With His Protection (For His Pleasure, Book 15) (2 page)

“Maybe we can take a moment to look on our own?” Scarlett said, when it seemed like it would never end.

Clara’s eyes narrowed. “Of course. You’re welcome to look on your own. If you want to try something on, Kallie, just say the word. I’ll be nearby, just call my name!” She moved off, her dark hair trailing behind her.

Kallie turned to Scarlett and lowered her voice to a whisper. “Wow, she did not stop, did she?”

Scarlett shook her head. “I think she meant well.”

“Thank you for sending her away. I couldn’t take much more of her sales pitch. I thought you and I would just browse around for something, I didn’t know it was going to be some huge production.” Kallie sighed. “Now I feel overwhelmed.”

“Sit down,” Scarlett said, gesturing to one of the many white chairs that were scattered throughout the store. “Relax, we have plenty of time.”

Kallie sat down, putting her purse at her feet. “I’m so excited to be marrying Hunter, but sometimes I get crazy when I think of everything there is to plan. It almost makes me want to elope like Nicole and Red did.”

Scarlett’s jaw dropped. “Nicole Jameson eloped?”

She pictured Nicole and Red Jameson to have had some huge Kate Middleton type of affair.

Kallie nodded. “He whisked her away to an island and had special dresses and a stylist flown in specially for the occasion. Nobody else was there but Kane and Danielle.”

“Danielle?” Scarlett said, having a hard time keeping the surprise from her voice.

Kallie glanced at her and smiled. “Believe me, I don’t totally get why Nicole loves Danielle so much either. She’s never been that nice to me, and when she is, it always seems like it’s because she wants something.”

“I mean, I don’t know her very well…” Scarlett trailed off. She couldn’t tell Kallie about the party where Danielle and Lydia had nearly come to blows.

“Anyway,” Kallie went on, “I just wonder sometimes if I really want to plan this huge wedding. Is that really me? Is it really Hunter?” She looked at Scarlett, her eyes pleading for an answer of some sort.

Scarlett sighed. “I don’t know. Maybe I’m the wrong person to ask—I can’t even sort out my own love life. I’ve never been engaged or married, and my longest relationship was with a crazy person.” She laughed at the absurdity of it all.

Kallie laughed too. “Jeez, well when you put it that way…”

Scarlett couldn’t help but think about Bryson and the way things had gone from wonderful to simply awful in the space of a few minutes. She didn’t want to think about him, it just happened—she couldn’t seem to keep her mind off the whole thing.

Kallie noticed instantly. “Scarlett, what’s wrong?”

“Nothing. I’m fine.” She looked at Kallie and affixed a smile.

“I saw that look on your face. Something’s the matter.”

“It’s nothing. And I don’t want to ruin this by blabbering about my problems.

This is supposed to be about you—not me.”

Kallie put a hand on Scarlett’s hand and squeezed firmly. “Do you know how many times I leaned on Nicole, how much she helped me when she hardly even knew me?”

Scarlett shook her head slowly. “Not really.”

“Nicole was pregnant and she had health problems, and concerns about Red, and she still took me into her home and talked me through my problems and took care of me like a sister. And I repaid her by quitting my job without notice.” Kallie shook her head, as if disgusted by the whole thing. “But I know that the least I can do is try and pay that kindness forward. I don’t care if it’s my special day or not, Scarlett. Tell me what’s going on with you.”

Scarlett took a deep breath. Could she really do this right now? How would it affect the film if she did? “I’m just worried. You have to promise not to breathe a word of this to anybody, not even Hunter.”

Kallie’s eyebrows rose. “It’s that serious, huh?”

“Yeah, it is.”

“Okay, I promise. My lips are sealed.”

Scarlett licked her lips. “It’s about Bryson,” she murmured. “More specifically, it’s about me and Bryson.”

Kallie’s eyes widened almost comically. “You and Bryson?”

“Yes.” Scarlett looked at her. “I know how stupid it was for me to get involved with my co-worker.”

Kallie was speechless. Her mouth opened and closed. “I had no idea.”

“It’s hardly even anything. I’m being overly dramatic about it, I’m sure.”

“Don’t say that. If you feel something, you feel it. Don’t put yourself down.”

“Well, I do feel something. I feel like shit.” She sniffled, trying to will her tears away.

Just then, the annoying sales woman, Clara, walked over. “Have you ladies looked at anything interesting yet?” Her smile was huge.

“Not just yet,” Kallie said. “I’ll let you know—“

“Because I have an amazing gown that I think would be just perfect for you, Kallie.”

“I’ll come find you when I’m ready,” Kallie said, her voice hardening a little.

Clara’s smile faded momentarily. “Okay. I just want to help you get your perfect gown.”

“Thanks, I appreciate that.”

Clara walked away again, and her stiff posture betrayed her annoyance.

Scarlett wiped at her eyes. “Sorry,” she whispered. “I don’t want to get you in trouble.”

“Are you kidding me?”

“I just—this feels so silly.” She threw up her hands. “I don’t even know why I’m so upset. He’s just a guy. I’ve been through this before.” But that wasn’t quite true, she realized. Bryson was different from all the others.

“Tell me what happened. Start from the beginning,” Kallie said, taking her hand once more.

So Scarlett did. She told her about how she’d thought Bryson was just some foolish, immature jock, in the beginning. And then, slowly, he’d shown her different sides of himself. Haltingly, she even told Kallie about the first time something had happened between them, at the hotel room in Connecticut. Of course, she left out the sordid details, but she made it clear that it had been special for her. And then she talked about the night at his apartment, and how she’d been stupid enough to change some of his script.

This was the first time Kallie really reacted. “You actually rewrote parts of his screenplay?” she gasped.

“I know, I know, I know. I was such an idiot.”

Kallie laughed. “You know, I did something similar with Hunter.”

“You did?”

“I did. In fact, part of how we got this movie made was due to me involving myself in Hunter’s business and then getting in over my head.” Kallie grinned. “He nearly killed me, but he forgave me eventually.”

“Well, I didn’t realize just how sacred his writing was,” Scarlett told her. “I should have known, but somehow I thought it was just a little change or two.”

“It’s a big deal. Hunter agonizes over every word.”

“Maybe that’s why he threw me out of his apartment,” Scarlett said, giggling a little despite herself. She continued on with her story, and Kallie was hooked. Kallie’s mouth was open wide, and she waited with bated breath as each new detail unfolded.

When Scarlett finally got to the part where she found Eliza Johnston in his apartment that morning, Kallie put a hand to her forehead and looked truly pained.

“Oh my God,” she said. Her eyes were wet. “Oh my God, honey. Come here.”

She pulled Scarlett in for a long embrace.

“I don’t understand why he would do that to me.”

“Did he try and explain?”

“I ran away,” Scarlett told her. “I wouldn’t speak to him.”

Kallie was thoughtful for a moment. “I can see why you’re hurt. I would be devastated, too.”

“I just wish I’d never let myself get involved with him.”

Kallie looked at her again. “But remember, I also went through something similar when Hunter let you stay at his house.”

“You did?” She felt sick just thinking about it. The notion that Kallie had viewed her the way she viewed Eliza Johnston was nauseating.

“I did. I thought the two of you were sleeping together, and Hunter refused to explain anything to me at the time.”

“I feel really bad that I had any part in making you doubt your relationship, Kallie.”

Kallie just waved her off. “Don’t be silly. It all worked out. So maybe Bryson can explain why Eliza was there this morning, too. You never know.”

“Even if nothing happened between the two of them—which I have a hard time believing—he shouldn’t have let her stay at his apartment. How can I trust him?”

“I don’t know,” Kallie said. “I don’t have all of the answers, I just know that Hunter did a lot of things in the beginning that made it very difficult.” She laughed, somewhat self-deprecatingly. “When I look back on it, I wonder what I was thinking, staying with him. But I did stay with him. I never gave up on him—we never gave up on each other. And it turned out for the best.”

This put things in a different light. Scarlett felt the first stirrings of hope in her chest, but then she thought of her father, standing in the bookstore with his pleading eyes—and she pushed away any thoughts of forgiveness for him or for Bryson. She couldn’t afford to allow herself to hope. Not after everything she’d gone through in her life. It was simply easier to know that she would always be alone.

“You got your fairytale ending,” Scarlett said. “And believe me, I’m happy for you. But I don’t see that in the cards for me.”

“It’s not all roses,” Kallie reminded her. “I have my problems. My family still doesn’t really approve of this marriage—they doubt Hunter’s stability. They’re afraid of what life in the big city will do to me, and I suppose they’re even more afraid of what Hunter will do to me if I stay with him too long.”

That made Scarlett think of Lydia, and her knowledge of the contract between Hunter and Kallie. Just the thought of it made Scarlett’s stomach clench. She looked down at the floor, her eyes searching. Should she finally just tell Kallie about Lydia and her threats?

It would be wonderful to finally get the whole mess off her chest, and to relieve herself of the hold that Lydia currently had on her. She opened her mouth, ready to begin the unburdening of this secret.

Unfortunately, at that very moment, Clara appeared from around the corner. Her eyebrows arched with annoyance, she looked down at them as if a mother scolding a couple of errant children.

“Excuse me, I really don’t want to be a pest,” she began.

Like hell you don’t, Scarlett thought, resisting the urge to roll her eyes.

“But you booked an appointment with us,” Clara continued, looking now at Kallie. “And we’ve got women coming in all day long to be fitted, to try on dresses, and I can’t just have you sitting in here, chit chatting the hours away. This isn’t Starbucks.”

Kallie smiled with more patience than Scarlett possessed. “You’re right, Clara. I apologize for being so slow. I’m ready to find my perfect dress.” She got up, taking Scarlett by the arm as she stood. “Right?” Kallie asked her.

“Right,” Scarlett said, but with less enthusiasm than she wanted to show. The fact was, she’d been ready to tell Kallie about Lydia and now the moment was gone. The longer things went, the worse it would appear if Lydia ever spilled the beans.

But for now, Scarlett had to suck it up and help her friend find a dress.

It isn’t always about you, she reminded herself.

And sometimes, that was a bitter pill to swallow.

***

A little while later, they ate dinner together at a nearby Italian restaurant. Kallie held up a glass of wine and Scarlett clinked glasses with her.

“To finding the perfect dress with the perfect friend,” Kallie said, beaming.

“Cheers,” Scarlett said. She was amazed that it had actually worked out so quickly, but Kallie had in fact found the dress she wanted. Surprisingly, Clara had actually said that she’d had it in mind from the very first moment Kallie had come into the store, and Scarlett was forced to give the pushy saleswoman some credit.

It was an Alita Graham strapless A-line gown in silk organza, and it was absolutely stunning. Kallie had tried on a few others just to be sure, but there was never truly a question about what she belonged in.

“I can’t believe it’s happening,” Kallie said, her face flushed with excitement. “It hasn’t felt real until today. I think I might be freaking out.”

“Don’t freak out,” Scarlett laughed. “Just enjoy it.”

“Okay, you’re right. I’m going to—“

She stopped mid-sentence, as her cell began ringing. Kallie glanced down and her brow creased. “That’s weird.”

“Who is it?”

“I should take this,” she said, by way of answering. She picked up and put the phone to her ear.

Scarlett got a strange, uneasy sensation in her stomach.

Please God, don’t let it be Lydia. Don’t let her sweep in and ruin everything now,
of all times.

Kallie was mostly listening. But her face was growing pale, her expression increasingly worried. “Are you sure? Are you really sure?” she said into the phone.

Scarlett’s mouth went dry. Whatever it was, the news was clearly bad. Her heart started to beat more quickly.

Kallie looked up and met her gaze, and Scarlett saw the strain and fear in her eyes.

God, what could have caused her to look like that? It could only be Lydia—or maybe something had happened to Hunter.

Scarlett’s hands clutched her napkin under the table.

“Of course. I’m sitting with Scarlett right now,” Kallie said. “Should I have her call you?”

There was a long pause. Now Scarlett was on even higher alert—her name had clearly been mentioned, by whomever was on the other line.

“I understand,” Kallie sighed, shaking her head. “Thanks for letting me know.

Thanks for everything.”

Okay, so it couldn’t be Lydia, Scarlett thought, because Kallie wouldn’t have spoken that way to Lydia. She wouldn’t have thanked Lydia—she’d have been furious.

As Kallie hung up the phone, Scarlett could no longer contain her curiosity and anxiousness. “What happened? Who was that?”

Kallie looked at her, lips tightening momentarily. “That was Detective Phillips.”

“Detective Phillips?” Scarlett replied, as if she’d never heard his name before. It was the last person she’d been expecting.