by Tanya Stowe
His tone and words struck her like a blow. He sounded so dead. She winced with pain and almost reached for him. I take it back. I don’t mean it. Don’t leave me like this…so…so empty.
He moved toward her again.
Relieved, she lifted her hands to grasp him.
Instead, he reached beyond her and grabbed her hat off the seat. His lips tightened, and he ran a finger along the rim. “Once I found the right size, I was going to return this to the costume department and buy one just like it for you. I knew you’d love horses. I could see you riding beside me with that sunny smile on your face, just as it happened this afternoon. I can see a whole lot more for us, Sunny.” He lifted the hat in a futile gesture. “Love happens like that sometimes. Hot, fast, and forever. I know it could be good between us…but not if you can’t see it, too.” He gestured toward her. “I guess you’re gonna get your way. We’ll be slowing things down…way down.” Nodding once, he turned and walked away.
9
Jackson plucked Sunny’s tune on his guitar. The chords faded away. Still no ending. Maybe there never would be. His gaze drifted to the sunset just beyond his deck.
His producer had been asking for a slow ballad to finish off the album. He might be able to turn the riffs he’d created for Sunny into one, but the song wouldn’t be full of the sunshine and happiness he’d tried to recreate.
The outer garage door opened.
Buzz was back from his meeting.
Jackson flipped the pages on the sheet music in front of him and tried to look busy.
A few minutes later, the door in the kitchen opened and paper bags rustled.
“Hey.” Buzz carried two very full bags of groceries.
“Hey. How’d the meeting go?”
“Good actually. It would be a great gig for you. Good money. You could easily fill that amphitheatre in Seattle. But…they want the concert the week after we wrap up shooting here. I figure you’ll want to hang around here for a while so I told them we’d get back to them.”
Jackson paused to watch the sun sink lower into the horizon. “Take it. I don’t want to stick around. I want to get out, maybe spend a few weeks home before we hit the concert tour.”
The shuffling of bags and groceries stopped.
Jackson’s back itched, probably right where Buzz’s stare was boring into him. But he didn’t turn. Didn’t want to answer questions.
“OK.” His cousin drew the word out slowly, meaning he probably wouldn’t leave it at that.
Jackson went back to picking his guitar, hoping the appearance of busyness would forestall any more talk.
The rustling started again. Cabinets banged closed. Then the refrigerator opened. “I bought some great looking ribs. Figured you could fix your special rub for the barbecue after church. Sunny will love them.”
Jackson gritted his teeth. “I don’t think she’ll be coming on Sunday. Something came up.”
The refrigerator door slammed. Bags rustled some more.
Jackson played on. He’d escaped a grilling.
Buzz came into the front room and threw his suit jacket over the back of Jackson’s seat so hard, it whipped the side of Jackson’s head. Then his cousin sat right in front of him, blocking his view of the ocean.
“All right.” Buzz splayed his legs, placed his elbows on his knees and locked his fingers. “What’s going on?”
Jackson shook his head.
“I’m sure you don’t want to discuss it, but I deserve to know. I’ve been enjoying my time with Sunny’s very sweet assistant. I need to know if we’re about to break up. Did you and Sunny have a fight?”
Sighing, Jackson stood his guitar against the couch. “Not exactly.”
“Then what? Last time we talked, you were in hog heaven because you were going to spend the afternoon with her.”
Jackson shrugged one shoulder. “Sunny’s not in as much ‘hog heaven’ as I am.”
Buzz leaned back and looped his arm over the back of the couch. Then he shook his head. “Huh-uh. I don’t buy it. I’ve seen her with you. She’s got it just as bad.”
“That’s what frightens her.”
“So tell her you can be friends. Give her time to get used to the idea of you two.”
“I did. That’s when she really got scared. She says a relationship will destroy all she’s worked to build. The truth is, she’s afraid of falling in love.”
Buzz shrugged. “Understandable, given what you’ve told me about her past.”
“It’s not understandable, Buzz. Not at all. She says she’s worked through her past and set her course for the future. But it’s a future without me…without anyone, from what I can tell.”
“That doesn’t make sense. Sunny’s too much of a people person to be a loner.”
“I agree, but tell her that. The crazy part is that everything about us is right. We enjoy the same things. We have the same goals, the same dreams, and wishes. I just don’t understand how she can’t see that.”
Buzz sighed and leaned forward again. “Look, Jackson. For as long as I can remember, you’ve always known your own mind, known what was right for you. Everyone had a heart attack when you left architectural school. No one believed you were making the right move going into music…not until your record hit number one. Even then, Aunt Bea still had doubts.”
Jackson chuckled. “She still thinks I’ll fall flat on my face.”
“She’s wrong. You’re right. It’s as if you’ve got this missile device that syncs up and never lets you get off track. The rest of us…well, our gauges aren’t always so accurate. We need a little more time to figure out where we’re going.”
Jackson shook his head. “I’m not the one giving up, Buzz. Sunny’s asking for things to slow down, and we’re already crawling. Much slower and we’ll be at a dead stop. We’ll be over before we get in the air.”
“That’s what I’m talking about. That attitude. You’re great at knowing what’s right for you but lousy at being patient with the rest of us. You’ve already starting writing Sunny out of your life. You’re making plans to leave. Going home to lick your wounds. For heaven sake, man, give her a little more time. If she’s truly the woman of your dreams, she deserves that, doesn’t she?”
Jackson didn’t want to admit that Buzz was right. He’d been so disappointed and surprised by Sunny’s withdrawal that he’d reacted badly. If she was the “one”—and he knew in his bones that she was—she deserved more time. A second, maybe even a third chance. He glanced at his cousin.
Buzz tilted his head. “What’s that look for?”
Jackson smiled. “I’m just trying to figure out when annoying turned into wise.”
Buzz laughed and lunged to his feet. “Better be nice to me. I’m going for a burger, and I might not bring one home for you.” He headed for the kitchen. “Since you can’t show your face in the fast food joint down the street, you’re in danger of starving.”
Jackson made a rude noise. “You think I can’t use my shock and awe, huh? Just watch me.” Rising to his feet, he followed after his cousin. “And I’m driving. You’re a speed demon.”
Buzz’s laughter floated behind him as he dashed for the door in an effort to beat Jackson to the garage.
~*~
“Thank you from the bottom of my heart.” Jody Highland grasped Sunny’s hands and squeezed.
“We were happy to put this shower together. I didn’t do it by myself. Mariana helped. Really, it was a group effort.”
“Right.” Jody made a face and glanced at Amanda standing beside Sunny. “We all know you’re the driving force around here.”
Amanda nodded vigorously, and Jody laughed. “See! Even your hard-working assistant agrees. But, seriously, thank you. This shower has been absolutely fabulous.” She gestured to the set—minus an audience but filled with cast and crew. Jody’s favorite cake, chocolate with peanut butter frosting, sat on a table center stage. Another table overflowed with presents. Large, clear balloons with smaller b
aby-shaped balloons inside dotted the area.
“Well, it won’t be so fabulous if one of those balloons escapes and rises to the rafters. The tech crew will have to get the heavy equipment out to get it down, and my name will be mud.”
Jody laughed. “No, it won’t. They love you just as much as the rest of us. But I wasn’t talking about the baby shower. I meant thank you for convincing me to come on the show.”
A star of both stage and screen, Jody wouldn’t be returning to Rising Stars after the hiatus. She was taking a few months off to spend time with her newborn baby and husband.
“I was against the idea of coming on the show in the beginning but being a judge here has actually given my career a shot in the arm. Before this, I would have been terribly worried about taking time off. But now, thanks to you, and the show’s success, I can be home and not worry. The atmosphere here has been so good…I’ve made friends for a lifetime. Did you know Mariana will be the baby’s godmother?”
Sweet pleasure drifted through Sunny. But she spoke in a deadpan manner. “No? Really? Mariana’s only said it about fifty times a day for the last week.”
Jody laughed. “I know. Who would have thought the Latin bombshell would be so excited about being my baby’s godmother?”
“I’m glad it’s worked out so well…for both of you. I’m happy.”
Jody gave her a fierce hug. Then she hugged Amanda, too.
As they said their good-byes, Sunny’s gaze drifted across the set to Jackson.
He stood far away, engrossed in a conversation with the director. They’d finished the day’s taping just before the shower, so he was still in his habitual dark jeans, white shirt and cowboy hat. He looked…wonderful. The sight of him sent a sharp pain shooting through her. Three weeks ago he’d left her standing in the parking lot of the stables.
Three miserable weeks.
True to his word, he’d slowed their relationship down. When they met on the set, they spoke politely, even laughed a little. But he hadn’t called her. They’d had no private meetings, no special touches. Not even one of his heated glances. He’d been the perfect “friend,” and Sunny had felt every ragged minute of their separation.
She’d never been this unhappy in her life. Not even when her father had been at his worst. In those days, her mother was always there to comfort her and to remind her there was a light at the end of the tunnel. A part of Sunny understood that someday her father would be gone and they would be free to move on with their lives.
But that was the thought that hurt her the most now. Someday, maybe very soon, Jackson would be gone, and he would take the sunshine with him.
“You’re getting too good at these little white lies.”
“Excuse me?” Sunny turned to Amanda.
“Little white lies. You told Jody you were happy. We both know that’s not true.”
Sunny released a pent-up breath. “I am happy for Jody and Mariana. So sticking to my path has its own compensations.”
Brody broke off from a nearby group and sauntered toward them. One hand looped in his cargo pants’ pocket and the other gripped around a paper cup, he looked casual and simple. But with his sun-tipped, tousled hair and loose-limbed walk, there was nothing casual about the man. Sexy, definitely, but simple…never.
Amanda released a sigh. “Well, for most women that particular compensation would be a dream come true.”
A crew member called Amanda’s name and gestured her over.
She waved back. Turning to Sunny, she spoke in a low tone. “But we know he’s not your dream, and the sooner you deal with that the better.”
Her friend hurried away, but her words burned into Sunny. Amanda was right. It was time to deal with Brody.
Jackson had been missing from her life, but Brody had been her constant companion. They’d met for lunch off the set. Had multiple dinner dates. They’d even taken a drive up to Big Bear so Brody could look at a mountain home on the lake.
The whole time she’d toured the six-bedroom, five-bath “cabin” on the beautiful blue lake surrounded by pine trees, all she could think about was how much Jackson would love it. Horseback riding in the hills behind the mansion-sized cabin would be heavenly.
She’d done as Brody asked. She’d given him another chance, but they’d spent enough time together for her to know that she cared for him only as a friend. She needed to settle that situation.
Brody tilted the paper cup toward her. “Congratulations on another rousing success. You can add one more notch to your belt.”
She frowned and gave a little laugh. “I’d hardly call a baby shower a successful business accomplishment.”
“I was referring to the season. The finals are two weeks away, and I hear we’ve been nominated for the Viewer’s Award.”
The Viewer’s Award came from a highly respected organization. They chose their nominees with rigid, strictly monitored popularity polls. If they were giving Rising Stars an award, it meant their popularity with viewers was the real deal and not number-shuffled.
“How do you know we’re getting an award?”
“I have my sources.”
Brody did have connections throughout the industry. His easy-going facade made him a popular guest on all the talk shows. He amazed Sunny with his knowledge of the industry’s best-kept secrets.
She started to ask him about his source when a shriek stopped her. Across the set, Amanda jumped up and down, waving a manila envelope. “We’re number one! Viewer’s Award named us the number-one reality show on television!”
“Told you so,” Brody murmured from beside her.
Sunny took a deep breath.
Amanda ran toward her waving the manila envelope. “This came from Lou Stockard’s office earlier, but I was too busy with the party setup to read it.” She handed the envelope to Sunny as the director and crew surrounded her.
Sunny read the letter out loud, and then the attached sticky note from Lou. He wanted Sunny to accompany all of the judges to the black-tie affair next week.
But Stockard knew full well that Jody was declining all invitations due to her pregnancy, and Mariana was leaving on her world tour.
That left Jackson and Brody for Sunny to escort.
Which was Lou’s plan all along. He wanted the duo’s rivalry and the rumors of a romance between Jackson and Sunny to be put front and center, on display on the red carpet.
Sunny gritted her teeth. Stockard was manipulating their relationships, exploiting their emotions in a mix, hoping to create a chemical reaction, some outburst, some drama that would create interest and ensure the viewers came back next season.
Straightening her spine, she handed Brody his vellum-wrapped invitation. He accepted it with a wink and a salute. This type of thing was right up his alley, but Sunny detested it.
She turned to their director. “Don, I think you should be the one to escort our judges.”
He shook his head with a wry smile. “Sorry, Sunny. No can do. Orders are for you to accept the honor.”
Orders. Her old friend understood exactly what Stockard was trying to do.
“Thanks, Don.” She barely kept the sarcastic tone out of her response. He lifted one shoulder in another wry gesture.
Pasting a smile on her face, she looked around for Jackson. He stood behind a few of the crewmembers with that little frown between his brows—the one that told her he wasn’t happy about the situation either.
10
Sunny oversaw the cleanup of the set. She sent Amanda home early for a much-deserved rest. Sometimes she thought she liked the set best when it was half dark and quiet, just a few tech people working the lights and moving furniture. She cut pieces of the cake and placed it on plates for them to take home to their families. There wasn’t much left. The mountains of food were almost gone. Every aspect of the shower had been a great success. She wiped the last of the frosting from her fingers and dumped the package into a nearby trash container.
“That’s it, Ms. Bates. W
e’ll take it from here. Go on home.” John, the head of security smiled at her. “I’ll lock up.”
He was over six-foot-tall and rather intimidating, but Sunny called him Gentle John. She’d never heard him say a cross word or raise his voice…not that he needed to, given his size. Still, she had a special place for him and the other members of the crew.
Quiet times like this never failed to remind her how many people worked on the show. Not just the judges and competitors, but the makeup artists and costumers, right down to the janitors and security folks stepping onto the set now. All of them relied on the success of the show to maintain their jobs.
Responsibility stiffened her spine, made her stand up straighter and push aside the empty ache that had settled in the pit of her stomach. She doubted the painful sting of missing Jackson would go away for a long time, but knowing she’d helped these folks did a lot to ease it.
“You’re right. I’ve done enough.” She gave John’s arm a squeeze and headed to the stage manager’s desk for her purse. Shouldering it, she waved to the janitors folding the last of the tables and walked off of the lighted set.
Quite a distance away, one bright exit sign lit the door. The huge, empty sound stage floor echoed with the tap of her heels. The shadows held unused chairs and set pieces, carefully stacked on each side.
The lit sign above the exit door was just a few feet away when a shadow moved and stepped away from one of the stacks, straight into her path.
“Brody! What are you doing lurking in the shadows?”
“Lurking in the shadows, what else?”
Sunny laughed. “I got that. Why did you wait for me?”
He reached across the space between them and flipped a lock of her hair off her shoulder. Then he let his fingers trail down her arm. When they reached her waist, his hands slid around her and pulled her uncomfortably close. “I didn’t like the idea of you going home alone.”
Alarm bells started ringing. “I always go home alone, and you know that.”
