by Deanna Chase
No. If there was any chance his presence in her life would put her or her brother in danger or cause her pain, he couldn’t justify seeing her. He needed to keep his distance for now. And keeping in touch via phone calls would only make that harder. With his heart hammering against his ribcage, he tapped out a message to Shannon that said he was going on a business trip overseas and would be away for at least a few days. After he hit Send, he felt an odd sense of loss and sadness wash over him as if he’d just let her go for good.
His phone buzzed with a message immediately, and although he told himself it was better to ignore it, he opened up the text from Shannon and smiled when he saw the picture of her blowing him a kiss. The caption read, Travel safe. Can’t wait to see you at Faith’s wedding.
He groaned. Should he still show up for that date? He had no idea. The only thing he did know was that it was time to make sure the paparazzi stopped bothering her, and if he had to play hardball, then that’s what he’d do.
He tapped his father’s name in his contacts list, and when William Knox answered, Brian said, “Dad? I need your help.”
“Shoot,” his father said.
“Do you know anyone who can plant a story? I’m no longer willing to wait for Cara to do the right thing,” Brian said.
His dad let out a low laugh. “Actually, I know just the guy.”
When Brian ended the call five minutes later, he felt lighter than he had in days. He jumped out of his SUV, grabbed the paint supplies he’d brought, and went to work covering up the vandalism on the cottage Shannon had called home for so long.
Three days had gone by since Shannon and Silas had arrived in LA. And after their dad had a chat with their mom, something magical had happened; Gigi Ansell hadn’t said a word about the show she wanted Silas to do.
Shannon was cautiously happy, while Silas was waiting for the other shoe to drop. He had trouble believing that she’d put the idea on the backburner just because Nate asked her to.
“I’ve been around this block too many times,” Silas told Shannon as he drove them to a beach party hosted by one of his costars. “She behaves for an unspecified amount of time, and then she drops a bomb on you. I’m just waiting for the fallout.”
“That’s pretty cynical for a seventeen-year-old,” she said, feeling slightly ridiculous for tagging along with her little brother, but Silas had insisted there’d be guests of all ages.
“Show business will do that to a guy,” he said.
“I know.” Her phone buzzed with an incoming message. Shannon glanced at it and groaned.
“What now?”
“Mom sent me an article about Brian and Cara.” She considered just deleting the text. Did she really want to read the latest gossip? She believed Brian when he said there wasn’t anything going on there. She didn’t need to read anything else.
But then another text from her mother arrived. Looks like you found a trustworthy one this time.
Shannon couldn’t ignore that. She hit the link and read the headline to Silas. “Cara Manchester and Brian Knox were never engaged.”
“Finally,” he said. “Is it a reputable source?”
“Yes. It’s Cali Style, the same one that broke the original story,” Shannon confirmed.
“Good. That should be the end of that.” He grinned at her. “Congrats, sis, you survived your first Hollywood scandal.”
“Thank the gods for small favors,” she said, scanning the new report. The article went on to state it was all a publicity stunt by Cara Manchester, according to inside sources at Newport Broadcasting, the station that was producing the reality show Cara was starring in that fall. After she was done reading, she sent her mother a short text thanking her. It was no surprise to Shannon when her mother didn’t respond.
Silas pulled into a long driveway and parked the Porsche they’d had delivered from Keating Hollow the day before next to a sleek silver Tesla.
Shannon eyed the dozen or so high-end cars and let out a whistle. “We’re not in Keating Hollow anymore, Toto.”
Silas let out a sigh. “Nope. Too bad, too, because I’d much rather be there than here right now.” He shoved his hands into his front pockets and led the way up the flower-lined walkway to the front door.
“Same. But we can suffer here for a bit, right?” Shannon said with a quick wink.
“I guess.” He shook hands with the young man who opened the door and introduced her to his costar.
The young man invited them in, and as soon as Shannon rounded the corner to the main living room, she let out an audible gasp. The entire back wall was made of glass, and the ocean view was incredible. All she could see was the beautiful water of the Pacific and miles of beach. Man, she could get used to that view... but only if it was right next to Keating Hollow. As mesmerizing as the ocean was, it was no substitute for the small community of people she had waiting for her back home.
“Here.” Silas pressed a drink into her hand and tugged her outside onto the patio. There was a slight breeze that made the day heavenly.
“Mind if I just hang out here in the sunshine?” she asked him.
“Of course not. Why are you even asking?” He took a long swig of his drink out of the red Solo cup.
“Because I’m about to be hugely antisocial as I sit out here and soak up the rays.” She eyed the contents of his cup. “What are you drinking?”
“Ginger beer,” he said and shoved it under her nose.
Because he was a teenager at an industry party, instead of just smelling it, she took a sip. Sure enough, ginger beer. “All right. Go mingle. Don’t let anyone spike your drink.”
He rolled his eyes, “Yes, Mom.” But as he walked back into the house, she didn’t miss his lips twitching with amusement.
“That’s right, little bro. No partying while I’m around,” she called after him.
He lifted his right hand and gave her the finger.
Snickering, she settled herself onto one of the lounge chairs and promptly dozed off. Shannon woke with a start, unsure of what it was that startled her awake. She lay on the chair, unmoving, as she listened to the waves crashing on the mostly deserted beach and admired the late afternoon sunlight bouncing off the blue waters.
“I heard he was leaving the biz for good,” a woman said, her voice carrying on the breeze.
Shannon glanced around, looking for the woman, and finally spotted a model-tall blonde on the other side of the patio with a shorter, dark-haired woman. They were both holding wine glasses and had their heads bent together as if they were speaking in confidence. They had their backs to her, and Shannon guessed that because of where she was positioned they hadn’t even noticed her when they stepped outside.
“Doesn’t look like it. He’s here today, isn’t he?” the shorter one said.
“But for how long? The first time I ever met Silas, the first thing he did was warn me about reading the gossip rags. He said none of it is true, and often all it does is hurt the actor. He was pretty vehement about it, too. If he ever finds out what his mother has been doing to manipulate his career, I bet he’ll quit and never come back. Can you imagine? Your mom is supposed to be protecting you, not making your life miserable.”
Shannon stiffened at the first mention of Silas’s name. But when the woman said their mom was manipulating him, her entire body went rigid. What exactly did she mean? What did she know?
The brunette shook her head in disgust. “My ex, Randy Randolf, you remember him, right? He works for Total Gossip. Anyway, he told me that Gigi herself was calling in tips about where Silas was when he just disappeared from LA. And she fed them the story about Cara Manchester that had a direct effect on Silas’s sister. I swear that woman is the worst publicity whore.”
Shannon’s chest got tight, and suddenly she was having trouble breathing. Were these women right? Had Gigi been pulling the publicity strings the entire time? It made sense. She wanted Silas to come home. What better way than to make his stay in Keating Hollow misera
ble? But why had she fed them Cara’s story? Just to fuel the flames?
“Randy told you that?” the blonde asked. “Why?”
“Pillow talk. You know how it is. Sex with the ex happens, and Randy always gets chatty afterward.”
They laughed and continued to talk about post-breakup sex, and then after a few moments, they disappeared back inside. Shannon sat up, rubbed at her eyes, and then typed the name Randy Randolf into her phone. Sure enough, his name popped up as a reporter with Total Gossip.
Shannon stared at her phone and tried to swallow the pure disgust that rose from the depths of her gut. Their own mother sent the gossip rags after them. Property had been destroyed. People could’ve been hurt. And it was all because Gigi Ansell hadn’t gotten what she wanted. She sent Silas a text. We need to go. Meet me at the car.
Chapter Twenty-Six
“I knew it!” Silas raged as they strode into their parents’ house.
Shannon decided to wait to tell him what she’d heard until they got home. She knew he’d be furious, and who could blame him?
“Remember when I said she was probably behind the gossip? Son of a… she has no moral compass. I can’t do this shit anymore.” He ran up the stairs, presumably to pack again.
Shannon watched him go and then calmly walked back to her mother’s office. The door was cracked open slightly, and Shannon could hear her talking on the phone to one of her many contacts. She backed away and went in search of her father. She found him sitting in a chair in the sunroom at the back of the house, reading on his e-reader.
“Hey, Shan,” he smiled at her, his eyes lighting up as if he was genuinely pleased to see her. “How was the beach? You look like you got a little sun.”
“It was gorgeous. I can’t imagine what it must be like to live right on the beach like that year-round,” she said.
“Expensive.” He chuckled and put his e-reader down. “Something’s on your mind, isn’t it?”
Shannon perched on the wicker couch next to him. “Can I ask you something about Grandma’s house?”
“Sure, sweet pea. Does it need some upgrades? I’m not sure how much life that roof has in it.”
“Um…” She frowned. “I’m not sure. There haven’t been any problems with the roof if that’s what you mean. It could use a paint job now that it’s been vandalized, but—”
“Vandalized?” He sat up straight and peered at her with concerned eyes. “Since when? What happened? I thought Keating Hollow was a safe town. It was when we lived there. Vandalism was never an issue. Do we need to think about selling?”
Shannon blinked at him, momentarily stunned that he was so clueless about what had happened in Keating Hollow. Then she took a deep breath and told him everything. “Dad, Mom kicked me out. She said it’s time to sell the place. But the day we came down here, someone spray painted the words Brian and Cara 4Ever all over Grandma’s house. So if you’re going to sell, it needs—”
“I never said we were going to sell that house.” He rose to his feet and started moving toward the hallway. “She has no right to make a decision like that.” He paused and glanced back at Shannon. “Let’s go. We need to clear a few things up with your mother.”
His tone was commanding, and Shannon didn’t think twice. She followed him into her mother’s office and then was completely quiet for over an hour as she watched her parents fight about the house, her dad’s intention to sign it over to Shannon, and then how he managed to get her mother to confess everything she’d been up to regarding Silas’s career over the last month.
Eventually, Shannon chimed in with, “Don’t forget to tell him about Randy Randolf.”
Gigi went completely white at the mention of the gossip reporter’s name. “How… um, how did you know about that?”
“Nobody can keep a secret in this town, Mother. You know that better than anyone,” Shannon said, unwilling to reveal her sources.
“Gigi, what did you do?” Nate demanded.
Shannon leaned against the wall of the office and waited.
Gigi hung her head and muttered a curse.
“Out with it,” Shannon’s father said, sounding like his temper might explode at any moment.
“I just wanted Silas to come home,” she said. “That deal… it won’t just help him. Our new client, Jordon James, stands to get a reality show too if we can make this happen. It’s good for all of us, Nate. I didn’t know those internet stalkers would show up and threaten Shannon. That wasn’t my intention. I would never—”
“It doesn’t matter what your intention was, Mom,” Shannon said, cutting her off. “It happened, and it happened because you were selfish. And even after you found out, you didn’t do anything about it, did you?”
“I did,” she said, her voice trembling now. “I called in a favor and had that GNT blog shut down, Shannon. I swear it. I’m sorry. That is not what I wanted. Of course it wasn’t. You’re my children. Do you really think I wanted something bad to happen to you?”
“You did kick them out of my mother’s house,” Nate said.
Gigi’s face turned another shade of white as she turned to her husband.
“And you told Shannon you were going to sell that house, didn’t you?”
“Yes, but—”
“It’s not yours to sell, Gigi.” Nate walked over to the filing cabinet in the corner of her office. After riffling through one of the drawers, he pulled out a manila envelope and handed it to Shannon.
“What’s this?” she asked him.
“The deed to my mother’s house.” He smiled gently. “I always intended to give it to you as a wedding present, but that seems pretty archaic now that I think about it, doesn’t it? The paperwork is all there. All you have to do is file it and the house is yours, sweet pea.”
Gigi sniffled and wiped at her eyes.
Nate turned to her. “You and I will discuss this insanity more later. Right now, I’m going to go talk to our son and find out what he wants after this fiasco. Goodness, Gigi. What were you thinking?”
“I wanted him to have a successful career. He wasn’t listening to me and—”
“He already has a successful career,” Shannon said. “I can tell you what he wants. He asked me to be his manager when he turns eighteen.”
“But you don’t even live down here!” Gigi exclaimed.
“That’s what I said. He doesn’t care. All he wants is someone who is one hundred percent on his side without an agenda of their own,” Shannon explained.
“I can do that,” Gigi said, using a handkerchief to dab at her eyes.
“No, Gigi,” Nate said, shaking his head. “You will always try to grab at things beyond everyone’s reach. I think it’s time to let Silas go.” He turned to Shannon. “Tell Silas I’ll be up to talk to him in a bit. I’ll bring the new representation paperwork, and by this evening, you’ll be his new manager.”
Shannon stared in wonder at her father. She’d never seen him take charge before. Not like this. Gigi was a whimpering mess, and it was clear she wouldn’t argue with him. It made her wonder what kind of marriage they really had when no one was watching. Of course she’d been gone for a decade. It wasn’t unreasonable to think that the dynamics of their relationship had changed.
“Go, Shannon. Your mother and I need to talk,” he urged.
“Thanks, Dad.” She pulled him into a quick hug and ran upstairs to tell her brother the good news.
“I’m getting the hell out of here,” Silas all but snarled when Shannon walked into his bedroom.
She grinned and pulled him into a tight hug.
Silas let out a grunt of surprise, but he hugged her back and asked, “What’s going on, Shan?”
When she pulled back, she pressed both palms to his cheeks and said, “We’re going home. Home to Keating Hollow. And thanks to Dad, I’m your new manager, effective immediately.”
“What?” He stepped back and shook his head. “Did you just say what I think you said?”
She nodded, happy tears stinging her eyes. “Yes, baby bro. Go ahead and text Levi, cause we’re leaving first thing in the morning.”
“You don’t think the paparazzi is still going to be stalking us there?” he asked.
“Have they been here once?” she countered.
He shook his head and scowled. “Right. That was Mom’s doing. What makes you think she won’t try that again?”
Shannon smirked. “Because you’re no longer her client. You’re mine. And Dad now knows everything she did. So don’t worry about a thing. We’re out of here, and you don’t need to come back until filming begins for Timekeeper.”
Silas sat down on his bed, a range of emotions flashing through his eyes. Apprehension, disbelief, and then pure joy lit his gaze and he threw back his head and let out a laugh. “I can’t believe it. Keating Hollow for the next month? You’re serious?”
Shannon pulled out her phone and tapped one of her apps. “I’m dead serious. I’m booking our flights right now. Be ready before the crack of dawn.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
“Shannon!” Hope cried as she threw her door open. “You’re home!” She glanced around her friend and smiled at Silas. “Hey Silas. We’re all excited you’re going to spend the rest of the summer here. There’s someone in the kitchen who’s dying to see you.”
Shannon moved aside to let Silas slip into the house.
He waved at Hope and rushed in, making a beeline for the back of the house.
“Si!” they heard Levi exclaim, followed by the two boys laughing.
“I’m glad someone is having a nice reunion,” Shannon said as she stepped back and sat in the porch swing.
Hope followed her. “You mean your reunion with Brian didn’t go so well?”
“What reunion? He’s not even in town, and he’s not returning my texts.” Shannon’s homecoming had turned sour when she hadn’t been able to get in touch with Brian. He’d sent a text several days earlier letting her know he was going out of town for a few days, but he hadn’t said specifically where. She was dying to see him, to let him know they were all clear and didn’t need to keep taking the break he’d insisted on.