Acting Up

by Kristin Wallace

  In an instant, Ethan knew he was a goner. “Aaron, look the other way,” he said.

  “Why?”

  “Because I’m going to kiss your stepmother.”

  And then I’m going to beg her to stay.

  Addison’s head swiveled around, her mouth forming an oh of surprise. “That was incredibly hot.”

  “So is listening to you get excited over Michelle’s good press,” Ethan said.

  “Of course I’m happy for her. She deserves great reviews.”

  “So do you.”

  A strangled laugh bubbled up, and she crooked a finger at him. “Come here, Sir Galahad.”

  Ethan didn’t feel like a heroic knight. No, desperation left him feeling more like one of those villains from classic melodramas. If he could, Ethan would hold Addison captive until she agreed to stay in Covington Falls.

  He’d been fighting the urge ever since the first night of the musical. Watching her watch the students pull off a great show had been amazing. She’d been so happy and relaxed. In her element. So different from the defeated woman who’d first come to town.

  A woman he could love for the rest of his life.

  Then Addison’s friend from L.A. had shown up, reminding Ethan he was on borrowed time.

  The play was over, and Ruth Carlson seemed to be on the mend. Soon, Addison would have no reason to remain in Covington Falls… Unless he could give her one.

  Rocky road, rambunctious twins, and a moody teenager might not sound romantic, but showing Addison what being part of a real family could be like had become Ethan’s secret weapon.

  Addison’s cell rang, and she pulled away. A frown creased her brow when she glanced at the screen.

  “Something wrong?” Ethan asked.

  “It’s my agent. I should take this,” she said, springing from the table and heading for the door.

  As she left, the merry peal of the bell might as well have been a gong signaling a death.

  The picture window afforded Ethan a clear view of Addison as she paced outside on the sidewalk. A hand flew to her mouth, and a radiant smile touched her lips. Then she turned her back, and Ethan couldn’t see her face anymore. Not that he needed to.

  The call ended, and she lifted her head, looking right in at him.

  Ethan knew he’d lost. Lost before he could even start to fight.

  Chapter Thirty-Five

  Shirley’s call changed everything in an instant. At long last, Addison had a job offer. A role she would’ve been crazy to pass up, with one of the hottest young television producers in Hollywood.

  Addison had her career back. Except the opportunity of a lifetime meant leaving behind the new life she’d made in Covington Falls.

  Telling everyone the news turned into a special kind of torture. Aaron seemed to shrink inside himself when he heard. The teenager tried to act happy, but Addison knew he was thinking about his own future. With her gone, there would be no reason for him to stay, either. No doubt, Aaron was already picturing himself in some blue-blood boarding school. He’d have to be separated from Lori, too.

  Her biggest worry was Ethan’s sons, but as it turned out, they handled the news with surprising calm.

  “Daddy said you could only be our friend for a little while,” Carson explained in a solemn tone.

  Men. Sometimes they were complete idiots.

  She sent him a death-ray glare.

  Ethan held up his hand in a one-hand-on-the-Bible swear. “I didn’t say that.”

  The boys were huddled on the bottom bunk in their bedroom. Glancing over at the framed photograph of their mother, Addison couldn’t help but feel Jenny Thomas was disappointed, too.

  “Guys, your daddy is mixed up,” Addison said, trying to find the words to explain. “I will always be your friend. No matter where I live. I’ll call you all the time and I can visit on hiatus.”

  Carson’s nose wrinkled. “What’s that?”

  “When the show stops filming. I’ll have a couple months off then. Or maybe you can come out to L.A. in the summer and see where I live? We could go to Disneyland.”

  They brightened. At least Jason did.

  “You won’t forget us?” Carson asked, still frowning.

  “Never,” she said.

  “Promise?” Jason asked.

  “Of course I do.”

  At least the sound of the doorbell saved her the embarrassment of bursting into tears.

  Ethan stood up. “That’ll be Lori. I asked her to come over and stay with you guys while I take Addison out to dinner.”

  “But, Dad, we wanna hang out with her,” Carson complained.

  “Tonight, I get to hang out with Addison.”

  Within minutes, Addison and Ethan were walking out to his car. He opened her door and then walked around to the driver’s side.

  The car purred to life, and she leaned back against the headrest. “Well, that was awful.”

  “You knew it would be rough, no matter what you said.”

  “Thanks for making the task easier.”

  His hands tightened on the steering wheel. “I never said you wouldn’t be their friend anymore. I was trying to prepare them for when you left.”

  “I know. Maybe you were right. I shouldn’t have encouraged them to get attached. I’m a horrible, selfish person.”

  “No, you’re following a dream. Right?”

  “Yes. My dream.”

  Except why did following her dream have to be so hard? This should be something to celebrate. She’d gotten everything she wanted. Silly tears stung Addison’s eyes, and she stared out the window to hide them.

  “The twins will be all right.”

  Yes, but would she?

  They drove in silence the rest of the way. When Ethan turned into the parking lot of Bon Appetite, Covington Falls’ fanciest restaurant, Addison couldn’t help but smile.

  The engine cut off, but neither of them moved.

  A hand settled on Addison’s shoulder. “Is this okay?” Ethan asked.

  “It’s fine.”

  He was calm, too. How could he be so nonchalant? For some reason his steadiness was getting on her nerves.

  “Are you going to be all right?” Addison asked, shifting in the seat so she could look him directly in the eyes. “Do you even care that I’m going?”

  “Of course I do.”

  “Oh? Because I can hardly tell.”

  His eyes widened. “You’re angry.”

  “No. Yes. Maybe I am.”

  “Which is it?”

  Addison’s hands fisted until her fingernails cut into her palms. “I don’t know. Some emotion would be nice. I’d almost think you didn’t mind that I’m leaving in two days.”

  “Do you want to spend our last few hours together fighting?” he asked, leaning closer, his eyes narrowed and flinty. “Or maybe I could yell and beg you to stay? Make you feel even worse about going.”

  A choked sob wrenched from her throat. “No.”

  “You sure? We don’t have to stay here.”

  “This is fine. Great. Let’s go in and get this over with.”

  Addison reached for the door handle.

  “Don’t,” Ethan said in a sharp command.

  “What?”

  “I’ll come around and open your door.”

  “I can get my own—” Any protest died as she took in his dark expression.

  “At least let me make this feel like a real date.” The words came out in a quick staccato. “Open doors. Push in your chair. And I’m paying.”

  “You don’t have to—”

  “Yes, I do. I asked you out. I chose the restaurant. I’m paying.”

  By now Addison wanted to weep… or club him in the head. Instead, she held up her hands. “Okay, okay.”

  “Good,” he said, head jerking up and down once. “Now, sit there and let me come around.”

  Could this night get any worse? Why not skin her alive and roast her on the spit? “Fine,” Addison said, crossing her arms. �
��Go ahead, Sir Galahad.”

  A muttered oath ripped through the now-silent car as Ethan unbuckled his seatbelt and got out of the car. He shut his door — it was more like a controlled slam — and walked around to her side.

  Addison followed directions and waited. The door opened, and he held out his hand. Like the most genteel Southern belle, Addison placed her palm in his.

  The second her foot touched the ground he backed her up against the side of the SUV. Ethan’s eyes glittered down at her, dark and intense.

  “It’s all I can do not to beg you to stay right now,” he said in a sandpaper-on-gravel voice. “I’d like to throw you back in the car and drive off.”

  Emotion, raw and unguarded, vibrated off him and enveloped Addison’s entire body, making her nerve endings sing. “You don’t want me to go?”

  “No.” He groaned. “Addison, don’t you get it? I love you.”

  Her heart started pounding. Slow, heavy pulses accompanied by a roar in her ears. She couldn’t be sure if it was joy… or outright panic.

  Ethan cradled her cheek and she leaned into his hand.

  “After losing Jenny, I didn’t think I could ever feel this way again,” he said. “I fought it for a long time, but I can’t anymore.”

  “Well… I…”

  “Shh, it’s going to be okay,” he whispered. His thumb brushed Addison’s cheek, and it came away glistening with moisture. She hadn’t even realized she’d been crying.

  “This doesn’t feel okay,” Addison said. “It seems more like a tragedy. Why aren’t you sweeping me off my feet again?”

  “A week ago I would have,” Ethan said. “But I know you have to take this step. Face your old life in L.A. and see if you still fit there. If I guilt you into turning down this opportunity now, you’d always wonder what would have happened. Maybe even end up blaming me for making you give up something you love.”

  “What do we do now?” Addison strived to keep an even tone, but her voice trembled.

  His head lowered until their foreheads touched. “We go in and have a nice meal. Take every day as it comes. I know you’ll make the right choice for you. For everyone.”

  “You have a lot of faith in me.”

  Ethan sent her a sweet, knowing smile. “Yes, I do.”

  Glancing up, Addison saw his eyes were misty. She pulled his head down. Kissed his eyelids and worked her way down to his lips. His hands slipped into her hair, angling her neck for a deeper kiss. Ethan’s hands rubbed soothing patterns along her back, though the touch enflamed more than calmed.

  “I wish I could be a proper homemaker wife,” Addison whispered against his cheek when they broke apart. “One of those women who makes cookies for church bake sales and knits sweaters and plants rosebushes in the garden. Why couldn’t I be one of those women?”

  “Because then you wouldn’t be Addison,” he said. “And I wouldn’t love you.”

  Hand in hand, they walked toward the restaurant… and into an uncertain future.

  ****

  “Aunt Ruth said to tell you dinner is ready.”

  Addison placed the last blouse in her suitcase and flipped the top closed. “I’ll be right down.”

  Aaron eyed the baggage as if it were smelly diaper. “This sucks.”

  “Aaron!”

  “Well, it does,” he said, flopping onto the bed. “You leaving. Me staying.”

  With a weary, heartsick sigh, Addison sat down next to him. “I thought you wanted to remain in Covington Falls so you can stay in school and be with Lori.”

  “But you’ll be gone.” His tone was both accusing and sad.

  Guilt threatened to smother her, but Addison beat the ugly monster down. “I can’t pass up this role. It’s my ticket back.”

  “I know, I know.” Aaron stared at his shoes. “It’ll be weird without you here, though.”

  “I’ll call you every day.”

  “It’s not the same.”

  “No.”

  She studied his profile, and her heart lifted even through sorrow. Aaron had changed so much since he’d first arrived. The teenager’s perpetual scowl was gone, the derisive whatever smirk replaced by a genuine smile of pleasure. In many ways he’d grown up, yet at the same time he’d regained a bit of his lost childhood. Addison wanted to wrap her arms around this precious boy who’d somehow climbed into her heart. Ironically, she had Merrick to thank for the gift. If he hadn’t left, she and Aaron never would have discovered their bond.

  Reaching out, Addison tugged on a fistful of his wiry dark hair. “I’ll miss you, too.”

  “Whatever,” he said, his neck almost disappearing inside his shirt like a turtle ducking into its shell.

  The tears shimmering in Aaron’s eyes said much more. Funny how those clipped ‘whatevers’ spoke volumes to her now.

  “Aaron, you’re the best thing Merrick ever gave me. I hope you know that.”

  The little boy inside the almost-man fought to the surface in an expression of pure hope. “Really?”

  “Really. I love you.”

  Tears tripped down his cheek. “Yeah. Me too.”

  She wrapped her arms around him.

  “This still sucks.”

  No wonder she adored him. “I know,” Addison said on a watery chuckle.

  They walked downstairs together. Aaron had set the table, which was a miracle all by itself.

  As soon as everyone was seated, Aunt Ruth reached out both hands. “Let’s pray.” She bowed her head. “Lord, we ask that You bless this meal. I’d also ask for Your guiding hand to be on Addison as she leaves tomorrow. She’s become so precious to this family, and we will miss her, but we’re excited and thrilled that she’s been given this wonderful opportunity. Please show her the way she is to go, and above all, let her know Your love. Amen.”

  Serving herself became an ordeal as Addison could barely see through the veil of unshed tears. No one spoke much through dinner. Aaron shoved food around his plate, and Addison’s stomach twisted in knots.

  “Aunt Ruth, how do you know if you’re following God’s will?” Addison asked. “I mean, do you guess? It’s not like He uses burning bushes or angelic visits anymore.”

  Aaron’s head came up, as if he wanted to know, too.

  She took her time answering. “It’s not always easy to know. Often our own desires get in the way of God’s plan. I usually feel at peace when I’m walking the right path, even if it’s difficult.”

  “But how do you find the right path?”

  “I pray. God doesn’t come in bursts of flames because He wants us to trust him.”

  “You make it sound so easy.”

  “Then I am a good faker,” she said with dry chuckle. “Of course I question Him. I get impatient and want answers right away, but God works in His own time. I do know He loves me, and His plans always go beyond anything I could ever dream.”

  “How do you know?” Addison asked.

  “You have to be brave enough to trust in something beyond yourself and believe He only wants what’s best for you.”

  “Why would God love me? I’ve never done anything to deserve it.”

  “That’s the beauty, my dear,” Aunt Ruth said with a soft smile. “You don’t have to do anything. None of us are worthy.”

  “Lori says God is like the parent who still loves His kids even when they screw up,” Aaron said.

  Surprise shook her as Addison regarded her stepson.

  “She’s always talking about stuff like that,” he said. “It’s cool. I thought the whole God thing was lame at first, but now I think I understand.”

  Looking around the table, Addison thought maybe she understood, too. All three of them were finding their own paths toward God, and for the first time Addison accepted He was big enough to handle their messes and turn them into triumphs.

  After all, Addison had lost everything and gained more than she could have ever imagined. A de facto mother, a son, a man who loved her, and a whole town full of true frien
ds. She’d been blessed beyond measure.

  And for the first time, Addison thanked God for letting her get fired and for loving a mean, touchy, imperfect fake.

  Chapter Thirty-Six

  Waves crashed against the shore, breaking into Addison’s consciousness.

  Waves? There were no waves in Covington Falls.

  She opened her eyes. Muted sunlight flooded in from the floor-to-ceiling windows that overlooked the Pacific Ocean. Last night, Addison had arrived at her Malibu mansion and collapsed into her king-size bed.

  A glance at the bedside clock revealed it was a little after six in the morning. Of course, Addison’s personal time clock was several hours ahead. Three hundred-thread count, Egyptian cotton sheets caressed her skin as she stretched. The custom-made, Swedish mattress conformed to her curves in gentle support. She lay in the most comfortable bed man could devise, yet Addison knew there would be no more sleeping this morning. Slipping from underneath the covers, she padded across the floor to the French doors and stepped outside.