“When was the last time you called me?” she returned, equally angry. “You’re too busy marinating yourself in alcohol and cheap women to notice anything other than hockey. But even your game is falling apart.”
“My game is not falling apart,” he snapped, his eyes glowing with suppressed rage.
“It is too. Why do you think the Stars unloaded you, Kieran? I’ve been watching you play. You’re in the biggest slump of your career.”
“A bad stretch, that’s all it is. I don’t have slumps.”
She raised a brow at him.
“Damn it, you really know how to piss me off, you know that?” He stalked past her and up the stairs, leaving her alone in her flower shop.
Derek knocked four times on the door of his hotel room before deciding to use his key. Wynne’s brother had ordered a rental car and driven off in the early afternoon. Apparently he and Wynne had fought again. Wynne, meanwhile, hint-hinted that she needed to visit her mother without him, and so he’d taken his cue and left her alone. It was past time he settled things with Trina anyway. Since she was in town, she might as well sign the damn divorce papers. Hopefully their little meeting wouldn’t last long because he had an appointment with a real estate agent that afternoon to view a property just outside Atlantic.
He pushed open the door and found the suite darkened despite the sunny day outside, the curtains tightly drawn. “Trina?”
Derek flipped on the light switch and scanned the living room, worry gnawing at him. Trina was a pain in the ass, yes, but that didn’t mean he wanted anything to happen to her. Stalking to the bedroom, he called her name again.
She was a thin lump under the covers, her blonde hair spread across the pillow. When he flicked on the bedroom light, she blinked open her eyes and moaned, putting Derek’s fears of finding her overdosed to rest.
“Derek?”
She sounded surprised to see him, which annoyed him since she had commandeered his hotel room and he was still paying for it. “Who else did you expect?”
Comprehension began to dawn after he asked her the question. As his eyes ran over the bedroom, he noted a pink thong, a shirt, and pants strewn across the floor. From their placement, the clothing appeared to have been discarded in great haste. In another time and place—hell, that seemed like a lifetime ago now—he would have been furious. Hurt. Now he simply felt relieved.
“Is Billy in town?” he asked quietly.
Trina gave him a kittenish smile and sat up in bed. The covers pooled at her waist, affording him an excellent view of her bare breasts. “Come to bed.” She held out a hand to him, her nails perfectly manicured.
“I didn’t come here for sex, Trina,” he said baldly. He didn’t even feel a spike in his heartbeat at her half-naked offer. His mind was preoccupied with how poisonous she was on the inside, how easily she had ruined him. The years, the alcohol, the pills—how many times had Trina been the one pouring his drink, the one urging him on to the next club, the next party?
“Remember how good it was between us?” Her voice was a purr as she slipped from the bed and approached him, naked from head to toe. “It could be that way again. I want you to come back to LA with me. Lizzie called me and she’s got an offer for the most amazing part for you.”
What the hell was his ex-agent doing calling Trina? Derek put his hands on Trina’s bare arms and held her away from him. “I’m never going back to LA, Trina. That part of my life is over. We’re over. I want you to sign the papers.”
Her eyes snapped at him. “I don’t want a divorce.”
“You don’t want a divorce, but you want to sleep with other men?” Christ, was she insane? Had being Hollywood’s golden girl sucked every ounce of rational behavior from her body?
Trina stepped back, frowning at him. “What, are you jealous?”
“Hell no.” Derek instantly realized that had been her goal, to flaunt an affair in his face and attempt to lure him back into their marriage. Why she held on so desperately to a sinking boat remained utterly beyond him. “If you found someone else, I’m happy for you. I just want a clean divorce.”
“I don’t believe you. You’re jealous.” She smiled. “You don’t have to be, you know. This morning was nothing. It was just sex. It’s not like you haven’t had your fair share of women on the side. I’m willing to forgive your transgressions if you forgive me mine. We can start over again.”
“Jesus Christ, don’t you understand English?” Derek bent down, retrieved her shirt from the floor and flung it at her. “Put on some clothing so we can discuss this like normal adults.”
She slid her arms into the shirt and leaned forward, abruptly pressing her mouth to his. He pushed her away just as quickly. If he’d had any doubts there was a lingering vestige of emotion for her, the kiss had proved nothing remained. Nothing.
“Don’t.” He spun on his heel and began stalking from the bedroom. “I’ll wait in the living room. Don’t come out until you’re fully dressed and prepared to discuss our divorce like an adult.”
She slammed the door at his back.
Wynne strapped Paige into her car seat outside her mother’s house, troubled by the thoughts swirling through her mind. Her mother had been once again advising her to keep her distance from Derek, and her words floated through Wynne’s conscience like leaden marbles. Eventually, there has to be something more. Relationships based solely on sex fizzled. She and Derek were well matched in sexual chemistry, but when it came to the “something more” part, they were a dismal failure. They barely knew each other, for all the time they’d spent together in the last few weeks. Then there was the matter of trust. She couldn’t trust in him, couldn’t believe he truly wanted to give up his career and his fame forever.
She snapped the seat belt into its fastener with a metallic click and dropped a kiss on Paige’s cheek. “Ready to go home, sweet pea?”
“Yep.” Paige smiled, revealing the dimple in her right cheek that never failed to melt Wynne’s heart. “Will Daddy be there?”
“I don’t know.” Wynne forced a smile to her lips she didn’t quite feel. She hoped, in fact, that Derek would be nowhere to be found when they returned home. For the sake of efficiency, she’d given him her spare key, which meant he could come and go as he pleased.
After dropping another kiss on Paige’s cheek, she closed the back door and slid into the driver’s seat. Talking with her mother had forced her to realize she needed to make a decision about Derek.
“Mama, are you and Daddy gonna get married?” Paige spoke up from the back seat.
“What?” Wynne’s gaze shot to the rearview mirror. Her daughter looked out the window, sunshine catching her golden curls and making them gleam. So innocent. “Why do you ask that?”
“Lisa’s mama and daddy are married. They live in the same house and everything, and Daddy lives with us.”
“Daddy doesn’t live with us, honey,” Wynne corrected gently. “He was…visiting us. And we’re not getting married either.”
“Why not?”
A pounding headache began developing right in the middle of her forehead. “Sweetie, sometimes two people really love each other, so they get married. Other times, people are just friends. Your daddy and I are friends. We both love you very much, and we’ll both always be in your life, but we won’t get married.”
“Oh.” Paige’s response was half whine and rife with disappointment. “Never? ’Cause I really wanted to be the flower girl.”
Wynne bit her lip. Paige looked so forlorn in the mirror, a reflection of the way Wynne felt. “We can play wedding when we get home and you can be my flower girl. How does that sound?”
“Okay.” Paige still sounded disappointed, but the lure of playing wedding would be enough to mollify her for now.
Wynne pulled up to the flower shop and parked at the curb, perplexed to find two women standing outside the door. She recognized the lithe blonde immediately as Trina Wade. The shorter, older brunette at her side remained a myste
ry.
Great. The not-quite-ex-wife who just happened to be a beautiful actress. Wynne couldn’t really muster the courage to face the other woman right now. She debated shifting her Jeep into drive and speeding down the road until Trina caught sight of her and gave a half wave that looked somehow fashionable and affected at the same time.
“Damn it,” she muttered, pounding the heel of her hand into the steering wheel.
“Oooh, you owe me a quarter, Mama,” Paige chirped happily from the backseat.
“I’ll give it to you when we get inside.” Wynne cut off the engine and pulled her keys from the ignition. Getting out of the car took every shred of self-motivation she possessed. Getting Paige out of the car didn’t prove any easier. She really didn’t want to allow her daughter to meet Trina Wade. For all she knew, the woman would say something horrible to her.
But she pulled Paige from her car seat and settled her on her hip, circling the car to face Trina Wade as if she encountered Hollywood starlets in front of her flower shop every day. “What are you doing here?” Wynne held Paige more tightly to keep her from wriggling out of her arms. Being held in her mother’s arms tended to offend Paige’s four-year-old sensibilities.
An artificial smile curved Trina’s lips. Her white-blonde hair blew in the blustery wind, whipping across her collagen-filled lips. “We’re here to see Derek, actually. But it might be a better idea to talk to you.” She gestured to the woman at her side. “This is Lizzie Smith, Derek’s old agent.”
Lizzie Smith had sharp features, too much eye makeup, stylishly cropped brown hair, and wore a trendy black coat more suitable for LA than for an east coast winter day. She held out her hand for Wynne to shake. “Lizzie Smith. It’s nice to meet you.”
“I’m Wynne Carter.” She balanced Paige in one arm to shake the woman’s hand. “It’s nice to meet you too. Why don’t we go inside and get out of this wind?”
Five minutes later, Wynne sat across from Lizzie and Trina, perched on the edge of the chair cushion. She’d sent Paige to her bedroom for the discussion that was about to ensue. Wynne had a feeling it wouldn’t be pleasant, despite the polite overtones adopted thus far. She forced herself not to imagine her brother having sex with Trina. But looking at the woman was truly difficult. Ick.
“Your daughter is adorable,” Lizzie commented, giving Wynne a smile that bordered on feral.
“Thank you.” Wynne shifted, feeling more uncomfortable with every second that ticked past.
“There hasn’t been a paternity test,” Trina added, crossing her long, skinny legs. The woman looked more gaunt every time Wynne saw her.
“Have you come here to discuss my daughter?” she asked sharply, making it clear Paige wasn’t a topic open for discussion.
“No.” Lizzie maintained her smile. Wynne noticed the older woman’s skin was pulled tightly around her eyes and mouth and that her eyeliner was bold and badly applied. “As Trina mentioned, I really came here to speak with Derek. Do you have any idea when he’ll be back?”
“I don’t keep track of him.”
“Of course not.” Lizzie laughed deeply, tossing back her head. “Who could possibly keep track of a man like Derek Shaw? Trina couldn’t either, could you, poor dear?”
“No.” Trina angled her head and studied Wynne. “I’ve always loved Derek, but he does have a tendency to stray. Even so, he always comes back to me. New women amuse him for a month or two, but in the end, we were meant to be together and he knows that.”
Wynne tried not to allow Trina’s words to affect her, but she couldn’t remain completely impervious. Derek and Trina were still married, after all, even if they’d been separated for a long time. Not to mention that they’d been married for several years. Who knew him better than his wife?
She decided to steer to a safer topic of conversation. “What did you come here to speak with Derek about?”
“The role of a lifetime.” Lizzie folded her hands in her lap, diamonds glinting from her fingers. “I’ve been contacted about a part that would be perfect for Derek. It’s the lead in what’s destined to be a blockbuster.”
“He would play the lead in a Revolutionary War film,” Trina added. “Nicole Kidman is already signed on. It’s not every day that someone whose career has been suffering the way Derek’s has gets the opportunity to make such a huge comeback.”
Nicole Kidman. Blockbuster. Comeback.
The words sifted through Wynne’s mind, echoing like death knells. Her greatest fear stared her in the face, that Derek would be presented with an opportunity too good to ignore. How could he pass it up? He certainly deserved the chance to redeem himself. Sober for over a year, he’d made himself into an excellent father and a decent man. He could have his career back. But first she would have to let go of him.
“You look shocked,” Trina observed smugly. “Tell me you didn’t really think that Derek would stay here in this dinky town forever, playing Romeo with you and your daughter.”
“I’m sure you realize what a good opportunity this would be for Derek,” Lizzie added softly. “Too good of an opportunity for him to pass up. He’s a wonderful actor, and he could be back on top of his game now that he’s kicked all his nasty habits.”
“Other than sleeping with other women,” Trina chimed in, her lips pinched into a frown.
“He’s been staying here to spend time with his daughter,” Wynne said defensively.
“Please,” Trina scoffed. “I know Derek better than anyone else, and I know that he can’t go more than a week without sex. He’s always been like this. His flings never last long. You’re a phase, honey. Nothing else.”
“Trina.” Lizzie put a restraining hand on the other woman’s arm and leaned forward. “Look, what we’re trying to say is that Derek is destined for great things. He’s in his early thirties, and he has decades ahead of him. If you care for him, you won’t want to hold him back.”
Of course she cared for him. Wynne swallowed. Paige would be devastated if Derek moved away again so soon. And so would she.
“I know what you’re thinking,” Lizzie jumped in, dispersing Wynne’s troubled thoughts. “Derek will always take care of your daughter. You have to know that about him. And with him working again, think of how much easier your life could be. He’ll be able to send you a generous amount of money, and I’m sure he’ll fly here to visit as often as possible.”
Wynne’s stomach churned violently. She rose from her chair and walked to the window, pulling the curtains aside to gaze down at Main Street. Tears pricked her eyes, but she refused to unleash them and give Trina Wade the satisfaction of seeing she’d hit her mark.
“I don’t want his money,” Wynne said hoarsely, keeping her eyes trained on the scene below. A Harley buzzed down the street and Nosey Nadine Emerson, the elderly town gossip, trudged down the sidewalk in a puffy gray coat, ducking into the antique store across the street. Life in Atlantic seemed so normal, so mundane, and yet her life was about to fall apart.
“But you do want him to be happy.”
The quiet voice at her ear surprised her. She spun to find Lizzie Smith had risen and stood a foot away, giving her a sympathetic smile. “It’s so easy to fall in love with him. I don’t blame you.”
Wynne’s hand clenched on the deep windowsill. She didn’t love Derek. She couldn’t love him. Not so soon.
“But if you love him,” Lizzie continued, “you have to let him go. Let him follow his career.”
“Yes.” Wynne took a deep breath, startled to find her hand shook against the windowsill. “I will let him go.”
She didn’t miss the smile of satisfaction curving Trina Wade’s lips. Wynne was about to hand the woman’s husband back to her on a silver platter. And she was about to break her daughter’s heart. Maybe hers too, in the process. To do anything else was to delay the inevitable.
After Lizzie and Trina departed, Wynne dropped Paige back off at her mother’s house. Then she went home and packed up Derek’s meager belong
ings. Tenderly, and as though she wasn’t crying so hard the heaves shook her entire body, she sealed his toothbrush in a Ziploc bag. She gathered up the laundry she’d done for him, folding his pants and shirts, and tucked them into his black leather satchel, noting the designer label as she zipped it closed. Before long, Derek would return to his familiar life of award shows, multimillion-dollar paychecks and worldwide fame.
It was the life he deserved, the life she couldn’t bear to deny him.
She placed his bag at the top of the stairs and waited, practicing all the words she would say to him. Forcing herself to stop crying, she headed to the bathroom and attempted to patch up her makeup. Her eyes remained puffy, but she managed to tone down the redness with some concealer. Somehow, she imagined the process of their goodbye would be made easier by her organization. It would be simpler if she could hand him his packed bag, if he didn’t realize she’d been bawling like a baby for the last two hours.
Wynne told herself she had no choice over and over again. Lizzie Smith’s visit had merely forced her into making the decision she’d been toying with. Trina’s words haunted her, verbal daggers continuing to draw blood long after the viper herself had gone.
She didn’t intend to cut him out of her life entirely. He would always have a welcome role as Paige’s daddy. But Wynne could no longer fool herself into believing the two of them had a future together. Great sex didn’t a stable relationship make.
Besides, Lizzie Smith had been right when she said Derek was destined for great things. With the recent interest surrounding him, now would be the perfect opportunity to launch a comeback. His career could be restored.
Wynne recalled the look on his face in the airport yesterday and knew she had made the right decision. There had been longing in his expression. He missed his old life and she knew it. Before long, he would resent her and Paige for keeping him from acting. And she couldn’t bear for that to happen.
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