The Fan

by Velvet Vaughn

  Thanks to her good friend Mrs. Edison, the house she rented resided in a quiet, heavily-treed neighborhood. Her house and the one next door were at the end of a cul-de-sac and pretty much secluded from other neighbors by trees and distance. A creek ran through the back and wildlife thrived in the woods behind the houses. It was perfect. She'd wanted anonymity and Mrs. Edison came through. The house was not rented to Juliet LaRue, but to Jade LaRossa.

  Mrs. Edison was the one person she could always turn to, the person she considered responsible for her success in Hollywood. Jade loved her like a surrogate mother. Oh, she loved her parents dearly but she'd been an unexpected surprise. Her mom and dad thought they couldn’t have children, only to find out in their mid-forties she was on the way. They spoiled her and pampered her and made sure she never wanted for anything but as she grew, she wanted her parents to enjoy their retirement and insisted she pay her own college expenses.

  She'd been struggling to keep up grades, hold down a job and pursue her dream of acting when she met Mrs. Edison her sophomore year. A fixture in the Bloomington charitable scene, Mrs. Edison attended one of Jade’s plays and sought her out after the show. She raved about her performance, they struck up a conversation and a lasting friendship developed.

  Jade could never repay Mrs. Edison for all she'd done. The woman insisted on financing Jade’s education so she could concentrate on studies and acting. Jade had staunchly refused but Mrs. Edison insisted. She had more money than she knew what to do with, she told her. Her only family consisted of two stubborn nephews who insisted on earning their keep. They wouldn’t let her spoil them and she needed to spoil someone. Jade finally gave in with the stipulation that she would pay Mrs. Edison back some day. The kind lady even financed her move to Hollywood. It had taken a few years but she did pay her back. Every penny with interest. The older woman tried to refuse repayment but it was Jade’s turn to insist. She later learned the money had been used to help fund a cancer unit for children for the local hospital and Jade felt supremely lucky to have met the wonderful woman.

  When Jade’s marriage fell apart, she turned to someone she could trust, Mrs. Edison, and fled to the only place that ever felt like home, Bloomington, Indiana. She spent four glorious years in Bloomington while a student at Indiana University. She loved the quaint town and it was exactly the kind of place she would want to raise kids, if she had them.

  After the trauma of her marriage, she decided never to remarry and sadly, her dreams of children were dashed, too. Oh, she could adopt like Angelina Jolie or have one on her own like Jodie Foster. But growing up with two loving parents showed her what a child should have and she didn’t want to purposefully withhold a father from her children.

  Jade’s cell phone buzzed, breaking into her thoughts. She forgot to turn the darn thing off. She was supposed to be on vacation, though the Hollywood type didn’t know the meaning of the word. She didn’t want to deal with any business for the next few months.

  She checked the Caller ID display. Great. It was Vanessa Van Gogh—not her real name of course—her first roommate when she moved to California.

  Vanessa was also an actress and she was in constant demand, due mainly to the fact she'd no problem with full frontal nudity and had appeared in some degree of undress in virtually every one of her pictures. Here goes nothing, Jade thought.

  “Hey V, what’s up?”

  “Jules, where in the world are you, sugah?”

  Illinois-born Vanessa wanted everyone to believe she was a true Southern Belle. She dropped the “r” in words like sugar and darling, driving Jade absolutely crazy.

  “That mousy little assistant of yours refused to tell me anything.”

  That’s because I specifically ordered her not to tell anyone, sugah. “I’m out of town for a few weeks, catching up on rest.”

  “Whatever for? Please don’t tell me you're brooding over that loser Kyle Ashton.”

  Hardly. “Not brooding at all. I’m actually relieved to be free of him.”

  “Well, I’m so glad you finally opened your eyes to see the true fiend behind the beast you married. Honestly, I don’t know what you ever saw in that little weasel. You're much better off without him. I tried to warn you, sugah. You're way too good for him.”

  As much as Vanessa irritated her, it was also nice to have the support of friends, although Vanessa’s only warning before the marriage had been, “Surely you don’t expect to sleep with only one man the rest of your life, do you?”

  “Thanks, V.”

  “Jules, there's a big bash at Drew’s house this weekend and I want you to be my date.”

  “Sorry, I can’t make it. Besides, what happened to that man you were seeing? Can’t he be your date?”

  Vanessa laughed, a high-pitched, merry sound. “Dahling, you're going to have to be a bit more specific. You know how booked my social calendar is these days.”

  Wasn’t that the truth. The revolving door to Vanessa’s bedroom never stopped spinning. She claimed more satisfied customers than a McDonald’s billboard.

  “He was a cameraman or a tech, Mark, Mack…”

  “You must mean Mike, the stuntman.”

  “That’s the one.”

  “I dumped him like a cheap Gucci knockoff. He didn’t seem interested in sleeping with me so obviously he's harboring some serious problems.”

  It must be nice to have such a high opinion of yourself.

  “Did I tell you I’m doing another GlamGirls spread next month? I'm the feature in the Hollywood Hotties edition.”

  To each his own. “No you didn’t. Congratulations V.”

  “I’m sure I can talk them into fitting you in, Jules. You know you have a knockout body. You need to flaunt it more.”

  She was tired of having this conversation. No one seemed to believe she didn’t want to bare all for the world to see. “I’ll think about it,” she lied. “I have to go, V. I’ll talk to you soon.”

  “Try to make it back for Drew’s party. Talk to you later. Bah, bah.”

  Jade disconnected and switched her phone off. She thought about tossing it in the pool next door but decided she better not and deposited it on the table. MegaPics might realize they wanted her to star in their next blockbuster and they would have no way to get in touch with her.

  Hey, a girl could dream, couldn’t she?

  Jade closed her eyes. A western wind blew softly, fluttering her straw hat. The trees swayed in the breeze and wind chimes tinkled an uneven melody.

  “Are you sweeping?”

  Jade awoke with a start. She jerked upright, knocking her hat to the ground. Something pulled her from a bottomless slumber but she wasn’t sure what. Blinking rapidly to clear the haze, she was stunned at the dark gray tint shadowing the yard. It was dusk. She must have slept the entire afternoon away.

  “You isn’t sweeping anymore.”

  Jade gasped at the small voice coming from around her right ear. She felt a tiny hand on her arm and realized that had been what woke her. Her eyes traveled from the hand to the angelic face standing next to her chair. Caribbean blue eyes pierced her through thick black lashes that fanned against pink cheeks. Springy black ringlets bobbed against a Barbie T-shirt.

  The girl was the most beautiful creature she'd ever seen.

  “Hi there, sweetie. Where did you come from?”

  “There.” The little girl pointed to the house next door. The one with the pool. “Look what my daddy buyed me.”

  The girl thrust a white ball of fluff at Jade. A small pink tongue darted out and caught her on the nose. She laughed. “He’s adorable! What's his name?”

  “Well…” The girl scrunched up her face with a look of pure exasperation. “I wanna name him FiFi but my daddy won’t let me.”

  “He won’t, huh?”

  The girl shook her head sadly, her curls dancing around her tiny shoulders. “He said it’s a boy doggie and I can’t give him a girl doggie’s name.” She leaned closer and cupped her hand aroun
d her mouth to whisper, “He wanted me to pick a bigger doggie and name him Belch.”

  Jade bit back a smile. Daddy sounded like a testosterone-filled jerk, but she didn’t think he would honestly want to name a dog after a bodily function. Jeez, at least she hoped not. Jade’s imagination conjured the image of a short, balding man with a fledgling beer gut, maybe a few gold chains peeking from a silk shirt unbuttoned to the waist in a blatant show of machismo. “Do you mean Butch?”

  The girl’s eyes lit. “Yeah, that’s it. Butch.” Her mouth pursed in an adorable moue, the picture of seriousness. “I don’t like the name Butch.”

  “Me either,” Jade commiserated with a grin.

  “Will you help me name him?” she asked with huge eyes.

  Who could say no to anything the little cherub wanted? “Of course. Before we give him a name, can you tell me what yours is, sweetie?”

  The girl started to answer when a thunderous roar echoed across the yard.

  “Isabella!”

  “Ooo, that’s my daddy,” the girl, obviously Isabella, squeaked. “He sounds mad, don’t he sound mad?” She danced in place.

  Jade nodded in agreement. He sounded more than mad but she didn’t want to alarm the young child.

  “Where’s your mommy, Isabella?”

  The girl stopped prancing and her face crumpled. “She went to Heaven.”

  “Oh, sweetie, I’m sorry.” Jade pulled the little girl onto her lap, fuzzy dog and all.

  “Bella! Where the he…where are you? Bella!”

  A man came barreling into the yard. He didn’t crash into her, but Jade felt as if he did. She completely lost her breath.

  This man was no middle-aged, bald man with a beer belly. He was huge with midnight black hair and a body that would make a nun forget her vows. The most impressive muscles she'd ever seen were bulging and contracting with his rapid breathing. That was saying a lot since she worked with some of the hottest men in Hollywood. This specimen surpassed them all. And no gold chains in sight. She knew this because he wore nothing but a blue towel wrapped around his waist.

  Air left his lungs in an audible rush. “Bella, there you are, baby,” he said, his voice softening as his shoulders sagged with relief.

  The man stomped over and winced when his bare foot connected with a stray pebble. “You scared the he…Bella? What’s wrong, baby?”

  The tone of his voice changed dramatically when he saw the big fat tears on his daughter’s cheeks. He swept the girl into his arms in one fell swoop and still managed to grasp at the towel around his eight-pack—she counted—abs before it unknotted. Jade cursed his quick reflexes.

  After re-securing the knot, he crooned softly to the little girl and stroked his large, wide hand down her hair. Jade used the opportunity to study the man. He was massive, his hair cut military short and a dark shadow covered his cheeks. The same dark hair dusted his chest and arrowed down around his navel to disappear beneath the towel. His huge thighs and clearly defined calves were also peppered with the dark hair, as were his thick forearms, which attached to heavily muscled biceps. The man was a physical specimen. He stood at least six three, probably six four. A warrior, plain and simple.

  She still hadn’t managed a good glimpse of his face. She hadn’t been able to tear her gaze from his impressive physique. He shifted Isabella in his arms and she took her first real look. Her breath whooshed out again and she feared she would do something really embarrassing. Like pant. The man was Drop. Dead. Gorgeous.

  Jade almost took a running leap for the pool to put out the flash fire his gaze ignited.

  “I’m sorry to bother you,” the hunk said in a deep rumble. Even his voice sent currents through her body, she was pleased to note. She thought she would never have those feelings again after the number Kyle pulled on her.

  “We didn’t realize the Hunts rented the house. I told Bella she could bring the,” his brows pulled together, “dog,” he said dubiously, “out to run in the yard—after my shower. Obviously she couldn’t wait.” His grin was slow and sure.

  Jade felt the ground swirl. When he smiled, he went from handsome to heart-stopping. A dimple appeared on one cheek and she'd the overwhelming urge to stick her tongue in the spot.

  His attention was diverted back to the girl in his arms. She'd cheered back up and was holding the ball of fluff up to her dad’s nose for a kiss.

  “Bella, please get Butch out of my face.”

  “His name’s not Utch, Daddy,” she corrected sternly.

  “It would have been if we got the chocolate lab like I wanted,” he grumbled.

  Jade laughed. The man was so obviously alpha male, the thought of the little five pound ball of cotton would most definitely offend his masculine sensibilities.

  “Can you hold him, Daddy? He’s heavy.”

  The man eyed the dog with a look of chagrin. “How could he be heavy? Your teddy bear weighs more than he does.”

  Isabella obviously chose not to respond as she thrust the white fur-ball into the man’s other arm. A huge baby-toothed grin broke across her face. Despite the man’s claims, he cuddled the dog as protectively as he did the little girl.

  “She’s gonna help me name him.” A pudgy finger pointed at Jade and she smiled. “Isn’t she pwetty, Daddy?”

  Jade blushed at the little girl’s remark and her hand automatically moved to her head. She had to have a severe case of hat-hair.

  “Yes, she is, Bella.” One side of the hunk’s mouth lifted in a sexy grin and the dimple reappeared. Jade prayed someone with a defibrillator would happen by because her heart just stopped.

  He studied her, his brows pulled down. “Have we met before? You look familiar.”

  If someone studied her closely, they could probably tell that she and Hollywood diva Juliet LaRue were one in the same, but she went to great pains to disguise herself— or maybe rediscover her true identity. Her hairdresser stripped the blond from her naturally chestnut hair and she let her trademark, short curls grow long. She popped out the blue contacts to reveal the color of sea green, changes suggested when she first arrived in LA, along with a new moniker.

  She might not recognize the face she saw in the mirror, but she liked it and felt more comfortable wearing it than she ever had disguised behind the Juliet LaRue mask.

  “No, I don’t think so.” No way I could have forgotten you if we had met before.

  He continued to stare and finally shook his head as if snapping out of a trance. “I’m sorry. I forgot my manners. I’m Logan Bradley and this is my daughter, Isabella.” As if an afterthought, he held up the white fluff ball. “And her dog, Butch.”

  “His name’s not Bush, Daddy,” Isabella chided.

  Jade fought a grin and lost. “Nice to meet all of you. My name is Ju-de LaRossa,” she quickly corrected. “I’ve rented this house for the next few weeks.”

  “Jude?” Logan repeated.

  She cleared her throat. “Sorry, got a little choked there. It’s Jade,” she clarified.

  “Welcome to the neighborhood, Jade,” Logan said. “However temporarily.” He looked as if he wanted to ask more, but instead offered, “If you have any questions about Bloomington, good restaurants, just let me know. If I don’t know the answers, I can ask around.”

  “Thanks,” she responded sincerely. “I haven’t been back since college and so many things have changed.”

  He shuffled his feet and readjusted Isabella in his arms. The dog was back in her grasp.

  Isabella placed her hand against Logan’s face. “Daddy, can she come over and you can make her cheesies?” The little girl flashed her baby teeth at Jade, a smile beaming with pride. “My daddy’s a weally good cooker.”

  Well, hey, maybe she didn’t much resemble her alter ego, blond, blue-eyed Juliet LaRue, but Jade didn’t think she looked bad enough to merit that look of absolute horror that washed over Logan’s handsome face.

  “Cheesies is Bella-speak for macaroni and cheese, her favorite,” he expl
ained. He cleared his throat. “Yeah, uh, Isabella and I would be, um, happy to have you over. For dinner.” He forced the words out with a pained expression and a fake smile.

  Not picking up on the tension in her dad’s voice, Isabella nodded like a bobblehead doll.

  Oh, she wanted to accept, she really did, Logan’s reaction notwithstanding. But the purpose of this trip was to rediscover herself, regain her confidence. The last thing she needed was to get involved with another man so soon, even if it was only for dinner at his young daughter’s request.

  “I don’t think so, but I appreciate the offer.”

  Relief washed over his features. “Understood.” Suddenly realizing his state of dress, or undress as it was, he stiffened. “Thanks for keeping an eye on Isabella,” he said gruffly. “Maybe we’ll see you around.”

  “Daddy, wait!” Isabella wailed. “She's gonna help me name my doggie.”

  “I’ll help you Bella,” he crooned as he stroked her hair and carried her away. The little girl’s arm wrapped around his neck and she dropped her head to his shoulder. The picture was so achingly poignant, tears sprang to Jade’s eyes.

  She suddenly regretted declining the invitation.

  Chapter Five

  Logan toted Isabella home, her slight weight a comfort in his arms. Good grief, he didn’t know he was capable of being so scared. He lost ten years off his life when he stepped out of the shower and called to check on her. When she didn’t answer, he snatched a towel off the rack and tore through the house. When he couldn’t find her anywhere, his heart pounded so hard, he had trouble breathing. What if she ran out into the street? Granted, they were on the end of a cul-de-sac, but cars did travel down this way occasionally.

  And you could never discount the possibility of a predator trying to snatch her. It almost happened to Lauren Dianetti.

  He purposefully left the security system off, expecting Luke to drop by with files on a current case. Mistake made, lesson learned.

  When he ran outside and found Bella talking with their new neighbor, his relief was so strong, he felt lightheaded. Then he got a good look at the woman reclining in a skimpy halter top and tight yellow Capri pants and his heart stopped beating completely.