They walked outside and he dumped the contents of the bucket over his lawn. Her mind began to function properly again and she recalled the last time they had said goodbye. “Hey, Matthews, how did you know my middle name?”
He grinned. “You didn’t think I would Google you?”
Her face reddened as they reached her doorway. “You Googled me?”
“What? You didn’t Google me, Grace?”
“Why would I Google you?”
“Ouch.” He playfully placed his hand over his chest. “You’re breaking my heart, Gracie Lynn.”
Grace tried to pretend that Evan saying her name didn’t have an effect on her, but that was far from the truth. “All the dirt on you is in US Weekly, Matthews.” She opened her door and rested her tools on the hall tree then turned to grab the bucket from him, but he had already settled it near the entrance.
Evan stood watching her with a purposeful gaze. “Don’t believe everything you read, Grace.” He stayed put, but surprised her when he reached over and tugged on a strand of hair that hung out of her bun and pushed it behind her ear. “We’re having a Halloween cast party at Old School Bar and Grill. You and your friends are invited.”
“I’ll see what we’re up to.” Grace shuddered as his finger grazed the plane of her cheek. She moved away from him. “I can’t guarantee we’ll make it.”
“I’d really like you to go, Grace.” His voice was suave and she felt her insides clench at the thought of him whispering sweet things in her ear.
“Would it count as one of the dates?”
“No. That’ll be later.”
“I still don’t think the bet counts at all.”
“Stop trying to get out of it, pumpkin. I’m taking you out.” He winked as he began to leave. “See you later, Gracie.”
Was he trying to destroy her? After years of terrible dates and unsatisfactory men, Grace had given up hope of finding someone who would make her feel all these crazy sensations she had only ever written about in her books. The romanticisms she thought of as only fictional were beginning to stir within her like a vortex, and she was being pulled in. How would she fight against this man who was the essence of perfection? She had to stay strong, remember what was important, and not let herself get lost in a fantasy world she knew couldn’t exist with Mr. Hollywood.
A strong weight pressed on Grace’s chest. Her breathing was restricted, airflow cut off by gushes of water entering her lungs. The heaviness of her clothes towed her under as she attempted to tread her way to the surface. Something grabbed her ankle and pulled her further down. Looking above, a hand broke through the water and reached for her, but it was no use. The hand was too far away. She couldn’t breathe…
Grace sat up in bed, gasping for air. A sheen of sweat covered her and her heart pounded violently inside her chest. The nightmares were rare. For years they lay inactive, but ever since she started writing her memoir about Nathan they had emerged. The guilt monster would come roaring out, telling her it was all her fault. Years of therapy had trained her to recognize that it wasn’t something that could have been controlled. That she wasn’t to blame, no matter what her brain noise made her believe.
Grace reached for her phone and checked the time. She let her body fall back down on her pillow and tried to steady her breathing. Five in the morning was way too early to be awake, so she attempted to get a few more hours of rest before starting the day.
Later that day movie star Benjamin Taylor would be moving in across the street from her. She needed to make sure all the paperwork was taken care of and the place was properly organized for him. Evan’s co-star was tall, dark, and handsome, and on the verge of becoming the next Hollywood heartthrob. She wondered if he was as self-assured and cocky as Evan was.
It had almost been a week since she’d last seen him. Perhaps he’d met another girl who was easier to charm. Guys weren’t willing to be patient with her. At least in her experience. She tried to clear her thoughts of him as she tossed and turned in her bed. She grabbed her phone again and sighed. There was no way she was falling back asleep. Reluctantly, Grace got out of bed and changed into her workout clothes.
Grace hated that it was still dark outside when she left home, but the cold air felt great in her lungs as she rolled down the window of her car and drove over to the gym. She didn’t go as often as she should, but every now and then she liked to get a workout in. A nice go on the elliptical would clear her mind and her raging hormones from the effect of the hunk next door.
Within the hour, Grace was working up a sweat as she huffed and puffed on the treadmill. The gym was full of morning people who used all the elliptical machines, which was an unexpected and annoying revelation. She grumbled to herself as she picked up speed and let Bruno Mars blast in her ears.
She slowed after half an hour and grabbed her towel to wipe her forehead. Her peripheral vision caught a man walking toward her and she did a double take. Oh, Jesus, help me. Grace tugged her earbuds off and slowed her pace as Evan approached the machine and rested his sweaty forearm against it.
“Good morning, Gracie Lynn.” He stood before her with his damp hair hanging over his forehead and his white shirt clinging onto his chest. She could see every cord of his neck muscles as he steadied his breathing. “You stalking me?”
The length of his physique stood out—trim, well-defined, and unflawed. He was so confident and masculine. Even with sweat trickling down the side of his temples he looked absolutely delicious. It just wasn’t fair.
“You wish, Matthews.” She tried to force her mouth to remain straight as she reached for her bottled water and took a sip. “What are you doing at my gym?”
“Getting tortured for the sake of art.”
Her laugh couldn’t be held back as she stopped the treadmill and jumped off. She glanced over and saw Josh with a few other guys all pumping iron. “Well, you play your role very well.”
“So you’re saying I got a rocking bod?” His smile grew as he followed her. “Wait til you see me without my clothes.”
“God, that ego,” she teased. Grace noted several women looking in their direction. Some of them gaped, trying to get themselves under control. Others tried to give Evan seductive looks in hopes he would return them. He was hard to ignore. She wondered if any of these women would be brave enough to approach him.
He was probably used to being stared at and hit on all the time. It seemed like second nature to him. A pang of jealousy suddenly hit Grace and she tried to let the emotion pass as quickly as it had appeared. These feelings were beginning to creep on her, more so when she was around him.
“Don’t say you wouldn’t appreciate it,” Evan joked.
“Looks like blondie over there appreciates it.” Grace smirked, pushing her chin toward big boobs on the elliptical. The woman was basically eye-humping Evan the moment she had spotted him.
“You jealous, Gracie? I only got eyes for you, doll.”
“Sure you do, Matthews,” she chuckled as she reminded herself to take it to the friend zone. Stopping, she forced herself to look at Evan and caught him observing her carefully. Her skin prickled and she suddenly felt vulnerable. Heat surged between their bodies and she was aware of how close he was getting to her.
He leaned in toward her, hovering, the largeness of his body towering over her small frame. “I’m taking you to breakfast, Gracie.”
His smooth demand caressed her ears making her forget that friend zone thing. “O-okay,” she stammered, fighting for breath. “I-I-need to just…” She tried to move away from him as she pointed toward the ladies’ room. “Um…I need to shower.”
“Me too,” he chuckled. “Look, I’ll meet you at your place in twenty minutes.”
Grace nodded in compliance as she walked away completely at a loss of how she was going to stop herself from giving in to this gorgeous man.
Evan knocked on Grace’s door and tucked his hands inside his blue field jacket. He lowered his Red Sox cap and kept on his
aviators as the sun was beginning to peek out over the horizon. Texas skies were beautiful, and the weather, although a bit more humid than Los Angeles, was pleasant.
Grace stepped out and locked the door. Her hair was wet and bunched up in a clip and her porcelain skin was makeup free. She looked perfect—even in a sweatshirt, jeans, and those clunky UGGs girls loved wearing. “Magnolia Café?”
“I haven’t been.”
“It’s good. We’ll go there,” she announced and headed toward her car, then paused. Turning back to him she scrunched her nose. “Maybe we should take your car.”
The old, white Honda Accord was riddled with chipping paint and small dings from years of use. He laughed and took his keys out of his pocket leading her toward his rented Lexus. “Your car’s acting up?”
“The Freon leaks and I can’t use the AC. I’m constantly having to fill it.”
He opened the passenger door for Grace as he made his way to the driver’s side. “You need a Freon with sealant, so it closes any holes it might have in the hose. I can take a look at it and see what else it might need.”
“You know about cars?” The surprise in her voice didn’t pass him.
“I do. My Uncle Bill was a mechanic. On days when my mom needed a break, she’d send us kiddos over to her brother’s place. My sisters, Katie and Hilary, would spend the day playing makeup with my Aunt Sharon, and I’d spend it out in the garage restoring old cars.”
“You’re going to take a right on Congress.” Grace gave directions and seemed to relax as he began to talk more openly. “And your dad?”
“Dad and Mom divorced when I was in middle school. It was for the best, but my Mom was pretty heartbroken. She hasn’t dated or remarried. Instead she kept her focus on us. Dad married soon after the divorce and has three kids.”
“Wow. Are you close with them at all?”
“I see them on occasion, but he’s got his own life going on now. How about you?”
He sensed tension and hesitance in her voice. “My parents moved to California after I graduated high school. We’re not close.”
“No brothers or sisters?”
“I had a brother. He died when I was sixteen.”
“I’m so sorry, Grace.” He kept his eyes focused on her as they waited for the light to change. “It couldn’t have been easy dealing with that loss. I can’t imagine losing one of my sisters.”
She avoided looking at him. He wanted to dig in deeper, find out everything that happened, but he didn’t want to scare her off, so he stepped carefully. “What was his name?”
“Nathaniel. Nathan. November 7th is his birthday.”
“That’s right around the corner.”
“Yeah. He would’ve been thirty-four this year.”
“My age.”
She smiled nostalgically, but melancholy filled her eyes. She then looked over to Evan. “Light’s green.”
He snapped out of his trance and looked forward, a comfortable silence settling between them for the remainder of the drive. They arrived and Evan laughed when he saw the signage leading into the café. “Sorry, We’re Open?”
“Yeah,” Grace laughed. “They have it on their menu too. I personally like getting the Sorry, We’re Pancakes dish.”
“Keep Austin weird,” Evan muttered the city slogan as they walked in.
Luckily, the wait for a table wasn’t long. Evan fidgeted with anxiety, hoping nobody would interrupt their meal. His fame could sometimes be a hindrance and he wasn’t certain how Grace would handle the attention. At the gym, he was well aware of people staring, and Grace had caught on. He hoped it wouldn’t detract her from wanting to know him.
Their waitress greeted them with a friendly smile and set down silverware on a tabletop covered in an owl print. She had a short, pink pixie haircut and tattoos covering almost every inch of her body. Evan wondered if she would recognize him, and kept his head tucked down. After taking their coffee order, she leaned in. “Don’t worry, just keep your hat low. I’ll tell the hostess to be aware of who they seat around you.” She winked and smiled, turning to Grace, dynamically offering her the specials.
Evan was aware of the fact that she took care of Grace first and was grateful. Too many times the company he kept got pushed aside while he got the attention. It made him deeply aggravated when that happened, and hoped it wouldn’t ever be something Grace would have to put up with.
He began to unwind and noticed Grace gazing at him. The look in her eyes indicated she was definitely interested. He didn’t mind that at all. What he couldn’t figure out was why she was denying that lust and trying to push him away? He was a perceptive guy, could read almost anyone, but she was a bit more mysterious.
“So, what were you doing exercising at an ungodly hour today, Gracie?” he asked casually once the waitress was out of earshot.
She dumped what must have been twenty creamers into her coffee and about four packets of sugar and shrugged as she methodically stirred the piping hot beverage.
“I woke up and couldn’t go back to sleep,” she replied. “Figured I’d let off some steam.”
“Running away from nightmares?” She flinched and her eyes grew wide, leaving no doubt in Evan’s mind what the answer was. “Want to talk about it?”
She shook her head and took a sip of her coffee. “Just a lot on my mind.”
“Your deadline?” She nodded. “I read your stuff. I like it.”
A small upturn of her lips and the flush on her cheeks gave him the pleasure he was hoping for. “You read one of my books?”
“I did. I’m on your third book, and so far I’m really interested to find out if Lady Sarah Thompson ends up with Duke Nicholas Elliott. I think she should end up with bad boy Bow Street Runner Jack Shipper though.”
Grace laughed and he felt his stomach jump to his throat. To hear her laugh forever might probably be the best thing he could ask for. “Well, you’ll have to read the rest to find out.”
“Oh, I intend to, Gracie. I’m not much of a romance-genre type of reader, but my curiosity was piqued. I need the other books, and I already have I Married a Duke, which I think is the latest one, right?”
“Right. I’m almost done with the next one. Just going through some editing and re-writes.” She sipped on her coffee and added another sugar packet.
“What’s the title?”
“I’m deciding between The Duke’s Lust or Waiting on Lust.”
“Anything with the word lust in it is pretty much a winning title for me.” They both laughed as they then placed their food order.
He watched as she pressed her lips together. She seemed more comfortable when talking about her books, so he continued. “So, why historical romance?”
“I’ve always been interested in the past. I like the whole idea of the way things worked back then. The civility and the manners. For example, women and men were usually required to wear gloves. If you think about it, just the touch of a bare hand could be the most sensual, intimate thing. It was so polite in those days, there were rules for everything.”
“Now it’s just a big mess?” Evan smiled as he was getting more insight to the woman he was determined to know.
“Exactly.” Her face was lit up, and her passion was sparking something within him. God, he really liked that about her. “Nowadays nobody knows what to do. Even greeting someone is a bit awkward. Do you hug? Do you shake hands?”
“I say you and I French kiss when we greet. Mandatory rule.”
Grace rolled her eyes, but it hadn’t stopped her from smiling. “I mean, social media has ruined everything. Nobody talks to each other in person, instead they stare down at their phones. People don’t even court anymore.”
“Sorry to point this out, Gracie, but nobody’s courted in a very long time. I think that went out of style in the 70s.” Once again, they both were laughing.
He watched the way her skin blushed as she spoke. “You know what I mean. Dating is just a different ball game now. Everyone
texts, nobody talks. It’s amazing you and I even became friends.”
Friends. So, she was trying to friend-zone him. If she wanted to be courted, he could deal, but there was no way he was staying in the friend zone. “So what’s your favorite era?”
She hummed a moment in thought. “Too many to choose from. But I just love the 1940s. The music, the hairstyles and fashion.”
At that moment, two girls came over and fumbled asking Evan for his autograph. For once he had been so caught up in talking that he had forgotten his life, the life where he was constantly trying to hide. Embarrassment rushed through him and he hoped nobody else saw the girls making a ruckus as they squealed about what big fans they were.
He was grateful to them, and loved what he did, but he wondered about the woman with him and how she would react. He smiled politely, signed a few papers and looked over to Grace who seemed entertained through the whole encounter. He was even more shocked when she spoke. “You girls want a photo with him?”
They excitedly handed their phones over to Grace who got out of her booth to take several shots and angles on each phone. She even had the audacity to tell Evan to smile more and attempted to make them all laugh. She had definitely succeeded too. The girls thanked the both of them and left.
The waitress returned with their meals and apologized profusely, but at that point it didn’t matter. Grace had made it all okay, and nobody else seemed to be remotely interested in the commotion that just took place. He stayed still for a moment as he watched Grace dig into her pancakes. She ate vigorously and then glanced up at him. “Aren’t you hungry?”
“Yeah,” he prepped his eggs and potatoes with salt. He promised Josh he’d be semi-good.
“You don’t like the fame stuff, do you?”
“Not always.” He chewed his food and watched her nod; however, he wasn’t sure she understood his reasoning. “I know what you’re going to say. You’re an actor, and you asked for it. You accepted the part, you made your bed, now you gotta lay in it.”
“I wasn’t even thinking that.” Grace cut a half a piece of one of her pancakes and placed it on Evan’s plate. “Here, you have to eat this. It’s too good not to.” She picked up the syrup and poured it on top for him. “I won’t tell Josh, I promise.”
A Promise Kept Page 5