Could This Be Love? (14 page)

Sijan had no luck at the hotel. Avery didn’t answer the call to her room or the knock on her door. Back in the lobby, he checked at the desk and found out the women hadn’t checked out. He called Pia’s room and Avery’s sister, what was her name? Tanya, Tawny . . . Tansy. That was it. Tansy answered the phone crying. When he asked if Pia or Avery were there, she yelled “No!” and hung up. No way was he going up there to deal with that.

No one at the hotel could tell him where Avery was, but he knew where he could find out. The Climax Grapevine was the go-to place for information. And if the Grapevine failed him—well, he wouldn’t have to worry because that would be the foretelling of the apocalypse. Hell, he’d just sit and wait for Avery to come back from wherever she went for the day. And work on his apology. Because he didn’t think his famous movie star charm worked on Avery at all.

Sijan made his way down to Dave’s Diner and found who he was looking for. He walked over to one of the booths and waited until he had the attention of the Simon sisters, matriarchs of the community and vital links in the gossip chain. If Beatrice and Agatha didn’t know where Avery was, then nobody did. “Ladies, would you mind if I sit with you?”

“Well, look who it is. Of course you can sit with us. Sit down, you handsome devil, and tell us all the juicy gossip from Hollywood.”

“Sister, Sijan doesn’t want to discuss gossip. Well, not that gossip, do you, Sijan, dear?” Beatrice’s softly wrinkled hand reached out and patted his.

“Not today, ladies. But I’ll make sure to get you up to date before I leave town. Promise.” Sijan nodded to Renee’s tip of the coffeepot, turning his mug over so she could fill it. “Do you know where Avery Danford is today?”

Agatha’s eyes lit up. “So, that’s her name. Avery. I don’t know why we thought her name was something else, do you, Beatrice?”

“Ariel. You said you thought it was Ariel. I remember because we were watching that movie from a few years ago, the one with the mermaid, and you said, ‘Oh, look, there’s that actress Ariel.’ And I said, ‘Oh, yes, so it is. Whatever happened to her?’ I asked.” Beatrice stopped talking just long enough to take a breath. “And neither one of us could remember what happened to her. Isn’t that funny, sister? Sijan, you have connections. You could find out what happened to her for us, couldn’t you, dear?”

Agatha choked on her sip of coffee and sent a frowning look at her sister. “Sister, can’t you see Sijan has something on his mind? He’s too busy to worry about some washed-up young actress who probably snorted all her profits, or was too bitchy to work with anymore.”

“That’s true. I’ll bet you she had a nervous breakdown. They do that in Hollywood a lot, you know.” Beatrice nodded. “Sad, isn’t it? She was so young, too.”

Sijan was close to beating his head on the table in front of him. He’d forgotten the Simon sisters were addicted to all things TV and film. He just wanted to find out where Avery was. “I promise when I get back to the West Coast I’ll ask around and find out what happened to your actress.”

“Never mind, Sijan.” Beatrice patted Sijan’s hand again. “We’ve got our own Hollywood connections. Don’t look so surprised, young man. We’ll ask around ourselves, won’t we, sister?”

“Ladies, if you could help me out with Avery’s location, I’ll get you an autograph from George Clooney the next time I run into him.”

“As tempting as George Clooney is, Sijan, dear, after what we heard this morning, I don’t think we can tell you anything.” Agatha frowned at him.

“I messed up. I know that.” Sijan worked his silver gaze and slashing dimples to his advantage. “That’s why I need to find Avery. I want to apologize to her.”

Beatrice sipped her hot chocolate as she considered Sijan’s plea. “Sijan, I’m glad to hear you say that. But she and her friend are working a few miles outside of town today, and she needs her space, dear.”

“But—”

“I know you Hollywood stars are used to getting your way, young man, but now is the perfect time to remind you we changed your diapers. He had a nice-looking butt even then, didn’t he, Beatrice?”

Sijan pinched the bridge of his nose. He channeled his energy and turned on the charm, as if filming a love scene. Hey, he was getting desperate. He looked into Agatha’s eyes, then Beatrice’s. “Ladies, I’m begging you.”

Renee, who had stopped by to top off the coffee cups and get the latest gossip, intercepted the look, lost her breath, and had to sit next to him in the booth when she lost her balance. “Lord, Sijan, watch where you aim that sexy look or I’ll jump you right here in the booth.” She fanned her face with her order pad.

“Sorry. I was aiming it at Beatrice and Agatha.”

Agatha managed a dainty snort. “We’re made of sterner stuff, Sijan. Now, let’s just say you don’t accuse a woman of trying to get pregnant for monetary gain and think she’ll be ready to talk to you just because you’re sorry. She needs time to calm down and let the pain ease.”

“This is true, dear. We heard she’ll be working until they lose the light. While you’re waiting, Sijan, you get yourself back over to the hospital and cheer up some of the patients there.” Beatrice removed Sijan’s coffee cup from his hands and urged him out of his seat.

Fine. Obviously he wasn’t going to get any more information out of the best Grapevine source, so his only option was patience. And, since Tynan wouldn’t let him back on the job site in this mood, then the hospital was as good a place as any to pass the time waiting until sunset.

“Okay. I’ll head on over to the hospital. You’ll call me when Avery gets back, won’t you?”

“Of course,” Agatha said. “Now, go work your magic with the sick children.”

***

Agatha watched Sijan rise from the table, not a bit embarrassed to be wishing she were fifty years younger.

Agatha and every other woman in the diner watched him walk out, get in his truck, and drive away. As if on cue, as soon as his truck left the parking lot, the women grabbed the nearest menu or piece of paper and fanned themselves, dripping into melty puddles of women from his intense charisma. The man was hot with a capital H, but there was no sense in letting it go to his head.

Barbara walked into the aftermath. “Damn, which Cates brother did I miss?” She looked around the diner. “Damn. Damn. Damn. It was Sijan, wasn’t it?”

Agatha sat fanning her face with everyone else. “Relax, dear. I predict he’ll be back here at sunset. Waiting impatiently. Ready to try that look on her.”

“Who? Avery?”

“Yes, the poor dear,” Agatha said, unable to dredge up a single note of sympathy. “She won’t even see it coming.”

Chapter Thirteen

A
very sat on the porch of Petey’s house, exhausted and starving. And appreciating how lucky she was. She looked around the tired faces of her small crew and wanted to hug them all. Pia must have filled them in on the reason Avery was working them fiendishly. Not only did they not complain, but they did whatever they could to get as much filmed as humanly possible.

“Jeff and Kent, I can’t thank you guys enough for the work you put in today. You guys are the best.” Avery raised her bottled water up in a toast.

“Hey, we’re young. If you two old ladies can hack it, so can we,” Jeff joked. “But if you want us up to catch the sunrise to finish the commercial in the morning, we need to crash now. Scoot, ladies, because there’s a bed in my RV over there calling my name.”

Avery stood and stretched her sore back, then held out her hand to help Pia stand too. “Okay. Okay, we’re going. See you an hour before sunrise.”

Kent nodded. “Sure, Avery. Just knock on the RV. And hot coffee and Krispy Kreme donuts wouldn’t be unappreciated.”

“I love me a cruller, Avery!” Jeff called as the RV door slammed shut behind him.

“Wow, we got lucky when we found them. I hope they want to stick around once they get their degrees in the spring.” Avery walked around to the driver’s side of Pia’s SUV. “I’ll drive, Pia. You’re exhausted.”

Pia handed over the keys from her purse. “Normally, I would say that I’m still a better driver exhausted than you’ll be any day, but I’m too tired to argue. Besides, we can use your lead foot tonight to get us to a source of food faster. I’m starving.”

“Me too. You can feed on anger and adrenaline only so long. Dave’s Diner coming up.” Avery headed the truck down the gravel drive.

“Are you going to be okay if we—”

“Yep. This was probably for the best, right? Sijan Cates actually did me a favor. He taught me that amazing sex exists. And that there’s a reason I swore off men a long time ago.”

Pia turned her head to look at her. “You do see the fallacy in your logic, right? I mean vibrators are useful, but they aren’t men.”

“Right now, I don’t see that as a negative.” Avery gripped the steering wheel tightly. “As to your question, I can handle running into Sijan if I have to. This is nothing compared to what I had to go through after Ferret Face.”

“You still had over a month of filming to get through with that rat fink when he showed his true colors. But, and I’m sorry to be the one to bring this up, Av, this is different. Isn’t it?”

Avery focused on the silver sign for the diner up ahead. She’d spent all day working fiendishly trying to avoid that very thought. That soft, tender spot that hurt when she admitted what she felt about the man was different.
Why can’t this be love?

Was it just yesterday she had thought that? Holy cow, how painfully fast life can change. One minute you’re so in tune with a man you’re ready to open up and trust him, even after being hurt so many times before. In the next moment, he’s accusing you of using him and the sharp slice of pain stabs that vulnerable space where trust was putting down young, tender roots. Yes, this was different, but still the same familiar theme. “I can handle this until we wrap up tomorrow. Then we’re back in Greensboro, where I can put all the pieces back together.

“Besides, no one is going to get between me and a meal tonight.” Avery pulled into the parking lot of the diner, looking around for a certain truck. Nope, all clear, and, as a plus, the parking lot was nearly empty. They could eat in peace tonight, then head right across the street to their hotel rooms.

Inside, Renee led them to a booth. There were a few people eating at the central counter near the kitchen, but only one other couple in the booth next to theirs. A quick glance revealed it was an attractive blonde and, oh heck, Sijan’s brother, Quinn the cop. The blonde gave a friendly nod, then went back to her own business.

Pia raised her eyebrow at the waitress. “Renee, what the heck kind of hours do you work? I know you were working this morning when I picked up coffee to go.”

Renee poured ice water into two of the four empty glasses sitting on the table. “Hon, I got off work three hours ago, but when the Grapevine spotted your car headed this way, I hustled back here. There is no way I want to miss this fun.”

Avery choked on the water she had just sipped. She looked across at Pia and said, “We’d better make this quick. Renee, I’ll have the chicken salad sandwich on wheat with a side of—”

Renee started shaking her head at her.

“—no? You’re all out of chicken salad?” Avery asked.

“Heck, no, we’ve got a big ol’ bowl of it, but you don’t want Dave’s. Dave makes terrible chicken salad.”

“Oh, okay, well, you’ve got a big menu, I’ll just pick—” Avery shook her head along with Renee’s. “No what?”

“The only safe things off Dave’s dinner menu are the burgers.” Renee pointed to the section on the menu. “But there’s a selection there, see?”

Avery couldn’t help grinning. “Okay, I’ll have the hamburger. Pia?”

“I’ll be daring and have it with cheese. Thanks, Renee.”

Avery’s gaze snagged on the line of car headlights entering the diner parking lot. “Oh, boy. That’s some Grapevine.”

Pia looked and did a double take. “Whoa. Renee, can we get those burgers to go?”

Renee looked absolutely heartbroken when she had to let them know they were out of Styrofoam to-go boxes. And tinfoil. And bags. Sorry, no plastic wrap either.

“Renee, seriously?” the blonde in the booth next to them said. “Give her a break, would you?”

But apparently it was too late because the diner started filling up. Quickly. And then Sijan was standing next to their table.

“Okay, is it just me, or is this town a little bit of
Deliverance
meets
Mean Girls
?” Avery looked up at Sijan, then over to Pia. “When I said I could handle it, I had no idea ‘it’ was going to be like
this
.”

“You still okay?” Pia asked. When Avery nodded, Pia scooted over in the booth and said, “Sit down, Mr. Movie Star. Make this quick. Pull off the Band-Aid in one pull. Have your say and leave. Okay?”

Sijan hadn’t taken his gaze off Avery. He sat down across from her, next to Pia, and stared across at her face. He opened his mouth once, then shut it. His hand reached out to Avery’s, but she quickly pulled her hands off the table. Pia poked him in the arm. Hard.

“Make what quick?”

Pia rolled her eyes. “The yelling. Just do it and leave, okay? Can’t you see what you’re doing to her?”

“I’m not here to yell, Avery. I’m here to apologize.”

The diner got quiet.

“I’m an idiot. I let something else cloud my view of things. I hope you’ll accept my apology.” Sijan’s handsome face was hard to resist. And the utter sincerity on it.

But then she remembered he was one of the most accomplished actors in Hollywood. And she remembered the pain. She dug her fingernails into the palms of her hands and calmly said, “You don’t have to apologize. I mean, it’s not like it was anything serious, right?”

The diner stayed quiet . . . for a half a second. Then heads moved together and whispers passed from one table to the next while phones whipped out faster than guns at the O.K. Corral.

“I was damn serious about what was between us,” Sijan said. “I would like to see you again, Avery.”

Avery shook her head, and tore her gaze away from Sijan’s to look around for Renee with those burgers. She needed to end this confrontation with Sijan before she did something stupid. Her body wanted to say yes and jump the man, but her heart and mind knew that was a path to heartbreak. “I don’t think so, Sijan. I mean, it was, um, great and all, but no. I think it’s for the best to end things here.”