Star Quality

by Lori Foster, Lucy Monroe

  Julia watched Marc get his cell phone from the car. Bridget went all goo-goo eyed and wrapped her arms around Jerry’s neck. “There you are, my little sugar snap. Now, tell this young lady we’re going to be married. We can elope tonight.”

  “Yes, tell me,” a totally pissed off Dolly said to Jerry.

  “I object again!” Cal said. “Bridget cannot marry Jerry, when I’m so deeply in love with her.”

  “Why does this woman”—Bridget pointed to Dolly—“seem to know you so well? Is she from Delicious?”

  “I’m from Wakefield, just down the expressway, and Jerry said he’d marry me.”

  “Just let me guess,” Julia said. “He’d marry you if you lent him money for his construction company. That is what he said, right?”

  “So we’d be a team,” Dolly beamed. “That makes him mine, all mine. And we don’t need anyone else on our team.” Dolly pulled on Jerry’s left arm, bowing it out since his hands were still cuffed behind his back.

  “No, he’s not. He’s going to marry me,” Bridget insisted, snagging his other arm, it also bowing, looking as if Jerry suddenly sprouted wings. Fat chance, that.

  “But you’re mine,” Cal insisted to Bridget. He snagged her away from Jerry, and she stumbled into his arms. He gazed deep into her eyes. “My dearest darling, Bridget.” He dipped her back and kissed her while her arms flailed and she muttered protests between his kisses.

  Dolly wrapped her arms around Jerry’s neck and kissed him hard, and Julia felt her last nerve snap. “Dolly, he’s not the guy for you. Bridge, Cal, I got you into this, and I’m sorry but you’re all adults; act like it for Pete’s sake. Think about what’s going on here.” She threw her hands in the air and wailed, “I just wish you’d come to your senses.”

  Bridget and Cal froze. Cal carefully brought Bridget back up and set her on her feet. He smoothed out her dress and gazed at her as if seeing her for the first time. “Wh…what am I doing?”

  Bridget blushed and said, “I’m not sure but…but I think I really liked it, once I got used to it.” She gave him a shy smile. “I had no idea you were so romantic, Calvin.”

  “Neither did I.” He gave her an uncomfortable grin. Bridget smiled at Cal, then said to Dolly, “You should know Jerry also wanted money from me. I came here because I thought he was working hard to make a success of his company and not visiting room 309 with you. I wanted us to get married right away.”

  Bridget looked at Jerry. “How could you do this to me? Promise to marry me for almost a year, then go out and cheat on me? And take my money? Why didn’t I figure this out before?”

  Dolly said to Jerry while pointing to Bridget, “She really was going to give you money, too? For your business, though I doubt any of that money would make it there. You promised to marry me, and her? She’s not just making all that up?”

  Jerry gave Dolly a sexy smile and shrugged. “Hey, girl. All the babes dig me. I’m irresistible, what can I say?”

  “How about ouch!” Before Jerry could figure out what she meant, Dolly doubled her fist and socked Jerry square in the jaw, sending him stumbling backward, landing flat on his butt on the asphalt.

  Dolly glared down at him and dusted her hands together as if getting rid of something nasty. “You bastard!”

  Marc slid his phone into his pocket and said to Dolly, “You should know he was using you for information. He was the one robbing the motel. Probably looked at the shipment records while you were checking people in and knew when to expect deliveries.”

  Dolly rolled her eyes. “Great, I’m probably out of a job because I believed this jerk.” She glared at Jerry.

  Bridget sighed. “How could I have been so blind? I wanted to marry him, and I never would have believed he’d cheat on me till I saw it with my own eyes.” She held out her hand to Dolly. “I’m glad we both escaped.”

  Dolly took Bridget’s hand. “Me, too. I’m calling the sheriff. Jerry’s not getting away no matter what.” She turned for the motel lobby.

  Marc looked down at Jerry. “You’re going to jail. I wonder how irresistible you’ll be there?”

  “You have nothing on me but the word of two lovesick females who are upset that I don’t want to marry either of them.”

  “Bet if I look in the back of your truck, I’ll have more evidence than I need. Or maybe I’ll look in your house or garage for all the stolen merchandise?”

  Cal said to Bridget, “Can I call you sometime?”

  “How about tonight.” She slid her arm through Cal’s, and they turned for their cars. “Would you like to see my knitting?”

  Marc said to Julia, “I can’t believe those two hit it off so well.”

  “Yeah, funny how that turned out.” She felt a blush creep across her face and hoped it didn’t show in the dim light of the motel sign. “I think they were always drawn together, but with Cal being older they never connected in school. Then they fell for other people, until now. They needed a little push to get them together, and tonight they got it.”

  Marc hooked his arm around Julia. “I’ve got to wait for the owner and the sheriff. There’ll be paperwork, and I want to try and convince the owner not to fire Dolly. After that I can meet you. Your place?”

  “I’m really tired, Marc. It’s been a long day. I’ll meet with you tomorrow.” She gave him one of those fake smiles she hated. But what else could she do? Get even more involved with Marc only to have him walk out on her tomorrow at midnight? The more they were together, the more his leaving would hurt. “We can talk then.”

  She started to walk away but came back. She placed her palms against his cheeks and looked into his dark blue eyes. “I’ve had a great time these last two days. The best ever, I want you to know that.” She brushed her lips across his and walked toward the car.

  “Julia?” Marc called after her. “I’ll see you in a little while. Don’t make it sound like forever.”

  She stopped and faced him. “Nothing’s forever, Marc. No matter how bad it is or how good.” Then she got in her car and drove slowly out of the lot.

  Seven

  The next evening Marc walked down Jonathan Street as the clock on the courthouse chimed eight. He spied Cal in Mom and Pop’s and went inside. Cal looked up, a happy smile on his lips. “Hey, Marc. How’re you doing? Last night sure was something, wasn’t it?”

  He gave Marc a sly grin as he sat down. “Sorry I didn’t hang around to help you out.” He fiddled with a napkin on the table. “But I figured you and the sheriff could handle things. Did Dolly lose her job?”

  “The owner put her on a six-month probation, but she’s still employed. Jerry’s in the slammer as we speak. Need any clients? Or is there a little conflict of interest involved after last night?”

  Cal took a long drink of iced tea and stared at the ring of condensation on the tabletop, then back to Marc. “When I think how that jerk sweet-talked Bridget and lied to her the way he did…Me defending Jerry Price is out of the question.”

  Marc leaned back, studying his friend. “Thought legal representation was the basis of the defense, not if you believed your client innocent or guilty.”

  “I wouldn’t be much good at defending Jerry if I wanted to punch his lights out every time I looked at him.”

  “You got it bad?”

  Cal’s gaze met Marc’s. He gave him a lopsided grin. “Actually, I got it good. I always liked Bridget but never thought she liked me other than as a friend. She thought I felt the same about her, and then last night I got this notion, like a bolt of lightning out of the blue, that I wanted more. The feeling was really intense at first; then it wasn’t, but Bridget was still there, and I knew I didn’t want her to go.”

  Cal took another drink of tea. “Something happened to me, I don’t know what, but I’m damn glad it did. She’s the gal I’ve been looking for all my life, and she was right here in Delicious all the time.” He shrugged. “Sort of like what’s happening between you and Julia.”

  “Julia?�
�� Marc wagged his head. “Right now I don’t know what’s going on with her. I can’t even find her. She’s been gone all day.”

  “You know, Cleveland’s not the only place a PI can make a living. This area’s growing, and I know lawyers in the surrounding towns could keep you busier than you want to be…just in case you have the need to leave the big city and move to the boonies.”

  Cal suddenly focused on something beyond Marc. His whole face brightened, and his eyes danced. He stood, and Bridget sallied up beside him. He looped his arm around her, drawing her near. A perfect fit. Like two pieces of a puzzle joining together, or two lovers who’d found each other.

  Cal gazed at Bridget and said to Marc, “Want to join us for dinner? The roast beef sandwich and apple pie special is legendary.”

  “Think I’ll pass.” Getting between these two would be criminal. “Have either of you seen Julia? The note on her studio door said she went to some farm to take pictures, but she should be back by now. I haven’t seen her car.”

  Still looking at Cal, Bridget let out a dreamy sigh and said, “She’s back. Parked her car behind my house so you wouldn’t see it, so you’d think she wasn’t home. But she is, and she’s on her roof hiding out.”

  Bridget’s head snapped around, and she stared at Marc. “And when you find her, I’m not the one who just told you that. She’ll wring my neck.”

  “The roof? What’s she doing on the roof, and why doesn’t she want me to know where she is? What’s this all about?”

  Bridget raised her hands in surrender. “She just doesn’t want to see you till after midnight. And you’ll have to get her to tell you what it’s all about. You’d never believe me if I told you. You may not believe her, but it’s up to the two of you to work this out.” She kissed Cal’s cheek. “Just like we are, at least I hope so.”

  Marc said to Cal, “Do you understand what she said?”

  “Not one word. But we have all night for Bridget to explain, and I suggest you let Julia do the same.”

  Marc left the diner, pie box in hand. He could just pick the lock on Julia’s apartment and let himself in, but her lust for apple pie might get him legal entrance. He walked down the street, past The Book Nook where Jenna Rowan was closing up after an evening book signing at her store. It promised to be another perfect summer night in small-town, USA. Clear skies, the moon full, though not as full as two days ago.

  A car stopped to let a dog cross, and the driver waved to the elderly couple sitting on a bench eating ice cream with their grandkids. A young couple strolled with their baby and stopped to talk to another couple doing the same. Things were different here.

  Marc climbed the wood steps on the side of the clapboard building that housed Photos By Julia. He knocked hard at the apartment door, and when Julia didn’t answer he peeked around the white curtains. No movement, no Julia. The roof? How the hell was he supposed to get there? He looked up. He couldn’t climb; the roof was too high.

  He went back down the steps, shaded his eyes against the setting sun, and called, “Julia? Julia, I know you’re up there. Bridget ratted you out. You better talk to me or I’m going to be yelling here all night. I’ll sing, drive you nuts. I can do ‘A Hundred Bottles of Beer on the Wall,’ bet you’ll love that. Ninety-nine bottles of beer on the wall, ninety-nine bottles of beer,” he sang off key until Julia peered over the side.

  “Shhh. Be quiet.”

  “Let me come up.”

  “There’s no reason for you to.”

  “We have to talk. And, I have pie.”

  “What kind?”

  “Apple. From Mom and Pop’s.”

  “Go back to Cleveland, leave the pie.”

  She disappeared back over the top, and Marc kicked a rock. “Damn, stubborn woman.”

  He felt someone’s hand on his shoulder and turned and faced Jenna Rowan. “A fire escape’s around back if you think that might help. There’s a garden area on the roof so fire regulations made the escape mandatory.”

  “Thanks, I appreciate it.”

  She smiled. “My pleasure. I just went through a similar experience.”

  “You hid on the roof?”

  She laughed. “Not quite, but it took my fiancé to straighten things out. I wish you luck. Julia’s a nice person.”

  Jenna crossed the street to Stan’s Garden Center, Stan waiting for her in front, a big grin on his face. Something was going on in the little town of Delicious, Ohio. Bridget and Cal, Jenna and Stan. Now, if he could just persuade Julia to…To what?

  He watched Stan drape his big arm around Jenna and bring her close and kiss her cheek. That’s what Marc wanted. He wanted Julia close and he wanted to kiss her and he didn’t want to stop.

  He rounded the building to a grassy backyard with huge old oak trees and a detached garage off an alleyway. He got a rake from the garage and snagged the bottom rung of the ladder of the fire escape. He yanked, and it creaked as it dropped down.

  Julia appeared over the edge of the roof. “Now what are you doing?”

  “Coming up.”

  She spread her arms wide. “Why are you so pig-headed?”

  “Why won’t you give us a chance?”

  “Like I’ve said, there is no us; you just think there is, but by midnight you won’t, so what’s the point?”

  “We’ll find out.” He gripped the old iron ladder with one hand and climbed on, his other hand holding the pie box. Flakes of black rusted metal showered down around him as he progressed from one rung to the other till he reached the first landing, stood, and put his foot through the decayed grating.

  He exchanged looks with Julia, her eyes huge.

  “Go back. You’ll die.”

  “I think it’s safer to go up.”

  “Try my window.”

  He gave it a tug, shaking the whole fire escape. “Locked, and I don’t think I want to wait on this death trap while you unlock it.” He stepped onto the next ladder. More rusty flakes fluttered around him as he climbed, bringing him to the rooftop.

  He passed Julia the box, then vaulted himself over the ledge and into a garden area. Flowers, roses, a patio complete with a little fountain. There was a lounge chair on some grassy carpet, half shaded by the big oaks from below, stretching their branches overhead. Julia’s camera sat perched on a tripod in the middle. “Where’d this all come from?”

  “Stan across the street has such wonderful plants and flowers. I can’t resist. And, I needed somewhere to get away from things during the year I was separated from Frank before our divorce became final. One of the reasons I bought the building with some money my grandmother left me is because of this roof. No phones, no in-laws blaming me for everything that went wrong, no Frank. It’s the highest roof in town, so no one’s looking over my shoulder.”

  “It’s great, just don’t use the fire escape.”

  “You could have been killed.”

  “You could have avoided this by just letting me in.”

  Her brow furrowed. “You could have avoided it by going back to Cleveland.”

  “Yeah, but then you wouldn’t have pie. Look, I’ve made up my mind; I’m not going back, Julia.” He took the pie from her hands and put it on a table, then snagged her around her waist and kissed her. “I’m staying in Delicious with you. Cal said there is business enough in the area if I want to relocate. I love the town and the friendly people. And, I love you.”

  He shocked himself with his admission, but every word was true. He was absolutely sure of it. “I want to be with you forever, Julia.”

  She bit her bottom lip, looking totally despondent. “You didn’t give up your job in Cleveland yet, did you?”

  “I will. Did you hear me? I love you.”

  She pulled him onto the lounge chair and sat down beside him, folding her hands matter-of-factly in her lap. “You have to listen to me, Marc. And understand that what I’m telling you is true. After midnight you’ll go running back to Cleveland and wonder what you ever saw in me, or Deli
cious.”

  “Not a chance.”

  “You’re under the influence of the full moon, a blue moon. I brought on this situation by tossing my ring into the fountain. I know that sounds insane, but it’s not. Too many things went nuts without any explanation. I wished for Frank to fall into the fountain, and he did. And not only that, he snorted because I said he was a pig.”

  “It’s called coincidence.”

  “I wished for a picture of Frank in the fountain, and you took it for me. I wished McGuffy would move his truck, and then, I messed up and wished for Bridget to fall for Jerry—you were there for that one—and she did, and then I had to wish for Cal to fall for Bridget to distract her from Jerry.”

  “You need therapy, babe.”

  “It’s true, every word. I did all the wishes without knowing what I was doing, except the wish for Cal to fall for Bridget. That was on purpose to get her away from Jerry. I was desperate.”

  “I’ve got news for you, Bridget and Cal are in love, and it has nothing to do with you wishing it that way.”

  “That’s because I wished everyone to come to their senses, and they did. Bridget and Cal have been attracted for years, so they came to their senses and realized they were in love.”

  “What the hell does any of it have to do with us?”

  “I wished to have wild sex with you.”

  He grinned. “You did? Well, damn.”

  “Actually, I did it as sarcasm, because I knew I wasn’t your type. But then it happened for real. You fell for me when you normally wouldn’t.”

  “You really think I’m in love with you because of the influence of the moon?”

  “And by tonight it will all be over with, because the moon passes into the next phase, at least that’s what Bridget said. Think about it, Marc. I’m older, live in a small town, and take local pictures. You’re a city boy, on your own, and enjoy the single life. We have great sex together, but we don’t belong together.”

  “We have fun, can talk about anything, like helping people, adore apple pie. The sex is damn terrific. A lot of relationships are built on less, Julia. I’ve dated more than my share of women, and I’ve never felt the way I do about you. For me, you’re the one.”