When Dreams Come True (The Star Series Book 1)

by Stratton, M.

“We sure do.” He bumped shoulders with Ellen. “I think we could still get away with it, right, Liz?”

  “Completely.”

  “Well, hello there, Martinssons!” Royce’s voice boomed from the top of the stairs. “Why didn’t someone tell me we were having a party? I would have put my hat on. Come in, already; you don’t all have to stand in the doorway! Lizzie and Ellen, my two lovely ladies, did you have to bring your husbands? How am I supposed to charm you?” He laughed as they shook their heads and him and turned to yell back up the stairs. “Hannah, baby! Shake a leg, we’ve got company! Don’t leave Lissa and me to be the only Americans in this lot of British people.” He bounded down the stairs and stood next to Lissa.

  Lissa backed up and hung onto the rear of Will’s pants as everyone passed by. The kids seemed to love their Uncle Will and had to stop to get hugs and kisses on their way by. She knew she had no poker face, but she hoped she was at least fooling them a little bit and no one knew how scared she actually was. She looked up the stairs to where Hannah was walking down. Well, there’s one who knows exactly how freaked out I am.

  “It’ll be okay.” Will leaned over and whispered in her ear. “They won’t bite. Just relax; they’ll love you just as much as I do.”

  She should have known Will would have realized her anxiety; sometimes it surprised her that someone else besides Hannah knew her so well.

  “Will, why don’t you go make sure your family gets to where they need to be. I’ll take care of Lissa and Hannah.” Royce waved Will off then turned to Lissa. “Just let me know now if you’re going to be on the roof again tonight so I can make sure I’m dressed appropriately.”

  Lissa shook her head. “Too many people here now; I won’t leave Will.” Lissa wasn’t used to so many people worrying about her, or knowing her so well, or demanding she take help from them. Once Hannah joined them, they walked into the kitchen where Will’s mom was already opening cabinets and pulling food out.

  It seemed like everyone was talking at the same time about a dozen different topics. There was a lot of laughter and smiles. Royce made everyone feel at home, going around from group to group making conversation. Lissa knew Hannah would have been doing the same thing but she was sticking close to her. If she hadn’t, Lissa would have found some excuse or some way to sneak out. As it was, she stood as far away from the hustle and bustle as she could.

  She tried not to stare but they were all so beautiful and seemed so intelligent, based on what she could overhear. Lissa was sure they’d all think she was a stupid American. Will came over with two glasses of wine and handed her and Hannah each one. It was all Lissa could do not to chug it all down at once, hoping for some liquid courage.

  “Darling, come meet the family.” He leaned in and kissed her cheek, whispering, “Don’t worry. I’ll be with you every step of the way.”

  Lissa closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She knew he would be, because she knew the man he was and his family were the ones who had helped shape him. She loved him and he loved her; with him by her side, she could do this. She’d lean on him, depend on him, and ask him for help.

  She slid her hand into his, squeezing gently while looking into his eyes as she said, “I’m really nervous, and I don’t want to make a fool out of myself. Can you help me?”

  His famous grin spread across his face. “I’m always here for you, darling. I won’t let you fall.”

  Lissa placed her hand over her stomach as they sat in the front row, waiting for the show to begin. She’d always loved going to the theater; there was usually an electricity in the air, like something magical was going to happen. She had Hannah on one side of her and Royce on the other. After the past twenty-four hours with Will’s family around, she was happy to be surrounded by something familiar. She liked his family, even if she was shy and nervous around them. She wanted to make a good impression on them, and Will had helped a lot the day before. However, she didn’t want to be alone with them, still afraid she was going to make a fool of herself.

  When the lights dimmed and the curtains opened, she forgot to breathe. There he was, standing—no, commanding—the stage. He wasn’t saying a word, yet everyone in the theater was focused directly on him, waiting for his mouth to open and captivate them.

  He strode across the stage, his long, powerful legs easily traveling from one side to the other, his passion coming through with every step. When he opened his lips and spoke, Lissa released the breath she was holding in a sigh. The deep richness of his voice lent perfectly to the prose.

  Hannah leaned over to whisper in her ear. “See, ear porn.”

  “Yeah, and I get to hear it every night.”

  “Bitch,” Hannah replied.

  The next two hours went quickly and she stood with the rest of the audience, clapping for his performance. They had planned ahead of time to meet up at the cast party after the show. His parents were going back to the rental to watch the children so the rest of the adults could have a night out together.

  Once again Lissa tried to blend into the background, but Will and his family wouldn’t allow it. If he couldn’t be by her side then one or both of his sisters and their husbands would be. It was a strange feeling having not only Hannah and Royce there for her, but suddenly four more people who seemed to understand that while they might be outgoing, she was shy and more than happy to stand in the shadows.

  A few cast and crew members who had read her books came up to her. It felt odd signing autographs for them. She knew the numbers, so she knew people read her books, but to have people come up to her, and it not be at an author signing was out of the ordinary, let alone stars of the London stage.

  When the music started playing, Will came over and all her fears were put aside. On the dance floor, she’d lose herself in the music and him. Moving together, the world disappeared and their bodies stirred in the promise of what was to come.

  Lissa woke to a soft knocking on the door. Stretching, she was surprised not only that Will was still there but that it was also daylight. It was the first night she’d slept through without waking. Wanting to make sure he stayed sleeping, she quickly got out of bed and opened the door to see Hannah on the other side.

  “What’s up?” she whispered.

  “Conference call. Christine and Angelica are both on the phone.”

  “Shit, why?”

  “Melissa Loring, I can hear you. You get on this phone right now.” Christine’s voice came through the phone, sounding slightly more irritated than usual.

  “Hold on,” Lissa whispered and quickly ducked back inside the room to grab her slippers and robe before heading back out. She led Hannah to the roof, hoping no one else would be up there. They were lucky; it was empty.

  Hannah put the call on speaker. “Okay, we’re both here. Now, what’s up?”

  “What’s up? Like you need to ask? Why do I even bother, boo?” Christine sighed on the other end of the phone. “I thought after last time, when you were in L.A., we’d cleared everything up. Then there was Paris, and I understand why you couldn’t say anything right away, but still, there was a delay.”

  “What’s going on?” Lissa frowned at Hannah who shrugged.

  “I take it you haven’t been online this morning?” Angelica queried.

  “No, Hannah just woke me up.” Lissa looked up at Hannah who was blushing. “Hannah?”

  “Umm… no, I hadn’t looked at anything online yet.” Hannah wouldn’t look Lissa in the eye.

  “Pictures of you and Will are all over the place. Again,” Christine informed them.

  “Really, it shouldn’t be that big of a deal anymore. After everything that happened in Paris, it’s pretty clear we’re together.”

  “Yes, but think about it,” Angelica stated. “You are a new couple, so people want to know more information about the two of you. Then you add in the fact you’ve been shacking up together in London for over a week now—”

  “Oh, come on.
He’s doing a show here. We’ll be gone next weekend.”

  “Yes,” Angelica continued, “and he’s starring in a movie based on a book you wrote. Then you add in the fact you have now met his family. Everyone knows how important his family is to him.”

  “None of us knew they were going to be here until they rang the doorbell,” Hannah butted in.

  “Oh, and let’s talk about you, young lady,” Christine exclaimed. “You want to fill us in?”

  “Fill us in about what, Hannah?” Lissa asked.

  “It’s nothing, really.”

  Lissa stared at Hannah who was looking anywhere but into her eyes. “What happened last night?”

  “Based on the photos which are being shown, she ended up pretty cozy with a certain movie star who’s been traveling with you guys,” Christine said.

  “Royce?” Lissa frowned, trying to remember. “Last night?”

  “It sure looked like Royce,” Angelica chimed in. “They were very cozy.”

  Hannah moved from one foot to the other, not saying anything.

  “Do what you have to do,” Lissa started. “Consider Hannah a new client, Christine.” Hannah’s head whipped up and she finally looked Lissa in the eye. “As of right now, our stance is they are friends. Don’t confirm or deny anything. What else?”

  “Just wondering if any of the schedule for the next week has changed any.”

  “Not that I know of.” When Hannah nodded, confirming that fact, Lissa continued. “Yeah, everything’s the same. If I know of any changes, one of us will let you know. Now both of you get some sleep; it’s the middle of the night for you guys.”

  “Someone wanted to call you hours ago. You can thank me next time I see you,” Angelica teased.

  “You’re my hero. Good-bye, ladies.” Lissa disconnected the call and blocked Hannah from moving past her toward the door. “Not so fast, Bucky. Spill.”

  “There’s nothing to spill.” Hannah still wouldn’t look at Lissa and tried to walk around her.

  “Bullshit. We can do this now, or on the plane where you can’t run.”

  Hannah sighed. “Fine, what do you want to know?”

  Lissa rolled her eyes. “Gee, I don’t know, how are you liking London? What was your favorite part? How cold have you been?”

  “Yes, I’m liking London. Ear porn. Freezing.”

  “Hannah Beatrice Mills…”

  “Fine… we did it.”

  “No! Royce? You? Really? How? When?”

  “Is that all you can come up with?” Hannah asked. “Aren’t you an author or something?”

  Lissa gently shoved her shoulder. “Shut up. Are you okay?” That was really all Lissa was worried about. She wanted to make sure her friend was fine.

  “Yes, I’m good. Listen, Lissa, we’ve stayed in contact since L.A. We’ve become friends, and nothing is going to change that. You know me, and you know my past. While I might want the hearts and flowers, the happily ever after, I know it’s not in the cards for me.” She started pacing around the roof. “Lis, I trust him, and I care for him. I don’t know what he’s battling, but whatever it is, we both are in the same boat. We both want the same thing: no commitments.”

  “If you’re both in the same boat…”

  Hannah shook her head. “Not that boat. The boat of no illusions. We were both clear on where we’re headed: no surprises, no strings.”

  Lissa looked at her friend; she only wanted the best for her. Knowing how far Hannah had come in overcoming her past, she didn’t want to see her hurt again. “If he hurts you, I’ll kill him.”

  Hannah gave her a small smile. “Don’t you know? You have to open your heart to begin with in order for it to be hurt. Mine’s been closed for years; there’s no way to open it now.”

  Lissa had wanted Will to go on ahead to the SUV waiting for them when they landed at O’Hare, but he wouldn’t hear of it. Instead, they walked hand in hand through the airport as people yelled his name and asked questions, with camera flashes continuously going off in front of them. There was one point where a young lady tried taking a picture with him while they were walking. Unfortunately, Lissa also happened to be on the same side and the girl ran into her. It was the only time she’d ever seen Will short-tempered with a fan.

  The ride from O’Hare to Lake Forest was short considering the traffic, and soon enough they were settled in. The first thing Lissa did was open all the windows. Having grown up in the desert she loved the water, and being able to see and smell the lake was wonderful.

  Beau was on one of the lower levels and Hannah was off walking on the beach. While she told Lissa Royce wasn’t going to be able to hurt her, somehow she thought he might have already worked his way into her heart, even just a little bit. Hannah seemed a bit sad after they had to say good-bye at the airport.

  Kicking back in a double lounge cuddled next to Will, Lissa relaxed and let her skin soak up the warm sunshine, trying not to obsess that they were going to start filming her movie soon. She’d caught Will a few times going over lines and every time it gave her the chills, hearing him say the words she had written.

  “Stop,” Will mumbled.

  “Stop what?”

  “You know.”

  Lissa sighed. “But what if it’s a bomb? What if everyone thinks it sucks ass?”

  “Darling, it’s not going to, as you so eloquently put it, suck arse. I’ve told you; you’re bloody brilliant, and it’s time you start thinking that way.”

  “Yes, dear.”

  “Don’t you ‘yes, dear’ me. Do you honestly think if it sucked I would have sought you out? And don’t just take my word for it. Have you looked at the cast list?”

  “No.”

  Will sat up. “What the hell do you mean you haven’t looked at it? Have you not read any of the articles about the movie?”

  “No, I’ve stayed away from it all. I try not to read anything about me, remember? I’m the hyper-sensitive one.”

  “You’re making me crazy.” He placed both his hands on either side of her face, forcing her to look at him. “I wish you could see yourself as I see you.”

  “So do I,” she whispered.

  “Then why can’t you?”

  Lissa shrugged. “I don’t know. I mean, I know my books are good, because they’re my stories. I wrote them, so of course I like them. I know not everyone else is going to like them, and in fact, some of them have very strong opinions on what I did wrong and should have done differently, but then it wouldn’t have been my story. I’m always afraid they aren’t good enough. Maybe I don’t understand what’s so special about me. I’m such a dork and can’t for the life of me fathom someone actually wants to meet me, or read my books and enjoyed them. I never expected to sell as many books as I have. I’m so lucky I’m able to do what I love, and I guess I feel guilty wanting more.” She threw her hands up in the air. “I’m not making any sense.”

  “No, I get it, but you’re going to have to deal with it. Instead of thinking of all the bad things that could happen, think of the good.”

  “But then the disappointment hurts too much. I’d rather be surprised by things going better than I expected.”

  “Maybe things would be even better if you’d start dreaming those good dreams for a change.”

  “Don’t you know almost all of my dreams have come true? What else is there?” she whispered.

  Before Lissa knew it, they were ready to start filming. Part of her was excited as they were driven to the set, but the other part was scared someone was going to come rushing in and pull the plug before a scene was even shot.

  When they pulled up to the area they were going to use to film for the next week, Lissa’s breath caught. It looked so much like what she’d envisioned while writing. While Will went to have his hair and makeup done, Lissa walked around the building which they had converted to a bookstore. As she glanced around her story ran through her head, knowing which scenes were goi
ng to take place in which nooks.

  She raised a shaking hand to caress the books stacked on the counter by the cash register. They were hers. Her books were going to be in the movie about one of her books. A strange-sounding hiccup came out of her; she didn’t know if she was going to laugh, cry or throw up. Shaking her head, she turned around and looked out the front window, seeing Will dressed as his character. She could tell he was already transforming into the psychopath; the way he moved was different.

  Their eyes locked through the window, his full of power and hers cycling through emotion after emotion. With a few powerful strides, he was in the bookstore and at her side. Grabbing her upper arms he lifted her up, their eyes level.

  “Live your dream, damnit. Live it,” he growled at her. “Don’t you dare run scared. You’re stronger than that, so live it.”

  Her mind whirled as she blinked at him, not saying a word. She knew exactly what he meant. Her books were good enough, the movie was going to be great, and she should enjoy each and every moment and not dwell on the self-doubt or worry about what was going to go wrong. Closing her eyes, she tried to focus on him and a calm came over her. She could do this.

  A small smile started at her lips, and before she could open her eyes his lips were there, feeding her happiness. She wrapped her legs around his waist and his hands moved to hold her ass as the kiss deepened. Ending their passionate embrace, she threw her head back and laughed. There she was in a replica of the bookstore she’d created in a story, madly kissing the psycho character and loving every minute of it.

  Grabbing his face with both hands, she quickly kissed him. “I love you. My God, I love you!”

  Laughing he spun her around. “Music to my ears.”

  Will was called outside to film his scene, and she went where she was told so she’d be out of the way, and watched. She’d tried very hard not to listen to him rehearsing his lines, so it was the first time she heard the scene from him, her words coming out of his mouth. It was like magic watching Will and the other actors work, and everything unfolded in front of her just like it had in her mind while she’d been writing. She didn’t even mind all the stops, starts and retakes.