Prima Donna (31 page)

“What?” God, why did he have to look at her like that, so soft, so sure? And how ridiculous were they, standing in her front little hallway, both half-naked, staring at each other like it was the first time they’d ever seen each other?

“If keeping your mom at Hillcrest is what you want, then I’ll do whatever I can to help keep her there.”

“Yeah, but—”

“No buts.” A slow grin, then an even slower kiss, had her melting against him. “This is what I want. I want you.”

She couldn’t stop smiling, not when he blushed a little, not when he rubbed his earlobe, and not when he finally shrugged and chuckled, low in his chest.

“I mean, sure, part of it’s about making you happy and all that shit, but right now…” he trailed off, blowing a slow breath across his bottom lip. “If we don’t get moving, we’re not going to make it to the bedroom.”

“Oh, Carter.” She smiled against his mouth as she slowly reached for his fly. “We’re not going to make it anywhere near the bedroom.”

They didn’t; not until much later. And when they finally collapsed on the bed, Regan wasted no time curling up next to him and tucking her face up against his neck. Carter wrapped his arms around her and just held her close for a long time.

“I made Rossick tell me what he said to you.”

Regan sighed. “I wish you hadn’t done that.”

“Why not?” There was something in his voice, almost possessive.

“Because he’s your friend.” Groaning, she leaned up on her elbows so she could see his face. “What did you do?”

“Nothing.” He pinched his lips together for a second, then shrugged when she kept staring at him. “Okay, so I might have punched him.”

“You didn’t!”

“Damn right I did. He deserved it.”

She could have argued with him; in fact, she probably should have, but she didn’t because part of her would have liked to have punched Rossick herself. So instead, she inched up on the bed and kissed him, just once, and just on the cheek.

“You’re right,” she murmured. “He did. And when I get my strength back, you’re gonna get so lucky.”

“Mmmm, okay.” Carter sighed against her hair. “Then can we talk about you getting my name tattooed across your butt?”

“I’m not getting—” She didn’t even get the words out before he flipped her onto her back and was kissing her again, hungry, fast, and desperate. Trailing kisses along her jaw, Carter slipped one hand under her and lifted, just a little, but enough to make her breath catch in her throat, and her fingers to wind their way through his hair, guiding him to her neck…right…almost…there…

“Okay,” she breathed. “You win. Tattoo me anywhere you want.”

“Well, Your Highness, I guess this is it.”

Han Solo,
The Empire Strikes Back

M
ID-
A
UGUST

The only thing better than saying goodbye to the movie set for the last time was finding Carter waiting for her at the arrivals gate with a slow smile and an even slower kiss.

“God I missed you,” he growled.

“I was just home a week ago,” she laughed. “But thank you, that’s nice to hear.”

The last six months had been a crazy juggle of flying to four different locations for different lengths of time, finalizing the transfer of the house into Regan’s and Carter’s names, getting the permits for the renovations, and somehow getting the work done even though Nick was busy building his own house at the same time.

Regan flew home as often as she could, and twice Carter flew to meet her, once in New Orleans and then again for a few days in Glasgow.

No one in the Goodsen family had raised a single argument about any of it, and Regan was pretty sure that was because Mrs. G had somehow found out Jeff had refused to give Regan a mortgage. If the rumors were true, the old girl threatened to cut the whole lot of them out of her will completely if any of them even thought about raising a stink.

Regan couldn’t wait to see her. In the crazy world of Griffin Carr, she’d met a lot of different people in the last six months; actors, producers, writers, camera crew, craft service people…the list went on and on.

But the one that stood out the most was Barry Weiss from
Storage Wars
. Regan had walked into a deli in L.A., and there he was, having lunch by himself. She’d run across her share of celebrities out and about, but she just let them go about their business. Barry, on the other hand…

Well, by the time Regan left, she not only had his autograph, but she had that autograph on one of his skeleton gloves for Mrs. G.

“Come on.” Carter threw her suitcase in the back of a cab and handed the driver a wad of cash and started to walk away.

“What are you doing?” she cried. “That’s my stuff!”

“Not enough room on the bike for it and you,” he grinned. “So Earl’s going to take it home for us. I talked to him before you landed.”

All thoughts of her suitcase vanished. “You brought the bike?”

“And your favorite pink helmet, so let’s get going or we’re going to be late.”

“Late for what?” she asked. “Another haircut?”

He’d been to see Hazel a couple more times since Regan met her, but his hair had grown out enough again that he had to tuck it behind his ears to keep it out of his face. “No.” His smile widened. “She went home again. Looks like she got the all clear this time.”

“Really?” Regan exhaled. “Thank God. So where are we going?”

“You’ll see.”

As they made their way out to the parking lot, Carter filled her in on the things she’d missed since being home a week ago.

Maya’s date with the realtor didn’t look like it was going to lead anywhere, Brett had long since found the truck that hit Ellie, but was still looking for the driver, something Ellie continued to roll her eyes at, and Nick was hunting for a couple more guys to come work for him.

“And Rossick and Jules got married.”

Regan stopped in mid-step and gaped at him. “When?”

“Yesterday. They hopped a flight to Vegas and did it up right in one of those drive-through chapels.”

“Nice,” Regan laughed. “Very classy.”

Even though she and Rossick had patched things up months ago, he still didn’t seem completely at ease with her, but now that she was back for good, she’d have to make that right once and for all.

Sitting on the back of Carter’s bike, Regan wrapped her arms around him and leaned her head against his shoulder. She’d ridden with him enough times now that she could easily sit back and relax, but she preferred to be right up against him and she knew he preferred that, too.

Everything was better when they were riding together, especially today when the sun was high, the sky about as blue as blue could get, and she was finally home for good. Traffic clogged the streets through the city and at every stoplight, Carter lifted her hand to his mouth and kissed her fingers or her palm. Every time he did it, she tried to wiggle closer to him, but since she was already molded tight against his back, all she did was drive herself crazy.

Instead of taking the exit north toward home, he steered the bike south, but Regan didn’t think anything of it; he said he had a stop to make, and if it meant more time on his bike, that was just fine with her. They rode for another twenty minutes or so before Carter pulled the bike off to the side of the back road they were on and helped her unbuckle her helmet. The area looked familiar, but…

“Are we—?” She stopped walking, but Carter tugged her forward, one stumbling step at a time. No, she couldn’t do this today. She hadn’t had time to prepare, to gear up for it.

She’d only seen the back of Hillcrest once, and that was the day she’d admitted her mom. Tina had walked her around the entire complex, including the therapy rooms, the infirmary, and the spacious grounds out back, where Carter now led her. They couldn’t actually get onto the grounds, but they could sit at the top of the hill and look over the fence at the patients and staff.

Dressed in a light blue housedress, with her hair pulled back, Regan’s mom was sitting cross-legged under the weeping willow, and she…she was…

A tight knot fisted in Regan’s chest as she watched her mom play fetch with a brown-and-white beagle. She wasn’t able to throw the red tennis ball very far, but the dog didn’t seem to mind; he’d just run after it and drop it at her feet over and over again.

But it was more than the fact her mother was playing with the dog.

Her mother was smiling. And laughing.

And all Regan could do was sit there and cry.

“Tina called the other day to tell me about it,” Carter said quietly. “Animal therapy might not work for everyone, but look at her, Regan. You did that for her.”

She shook her head hard, but he just kept nodding. “Yes, you did. If you’d given up on her, if you hadn’t worked so hard to keep her here, who knows where she would have ended up? Who knows if she ever would have remembered what it was like to be happy? You did that.”

Regan stayed right where she was, sitting between Carter’s legs, leaning back against his chest, with his arms wrapped around her like a cocoon, neither of them saying anything, until Cal and Wes ushered her mom back inside. Even after the door closed behind them, Regan sat there for a long time, amazed by what she’d just witnessed. Her mom was happy. Everything she’d done had been worth it.

When she was pretty sure she could talk without snotting all over Carter’s shirt again, she twisted in his arms a little and smiled up at him.

“Thank you. That was…”

Brushing her hair back from her face, he smiled gently. “I know.”

With her hand in his, he helped her up and led her back to the bike where she held him a little tighter the rest of the way home. Carter lifted her suitcase from the front step, set it inside the door, then led Regan out to her new salon.

Looking at it now, you’d never know it had been a garage. No ugly black and white tiles on this floor; instead they’d chosen a marbled look in shades of warm brown with small splashes of green. The single sink area had been expanded to two, the washer and dryer were tucked away in a closet Nick and Carter had built in the corner, and the new hydraulic chairs, which had only arrived a few days ago, were already secured.

The large leafy plants Maya had suggested were set up close to the windows, and over in the southwest corner was the kid corner, complete with a selection of books from Jayne’s children’s section, a bucket of Legos, an Etch A Sketch, crayons, and some old Lincoln Logs she’d found at a garage sale.

Inhaling slowly, Regan took it all in, still not entirely sure it wasn’t a dream until Carter came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her.

“I’m not much for decorating,” he murmured. “But what do you think about that?”

As he turned her to the left, he pointed to the space above the back door, and there, hanging perfectly evenly, was her trusty old Louisville Slugger.

“Nice,” she laughed. “Now it’s complete.”

“Not quite,” he murmured. “I was, uh, kinda thinkin’ about something.”

“Yeah?” she snickered. “Did it hurt?”

“You’re hilarious.” He slipped his hand over hers, twined their fingers together, and kissed her knuckles. “There’s one more thing we need to do.”

“Like what?” She knew she was whining, but she couldn’t help it. “God, Carter, I think we’ve changed enough things the last few months, don’t you?”

“I don’t know.”

All Regan wanted was to enjoy being home without having a list of things waiting for her; to not have to deal with any more paperwork or itineraries or decisions on flooring and window treatments, but he’d done so much for her all these months, the least she could do is hear him out.

“Okay.” She sighed dramatically, adding a smirk and an eye roll for good measure. “What is it? Does it involve drywall or electricians or anything I’m going to need to sign off on?”

“No, no, and hopefully.” He reached up to the top shelf of towels, reached between the piles, and held out a small rosewood box.

Regan couldn’t swallow. She couldn’t even breathe.

“Car—” It was as much as she could get out before he opened the box, his dark eyes never once looking away from her.

“No drywall, no electricians, but I’d sure like it if you signed off on the paperwork and gave some thought to changing your name.”

“I—I…holy shit.” It was only then that she actually blinked and looked down at the open box in his hand.
“Holy shit!”

“Is that a yes?” His cocky little smile made her snort out another disgustingly unattractive sob-hiccup, but he was ready for her this time with a handkerchief he pulled out of his back pocket.

She started to nod, then stopped, using every ounce of control she had not to smile. “No.”

“What?” Carter’s mouth dropped open, his smile vanished that fast. “What d’you mean ‘no’?”

Regan leaned closer to the ring box, but never actually touched it. She just whistled quietly and shook her head.

“It’s a very pretty ring,” she said. “And I’d be happy to say yes, but—”

“But what?!”

She huffed out a long exhausted sigh and looked up at him. “It means I’d have to be related to Ben…”

And just like that, his grin was back.

“By marriage only; it doesn’t count.” He was already sliding the ring on her finger, already kissing her, already smiling against her mouth. “Say yes.”

“Welllll,” she murmured. “You did go out and buy this ring.”

“Yeah.” Another kiss, this one against the corner of her mouth.

“And you did punch your best friend for me.”

“Yeah.” He nudged her chin up, kissing his way down her neck. “I’ll do it again if it helps.”

“Oooh.” She slid her fingers through his hair and smiled. “And damn, you know how to kiss.”

He worked his way back to her mouth and kissed her again, unhurried, as though they had all the time in the world. “Is that a yes?”

Regan sighed happily, smiling as she whispered in his ear. “Get me fed, get me naked, and it’s a yes.”

Carter had grilled-cheese sandwiches made in record time, somehow managed to get her out of her clothes while she was still chewing the last bite, then took his sweet time getting her to say yes over and over again.