“You’re fired, Marcus.”
“Really? Are you sure you want to do that? I’ve been doing some checking on your little Merry Sunshine. Did you know she cashed the check I sent to her publisher?”
Reece’s eyes shot toward Nicole. “So? She never said a word to anyone about our time together.”
“I know that, but did you know what she did with the money? She bought a house in England, a cute little cottage by the sea. The very one that sits on the edge of our parent’s property.”
Nicole mouthed a question to him, but he turned his back on her. “I don’t believe it.”
“I’ve got the bill of sale to prove it.” Marcus’ tone took on a bit of smugness. “So you see, brother, you either come with me or I make public how your sweet little puss extorted a house from you.” The line went dead.
Nicole was at his side the moment he lowered his arm. “Colin, what’s wrong? What did Marcus do now?”
He pressed a button, turning the phone off. “He didn’t do anything except make a few things clear to me. He’ll be here shortly. I need to get my stuff gathered up.”
She was confused. “I don’t understand.” Why was he shutting her out?
He glanced over his shoulder. “I don’t think we should see each other anymore. I won’t be available. I’ll be on location for the movie and . . .” He walked away.
She sat down. “Okay, but I still don’t understand what’s going on. I thought we . . .”
He turned, blasting her with his fury. “Did you buy the cottage, Nicole?”
The blood drained from her face. So, the cat was out of the bag. “I can explain.”
Reece couldn’t believe Marcus was right. He shook his head. “I’m not asking for an explanation. Did you buy it or not?
“Ye-Yes,” she stammered, “but . . .”
“You knew I wanted the cottage. It’s special to me.”
“It holds a special meaning for me too.”
He snorted, stalking across the room to the front window. “Yeah, you spent all of five hours there, Nicole.”
True, but they were five of the most incredible hours of my life. Her chin wobbled, but she refused to cry. If he wanted to believe the worst of her, so be it.
“Why don’t you write my family to make an offer on the ruins too,” he shot at her over his shoulder.
Her eyes narrowed on that broad back. “I could, but one run-down heap of stone is enough money wasted.” She stomped toward the kitchen for a cup of coffee.
She heard the doorbell ring, and then she heard Reece’s voice as he answered. Was Marcus a warlock? How did he get here so fast?
The brothers stood in the living room talking. She swore she wasn’t going to be a party to eavesdropping again.
“Hey, Reece,” she called, “I’m leaving so you and the slime-ball can gather your things and go.”
It was quiet on the other side of the door. She walked out onto the deck, leaving the beach house and the man she loved behind. It was getting to be a habit.
~ ~ ~
Reece collected his clothes from the bedroom, returning to the living room when he noticed his brother scooping a stack of pages into a folder. He assumed it was the movie script.
“Here’s the last of my things. Let’s go.” He didn’t check for Nicole. From the bedroom window, he’d seen her standing at the water’s edge, her stance forlorn.
He shook his head. He thought he knew her, but she’d turned out to be like the rest of them. She wanted something from him, making sure she got it, by the most erotic means necessary.
“Have you finally had your fill?” Marcus asked.
Not nearly enough, but he’d never tell his brother so.
~ ~ ~
Nicole turned back to the house as the car pulled away. He was gone. She wouldn’t be seeing him again. Ever. He wanted to believe she’d steal his dream from him. The opposite was true. As soon as she received the deed to the cottage, she signed it over to him. Even as angry as she had been, she wanted him to have that little piece of Heaven. It was important to him, making it important to her as well.
Tugger barreled up to her as she entered the kitchen. “What’s new with you, Tugger-roo? Did you bite the nasty man? Did you?” She patted his head. “I wish you had. I’d like to take a chunk out of that slimy bastard.”
The house phone rang. She reached for it. “Hello?”
There was a pause on the line. “I’m sorry,” he said.
She stiffened. “Sorry for what? Sorry for being with me or sorry for not believing in me?”
“Nicole, I . . .”
“Have a nice life, Mr. Collins. Thanks for the fantasy.” She hung up before he could say more. She stared at the phone—the image blurring.
She inhaled deeply, swiping at her eyes. She wasn’t going to cry over him again. She may have been mistaken the first time around, but she was not this time. His actions were dead wrong. She wasn’t going to suffer for them.
When he finally discovered the truth, he might feel ashamed, coming back and begging for forgiveness, but she remembered the old saying about being foolish. She didn’t plan to be a fool for him any longer.
When the phone rang again, she turned off the ringer, disconnecting the line. She wanted no more distracting phone calls from ‘Mr. Hollywood’ and his smarmy sidekick.
She walked toward the desk, determined to get more writing done, but she took one look at the computer and turned away. She didn’t feel the pull for storytelling right now, moving toward the stairs. As she entered her room, she flopped across the bed, dragging a pillow toward her. It carried the scent of his cologne. She closed her eyes, tears leaking from beneath her lowered lids.
Okay, I’ll have this one good cry and get it out of my system. Then I’ll be done with him once and for all.
She cried herself to sleep that night, sleeping through most of the next day. When she woke, she didn’t feel any better, but she knew there were things she had to do. She walked and fed Tugger, and then climbed back into bed. She heard somewhere that sleep was the best remedy for a broken heart. She needed a lot of therapy.
~ ~ ~
Reece paced the confines of his hotel room, wishing he were anywhere but here. He was going crazy, worrying about Nicole. After she’d hung up on him the first time, he called back, but the line was disconnected. She was purposely avoiding him. He didn’t like it. Why was she acting like she was the wronged party? They both knew she was guilty. She admitted she bought the cottage. Why didn’t she tell him? What was she hiding?
“Come away from the window, Reece. We need to discuss the script.”
He crossed his arms. “I told you I’m not doing another spy movie. I’m sick of being pigeonholed into one type of role. Find me something else or announce my retirement from film. I’ll go home and perform on the London stage. I was happy there, portraying characters with substance.”
“You were also as poor as a church mouse.”
He glanced over his shoulder at his brother. “Money isn’t everything, Marcus.”
“Says the man who is rolling in it for the roles he disparages.”
He turned back to the window. “I’m not saying I’m not grateful for my big break, Marcus. I’m thankful every day for that first part, but I’ve grown as an actor. I want to try something new. Perhaps the role will flop, but at least I can say I tried.”
Marcus threw his pen down. “That little hussy did quite a number on you, didn’t she? She must be fantastic in the sack.”
“Don’t talk about her like she’s a whore, Marcus. Nicole is the best thing to happen to me in a very long time. I’ve been discontent with my career for a while now, but you’ve been too busy collecting your percentage to notice.”
“So this is my f
ault? Admit it, Reece. You haven’t been the same since that little tramp landed in your lap.”
Reece gritted his teeth. Marcus would not let up on the name calling. “I’m not telling you again, Marcus. Speak of Nicole with respect or else.”
“Or else what, Reece? Are you going to fire me?”
“I may. You have no idea what that girl means to me. You don’t want to know. You’ve never taken the time to pay attention to what’s really going on in my life. You’re completely satisfied as long as I do what you want, act in the roles you want, and appear with who you want.”
“Of course I am. I helped build your career, Reece. I’m not going to watch you throw it away on some little . . .” That was as far as he got. Reece’s fist plowed into his jaw, sending him barreling backward over the couch.
Marcus sat up, wiping blood from the corner of his mouth, rotating his jaw to make sure it wasn’t broken. “Are you insane?”
Reece smiled. “No, I’m not. That felt bloody wonderful. I’ll have to take this stance with you more often.”
Marcus climbed to his feet, staring at his brother. “You’ve never struck me before.”
“I never felt I had the need to, but lately, well, I’ve been itching to do that for quite some time.”
“Mother is going to be furious.”
Reece snorted. “Go ahead. Tattle to Mum and Dad. The last I checked I was a grown adult. I don’t live for parental approval anymore.”
Marcus grabbed his things, heading toward the door. “I’m going to leave you alone until you calm down.”
“Do you think this problem between us is going to go away in a few hours, Marcus?”
“No, I’m going to my room. I’ll make some calls. Perhaps I can negotiate some other types of roles for you.”
“That would be appreciated.”
“In the meantime, read over that script. You can’t back out of it.”
“Do what you can for me, and I’ll do what you ask.”
Marcus nodded, spying his reflection in the hall mirror as he passed. There was a bruise coming up on his cheek. He shook his head, walking out the door.
Reece turned back to the window, staring at the skyline. “That one was for you, Nicole.”
~ ~ ~
Nicole was working in the back office at her father’s hardware store, going over the inventory lists. She was helping while her brother was out of town. Thad had taken his family to Baltimore to visit his wife’s parents and would be gone another three days.
She was counting their supply of wire ties when her dad entered the room. He fiddled around on the desk, searching for an invoice. When he finally located it, he turned toward her.
“How are you doing, Coley?”
She stopped counting, marking the tally in her ledger. “I’m okay. Why do you ask?” She knew the family was worried about her. She’d been close-mouthed about her sojourn at the beach.
“You’ve been awful quiet since you came home from the Isle. Did things not go well?”
She dropped the clipboard on a shelf, facing him completely. “I think things went as well as expected. He came, he conquered, he accused, and he left—in that order.”
Nicholas sucked air through his teeth. “What happened exactly?”
“Daddy, I’m not going to fill you in on all the horny details.”
He closed his eyes. “I don’t want to hear about your sex life, Nicole. Did you talk to the man to work out your misunderstandings?”
She nodded, contemplating the floorboards. “Yes. Things were good until his brother called and told him about my little investment.”
He winced. “I take it he now knows about the cottage?”
Her lips pursed. “He knows I own it. That’s all he wants to know. He didn’t let me explain. He just assumed the worst of me.”
“So what happened?”
“I told him to get out. He went. I haven’t talked to him since.”
Nicholas studied her. “You look tired. Have you been sleeping?”
Her shoulders drooped. “It seems all I do is sleep. As soon as I leave here, I’m going home to bed. I must be coming down with something.” She laid her hand against her forehead.
“You’re not sick. You’re depressed, Coley. Have you been writing?” She shook her head. “You’re definitely depressed.”
“I can’t seem to find the drive to open my computer.” She picked the clipboard up.
“Why not?”
“I don’t want to write anymore. I’m not any good at it. You were right; it’s not very lucrative.”
Her father stood with his hands on his hips. “Do I need to remind you that you have two books in the top ten of the New York Times bestsellers lists, with another title climbing steadily? That alone says you’re pretty damn talented.”
Her head lifted, surprise on her face. “How do you know that?”
“Who do you think was the first person in the Books-A-Million on the day of your release? I waited outside for an hour. I bought every copy they had in stock. I sent one to your high school guidance counselor and one to your grandmother. I kept the other for myself.” He chuckled. “I read it too.”
She was amazed at the confession. “What did you think of it?”
He took her hand. “I’m glad you didn’t listen when I told you to find a more realistic occupation. I wanted you to do something worthwhile with your life. You have, Coley. Your books are wonderful. In just three hundred pages, you take a person to another world, helping them forget their problems for a while. I didn’t want to put that book down. Your mother scolded me for keeping her awake the night I stayed up to finish it.” He looked away and back again, his expression full of remorse. “I’m sorry I tried to crush your dreams.”
Nicole hugged him hard. “You didn’t, Daddy. I’m too much like you to give up on something I wanted, no matter how well intended the advice.”
He crossed his arms. “Did you know I wanted to be an artist when I grew up? I have folios full of sketches, paintings, and watercolor drawings, with a few odd sculptures hidden in the attic.”
She didn’t know this about him. “Why didn’t you pursue it?”
“My will wasn’t as strong as yours. I crumbled under that well intended advice.”
She frowned. “I’m sorry, Daddy.”
He chuckled. “Don’t be. I wasn’t very good at it anyway. But you, Coley, have an amazing gift. You shouldn’t waste it. Besides, I created my greatest masterpieces with your mother.”
“You did?”
His head tilted to the side, as if the answer should be obvious. “My children are my finest works of art.”
Her eyes filled with tears. “You have no idea how much this means to me—to know you’ve always believed in my dreams.”
“I still have the first story you wrote in the third grade.”
Her eyes widened. “You kept the awful story about the cow and the frog?”
He smiled. “That’s the one. Thankfully, your story telling abilities have improved with time.”
She laughed. “It was a horrible story. Why did you keep it?”
“I kept it because you wrote it. Maybe I’ll have you autograph it for me.”
“I’d love to.”
He moved back to the desk, collecting the invoice. “You know, Coley, you shouldn’t give up on anything you want in this life. Or anyone for that matter. If Reece Collins is the man for you, fight for him.”
She shook her head. “He’s not the man for me.”
“How do you know? You keep fighting the inevitability of it.”
“What inevitability?”
“Nicole, you’re like a moth to a flame whenever you hear his voice. He’s your sun, always pulling you into his orbit.”
Her lips twisted. “I don’t belong in his orbit.”
“Who says? I bet he puts his pants on the same way every man in the world does, scratches himself when he thinks no one’s looking, and pees in the shower. He’s not so special, Nicole. He’s not God. Don’t put him on a pedestal. You belong in his world as much as he belongs in yours.”
“Daddy, our worlds are in two different solar systems.”
“My advice to you: be an asteroid.”
She was quiet as she absorbed his words. “I’ll think about it.”
“Good. Now pick up your pen and write some more. I want to know what happens to the Count.”
She laughed. “I will. Thank you, Daddy.”
“Anytime, baby, anytime.” He left the office, returning to the customers out front.
~ ~ ~
Nicole sat at the desk in her room, staring at her laptop. She’d been feeling blank for a while, wondering if she was all dried up? What if the spark was gone? What if the writing well had run dry?
She tapped the pen against the page of her notebook, unsure where to begin. She leaned forward, studying her collage frame. It was covered with snapshots of her and Reece at the beach. There were shots of him wrestling with Tugger and of her and Tugger chasing seagulls and then getting dive-bombed. Reece had snapped a shot of her feeding the gulls and another of the birds following her like pets. There was a shot of him digging in the sand to find hermit crabs. There were so many fun memories captured on film.
Then there were the quiet shots. There were selfies of them snuggling under a blanket as they watched the sunrise, a shot of her as she stared out at the waves, and a shot of him as he studied her with a look of adoration. Those were the moments she missed the most.
She didn’t want him because he was great in bed, although that was a factor. She didn’t like him because he was a movie star. She was over that.
She missed him because he was the one guy who saw the real her, warts and all, and still liked what he saw. She didn’t have to pretend with him. There was no façade. What he saw, was what he got, and vice-versa. He was Colin, her best friend and lover. Wasn’t that the way it was supposed to be?
An Accidental Love Affair Page 16