Dying for Mercy with Bonus Material (31 page)

It was hard for Piper to imagine anyone giving up a starring role like Glenna’s.

“How’s everyone taking it?” asked Piper.

“Everyone’s been great about it, except Quent, of course. He wasn’t exactly thrilled.” Glenna frowned. “I guess I understand. When I suggested that my leaving would shake things up and be a good thing for the show, he growled that he was worried enough about shooting with a new crew in L.A., and didn’t need to be dealing with a new star as well.”

“How ’bout Susannah? What does she think?”

“She’s conflicted. She likes Casey well enough, but her loyalty is to her father.”

“Are you inviting Phillip to the wedding?” Piper asked.

“I doubt it, unless Susannah insists,” Glenna answered. “As far as I’m concerned, it would be absolutely fine if I never saw Phillip again. When I think about the crap I put up with from him . . .” Glenna let out a deep sigh. “Calling me at work twenty times a day to make sure I was there, drilling me with questions about who I was spending my time with. So suspicious and jealous. It’s a wonder the marriage lasted as long as it did. I was a fool to hang on so long.”

“Don’t dwell on that, Glenna. This time will be different.”

“I hope so.” Glenna traced the rim of her wineglass and grew quiet.

“What’s wrong?” asked Piper.

“It’s probably nothing,” said Glenna.

“What?”

“Well, maybe it’s somebody’s idea of a joke, but I received an anonymous letter in the mail. It said terrible things about Casey. It made it seem like I would be making a big mistake by marrying him.”

“That’s weird. Who would send something like that?” asked Piper.

Glenna shook her head. “I have no idea, but I have the letter with me. Want to see it?”

“Give it here,” said Piper.

Glenna fished through her oversized Chanel bag, pulled the letter out, and handed it across the table.

Piper examined the letter and its envelope.

It was unsigned. And the text was printed in capital letters.

“Why would someone send something like that, Piper?”

“Beats me.” Piper shrugged. “Do you want me to show it to my FBI friend?” she offered. “I don’t know what he’ll say but it’s worth a shot.”

“Would you?” asked Glenna, looking relieved. “That would be great, Piper. I don’t really want to go to the police with it. That would end up being such a hassle.”

“Sure,” said Piper. “I’m having dinner with Jack tonight.”

“Thanks. I so appreciate it,” said Glenna. “And on a happier note, I have another favor to ask.”

“Shoot.”

“Remember how you used to bring in those cupcakes from your mother’s bakery to the set?”

Piper nodded.

“I loved those things. Everybody did. They were so beautifully decorated and absolutely delicious.”

“Uh-huh.”

“Well, I was wondering if your mother would make my wedding cake. It’s my second marriage and we’re definitely keeping it low-key. It will be a relatively small and intimate reception and having the wedding cake come from your family’s bakery would mean a lot to me.”

“Of course she will. Anything for the bride,” said Piper as the waiter arrived with their food. Her mother’s remark about turning down wedding cake orders crossed Piper’s mind, but she was confident her mother wouldn’t say no to Glenna. “But what about your party planner? Won’t she want to take care of the cake?”

“I’ve already told her I have a sentimental reason for having the cake made by my own person,” said Glenna. “She didn’t fight me on it.”

“L
ET ME
,” said Glenna, reaching for the check at the end of the meal.

“I should be treating you to celebrate your happy news,” protested Piper.

“Knowing your mother will do the cake is a big enough treat,” said Glenna, taking her credit card out of her wallet. “But you know what else you could do for me?”

“Name it.”

“There’s a charity auction next Thursday at Susannah’s school. I’m on the organizing committee and Casey is the faculty adviser. Why don’t you come and see the space where we’ll be having our reception? And some of the
Little Rain
cast and crew will be there, too. It’ll be good for them to see your face again. You never know . . .”

T
HE TAXI DROVE THROUGH
C
ENTRAL
Park. Casey Walden sat in the backseat, looking out the window at the leafless trees. His brow was furrowed and his mouth was set in a deep frown.

How was he going to be able to hold his own financially in his relationship with Glenna?

Their romance had been a wonderful, unexpected gift. The past few months had brought him more pleasure than he had ever thought possible. He loved Glenna, loved everything about her.

She was nothing at all like the image he’d had about beautiful-but-difficult actresses. As they spent a fabulous autumn together, Casey had learned that Glenna preferred a picnic in the park in jeans over a formal dinner—though they had gone to several of those, charity events where Glenna lent her name and donated her time to make sure the evenings were successful.

He knew that Glenna was self-made, having been brought up in a family where money was tight. She had moved to New York all alone and put herself through acting school. There had been some very lean years, living with three other young women in a one-bedroom apartment, subsisting on whatever was on sale in the grocery store, scraping together enough to continue her acting classes.

To look at Glenna now, no one would think she had ever had a bad day. But she had. Bad days and bad years. Even as her career blossomed, she was in a horrible marriage.

Casey had met Phillip Brooks. He was a large man with broad shoulders and big, powerful hands. The rage in his dark eyes was palpable.

When Casey pressed Glenna for information on why the marriage had ended, she didn’t offer details. She said Phillip’s jealousy and possessiveness bothered her as much as his dishonesty. She had wanted to divorce Phillip in the years before he was sent to prison, but didn’t, out of concern for Susannah and fear of how Phillip would react.

When Phillip was incarcerated, Glenna realized how peaceful the apartment was without him and how truly destructive it had been living with tension and being barraged with anger all the time. She came to the conclusion that Susannah would really be better off growing up in a tranquil home. Glenna also knew she herself didn’t want to go back to the old situation when Phillip was released. She instituted divorce proceedings.

Glenna had confided that she thought she would never marry again. She had her daughter, she had her career, and she had more money than she had ever imagined having. She didn’t want to rock the boat. But somehow—miraculously, as far as Casey was concerned—Glenna had fallen deeply in love with him and was willing to take the chance.

But now that they were actually going to be married, Casey was feeling uncomfortable.

He brought his finger to his mouth and gnawed at the nail. He didn’t want Glenna to ever regret her decision. He wanted to take care of her and he didn’t want to feel like a kept man. Intellectually, Casey knew it shouldn’t matter which spouse brought in more money. Husband and wife were a team. But the idea of contributing his pathetically small private-school salary while Glenna supplied the big bucks grated on him.

There was a solution. There was a way for Casey to have a greater income. It was perfectly legal and his right to take more money from the family business.

But his brother was standing in the way.