I'll Be There For You (Canyon Creek, Co. Book 5)

by Lori Ryan

  “What?” Maggie shrieked.

  “It wasn’t anything like that,” Jake said, pleading with Maggie as if he were an errant teen.

  Memories of his and Lina’s evening, and morning, flooded his mind.

  Lina underneath him on the couch, her long legs wrapped around his hips, pulling him close. Him, pressing her against the wall while her legs clamped around his waist, pushing her heat against his erection. He was growing hard just thinking about her, even though he was in a room filled with his family.

  “The red in your cheeks says it was exactly like that,” Emmett said, pointing to Jake’s face and laughing.

  “No way,” Maggie hunched her shoulders and covered her mouth laughing at him.

  “We didn’t do anything,” Jake tried to explain. Well, they hadn’t done what he’d really wanted to. “Becca was there, between us the whole night.”

  “Wait,” Ben shook his head, “between you?”

  “As in, you were in the same bed?” Aaron asked.

  Now Max really laughed. “Dude, I was just messing with you. I didn’t know you actually slept with her.”

  “First off,” Jake huffed, sliding into a chair, “I didn’t sleep with Lina.” Okay so technically he had, and a lot more, but not the way his brothers thought.

  “You slept together?” Maggie said in the loudest stage whisper he’d ever heard.

  “Who slept together?” their mother asked, walking into the room.

  He was officially screwed.

  “What the hell are you doing here, Ma?” Ben asked. “The doctor told you to rest.”

  “Fiddlesticks,” she waved him off. “I want to know who’s sleeping with who.”

  Jake thought he might be sick.

  “It’s whom, Ma,” Emmett corrected.

  “Well,” his mother put one hand on her hip as she counted around the room. “Ben has Maggie, Emmett has Elle, and by some miracle, Max has Devlin.” She laughed.

  “Not nice, Ma,” Max grumbled.

  “But true,” Emmett added.

  She pointed to Aaron. “He has Kayleigh. So that leaves you, my dear boy.” Her finger pointed directly at Jake.

  He met her gaze but quickly ducked his head. No way was he discussing this with her.

  The phone in the middle of the conference table rang and Jake thanked the heavens for the interruption

  “Okay, that’s him,” Maggie said, practically bouncing in her seat.

  “Are you finally going to tell me what’s going on?” Ben asked.

  “You’ll find out in just a second.” Maggie reached over to the middle of the table and punched the speaker phone. “Hello, Grant,” she said, practically vibrating with excitement, “you’re on speaker.”

  “Grant?” They all mumbled, staring at one another.

  “Hey guys!” Grant’s familiar voice rang through the room.

  Even though Jake and he weren’t identical twins, he and his brother were connected in ways the others weren’t, even across the miles.

  When Grant and his wife, famous singer/songwriter Sophie Day, split almost a year ago, no one had needed to tell Jake. He felt Grant’s heart ache in his own chest and had immediately called his brother.

  And the day Becca and Phoebe had shown up on his doorstep, he hadn’t been surprised to see a text from Grant, asking if everything was all right. They just knew each other in a way the rest of his siblings never had.

  From the sound of Grant’s voice, Jake could tell his brother was in a good place. Maybe he and Sophie were reconciling. Their relationship had been a whirlwind, touted by the gossip magazines as the wedding of the century. Despite a rough first few years of marriage due to being in the public eye all the time, they seemed to weather the storms that came with that kind of scrutiny. But a year ago, everything had changed.

  Shortly after Grant won the Academy Award for best actor, his life began a downward spiral. Jake suspected trouble had been brewing for a while. Grant and Sophie had insane schedules, between filming and touring they rarely saw each other. Jake knew in his gut there was more to the story but he’d never pried. Maybe he should have, but he knew if Grant needed to talk to him, he would.

  “Grant, darling,” his mother gushed, leaning forward to the center of the table as though she might give the phone a hug.

  “You know that’s not him, right Ma?” Ben asked. “It’s just a phone.”

  Maggie scowled. “Quit giving your mother a hard time.”

  Everyone sat back, surprised by Maggie’s harsh tone, especially Ben.

  “When are you going to come see us?” his mother asked. She might have been the only one in the room who was oblivious to the tension between Maggie and Ben.

  “Well, that’s why I’m calling,” Grant said.

  Maggie’s attention went back to the speaker phone, her frustrated expression now morphed into a small smile.

  “Have you told them?” Grant asked.

  “No,” Maggie said, her normal bubbly personality now out in full force. “I wanted you to.”

  “Tell us what?” Max asked as they all stared from Maggie to the phone.

  “My new film comes out in a few weeks,” Grant said. This one was more than just a new film to Grant. He was not only starring in it, for the first time he was directing it, as well.

  “Seriously?” Ben said. “I haven’t heard any hype at all.”

  “No, you haven’t,” Grant said. “That’s been intentional. This project is super low-budget, indie all the way. There’s no mega-Hollywood money behind it. We’re going to premiere it at the Toronto Film Festival.”

  “Hey, man,” Jake said, “that’s great. Congratulations.” The rest of his brothers chimed in.

  “Yeah, the producers and I are stoked,” Grant said.

  “Oh, Grant. I can’t wait to see the film,” his mother said. “When will it be out in theaters?”

  “Probably only in select cities around the U.S. in a month or two.”

  “Do you think Denver will show it?” Emmett asked. “We could all go for the weekend.”

  “You’re not going to have to wait that long, brother,” Grant said, excitement in his voice.

  Jake glanced up and saw Maggie about to burst at the seams, she was so excited.

  “Can I tell them?” she practically squealed.

  Everyone’s attention moved to Maggie.

  “Go ahead,” Grant’s larger-than-life voice boomed through the room.

  “We’re going to have a film festival here,” she squealed, bouncing up and down, “in Canyon Creek.”

  “Are you shitting me?” Ben asked, staring at his wife.

  Maggie bit her lips and nodded.

  Everyone looked stunned, even his mother, who hadn’t even scolded Ben for cursing.

  “Nope, we’re serious,” Grant said. “Maggie, Warner, and I have been working on this for a few weeks.”

  “Why didn’t you tell me?” Ben asked, his face washed over with disappointment.

  “Don’t blame Maggie, Ben,” Grant said. “I asked her not to say anything. I know we talked about hosting different festivals a while ago to drum up business in Canyon Creek. So I’ve been working on a plan since I’ve been filming. It wasn’t until I had all the pieces worked out that I contacted Maggie.”

  There was a strained look between Ben and his wife but everyone else seemed excited, including Jake.

  “Grant, that’s wonderful,” their mother said. “I can’t wait.”

  “When is this going to happen?” Emmett asked.

  “We’re thinking a week or two after Toronto,” Maggie said. “They can debut the film there, then bring it here.”

  “That’s like a month away, Mags,” Ben said. “How many movies are we talking about?”

  “This first festival will be really small,” Grant said. “The town can’t handle anything like Sundance or Toronto. Maggie and I discussed maybe ten to fifteen over a four-day festival. I’ve already got seven scheduled with indie direct
ors and producers I know.”

  “With your name behind it I’m sure we can fill the rest in just a few days once it’s announced,” his mother said.

  “I’m leaving that up to Maggie and Warner. They have a better grasp on what the town can accommodate. Once they pull some numbers together I’ll send out invites.”

  Everyone stared at Maggie, probably all just as shocked as Jake was that she’d kept this from all of them for so long.

  “Look, I have to go,” Grant said, “but I’ll stay in touch. Maggie’s got all the details. I know this is short notice but I’ll be there to help as much as I can before the event, just as soon as our press junket for Toronto is over.”

  His mother beamed. “This is so exciting, Grant. Thank you.”

  “Don’t thank me,” he said. “Maggie and Warner really pulled this one off. I know they’re going to need a lot of help now that we’ve finalized everything.”

  “Well, take care,” his mother said. “Love you.”

  “Love you too, Ma. Love all of you,” Grant said. “Talk to you guys soon.”

  They all mumbled their goodbyes as Ben reached over and disconnected the phone, turning to stare at his wife.

  “What?” Maggie asked after meeting everyone’s silent gaze.

  “You knew about this?” Ben asked.

  “Well, yes,” she said sheepishly, “of course I did.”

  Ben raised a brow.

  Maggie raised her own.

  Jake felt like he was in a stand-off between two of the hardest headed people he’d ever met.

  His mother slapped her hands on the table, making everyone jump. “Well, I think this is wonderful news, Maggie. You, Warner, and Grant have obviously put some thought into it.”

  “I didn’t want to tell anyone yet until it was official.” Maggie’s eyes never moved from Ben’s. “In case it didn’t work out.”

  “It was an idea we’ve talked about since the beginning, Mags,” Ben said.

  Her eyes narrowed, and Jake feared for his brother’s safety. “Why are you so mad?”

  Ben’s expression went flat as he leaned closer. “You know exactly why I’m mad,” he said in a low growl, so low Jake almost didn’t hear him.

  “Dude,” Max interrupted them, holding out his phone, “we’re only talking like six weeks to get things together. You guys don’t have time for a fight.”

  “A little less than that, actually,” Maggie said, biting her lip.

  “Jeez.” Emmett scrubbed a hand through his hair.

  “I know it’s a lot to ask in such a short amount of time. But you guys work so well under pressure.” Maggie smiled, glancing around the room. “And Grant will be here.” She looked over at Jake her brows raised expectantly. “And maybe Jake, too?”

  He choked back a laugh and swallowed down his guilt. There was no way he could stay in Canyon Creek much longer, but maybe he could make it back. “You know my situation is up in the air right now, Maggie.”

  “I know.” Maggie said.

  Aaron leaned forward. “So what all needs to be done?”

  Jake listened intently as Maggie talked about her and Warner’s ideas, detailing her proposed timeframe. He wasn’t surprised when she handed out spreadsheets. Maggie was frighteningly detail-oriented.

  “Wow, Maggie,” Jake said, glancing up at her, “this is impressive. It looks like you’ve thought of everything. You’ve got a plan A and three plan Bs in case something goes wrong.”

  She tucked a piece of hair behind her ear. “Thanks, Jake.”

  “Is this something we can announce on the website?” Emmett asked.

  “Almost,” Maggie said. “I think Grant needs to notify a few more people. His assistant is doing a lot of the marketing stuff from California. I’ll put you in touch so you can coordinate an announcement.”

  “Thanks. Oh, yeah, hey, Ma,” Emmett called out. “People have been sending emails to the website asking if the lodge has taken a stand about the highway proposal. Have you guys decided where we’re at with it? The first town hall meeting is in a few days.”

  Maggie’s eyes cut to his mother’s and the two held one another’s gaze for a long moment.

  “We’re still deciding,” his mother said.

  “Still deciding,” Ben nearly shouted. “Ma, what’s there to decide? This expansion would mean more traffic, which would mean more business.”

  “Which would mean more trees needlessly knocked down, more air pollution, more wildlife relocated from the area.” Maggie snarled, waving her hand in the air.

  Ben glared, shaking his head.

  So that’s what this was about. Jake was glad he wouldn’t be around for the ensuing explosion that would unfold as the town decided what to do.

  The relief at that thought was short lived. He rubbed at the back of his neck as he thought about what waited for him at home. He had to figure out how they’d deal with Cassie’s threats, and come to terms with the fact that Todd was becoming less and less like the kind of person Jake wanted to support.

  His mother glanced at Emmett. “Like I said, we’re still deciding.”

  Max laughed. “Yeah, sounds like Frick and Frack over there are going to come to a consensus real soon.”

  “What do you guys think?” Ben asked, glancing around the table.

  All his brothers shrugged non-committedly. No way were they crossing Maggie or choosing sides.

  Ben’s gaze landed on Jake. “You’re in politics, what do you think?”

  “I think if you’re smart and ever want to have sex again, you’ll keep that fat trap of yours shut,” Max muttered out of the side of his mouth

  Jake glanced around the room, choosing his words carefully. He’d already been contacted by Earl Fisk, Canyon Creek’s town administrator, about political strategies the council could incorporate in the upcoming meeting. He’d yet to tell Lina about that call. According to Earl, most of the council was in favor of the expansion.

  “I think consensus and compromise is the key to any political issue,” he said. There. That was benign enough to satisfy all parties.

  “That’s a wonderful outlook,” his mother said, rubbing his back.

  “What the hell does that even mean?” Ben said. “That’s not an answer.”

  “Well,” Max laughed, looking at Jake, “you better decide your position on the issue if you ever expect to sleep with Lina again.”

  His mother’s head whipped around so fast, her short silvery-blonde air slapped her in the face. “You slept with Lina? Lina Bianchi?” she practically shrieked, her eyes wide.

  His cell phone rang and he thanked God, even though he was sure it was Todd. It didn’t matter, he’d take a call from the devil right now to get out of this conversation.

  Pulling his phone from his pocket, he saw Phoebe’s name on the screen. “It’s Becca’s grandmother,” he told no one in particular as he rose. “I have to take it.”

  “Of course,” his mother said. “Give her our love.”

  Jake caught his mother’s expression before he left the room. A slow smile spread across her face. What was she up to?

  Trouble, that’s what she was up to.

  Which meant he was in trouble. Deep trouble if his brothers current love lives were any indication of his mother’s meddling.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Jake slipped out of the door and into the hallway before answering the call, feeling as if he’d just escaped a hunter on his trail.

  “Hey Phoebe. How are you? How’s Steven?”

  He heard her sigh.

  “Not good I’m afraid.”

  “What’s going on?”

  “I still haven’t found a place I’m happy with for Steven. And he’s becoming more agitated.”

  “I’m so sorry,” he said. “What can I do?”

  “At this point, I really don’t know.”

  “Why don’t you and Steven come here to Canyon Creek for a few days?” Jake had felt angry and frustrated lately at the fact his j
ob now required him to make payoffs to women threatening the Senator’s career. Finding a way to help Phoebe and Steven would feel good. If he could give her a week or so of respite from carrying this load all on her own, it would be worth it.

  “Oh, I don’t know, Jake. Flying on an airplane probably wouldn’t be good with all the people and the amount of time he’d have to stay still.”

  “I understand,” he said.

  “When will you and Becca be back?”

  And wasn’t that the million-dollar question. He knew Phoebe missed her granddaughter, and Becca missed her Grammy, too.

  “Todd has a benefit a week from Saturday, so I need to come back for that,” he said.

  “For good?”

  It had to be. Still, it gnawed at Jake, knowing the amount of work his family would have to do to get ready for the film festival. He’d already shirked his responsibility to his family when they’d first come together after his father’s death over six months ago. Now he was only here because of Becca. His other brothers were all coming through for their mom. All but him.

  “Hold on Jake, Steven just tripped. I have to get someone to help me.”

  Jake heard muffled movement in the background as Phoebe asked someone for assistance.

  And finally, it hit him. The problem that faced them both. He and Phoebe had no one to help them with the loved ones now in their charge. Not in California. But in Canyon Creek he did.

  “Okay,” she said, coming back on the line, “he’s sitting down now, so we should be okay. Sorry.”

  “Phoebe, if I could arrange private transportation for you both, would you think about coming out to Colorado with Steven?”

  Todd’s in-laws were loaded and had a private jet that he, Hannah and their whole staff had used for campaign travel. Jake knew Hannah would let him use it to transport Phoebe and Steven if he asked.

  “Maybe the mountain air would be good for him,” he said. “And I know Becca would love to see the both of you.”

  “Where is Becca?” he heard Steven call in the background.

  “She’s in Colorado,” Phoebe said, “with Jake.”

  “Who?” he asked.

  “You could stay at my mom’s,” he said, “with me and Becca. She has a big house. Or you could stay at the lodge. All my brothers and their wives and fiancée’s would love to meet you. You’d have lots of people here who could help you, Phoebe. Even just for a few days.”