Chapter 19
19
RYAN
I t’s been the best two weeks ever. I never expected to feel so at peace in Pine Village.
Do I miss Los Angeles and the hustle and bustle of my life there? Of course. But it feels better than I ever could have expected to slow down and recharge my battery. Not to mention I feel so much better not dealing with the press every day. No one is following me around with a camera. No one is lurking behind cars or in bushes. I don’t have a microphone in my face or people screaming my name when I walk down the sidewalk.
Of course, a big part of that is no one knows where I am. I’ve remained hidden under the cover of my casual attire and a ball cap. My online presence is zilch, nada, and even though my phone blows up throughout the day, I don’t answer many of the texts. Or when I do, I reply with a polite note I’m taking a vacation and leave it at that.
Vaughn was still reaching out—daily—and I realized after my first full week here, it was time to cut the cord. I replied to his latest message without reading it or any of the previous ones and told him—again—it was over. I stated very pointedly not to contact me again and then blocked his number. I should have done it from day one, but I think I needed a little time to clear my head. To confirm I was making the right decision in walking away from Vaughn. It didn’t matter what excuse he gave. What he did—or more specifically, what he said—was all I needed to hear.
I just wish I wouldn’t have heard it with the rest of the world.
Now that he’s behind me, I’ve spent time focusing on the here and now. A big part of that is Marcus. We’ve spent more evenings together in the last two weeks than apart, and that doesn’t upset me. Not in the least. The orgasms are plentiful, that’s for sure, and then at the end of the night, we part ways. It’s how we keep the lines from blurring, because this is temporary. A summer fling, as he likes to call it, and as much as I’d love to snuggle into his big, warm body at the end of the night—because something tells me that alone is something they write about in books—I’m afraid that might complicate things.
And I’m loving this completely uncomplicated thing.
Tonight, it’s girls’ night. I was invited to Gabe and Blair’s house, where we’re going to eat Mexican food, drink margaritas, and talk about guys. At least, that’s what I’ve been told. I’m a little worried about going, only because any other night that might constitute a girls’ night was always spent watching what I say so it’s not used against me or what I do because I’m always being observed.
Something tells me I don’t have to worry about it with these ladies, but I also don’t know them well enough. They could very well share all my dirty secrets to the highest tabloid bidder.
But if they were going to do that, wouldn’t they have done it after we met? After they figured out who I was, thanks to Hallie’s obsession with reality television? No, my gut tells me I can trust them, but I just need to be observant and careful with what I say.
I head out of the cabin, locking the door behind me. I was told to dress casually, that I’d know everyone in attendance, but something tells me their casual and mine are two totally different things. It probably took me longer to decide what to wear when dressing down than it does when I’m going out.
As I walk to the driver’s side of my rented SUV, I hear a dog bark in the distance. I stop and turn toward the path and only have to wait a few seconds before I see Buddy. The moment he spots me, he takes off running in my direction, jumping up with excitement.
“What are you doing here?” I ask, crouching down and giving him pets.
“He wanted to tell you to have a good time.”
I glance up and find Marcus making his way toward us. “Hi.”
“Hey,” he says with a familiar smile and warm eyes. “We were going for a walk.”
“Well, I was just getting ready to head out.”
“Ahh, yes, girls’ night,” he replies with a grin. “I’m headed over to Logan’s cabin. We’re gonna throw a few steaks on the grill and wait for the calls for rides.”
I hadn’t planned on drinking more than one margarita early, since I was the only one who wasn’t married or seriously dating someone and wouldn’t have a ride. Hallie did tell me she and Logan would give me a ride home—or more adamantly, Marcus could give me a ride, but I didn’t want to put him out. I’m not his responsibility, and since there’s no car service in Pine Village, I figured the safest option was to have one drink and switch to water.
“I heard you guys will have the babies.”
He runs his hand over the back of his neck. “Yeah, I won’t be much help with that. I have zero baby experience. Even when Brody was a baby, I wasn’t the first guy to jump in and help with the baby.”
I’ve heard all about how everyone helped Ellie when she got pregnant in high school and her conservative parents kicked her out. She lived in the apartment above the diner where she worked to support herself and her child. The father was a douche who split the moment she told him she was pregnant, insisting it wasn’t his baby. TD had loved her since high school and stood back, waiting for the right opportunity, which eventually happened when Brody was sixteen.
“Well, it’s not like you’ll have to babysit them while the moms are away. The dads will be there,” I reassure him, sensing his uneasiness.
“Thank God,” he mutters, giving me a sheepish grin. “Anyway, how are you getting home?”
“Oh, I was just going to have one drink early and then switch to water. I’ll be fine to drive home later.”
“I’ll come get you.”
“That’s not necessary,” I insist, but anything else I’m going to say is cut off.
“It is. Have fun with the girls. They don’t do that often, so I know they’re all ready to cut loose. You should too.”
“Oh.”
“Call me, Ryan.” His gaze is intense, as if he’s not going to take no for an answer.
“All right.”
He nods before whistling for Buddy. “Let’s go, boy. Time to head home.”
Buddy looks up at me, waiting for one final pet. As soon as I reach down and scratch behind his ears, he takes off toward the path, where Marcus is heading.
Just before he disappears from sight, he hollers, “Have fun, Princess.”
“Thanks. I will.” I can’t help but smile, and as I climb behind the wheel of my rental, it’s still firmly on my face.
That smile accompanies me to Blair and Gabe’s gorgeous home on the outskirts of town, not too far from where my rental cabin is located. They’re not along the lake though, their backyard butting up against the acreage of timber and trails. I park in their driveway and slowly climb out, wishing I had something to contribute to tonight’s festivities. But they insisted I didn’t need to bring food or drinks, and I graciously accepted.
Climbing out of the driver’s seat, I see the front door open and Hallie step out. “You made it!”
I nod, excited to be included in tonight’s gathering. Sure, I have friends. Lots of them. But are any of them real? It sure as heck doesn’t feel like it now.
“Come on,” Hallie says, linking her arm through mine and leading me into the house.
“This house is amazing,” I start, taking a look around as we enter.
“When my brother bought it, it was in need of a lot of TLC. He’s done most of the work himself, slowly remodeling it room by room. Blair will give you a tour. She loves showing off my brother’s work.”
We enter the kitchen and find four more women. “She’s here,” Hallie declares to Blair, Ellie, Ava, and Jillian, the woman who owns the bakery and coffee shop.
“So happy you came,” Blair says graciously.
“Your home is beautiful,” I tell her.
“I’ll give you a tour, but first, let’s eat. I’ve been smelling this food since it was dropped off, and I’m starving,” she replies.
“Me too. I skipped lunch just so I could gorge. But I wasn’t expecting this. Where did you get all this Mexican food?” Ava asks, taking in the spread on the kitchen island.
“Kameron,” Hallie says with a big grin.
Ava stops and glance toward Ellie. “Kameron? Kameron Markley? The man who owns the steakhouse?”
“I didn’t realize he added Mexican food to the menu,” Ellie says, reaching for a chip and dipping it in salsa.
Hallie grins widely. “He didn’t. He did it for Jillian,” she informs the group, waggling her eyebrows as she hands me a margarita.
Jillian groans. “Stop it. It’s not like that. He owed me a favor.”
“For sexual favors rendered?” Hallie asks, taking a sip of her drink.
“No!” Jillian declares, her face turning beet red. “It’s not like that. He needed a dessert one evening at the restaurant after his order didn’t arrive on time, so I whipped up a few cheesecakes. It was nothing.”
“Nothing but sex,” Hallie mutters behind the rim of her glass.
Everyone laughs, including Jillian. “Oh my God, stop it! That did not happen!”
“But you want it to. Admit it.”
There’s no missing the blush on Jillian’s face.
“We’re just…friendly. Two business owners helping each other out when needed. That’s all,” she insists.
“Fine, but he made this massive Mexican spread for his friend. Let’s eat, and then we can grill Ryan about Marcus,” Hallie states, grabbing a plate and starting to make a taco.
“Hey! What’d I do?” I ask, taking another drink of my strawberry margarita. I consider sipping it slowly, but Marcus said he’d pick me up, so I suppose it wouldn’t hurt.
“Nothing, but we’re dying to hear all the dirty details,” Blair chimes in, stepping aside while everyone moves to the island to make plates of food.
My eyes widen, though I shouldn’t be surprised. This group seems like one who shares—everything—even if you don’t want to.
I step over to the island and get in line behind Ellie. When it’s my turn, I make a soft-taco with chicken and add all my favorite toppings. This isn’t a basic lettuce, tomato, and taco cheese set-up either, though those are on the counter. I spot cilantro, onions, pico de gallo, peppers, and what appears to be homemade salsa. It looks and smells amazing, and I can’t wait to dive in. I also add a few tortilla chips and some queso to my plate before grabbing my margarita and joining the ladies at the table.
“I can’t believe Kameron made all this, but I’m not surprised at all,” Ava says between bites. “Everything I’ve had at the steakhouse is amazing.”
“He should add this to his menu,” Ellie chimes in.
“I doubt he would though. His place is too classy for Taco Tuesdays,” Jillian says, dipping a chip in salsa.
Hallie nods. “True, but I’m sure it would bring in new customers.”
We chat about jobs and children, but I mostly stay quiet. It’s when our glasses are being refilled with more of the sweet frozen tequila mixture that all eyes finally turn my way.
“Can I ask you something personal?” Ellie asks, visibly hesitant.
“Okay,” I say, taking a longer sip of my margarita.
“I watched the finale show Hallie was talking about. Did you really not know? About Vaughn?” There’s nothing but sympathy reflecting in her eyes. She’s not judging or accusing me of anything. She’s genuinely curious, and I can respect that.
I’ve been waiting for this conversation to come up, ever since Hallie realized exactly who I was at their Memorial Day cookout. In fact, I’ve been expecting it with Marcus too, but if there’s one thing I’ve learned in the last two weeks, he doesn’t care about gossip, and he rarely watches TV.
“Had no idea,” I confess. “I really did find out when the rest of the world did.”
“That’s…wild!” Hallie says and then bursts out laughing. “Or I guess I should say that’s so wild?”
I can’t help but roll my eyes as I laugh. “I said that one time, and it just…stuck.”
“I love it,” Jillian announces. “It’s a fun catchphrase.”
“It’s so overused,” I insist. “I was told to incorporate it into everything when we were filming. Fortunately, half of them didn’t make the final cut, because otherwise, it would be all viewers would think I could say.”
“That’s so wild,” Hallie sings, doing her best impression of me.
We all laugh as Blair gets up to make another pitcher of margaritas.
“So? What happened? After you found out what he said?”
I sigh, finishing off the liquid in my glass. “I called him, but he didn’t answer. He just got the hero lead in my dad’s next action movie, so he was supposedly running lines by himself and had his phone off. I didn’t get to talk to him until the next day, and he completely tried to play it off as something he just said for ratings. I called his bullshit. I could see it in his eyes. Everything he said was fact and exactly how he felt. He was using me. So, I broke up with him and walked away.”
“Good for you,” Jillian proclaims, raising her glass to toast.
“Absolutely. What an asshole,” Blair declares.
Everyone chimes in with some sort of agreement, telling me I did the right thing. Not that I needed their validation, because I already know I did. I feel it in my heart, that what Vaughn and I shared was superficial at best. Yes, I loved him, but when it was all said and done, I wasn’t as torn up as I expected.
“He’s in your dad’s new movie? The one with what’s her face? I saw some online chatter about it,” Jillian says.
I shrug and drink more tequila. “He wanted to fire him, but I told him not to. He hired him because of his acting skills, not because he was my boyfriend.”
“Yeah, but he doesn’t deserve the role now,” Hallie insists.
Even though I do agree, I don’t feel it’s right. “It’s part of the industry,” I concede, because it is. People will do anything for a role, including date the producer’s daughter.
“So, what happens now with the show?” Ava asks, moving the conversation along.
“Well, I’m technically in a contract for two seasons, so I suppose I’ll have to do one more.”
“Ugh, that’s tough. I’d tell them to stick it up their asses for what they did,” Blair adamantly states.
I can’t help but smile at their outrage, especially because it’s on my behalf. Their responses feel…good. Like I have friends who truly care about me, not my name. That’s rare where I come from, and a part of me wishes I could stay.
But that’s silly.
Pine Village is a vacation destination. My roots are in California, as is my business. Not to mention, the show is there. Thinking I could possibly relocate to Small Town, USA is quite silly, actually.
Ridiculous.
Far-fetched.
Absurd.
I’m a city girl.
That’s where I belong.
But as I look around the table at these women, I feel a sense of…belonging. They have a close relationship, one I envy. My friends and I are nothing like this.
We finish in the kitchen, and Blair gives me a tour of the rest of the house. It’s such a great place, spacious and comfortable. After she shows me their home, we all move into the open living room and sit around the large sectional sofa. Even with a baby swing in the corner and glider chair where I can picture a mother rocking her baby to sleep, the room feels just as homey as the rest of the place.
Hallie hands me a fresh margarita and plops down on the couch beside me. “Okay, now let’s talk about you and Marcus.”
The other four heads all nod adamantly.
“Spill.”