Stars Collide (8 page)

Looked like everyone had waited for this one special moment. Now if only I could figure out where to take it from here.

After a couple more lines from Jack, the scene ended. Cameras pulled back, lights dimmed, and I felt beads of sweat pop up on the back of my neck. Tia yelled, “Cut!” and the audience went crazy. Everyone in the place started talking, voices layering on top of each other.

“Oh, praise the Lord and pass the wedding bouquets!” Grandma Lenora said, entering the set. “It’s finally happened. My two favorite people in all the world are engaged!”

“Well, yes, but Grandma—”

“Oh, honey.” She grabbed my left hand and gazed at the faux diamond ring. “It’s exquisite. Jack did such a lovely job of picking it out.” She gazed up at him with an admiring smile. “But who can tell with these tears in my eyes. I’m such an old softy, getting emotional over my granddaughter’s engagement.”

“But Grandma, I—”

“We’ll have to start planning for your big day right away,” she continued. “I know just what we’ll do. We’ll have the wedding at the church and then host the reception at the house. In the backyard. The gardens are beautiful this time of year, don’t you think?” After a second’s pause, she said, “Then again, you might not be thinking of getting married right away. Oh, but don’t wait till the winter, honey. You want a lovely warm wedding so that your guests can be comfortable outdoors. I always say a warm wedding is better than a cold one any day.”

“Lenora, I don’t think you understand—” Scott tried to get a word in edgewise, but she was too busy chattering to notice.

On and on she went, telling us all of the reasons why we should have our wedding sooner rather than later. She ended with a doozy. “Besides, honey, we don’t know how long I’m going to be here. And I know you’ll want me to be in the wedding, right? Why, I plan to be your maid of honor!”

Okay, I loved that idea . . . and if I ever really did get married, she would be the obvious choice. But enough already! I put up my hand to stop her midsentence. Unfortunately, she headed over to Rex. I could hear her cheerful voice as she shared her joy.

“Rex, they’re engaged! Can you believe it? After all this time, he finally popped the question!”

Rex looked at her, the creases in his brow deepening. “Of course, Lenora. I know that. It’s all arranged.”

“Yes, it is.” She beamed ear to ear. “And now I’m going to see that my granddaughter has the one thing I never had—a wedding!”

Wow. Well, if that wasn’t enough to stop us all in our tracks, I don’t know what would be. Of course my grandmother had a wedding. The idea that she’d forgotten about it . . . and my grandfather . . . brought a lump to my throat the size of a baseball.

As tears filled my eyes, I reached for Scott’s hand and gave it a squeeze, then whispered, “This is worse than we thought.”

He nodded and I could read the concern in his eyes. She’d gone over the edge this time, but I didn’t know how to bring her back.

Rex gave her a concerned look and took her by the arm. “Do you need to rest, Lenora?”

“Rest? Of course not. I’m fit as a fiddle. There’s no time for napping right now. We’ve got a wedding to coordinate. Do you have any idea how hard it is to plan a wedding in Beverly Hills? Just finding the right caterer is going to be a nightmare. They’re booked months in advance. And never mind about the flowers. Getting a florist this late in the season is going to be murder. Thank goodness I’ve got connections. I can pull a few strings.” She paused, deep in thought. “I wonder if Liberace is busy. He’s a shoe-in to play the piano. Have you ever heard his version of the ‘Wedding March’? Nothing can even come close.”

The “Wedding March” he’s currently playing on that great white baby grand in the sky, you mean?

“Grandma, are you sure you don’t need to sit down and rest?” I whispered. “Maybe get calmed down a little?”

“Heavens, no.” Turning to me now, her words came faster. “KK, we’ve got to go shopping for a wedding dress. And shoes. You can’t get married without the right pumps. You’ve got to make sure they’re comfortable, though. There’s nothing worse than uncomfortable shoes on your wedding day. Pretty but practical, that’s what I always say. Of course, it doesn’t really matter what I always say, does it? This is about you, honey. All about you. So pick uncomfortable shoes if you like. And the veil. I think a long veil is best, don’t you? Though I have noticed that brides these days are often choosing shorter ones. Practicality, I suppose. But who needs to be practical? This is a wedding, after all! Toss caution to the wind and have it your way!”

On and on she went. By now, everyone on the set—and in the studio audience—hung on her every word. I could only pray the guy from
The Scoop
hadn’t snuck into the building. He would go a long way on this act.

Act. Hmm. Maybe the people in the audience would think this bit with my grandmother was indeed part of the act. Perhaps this all looked scripted to them.

Sure. They would all think this was some sort of promotional gag. After all, she did play my grandmother in the show as well. Yes, surely they would find this funny. And staged.

Finally Grandma caught her breath. Before she could start up again, I took her by the arm and suggested we head to the dressing room. Along the way, I waved at the crowd, playing the whole thing up.

Once we reached my dressing room, I encouraged her to rest for a few minutes. She settled onto the sofa and I turned out the light, promising to return quickly. I went in search of Scott, who’d slipped off to his dressing room at the far end of the hall. Who could blame him?

I rapped on the door. “Safe to come in?”

“Yeah. C’mon.”

I crossed the room to where he stood, almost afraid to face him after my grandmother’s emotional outburst. This day had been crazy enough already without adding Lenora Worth to the mix.

For a moment I couldn’t say a word. Then finally I managed, “Scott, what are we going to do? We’re meeting your parents for dinner in a few hours, and Grandma . . .” I couldn’t finish the sentence over the lump in my throat.

He gave me a sympathetic look and brushed a loose hair out of my eye. “For one thing, we’re not going to panic, Kat. That won’t help anything. So no abrupt change of plans.”

“But did you hear her? Her memory is fading fast. She’s losing pieces of her past and has no real connection with the present, except for me. If she thinks you and I are really engaged and then figures out that we’re not, I don’t know what it will do to her. She’s on medication for her blood pressure and cholesterol, you know. And I don’t know if I’ve mentioned it, but she’s also on meds for—” I started to say the word but couldn’t. I finally settled for “memory loss.”

“It’s going to be okay, Kat.”

“I’m so worried about her, Scott.” Biting my lip, I thought about how sad all of this was, really. “I mean, I’ve been concerned for ages, but now I know I have to do something.”

“Like what? You’ve been doing something all along, Kat. You’re her caregiver, and a really good one at that. You’ve taken every problem that’s come up in stride, and you’ve managed to keep a good attitude. I say we do the same thing this time around.”

“Th-thank you.” I stopped talking for a moment to clear my head. “I’m making an appointment for her to see the doctor next week. I think he needs to increase her medication. Or maybe . . .” A lump rose in my throat, making it hard to speak. “M-maybe she’s just going to continue to slip away from me, one awful bit at a time.” I looked at him, tears starting. “What happens then, Scott?”

He wrapped an arm around me. With his fingertip, he brushed away a tear. “Kat, don’t worry about tomorrow. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”

“You can say that again. We’re in trouble all right.”

“It seems huge to you right now, but God is bigger.”

I willed myself to take a few deep breaths before responding. The words finally came, barely more than a whisper. “I know. This is just scary. I don’t know what to do for her.”

“We’re going to pray about it and ask for a revelation from on high. Until it arrives, we just keep moving forward without saying a word, one way or the other.”

“You mean we’re not going to tell her that her only granddaughter
isn’t
engaged?”

“We’re not going to say anything at all, either way. We’ll just act like none of this ever happened. And if she brings it up, we’ll simply smile and change the subject. We won’t lie, but we won’t make a big deal out of it either. From everything I’ve read, it makes things worse to argue with a person who has memory-related issues. They can become belligerent.”

“I know. You’re right. I’ve experienced that firsthand.” I plopped down on the sofa, completely overwhelmed. Suddenly I just wanted to go home and climb in bed. Pull the covers over my head. Did we really have plans to meet his parents for dinner tonight? How could I manage that . . . and all of this too?

Only one way. With the Lord’s help. Squeezing my eyes shut, I appealed to him for mercy. And wisdom. And patience. “What are we going to tell the others?” I asked.

“The cast and crew, you mean?” Scott raked his fingers through his hair. When I nodded, he shared his thoughts on the matter. “I say we tell Rex what’s going on with the two of us. He’s probably already got it figured out, anyway. If he feels like we need to tell the others, we will. We all want to be on the same page with your grandmother, after all.”

“You’re right.” I shrugged. “I guess it’s time to let everyone else know that we’re a couple.” Somehow just saying those words made me feel better.

Scott joined me on the sofa and slipped his arm over my shoulders, pulling me into a comforting embrace.

Seconds later, Athena stuck her head in the door, her lips pursed. She looked back and forth between us, her eyes twinkling as she noticed our comfortable position. After a moment, she voiced her thoughts. “So, does your grandmother think that you and Scott are . . .” She pointed to her ring finger.

Scott nodded. “Yep.”

“So she somehow thinks you’re really getting married?”

“Yep.” He offered up a woeful shrug.

“Well, there you go then.” Athena shook her head, saying absolutely nothing for a few moments. As she turned to leave, I heard her mutter, “Houston, we have a problem.”

At that very moment, a cheerful voice rang out from the hallway. “Tom Hanks.
Apollo 13
. 1995.” Grandma Lenora popped her head in the door, gave me a wink, and then kept right on walking.

9

Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?

The trip home was made with Grandma Lenora chattering all the way. I’d never seen her so happy or so excited. As we rounded the turn on Sunset just past the Beverly Hills Hotel, she let out a squeal. “KK, stop the car!”

Not again.

“It’s important. I want to see if they fixed the map. We need them to get it right, now more than ever.”

I pulled the car off the road, and before I could even slip it into Park, my grandmother scrambled out of her seat belt. Minutes later, I followed her to the stand where Damian stood waving.

Unfortunately, he looked right past Grandma to me. “Kat! You’re back.”

Mustering up as much enthusiasm as I could, I nodded. “Yes, I’m back.”
Whether I want to be or not.

“Might I see the new and updated version of the Hollywood map?” Grandma Lenora extended her hand in his direction.

“Certainly, madam,” he said with flair, passing one her way.

My grandmother squealed with delight as she located Worth Manor on the map. She turned to Damian with a smile. “It’s more important now than ever that people are able to find my home.”

“Oh?” He looked confused. “Why is that?”

“Because . . . we’re having a wedding!” Grandma’s ripple of laughter followed.

I squeezed my eyes shut, preparing for the inevitable.

“Are you getting married, Lenora?” Damian asked, throwing his arm over her shoulders. “Who’s the lucky guy?”

Grandma began to fan herself with the map. “Don’t be silly. I’m not getting married. KK is. We’re meeting her future in-laws for dinner tonight, in fact.”

Oh, yikes.

Damian released his hold on Grandma and turned to me, his eyes huge. “Are you serious? You’re getting married?”

“It’s not really like that,” I whispered. “See, this is what happened . . .” I started to explain, but with my grandmother standing so close, I couldn’t.

Lord, help me out here!

Grandma’s eyes twinkled with merriment. “Oh, Damian, you should have seen it. Jack got down on one knee and popped the question. In front of all the kids and everything. The look on KK’s face was priceless. Oh, it was perfect. I couldn’t have planned it any better myself.”

“Jack?” Damian looked confused.

I whispered, “It’s not what it sounds like.”

He nodded. “I’m sure your house is the perfect place for a wedding.”

“Oh, just the reception,” Grandma said with a wave of her hand. “My granddaughter will get married in church. We’re firm believers in going to church.” Her gaze narrowed. “Do you go to church, Damian?”

“Uh, well, when I was a kid, I used to go with my mom. Haven’t been in years, though. Not really my thing.”

“You should get back in church, young man.” She put a fingertip on his chest and he nodded. “Whether it’s your thing or not. It’ll do you some good.”

“Guess I should.” He appeared to be thinking about it.

Grandma Lenora’s eyes took on a faraway look. “KK will be married in church. Her dress is going to be the most beautiful thing you ever saw. And the veil too, but we haven’t really made a decision about all of that. Oh, I can’t wait till the newspapers and magazines post their photos. Don’t you think she will look beautiful coming down the aisle?”

“Of course.” Damian nodded, then looked back and forth between Grandma and me.

I said nothing. Maybe Scott was right. Letting things ride would be for the best. To stop my grandmother now would create an avalanche effect. Then again, letting her ramble on wasn’t doing much good either.

“The reception will be a wonderful affair at Worth Manor.” Grandma began to pace. “I plan to renovate between now and then, but surely I can have the place ready for guests in a month or two.”

“A month or two?” Damian and I spoke in unison.

Grandma nodded, clearly lost in her ponderings.

Damian snapped to attention. “Well, I’ve got the maps, if anyone needs to know how to get there.”

“In that case, I’ll take two hundred.” My grandmother reached inside her purse and came out with a checkbook. “How much are they?”

I don’t know who was more stunned, Damian or me. I could see the dollar signs where his eyeballs used to be. “T-two hundred?” he asked.

“Grandma, you really don’t need to—”

She shushed me. “KK, I have the most glorious idea. We can fold the maps and put them inside the wedding invitations. Won’t that be cute? Then everyone will know just where to come.” As she made out the check, she continued to ramble on about the wedding. I did everything in my power to warn Damian that her story was fatally flawed by giving him frantic glances. Unfortunately, he was too busy snagging the check to pay any attention.

We left ten minutes later carrying two hundred maps of Hollywood. What we would ever do with them, I had no idea. Maybe, if I lived through all of this, I could throw a party and invite everyone I knew. Give each of them a map, just so Grandma’s money wouldn’t go to waste.

As we climbed back in the car, I glanced at the clock and gasped. Five thirty? We were supposed to meet Scott and his parents for dinner at seven. My heart gravitated to my throat as I contemplated the potential for disaster. Hopefully Grandma Lenora would forget all about my so-called engagement before seven or we would be in a world of trouble.

When we arrived home, I sprinted up the stairs to my room, then peeled out of my jeans and raced for my closet, anxious to find the perfect outfit. What was one supposed to wear when meeting the mother of her fiancé?

Oops. Just a slip.

What was one supposed to wear when meeting the mother of the man she was engaged to on a television sitcom?

I settled on a soft green blouse, a pair of black capris, and my favorite strappy sandals. I’d paid a pretty penny for them, but they were worth it. Nothing like impressing the future in-laws.

I giggled as I thought about it. Even though the whole thing was based on my grandmother’s confused state of mind, I now knew what it would feel like if it ever really happened. Nerve-racking!

At six thirty, Scott called to say he would be arriving shortly to pick us up. While I had him to myself, I decided to fill him in on the latest events.

“Scott, I’m really worried about what happened today. Grandma is planning our wedding. You won’t believe what she told the guy at the map place. And wait till you hear what she bought.”

I conveyed the whole story—every gory detail—and Scott groaned. “Man. Do you think he’ll try to sell that story to a reporter?”

“I don’t know. He seems like a good kid and he’s familiar with my grandmother now, so I hope not. I think we can trust him.”

“Good.”

“Do you still want to stick with the original plan?” I asked. “Do nothing, say nothing? Just let her go on with this? Even with your parents in town? Heaven only knows what she might say to them. You know?”

“Yeah.” He paused. “I tried to call my dad’s cell phone a few minutes ago, but he didn’t answer. I wanted to bring him up to speed on her . . .” He stumbled over the word. “Condition.”

I sighed. “He didn’t answer?”

“No, but I’ll try to figure out a way to tell him—or my mom. It’s going to be okay.” Scott paused. “I’ve prayed about this, Kat, and I just keep coming back to the fact that she’s not well. I certainly don’t want to lie to her, but neither do I think we should make a big deal out of the fact that she’s wrong. That will only lead to trouble and more confusion on her part. What’s the harm in just not saying anything at all as long as all the people around her are aware of what’s really going on?”

“For one thing, she’s going to want to start planning a wedding. A real wedding. The kind with dresses and flowers and food and stuff. She’s already talking about the guest list and has the invitation worded. You don’t realize how females are. Once they hear there’s a wedding coming, they slip into planning mode.”

“I’ve been thinking about that too,” he said. “And I’ve already talked to Athena about it. The writers are at work, planning the end-of-season finale, our wedding day. I mean Angie and Jack’s wedding day.” Scott’s words came much faster now. “Anyway, Athena says it’ll be fun to sit and plan out the wedding scene with the writers—you, me, and even Lenora. That way she feels included.”

“You don’t understand. She’s got a big church wedding planned.”

“So we’ll create a church setting for the scene. The viewers will love that. And I’m sure Rex will like the idea, since it’s a family show and all. A church wedding makes sense for Jack and Angie.”

“And when we tie the knot on the show, then what?” I rose and began to pace. “Then she’ll think we’re married in real life, and that will create an even bigger mess. Don’t you see? She’ll probably try to send us on a honeymoon.”

A nervous chuckle erupted from his end of the line. Then he grew more serious. “I don’t know, Kat. I’m just trying to spare her feelings. We’ll keep praying about this. But right now I have to let you go. I’m pulling up to your house.”

“I’ll open the gate.”

A couple of minutes later, I met him at the door.

Scott whistled when he saw me in my new outfit. “You look great, Kat.” A kiss on the cheek followed. Then he turned his attention to Grandma, who had appeared in a lovely cream-colored dress, slightly less elaborate than the one she’d worn earlier but still over-the-top. I’d never seen her in an off-the-shoulder gown before. Not bad.

“So, where are we going to dinner?” I asked as we walked together to his SUV.

Scott gave me an odd look, one I couldn’t quite interpret. “Promise you’ll play along?”

“Sure.”

“They want to go to IHOP.”

“IHOP?”

“The International House of Pancakes.”

“Oh, sure. I know what it is. I’ve been there before.”
Once. On a road trip with my parents. When I was four.
So much for the nice hairdo and makeup job. I’d had visions of taking them to Spago in Beverly Hills, really doing it up nice. Obviously they had other ideas. “Okay.” I managed a shrug. “IHOP it is.”

“It’s my dad’s favorite place and they don’t have one in Alma, so he always looks for them elsewhere.”

Scott’s cell phone rang. As he talked to his agent, he also played the role of gentleman, opening the car doors for us. Grandma sat in the back and I joined Scott in the front. Though I tried not to be nosy, I couldn’t help but overhear his conversation. Sounded like big plans were in the works. Very big.

“Everything okay?” I asked when he hung up.

“Yeah, that was weird.”

“What?”

“He said that the Coen brothers have asked for me. For a movie, I mean.”

“Wow. Really? What kind of movie?”

“I’m not sure yet. Bert’s going to send me the script. I don’t know, though. Doing movies is a big risk right now. I’m not sure this is the best timing. And I want to be really careful about the work I choose, so finding something family friendly is critical. You know?”

“I do.”

Grandma clucked her tongue. From the backseat, she warbled out her thoughts on the matter. “You’re getting married, honey. That’s enough of a production, and plenty family friendly. You don’t need a movie career right now. If they really want you, they will wait on you. That’s what my agent always said, anyway. Patience is a virtue. And if those Coen brothers have any virtue at all, they’ll wait.”

Scott chuckled. “Great advice, Lenora. I might just have to follow it.”

“I’ve been around,” she responded. “I know a thing or two. Now, let’s talk about your wedding. I’m ready to start planning your big day.”

She continued to chatter all the way to the restaurant. Several times I looked over at Scott to make sure he hadn’t slipped into panic mode. As always, his features were relaxed and friendly. I could tell he wasn’t acting. This guy was the real deal, through and through.

Thank you, Lord. I’m not sure what I ever did to deserve him, but I’m so grateful.

For the first time all day, I paused to think about Scott as real husband material. He certainly had everything I was looking for, right down to a strong faith in the Lord. I let my thoughts slip off, my imagination running away with me. If we really got married, would we go on filming the show? Sure, why not. Maybe we’d even have a couple of kids and incorporate them into the plot.

“Kat, you okay?” Scott looked my way and grinned.

I tried not to let my embarrassment show as my gaze shifted to the window. “Mm-hmm.”

“Where are we going?” Grandma piped up. “I’ve haven’t been out this way for ages.”

I had to agree with that. There were certain places in L.A. we rarely saw. These days, our whole world was the stretch between Beverly Hills and the studio. Strange, what a small world it had become. There really was life beyond it all.

“Where we’re going is a surprise,” Scott said.

My grandmother clapped her hands. “Ooh, I love surprises!”

The look on her face as Scott pulled his SUV up to the front of IHOP was priceless. To my knowledge, she’d never been inside a pancake house before. Not in this decade, anyway. This should be interesting. And her ’60s cream-colored gown was more than a little out of place.

We’d no sooner arrived than a couple of teen girls ran our way. “You’re Jack and Angie.”

They began to squeal, and before long a crowd had gathered and we were signing autographs. One after another the fans came, each one louder than the one before. I’d been swarmed by fans in the past, but never with Scott at my side. Apparently he was quite a draw. The teen girls went gaga over him. He played along, but I could see the tension underneath his smile. Funny, this was the first time I’d ever seen his nervous side. Perhaps it had something to do with the impending arrival of his parents.

They showed up just as one of the teens pulled out her cell phone to snap our photo. I was introduced first to Scott’s father, Charles. Sizing him up didn’t take very long. He stood about five foot ten. Balding. A stern expression but kind eyes. Not terribly vocal, but that was okay. I wasn’t sure I could keep a conversation going with him, anyway.

Next I turned my attention to his mother as Scott introduced us. “Nancy.” I extended my hand. “It’s so great to meet you.”