Chapter 16

 

The next morning there was a knock and at the door and Bex smiled when she spotted Sarah with baby Theo in her arms. She scooped Willy up, refusing to let him get out again and flung the door open.

She motioned for Sarah to come in. “Hey cutie,” she said to Theo, taking his little pudgy hand as they walked in. “It’s nice to meet you in person.” She had seen Theo many times on video chat but never in the flesh, and somehow, he was even cuter in person.

“We can’t stay long, but I just wanted to check on you,” Sarah said as Bex shut the door and put Willy back on the ground.

“I’m guessing you saw the tabloids?” Bex asked.

Sarah scrunched her nose and nodded. “I did.”

“So much for hiding out.”

“What are you going to do now?” Sarah asked, sitting on the couch and positioning Theo on her lap. He saw Willy and started reaching for him and Sarah placed him down on the floor. He wobbled toward Willy who quickly headed to higher grounds where he couldn’t be bothered. “Are you going to head back home?”

That was the last thing Bex wanted. She was having so much fun with Chase and she wasn’t ready to leave yet.

Bex leaned against the counter, watching Theo walk back to Sarah. She smiled as he tripped but got right back up.

“I’m not ready to go home.”

“Would a certain somebody whose face is currently plastered all over the internet have something to do with that?”

Bex could feel the heat filling her cheeks. “Maybe.” She smiled, unable to keep the grin off her face. “I like him. A lot.”

Sarah gathered Theo back in her arms and handed him a bottle from her bag. “I would love for you to stay here in Red Maple Falls forever, but we both know that’s not possible.”

“I know and that’s why it’s so complicated.”

“I’ve learned that the complicated things have a way of working themselves out so don’t lose hope yet.”

“Thanks.”

Bex glanced at her phone that was flashing like crazy. She had silenced it after she woke up so she didn’t have to deal with anything.

“Do you need to take that?” Sarah asked.

“It’s been going off all morning. I guess I can’t avoid everybody forever.”

“Unfortunately not. I say it’s better to get it out of the way. Sometimes thinking about it makes it worse.”

Sarah was right. The anticipation of the discussions that needed to be had were working her up into a frenzy and it wasn’t necessary. She needed to suck it up and take care of business.

“Why are you always right?”

“Because I’m awesome,” Sarah said then shook her head. “Oh my god I’m starting to sound like Cooper.”

“It’s adorable.”

“No, it’s terrifying.”

They laughed as Sarah got up, situating Theo on her hip. “I have to head out. I need to make a run to the post office to mail out a few new orders, then stop by Forgotten Treasures to look at some new pieces.”

“It’s okay,” Bex said, looking down at her still flashing phone. “I have a lot of calls to make.”

“Good luck,” Sarah said. “Call me if you need anything.”

“I will. Thank you.” Bex gave Sarah a hug and walked her out. She gave a wave as Sarah pulled away then looked back at her phone.

Even though she didn’t want to, Bex called her publicist to discuss the latest incident and to be on standby if Chase’s brush with Hollywood turned into a tabloid field day. As another day passed, it seemed the frenzy was dying down, or maybe it was just the calm before the storm. She hoped the forecast stayed clear, and there’d be no unexpected downpours.

Then she called her manager. She hadn’t spoken to Jill since she showed up expecting her to pack up her stuff and leave.

It’s not that she hated Jill—it was far from that; the woman helped make her—but she didn’t like the way Jill made her feel like she had no control of her own life. It was an uneasy feeling that ate at her, and up until now, it had been something she could ignore.

“Bex darling, finally! Please tell me you’re out of that retched place and back in L.A.”

“Sorry to disappoint you, Jill, but I’m still in Red Maple Falls.”

“Ugh why? Is it that boy you were with? He’s cute, I’ll give you that, but there are just as many cute guys back here.”

“Chase is more than a pretty face. He’s someone I could see—”

“See what? Don’t tell me you want to be serious with this guy. Like I told him, he would be eaten up and spit out alive here. And don’t act like I’m telling you something you don’t already know. If you thought he could handle L.A. you would have brought him back here already.”

“He has a family and a job—responsibilities he can’t just up and leave.”

“And what about your responsibilities?”

“I took care of everything before I left. I’m in between films. I didn’t have any interviews or photoshoots scheduled.”

“Do you want me to point out the elephant in the room, or are we just going to talk around it?”

Bex’s jaw tightened and her throat grew hot. She didn’t want to discuss the scandal. Or the fact that Chase’s face was splattered across every tabloid from here to Timbuktu. She just wanted to forget about it.

“My publicist is dealing with it.”

“That’s not good enough,” Jill said.

“It has to be. At least for now.”

“Look, Bex, you hired me to manage your career, and I’ve done a pretty damn good job of that so far, haven’t I?”

“Yes.” It wasn’t something she could deny. She had the recognition of the Academy and the Screen Actors Guild, and while it was her acting that got her noticed, it was Jill who got her in the door. Jill was great at what she did but she demanded a lot and Bex was tired.

“I’ve gotten you in front of some of the most respected people in this industry, and not just because of your acting ability, but because of your reputation. You have become a liability, and that’s a problem, especially if you’re not willing to clean up the damn mess.”

“I don’t know what you want from me.”

“I want you to stop living in some fairy tale and come home. This isn’t one of your movies. It’s not going to end the way you want it to. You might think I’m being unreasonable, but I’m just trying to protect you. That boy is from an entirely different world, and you might think you two can make it work, and maybe you will for a while, but then you’ll be away for months on end for a shoot, his privacy will be invaded, the simple life he’s used to will be gone. He’ll get sick of it, grow to resent you, and it won’t end pretty.”

“You don’t know that.”

“I’ve seen it time and time again. You’re not the first actress to fall for a small-town boy, and you won’t be the last. Save yourself the heartache.” Jill’s voice became mumbled as she spoke to someone else. “Something just came up,” Jill said back into the phone. “I have to go. I hope to see you back home soon.”

The line went dead, and Bex took a deep breath. Jill didn’t tell her anything she didn’t already know, but it still didn’t make it any less to bear. Chase didn’t deserve the media speculating over who he was.

Willy curled up beside her, and she picked him up, hugging him close. “What should I do Willy?” Willy turned his head, acting as if he was annoyed that she dared speak to him. “I’m sorry, but I have no one else to ask,” she said, kissing his nose.

He purred softly, and she put him back on her lap, stroking the soft fur on his head. “I know I’m being selfish, but I’m not ready to leave. You like it here too, right?” Willy’s purr grew louder so Bex took that as a yes.

“Come on. Let’s get some lunch.” Bex got up from the couch and moved over to the tiny kitchen. She was about to grab the romaine out of the fridge when she looked up and spotted a guy staring in her window.

She let out a startled screech as she jumped back, her body slamming into the counter. “Son of a…”

The guy’s eyes widened, and that’s when she noticed the camera in his hand. A fiery rage she had never felt before boiled to the surface, and she ran for the door, swinging it open with one violent yank.

She ran outside, no plan, just wanting to confront the creep who thought it was okay to go peeping in her windows like some pervert. “Hey!” she yelled, heading toward where she had seen the guy. He had already taken off, running from her down the dirt path and disappearing into the trees.

Her hands shook with anger as she stomped toward the house, mumbling a string of curses that would make most people blush.

She was about to go back in the house when she heard a familiar meow above her. She closed her eyes, praying she was hearing things, but when she opened them and looked up, her nightmare was confirmed.

Willy was stuck in the tree again.