Falling Star

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Falling Star Page 42

by Laura DeLuca


  “I’ll cancel the movie contract,” Drew began quickly. “I can find an acting gig in New York, maybe on a soap opera or even on Broadway now that you’ve brought out the singer in me.”

  Lainey chuckled. “I don’t think we need to be that drastic. I mean ... a soap opera? Really?”

  “If it meant staying with you, I’d do any—”

  “Shhh.” Lainey laid a hand on his lips. “I don’t want you to breach any contracts and after hearing you sing, I don’t think you’ll make it on Broadway. So, how about you take me to England with you instead?”

  Drew’s mouth dropped open. “Are you serious?”

  “If I’m going to be a published author, I should broaden my horizons, help inspire some fresh ideas, don’t you think?”

  “You know we’d be gone for months. You’d have to give up your job, leave your friends and Cape May County...”

  Lainey waved her hand. “Insurance was just a way to pay the bills until I made it as an author. And my friends and my home will be waiting when I get back. For now, I want to concentrate on us. At least for a little while.”

  Bathed in moonlight, her long hair draped along her shoulders, his sea sprite was back and more beautiful and adventurous than ever. Drew never felt happier than he did at that moment. He’d dreaded starting the next film, but suddenly the idea of three months oversees became a lot more appealing. Of course, he’d still be spending most of the time working, but having Lainey to come home too after sixteen hours on the set would make the whole thing much more tolerable.

  “Soooo,” Lainey probed. “What do you say? Do you want a traveling companion or not?”

  “I say you’ve got yourself a deal.”

  Lainey settled back into his arms. Feeling like at last all the pieces had fallen together, Drew peeked up at the sky to admire the stars, the same way they had on their very first date. Yep, things had definitely come full circle.

  Epilogue

  “I’m going to miss you guys so much!”

  Lainey clung to her friends, her small frame crunched in the four-way huddle outside the airport coffee shop. Other patrons in the crowded lounge glanced at them from the corner of their eye, some shaking their heads as they pulled their luggage, but Lainey didn’t care how silly she looked. She needed these last few minutes and the security she felt in this circle of women she loved like family.

  Initially, Erin had planned to drop Lainey and Drew off at the airport, but they decided to pick up Sharon and Elisa along the way. All three had taken time from their busy schedules to make the two-hour drive to the Philadelphia airport to see Drew and Lainey off on their trip. Once they arrived, Lainey asked her boyfriend to take their luggage to the terminal so she could spend as much time with her friends as possible before they parted ways. It wasn’t forever. It would only be three months, six tops, but it was still an emotional separation. She and Erin were an unstoppable team since grade school, and once they joined forces with Sharon and Elisa, all four of them had been inseparable. They had a spiritual bond that went beyond normal friendship—it was a sisterhood. Leaving them behind was like leaving a part of herself.

  “You better not ditch us,” Elisa warned, clearing her throat. “If you call and tell me you decided to stay overseas, I swear I’ll fly to Europe and drag you back myself.”

  “Don’t worry,” Lainey assured her. “I’ve always been drawn to England. I want to touch the earth at Stonehenge and walk through the castles. I’m sure it’ll be an amazing experience, but Cape May County will always be my home. It’s where my roots are. I could never live anywhere else.”

  “It’s home to both of us now,” Drew added, stepping up behind them. He’d missed most of the teary goodbyes, but still lowered his sunglasses to give them a knowing glance as he hoisted his carry on bag over his shoulder. “Hopefully the renovations on the house in Cape May Point will be done by the time we’re finished filming. After that, this is where we’ll be in-between movie shoots. In fact, if I have my way.” He gave Lainey’s hand a squeeze. “This is where we’ll raise our family eventually.”

  “Family?” Elisa raised an eyebrow. “Uh-hum. Are there any announcements you’d like to make before you leave, Lainey?”

  “Yeah.” Lainey ruffled her friend’s short black hair. “Try to stay out of trouble while I’m gone.”

  Elisa snorted. “I wouldn’t count on that.”

  Lainey gave her a light punch in the arm before moving down the line to Sharon. She felt oddly like Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz, saying goodbye to each of her friends one by one. Except she was clicking her heels and heading to the magical land of enchantment, instead of trying to get back home. As she reached for Sharon’s hand, she wished she’d thought to get some special parting gifts for each of the girls, but all she could offer was hugs and tears. She’d have to make sure she remedied that when she came back home. A single pebble from the circle at Stonehenge would totally make Sharon’s day.

  “Sharon,” Lainey began, trying to get the words past the lump in her throat. Her older friend, who wore a sky-blue shirt with Cape May embroidered in darker blue thread, embodied everything she had trouble leaving behind. “How can I even begin to thank you for everything you’ve done for me? I feel like I blossomed from a girl into a woman since I met you. You not only opened up your home to us, you opened our hearts. You taught us things we could never find in books, probably the most important lesson being that none of us ever stops learning.”

  “It hasn’t ended yet.” Sharon reached out to touch the silver pendant around Lainey’s neck, identical to her own. It was Sharon who had gifted one to each of the girls, and Lainey had never taken hers off. “I believe the four of us have journeyed through many lifetimes together and will be together many more,” Sharon reminded her. “No matter how far we travel, nothing can break that bond. Of course, that doesn’t mean I won’t miss you like crazy. Our meetings won’t be the same without you.”

  Sharon embraced her and Lainey had to pull a tissue from her pocket before moving on to Erin. They’d been separated before when they went to college in different states, but somehow this parting felt more permanent. Perhaps because after five years of working side by side, day in and day out, Lainey had turned in her resignation at the insurance agency so she could concentrate on her writing. With the big advance she received from the publisher her agent signed her with, she was completely self-sufficient. As happy as she was about this new crossroad in her life, it was still a hard path to travel. Even when she came back from Europe, things weren’t going to be the same. Again Lainey sensed a Dorothy moment coming on, and it took all her strength not to mutter, “I think I’ll miss you most of all,” as she stared into Erin’s watery eyes.

  “Promise me you’ll take care of Blanche,” Lainey said, wiping a pesky tear from the corner of her eye. “You know she likes to do business in person and always pays in cash.”

  Erin nodded. “She’s in good hands. I promise.”

  “And tell Nate not to get too much bigger while I’m gone. Tell him his Aunt Lainey plans to bring him back the coolest toy in all of England.”

  “Y—you spoil him too much.” Erin tried to keep her voice from cracking. “But I’ll tell him.”

  “Good. Now there’s one more thing I need to say before I go. Something important and I just have to say it, so hear me out.” Lainey took a deep breath, reached out to touch her friend’s shoulder, and wondered if Erin would have the nerve to hit her with that security guard standing a few feet away. “Don’t give up on love, Erin. I know you were hurt, but there are still a few good guys out there. Drew is proof of that. And call me crazy, but I have a feeling your Mr. Right might be waiting around the next corner.”

  Erin rolled her eyes. “Oh please. You know I’ll never buy into that nonsense.”

  They stood and stared at each other for a few seconds before Lainey finally flung herself at Erin, nearly knocking her off her feet. “I’m going to miss you so much,” she sobbed. �
��I don’t know what I’ll do without being able to turn around and see you at the desk behind me.”

  “All I want is for you to be happy.” Erin squeezed her back, a few tears sliding down her cheeks as well. “You deserve this chance. I’m glad all these wonderful things are happening for you, but I’ll be counting the days until you come back. And hey, you never know. My dad’s been talking about heading down to visit that big insurance company in London, so maybe we’ll be able to meet up for drinks at a local pub.”

  “That would be so awesome,” Lainey whispered.

  “Now boarding flight three-forty-five to London.” The nasally voice cut off the elevator music that had been playing overhead. Lainey understood what it meant, but it was still so hard to let go.

  “Lainey.” Drew nudged her gently. “That’s us. We’ve really got to get going or we’ll miss our ride.”

  “Sorry.” Lainey wiped her nose on the crumpled tissue in her hand. “I’m coming.”

  With one last round of hugs, Lainey grabbed her bag, waved goodbye to her friends, and followed Drew to the boarding area. They spent the next few minutes going through metal detectors and having their carry on luggage scanned. Lainey was uncommonly nervous throughout their preparations. It wasn’t her first time flying, but she’d never left the country before; never had to worry about passports or crossing a whole ocean. It was all a little intimidating and made her want to cry all over again.

  Lainey still dabbed her tears as she and Drew found their seats on their plane. They were flying first class and the wide seats with comfortable neck rests were another first for Lainey. She didn’t turn it down when the stewardess offered her a bubbly glass of champagne. She needed it. Drew probably thought she was ridiculous, a grown woman bawling like a baby over an extended vacation, especially when the whole thing had been her idea. But, in all her life, she’d never been away from New Jersey for more than a week or so. It wasn’t easy leaving behind everything she knew to embark on a whole new life, even if she was in love with the man beside her.

  “Don’t worry,” Drew reassured her, tipping back his sunglasses. The simple disguise kept most people from realizing he was Andy Palmer, so he tended to stick with dark glasses and baseball caps in areas as public as the airport. “We’ll be back before you know it. But, I’ll tell you something, I’m going to miss the islands too. Cape May County grew on me more than I ever expected.”

  “What was it?” Lainey teased. “The beautiful blue ocean? The temperate climate? The color of the fall leaves?”

  “Those things are all wonderful,” Drew agreed. “But what really stole my heart was you. There’s no turning back when you fall in love with a Jersey girl.”

  Lainey smiled. The plane buckled under their feet as the captain’s voice came over the loud speaker, announcing they were ready for lift off. Lainey hardly noticed, all anxiety forgotten. She pressed her lips against Drew’s as the plane lifted into the sky, feeling her spirits soar right along with the aircraft. She knew she’d made the right decision coming with Drew. He was her soul mate. They belonged together. When Lainey finally lifted her head, she glanced out the window, and though her hometown drifted further away, Lainey’s new life had only just begun. For this Jersey girl, it was going to be pretty magical.

  Coming soon from Author Laura DeLuca

  In Perfect Harmony

  Jersey Girls, Book #2

  Ravi Dawes turned his 1963 Ford Econoline off the parkway onto the marshy road leading into Wildwood. It was Memorial Day weekend and the traffic had picked up a lot since his initial visit in March. In the early spring, the roads had been barren of life, but now the number of cars had increased along with the temperature. Already in late May, the forecaster predicted a high of eighty-five degrees. It must’ve sent city folks flocking to the coast because vehicles with Pennsylvania and New York tags formed a solid line all the way to the base of the bridge. It was easy to see how far they stretched from the high perch of his van. Some people scoffed at the lime-green paint job, and it was often dubbed the Mystery Machine, but Ravi had customized the interior to cart around all his music equipment. Since he recently put in a new engine, he’d be driving his baby for another two decades at least. Unfortunately, it didn’t come with a Great Dane or have the ability to sprout wings to help him bypass the horrible traffic.

  Ravi ran his hand down his face. “This is what I get for moving to a tourist town.”

  When a Metallica song came on the stereo, Ravi cranked up the volume all the way and bobbed his head along with the music. Singing the lyrics helped pass the time. In between verses, he checked the rearview mirror and saw an even longer line behind him. A bike buzzed by, flying past the cars and trucks idling on the road. Ravi could probably walk to his destination faster, and wished it was an option. Anything had to be better than sitting around doing nothing. He’d never dealt well with idle time. He always had to keep busy. When he didn’t, he thought too much and that was a dangerous pastime for him.

  Fighting back a yawn, Ravi rubbed his eyes. Their bright green color was the only trait he’d inherited from his American father. The rest of his features left little doubt about his Indian heritage. His jet-black hair was cut short, with a few strands in the front currently dyed crimson. His cocoa skin was a shade lighter than his mother’s. When he was a kid, his father liked to joke that he added the cream to the coffee. Ravi hadn’t understood that joke until he was in high school and by then his father was long gone.

  Wonder what the old man would think of me now.

  Most people admired Ravi’s exotic, but still all-American look. He was the perfect example of multi-cultural diversity, from his ability to rock a crowd on both guitar and sitar, to his devout Buddhist practices. He could also handle the drums and had a voice that made some girls swoon. Yet, he wasn’t sure any of that would’ve mattered to the decorated colonel he’d called dad. Since his father had died of a heart attack while he was stationed overseas during the Gulf War, Ravi had no way of knowing if his pop approved of his career path. Of course, there were a few other choices that definitely would’ve made his father shake his head.

  Beep. Beep.

  “What the...”

  This was exactly why he needed to stay busy. Ravi gripped his steering wheel tighter with one hand and toyed with his prayer beads with the other. The tiger’s eye stones gave him courage, and the security of their presence also calmed him down. They were the only reason he didn’t flip the bird to the guy behind him. What was the idiot beeping about anyway? Ravi might’ve gotten lost in his memories, but the car in front of him had only inched forward a few feet. There was a time not so long ago, before Ravi had returned to his spiritual path, that he would’ve gotten out of the car and started a fist fight for far less. But that was all in the past. Ravi was turning over a new leaf, starting life over in a new town, and putting his past behind him—the anger, the drinking, and even Elizabeth.

  Elizabeth.

  Thinking about her still hurt, even after all this time. It had been impossible to move on in his hometown, a place where every street corner held memories of the high school sweetheart he’d loved for more than a decade. That’s why he had to move. He hadn’t planned on leaving the suburbs of Pennsylvania for the Jersey shore, but when the perfect job opened up at a vocational school outside of Wildwood, New Jersey, it was difficult to turn away. Who didn’t like the idea of having summers off and the beach within driving distance?

  Despite the annoying backup, Ravi knew he’d made the right decision. He’d recently completed his last interview with the board, and now his spot as the new music teacher was secured. As soon as the current school year ended, he’d become an official resident of New Jersey. Now all he had to do was line up a few gigs for the summer and he’d be good to go. Since he already made the drive, he’d actually set up an interview with a local bar owner that night.

  “Finally!”

  Ravi shifted the gears on his old van when the truck in front of
him rolled forward. The cars picked up speed quickly once they began moving. The drawbridge must’ve been up. That was the only explanation. Now that he was able to go the speed limit, Ravi crossed the water onto the island of Wildwood in no time. It didn’t take long to pull up outside of the bar, a small establishment with a surf board and cartoon caricature of beach bums in a wood-paneled car on the side of the wall. Not far from the board was a sign that read, Woody’s.

  Ravi had already chatted with the owner a few times online, so he recognized Trevor right away when he swung through the doors. The bartender was busy serving drinks to one of his customers, so Ravi took a seat a few stools down to wait for him to finish. He hadn’t intended to eavesdrop on the conversation, but even with the combination of the radio playing and the flat screen TV broadcasting the most recent soccer game, it was hard not to hear them when they were in such close proximity.

  “So, Erin.” Trevor laid a trio of bottles in front of her. “Is Lainey still traipsing around Europe? When’s she coming back?”

  “Sometime in June, hopefully.” Erin sighed and Ravi enjoyed the way her voice chimed like notes of music, even though she sounded sad. “It’s the third time they’ve been delayed. Drew’s director is really tough. They’re both ready to come home.”

  Trevor gave a sympathetic nod. “Well, let Lainey know I miss her too. Karaoke night hasn’t been the same since she left. I’m actually thinking about hiring a singer for Friday nights. And speak of the devil, here he is.” Trevor gestured in Ravi’s direction. “Erin Conway, say hello to Ravi Dawes, Woody’s new one man band.”

  “A pleasure to meet you.” Ravi jumped down from the stool to extend his hand. He’d initially intended to shake, but at the last second, he kissed her fingers, surprising even himself with his boldness.

  Erin smiled, but her cheeks colored a delightful pink. “Nice to meet you too, Ravi. I’m sure we’ll be seeing quite a bit of each other if you’ll be here Friday nights. My friends and I are regulars.”

 

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