“Not that I’m complaining, but you really need an office. Especially now that you’re on a roll; two clients in one week.”
“How much do you charge for booth rental? That’s about all I can afford.”
“Is that the reason for the long face?”
“No, I was thinking about George Gail. What can you tell me about some Caress person? Attractive older woman, very petite, snappy dresser, drives a white Lincoln.”
“You mean Caress Ellingsworth, another of Naomi’s claims to fame, right alongside Tug Montgomery and Glitter Thompson. She’s a former soap-opera queen from one of those old daytime shows that got canceled. Bleeding Heart or something like that.”
“So Beats the Heart,” Madison nodded in recognition. “My mother-in-law was addicted to that show. She was devastated when it was canceled, especially since it was in the middle of her favorite character’s big life-saving operation. She never knew if she lived or died!”
“Hey, that was Caress’s character! I’ve heard her mention the storyline several times. She still gets fan mail, from people wanting to know if she made it through the ordeal. They seem to get the character and her real life all mixed up!” Genesis laughed.
“What can you tell me about her? Is she married?”
“No, but she has an on-again/off-again relationship with none other than John-Paul Noble. She moved here permanently, but he still goes back and forth to LA.”
“The John-Paul Noble?” Madison squeaked. “The John-Paul Noble you and I once drooled over in Hatchet for Hire?”
“Yep, the one and only ‘Sam Hatchet’, star of our favorite television series and some of my most vivid fantasies.” Genny’s dimples were showing again as she flashed a smile.
“You’re telling me John-Paul Noble has actually stepped foot in Naomi, Texas? Why have I never heard this before?”
“He hasn’t been here since I moved back, but I understand he calls this his second home. That is, when he and Caress are ‘on’ again.”
Madison stared at her friend in amazement. John-Paul Noble was a legendary actor, best known for his outlandish playboy lifestyle and his long-running private detective series. New episodes of the drama may have ended years ago, but it lived on forever in re-runs. A dozen or so movie roles kept his name in the headlines, and rumor had it he was favored to star opposite Jennifer Lopez in an upcoming thriller. His name was often mentioned with references to New York and LA, even Paris and Rio; not once had the media reported his connection to tiny little Naomi, Texas.
“Wait a minute,” Madison said with a sudden frown. “Isn’t he a lot younger than Caress?”
Another dimpled grin. “You know his reputation; John-Paul is a non-discriminating man-ho. He loves women of all ages, shapes, colors and form. He and Caress first got together when he had a recurring role on the soap.”
Madison rattled her head to clear it. “So what on earth is Caress doing here in Naomi in the first place?”
“Her grandparents were from here. I think she’s somehow related to Molly Shubert, whose husband runs the pharmacy.”
“I thought his wife died a few years ago,” she murmured in confusion, remembering the news from Granny Bert. “Something about a prescription drug overdose?”
“So I heard. Rather convenient, wouldn’t you say, for a pharmacist’s wife? He remarried a couple of years ago and has a new family, but that’s a whole other story.” Genny waved the train of thought away, not wanting to get sidetracked. “Why the questions about the former soap queen?”
Madison glanced around to make certain no one was close enough to overhear her words. “I followed Curtis today. He met this Caress person at the Bumble Bee Hotel.”
“Curtis Burton? I told you, that man is as faithful as they come!”
“Then why did they meet at a hotel, of all places?”
“I have no idea, but there has to be a plausible explanation. Curtis would never cheat on George Gail. Not only does he adore her, he’s simply not the type.”
“Well, George Gail wants to know the truth. I was just sitting here wondering if my own life would be different right now, if I had been as brave. Even if I couldn’t save my marriage, maybe I could have saved my pride. Maybe I could have saved the business.”
“Madison, you are not to blame for what Gray did.” Genny’s tone was adamant. “Gray destroyed your marriage. He was the one to run your business into the ground and leave you destitute. He is to blame, not you.”
“You’re right. I know you’re right. I just like to wallow around in self-pity every now and then,” Madison admitted. She took in a deep breath, held it in her lungs for a moment, then released it slowly. Her technique was obvious but effective. When she opened her eyes, they held renewed energy. “So,” she said, changing gears with the new topic, “how are plans coming for your Valentine’s Day Mixer?”
Genny’s blue eyes sparkled. “I think this is actually going to be a success! Everyone seems to be really excited about it.”
“Most everything you do is successful, Gen. You just have that golden touch.”
Her friend’s short burst of laughter was followed by a crinkled nose. “Except for in my personal life. It has more of a rusty grunge than a golden glow.”
“And whose fault is that? Who never takes time for herself, always busy putting others first?”
“You?”
“And you, my friend. You should be celebrating Valentine’s Day one-on-one with someone special, not hosting a party for an entire town.”
She waved a dismissive hand through the air. “Maybe next year. This year I wanted to do something special for the community. They’ve welcomed me with open arms and made these first months in business phenomenal. I want to give something back by throwing this party.”
“What can I do to help?”
“So far everything is going according to schedule. I have the band booked, the decorations all lined up, the food planned and ordered, extra workers scheduled, the advertisements underway.” She ticked the items off her fingers as she ran a mental checklist.
“Sounds perfect,” Madison smiled. She was truly proud of her friend for her creativity and success.
“Oh, and I have our dresses ordered.”
“Dresses?”
“Since you and I are acting as hostesses that night, I have a little something special for us to wear.”
Madison groaned. She and her friend had decidedly different tastes in clothes. “Please tell me there are no ruffles. I hate ruffles.”
Genesis gave her a mysterious grin. “All I will say is that you are going to be a knock-out. Brash deCordova had better step up his game, or he’ll find he’s missed his chance with you. Again.”
Stifling a yawn, Madison attempted a low-level threat. “If I had the energy, I would insist on seeing the dress before agreeing to help with the party.”
“You’ve already agreed,” Genny reminded her.
As Genesis touched up their coffee, Madison turned bleary, unseeing eyes toward the window. She idly watched as a white van pulled up outside, but she paid no heed to the fancy graphic painted on its side panel.
Madison’s sleep-deprived mind was elsewhere as her eyes lazily tracked the woman getting out of the van on the passenger side. She was dressed in a tailored red wool business suit and could easily grace the cover of a magazine, prompting Madison to make an abrupt declaration. “Valentine’s Day dress aside, I need a new wardrobe.”
“Agreed, but what brought on this sudden realization?”
“Next to Caress Ellingsworth, that woman out on the sidewalk, and even George Gail herself, I feel like a dowdy little ragamuffin.”
Genesis followed the tilt of her friend’s head to the fashionably dressed woman getting out of the van. She immediately muttered beneath her breath, something about being two days early.
“Have you ever seen that woman before?” Madison asked. “She looks a little overdressed for Naomi. Maybe she’s Caress’s daughter. They h
ave the same flair for style.”
“Uh, Maddy, there’s something I’ve been meaning to tell you.”
“Oh, wait,” Madison continued to speculate. “Maybe she’s that man’s daughter. You know, your customer that’s always bragging about his daughter who works in television. Mr. Pierce or somebody.”
“Mr. Pruett. Tom Pruett. No, I don’t think that’s his daughter.”
Madison missed the nervous tone in her friend’s voice as she yawned, yet again.
“Are you listening to me? There’s something I need to tell you.” Genesis’s tone became more insistent. She took Madison’s arm and shook it to capture her friend’s attention.
Blinking in surprise, Madison looked down at Genny’s firm grip, then into her worried blue gaze. “What’s going on, Genny?”
“I, uh, I have a surprise for you. You know that Granny Bert offered to sell you the Big House, now that you’ve decided to stay in The Sisters.”
“Yes, but we all know I can’t afford it, no matter how great of a deal she offers me. And I certainly can’t afford to remodel it.” There was a bit of a wistful sigh hidden in her words. Ever since her talk with Granny Bert in the attic, the house had been on her mind. It did, indeed, have potential, but all that potential added up to more money. Money she did not have.
“What if I told you I might know of a way to remodel?”
Madison frowned. “What are you talking about, Genesis?”
“Have you ever heard of the television show Home Again, where they restore old houses for people to live in?”
“I’ve never personally seen it, but I’ve heard people talk about it.”
“Well, I took the liberty of contacting the show and sending in a few shots of the Big House. The producers were interested enough to say they would send out a team to look at it, day after tomorrow.” Genesis slid her gaze toward the van. A man now joined the woman on the sidewalk. “Apparently they’re early. And apparently they’re interested enough that the show’s star has come to see it for himself. That is the main carpenter and anchor of the show, Nick Vilardi.”
Madison stared at her friend in total surprise, even as the bell jingled above the door and the occupants of the van stepped inside.
Television-land had come to The Sisters.
CHAPTER FIVE
The next five minutes were a blur for Madison.
She sat dumbly in her seat as Genesis popped out of the booth and hurried toward the door. As Genesis greeted the newcomers with animated features, Madison’s sleepy brain tried to make sense of it all. Something about a television show and a way to buy the Big House. Something about the sexy hunk shaking Genny’s hand. The words floated around in her head without making a connection.
Genny’s bubbling laughter drifted back to the booth where Madison sat. One-by-one, the trio at the door turned around to look at her. Almost as an afterthought, Madison nervously wiggled her fingers in greeting.
An exaggerated head movement from Genny finally propelled her into motion. She was aware of the eyes upon her as she stood awkwardly from the booth and straightened her simple cotton blouse. She was particularly aware of the light of appreciation within the man’s gaze.
At least she was wearing one of her better outfits today, a starched cornflower blue oxford shirt with black slacks and her favorite boots. Like most of her wardrobe, the classic outfit was tasteful and timeless. She ignored the little voice in her head that reminded her it was also ageless; it could have as easily come from her grandmother’s closet as her own.
Thank goodness she had cut her hair recently, she thought as she raked her fingers through the shortened ends. After years of wearing it long and straight, a sudden bout of wounded pride prompted her to give the stylist free rein on the style. The result was a very flattering bob that highlighted her cheekbones and made her nose look smaller and her eyes larger. The new layers added softness to her angular face and ended at a jaunty little angle just below her chin.
“Maddy, I want to introduce you to these people. This is Nick Vilardi, star of the hit remodeling show Home Again and his producer, Amanda Hooper. And this is Madison Reynolds.” Genesis made the introductions as if Madison were the celebrity.
The blond woman in the red suit smiled warmly as she thrust out a hand in greeting. “Mrs. Reynolds, what a pleasure to meet you.”
Madison’s smile was hesitant and more than a bit confused. “Hello.”
“And I’m Nick.”
The deep voice, kissed with the faintest of Italian accents, immediately resonated with something deep within Madison. She lifted her startled gaze into a pair of dark blue eyes the color of a stormy sky.
She thought she was prepared for the sizzle she instinctively knew was coming. Madison braced herself, but she literally jerked the moment his hand enveloped hers. A shot of electricity ricocheted through her arm, setting off sparks throughout her body. Embarrassment flooded her cheeks with a rosy red hue, but for the life of her, Madison was unable to pull her hand from his.
The man was not handsome, not in the traditional way. Good-looking, yes, but there was an odd symmetry to his face. His nose was slightly crooked, his thick dark brows not quite even. The distinct grooves in his cheeks were charming now, but she wondered how much the creases would deepen and change through the years. Still, there was something arresting about his face. Something powerful. Other than Brash deCordova, it had been years since any man, even Gray, caused her such a physical reaction.
Surprise flashed in the depths of his stormy-blue eyes. Did he feel it, too? Or was he merely taken aback by her flinch? His voice seemed to have a new layer of warmth as he said, “It is definitely a pleasure to meet you.”
He still held her hand. Warmth crept up from his fingers and swirled low in her belly, in places Madison forgot even existed. She knew she should pull away, but she was held captive by the magnetism of his touch.
Maybe I’m dreaming, she reasoned. I’m having one of those dreams where you try to move, try to speak, but your body won’t cooperate. Or maybe I’m sleepwalking. I’m so tired…
There was something intimate about his gaze. Their handshake lingered past the two-to-five second rule, stretching well into the ten-second range. As he finally released her hand, his fingertips brushed softly over her palm, setting off a new wave of erratic heartbeats.
She had never seen his show, but Madison was suddenly his biggest fan.
Amanda Hooper spoke up, filling the awkward silence. “Miss Baker tells us you have an intriguing house you’d like for us to see. Is this a convenient time for you?” Her smile was expectant.
“Well, I, uh, I-” Madison knew she was stuttering, but her mind refused to work properly. “I-I suppose so,” she managed to say.
“Wonderful! We can take the van.” The television producer gave a bright smile that said everything was decided.
“Would you give us just a minute?” Genny was already taking Madison’s arm and tugging her friend toward the back booth. The moment they were out of earshot, she whispered, “What is wrong with you? You act like you’re in a trance!”
“I think I am. What did you do?”
“I told you, I sent in pictures of the Big House to have them consider it for the show. And don’t worry, I have the key.”
“How did you…?”
Seeing the dazed expression on Madison’s face, Genny gave her arm a comforting pat. “Don’t worry. Granny Bert and I took care of everything. Go get your purse while I tell the staff I’m leaving.”
She stepped away before Madison could ask questions. Genesis asked Shilo Dawne Nedbalek to watch the café in her absence.
“Who is that?” the young woman asked in a dreamy voice. The waitress’s eyes were glued to the man at the door. “He looks kind of like the guy on that TV show Home Again.”
“Don’t tell anyone, but that’s exactly who it is.”
“It is? You’re kidding! What’s he doing here?” Shilo Dawne all but squealed.
“I don’t see what all the fuss is about.” There was a slight sulking tone in the young man’s voice. Was he jealous of the way Shilo Dawne all but drooled over the television star? “You’re staring at him like the heavens opened up and dropped him down to earth.”
When Genesis glanced up at him, his accusing gaze centered on her, not the waitress. She merely laughed. “Hey, that’s the same way most women in town look at you!” she quipped. Her eyes wandered back to the man of topic. “But you have to admit, he does have something magnetic about him.”
“And he is definitely pulling me in,” Shilo Dawne muttered in agreement. For once, she was completely immune to Cutter Montgomery’s presence.
Genny grabbed her cell phone and keys from behind the counter, laughing as she gave Cutter’s arm a sympathetic pat. His face scrunched with a deep scowl as he watched her walk away.
“Are we all ready?” Amanda Hooper smiled. She opened the door for Genesis to follow her out.
At the back booth, Madison called home to say she was running late. As she hurried to join the others, Nick Vilardi politely waited for her. He put a hand to her back as he held the door for her. Madison braced herself for his touch, prepared this time for the jolt of awareness that pricked her spine and radiated inward. His hand remained lightly on her as he fell into step beside her on the sidewalk.
Madison stole a glance at him. He was taller than Gray, yet not quite as tall as Brash. Tall enough I can still wear my boots, she mused. Gray never allowed her to wear heels, insisting she was already tall enough. Unlike her late husband, the television star had a powerfully built body, more sinew than flesh. Macho was the word that sprang to mind and echoed within her soul. Long after he dropped his hand, she felt the reverberation of his touch.
When the Stars Fall (The Sisters, Texas Mystery Series Book 2) Page 4