by Amy Lignor
The big body squirmed in his seat. "I don't want to talk about this anymore."
"Your favorite line," I mumbled.
"And your gift is flying out doors."
"Well," I laughed. "We could call ourselves, The League of Deflection."
"That could be a good book."
"Hell with a book—I say big screen all the way!"
Bobby laughed, as we turned onto the long gravel drive that would take us back to the lovely cottage in the woods.
"Oh," Bobby added. "You do make damn fine cookies, woman. So that is definitely another reason to stick here with you."
I lowered my eyelids and gave him my best attempt at a sexy stare. "That's my diabolical plan, man. Draw them in with cookies and they never leave."
The gasp he released made me sit up and look around, wondering if some creepy guy had come out of the woods.
"So God does hear the gay man's prayers," he whispered.
"What?"
The gravel spewed out behind my car's tires as it suddenly jerked forward and came to a sudden stop. Following Bobby's gaze, I looked up at the porch that I knew so well, never expecting that two extremely handsome men would be sitting there waiting.
~ His ~
"Maybe your friend Nicole gave us the wrong address on purpose. She didn't seem all that amiable."
I shook my head at Christopher, trying not to feel like a voyeur staring into the windows of the beautiful home. "No. This is it." It was the perfect setting for the perfect female.
"Why are we here again?" Chris asked.
I sighed. "I told you. You need some rest and relaxation, and I need some help with the job I've taken on."
"Help from the hot writer?" His light voice became a bit higher as the sarcastic note shone through. "Aren't directors supposed to do that?"
I rolled my eyes and focused on the beautiful picture sitting on the huge mantle inside the comfortable living room. I could see Beth and Bobby's faces framed in the silver ornament, smiling as they held up a copy of her book. They were surrounded by a group of friends that looked like they were celebrating in a cozy bar. I smiled. It almost resembled a scene from Cheers, with all the happy faces and beers in hand saluting the unknown cameraman. "Looks like a fun crew."
"Hello?" Chris shouted at me.
I sighed. "Yes, a director is supposed to do that. But Beth's in charge of her own work and I want to make sure I know exactly what she's looking for from the performance."
He grinned. "And you need help acting?"
I sat down beside him on the porch, trying not to send out a chuckle as I focused on the bowtie he wore that looked as if it'd survived the days of ragtime. "This role will make people really see what I have to offer; sometimes I hide behind the 'song and dance man' and I want to show more."
Chris nodded and patted my shoulder, always offering the supportive ear. "It's good to see you, you know. Hollywood must get to you after a while."
I shrugged. "Some of its fun. I mean, the sun, the beaches—life is pretty mellow and relaxed after the pace of New York, but I do miss things like this."
"Trees?" Chris laughed.
"Silence, peace, anonymity, I guess." I looked around at the humongous trees and watched the fireflies blink in the warm air. "Nature…the wild is stunning."
Chris grinned. "I don't think wealthy Connecticut is exactly the wild."
"I know," I shot a glance over my shoulder into the dimly-lit living room. "But it seems like a really peaceful place."
Chris tilted his head to the side. "You like her." His voice was completely serious.
"She's beautiful," I agreed.
"Noooo." Chris studied my face. "You like her, like her."
My heart sped up in my chest. "She's got a kind heart. I mean, she's doing a great deal for a child who isn't even related to her. And think about it, she could have all the fame we do but chooses to stay out of the spotlight so that the focus remains on these kids. I think that's amazing."
Chris sent me an odd look. "I thought you were dating someone. Didn't I read in the press that you were dating…some actress?"
A slight stab of guilt hit my chest. "I am…casually. I mean, we're not exclusive or anything. She has her life and career and I have mine. I never thought about 'settling down,' you know? At least, not yet."
Chris grinned. "And after meeting Beth Carrier, marrying this casual girlfriend would feel more like 'settling' than actually 'settling down?'"
I sighed. "Maybe after hearing her story I just feel protective…like a bodyguard who would keep the stalkers away if people found out who she was."
"I think that Bobby guy is her bodyguard."
I saw the small fidget come from Chris's now slightly uncomfortable figure.
I smiled to myself. "Yeah. I liked the guy. I got a chance to talk to him when that lady pulled me to lunch."
"Sooo, what was he like?"
I sat back against the porch column and stared at my friend. Chris had always been way too trusting. But this one, Bobby Morrison, I had a really good feeling about. "Well, the chicks in Bryant Park seemed to think he was good looking." I smiled at him
He snorted. "They were probably staring at you."
"Not all of them." I grew serious. "He seems really nice, friendly; he deals with that agent pretty well and I liked what he said when he went to get his lunch."
"What was that?" The interest grew in Chris's eyes.
"I asked him to come with me because I would probably need a bodyguard to keep me safe from Nicole. Bobby told me he was there in the capacity of bodyguard, but not mine. I think he knew Beth was going to spill the fact that she's this beloved, Lily Stone, and he wanted to make sure I wasn't going to run out the doors and shout it to the world. I think they're very close."
"A good friend then," Chris commented.
I nodded. "Certainly loyal."
Chris looked up at the sky. "I liked Star. I mean Lily…Beth. She's got a lot of names to remember."
"It's just Beth."
"She's my kind of lady." Chris grinned. "For a woman who took a tumble in that fab outfit, she didn't even worry about stains, scuffs, or anything. She was way more worried that she hurt you. That's a sign of a fashionista mixed with a good, old-fashioned girl. A nice combination."
I felt the tingle inside me. "Yeah…unique."
The small noises coming from the wooded area, the lapping of a brook somewhere out there in the darkness—everything seemed to draw to a whisper when the noise of a car came barreling up the driveway. As it crested the hill, the headlights beamed on Chris and me.
Watching Beth straighten in her seat, I inhaled a breath, wishing I could somehow find a way to exhale before I again ended up looking like a total geek.
As Beth stepped from the car looking completely confused my heart started beating fast, wondering if this surprise visit would turn out to be the worst idea I'd ever had.
~ Hers ~
Bobby turned off the ignition. "Ahhh…what do we do now?"
The beer buzz was still with me and the laugh came out before I could stop it. "Get out of the car, stupid."
I'm really not sure what Hops does to hormones. I mean, I'm not really a drinker; I've always been way too afraid that I'd get lost in all these story ideas bouncing around in my head and end up forgetting my own name.
Standing up straight and tall, I walked toward the strange duo standing on my lawn.
"Hey there," I said, nodding at the men and offering a smile. "What are you doing here?"
Matt stepped forward, more handsome than I remembered him; his emerald eyes seemed to sparkle under the light coming from the porch.
Walking toward me, he stopped for a brief moment and took a deep breath. I suddenly wondered if he was allergic to the massive trees. A lot of people suffered from that up here.
But he finally exhaled and took another few steps. "Sorry to surprise you like this. I thought that I would need your help with the material. You know…to make
it as good as possible. Now that I've taken it on I don't want to screw it up."
"So you drove here? How did you get here so fast?"
"We stopped at the bar," Bobby answered from behind me. "Hey Chris," he added, sending a slightly nervous wave to our other unexpected guest.
I looked over at Chris who seemed to be gravitating toward my best friend, as they teamed up and walked back to the porch steps. The breeze drifted across the back of my neck and woke me a bit from my trance. "Um…well, I'll certainly help, but I'm not sure how. I mean, you're a professional actor, I have no idea what I would be useful for."
I felt the soft hand on mine before I saw it, yet another move I should have seen coming. Damn beer! Taking a quick step back, I circled around him and headed for the porch. "So, how did you find the house?"
I looked down at the key in my hand and shook my head. "Forget it. Nicole, I would assume?"
Matthew offered that deep, low laugh. "Yeah."
"She thought you needed my help?"
He shrugged.
Opening the door, I immediately smelled the lavender scent that always reminded me of where I was and that I was completely safe. Praising myself for having cleaned it before we'd left for the city last week, I invited them inside.
Bobby grabbed the bags, and escorted Chris into my lair.
Throwing the keys on the table, I turned to face the actor who'd granted me a favor. "Sorry about her. Nicole's a little overbearing at times, but you really didn't have to come all the way out here. I mean, you're probably exhausted after the day you guys had."
As if on cue, a small yawn came from Chris. "Just a little." He smiled at me. "It's peaceful here, I have to say. Very quiet."
"It's called boring." I smiled back.
"No," his small voice was suddenly filled with the power of truth. "No. It's serene."
Matt agreed, "Compared to L.A. and New York, this place is like Paradise."
Obviously sensing my loss for intelligent words, as I continued to stare at the man who I was finding it impossible to turn away from, Bobby spoke, "I'm really sorry, guys. There's a huge Inn down the road but check-in is before seven. We really are small up here."
"Then why such a big Inn?" Chris asked.
"A lot of New Yorkers come our way for the weekend. They give big parties and invite their friends."
Chris raised an eyebrow. "Really?
Bobby shrugged. "Something about having a Connecticut home. I suppose we took over after the Hampton's kind of lost cool points."
Matt looked around the room. "This is a beautiful property."
"It was my grandparent's house, actually. I just added on after they went up," I replied.
"Went up where?" Chris asked, rubbing his hand softly over the antique wood of my grandmother's table.
"Paradise," I replied.
Chris offered a truly sweet smile. "Sorry, dumb question. I love this table."
"My grandfather made that. It was his wedding present to her."
Matt's eyes moved over the hand-carved ornaments. "How long were they married?"
"Sixty-five years."
Matt took a step back. "Wow! And your parents?"
"Less, unfortunately." I turned away, suddenly feeling very odd about spilling my life to a complete stranger. "Anyway, as Bobby was saying, there's one Inn but it's most likely booked seeing as its Thursday night and the weekenders will be heading in." I swallowed hard, feeling extremely uncomfortable. "You'll probably want to go back to the city."
"Ha!" Chris snorted. "No room at the Inn. That's funny."
I giggled.
"Sorry," he said, "I'm a tad tired."
"They can stay here."
My gaze flew to Bobby. "What?"
"They could stay here. You have two extra bedrooms—with baths. It's not a problem."
My heart seemed to climb into my throat, as the wail of a warning siren went off in my head. I was trapped. "Of course you can stay the night." I turned back to Matt with what I hoped was a convincing smile. "You shouldn't drive these back country roads in the dark if you're not used to them."
I immediately turned to my so-called friend, and said sweetly, "I meant, they'll want to go back to the city tomorrow."
Bobby stared at Chris. "But you can stay longer, if you want."
Matt immediately put up his hand and stepped forward. "Look, Beth, we didn't come up here to beg a room, I swear. And we would certainly never presume to invite ourselves into your home."
"You didn't man, I invited you," Bobby said. Without another word, my friend lifted their bags and marched up the stairs, with Chris following behind.
Matt shrugged. "Sorry about this."
I shook my head slowly. "Don't be silly. You're certainly…welcome. Umm…but, just so you know, it is really boring here. There's not a lot to do for fun."
His smile grew. "I'm not here for fun, just work."
Being just a step away, I could actually feel the heat coming from his skin as he took my hand. "Your words about Amber and those kids meant a lot to me. You're taking a leap of faith by not keeping the other guy who's got a whole lot more job credits than I do. I want to make you and Amber proud."
The voice inside was screaming at me to say something, anything. The upside was I knew Matt was all about Amber, and any 'heat' or hormones I felt could simply be blamed on the beer, and would be gone tomorrow.
"Well…I'll show you to your room."
He bowed at the waist. "After you."
As I marched up the stairs with absolutely no idea of what to say next, I should've known it was a terrible idea for them to stay. You see, when a writer is out of words, they are seriously screwed.
Seven
~ His ~
I know. It was awful to invite ourselves. And what made it even worse was the fact that Chris and I had made it to Beth's hometown well before seven and had found the Inn. But, no, I'm not going to say I regretted my choice one little bit.
When I walked into the house and was hit full in the face with the light lavender scent, I almost felt like I was home. Really. I expected my loving parents to come around the corner of the kitchen I spied at the other end of the hall. I expected Mom to run into my arms and give me a big hug, and I expected Dad to appear on the couch, watch the game with me, and tell me everything that was going on with his job—a job I seriously admired because he really helped people. In fact, he was a lot like Beth. They both had a penchant for 'home, hearth and family.' I knew he'd like her.
When we followed Beth into the dining room the table was the first thing I saw. I heard the small gasp come from Chris and he was right, it was stunning. Her grandfather must've been a master carpenter to create that—yet another skill I would love to learn. In fact, I always wanted to make a rocking chair for my Mom; one of those hand-tooled items that are so stunning even a nine-month pregnant lady who's about to burst could sit in it and feel comfortable.
Sixty-five years? Beth certainly came from a solid family. But the slight sadness that passed through her eyes when I mentioned her parents made me feel guilty. It certainly wasn't something I should be privileged to know—at least not yet.
I did give myself points. I gave Beth a chance to overrule her best friend, so it's not all my fault. Maybe in the morning she'd change her mind and throw us out. But for now I was in Beth's world and somehow—out of the blue—it was exactly where I wanted to be. This woman was a puzzle, and I needed to figure her out.
Following her up the staircase I tried my absolute best not to check out any body parts swaying before me. Finding it more and more difficult to keep my gaze off the amazing legs, I stopped, took a deep breath and stared at the pictures covering the walls. I found myself smiling at the two little girls in their father's lap, looking up at him like he was the king of all he surveyed.
There was another beautiful photo of what had to be Beth's Mom and Dad. Her father wore the smile of a man who worked hard for a family he truly loved. While Mom…well, Mom wa
s only slightly different than the woman before me. Instead of the thick, wavy mass of dark auburn hair that framed Beth's stunning face, Mom's was straight as an arrow, but the brown eyes were filled with fire as she looked at her beloved husband. It was a picture of true love.
I looked down the hallway to where Beth stood, leaning up against the wall and smiling. "You're into family pictures?"
"Yeah, actually," I replied. "Reminds me of home."
She walked back to me, making my heart race in my chest. Lifting her hand, she pointed to a small picture of a huge dog. "That's Jo-Jo. He was my protector."
I grinned. "I wouldn't have messed with him."
Pointing at the picture of the two small girls on Dad's lap, Beth continued, "That's me and my sister, Marie. She's two years older. Real pain in the butt," she laughed.
"Why's that?"
"She has a gift of over-talking you, so if you want to get your point out you need to be really fast. Actually," she said, tilting her head to the side, "she did get me primed for Nicole."
I pointed to a picture of a woman in a lovely white dress standing beside a tall man who looked more than a bit like Tim McGraw. "Your sister?"
"And her husband, Keith." She pointed at the same couple standing with two children. "Maia and Ryan—my niece and nephew. They're great. Ryan is the kindest soul and Maia has my attitude."
"She's sweet and quiet, huh?" I grinned.
"Ha!" Beth threw her head back and sent the soft waves flying all around her face. "You really are going to get an education. We are both beyond determined and want nothing more than to be a burden on society. Actually, she could probably take over Nicole's business one day. That is one girl who could give old Nic a run for her money in the smartass department."
I wanted to hug her. I know that sounds ridiculous, but all I wanted was to take the beautiful lady before me into my arms and find a safe and extraordinary place to live.
Clearing her throat, Beth took a step back. "You can have the room at the end of the hall. I figure since you're a sunshine bum from California, you should have that one. The light shines in there in the mornings and it's just beautiful."
