by Harlow Layne
Hollywood Redemption
Fairlane Series Book 1
Harlow Layne
Hollywood Redemption
Copyright © 2018 by Harlow Layne. All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
Manufactured in the United States of America.
First Edition September 2018
Editor: Melita Bloomer
Cover Design: Harlow Layne
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the products of the author’s imagination or are use fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, businesses, companies, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
To my first celebrity crush, CH.
Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Afterword
Afterword
Acknowledgments
About Harlow
Also by Harlow Layne
1
“I’m so glad you finally made it back out here.” Anna smiled genuinely from the seat beside me at the restaurant’s table.
Anna and I had become good friends over the last several months. First, by talking on the phone and texting, and then one day she informed me that she and Colt were coming to visit Colt’s family in Fairlane for the weekend and wanted us to meet up for lunch or dinner. To say I was shocked would be an understatement. We had only met once at Becca Matthews party and after hearing about my wreck from Becca, Anna called to ask if there was anything she could do.
I had a feeling that her husband, Colt, felt somewhat responsible since he’d brought Matt to Fairlane and chose our table to sit at that fateful night. I didn’t blame him for any of it. It had been my decision to continue seeing Matt after that night.
A couple of months ago, Mason and I had gone for the weekend to hang out with Anna in Chicago where she was shooting a movie. We’d never been and, being the great host that she was, Anna showed us around like the tourists we were and as if she’d lived there her entire life. It was a fun weekend visiting the Shedd Aquarium, the Art Institute of Chicago, Adler Planetarium, and of course, we took in a baseball game too. Mason had a blast and wore himself out every day. He could barely finish his dinner every night before he’d pass out, leaving Anna and I in our hotel room giggling and gossiping like a bunch of schoolgirls.
Almost a year ago, I went out with a friend for a girl’s night out to celebrate the one-year anniversary of my divorce. That may sound strange to most, but I needed it after dealing with my ex-husband’s verbal abuse for over a decade and then all the bullshit he’d put me through after I left him. During my night out, I met the Colton Patrick, a big movie star from my hometown, and his friend Matt Ryan. Matt and I ended up dating for a hot minute, until he freaked out on me in the car on the way to the airport and we got in a wreck. That’s when Anna, Hollywood’s sweetheart, became my friend.
“You know not wanting to come to LA had nothing to do with you and more to do with what happened the last time I was here, right?” I exhaled as I twirled a piece of food with my fork.
“I know, and I don’t blame you. You got a shit deal when you were here.” Shaking her head, Anna looked down at her lap as she twisted her napkin. “I still can’t believe Matt freaked out and, caused you to wreck, and then for him to cheat on you! Colton still won’t answer his messages, he’s so mad. I think he feels responsible in a way.”
Shaking my head, I gave her a sad smile. I didn’t like to think about that weekend often, and what could’ve happened. This was the first time since her initial phone call after the accident that Anna had said Matt’s name. In fact, no one mentioned it around me, as if I’d break down or have steam come out of my ears. From what I knew, none of them talked to him after I got out of the hospital. Jenner had stopped talking to Matt and had blocked his number after sending him a message saying that he didn’t want to have anything to do with a man who would cheat on a woman and then blame her because of his guilty conscience.
Reeves Jenner was another person that I’d met through Ryan, and we’d become good friends after he drove me back to Fairlane from LA. I’d had a concussion and a broken arm and was advised against flying immediately after getting out of the hospital. All I had cared about was getting back to my son, Mason, and Jenner had made that a reality.
Jenner and I bonded on our trip and the subsequent week that he spent with us. After he got back home to LA, we talked a lot about his wife Poppy and what she was up to all the times she disappeared. I’d yet to meet her since she had been MIA the night I met Jenner, but I wasn’t a fan of hers since she was always distressing Jenner in some way or another.
Over the months, Jenner and I had stopped trying to figure out where and what Poppy was up to. Lately, she did seem to be around more. Luckily for me, she wasn’t around last night when we were hanging out. I wasn’t sure I could hold my tongue knowing how much Jenner worried and loved her. I had no evidence that Poppy had been, or was, cheating on Jenner, but from everything he’d told me and the look that passed between Becca and Matt the night I’d met them, I had a pretty good suspicion she was.
Anna was having a little Fourth of July party and invited me out to LA once she found out I would be alone for the holiday, since Mason had gone on vacation for two weeks with Decker, my ex-husband, and his parents. At first I didn’t want to, as the memories of the wreck came back, and how upset Mason had been and how long it affected him. I didn’t want to risk a repeat, but I also knew I wouldn’t be putting myself in that type of situation again.
If I thought Anna and Colt’s house in Fairlane was the most beautiful I’d ever seen, their home in Beverly Hills was breathtaking. It was a three-story Spanish-style house with a courtyard in the front and a large backyard with an infinity pool that looked out over LA. During the day it was beautiful, and at night the sight was miraculous. It was even equipped with an outdoor kitchen/barbecue area. There were small colorful lanterns hung from the trees, and seating areas that were almost like little cabanas. In keeping with the Spanish design, the interior of the home was gorgeous, filled with vibrant colors and very welcoming. I’d immediately felt at home.
After the party the night before, we were a little slow to get around that morning and decided to have a girl’s lunch out with a few of Anna’s friends. At first, when I found out that she was inviting Ruby Price, Grace Anderson, and Cyndi Hanson to lunch with us, I almost had a mild heart attack. They were all big-name actresses that I had grown up watching. It was one thing to see them at the party last night, but a whole other to be sitting around a table with them. The girls were Anna’s Hollywood best friends, and I was highly intimidated by them the night before as they eyed me throughout the night. I hoped they didn’t think I’d befriended Anna only to use her. The public had either been on my side or the glaring opposite with Matt comma from what Taylor had told me. I stayed away from th
e gossip, but Taylor ate it up. From what she’d read there were many who thought it was my fault that Matt cheated and wrecked the car. They also thought that I’d used him to try to become famous. Hearing what they’d said was what made me stay away from the gossip.
“Luke,” Cyndi waved excitedly to an extremely tall and attractive man who was walking by our table. “Hey, what are you doing here?” She asked as she stood and kissed him on the cheek.
“I’m just here for an interview before I head back out of town in a couple of days.” His deep accented voice was smooth like velvet.
I couldn’t help but ogle him as I took in the man that stood before me. Not only was he remarkably tall at well above six feet, but his shoulders and chest were broad, and his well-defined biceps flexed as he gave her a small hug. This Luke guy was the epitome of sexy with his tight black t-shirt clinging to his upper body in the best possible way. It took all my self-control not to drool as I continued my appraisal that only got better and better with each inch I took in. His waist tapered down, and I knew that if he took off his shirt he’d have one of those delicious V’s that I’d only seen in magazines and movies. You know, the ones where you want to get up close and personal with each line leading down to the pleasure zone, while following them with your tongue. He was wearing dark jeans that I was sure would hug his ass because that’s what I would do if I were those jeans on that body. My gaze made its way back up his body to his face. I was sure that if I hadn’t been sitting in that moment I would have made a complete ass of myself as my legs gave out. Even seated, I could feel they were weak. Luke was perfection. His hair was a light blondish-brown from what I could see peeking out from underneath his black baseball hat, but it was his eyes that captivated me. They were unlike any color I’d ever seen before on a person. In one instance they looked blue and in the next green. They reminded me of Caribbean waters, that beautiful island color I was a sucker for. Lowering my gaze, I took in his full pink lips and the dimple in his chin. I wanted to nibble on that lip and then bite and kiss that dimple until the end of my days.
Dear God, what was this man doing to me?
I couldn’t remember the last time I’d ever had such a reaction to a man, but then again, I’d never meet anyone as gorgeous as Luke.
“Please, join us. We have too much estrogen at this table. We need your hotness to balance us out,” Cyndi joked, laughing with a twinkle in her eye before extending her arm out to the table. There were a couple of seats available and I thought for sure that he’d pick the one closest to Cyndi, but instead he started for the seat directly in front of me.
This wouldn’t be good. I wasn’t sure if I could keep my cool while he was across from me. I didn’t want to stare, but how could I not, and I sure as hell didn’t want to ignore him. This was my one and only chance to be in the presence of perfection.
“Are you sure?” he asked, eying us as if we all might attack him the second he sat down.
Ding, ding, ding.
He was right to feel a little wary because I wanted to pounce.
Again, what was wrong with me?
“Yeah, yeah, we’re all a friendly bunch. Aren’t we ladies?” Cyndi smiled almost evilly as she took her seat. I hoped he knew that Cindy was mostly harmless.
We all smiled, and a few waved from the other end of the table as Luke took his seat, a hesitant smile on his face. Surely if Luke was in the restaurant to do an interview he must be in the entertainment business. I couldn’t be sure because I didn’t recognize him. Although that wasn’t surprising, since I didn’t watch too much TV or have time to go to the movies.
Looking at me from across the table, Luke smiled in a friendly way, looking as if he was going to speak at any moment. I wasn’t sure if I was ready for talking to the hottie sitting directly across from me. Never in my life had I been so attracted to a man, and it scared the shit out of me. He stole my breath as his gaze locked with mine.
My phone rang, saving me from staring and possibly hyperventilating like an idiot. Once I saw it was Mason calling, I jumped from the table to take it.
“Hey, honey. Is everything okay?” Mason had called me first thing in the morning and right before bed since he’d been gone and while he seemed to be having fun, I missed him more and more every day.
“Yep.” Mason replied brightly into the phone. “I just saw the Grand Canyon. It’s so big! Have you seen it, mommy?”
I answered as I walked toward the bathroom, wishing it was me that Mason was with when he got to see all the amazing places on his vacation. “I have. My grandpa took me when I was a little older than you.”
“Was it big then?”
“It was.” I smiled, thinking back to my trip with my grandparents. “I remember standing right at the edge against the hand rails, looking over, and my grandma freaked out because she was afraid of heights, but my grandpa was right beside me, looking out over the vastness. It was amazing.”
“Awesome.”
“It was awesome. What are you doing now?”
“Waiting for dad to get back from the bathroom so I asked grandma and grandpa if I could call you.”
“I’m glad you did. I miss you.” My last word was a croak as I tried not to cry. I could hear his grandparents tell him that he was going to have to get off the phone soon, making matters worse. Instead on dwelling over how much I missed him, I finished washing my hands and made my way back to the table. I’d need the distraction once I got off the phone.
“Mama, I have to get off the phone now. Dad’s on his way back and he’ll be mad if I’m on the phone.” There was no hiding the sadness in his voice at having to get off the phone. At least his grandparents were with them and I knew they loved Mason.
“I know, baby. I’ll talk to you tonight. Okay?”
“Okay,” Mason sniffed.
“I love you and have lots of fun.” Pulling out my chair, I kept my eyes down and away from everyone.
“I love you, too. Bye.”
“Bye,” I said even though he had already disconnected.
Pasting on my best smile, I took my seat before grabbing my mimosa and draining the last half. Anna gave me a quick side hug before going back to whatever discussion everyone else was having.
Looking around for a waiter to get another refill, I was startled to hear Luke’s deep and slightly accented voice ask, “Your husband?”
Instead of answering a laugh bubbled out of me. Luke probably thought I was crazy because he’d said nothing to cause my outburst. Looking over at him, I saw a ‘what the fuck is wrong with her look’ and quickly settled down.
“I’m sorry, I promise I’m not crazy or anything. At least I don’t think so.” God, I was a mess.
“Nothing wrong with a little crazy.” His eyes sparkled with mischief along with his smirk.
“I guess not, but for now I’m happy with boring and normal.”
One lone eyebrow rose on his handsome face. “Is your husband boring?”
“My ex-husband is nowhere near boring. More of an asshole than anything else, but that wasn’t him. That was my son who’s with his asshole father.”
“And you’re not happy he’s with his father?” Luke asked scratching his cheek.
“No, but I don’t really have any say on the matter so what can I do?”
Luke cocked his head to the side and gave me a sad smile making me feel guilty. I didn’t want his pity and it was obvious I wasn’t hiding how upset I was from my phone call.
Letting out a deep sigh, I tried to smile back at him. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t bother you with my problems.”
He chuckled and gave me a crooked smile that for one moment made me forget all my troubles. “I don’t mind. Sometimes it’s nice to hear someone else’s problems and forget our own.”
“True.” I agreed. “Do you want to tell me yours, so I can forget mine?”
Shrugging he started to run a hand through his hair but came into contact with his baseball hat instead. His cheeks flushed as
he looked away. Somehow knowing that he was embarrassed made him even more attractive. I wanted to roll my eyes at myself and my hormones. The poor guy’s embarrassment shouldn’t make me want to jump him.
“I don’t have any exes causing me problems or anything like that, but I do miss my family. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen them and with my hours it’s hard to find a good time to talk to them on the phone.” He gave a grimace of a smile and glanced away again.
It was strange that I had only just met this man, but the sadness in his voice spoke to me and caused my heart to ache. I felt an instant connection to Luke and his pain. The backs of my eyes burned with tears that I fought away.
“Do you want to talk about it or will that just make it worse?”
“No, but thank you.” He shook his head, his eyes sad.
“I understand.” Turning back to the rest of the group I listened until a hand covered my own. My head whipped around so fast, I almost got whiplash only to see Luke’s retreating hand.
He flinched. “Sorry.”
“You have nothing to be sorry for.” My brows drew together wondering what Luke thought he had to be sorry for.
“For touching you and for not wanting to talk,” he explained as if he could read my thoughts.
I shook by head hastily, hating myself for making this hot guy think I hated his touch. “The touching is all me. It may seem weird, but I’m not really used to being touched very much, and it took me by surprise. As for the other, I truly do understand about not wanting to talk about your problems. First, you don’t know me and not everyone wants to talk to a stranger. Second, no reason to dampen this,” my arm indicated the table and people around it. “Third, I assume you are some sort of celebrity if you know Cyndi and as such, you have to be careful about who you talk to so that whatever you say doesn’t get leaked to the press.”