Catch a Falling Star (In Love in the Limelight Book 3) Read online

  “Sure.” And Colin nodded.

  Lola took a deep breath. “Years ago, Rachel emailed Jon. They'd been officially divorced for a few months and she was about to marry Arlen. She told Jon that kids needed a father.” Lola laughed. “She said people were crazy, so kids needed two parents to have even a shot at some sanity in their lives.”

  Colin smiled. “I hear that.”

  “I think maybe the email was Rachel's way of giving Jon one last chance before she married Arlen.”

  Lola dented her brows as if she were thinking, but Colin knew better. It was the kind of face she made when something hurt her.

  “I think Rachel loved Arlen,” she continued. “I do. But I think she always hoped that Jon would come back to her and the kids. Maybe he thought he would, someday.”

  “But she couldn't wait around forever. So she married Arlen?”

  Lola nodded. “Then when she died, Jon's chance at someday was gone. He could never get Rachel back. So he took the kids off Arlen.”

  It still made Colin so mad. Arlen had been their dad for six years, but Jon had taken custody of them. Their mom had just died and Jon swept in and ripped them away from the guy they'd known as Dad for most of their lives.

  “I think it was the only way he knew to make it up to Rachel,” Lola said, and she sounded more sad than livid. “But then when Arlen married me,” and Colin could hear her voice get lighter, “I think Jon saw a better way to give Rachel what she wanted. The kids could have a mom and a dad.”

  Colin kissed her cheek. “Hi, 'Mom.'” And took her hand.

  Lola wiped tears from her face. “So that's it. That's why Jon let us have custody. But no more of this sappy stuff. Today is a celebration.” She stood up.

  “Let's go,” Colin said, following her.

  Lola led him into the house, but as soon as they crossed the threshold, they both heard a crash in the kitchen. She turned to him, her eyes bright. “This is my life now,” she said, bubbling over with glee. “Gotta go see what's destroyed this time.”

  “Off with you.”

  Colin was watching Lola disappear down the hall when a screech from the living room iced his blood.

  “Oooooh! You little scooter-butt. I am going to destroy you!”

  Wendy Hunter.

  Colin looked toward the harpy's howl and saw her sitting on Lola's living room floor in front of the TV. From the looks of it, she was locked in battle with Matteo in what sounded like Madden 16. Wendy the Witch was playing football? God, did she have to get into everybody's everything?

  “Uncle Colin!” Ella came running at him and hugged him around the waist. He hugged her back, still looking at Wendy.

  She looked up then and saw him. After seven months of nothing. For one tense, unbearable second they just stared at each other across a room teeming with kid-noise.

  “Here,” Ella said, tugging at his bag. “I'll take this. You're a guest.”

  Colin ripped his attention away from Wendy and looked down at Ella. “Thanks, Ella. Honored to be here. Am I bunking with you or with Lola and Arlen?”

  She giggled. “With Matteo, silly! Come on.” She led the charge up the stairs.

  As Colin followed her, all he could think was Wendy Hunter Wendy Hunter Wendy Hunter What the hell is Wendy Hunter doing here?!?!?!

  “Here you go!” Ella thrust open Matteo's door and ushered him in with the flair of a ringmaster.

  “Listen, Ella,” Colin said. “I'm all dirty and tired from the plane, so I'm going to take a quick shower and get changed. Cool?”

  “Cool,” she said. “I'll fix a big plate of food for you when you come down. You must be hungry, too!” And off she ran, so excited to execute her hostly duties.

  Colin shut Matteo's door and walked into the kid's bathroom. He turned on the shower and decided not to think about Wendy. Not think about her at all.

  It was just like that pretentious diva to insinuate herself into every damn thing. Lola and Arlen were having a big day? Of course Wendy had to be there. Even decked out in “normal people” clothes. Colin just bet she got her frayed denim shorts and Aqua-Man T-shirt from wardrobe on the show. She'd probably spent two hours doing her make-up so that she could get that damn “no-make-up” look. Bitch. The woman was incapable of standing back to let a nice moment happen. No. Not Wendy. She always had to brand it with her stamp of “I'm here! This is all about Me Me Me!”

  Colin lathered up in the cold shower deciding not to think about that night with Wendy. He wouldn't think about those hours in the hotel ever again. Why had she decided to be so damn nasty? From the second he'd pulled her into the room and she'd shut the door, there had been nothing but heat. Scintillating, unfettered, bone-melting heat. Again and again. Wendy had been on fire and so molten. Then when she'd gotten up without a word and shut herself in the bathroom, Colin had had no idea she'd been in there fixing her make-up and making her hair look all calm and presentable. Next thing, the bathroom door had opened and she was gliding across the room toward the door, pulling on her dress. Colin had hopped out of bed, naked and not caring. “Where are you going?”

  She'd barely even turned to him. “You have enough to regale all your friends with tales of how you fucked Wendy Hunter.”

  “What?”

  “We're done here.”

  So damn imperious! Just so fucking cold. After they'd spent hours getting all hot and sweaty together.

  He'd looked right at her, and she'd looked back, as if she didn't even know him.

  “Don't do that,” he said. “Ever.” Even now he remembered how hard and unyielding his voice had been. God, he'd never been so mad in his whole life. “Don't ever judge me according to your standards. Ever. I'm better than that. And—”

  So are you.

  He'd been about to tell her that she was too. That she was better than getting out of bed and cheapening everything they'd just done. But why had he thought she was better than sleazifying everything she did? He didn't know her. A few hours in absolute blissful sexual nirvana with someone didn't mean a damn thing. Not even enough to warrant civility, apparently.

  “And what?” Wendy had asked, curling her lip and raising that brow.

  Colin grabbed a scrap of material off the chair to his right. “And don't forget these,” he said, thrusting her panties at her. “Just so you don't think I want to build a shrine or anything.”

  She'd stepped into her tiny lace thong and had walked out like some really super-hot Darth Vader.

  Why did Goddamned Wendy Hunter have to ruin everything?

  Ten minutes later he was concentrating on keeping his step light as he swept into the sunny kitchen. “Where's my food, Ella?”

  “Here!” She positively squeaked and danced as she held out a chair for him at the big farmer's table. He kissed her on the head as he sat down to a frosty iced tea and a plate heaped with every sort of picnic food. “Thank you, Bella Ella,” he said as she slid into the seat next to him. He took a huge bite of a gooey brownie.

  “So ...” Charlotte Scott perched in the chair kitty corner from his. “You didn't bring a girlfriend with you?”

  His mouth was full, so Colin shook his head. Vigorously. He swallowed. “Hi Mom,” he said, “nice to see you, too.”

  “Please. We just saw you two weeks ago.”

  “Speaking of, where's Dad?”

  “Talking jazz with Dan out on the side patio.”

  “I'll have to be sure to spend some quality time with him, since I'm thinking I should space my visits to you guys WAY further apart.”

  Ella bounced in her chair. “You can come see us more!”

  Colin smirked at Charlotte. “Hey, Ella. I think I just might.”

  “And you can bring your girlfriends,” she assured him.

  Charlotte erupted with laughter.

  Colin turned to Ella and smiled down at the kid. “I don't have even one girlfriend, Ella. Let alone plural girlfriends. But your Nana here wants me to have one. But I told her fair is fair,
and I'm waiting until you get a boyfriend.”

  Ella's eyes got huge. “Great! I'm going to get Dad so you can tell him it's totally okay if I have a boyfriend.” And she ran out through the sliding glass doors.

  Charlotte's smile freaking glowed as she watched Ella bolt off. “Oh, come on,” she trilled, her blue eyes brimming with something Colin liked to think of as complete insanity. “Tell me you don't look around and want all this.”

  “Why would I want to marry Arlen?” Colin tossed back. “Number one, he is such a hippie. And second, he's in love with someone else. And I'm not a home-wrecker.”

  “I heard that.” Arlen walked in from outside, with Lola and Katie and Ella. He smiled and slapped Colin a high-five. “And it's because of your sister and her show that I can't ever cut my hair. Unless I want the studio to sue me.” He took Colin's hand in a vice-like grip. “And if you're waiting for Ella to get a boyfriend before you date, you better go join a monastery now.”

  “Right. You were raised by Abigail Black. I met her at the wedding, so don't pretend to me that you're pulling any Neanderthal stuff with Ella.”

  “Matteo can't ever date, either,” Lola piped in.

  “Mom,” Ella squealed. “You're supposed to be on my side.”

  Lola considered. “Well, when you turn 12 and Matteo turns 14 … I'll say no again. I want you guys to myself for a while.”

  “But what about Katie?”

  “She was already dating when I met her, so … it's just you and Matteo I get to lock in my fortress.”

  She turned to Arlen. “Dad, this is so unfair!”

  But Arlen just tickled Ella until she remembered to tickle him back.

  “Well,” Colin said, biting into his grilled burger, “I'm still not a home-wrecker.”

  “What's a home-wrecker?” Ella asked, calling a cease-tickle with Arlen.

  But just then, Wendy walked into the kitchen on the heels of a jubilant Matteo.

  “I won! I rule! Hey, Uncle Colin.” Matteo gave him a hug with lots of back-slapping.

  “Yes, you totally won,” Wendy affirmed. Then she looked to Ella. “Who's the home-wrecker?”

  Her very voice set his teeth on edge. “We all know you're a home-wrecker, Wendy,” Colin snapped. “But, believe it or not, we weren't talking about you.”

  Wendy stood there, taking it all in with the speed of a shutter flash. Lola was staring at Colin, completely gob-smacked by her little brother's ballsy rudeness. And Arlen looked like he'd just walked onto the wrong set with the wrong lines.

  Holy noodles and cheese, Colin was still really mad. Really really mad at her. He must be, if his nasty comment threw this kind of wrench into the conversation. Wendy needed to say something, but all she could come up with was Colin hates me. And Heavens to Murgatroyd, the guy's hostility was going to make it obvious to everyone what had happened last September.

  But then Pam walked in with a super-long grill spatula in her hand and smiled with salacious glee at Wendy. “Home-wrecker,” she hooted, as if getting ready to sit down in front of her favorite soap opera. “Doooo tell,” she drawled. “This sounds good.”

  Wendy smiled at Pam for totally saving her butt. Especially when Lola hadn't even known what to say. Lola! Had been speechless! “I'm not really the Jezebel I seemed to be—”

  “Dack Slider,” Colin interrupted. “When you two got together … when was it? Season 3 of Ups and Downs? He was married at the time.”

  Wendy turned to Colin, refusing to be intimidated by his commando bull. “Dude! Dack Slider is as gay as a box of birds. He was terrified of coming out. His marriage was fake and his poseur wife was making trouble. We decided on our 'affair' to head off her threats of writing a tell-all. Once we were an 'item,' any gossip from her would look like sour grapes.”

  Colin snorted. “So you let the world believe you were a husband-stealer? You were ready to sully your own reputation for the sake of an actor who didn't want people to know he was gay?” Colin barked out a cynical laugh. “Every other guy in this town is gay.”

  “No kidding,” Wendy said. “But he was scared. He was so afraid his career would be over and everyone would hate him because he'd been dishonest for so many years.”

  Colin tightened his jaw. “That makes no sense.”

  Wendy's voice got quiet. “Fear can make you think crazy things.”

  “I'm afraid of sharks,” Ella pitched in.

  “Me, too,” Lola added.

  “I think sharks are cool,” Matteo countered.

  “So you put your own reputation at risk?” Colin's skepticism was still slicing into her.

  Why couldn't he just be quiet and go away?

  “Hardly a risk,” she said. “Our characters were getting together on the show. No way a real-life romance could miss. No way.” Her voice got quieter. “And anyway, I owed him.”

  “What he do?” Colin tossed at her. “Help you hide a body?”

  “No,” she said, getting a far-off look. “He was nice to me. All the time. No matter what anyone else was saying about me.”

  Wendy remembered when those shots of her had gone public. She remembered how merciless everyone had been, even as her heart had been breaking. But Dack had always been nice.

  Colin must be remembering the pictures, too. And thinking all the awful things everyone had thought. Because he was sitting there shaking his head, as if she were one pathetic lost cause of a hot mess.

  “Anyway,” she said, looking back at Pam, noticing then that everyone's eyes were trained on her, then Colin, then back to her, then Colin, as if anticipating the next volley in a tennis match. Or maybe something much more vicious, like jai alai. “I'm not a home-wrecker. Excuse me.” She ducked out the door and headed to the grill as if she were actually going to eat some food.

  Wendy stared into the flames licking the coals.

  Colin.

  Did she really deserve anything else from him? She had been awful to him. Absolutely hideous. And he hadn't deserved it. At all.

  But she had been so freaking terrified. The way he'd touched her … so hot, so desperate for her, it had all felt so … sublime. He'd been fierce in bed, but so gentle and … reverent. As if it made him happy to enjoy her and for her to enjoy him. Had any man ever been like that with her? So in the moment, completely free of any demands or the pressure of something to prove?

  Wendy shook off the chill that raced through her. That night, when they'd finally exhausted one another, she'd slipped into panic mode. She couldn't let him say or do anything to ruin everything. She had to get the heck out of there.

  Where are you going?

  Wendy could still hear his voice behind her. It had sounded as if he wanted her to stay. But if she did, she would only be giving him a chance to say or do something devastating. So she'd struck first and she'd struck hard.

  And ruined everything.

  “Let's go,” Lola said, suddenly by her side and handing Wendy a badminton racquet. “We are about to demolish Arlen and Matteo.”

  Wendy took the racquet. “Good,” she said, honing in her evil eye on Matteo. “It's payback time for Madden.”

  The room had cleared out so quickly Colin knew he'd messed up. Big time. Why couldn't he just ignore Wendy? The house was brimming with other people he could be focusing on. Not that any of them seemed to want to be in his immediate vicinity at the moment.

  Colin got up and went to the sink. He was rinsing the suds off his glass when Charlotte took it from him and started drying it with a clean dish towel.

  “You know,” she said, as if the two of them were already in the middle of a conversation. “I wasn't always the most supportive mother.”

  He shrugged. “No complaints.”

  “Well, no. Not from you. We spoiled you. But Lola. I wasn't always so nice to Lola.”

  Colin didn't say anything. No shit, she wasn't always so nice to Lola.

  “But you were there for her,” Charlotte said, turning around to lean back against the cou
nter. “You two have always been so close.”

  Colin moved back and leaned against the center island, facing Charlotte. “Yeah?”

  “Well,” Charlotte continued. “It must be hard. Lola's got her own family now. A huge family. I understand if you're feeling … maybe a little pushed aside. Jealous even.”

  “Jealous?!” Colin laughed. “Are you serious? Do you have any idea how crazy happy I am for Lola? I do not begrudge her one second of her happiness.”

  She looked down, concentrating. “It's not like you to lash out like you did at Wendy.” She looked up, sure she was right. “Nope. You've never been so mean to anyone before. Ever. Or so rude. And right in front of Ella, too.”

  Colin could feel himself flush fire-engine red with mortification. His own mother was calling him out for acting like a nasty little boy. At least she had no idea why he'd been acting like such a total jackass. That would have been too devastating to live down. She thought he was feeling left out of Lola's new circle, and that was as good a cover story as any.

  He didn't know what to say. 'Sorry' wouldn't cut it. And anyway, it was Lola and Ella he needed to apologize to, not Charlotte.

  She came to stand next to him. “I know it must be hard. You and Lola were always two peas in a pod. And now you're here, in the middle of all this, and you don't have anyone special in your life.”

  Colin stared at his mother. How could she be so clueless? Why were women so obtuse? “Mom, it's not hard. There's nobody special in my life because I don't know anyone who's that special to me. And that's okay. What would be sad is if I were to get together with someone and told her she was the one when she wasn't, all because I wanted to be with someone. Going through life single when you haven't found someone you want to be with is not a bad thing. Forcing it when the lightning hasn't struck—that's sad.”

  Charlotte laughed. “Oh, Colin. Listen to you.”

  “What do you mean? What I'm saying makes sense.”

  “Up to a point,” Charlotte conceded. “But don't fool yourself. The lightning striking is the easy part. It's how you harness all that power, all that energy, that makes all the difference. Don't expect the magic moment to happen then presto, your life is perfect forever.”