by Thea Dawson
He looked thoughtful. “Maybe I could at least take you out to dinner before we start worrying about whether or not we have kids?” he asked.
She managed a small laugh. “You know what I mean, though, don’t you? In your job, you’re surrounded by gorgeous women who are a lot younger than I am—”
He groaned in frustration. “Have you looked at yourself in the mirror lately, woman? What do I have to do to convince you that you’re totally hot?”
She felt her cheeks get warm. “My self-esteem is actually in pretty good shape these days. Hot sex with a younger man will do that.” She caught his eye and gave him a small smile, relieved to see a ghost of a smile flicker across his face in response. “I’m more worried about the future.” She looked at her lap and fingered the rich satin of her dress. “I don’t want to go through another situation like with my ex.”
He leaned in and took her hands, looking her square in the eyes. “Look, I don’t know what the future will bring, but I do know that I’ll never cheat on you. I have a lot of faults, Joy, but that’s not one of them.”
She looked into his earnest blue eyes, seeing an eagerness and sincerity there that touched her. She nodded. “I think … I could believe that. But, you know, it wasn’t me who told you that Scott cheated on me.” She shook her head at the slightly guilty expression that crossed his face. “It doesn’t matter who did—it’s pretty much common knowledge. And that’s the thing—living in a fishbowl like that, having your personal life dissected in public—it’s horrible. I hated that almost as much as I hated the fact that he had an affair. Maybe that doesn’t say very much about our marriage, but … the point is, I’m not sure if I’m cut out to date someone in the public eye.”
He nodded, absorbing her words. He was still holding her hands and gave them a reassuring squeeze. “I get that. I do. I can’t not be in the public eye to some extent, but I promise you, I won’t do anything that will bring the tabloids down on us. I’ll talk to my publicist about it, and make sure we do everything to keep you out of it, if that’s what you want. Just tell me you’d be willing to try at least.”
They sat in silence for a moment. She was conscious of the way his large hands wrapped around hers and held them gently.
If he weren’t a celebrity, would she date him?
The answer—a resounding yes—came to her immediately.
“I think … maybe we could give it a try,” she said softly.
He leaned in and she had barely a moment to register what he was about to do before she blinked away her surprise and surrendered to the sensation of his lips on hers. The first kiss was soft and tentative; the next was deeper and more passionate. She wrapped her fingers in his hair, felt his hand cup her face. The softness of his lips in contrast with the coarse texture of his beard was tantalizing. She parted her lips in response to his probing tongue, and the kiss grew more urgent.
“I always loved this dress,” he murmured, tracing her collarbone with his finger. The Renaissance-style shirt that he wore opened in a wide V at the collar and she slipped one hand inside, caressing his shoulder, thrilled anew at the feel of his smooth skin and the firm muscle beneath it.
With a barely audible groan, he pulled her closer and pressed his mouth to hers again. Sight and sound seemed to fall away like they had on the theater steps, but this time the sensations that accompanied the loss were pure delight.
Suddenly, there was a loud banging on the back door.
They broke away from each other in surprise, and then smiled guiltily at each other.
The banging came again. “Are you in there? I don’t have a key!” a voice called from outside.
“Charlotte,” they both said at the same time.
He stood up and straightened his shirt. “Stay there. I’ll get it.”
A moment later he was back with Charlotte, followed closely by Luke and Tracie, who carried costumes.
“Mom, are you okay?” Charlotte sounded uncharacteristically subdued.
Joy felt extremely self-conscious under their scrutiny. “I’m fine. I just got a little light-headed in the heat.”
Charlotte studied her. “You’re not as pale as you were. Now your face is kind of red.”
“That’s because it’s embarrassing to have all of you staring at me.” Joy stood up and smoothed down her skirt. “Come on. Let’s hang those costumes up so we can get to the Falls for Chris’s picnic.”
An awkwardness hung over the small group as they sorted and hung up the costumes, as if the newcomers guessed they’d interrupted something. Joy caught Charlotte looking at her suspiciously and tried to ignore her. Tracie hummed cheerfully to herself but didn’t speak, and Luke and Chris were silent, though she noticed that Chris couldn’t repress a smile.
Luke finally cleared his throat, “So, how was your trip?” he asked Chris, trying to make conversation.
“It was good,” Chris answered, folding a pair of peasant breeches and putting them over a hanger. “Went to a pop culture convention in Chicago. That was a lot of fun, and I got to hang out with some friends from the movie. Then I was back in LA for talks about the sequel. They’re already talking about doing some preliminary location shooting in November in Sulawesi.”
Joy turned to stare at him.
“Where’s that?” asked Luke.
“Some island in Indonesia.”
Joy shifted her gaze to Tracie, who responded with a huge grin and a thumbs up.
21
Chris watched the cast members scattered around the rocky beach and in the water.
Doreen, as promised, was sprawled on her floatie, a can of beer in her hand, a second one waiting in the floatie’s cupholder. Luke had shown up with his niece and nephew, both in life jackets, and was supervising them carefully as they waded in the water. Bryan and the other high school boys had congregated on the rocks above the river and were daring each other to jump in.
Krystal had brought a girlfriend, and the two sat in low beach chairs facing the water, talking in subdued voices. Krystal wore a bikini that showed off a large expanse of creamy skin and what Chris had to admit was a very impressive set of breasts. He caught Luke glancing at her occasionally. Luke was too much of a gentleman to outright ogle, but he was definitely appreciative. Krystal’s friend was skinny, had short, spiky blond hair, and wore a sporty rash guard and shorts. Chris had heard her name and promptly forgotten it, Betty or Bessie or Betsy or something. Neither of them seemed terribly social, which, given Krystal’s recent upset, was understandable.
Brice had found a shady spot slightly apart from the others in which to pitch a beach chair. He wore shorts, a long-sleeved t-shirt, a straw hat and sunglasses.
“I prefer to stay out of the sun,” he’d explained to Chris when he arrived, but Chris suspected that he was just high and not interested in making conversation.
“Did you drive here?” he asked.
“Doreen gave me a lift,” he replied, and Chris nodded approvingly before he remembered Doreen’s six pack and hoped she’d be okay driving home.
Tracie arrived soon afterward and greeted everyone cheerfully, but there was still no sign of Joy.
Chris suppressed his concern and began taking barbecue orders. He’d bought a cheap portable grill the week before at Fred Meyers and had brought it along with a cooler of hot dogs, bratwurst, buns and condiments. He’d even brought a box of veggie burgers, figuring that there’d be at least one vegetarian—probably Tracie—among them. Luke had chipped in with paper plates and napkins, Krystal had brought an enormous potato salad, Tracie had made cookies, and even Brice wandered over with a large tray of brownies.
Chris looked at it suspiciously.
Brice’s expression was disdainful. “Doreen made them. Do you really think I’d waste good marijuana on you lot?”
Then suddenly Joy was there, a beach chair in one hand and a bag of towels in the other. Charlotte, Zena and Cat followed at her heels carrying more beach chairs and a cooler. Almost immediately
, there was an increase in shouts and splashes as Bryan and the other boys started showing off for the newly arrived girls, who pointedly ignored them.
“You made it!” Chris grinned at Joy.
She smiled back a little shyly. It was hard to tell through the sunglasses, but he thought she might have been blushing a little.
“We had to organize a few things, and Cat forgot her bathing suit so we had to go back.”
Cat gave a sheepish shrug. “My bad,” she said cheerfully.
“I’m taking orders,” Chris offered. “Hot dogs, brats, or veggie burgers.”
Charlotte, Cat and Zena promptly ordered bratwursts. “Brats for the brats,” said Charlotte in her cheeky voice, but Chris could have sworn she was looking at him in a newly appraising way. He nodded and pretended to be focused on the grill. “Joy?” he asked, not looking at her.
She ordered a veggie burger then allowed herself to be distracted by Tracie who wanted to talk about the silent auction.
Chris felt both regret and relief as the two women stepped away; regret because he wanted her near him, relief because despite the passionate intimacies of the past week, he suddenly felt shy around her.
Cat and Zena moved away to take turns pumping up a floatie, and Chris suddenly found himself face to face with a grinning Charlotte.
“I think I should ask you what your intentions are toward my mother, young man,” she said. Behind her, Bryan gave a Tarzan yell and took a 20-foot jump into the water. He came up looking hopefully in Charlotte’s direction but she didn’t pay any attention to him; Chris knew how he felt.
He was glad that his sunglasses hid at least some of his expression. Had he and Joy been that obvious? There was no point in trying to prevaricate; Charlotte was too sharp for him.
“I assure you, my intentions are purely honorable.” He glanced at her, trying to look honorable, then busied himself turning over some bratwursts in order to avoid her gaze.
“Well, I hope they aren’t too honorable. My mom could use a little impropriety in her life.”
Visuals of the improprieties that he and Joy had engaged in rose unbidden in Chris’s mind. He hoped Charlotte would attribute his red face to the grill.
Charlotte looked at him keenly. “But no games. She doesn’t need anyone screwing with her head.”
Chris raised his eyebrows at her, hoping that the expression would hide his discomfort at the discussion. “I have no plans to play any games,” he said obediently.
Charlotte had a self-satisfied air, clearly pleased with herself at detecting his infatuation, but he thought he detected something else. A hint of concern, perhaps, that couldn’t be entirely concealed by her brash attitude.
“I like your mom a lot,” he confessed, knowing he’d be more likely to win her over with honesty than big promises. “But I have no idea where, if anywhere, this will go.”
“Fair enough.” Charlotte nodded. “Just remember: I’m keeping my eyes on you.” She pointed two fingers at her own narrowed eyes then at his and walked away to help Zena and Cat with their floatie.
Chris snuck a look at Joy. She was still talking to Tracie while pulling her hair up into a bun. She wore a modest one-piece but it still allowed him to check out her trim figure and long legs.
She glanced at him, then looked away quickly, smiling. Geez, they were like a couple of high school kids themselves, all cute and awkward around each other. He was longing to get her alone, to kiss her again, to find out what she was thinking about him, about them ... but it would have to wait.
“First come, first served!” he hollered, and cast members came running.
The shadows were growing long by the time they started packing up towels and floaties, chairs and coolers. Joy lingered near Chris, hoping to get a word alone with him, but it was difficult, surrounded as they were by cast members. She was particularly conscious of Charlotte, who seemed to be eyeing her more closely than usual.
Finally, as she was putting the beach chairs away in the trunk of her car, he wandered up to her. Cat and Zena were already in the car; as soon as she saw Chris coming, Charlotte jumped into the front passenger seat and slammed the door with comic alacrity.
Chris picked up the last beach chair and put it in the trunk for her. “Did you have a nice time today?” His voice was casual, but the glint in his eyes told her he wasn’t just talking about their picnic at the river.
“I had a great time.” Her heart was pounding. “Any chance you’re free to go to the fireworks this evening?”
He looked pleased. “You know, I was just coming over to see if you wanted to go. Great minds and all.”
She nodded. “Why don’t I come by your house at eight-thirty? We can walk over to the high school from there and not worry about parking.”
“Sounds like a plan,” he agreed.
Luke came trotting up to them just then. She’d never been less pleased to see his friendly, open face, but she smiled at him politely.
“Hey, you two, I have a favor to ask. Well, Chris, mostly. Simon texted me earlier asking if I could give him a hand with Victor. He wants to get him somewhere where he can see the fireworks tonight, but he needs help lifting him. I’m happy to do it, but I’d love an extra set of hands. You up for it, buddy?”
Chris shot Joy a fleeting look of regret.
“Maybe we can all help,” she said quickly. “I haven’t seen Victor in a while anyway.”
“Awesome!” Luke gave her a friendly thump on the back. “Can you be at their house around eight, eight-fifteen?”
They nodded and Luke trotted back to his pickup where his niece and nephew waited. His nephew had already fallen asleep in his car seat.
“How about I pick you up at eight and we’ll take it from there?” Chris suggested.
“Deal,” Joy agreed.
When he picked her up that evening, she’d changed into jeans and a hoodie, but he noticed she’d styled her hair and done her makeup, despite the fact that they’d be in a dark field for most of the evening.
“Did you bring a sweater?” she asked. She sounded a little nervous. “It can get pretty cool at night.”
He liked that she was nervous. It was silly, at this stage, but he felt a little nervous himself, like he was back in high school on a first date, and her nerves helped put him at ease. “Is Charlotte home?” he asked in response.
“No, she left already with her friends.”
“Good. Now I can do this.” He swept her up in his arms, backed her up against the entranceway wall, and kissed her, delighted at the way she melted into his arms and kissed him back. He pulled away before he could forget completely about Victor and the fireworks. “I wanted to do that all day,” he growled in a low voice.
“I wanted you to do that all day,” she whispered back. “Don’t tell me you’re afraid of Charlotte?”
“She’s on to us, you know. And yes, I’m terrified of her.”
Joy blushed a little. “I figured. That she was on to us, I mean. She dropped hints all evening about how it was time I got out more.”
“Well, what Charlotte wants, Charlotte gets, as far as I’m concerned.” He held his arm out to her. “Come, madam. Victor and the fireworks await us.”
Luke was already at Victor and Simon’s when they arrived. Simon promptly began bossing them around in his fussy way.
“I need you two boys to help get him into the wheelchair to get to the car and then help getting him into the car. Then reverse that once we get to the high school. Joy, darling, could you pick up that chair and that blanket for me and make sure they get in the back?”
“What about parking?” Luke asked. “It’ll be crowded.”
“We get a handicapped spot,” Victor said. “It’s one of the perks that comes with being an invalid.”
“Can we all fit in one car?” Joy asked Simon.
“Yes, if you three don’t mind squishing in the back seat.”
Victor wasn’t heavy—in fact, he was alarmingly light and frai
l—and Luke and Chris had little difficulty getting him from the bed to the wheelchair and from there into Simon’s station wagon.
“I’ll go in the middle,” Joy offered, having placed the camp chair and the blanket in the trunk, and Luke climbed in beside her.
Chris ran to his own car, pulled out a large tote bag, and them climbed in on her other side. “Blankets for sitting on,” he explained.
The high school was less of an ordeal than Chris had feared. He and Luke got Victor into the wheelchair again, then Chris pushed it while Luke directed him to a spot on the wide parking lot sidewalk with a clear view of where the fireworks would be. Simon carefully tucked a blanket around Victor and set up a camp chair that put him roughly on the same level as the wheelchair.
“We really appreciate your help,” he told them. “I don’t want to get in the way of whatever plans you have. Do you want to just meet us back here when they’re over?”
“Yeah, I promised I’d meet my sister and her kids,” Luke said. “They’re over by the hot dog stand. I’ll see you in an hour or so.”
Simon sat down next to Victor and gently took his hand in his, prompting Chris to wrap his own hand over Joy’s.
“Shall we give these two their privacy?” he asked.
She gave his hand a small squeeze before wishing Simon and Victor a good time then let Chris steer her toward the small hill that overlooked the grassy playing fields.
“Last time I came here running with Luke and Rob, I was looking at that field and thinking, I bet that’s where the high schoolers all go to make out.”
“It’s not very private,” she pointed out.
“Eh, it’s dark. And everyone’s going to be watching the fireworks, not us.”
The small hill, being too steep for chairs, wasn’t as crowded as the playing fields below, but it promised a good view. They got to the top just as the band below began to play the National Anthem. When it was over, Chris spread out the fleece blanket he’d found in Professor Estrada’s linen cupboard. If it got dirty, he’d buy her a new one, he promised silently.
