she was trying to do now. Of all the men she knew, why him?
His face heated. He’d been taken in by her beauty and charm when they’d run into one another after a movie screening two years ago. If he’d only known what kind of person she was then, he’d never have asked her out, even if it did help his career to be seen in public with her.
“I care about you, DJ.” She caressed his arm. “We were great together. Give us another chance.”
“Stop acting, Estelle. I fell for that once, but I’m not naive anymore. I see right through you.” He shook her hand off his arm. She cared about only herself, and it was clear she needed him for her endgame. Or at least, she thought she did; otherwise, she wouldn’t be here. “This is how it’s going to play out. I’ll move back into the guest cottage for the night. You’ll stay in my mom’s guestroom, and then tomorrow I’ll have a friend pick up your car. We’ll meet at a preset destination. You will leave, and I will go on with my life.”
Her face hardened and she crossed her arms. “I don’t think so. I’m not leaving this town until you agree to go with me and announce that you’re working on your next album.”
He shook his head. “Not happening. I’m done with that life.” He pushed open his door and slid out.
Estelle met him by the hood. “Please, DJ. I need you back.”
“So you said.” He strode toward the front door and looked over his shoulder. “Are you coming?”
“If you won’t return for me, then do it for your fans.” She squared her shoulders and marched forward.
Her words hit their mark. For the most part, he appreciated his fans. They were his only regret.
Estelle glanced at him. “Jerry told me about your mom. Are you sure it’s okay that I stay here?”
He jerked his head in her direction. “If you knew, why did you come? And why would Jerry tell you where I am? What do you have over him?”
She pursed her lips, and he saw vulnerability in her eyes. “Nothing. He’s my manager, too. Remember? My movie tanked, and he’s trying to help a client. The critics are ripping me apart. Everyone loved us together. Don’t you see? If you and I get back together, then the media will focus on us as a couple and stop obsessing over the movie’s failure. I need some good press. Actually, I need a lot of good press so the critics will forget about my last movie and producers will want to hire me again.” She folded her arms. “There, I said it. Happy now?”
He should’ve known it was something like that. “No, but I’m sorry about your movie. How about you lie low for a few days? I’m sure the next big story will pop up any day and talk of your movie will be forgotten.”
“Maybe, but I like my idea better.”
“You always did have to be right.” He pushed the door open and waited for Estelle before closing it. “Mom, I’m home, and I brought a guest.”
“In…the kitchen.”
Estelle grabbed his arm. “Is she okay?”
“She had a stroke and she�
��s tired by evening, so her speech is usually more halting. But don’t let that fool you. Her mind is sharp, so don’t talk down to her or try to finish her sentences for her. That only frustrates her more.”
Estelle nodded and walked beside him into the kitchen. “Mom, this is Estelle Rogers. Estelle, Helen.”
Mom turned from the oven. “Welcome. Derek’s…told me…all about…you.”
“It’s lovely to meet you, Helen.”
Derek sighed at the excited look in his mom’s eyes. Yes, he’d told her about Estelle, but he had left out the unpleasant details. Maybe he should have shared Estelle’s true character with her, but it really didn’t matter, at least not right now. Estelle would be here only a short time—not nearly enough time to snare his mother in her web of deceit and lies.
Mom held a small casserole dish in one hand. “Dinner is ready.” She pointed to the table, which was set for two.
Derek quickly set another place and helped get the food on the table. “Estelle needs a place to stay for a few nights. Do you mind if she sleeps in the guestroom? I will move back into the guesthouse.” Since his mom’s stroke he felt more comfortable being under the same roof, but as long as Estelle was here…
“She’s welcome to stay…as long as…she’d like.”
Derek stifled a groan and offered a blessing for the food, then passed the meat loaf to Estelle.
“Thanks.” She cut a piece in half and placed it on her plate.
“What brings…you here, Estelle?” Mom asked.
“Your son. I want him to come back to LA with me.”
Mom nodded but didn’t respond. She’d always excelled at hiding her thoughts when she wanted to.
What was he going to do? He knew his ex-girlfriend well enough to know she meant it when she said she wouldn’t leave without him, but there was no way that would happen. His life was here—at least for now. His mother needed him. Plus he’d said he’d help Kayla with her float, and he intended to keep his word. That is, if she’d let him. After the look of disappointment he’d seen on her face as she ran away, he had doubts.
Chapter 7
Kayla sat on the couch and stared at the television. A photo of Estelle Rogers and Derek played on the screen. The hosts declared the duo had been spotted together and speculated they were an item once again.
A Valentine for Kayla Page 5
