Dreaming With A Broken Heart (Hollywood Legends Book 1) (5 page)

“The entire family?”

There was a pause. “Colt is in Europe promoting
Freelance
.
Nate should be there.”

“And Stephanie?”

There was another, longer pause. Wyatt’s wife was a no-show
more often than not these days. A wise man wouldn’t ask. Garrett’s concern for
his brother superseded wisdom.

“Unlikely.”

“Wyatt —”

“What should I tell Mom?”

“I can’t make it. I’ll call Mom and explain.”

“Good. I’ll see you tomorrow?”

“Tomorrow.”

Garrett felt a wave of concern. He didn’t like the defeated
tone of Wyatt’s voice. A rocky marriage combined with an alcoholic wife was
beginning to take their toll. Something had to give. Soon.

After the cab had dropped Hamish off, Garrett decided to
stop by to see his mother. He used the ride to get in touch with Jade. The
twinge of guilt he should feel for using his connections to acquire her phone
number didn’t come. All’s fair, after all.

The call went straight to voicemail. Damn. He was hoping to
talk in case she hesitated over having dinner. It was hard to charm a lady in a
text. Though not impossible. He left a message and a text.
Tonight at seven?
Tomorrow anytime
? He put the ball in her court. He would wait a few days in
case he had to jump the net to retrieve it.

Garrett paid the cab driver. Normally he wouldn’t take the
time to peruse the outside of his childhood home. He spent eighteen years here;
he knew what it looked like. Today, he noticed something different. The color.
In the span of one short week, the color had changed from robin’s egg blue to
yellow. He imagined his mother had a fancy name for the bright, cheery color.
He imagined his father rolling his eyes. Something about the huge mansion was
always being updated, added on, or decorated. Dad didn’t really mind. He loved
the woman too much. If it made her happy, it made him happy.

“Garrett.”

Garrett grinned at his mother’s enthusiastic greeting. One
week or one hour, she welcomed her family with the same vigor. He caught her in
his arm, swinging her around. Closing his eyes, his inhaled. Vanilla. She was a
screen goddess to the rest of the world. To him, she was Mom.

“How is the most beautiful woman in the world?”

“Thrilled to have one of her traveling brood back in
the nest.” Taking his hand, she led him into the house. “This is a
lovely bonus. I wasn’t expecting you until later.”

“Unfortunately, I can’t make it for dinner.”

Garrett followed her through the large foyer. Sunlight
everywhere. It was what sold her on the house. They continued, passing through
the library and out to the patio. The pool sparkled, the flowers bloomed in an
array of bright colors, and the lawn was a deep, healthy green. Perfect. His
mother wouldn’t have settled for less.

“A date?” Callie asked. She poured him a glass of
lemonade. “You know that’s the only thing I consider an acceptable
excuse.”

“Of course. I know the house rules.”

Garrett took a cookie from the plate. He couldn’t remember a
time when drinks and cookies weren’t out in case company stopped by.

“Is she wonderful? The potential love of your
life?”

“Mom.” Garrett shook his head. “Only you can
get away with questions like that.”

“Why?” Callie asked the question tongue in cheek.
She already knew the answer.

“Because I love you.”

“Hearing that never gets old.” Callie gently
kissed Garrett’s forehead before joining him at the table. “Spill, young
man. Who is she?”

“It’s early days, Mom. I’m interested, not in
love.” He took a sip of the tart, sweet liquid. “If things progress,
I’ll let you know.”

“Hmm.” Callie’s gray eyes met his own. “Fair
enough. I expect updates. Understood?”

“Scout’s honor.”

“Ha,” she scoffed. “None of my sons was a boy
scout. Boy
terrors
, yes.”

“They were healthy, inquisitive, energetic boys. In
other words, perfectly normal,” his father said as he walked onto the
patio.

Caleb Landis pulled his son up, giving him a hug. Garrett
knew this game. Squeeze hard, harder than the other guy. Even pushing sixty,
his father held his own. As usual, the contest ended in a draw.

“We gave you and Mom a run for your money,”
Garrett said. He kissed his father’s cheek before retaking his seat.

“You’ve kept me young. You can’t afford to get old with
four sons nipping at your heels.” Caleb thanked his wife when she handed
him a glass of iced tea. “Tell me about Vancouver.”

The family business occupied the next hour. Movies. If
someone wasn’t filming a movie, he, or she, was in pre- or post-production.
Now, between them, they had six projects in various stages. Caleb and Callie
were about to start their seventh movie together.

“Enough business,” Garrett finally declared.
“What’s new on the home front? Besides the color of the house.”

“Isn’t it lovely?” Callie exclaimed.
“Daffodil Delight. It makes me smile.”

“What does it make you do?” he asked his father.

“If it makes Callie happy, it makes me happy.”

Garrett grinned. Exactly the answer he expected.

“There was a surprise in the neighborhood.”

“Another skunk infestation?”

“Bite your tongue.” Callie shuddered. “No,
something much more pleasant. A wedding.”

“That isn’t news,” Garrett said, reaching for
another cookie. Chocolate chip was his favorite. “Tell me someone in
Beverly Hills
didn’t
get married last week.
That
would be a
surprise.”

“Well, this had the gossips on high alert. Jade Marlow
eloped.”

Garrett couldn’t have heard right. Jade? Married? How could
it happen so fast?

“Who?” he asked, hoping for a different name.

“Jade Marlow,” his mother confirmed. “I don’t
suppose you or your brothers know her very well. She’s a lovely young woman.
Some people call her icy. I think she’s shy.”

“When did this happen?”

“Day before yesterday. Her father is a big name, so of
course it’s news. The reports say the couple ran off to Hawaii.” Callie
sighed. “It’s very romantic. According to the neighborhood know-it-alls,
no one knew Jade had a serious boyfriend. Stephen something or other. I hear he
works for her father.”

Garrett only half-listened, catching bits and pieces of
secondhand information. All the while, he had one thought.
She didn’t wait
for me
. It was stupid. Why would she wait? One extended conversation and a
hot kiss. She didn’t know him. They connected. That was true. It was
not
love at first sight, by either of them. He wanted her. That night, if she had
said the word. Now, she was off limits.

“Garrett.”

“Yes?”

“Where were you, baby?” Callie asked with a frown.
“You drifted a million miles away.”

No. Not a million miles. Only a few blocks down the street.
He felt a twinge of regret. Okay. Maybe more than a twinge. He’d spent a week
anticipating Jade in his arms. He couldn’t miss what he never had. Or something
like that. He hoped Jade found what she was looking for. Garrett sincerely wished
her happiness in her new home — with her new husband.

“I was thinking. I can go out on a date anytime. I’d
rather have dinner with my family.” He winked at his mother. “If the
invitation is still open.”

“Don’t be silly.” Callie frowned. “What about
the young woman? Won’t she be offended if you cancel at the last minute?”

“She won’t give it a second thought.”

PRESENT DAY

JADE STEPPED FROM the shower. She liked it hot. The steam
filled the room, obscuring the mirror over the sink. The only one she owned.
She always kept her back to it until she was fully dressed. The steam was a
safety net — a buffer just in case she slipped up and caught a glimpse of
something she refused to look at.

She went through her usual routine. Drying her body. Lotion,
top to bottom. With her hair still wrapped in a towel, she covered herself with
an outfit that suited that day’s well-planned activities. Then, and only then,
she moved to the mirror.

Jade methodically dried her hair, pulling it back into a
simple style. Her makeup was minimal. A bit of concealer to hide the dark
circles under her eyes. A touch of mascara. Blush was essential. Not too much.
She didn’t want to look like a sad clown. Then a light coat of lip-gloss.

Jade Marlow was ready to face the world.

“Good morning, Miss Marlow.”

“Good morning, Angie.”

Jade held her head up high, her back ramrod straight.
Through everything. The pain, the humiliation. Jade never let the world see her
cower. She had done enough of that in private.

“Mr. Marlow would like a word with you in his
office.”

Seven in the morning. Her father knew she left her room
every day at the same time. If he wanted something, he informed one of the
servants to tell Jade. The only time this varied was during her two-year marriage.
Then the servant waited until she came down from the west wing. It wouldn’t be
seemly to interrupt a married couple in their rooms. God forbid anyone saw her
after a night of Stephen’s
attention
.

If possible, Jade’s back became straighter with every step.
Taking a deep breath, she knocked on the solid oak door.

“Come in.”

“You wished to see me, Father?”

Always Father. Never Dad. Certainly not Daddy. The
difference spoke volumes to anyone who cared to listen. Anson Marlow’s money
had a way of making people deaf.

“Sit down.” The gruff command came without a
glance up from the papers on his desk.”

“Very well.”

Jade waited patiently, ankles crossed, hands folded neatly
in her lap. This was nothing new. Her father always kept her waiting. She was
never certain if it was one more way of showing her who was in charge, or if he
didn’t think of her at all. If she dallied, not answering his summons
immediately, the rafters would ring with his displeasure.

There was a time she would sit — her mind racing.
Had she
done something
wrong? Was he displeased
?
What could it be
?
She never guessed. The possibilities were endless. Now, she didn’t care. Her
mind was as calm as her expression. She counted the books on the shelves
instead of the myriad of faults her father found in her.

“Why was there a delivery van parked in front of the
house at six o’clock?”

“Flowers.”

“Obviously, Jade.” Anson sighed.
You idiot
was implied. Loudly. “It had Maxine’s Florist emblazoned in bright pink on
the side. Why do we need more flowers? At six A.M.?”

“I’m hosting the
Ladies Who Lunch
this
afternoon. The floral arrangements needed to be in place before the table
settings.”

Jade didn’t mention that the get-together was her father’s
idea. He knew it. The look she gave him was placid. Unblinking.
Was that a
crack she saw in his
disapproving frown
? Again, she didn’t care.

“What is wrong with you lately?”

“I’m not sure what you mean.”

Jade was a statue. She didn’t flinch when her father
growled. She didn’t sweat or fidget. That’s what was different. If he couldn’t
tell, it was his problem. She did not intend to share her newfound ability to
ignore his insults. Instead of nervous heat, her body felt wonderfully cool.
What was it? Oh, yes. Jade was in her
Zen state
.

“You’re smiling.” His tone was accusatory.

“Am I?” That didn’t happen very often. Especially
around her father. “I’m anticipating this afternoon’s luncheon. You know
how much I enjoy the company of the Beverly Hills elite.”

Lies. All lies. One after the other. Another layer to the
new Jade. She used to be a lousy liar. She found the more she prevaricated, the
easier it became. Nothing major. White lies. It was practice for when she was
ready to tell the biggest lie of her life. Jade felt her pulse jump.
Soon
.

“Was there anything else, Father? I need to check with
Cook about some last minute menu changes. It seems Mrs. Granger is now
gluten-free. Isn’t that wonderful?”

“Good God. No wonder Stephen cheated. You have the
personality of a limp rag.”

Is that why he beat me
? Jade wanted to ask.
Oh,
no. He beat her because she was annoying and talked too much. Or maybe she
didn’t talk enough.
The reasons were endless. Every slap justified. Every
punch her fault.

Jade breathed in and out. Find your center. Stephen’s fists
can’t hurt you anymore. Neither can your father’s words.

“Will you be in for lunch?”

Anson gave Jade another long, speculative look before he
finally answered.

“And take the chance of running into those biddies?
Their husbands’ money is what I care about. I’m counting on some heavy
investments in the next few months. Don’t screw this up, Jade.”

“Of course not, Father.”

Jade rose to her feet, nodded in her father’s general
direction, and then left the room. Once outside the closed door, she held out
her hand. Not exactly steady as a rock, but damn close. A tiny tremor, which
she quickly controlled. She hoped that Jittery Jade was no more.

Jade looked at her watch. Eight o’clock. Instead of heading
straight for the kitchen, she took a detour into the art gallery. No one came in
here except to dust or to show off. Her father’s vanity room, filled with
paintings and sculptures Anson Marlow neither appreciated nor understood. He
presented the items to guests as though he’d created them. Jade stood by in
case anyone asked a question he couldn’t answer. She made it short and sweet
before blending back into the woodwork. This was his place to shine, not hers.

The room was the perfect place to make a phone call she
didn’t want anyone to hear. Or to text her secret lover. The thought made Jade
shiver. Not with fear or dread. Sexual anticipation was something new. She felt
it briefly three years ago in the car of a stranger. Now, she only needed to
think Garrett’s name and her body came alive.

She knew he was back in Los Angeles. Garrett Landis was a
high-profile director from a high-profile family. Where he went, cameras
invariably followed. It made him easy to keep track of. It also made having a
clandestine affair tricky. To say the least. Add her name to the mix — the
notorious Jade Marlow — and they were playing with fire.

The smart thing would be to end it before their cover was
blown. Jade toyed with her phone. Garrett wasn’t happy with their arrangement.
How difficult would it be to convince him? She felt a twinge in her gut. Not difficult
at all. She was more trouble than she was worth.

Shaking off what she recognized as the beginning of a pity
party, Jade quickly typed out the message, sending it before she could change
her mind.

Meet me. Ten p.m.?

Jade slipped her phone into her pocket. There was no need to
name a meeting place. Garrett knew. She would be on pins and needles until she
received an answer.

Schooling her features, Jade walked from the room, heading
for the kitchen. She didn’t glance around. If one of the staff observed her
exit, it didn’t matter. She knew they reported everything to her father. The
trick was never looking guilty. Cool, calm, and collected.

She was viewed one of two ways. An ice queen or a pathetic
victim. One person recognized the passion she kept in check.

What would the
Ladies Who Lunch
say if she stood up
and announced
Garrett Landis is my lover?
Jade imagined they would be
too shocked to say anything. Shocked, disbelieving. Envious. They would go home
to their boring, pudgy husbands knowing Jade Marlow had a man
they
could
only fantasize about.

Tempting. But not worth the fallout. No. Garrett must remain
her secret. For both their sakes.

THE DAILIES WERE good. Better than that. They were fantastic.
For all her pain in the ass antics, Lynne Cornish could act. The camera loved
her big blue eyes. Her chemistry with Paul McNally was off the charts. They
steamed up every scene.

Once the camera stopped rolling, she reverted to a
five-year-old who pouted if denied her slightest whims. For his sanity, Garrett
avoided her whenever humanly possible.

“She’s something else, isn’t she?”

Garrett started to share with Hamish
exactly
what he
thought of Lynne Cornish when he saw the look on his friend’s face.

“You have got to be shitting me,” Garrett groaned.

“What?”

Hamish appeared clueless.

“When did you start screwing our star?”

Garrett wondered if Hamish would deny it. He could see the
indecision on the other man’s face. Fortunately, he never held out long when
Garrett stared him down.

“I’m not.”

“Hamish…”

“Screwing connotes two animals giving in to their baser
instincts,” Hamish said. “What Lynne and I feel is far deeper,
Garrett.”

Garrett waited, holding his breath. If Hamish declared he
and that harpy were soulmates, he might lose his lunch.

“We’re soulmates.”

Garrett’s lunch stayed put. His temper, on the other hand,
rose to just short of boiling.

“Fuck that.” He signaled Hamish to follow him. He
knew his top was about to blow — he didn’t want to do it in front of witnesses.

The walk to his office did nothing to cool him down. Each
step sent his blood pressure surging. He waited until they were safely behind
closed doors before letting loose.

“Have you lost your
wee
Scottish mind
?”

“I—”

“Of all the stupid, irresponsible—” Garrett threw
his hands up. “Why? That’s what I want to know. I know the rule stating no
consorting with the cast is unwritten, Hamish. That doesn’t make it any less
important.”

“I know, Garrett. I didn’t set out to fall in
love.”

“Oh, come on.”

“I don’t expect you to understand. I’m not sure
I
do.” Hamish gave Garrett a helpless shrug. “Things started innocently
enough.”

“Don’t they always?”

“I guess I deserve the sarcasm. How often have we
derided the idiots who start on set affairs?”

Assuming the question was rhetorical, Garrett kept his mouth
shut.

“I know that look.”

Garrett simply raised his eyebrows.

“You think I’m an idiot.”

“I believe the words stupid and irresponsible have
already been used,” Garrett said. His anger was fading. Instead, he was
baffled. “Let’s put aside the reasons why this is a bad idea. When the
hell did you have the time?”

“When we were on location.”

Hamish flopped down on the leather couch. He tapped his left
foot to an uncertain rhythm.
Nerves
, Garrett thought. That little
telltale tick that only someone who knew the man well would recognize.

“Without anyone noticing?” Garrett was impressed.
There was nothing as insular as a movie set — especially one miles away from
civilization. You couldn’t pick your nose without it becoming news.

“We only talked,” Hamish said. “A few kisses.
Last night was the first time we…”

“Fucked?”

“Made love,” Hamish corrected.

Garrett wanted to pound his head against the wall. Hell, he
wanted to pound Hamish’s head.
Anywhere
. This was not good. Right now,
everything was sunshine and cotton candy. The chances of it staying that way
until they finished shooting were next to nil. Lynne might believe she was in
love. Hamish certainly did. When she became bored and turned her attention to a
hunky extra or an adoring crew member, then what? Shit? Meet fan.

Unfortunately, Garrett was in a no-win situation. Telling
Hamish his love affair would end in disaster was the fastest way to lose a
friend and alienate his Assistant Director. Keeping his mouth shut meant
dealing with the inevitable fallout. There was no choice. He would keep his
fingers crossed love in bloom didn’t wither until after he called a wrap on
Exile
.

“Keep it low profile,” Garrett said.

“Thanks, man.” Hamish jumped up, a bundle of
anticipatory energy. “Are we done for the day?”

“Go.”

When he was alone, Garrett sighed. There was work to do.
Nothing stood still on a movie shoot. The script was solid. Barring any
unforeseen disasters, they would finish ahead of schedule. Unfortunately, there
were always problems. It was part of his job to limit the frequency and
severity. The big bonus was, there were no location shoots left. Blue screen.
Special effects. A few intimate moments between his stars. Post-production
would take over a year.
Exile
would be a tent-pole release summer after
next. A blockbuster — fingers crossed.

As problems went, Hamish and Lynne were an annoying
headache, not a migraine. Publicity could handle the mess — if necessary.

Garrett turned on his phone, checking missed calls and
texts.
Carved in stone
rule
: No phone calls during dailies. He
didn’t want the distraction. Also, in a life where his phone was a vital tool
he was never without, it was nice to have an excuse to tune it out for a few
hours.

Most of the messages he ignored. Reminders from his PA about
meetings — time and place. Wyatt needed five minutes.
When didn’t he
?
Dad’s birthday was coming up soon. That was a can’t-miss event. Garrett bought
the present months ago when he was in Costa Rica. Caleb Landis loved wildly
colorful shirts. It was a quirk his sons indulged. At one time, they had
contests to see who could find the most outrageous print. Now, his closets
stuffed, the Landis boys only purchased an addition to the collection when they
stumbled across something unique. Garrett couldn’t wait to see his father’s
face when he opened the package. Hula-hooping pink crocodiles. He’d snatched it
up the minute he saw it.