Could This Be Love? (31 page)

She paused to make her entrance as Sijan’s voice cut coolly into another of Dirk’s trumped-up stories. “Dirk is either misremembering history or practicing writing his own screenplays, because Avery Danford was never engaged to Dirk and she sure as hell never had a nervous breakdown.”

“Then where is she? Why won’t she appear in public?” Dirk was eating up the spotlight and attention, his slick movie-star smile happily in place. “She could have shown up today to set the record straight, but she didn’t.”

Avery figured that was as good a cue to enter as any. Especially because Sijan looked like he wanted to punch Dirk, and that would be bad. How she played the next thirty minutes might make the difference in whether she would live the next few years of her life normally or in a feeding frenzy of constant paparazzi. Show time.

“Actually, Dirk,” Avery said, stepping out of the wings and walking confidently onto the stage. “I did. So that’s another thing you’re wrong about today.”

A nanosecond of stunned silence fell over the press, and then the theater lit up like the finale of a Fourth of July fireworks show. They were stepping over and on each other to get a photo of the reclusive former movie star. After allowing a few minutes for photographs, she moved to take the empty seat at the table. Both men were standing waiting for her. Dirk’s face was frozen in shock as she passed him with a cool nod. Sijan’s lopsided grin put her at ease, and she took his hand and leaned up to kiss him. He tried to protect her by aiming for a kiss on the cheek, but she didn’t see the point. She highly doubted they could hide their attraction to each other, even if they were two of the best actors in the world. She turned her head and planted a firm kiss on his lips, which set off another round of flashes and mad clicking of cameras.

Sijan helped her sit down, and while the press was still busy taking photos, he put his hand over the microphone and said, “I was trying to keep you out of this.”

“I love that you try to protect me. I haven’t had much of that in my life, but you know what I figured out yesterday? I’m not the same person I was five years ago. I don’t I need to hide anymore. Ready?”

“You bet.”

“Oh, and Sijan, when we’re done with this, I’ve got that other work to finish. You remember?” She let her gaze drop to his lap and back to his eyes. “I like to finish what I start.”

Sijan hissed in a breath. “You did not just do that. That was twisted and really hot, and you just guaranteed I will help make this the shortest press conference on record.”

She grinned and turned to her microphone and a rapid-fire barrage of questions. For a second, she sucked in a breath, wondering if she’d been wrong about being ready to deal with the past. But Sijan grabbed her hand, offering his strength, and she recalled the advice of her future sister-in-law on handling the Climax Grapevine.
Take control
. So she did.

“Whoa. Ladies and gentlemen, take pity on me. I’ve been out of this lovely town for five years and I’m out of practice. Jerry? Can you get a mike down front? We’ll take these one at time. Okay, who’s up first?”

“Miss Danford, where have you been the past five years?”

In her best Russian accent, she said, “I moved to Mother Russia and became an international spy for four and half years under the code name Svetlana the Red. But I quit that also, to become a taste tester for a famous vodka producer. I could tell you the name of the vodka company, but then I’d have to kill you.”

Dirk and Sijan turned their heads her way. The press paused in unsure silence, and Avery knew this was the moment that would determine if this was going to be a shark chumming or fly fishing among friends experience. When the silence lasted a beat too long, she tensed for the feeding frenzy, but then the laughter started.

She smiled her prettiest smile and said, “In all seriousness, I just wanted a normal life. That’s all. I’ve heard all the rumors, and honestly, I’m sorry to tell you my life is boring in comparison. No drug overdose, no secret pregnancy, or rehab. No nervous breakdowns. Nothing. If I’d known we’d be meeting here today, I would have tried to work some tragedy in my life for you to report, honest.”

Another round of laughter as they moved on to the next question. “Avery, as a young movie star you had dark hair and dark eyes. Obviously, today you look different. Which is the real you, and why the change?”

She gave them a playfully scolding look. “I had to be incognito somehow, right? You guys would have tracked me down if I hadn’t gone into disguise.”

The press ate it up. They were having too much fun not to. She had them in the palm of her hand. Of course, these were just the first few softballs. They hadn’t brought the heat yet.

“I’m kidding, of course. I’m a natural blonde, but if you remember, brunettes were popular the year I arrived in Hollywood. The studio decided to dye my hair dark and change my eye color with contacts. And when
The Mermaid
was a surprise hit, they were stuck with me as a brunette.”

“Avery, were you ever engaged to Dirk Ferris, as he claims?”

“No, never. You guys do know Dirk is a kidder, right? Always with the practical jokes on set, he is. He also doesn’t mind getting extra publicity, so he might have fed you a fib or two.”

Dirk gave a weak grin, unable to counter it without looking like an ass. Check. Mate.

“Avery, what about the rumors of an inappropriate relationship during your second movie?” That question silenced the crowd as they waited with bated breath for her response.

She tensed and Sijan leaned forward to field the question for her, but she placed a hand on his forearm and took on her worst nightmare. The thing she’d been running from for years.

“What I will say about that is here in Hollywood and in our inner cities and out in the suburbs, some of America’s children are left unprotected and unloved. And that breaks my heart.” She blinked back tears and fidgeted with the microphone with shaking hands, but couldn’t gather her composure. She turned to Sijan for help.

Sijan gave her a wink and took over. “Which is why we called this press conference today. I know you thought there was some new movie about to be released. Blame our funny friend Dirk for that, but I appreciate it since, look at the crowd he gathered for us. Today, we’d like to announce the start of the Blake and Ann Marie Danford Foundation, in honor of Avery’s parents. It will start with offering support and adoption help to children in the foster system.” He reached out again for Avery’s hand and looked at her with blazing eyes. “Because every child deserves to be loved.”

Avery turned her head toward Sijan in surprise. What had he just said? Was he for real? She whispered, “What are you talking about?” but unfortunately she forgot to cover the microphone.

Questions fired right and left faster than anyone could make sense of them. Sijan took control. He wagged his finger at the press. “Now see what you guys made me do. You made me ruin Avery’s birthday present.” He turned to Avery, suddenly serious, and said, “Surprise. Happy birthday, Avery.”

Forgetting the goal of trying to get the press’s attention off of them, they kissed. A sinfully scorching kiss. Avery pulled back just enough to whisper, “Sijan, it’s not my birthday.”

“Sweetheart.” He reached out, cradling her face in his hands. “The way I see it, we’ve got to celebrate twenty-one birthdays just to get you caught up. You will never miss another birthday.”

“My hero. I truly am your number-one fan.” Avery leaned up and kissed him until they were both breathless. “Don’t you love movies with happy endings?”

“I do,” Sijan said, “But I like real-life happy endings even better.”

Epilogue

Five Years Later

F
AMOUS
H
OLLYWOOD
D
OUBLE
O
SCAR
C
OUPLE
S
EEING
D
OUBLE
A
GAIN

In a
Tattler
exclusive, we can report double good news out of Climax, N.C., today. Our favorite Hollywood couple, famous for making living far from Tinseltown popular, is at it again. Readers remember just a few months ago the couple scored double Oscar statues for their one and only movie together,
Incognito
. Sijan Cates took home the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay and his wife, Avery Danford Cates, toted home the Best Actress Oscar.

How did the couple decide to top their double Oscar win? By giving birth to doubles! A source close to the family has revealed the couple and their three-year-old daughter welcomed twin boys into the family last week. The boys are the couples’ first natural children since big sister Chloe was adopted. No word yet on names for the little rascals. Rumor on the street is brother Tynan will once again be passed over for godfather duties. An anonymous source stated that, when asked about it, Sijan Cates said, “Not until he goes to confession.”

A close friend of the family has confirmed the births will not, under any circumstances, interfere with the ever-famous elaborate birthday party Sijan Cates throws for his wife every year. It’s no secret the couple uses the party to raise funds for their many foundations and causes. Highlighted this year, along with their Blake and Ann Marie Danford Foundation, they’ll be raising funds for local animal shelters. A reliable source says while most actresses collect designer shoes, Avery collects stray animals and charms her friends and acquaintances into adopting them.

In unrelated charity news, the widow of the deceased producer of
The Mermaid II
,
The Control Tower
,
Bioshock
,
Air Force Blues
, and
The Boy who Caught Fire
to name a few, has donated her husband’s estate to the victims of sexual abuse within Hollywood and the movie industry. “It’s a cause the widow has been wanting to support for a number of years now,” said an insider.

A sad note to report: A and P Production Company’s star client, Petey the chicken, famous for appearing in the award-winning series of Rise ’n’ Shine coffee commercials, has passed away. It was revealed that Avery and business partner, Pia Stirling, sent a beautiful floral arrangement and a donation to a free-range hatchery. RIP Petey.

Keep an eye out for the next in the
Cates Brothers series
And see how Tynan meets his match!
Coming Fall 2016
From
Lee Kilraine
And
Lyrical Shine

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

A former Air Force spouse,
Lee Kilraine
moved seven times over eighteen years before finally settling with her husband in the pine woods of North Carolina. She has worked as a physical therapy aide, a cashier, a waitress, an English tutor, a ballet teacher, and a stay-at-home mom. Holding tight to her mother’s motto, “There’s nothing you can’t do if you try hard enough,” Lee returned to college as an adult and graduated from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. Writing thirty-one papers in two years (she counted) rekindled her love of writing, and she set her sights on her other dream—writing romance. When she isn’t swinging on her front porch swing or watching another of their four young adult children leave the nest (she swears she isn’t pushing them out!) you can find her typing away on her computer with her golden retriever, Harley, destroying something at her feet. Lee is a 2014 Golden Heart
^®
Finalist.

BRINGING DELANEY HOME

In the sleepy town of Climax, North Carolina, all five Cates
brothers are known for being tall, dark, and delicious. But each
has his own incomparable love story . . .

Quinn Cates has known Delaney Lyons forever. But after years away from home, Delaney’s a changed woman. A mysterious accident she refuses to talk about has left her hurting—in body and soul—and acting out in dangerous, and occasionally entertaining, ways.

Quinn’s on the local police force, so he’s used to dealing with troublemakers. This one’s pretty incorrigible—but he suspects her flippant exterior is hiding something softer and deeper inside. Every time he has to rescue Delaney from herself, his heart and his hormones both go into overdrive. But he owes it to Delaney’s sister to keep an eye on her. He’s got some experience with that after spending so much time at it back in high school . . .