A Movie Star for Christmas

by Jess Mastorakos

  Holly watched the interaction with a furrowed brow. “What are we talking about right now?”

  “Well,” Joan sighed. “I suppose she will hear about it eventually.”

  “What?” Holly asked at the same time that Robin tapped her fingers together like a mischievous villain. “This is too much, just tell me.”

  “Julia filmed a movie here three years ago at Christmas,” Robin started.

  Holly quirked a brow. “Okay, I think I heard that. Is that when she acted like a ... stuck-up starlet?”

  “Nope. She was very down to earth. Which is why Nick fell in love with her,” Robin answered.

  Something deep within Holly twisted at the sound of that. “He did?”

  “Sure did,” Joan said, turning from the stove where she’d been attending to their dinner. “He fell hard and fast for that girl. He proposed before they even finished filming her movie.”

  Holly swallowed. “Oh.”

  “She even stayed after the movie wrapped and had Christmas here. And she was his guest at the Gingerbread Ball that year. Everyone in town loved her and loved the idea of Nick finding love with a movie star.”

  “Yeesh.” Holly had no idea what to say to that, but she didn’t like the way this conversation made her feel. “Where did it all go wrong?”

  Joan and Robin shared a look of distaste. Then Joan spoke. “Well, the plan was for her to leave after New Year’s because she had a movie that she couldn’t get out of. Then, she promised she’d come back and settle down with him. Hang up her acting shoes, if you will.”

  Holly already knew based on the timeline that the movie Julia filmed was the one where she met Bill. He was in the lead role and she was a supporting actress. As far as she knew, they met and fell in love on set, then had a whirlwind romance before getting married in a private ceremony in Malibu. The whole thing really catapulted Julia into success, so there was a lot of talk in ‘Tinseltown’ about her marrying him for the fame it would bring her. Now that she thought back to it, she did remember hearing that Julia had left some unknown man to be with Bill. Her stomach dropped, realizing that poor guy was Nick.

  Robin went on, fully invested in getting the full story out. “Their wedding was supposed to be on Christmas Day here in Snow Hill, the year after they got engaged. So that’s two years ago, now. They thought it only made sense since they met while she was filming a Christmas romance, you know?”

  Holly nodded, then glanced at Joan, who was worrying a dishtowel between her hands as if the story were upsetting her. She felt bad for the woman, knowing how much she loved her son and must have hated seeing him hurt.

  “Well,” Robin continued. “They only saw each other twice in the entire year between when they got engaged and when they were supposed to get married. She was so busy filming that she canceled every time she was supposed to come out, except for once. And we could all see the change in her by then. She’d been running in the big-time circles and the rest of us were like the little people she had to step on to get there. Nick didn’t want to see it.”

  “Once he flew out to L.A. to surprise her, and Bill was there at her place,” Joan added, her tone much more somber than Robin’s gossipy one.

  “No way,” Holly breathed, her heartbreaking for Nick.

  “Julia said they were just running lines, since they were in the movie together, and Nick wanted to believe her so badly,” Robin explained. “Finally, when the wedding was getting closer, one thing after another kept Julia away throughout all of the planning. The town rallied behind Nick and Joan and helped them put it all together, despite also prepping for that year’s Gingerbread Ball and having another movie filming in the square. When she didn’t show for the ball the night before their wedding, Nick finally started to realize the whole thing was about to blow up.”

  Holly shook her head. “He didn’t think that when she wasn’t there to help get ready for the wedding?”

  “He trusted her,” Joan answered.

  “Did she show up to the wedding?” Holly asked, fearing the worst.

  Robin shook her head. “Nope.”

  “Wow.” Holly had heard a lot of crazy stories in her life, anyone would, growing up in L.A. But she was sure this was the biggest scandal Snow Hill had ever seen.

  No wonder the man hated movie stars; he’d been severely burned by one. Here was Jack thinking Nick hooked up with them knowing they’d leave soon, but to her, it seemed like the opposite. He steered clear of them because they’d leave soon. She immediately felt bad for judging him, brief as it was. And she was also surprised by how much she wanted to kick Julia for hurting him like that.

  “So, now you know,” Joan said, holding out her hands.

  “Ugh, and you have to host her at your inn? How could she show her face here after all of that?” Holly said incredulously.

  Robin waved a hand. “Oh, honey, you’re only asking the same questions everyone in town wants to know. We can’t figure out if she came back to rub her new fame and husband in his face ... or worse.”

  “What would be worse?” Holly asked.

  “Some people think she wants him back.” Robin wagged her eyebrows.

  “Yeah, let her try,” Joan warned, making Holly laugh. His mom was so protective of him and she loved it. They seemed to have a great relationship.

  “No wonder he hates Christmas,” Holly mused, suddenly feeling a little silly for throwing her obsession around like confetti.

  Joan waved her hand. “Pshh. There is nothing wrong with Christmas. It’s not Christmas’ fault that he got hurt. Maybe all he needs is a little festive magic to fix his broken heart.”

  Holly gave it her best effort not to let the sparkle in the woman’s eyes give her any hope where Nick was concerned. Sure, he was cute. Okay, he was drop-dead gorgeous. But she was set to leave on Christmas Eve and go back to her movie star life in L.A. Even if they did fall in love and even if she did promise to stay in Snow Hill and have a normal life with him, he’d never be able to trust her. Not after what happened with Julia. It would be better to back off and not pursue the feelings brewing inside her. Nothing good could come of it.

  Later that night, Holly felt restless in her suite. She couldn’t sit still, not even to watch a Hallmark movie. She decided maybe she’d sneak out and go for a walk around the grounds. The Patterson’s owned a couple of acres of beautiful trees and grass, perfect for a late-night wander while still in the privacy of the inn’s property.

  She pulled a sweater over her pajamas, grabbed some long wool socks to pull up to her calves, and yanked on her warmest boots. Finally, she took a black beanie from her dresser and pulled it over her blonde hair. She looked around the room for her jacket, then made a face when she realized it was downstairs on the dreaded coat rack. She could only imagine how embarrassing it would be if the thing fell over on her again and woke up the other guests at the inn. She sent up a silent prayer that she could make it outside without causing a scene.

  Once she was safely on the porch, she breathed in the cold winter air and smiled. The inn was lit up with multi-colored Christmas lights, the reflection casting a beautiful glow on the lawn out front. All the other houses in the row were decorated to the nines, too. There were no cars or pedestrians out at the late hour, and she could see that the production set in the square was dark for the evening. Holly sighed, soaking up the peace and quiet. This town was magical.

  She stepped off the porch and turned toward the back of the house, passing through the side yard, and crossing into the expansive field in the back. Her breath was visible in the air as she exhaled, and she was grateful for the light of the moon and the town’s obsession with Christmas lights for the glow that fell around the property. There was a small cottage behind the inn, the exterior decorated as festively as the inn itself. She knew Joan lived in the owner’s suite behind the kitchen, so of course her immediate thought was that the cottage must belong to Nick. As she got closer to the corner of the cottage’s private drive, a floo
dlight snapped on, illuminating her as she squinted against the light.

  Moments later, Nick opened the front door and poked his head out.

  “Hi,” Holly said in a stage whisper. “Sorry.”

  With a quiet chuckle, Nick grabbed a coat from inside the door and stepped onto his small porch. “Taking a midnight stroll or attempting to break and enter?”

  Holly resisted the urge to flirt with him, given her new knowledge of his past. “The first one.”

  Nick blew into his cupped hands. “Kind of a cold night for that, California girl. Aren’t you freezing?”

  “Not really. I kind of like it.”

  “Well, you like it now. But I doubt you’d be able to go from the seventies year-round to actual seasons.”

  Again, Holly chose her words carefully. “You’re probably right.”

  Nick tilted his head at her and stepped off the porch, joining her on the grassy lawn. “You seem a little less ... cheerful than normal. Something up?”

  “We barely know each other,” Holly answered with a small smile. “How do you know what’s normal for me?”

  Slowly, Nick reached out a hand and tucked a strand of her hair back from her eyes. “I’m not sure how I know. I just do.”

  Holly blushed, her stomach flipping and dancing with a million butterflies at his light touch. Why did they have to have such a strong connection? He was making it very hard for her to ignore it.

  “I like your place,” Holly said, deciding to change the subject. “I mean, from the outside. It’s very cute.”

  “Hah, yeah. That’s the look I was going for.”

  “Sorry, but it is.”

  Nick followed her gaze up to the cottage. “My dad and I built it, actually. A few years before he got sick. Before he and mom built and opened the inn, he and his dad had a home building company. And my grandpa and his grandpa did the same.”

  “Aw, I love that. Your family has been close forever.”

  “Mhm.”

  “I’m sorry you didn’t have a chance to keep working with your dad.”

  Nick met her eyes then, emotion swimming in them. “Me, too.”

  Holly let the moments pass silently between them, unsure of what to say.

  “Anyway,” he continued, shaking his head as if to clear it. “We built the house back here for them to live in. It has a nice kitchen, a couple of bedrooms, and a bathroom, nothing huge, but they planned to retire out here when I took over the inn. I used to live in the room where mom stays in the main house, but after Pop died, she didn’t want to be out here all alone, so we switched.”

  “You would seriously do anything for her,” Holly observed.

  “I would,” he replied. “As long as she needs me, I’m there.”

  Holly fought the urge to literally groan out loud. Why weren’t there any guys like this in L.A.? Or rather, why did she have to have such a superficial life out there when the people in this town seemed to revolve around family, community, and values.

  “You know about Julia, right?” He asked suddenly.

  “What?”

  “I figured as soon as Jack and I left the kitchen, those ladies were going to fill you in. Then, judging by the way you kept looking at me like you felt bad for me at dinner, I knew you knew.”

  Holly bit her lip. “Sorry. I do feel bad for you, though. That was quite a heartbreak she put you through.”

  He nodded and looked away. “I’m over it.”

  “It’s okay to still have feelings about it, Nick. You don’t have to be all tough all the time.”

  Nick peeked at her from the corner of his eye. “You think I’m tough?”

  This made Holly laugh, despite herself. “I do understand now why you hate Christmas and movie stars. I’ll try to tone it down a little when you’re around.”

  “You’re fine. Honestly, you and your team are much less annoying than the last cast and crew we had around. Some ditzy girl who didn’t understand why the shopping here was so bad.”

  Knowing exactly what movie with which cast was filmed here last, Holly chuckled. “I bet growing up you never thought this place would become a hot spot for movie stars.”

  “I did not,” he said, laughing, his eyes warm as they held hers. “But you’re kind of making me re-think my grumpy attitude about it all.”

  Holly’s heart sang at the same time her head told her to run. This wouldn’t go anywhere, so it wasn’t worth starting. “I should go.”

  “Getting cold?”

  Noting that he almost looked disappointed, she took a couple of steps backward toward the inn. “Yeah, cold. I’ll see you around, Nick.”

  Before he had a chance to reply, she turned on her heel and headed back the way she came, choosing her steps carefully so she didn’t trip over her own feet. She couldn’t get to the porch and up the steps fast enough, because what she really wanted to do was launch herself into Nick’s strong arms and finish what they’d started the other day under the mistletoe. Her stomach turned as she remembered that Julia had been the one to interrupt them. Ugh. That lady was a pill. But, maybe it had been for the best.

  When she finally made it inside, she jumped ten feet in the air at the sight of Jack sitting at the bottom of the stairs. “Holy moly, what are you doing?”

  “What kind of bodyguard would I be if I didn’t know you snuck out in the middle of the night?”

  Holly shook her head. “A less creepy one?”

  “Maybe,” he said through a laugh. “I looked out back and saw you talking to Nick.”

  “Yeah, and?”

  “And, don’t forget what I told you. He seems cool but this is probably just an act.”

  Annoyed, Holly let out a huff and pulled the beanie off her head. “Jack, thank you for being concerned. I mean it. But I can tell he’s not acting. This is who he is.”

  “Fine, so maybe he really is a good guy. So, what’s your plan, then? You gonna have a little on-location Christmas fling and then leave your feelings at the door when we take off?”

  She’d be lying if she said she could do that safely. There was no way she’d be able to get something started with Nick and then brush him off when the time came. “No, Jack. Which is why nothing is going to happen between me and Nick. Neither one of us would want something like that.”

  Jack tilted his head at her. “You’ve had boyfriends in L.A. before ... so it’s not like I’m trying to be the kind of big brother who wants to scare away any guys you like. But there’s just something different about this and I don’t like it. I have a weird feeling you’re gonna get hurt.”

  “I’m tired, let’s talk about this another time,” Holly said, stepping around him and starting up the stairs. Then she stopped and turned back toward her brother. “Actually, let’s not talk about this another time. Deal?”

  “Deal,” Jack replied.

  8

  Holly

  “And, cut,” the director yelled. “Let’s reset, everyone, I need that again with cameras three and four.”

  Holly was wrapped in Bill’s arms and tipped back, his smooth face in her gloved hand as he looked lovingly into her eyes. At the sound of the director’s call, he gently set her upright and made sure she was steady before he removed his hands from around her.

  “Good scene,” she told him, straightening the scarf she wore around her neck as the fake snow that had been falling around them was suddenly turned off.

  “You, too,” he replied, taking a seat on a nearby bench to wait for hair and makeup to fix him up. Holly did the same, knowing she probably had fake snow mixed in with her clothes and hair that they’d want to pick out before they re-shot the scene.

  “So, I hear we’re having an affair,” Bill said, making Holly snort out a laugh.

  “Yes, I heard.”

  “What were you doing at the window, anyway?”

  Holly chuckled. “Honestly? I was watching the paparazzi and thinking about how annoying that must be for you guys. Sorry it turned into such a thing.”


  “Oh, it’s not your fault. It’s always something, right?” Bill smiled at her with the vibe of a man who legitimately didn’t let tabloid nonsense get to him. He was probably ten years older than Holly and had been in show-business for half her life, so it made sense.

  “Yeah, I guess. Well, I mean, I know it’s always something for you guys. Usually, when they take my picture it’s to throw me into one of those ‘who wore it better’ or ‘the stars are just like us’ pages. I don’t really get scandalized.”

  Bill actually looked concerned. “Are you okay? You’re not upset about it, are you? I was just going to let it blow over but if you want me to actually put out a statement shutting it down, I will.”

  “No,” Holly held up a hand. “Thank you, no, that’s okay. It’s a weird feeling but it’s not worth all that. I’m sure a new scandal will happen soon and take over.”

  Bill scoffed. “As long as it’s nothing to do with that innkeeper, I’ll be fine.”

  “Nick?” Holly’s heart picked up speed. “What about him?”

  “I’m sure you’ve heard all about him and Julia by now, right? These townies are gossiping like crazy about it, so she finally told me.”

  Holly couldn’t believe her ears. “You didn’t know?”

  “Didn’t know that my fiancé was already someone else’s fiancé when I proposed to her after we wrapped that film? No, I didn’t know,” he answered.

  Two makeup artists came up and started prepping them for the scene, so Holly was sure the conversation was over. She didn’t want to press him to say anything in front of them, but to her surprise, he continued talking as if they weren’t even there.

  “I also had no idea who he was when he came to L.A. that time. They went outside to talk and then he left, and she told me he was an old fling who couldn’t let go.”

  Holly was literally at a loss for words. For one, she couldn’t believe he was telling her all of this about his wife. And for another, she couldn’t believe he was going around acting like he wasn’t steaming mad at her. Holly knew how she’d feel if she were in Bill’s shoes, and you wouldn’t even know there was anything wrong by looking at them. They seemed ... perfectly happy. Actors.