Dreaming With A Broken Heart (Hollywood Legends #1)

by Mary J. Williams

“Idiot.” Garrett wadded his napkin, hitting Nate in the forehead. Dead center.

  “What are you, twelve?” Nate complained. Then proceeded to wing the piece of paper back at Garrett. It couldn’t have hurt. When it stuck to Garrett’s mouth, the victory was a moral one. Satisfying, nonetheless.

  “Tell me about her.”

  He and Jade talked about this. How to let people know they were seeing each other. When it came to the general public, they decided to let it come out in its own way. Word of mouth, tabloids, bloggers. If any of them picked up the story, so be it. Garrett told Jade the best way to handle it was to let them have their fun. After a few days, a week at most, it would be old news. Jade wasn’t as confident about that as Garrett was. She was positive her father wouldn’t let it die that easily. Either way, they had a plan. No comment.

  Garrett’s family was another matter. Neither he nor Jade wanted his parents and brothers to hear about it from another source. Telling Nate would be a good place to start.

  “I’ve been seeing the same woman for a little over six months.”

  “And you haven’t said anything? What gives?”

  Garrett shrugged. “The situation is sticky.”

  “Not married.”

  “No,” Garrett sighed. “Technically, maybe.”

  When Nate put down his sandwich, Garrett knew his brother was taking the conversation seriously.

  “Hell, Garrett. That can never end well.” Nate frowned. “Kids?”

  “No.” Garrett leaned closer. The last thing he wanted was for any of this to be overheard. “It’s Jade.”

  “Marlow?”

  “Shh,” Garrett looked around. No one seemed to be paying them any undue attention.

  “Yes. Do you know another Jade?”

  “When you said sticky situation, you weren’t kidding.” Nate gave Garrett a friendly punch on the shoulder. “I have to hand it to you. Keeping that relationship under wraps had to take some doing.”

  “You have no idea.”

  “I didn’t catch any vibes the other night at dinner.”

  “Things had hit a snag. We were…”

  “On a break?”

  “Stop quoting Friends.”

  Nate loved that show. A few years ago when he worked on a Jennifer Aniston movie, he talked about her for weeks. She was his first major pre-teen crush. According to Nate, she was even more beautiful in person.

  “You can never go wrong quoting the classics.” Nate popped a homemade potato chip in his mouth. “I take it. Whatever the problem was, it has been settled.”

  “Between Jade and me? Things are golden.” Garrett’s grin turned into a scowl. “Her father is an asshole who won’t go away.”

  Garrett gave Nate a rundown. He felt comfortable telling his brother about Jade’s relationship with Anson Marlow, from the time her mother abandoned her, the neglect, verbal abuse. How her father turned a blind eye to Stephen Marsh’s physical abuse. He ended with his own belief that Marlow was behind his son-in-law’s disappearance.

  “There is no way that psycho drunk could get out of town on his own. Let alone stay hidden all this time.”

  “Garrett.” Nate pushed the rest of his food away, his appetite gone. “Anson Marlow is one fucked up bastard. We all knew the bare bones of what Jade went through, but man, I don’t know how she came out the other side.”

  “She’s tougher than she looks,” Garrett said. He felt a surge of pride. His woman wasn’t simply surviving. She was thriving.

  “Tough, hell. That woman has a rod of steel running through her.” Nate shook his head. “Until that weak-ass abuser husband is found, she’ll never be completely safe, Garrett.”

  “I have H&W Security working on that.”

  “Smart,” Nate nodded. “They are the best.”

  “I’m hoping—” Garrett’s phone buzzed. “Speak of the devil. Hey, Jack. Nate and I were just talking about the job you’re doing for me. Please tell me you have some good news.”

  “Well,” Jack Winston sighed. “I have news. Not good, not bad.”

  “I don’t like the sound of that.”

  “I can’t explain it, Garrett. Every time we get a lead on Marsh, he falls off the radar. Someone is shuffling him from place to place.”

  “I knew he had help.” Garrett looked at Nate. His brother was trying to follow the conversation. He wanted Nate’s input, but an increasingly crowded restaurant wasn’t the place to get it. “Can you hold for a few minutes, Jack? I need to find some privacy.”

  “No problem.”

  Paying the bill, Garrett and Nate left the restaurant, walking a block to where Nate parked his truck. After they had climbed into the hot, stuffy cab, Nate turned the air conditioner on full blast. Garrett switched his phone to speaker mode.

  “Go ahead, Jack.”

  “I told you I turned this over to Alex Fleming.”

  “Right.” Garrett nodded. “Ex-Army.”

  “Alex knows how to find people. It’s one of his specialties. Under normal circumstances, Marsh would already be in custody.” Garrett could hear the frustration in Jack’s voice. “Two days after you called, Alex had him traced to a small town in Montana. Before we could contact the authorities, he was gone. Vanished like a puff of smoke.”

  “It takes money to do that,” Nate said. He and Garrett looked at each other, anger in their eyes. What little doubt there was had been wiped away. Anson Marlow had to be involved.

  “I agree,” Jack said. “Look, Alex just walked in my office. He’s been on top of this thing from day one. I’ll let him fill you in.”

  After they had taken care of brief introductions, Garrett and Nate listened as Alex caught them up on the frustrating situation.

  “I’m positive Marsh has a handler,” Alex began.

  “You think Marlow hired a guy to keep Marsh in the wind?” Garrett clenched his fists. This was worse than he imagined.

  “Don’t assume a man is in charge,” Alex said. “Whoever is with Marsh could just as easily be a woman. In fact, I would have gone that way. A man and a woman traveling together tend to raise fewer red flags. This person is good,” Alex almost growled the words. He wasn’t a man who liked being outmaneuvered.

  “So basically, we’re fucked.” Garrett felt like punching his hand through the window.

  “Did I say that?” Alex asked. “I’ll get them. I found them in Montana. From there they moved to Indiana. The last sighting was Chicago. Smart to move to a bigger city. That last time was close.”

  “This isn’t goddamned horseshoes.”

  “Garrett, calm down.” Anticipating his brother, Nate narrowly saved Garrett’s fist and his window from damage.

  Garrett wrenched his hand from Nate’s. Didn’t any of them understand? As long as Marsh was in the wind, Jade’s life was in danger.

  “This has to be driving you crazy,” Alex said. “The woman I love means everything to me. Look, I know it doesn’t seem like much, but as long as Marsh isn’t in California, Jade is safe.”

  Alex was right. It wasn’t much consolation. However, it was something.

  “Any suggestions on how I handle things here?” Garrett needed to do something. Anything. “Is it time to hire a bodyguard?”

  “You read my mind,” Alex told Garrett. “Sable will be there first thing tomorrow.”

  “Sable?” Garrett gave Nate a questioning look.

  “She’s the best I have,” Alex assured him. “Remember. Men tend to underestimate women. No one, I mean no one, will get past Sable.”

  Garrett hung up, his mind racing with information. The good, the bad, and the confusing.

  “What did you get from that?”

  “Trust Jack and Alex to know what they’re doing,” Nate shrugged. “Sable. Interesting name. Like something from a James Bond flick. What do you think she’ll look like?”

  “I don’t know. One of those East German swimmers when they were bulked up on steroids?” Garrett answered absently. He wasn’t worried ab
out Jade’s bodyguard. He was worried about Jade. Then there was the problem of telling her about Jack, Alex, and now Sable. He wondered how she would react when she found out he did all this without consulting her first?

  Nate shuddered. “A mustache and bacne? No thanks.” When he noticed Garrett’s distracted frown, Nate patted his brother on the arm. “Hey, we’ll all be looking out for Jade.”

  “I don’t know what I would do if anything else happened to her, Nate.” Garrett stared sightlessly out the window. “When I think about how close that animal came to killing her… I have to keep her safe.”

  “Look at me.”

  “What?”

  “Turn your head and look at me,” Nate told him.

  “What the hell are you jabbering on about?” Garrett asked, doing as Nate demanded.

  “Holy shit!” Nate shook his head. “It’s true. You’re in love with Jade.”

  Garrett didn’t deny it. What would be the point? Still, Nate seemed awfully sure of something he could only be guessing about.

  “What makes you so sure?”

  “What is it they always say about Mom? Her eyes ever lie? Look in the mirror, Garrett. Purple.”

  Pulling down the sun visor, Garrett looked into the mirror. Deep purple. It was a shade he had seen many times. In his mother’s eyes. When his father walked into the room, or when someone mentioned his name. It was the color of love.

  “All those years we teased you about the girls you dated,” Nate grinned. “Checking your eyes to see if it was serious. Wondering if, even though your eyes were like hers in every other way, maybe the love thing skipped you. Take it from me; you are one hundred percent, full-bore, head-over-heels.”

  “Shit.”

  It was the only thing Garrett could think of to say. He barely had Jade out of the dark. She wasn’t ready for till death do us part. Hell, he wasn’t sure he was ready. They were just starting a normal relationship. Dating. Going away for a weekend. He was busy with Exile. Finding out how Jade dealt with the demands of his career would go a long way in finding out how compatible they were outside of the bedroom.

  “I know that look.”

  Garrett mentally shook himself before turning his questioning gaze onto Nate.

  “What look?”

  “You’re starting to overthink it,” Nate said. “Your careening thoughts are so loud I swear I hear a slight echo.”

  “Are you suggesting my head is hollow?”

  Nate grinned. “Only when that inner voice of yours makes a fool of itself.” Nate started the truck, pulling into the busy Los Angeles traffic with the ease of a seasoned stunt car driver. “Let yourself enjoy what you’re feeling. I like Jade. The whole family likes her.”

  “That is important,” Garrett conceded. “Not only to me. Jade has never had a family, Nate. Not one like ours. The closer she gets to everyone, the more it will hurt us if we can’t make it work.”

  Keeping one eye on the thick traffic, Nate leaned over, knocking Garrett on the head with his fist.

  “Hey,” Garrett protested. He rubbed the offended spot. “That’s like being hit by a sledgehammer.”

  “Stop worrying about what might happen, idiot. For the first time in your life, you are in love. Do you know what I would give to feel that? It doesn’t happen every day, you know.”

  Nate was right — an annoying habit of his. It was time to enjoy life with Jade. The danger surrounding her be damned. To hell with his crazy doubts. Loving someone was a new and heady experience. It was time to embrace every new, exciting feeling.

  “One more piece of advice,” Nate said, turning onto the highway.

  “What’s that?”

  “Tell Jade how you feel. Soon. Otherwise, you’ll be spending most of your time with your eyes closed.”

  AFTER CHANGING HER clothes five times, Jade left for her first official meeting as a full-time party planner. She could probably come up with a fancier title. It wouldn’t change the facts. She knew how to organize and get things done. Without any conscious thought, she had compiled names, numbers, and email addresses of Los Angeles rich, famous and infamous. On the open market, she estimated A through L alone was worth a small fortune.

  Unlike most of her competitors, Jade was starting out with a huge advantage. The people listed on her laptop already knew the kind of party she could put together. If they hadn’t attended a function she personally organized, they knew someone who had. Jade might be unsure about her talents in many areas. Throwing a kickass party wasn’t one of them.

  You want elegant? No problem. A sit-down dinner for 200? Easy as pie. Buffet? Pool party. Beach barbecue? She had done them all. Multiple times. And if she unexpectedly ran into a theme she wasn’t familiar with? She was bound to know someone who could help. Jade knew the best caterers. Decorators. Florists. Pastry Chefs.

  Jade had dealt with bad weather, uninvited guests, food poisoning and — the horror of horrors — running out of champagne just before a big toast. When it came to rooms full of hungry, thirsty people, nothing could faze her. Meeting with her first potential client was another matter.

  Selling herself was a new experience. Jade swallowed a giggle. Maybe she should put that in a different way. She was selling her knowledge. Her experience. She knew what Callie had said was true. Throwing a party was easy. Throwing one where everyone had a good time was something else. The key was for the guests never to be aware of why the party was running smoothly. You didn’t notice clean silverware or a pressed tablecloth. However, you noticed smudges and wrinkles. It was Jade’s job to keep the party moving with as little drama as possible. The thing about parties, no matter how high class the guests, there was always drama.

  “You look very professional today, Miss Marlow.”

  Jade smiled. Leave it to her favorite cab driver to give her the boost to her ego she so desperately needed.

  “My first official business meeting, Troy.”

  Jade smoothed down the skirt of her cream-colored sheath. Jade’s closet sported five brand new outfits designed to impress. After they came up with Jade’s new profession, Callie insisted she needed clothing to fit the image of a competent, fashionable woman. The labels weren’t couture like the ones Jade left behind when she walked out of her father’s house; they were better. Paid for with her own money. Approved by her new friend.

  The sleeveless dress skimmed her knees showing just the right amount of leg. Sling-back pumps, the color of ripe raspberries, and a simple pair of hoop earrings were all the accessories Jade wore. Her hair was pinned into a neat bun at the base of her neck. Her stomach might be full of warring butterflies — on the outside, she looked cool as a cucumber.

  “Back to Beverly Hills?”

  When Jade walked out of the Marlow mansion, Troy had been her first call. He seemed to understand without words that she was finally cutting free. Strange, a man she knew only as a paid driver understood her better than most of the people she had known for a lifetime. There was something sad and yet terribly sweet in the thought.

  “Let’s call it going where the money is,” Jade said, her smile widening when Troy chuckled.

  As the cab wound through the familiar streets, Jade felt her nerves settling. She might not live here anymore, but she knew what these people expected. If she projected confidence, her clients would believe it. How hard could that be? She had a lifetime of experience hiding her true feelings.

  Going to her clients, instead of them coming to her made perfect sense — at least for now. Once she was better established, Jade would worry about hiring someone to answer phones. A small, tasteful office. Perhaps an assistant. That was all down the road. Right now, she needed to get through this first meeting.

  They went through the usual routine outside the security gates. Troy pulled the cab to a stop at the front door.

  “Tag me when you’re ready to leave,” he told Jade. He gave her a friendly wink. “Knock ‘em dead, kid.”

  Jade let herself out of the cab, walked u
p the marble steps, and then rang the bell. She looked at her hand. Steady as a rock. Her palm was dry. Her breathing steady. Remember, she could hear Callie telling her, you are looking them over, too. If you don’t like what you see, get up and leave. As soon as the word gets out, people will be clamoring for you.

  Jade didn’t know if that was true. However, Callie was right about one thing. She didn’t have to take the job. Armed with that knowledge, Jade felt her confidence rise.

  “Hello, Marsden.” Jade greeted the butler when he opened the door.

  “Miss Marlow,” the middle-aged man moved to the side, letting Jade enter. “Mrs. Stern is expecting you.”

  Agnes Stern. Once again, she had Callie to thank for setting up this meeting. Even though Jade knew the family, Callie knew about Porter Stern’s upcoming seventy-fifth birthday. After one phone call, Jade had a meeting.

  The Sterns were old money. Porter Stern didn’t depend on her father’s good will to bolster his fortune, so she didn’t need to worry about Anson Marlow exerting his influence. Jade would get or lose the job on her own merit.

  “Miss Marlow is here, madam.”

  Marsden left with a slight bow, closing the door behind him. It was a lovely, feminine room. Arrangements of roses sat on delicate, antique tables whose surfaces were protected by hand crocheted lace doilies. All the furniture looked like it belonged in a Victorian drawing room. A silver tea service adorned a gold cart. It was parked to the right of a tall, wing-backed chair, covered in a floral chintz. Flowers seemed to be the theme of the room. Even the lady who held out her hand was dressed in a pink suit with a large, bejeweled peony pinned to the lapel.

  “Jade, darling girl. Come in.”

  Jade liked Agnes Stern. That wasn’t something she could say about most of the people with whom her father socialized. Instead of false smiles and nasty words behind your back, Agnes let you know how she felt. That kind of honesty was rare in Beverly Hills. Jade imagined it was rare everywhere.

  “It’s good to see you, Mrs. Stern.” Jade held out her hand.

  The older woman simply shook her head, bringing Jade in for a hug. Surprised, Jade automatically hugged her back. Agnes Stern was a petite woman, coming up to just below Jade’s shoulder. Whatever she did in her spare time, it gave her the grip of a lumberjack. Muscles wrapped in perfectly styled hair and the scent of lilacs. Who would have guessed?