A pretend girlfriend was the best she'd get at a real-life. She knew Brandon wouldn't think of her romantically—ever. "Didn't you have a fiancée?"
"Two years ago, and yes. Grace left me, a long time ago."
Brandon probably tried to protect her too. Eva’s insides churned because she’d never exactly been good at accepting help or protection from people who were better than her. For her baby, she had to try and trust. Brandon Campbell still offered when he knew what no one else knew. Her heart whispered to let him in and that, her Christmas miracle had just knocked on her door and saved her. She swallowed and said, "Okay, I'll do it."
"Good. I need you in test shots, starting tomorrow."
Test shots meant he was serious. Good. She needed this. She nodded. "What happened to your other actress?"
"She didn't test well with Jennifer."
Fiery matched what she’d heard about Jennifer Gonzales, the soap actress about to bloom into a movie star. Some of her co-stars had worked on her television show. Somehow, Eva would find a place on the set, and she needed to be grateful. "Brandon..."
His eyes widened. "Yeah?"
"Thanks." Her face felt warm.
He placed his hand on his back pocket. "Eva, as I said at the beginning, I know what it's like to be alone at Christmas. With you being pregnant, if you need a friend, you can call me."
Brandon's parents had died in high school, leaving him and his sister trust fund babies, but it was probably the fiancée or his life in LA that had changed him. Whatever it was, her baby needed this. "Brandon?"
"Yes?"
If she spoke about the truth, then maybe she had a shot at more. "You are right. That prom night changed me."
"I figured."
Tommy had invited his friends into the hotel room and no one cared that she’d screamed. The memory flooded her, again. Usually, she used this as a reason to break into tears on stage. This time, she had a new memory, and she whispered. "I should also thank you for breaking Tommy's nose."
"It wasn't enough. He should have gone to jail."
"He is." She answered.
Brandon crossed his arms again, he leaned closer. "What?"
His nearness felt nice. "He's in jail for raping another woman."
"Good."
For a few minutes, neither of them said anything. Outside, her neighbor started Christmas music and the melody of Silent Night filled the air. She was in no way anything like the Virgin Mary, but this Christmas she had been thinking about how she must have felt—alone and scared.
Brandon broke the spell. "Eva, if I ask you out to dinner, you won't get any strange ideas, will you? I want to know you and your baby are properly fed and ready for tomorrow."
No one like Brandon would ever really be into her anyhow, but the mostly-eaten peanut butter hadn't filled her, and it was all that was in her refrigerator. She nodded and grabbed the blue shawl that covered her belly nicely. "Brandon, I've never had a guy as a friend that I've not ended up sleeping with, but I'm willing to give it a try, if you are."
"Let's go." He said as he stepped over a broken chair she’d meant to throw away.
As the door to her apartment closed behind her, she now had something she hadn't felt in weeks. Hope coursed through her veins, and with luck, this feeling would stay.
The Marshall Family Saga
Favorite Coffee, Favorite Crush
Favorite Coffee, Favorite Mistake
Favorite Coffee, Favorite Sin
Favorite Coffee, Favorite Scandal
And don’t forget Returning for Valentine’s (FREE if you go to my website)
Also by Victoria Pinder
Returning for Valentine’s (FREE if you go to my website)
The House of Morgan
Secret Crush
Secret Baby
Secret Bet
Secret Wish
Secret Dad
Secret Heir
Secret Tryst
Secret Date (Coming Soon)
A Frosted Game of Hearts
Winter Peril
Stormy Peril
Icy Peril
The Marshall Family Saga
Favorite Coffee, Favorite Crush
Favorite Coffee, Favorite Mistake
Favorite Coffee, Favorite Sin
Favorite Coffee, Favorite Scandal
Princes of Avce
Forbidden Crown
Forbidden Prince
Forbidden Royal
Forbidden Duke
Forbidden Earl
The Hawke Fortune
Tempting Gabe
Tempting James
Tempting Conner
Tempting Harry
Tempting Navid
Brothers in Revenge
Irresistibly Charming (Coming Soon)
Irresistibly Tough (Coming Soon)
Irresistibly Played (Coming Soon)
The Collins Brothers
Chaperoning Paris
Borrowing the Doctor
Electing Love
Keeping the Spy
Keeping the Captain
Then if you also like Science Fiction/Fantasy Romance
Hidden Dragon Series
Call of the Dragon
Dance of the Dragon (Coming Soon)
The Queen Gene
Whispers of a Throne
Storm of the Throne (coming soon)
Earthseekers Mission
Makeup May Change Your Life
The Zoastra Affair
Ancient Greek Heroes
Mything You
Mything the Throne
About the Author
USA Today Bestselling Author, Victoria Pinder grew up in Irish Catholic Boston then moved to Miami. Eventually, found that writing is her passion. She always wrote stories to entertain herself. Her parents are practical minded people demanding a job, but when she sat down to see what she enjoyed doing, writing became obvious.
Visit my website and download a free novel
www.victoriapinder.com
[email protected]
Favorite Coffee, Favorite Sin (The Marshall Family Saga Book 3) Page 10