Not so much what he said, but what he didn’t.
“You talk about what I deserve but what I feel like you’re saying is…” She met his gaze and nearly stopped talking.
He was staring at her. No...he was looking straight through her. All the way inside her. Surely he had to see how much she cared, how much she felt, how much she loved him.
Her mouth went dry.
“What I’m not saying is...what?” he prompted.
She shrugged awkwardly. “Sometimes it feels like you think you don’t deserve amazing opportunities and new chances.”
His gaze never wavered.
“Am I wrong?”
The buzzer at the front door interrupted—if he was going to respond at all. Alice was half convinced James could go for an eternity just staring at her like that—like he had all the time in the world to stand there and listen to her babble.
“I’d better go get that,” he said.
She nodded. “It’s got to be Liam.”
Liam had offered to go with her tonight. She was convinced he’d offered out of sympathy since she was so clearly a fish out of water. James was convinced he’d been hitting on her.
Either way, they were going together, which was fine except…
She ran back into the bathroom and leaned over the sink as a wave of nausea struck. This was more than mere nerves. This was a level up from the sort of anxiety that used to plague her as a teen after her parents’ accident.
This was terror, plain and simple.
She met her own reflection and ordered her hands into action, reaching for her makeup bag as she whispered to herself to relax.
She blamed Katy’s teasing words the day before for her tension. Welcome to LA, where it’s every man for himself.
In that moment, Alice had never felt lonelier or more out of place. All her life she’d been dreaming about moving to a big city, but those dreams were filled with fun and adventure, safely in her imagination as she did her chores on the ranch.
Reality? This was a whole other beast.
What if she didn’t belong here? What if she was out of her league? What if she let Katy down and made a fool of herself and—
“How’s it going in there?” James called from the other side of the door.
“Help.” It came out as a squeak and for a moment she forgot all about her unrequited love and just focused on the fact that James was here—her best friend. Her moral support.
Her home.
She threw open the door. “Help,” she said again, quieter this time.
His brows drew together in concern. “Alice, I’d love to help but I don’t know the first thing about makeup.”
She glanced down at the eyeshadow brush in her hand and let out a nervous hiccup of a laugh. “No, you dope, I meant…” She looked up at him again. “Come with me.”
“What?”
“To the gala.”
He was already shaking his head. “What? No. No, I can’t—”
She reached out and gripped his arm. “Please, James. I can’t do this by myself.”
“You’ll have Liam—” He winced as he said it, no doubt thinking what she was thinking. That Liam would leave her side in a heartbeat if he saw a chance to hobnob with a VIP.
“Please, James.” She just barely refrained from clasping her hands together in front of her chest in all-out pleading.
He looked pained but he let out a long exhale. “Fine.”
Chapter Eight
There were so many things James hated about this particular moment, he wasn’t even sure where to begin.
First there was Liam. Or rather, Liam’s leering. Sure, Alice looked amazing all dolled up in a dress and with her hair up and her makeup done in a way he’d never even known she was capable.
But did Liam really have to keep fawning like this?
“I mean it, Alice. You’re going to knock ‘em dead.” Liam was grinning at her in a way that James thought to be patronizing, but what did he know?
Alice was eating it up.
“You really think so?” She accepted Liam’s hand to get out of the passenger side as he unfolded himself from the back seat.
Why he couldn’t just bring his truck was anyone’s guess.
Liam had insisted.
And now Liam was at it again, raving about her hair and the dress, using this schmoozy tone that made James dream of violence.
Of course she was beautiful. There was no doubt about that. No one could deny it.
But Alice was always beautiful, with or without makeup. If Liam didn’t recognize that he didn’t deserve to be her date.
But then again, maybe James was her date.
The thought made his chest tighten and the old suit he’d brought along in case they went out to a nice dinner felt like it no longer fit right.
Was he her date? Or was Liam her date and James was her...what? Her security blanket? Her backup date?
He gave his head a shake. It didn’t matter what the term was, he’d said he’d come for moral support and that’s what he was doing here. Liam offered Alice an arm to escort her inside this swanky restaurant. From where they stood they could hear music coming from the rooftop.
“That’s us,” Liam said.
Alice accepted his arm and James trailed behind, blinking furiously when a flash went off in his eyes.
“See?” Liam said to Alice. “You look so hot they’re confusing you for an actress.”
Alice laughed and turned to face him. He could barely smile back, narrowing his eyes instead at the photographers who lined the red carpet leading to the restaurant’s entrance.
He nearly lost her the moment they joined the crowd on the rooftop, but he made sure to stick close because he didn’t miss the way she kept glancing back over her shoulder at him, as if reassuring herself that he was still there.
But, of course...not for long.
Just as he’d expected, Alice eventually found her groove. He could all but see the nerves fading away as her natural exuberant excited self took over. It wasn’t long before he was able to avoid the schmoozing and small talk altogether as she was drawn into conversation after conversation and soon found her confidence.
He found a small standing table near the railing and made himself comfortable, ready to watch Alice dazzle these patrons with her quick wit, her light laughter, her irresistible charm.
He wasn’t alone for long, though.
“Well, look what we have here?” A slender woman with brilliant red hair leaned against the table next to him. “I hear you’re a bona fide cowboy.”
He gave a start before his gaze found Liam, who was still standing next to Alice. Liam lifted his glass with a satisfied grin.
James just barely held back a sigh. “Yes, ma’am.”
“Ma’am.” She laughed loudly. “I don’t love the sound of that.”
James was reminded of the day before at the spa. He really had to cut out the ma’ams and sirs if he ever meant to fit in.
Not that he needed to. He wouldn’t be here long enough to try and fit in.
“Sorry—” He cut off the ‘ma’am’ just in time.
“Roger, look who we have here.” The woman called to an older man behind him and within minutes his nice little isolated table was a hotspot.
He looked around for Alice and caught sight of her chatting animatedly with a laughing brunette.
Hannah, maybe? He peered closer. No. No luck yet.
He tuned out most of the chitchat going on around him until he heard Hannah’s name. “I haven’t seen her yet. Poor dear. Do you think she’s seen the news?”
All ‘poor dears’ aside, the woman talking sounded more eager than put out that Hannah’s love life had been demolished.
“I haven’t seen her at all tonight, either,” the redhead said. “Poor thing probably couldn’t bring herself to show her face.”
“Actually—” All eyes were on him and he shifted uncomfortably at the attention. “She was held up on loc
ation.”
They all stared at him. He said a prayer that the lie would suffice because there was no way he could elaborate. This lie was bad enough, but it was what Liam had told them to say if people were wondering about her whereabouts.
His muscles tensed as he waited to see if they bought it.
They did, already moving on to the next topic before he could give a sigh of relief.
Unfortunately, that next topic…? It was him.
“And where did they find you?” one of the women asked.
“Uh…” Find him? What did that even mean?
The older gentleman saved him by asking him a question about his day-to-day activities on the ranch. To his surprise the older man seemed genuinely interested and soon he was fielding more questions than he could handle.
When a hand settled on his back, he stilled, forgetting all about the conversation going on around him as a familiar scent hit his nostrils and a voice he’d know anywhere hit his ears.
“There you are, James.”
He turned to see Alice smiling up at him. Stunning. She was always beautiful but tonight...tonight she outshone every star here.
He steered her slightly away from the crowded table where they could talk. “Any sign of Hannah?”
She shook her head, her smile fading. “Nothing yet, I’m afraid. But everyone seems to be buying this tale about her being stuck on location.”
He nodded. “Good. Buying her some time might be all we can do for her at this point.”
She nodded in agreement but her expression was pained. “I just wish I knew where she was. I’m worried about her.”
The fact that she was worried about a woman she’d never even met…?
He supposed it was no wonder he’d fallen for Alice. Who wouldn’t?
She half turned to face the crowd, leaning against him slightly. “How are you holding up?”
He shrugged before giving in to temptation and wrapping the arm she’d been leaning against around her bare shoulders. “I’m doing fine.”
She tipped her head back to look at him. “From where I was standing you seemed to be doing better than fine.” Her eyes sparkled with laughter. “You seemed like the belle of the ball.”
He cocked an eyebrow at that. “Belle of the ball, huh?”
She laughed at his feigned annoyance. “You know what I mean. Everyone wants to talk to you.”
He smiled down at her. “Well, I was happy for the save.”
She winked. “My pleasure. I’d figured you were at your limit for small talk about two hours ago.”
“I’d reached my limit for small talk before we’d walked through the front doors.”
Her laughter had the people around them turning to look with smiles on their faces. Alice’s laugh had that effect.
She leaned against him a little more and he tightened his grip on her. “So, how are you holding up?”
She sighed. “Well, I’m exhausted and my feet are killing me. But other than that, it’s been a great night. I’ve met so many people who’re interested in learning more about Katy’s company.”
“That’s fantastic, Alice.”
She made a contented sound as she snuggled up against him and for a while they stood there in silence on the sidelines, taking in the celebrities and the champagne toasts, and the sparkling jewels.
“Toto, we’re not in Kansas anymore,” she said under her breath.
He chuckled softly before leaning down to talk directly into her ear. “Did you just refer to me as a dog?”
He felt it. Just before she burst out in a laugh, he felt a little shiver race through her.
It couldn’t have been the weather. It was a warm night and with all the people crowded around, it felt that much warmer. Did she feel that spark that he felt each and every time she was near?
“I’d thought I’d lost you two!” Liam’s voice brought James back to reality with a jolt.
He frowned at the other man, who wasn’t even pretending to have eyes for anything or anyone but Alice. “You about ready to call it a night?”
Alice nodded and he felt a wave of relief that this interminable night might be ending soon.
“It’s too bad Hannah didn’t show,” Liam said, craning his neck as though Hannah may have walked in during the two seconds he’d taken his eyes off the door.
“She will,” Alice said. “From all that Claire and Katy have told me about her, she’s too strong to go into hiding forever.”
“Yeah, you’re probably right,” Liam said.
“She’s had her heart broken,” Alice continued. “She probably just needed some time and space to lick her wounds. She’ll come back around once she’s ready.”
Liam’s gaze flew back to her. “Spoken like a woman who’s had some experience with heartache. You wouldn't be calling on firsthand experience, now would you?”
Liam’s tone was teasing and Alice laughed, but James didn’t miss the way her cheeks pinkened.
His mind went reeling back five years to that night...that epic night when everything had changed.
The night he’d never in his life be able to forget.
The night of their first and only kiss.
She’d moved on so quickly. She’d seemed so fine only months later, back to being her easygoing self and treating him like another brother. She’d had no trouble moving on…
Had she?
For the first time in a long time he let himself remember how hard it had been those first few months after she’d left. She hadn’t come back to visit right away, said she’d needed time to settle in.
But now he had to wonder if that was the only reason she’d stayed away or if maybe...maybe she’d suffered as much as he had after that fateful night.
He stared down at her pink cheeks, but she didn’t turn to look at him. In fact, she seemed to be studiously avoiding looking his way as she turned the topic and struck up a new conversation with Liam.
“We should get going,” Alice finally said, linking her arm through his as Liam set off to say his goodbyes. “This Cinderella is about to turn into a pumpkin.”
He laughed. “I don’t think she was the one who turned into a pumpkin.”
She waved his logic aside. “I like that image better than turning into a stepsister who cleans the house in rags.” She pretended to shudder. “Or rather, the sister who mucks out stalls in her old ratty jeans.”
He laughed because he knew she was joking, but there was a truth in that statement that he’d do best not to ignore.
She was staying here where she belonged.
He was going back home where he belonged.
No matter what happened five years ago, there was no changing those two facts so harping on the past was a fruitless endeavor.
“Hey, cowboy!” The older gentleman who’d asked all the questions earlier that night reached his side just as they were about to enter the elevator bank to take them to the ground floor.
The silver-haired man with the bright white smile handed him a business card. “If you ever think about bringing your horsemanship to the big screen, you let me know. I’m always on the lookout for trainers and stuntmen to work on my shows.”
James said thanks and they both waited until he walked away before bursting out in a laugh.
“Who on earth was that?” Alice asked.
He shrugged. “I have no idea.”
Chapter Nine
Alice leaned against the couch with her legs stretched out in front of her on the floor. “How did I never know you were such a good cook?”
He smiled at her over the counter that separated the kitchen from the living area. “You and your brothers always beat me to it in the kitchen.”
She shrugged. “It’s not my fault you get up so late, sleepyhead.”
His chuckle reached her even though it was so low and rumbly it was almost silent. But she’d heard it and the sound warmed her all the way through.
“Sleepyhead, huh?” he teased. They both knew that he
was up before dawn most days to take care of the animals, while she was the one who tended to sleep in.
But those chores typically did mean that she didn’t see him until after breakfast. She shook her head. “All these years and I’ve been missing out on killer omelets right under my nose.”
He laughed. “Trust me, I don’t make omelets any day of the week.” He shot her a cute sidelong look. “And not for just anyone, either.”
Yup, her heart just melted in her chest. Gah! It was too hard to breathe when he was being all sweet and flirty like this. “I guess I’d better not get used to it then, huh?” Why she had to go and ruin her happy moment like that, she couldn’t quite say. Apparently she had a masochistic side, and it seemed to be rearing its ugly head a lot this week.
He nodded slowly, his own smile fading as well. “Yeah, I’ll have to head back eventually, I suppose.”
“Any idea when?”
His head came up and she forced her smile back in place. Had he heard that pathetic note of desperation? She hoped not.
“I mean, not that you’re not welcome here,” she hurried on with a grin. “But I imagine you’re needed back at the ranch.”
He nodded slowly but his gaze never left hers. “They’ll manage for a little while. I won’t go anywhere so long as you need me.”
Oh. Well, okay then. Those ridiculous, irrational butterflies burst into action. Stupid little suckers had no notion that it was pointless to get all worked up just because James was being nice.
He was her best friend. Of course he was being nice.
“Well, you might not want to stick around for too long,” she said. “You might just find yourself a movie star.”
He groaned and rolled his eyes before turning back to take out the toast he’d made for himself.
She’d been teasing him all morning about how popular he was at the party the night before and it was driving him nuts.
Which, obviously, made it all the more fun.
“Come on, admit it.” She shifted her legs so they were tucked underneath her as he moved to join her in the living room, sitting down on the couch beside her. “If someone offered you a role in a movie, you’d stay.”
Promise Me Forever (Sweet Beginnings Book 3) Page 7
