Chapter 1
MERRY IN LOVE—Green Valley Falls Book Five
CHAPTER ONE
Maddie Reed glanced over her shoulder but didn’t stop running. He was behind her, but how far?
Ahead, she spotted her escape—an alleyway. But just as she approached the turn, a loud crack split the night air.
At the noise, she halted abruptly and looked down. Red liquid blossomed on her white shirt. With a quick look back at the shooter, eyes wide with betrayal, she clutched her chest dramatically, and fell to the ground. A second later, everything went dark.
“Cut!” the director yelled. “Yes! That’s it. Did you get the zoom-in at the end? Good, okay. I think we got it, people.”
Maddie opened her eyes and took the hand her costar offered to help her up.
“Nice job, Reed.”
“Thanks,” Maddie said, catching her breath from the short sprint. Two prop assistants flocked to help her out of her “bloody” shirt. The red ooze used to simulate blood was sticky, and the delivery mechanism to spread it, uncomfortable. She eagerly stripped down to a tank top.
“That’s a wrap for today, folks,” the director called after conferring with his camera operators. “Good job, everyone.”
There were sure to be some scattered retakes after all the footage was screened, but the bulk of the work was finished.
They’d left Maddie’s death scene until the very end of shooting to avoid plot leaks. It was an unexpected twist in the movie that they would attempt to keep under wraps until the debut.
“We’re throwing together a wrap party tonight,” Josie, the prop hand, said. “Can you make it?”
“Oh, I might stop by,” Maddie said. “I didn’t actually think we’d finish today and made plans with Patrick. He’s been filming in Vancouver, and I haven’t seen him in weeks.”
Patrick was Maddie’s current boyfriend. Soon-to-be fiancé if Maddie was reading things right.
He’d called the day before and said he had something special and important to talk about that couldn’t wait.
They’d been dating for six months, and she couldn’t think of anything besides a proposal that would qualify as urgent.
“Well, I’d drop everything for that hottie too,” Josie said with a laugh. “It was fun working with you. See you around.”
Last Chance Protocol was Maddie’s first movie role. She’d made her mark as a sit-com actress and worried constantly that the ditsy, spoiled, twenty-something she played on Chance of Rain would kill her chances of more serious roles if she didn’t start branching out.
Her part in the movie wasn’t a starring role, but it was a start to proving herself as more than just a comedy actor.
Not star enough to have her own trailer, she cleaned up in the staff locker room, showering off the remnants of the corn syrup concoction that had lent validity to her on-stage death.
As she was getting dressed, her cell phone rang—her agent.
Perfect timing. Now that this project had finished, hopefully, he had something new for her.
“We need to talk,” Steven stated bluntly.
“Okay,” Maddie said. “We just wrapped, so I’ve got a second. What’s up?”
“Not on the phone. Can you come over?”
“Sure,” she hedged. His tone had her on edge. “I’ll head over now. Is everything all right?”
“See you in a few.”
Even the buttery leather of her brand-new Bentley couldn’t soothe the anxious feeling Steven had seeded. If it were good news, he would have led with it, leaving her to speculate that it must be bad.
Chance of Rain was up for renewal, but she didn’t see any reason why the studio wouldn’t re-up for another season. The ratings were high, especially in the key demo, and since that’s really all that mattered to the higher-ups…
Maybe it was the negotiations for her contract, which was also up for renewal. Steven had proposed asking for an extra thirty thousand per episode. Perhaps the producers had balked at that.
When she arrived at Steven’s office, he was in a meeting, and his secretary asked Maddie to take a seat and wait.
The door was slightly ajar, and she overheard Steven bickering with someone about the location for a live Christmas special.
“The place in Montana was perfect, but they just pulled out,” the unknown voice said. “We’ve got less than two months to find a replacement.”
“I’ll see what I can do,” Steven said. “But you better tell the network guys they might just have to use a studio and fake snow.”
“Find me something,” the man barked as he stormed out.
Steven came to the door, exasperation melting into a weary smile. “Hey, Maddie. Come on in.”
“He seems lovely,” Maddie said.
“This town is gonna kill me.” Steven shook his head and sighed. He’d been her agent since she’d arrived in Hollywood ten years ago. At this point, he was basically her second father. “I got some bad news, honey.”
“They won’t meet our demands for the new contract?”
“Worse. They’re not renewing.”
“What?” Maddie schooled her face to not show utter shock. “But the ratings are fantastic.”
“It’s not about the ratings,” Steven said. “It’s about your idiot costars and their ‘extra-curricular’ activities.”
“Amber and Jaxson?” It was a rhetorical question. Rumors ran like wildfire in Hollywood, and her wayward costars continually stoked the flames with drug problems, money disputes, and behavioral issues.
The rumors weren’t the half of it. The cast and crew had been compelled to sign nondisclosure agreements regarding the pair’s shenanigans, but Maddie saw firsthand every day what utter train wrecks her coworkers had become.
They showed up late to set, never knew their lines, were complete divas, and treated the crew like crap.
Steven nodded. “I should have seen this coming. I should have warned you.”
“And it’s for sure?”
“Yes. The episode you’re taping now will be the series finale. Rewrites are in progress as we speak to tie it up nicely. You should have the new script by the end of the day.”
“Wow.” Maddie slumped in her chair. “The movie just wrapped. The show’s about to end. What do I do now?”
“We’ll find you something. In the meantime, this news is top secret. They don’t plan to make a formal announcement until the last episode airs—right before Christmas.”
“Happy holidays,” Maddie muttered. “Can’t they just go into rehab like everyone else?”
“That’s part of the problem. Something they factored into the decision to cancel.
Amber and Jaxson have been warned several times, but don’t see that anything’s wrong.
They show no contrition and won’t even acknowledge a problem, much less seek help.
They’re impacting the quality of the show and costing too much on retakes and studio time.
And as you know, there are a million other pilots waiting in the wings for a shot at the slot. ”
“Okay, well, do you have anything else for me? Any auditions?”
“I don’t, but I will start looking immediately. I just got the news this morning and am as blindsided as you are.”
More surprised than she was? Maddie doubted that, but didn’t say so. They chatted a bit longer, he had her sign an NDA—which in Hollywood meant next to nothing—saying she wouldn’t tell anyone, and she left.
When the valet brought her Bentley around, she had a slight panic attack. What were the payments on this thing? She didn’t even know! All of a sudden, the fun, spontaneous purchase seemed foolhardy and unnecessarily extravagant.
On the drive home, she thought about money.
It had been months since she’d looked at her bank account.
Over a year since she’d actually balanced a register.
And as she pulled into her beachfront rental, she wondered if she could still afford this place.
Then again, if she and Patrick got engaged, she could save money by moving in with him.
That notion perked her right up, and she skipped inside to prepare for her “special and important” date, making extra sure her manicure looked perfect. She couldn’t post a diamond ring on social media without pretty fingernails.
Patrick texted that he was running late and asked her to meet him at the restaurant. She’d obliged and now sat waiting for him. He finally breezed in fifteen minutes late.
She pushed away the irritation that he hadn’t warned her about his tardiness.
The restaurant he’d chosen was popular with actors, and the paparazzi were a staple at the entrance.
That she’d sat alone for a quarter of an hour would not go unnoticed.
Hopefully, the jackals would forget all about that with an engagement announcement.
“Hey, babe,” Patrick said, kissing her on the cheek. “Sorry I’m late.”
Maddie smiled. “It’s okay. You look good.”
She still couldn’t believe she’d landed such a catch. Patrick had his flaws, but was one of Hollywood’s brightest up-and-comers. The two of them spent many evenings discussing how they planned to take the town by storm.
They ordered, and she sat patiently while Patrick regaled her with the events of his week.
When he finally got around to asking her about hers, she told him they’d wrapped Last Chance Protocol .
Cognizant of the NDA she’d just signed about her sit-com, she kept the news of its cancellation under her hat.
She would tell him later, but couldn’t risk being overheard in this jam-packed restaurant.
After they finished their chicken Nicoise, he grabbed her hands. “So, about what I need to tell you…”
This is it , she thought. It was weird, but she imagined she’d be more excited about this special moment. There were no butterflies, no heart palpitations, not even sweaty palms. Nerves must be overpowering the excitement.
“You know I love you, right, babe?”
“Yes,” she said. “And I love you too.”
“Well, there’s something I’ve been keeping from you. From everyone,” he clarified when her eyes went a little wide. “I auditioned for a part last month and found out today I got it.”
“That’s fantastic,” Maddie said sincerely. “Congratulations.”
“Thanks.” He paused awkwardly. “Thing is, it’s shooting in London. Starting next week.”
“Next week ?” Maddie choked out, trying to cover her shock. “But you just got home.”
“Yeah, I know. I was thinking, maybe you shouldn’t wait around for me.” The statement hung in the air like an undetonated bomb.
She was still shifting gears from expecting a proposal when the meaning of his words sank in. “Wait. Are you breaking up with me?” It came out higher-pitched and more panicky than she intended.
“I’ll be gone for a couple of months,” he said. “We barely made it through this last separation, and I was only in Vancouver. If we can’t make it work in the same time zone, how we gonna manage when I’m halfway across the world?”
“What do you mean, we’re not making it work? Since when?” This was news to her. Surprising, alarming news. “Wait a minute. Did you cheat on me in Vancouver?” she hissed the last question.
“Hey, don’t get all worked up about it. We’ll make it amicable. Put out a statement that because I’m leaving, we decided to take a break. I won’t let you look bad. I promise.”
Her head spun. He was treating their relationship like a business contract. She’d been up for an extension and not signed. For the second time today!
“That’s what you’re worried about? My image?” What about her broken heart?
“Of course,” he said. “I don’t want this to hurt you.”
She noticed he still hadn’t answered her question about cheating, which was presumably an answer in itself. “Too late,” she whispered, standing.
“Maddie. Come on, babe. Sit down. We’ll hash it out.” He popped an olive from his salad into his mouth.
She could not break down in this restaurant. To save face, she had to leave now. He begrudgingly stood to follow her. And in her haste to get away from him, she ran smack into a waiter, who carried a tray of wine—red, of course, because that was just the type of day she was having.
“Look what you made me do?” the waiter yelled, drawing unwanted attention their way. “Why don’t you watch where you’re going?”
“I’m sorry,” she said, covered in wine and struggling to stand. “I’m so sorry.”
“Is that Maddie Reed?” a voice called from somewhere behind her. “Is she crying?”
That got the attention of every photog with a telephoto lens. Flash after flash blinded her as she squinted into the mosh pit of cameras.
Maddie had valet-parked her car and, unwilling to wait for it, took off running down the street. She’d get away and then call a cab.
It felt like déjà vu from the movie scene that morning. As she ran, she glanced over her shoulder to see one man pursuing her.
Thankfully, all the HIIT workouts she’d endured to be able to do the sprinting paid off, and she left the lone cameraman in the dust.
By the time she arrived back at her house, the pictures had found their forever home on the internet.
Stack that on top of the movie ending, her show getting canceled, and her boyfriend cheating and breaking up with her.
And as a final blow, between the run-in with the waiter and the sidewalk sprint, she’d also ruined a beautiful Milano blouse and a brand-new pair of Christian Louboutins.
Days like these were what decimated careers.
Later that night, dressed in sweats and nursing a stiff pour of Pinot, she stared at the ocean from a chaise on her deck.
If she’d had a worse day in her life, she couldn’t remember it.
Hollywood was well-known for chewing up and spitting people out.
For ten years, Maddie had fought and struggled to make something of herself.
Audition after audition, rejection after rejection, she’d paid her dues and thought she’d finally made it.
The abrupt change in situation was jarring.
Her phone buzzed with a text. It was from her friend, Tess. Logan had proposed. She was getting married!
The news stung a little, coming so soon after Maddie’s recent brush with near-engagement, but she was genuinely happy for her friend and immediately texted back her heartfelt congratulations.
Maddie looked down at her small ankle tattoo—a basketball going through a hoop with the number twelve above it—and memories flooded her thoughts.
Tess was an old high school teammate and one of her best friends. There were six in total, and even though they lived three thousand miles apart, they had remained close.
Never in a million years did Maddie think she’d be in a situation where she wanted to go home. But that day had come.
Green Valley Falls—her small New Hampshire hometown—felt like the perfect place to lie low and regroup.