Home to You

by Robyn Carr

  When they returned to the kitchen, the disapproval rolling off him was offensive, but Simon had expected to encounter disapproval. He did his best to ignore it—until the sound of the older DeMarco’s engine disappeared and Joe addressed him. “So. You’re the badass.”

  “Joe! You don’t have to be rude,” Gail cried, but Simon talked over her. He didn’t want her sticking up for him. He’d face these people down on his own. Maybe he’d get his ass kicked by her Goliath of a brother, but he wasn’t sure that would be entirely a bad thing. A bit of violence would provide an outlet for the emotions he could no longer dull with sex and alcohol. His temper had never been closer to the surface.

  “That’s right.” He adopted the cocky air so effective in pissing people off. “How’d you know?”

  “I read the papers.”

  Simon lowered his voice as if divulging a fact Joe should already know but was too stupid to figure out. “Do you mean the tabloids? Because in case you hadn’t heard, they’re quite often full of shit.” He spoke at a normal volume again. “But don’t let that change your mind. I’m as badass as they come.”

  “Funny, too. I like that.” Lifting his coffee cup, Joe smiled, looking perfectly comfortable—except for the muscle flexing in his cheek, which said otherwise. “But the fact that you’re a big movie star doesn’t matter that much to me.”

  Simon felt his muscles tense. “Then why’d you bring it up?”

  He set down his cup and straightened. “There’s one thing you need to know.”

  “Joe—” Gail tried to break in. She’d been glancing between them, a worried expression on her face, but Simon pulled her behind him so she couldn’t get in the way.

  “What’s that?”

  “I don’t care how rich or famous you are. All the shit you’re used to getting away with? Won’t fly around here. You step on someone’s toes in Whiskey Creek, they’re going to knock you down a peg. And if you cheat on my sister, I’ll be handling that myself. Understood?”

  He deserved the lack of faith, the censure, so Simon tried to take it like a man. But that wasn’t easy when it came from someone who had no clue what his life had been like with Bella. “I won’t embarrass you or your family. You have my word.”

  Joe turned to rinse his cup. “For what it’s worth,” he muttered under his breath.

  Had he not added that, Simon would’ve been able to let it go. As it was, the angry words he’d been biting back rose to his tongue. “Now that we’ve covered what went wrong in my marriage, what happened to yours?”

  The question took Joe off guard. No doubt thanks to his size, he’d expected to swagger around and do the big-brother routine without any backlash. “Come again?”

  “You heard me.”

  “None of your damn business.” He dried his hands and tossed the towel aside.

  “Simon,” Gail warned, but Simon ignored her.

  “You can keep a scorecard on me but I can’t keep one on you?”

  Joe sneered at him. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  “Sure you do. Few women walk away from a perfect husband.”

  When Joe’s face flushed, Simon thought he’d start swinging. He had more than three inches and fifty pounds on Simon. With an injured right hand, Simon wouldn’t even be able to land a decent punch. But he wasn’t about to back down. Trying to change his life was hard enough without taking the crap this guy was dishing out.

  Fortunately, Joe didn’t start a fight. Chest rising and falling fast, he sent an accusing glare at his sister, as if she must’ve revealed his situation, and stormed out. A second later, his truck’s engine roared to life and tires squealed as he peeled down the drive.

  “Wow,” Gail breathed, and crumpled into a chair at the kitchen table.

  Prepared to defend himself further, Simon whirled to confront her. He thought she might be upset that he wasn’t willing to tolerate her brother’s abuse, but her next words surprised him.

  “Good job.”

  “Good job?” he repeated. “I just pissed off your brother.”

  “He was pissed off to begin with. He’s probably been waiting to do that to you ever since I told him we were getting married.”

  Simon gave himself a couple of seconds to process the fact that she wasn’t going to turn on him. “But now he hates my guts.”

  “That’s okay. At least he understands that he can’t push you around. Respect is more important than anything else. Respect will create a foundation. But, just so you don’t walk into something you aren’t prepared for in the future, you need to be aware that he has his limits.”

  “So do I,” he grumbled.

  She regarded him quizzically “How did you know?”

  He had no idea what she was talking about. “What?”

  “That he’s been married before. That Suzie left him.”

  “There’s a picture of him with a woman and two little girls hanging in the hallway.”

  “Oh...right.” She nodded. “Of course. But he could’ve left her.”

  “I figured he wouldn’t be living here if that was the case.”

  “I see.” She studied him. “It’s going to be tough settling in.”

  “I can handle it,” he said. “Don’t worry about me.” But he was suddenly craving alcohol so badly it was all he could do not to head for the closest bar or liquor store. “Let’s get out of here, go to dinner.”

  She hesitated. “You’re sure you’re okay?”

  “Fine.”

  “There’s a good Italian place around the corner.”

  “Great. Maybe there’s a casino nearby, too.”

  “As a matter of fact, there is. Some of the locals work there, but I’m not sure that’s the best place for you to go.” She picked up her purse. “Still on the hunt for an acceptable vice?”

  He pulled her car keys from his pocket. “I need some kind of distraction. And I’m guessing you don’t want to provide it.”

  * * *

  “What happened to his hand?”

  Gail sat at the kitchen table, only now it was her father who stood at the sink. She’d had Simon drop her off after dinner. Although she wasn’t happy about the risks involved, he’d insisted on heading to the casino. He said he needed a break, some time alone. She’d finally agreed because she knew she’d ensure the failure she was trying to avoid if she smothered him or pressed him too hard. Besides, she’d wanted some private time with her family, felt that might take the edge off their reaction to her marriage, but Joe hadn’t yet returned. “He had an accident with a power saw.”

  The smell of the coffee her father had just put on filled the room as he eyed her skeptically. “Are you sure he didn’t get in another fight? Go after his ex-wife’s brother again?”

  She scowled. “I’m sure,” she said, and left it at that. The details wouldn’t help convince Martin she’d made a good match.

  With a click of his tongue, he shook his head. “What were you thinking, marrying someone like him, Gail?”

  “Someone like him?” she echoed.

  “Someone so shallow...and reckless...and stupid...”

  Since he seemed to be searching for more adjectives, she stopped him before he could continue. “Simon is anything but stupid.” The other things made Gail defensive, too. Coming into their “deal,” she’d felt the same irritation and repugnance for Simon’s behavior as her father did. She’d sympathized completely with Bella. But Simon’s lack of action when he cut his hand had made her realize that his behavior wasn’t the result of elitism or arrogance, as most people believed. He’d been so emotionally distraught he couldn’t cope.

  She wanted her father and everyone else to put his past in the proper context, but Simon wouldn’t allow anyone to get close enough to gain any sort of understanding.
If not for his meltdown, and how she’d been drawn into it, she wouldn’t have come close enough to understand him, either. “He’s been through a lot.”

  “So you’ve said. But if you’re talking about his divorce, I don’t buy it. I went through a divorce, too. And I had kids to raise and not nearly as much money.”

  Her mother had walked out on her father for an old high school sweetheart. They were now married and living in Phoenix. Gail knew how painful losing Linda had been for Martin. She also knew it had changed the way he behaved every bit as much as Simon’s divorce had changed him. He obviously felt his situation had been harder. But Gail wasn’t convinced. At least there’d been no fame to complicate matters, no media coverage to broadcast every sordid detail, which would’ve made everything that much worse, especially for such a proud man. Even so, Martin had become strict and controlling, especially where she and Joe were concerned. There were times Gail suspected her mother would’ve remained a part of her life if not for her father, who could be autocratic and difficult to deal with.

  Gail wanted to tell him those things, but she knew he wouldn’t take kindly to the criticism. Besides, he could allude to her mother, but Linda was still a taboo subject for everyone else, even after all the years that had passed.

  “He’s worth trying to save,” she said simply.

  “That’s what you’re doing? Saving him?” He shook a finger at her. “You can’t save people from themselves, Gail. You’re foolish to think you can.”

  “So... I should quit without even trying?” she challenged.

  He didn’t seem to have an answer for that.

  “We’re already married, Dad. All I’m asking is that you treat him with some respect while we’re here, give him a chance.”

  The door opened, and they both glanced up. Gail feared it was Simon. She wasn’t quite ready for him. But it was Joe who walked in.

  Her brother gazed around the kitchen, then speared her with an angry glare. “Where’s pretty boy?”

  Prepared to take on the two of them, if necessary, she squared her shoulders. “You started that fight, Joe.”

  Her father pulled out a chair and sat down across from her. “What fight?”

  “After you left, he tried to belittle Simon,” Gail explained.

  “That couldn’t have been hard,” her father said wryly.

  She folded her arms. “Maybe not, but he lived to regret it. Simon feels attacked on all sides. He’ll snap at anything, even if he’s the one who’d take the worst of any fight it might cause.”

  “Why’d you bring him here?” Joe demanded. “You know how we feel.”

  Scooting her chair away from the table, she stood. Her father and brother were so big, so...overpowering, they could be intimidating even when they weren’t teaming up against her. “What are you saying, big brother? That I should’ve come without him? Or that I should’ve stayed away, too? Because Simon and I can head over to the B and B if you don’t want us here—”

  Her father raised his hand in a calming gesture. “Hold on. There’s no need for that. Simon’s here now. We’ll make the best of it.”

  Joe wasn’t willing to let it go quite so easily. “You don’t expect this marriage to last, do you? Because I can tell you right now it won’t.”

  For a second, Gail wished she’d be able to prove him wrong. But that was crazy. Under normal circumstances, Simon wouldn’t have given her the time of day. No doubt, once he had Ty back, he’d return to Hollywood and all the women who’d throw themselves at him—and forget about her. He was with her for Ty’s sake, and only for Ty’s sake. He’d made that clear from the beginning.

  “Maybe it won’t,” she admitted. “But that’s okay.”

  “No, it’s not,” her father argued. “You don’t want to go through a divorce, Gail.”

  “It’s too late to worry about that! I took the risk when I married him. All I ask is that you don’t make my life or my marriage any more difficult by rejecting my husband.”

  Her words met with silence. She’d made an impact, showed them no good could come out of how they were acting. She could tell by the sheepish expression on her brother’s face and the stoic one on her father’s that they suddenly understood it was too late to talk her out of being with Simon.

  “He needs friendship,” she went on. “I’m asking you to offer him that and see what you get in return. If you hate him, just be sure you hate him because he’s earned it. Don’t hate him on principle.”

  Joe sagged into the seat next to her father and propped his elbows on the table. “You want us to forget what we’ve heard about him and give him a clean slate.”

  Intent on her appeal, she sat down again, too. “Why not? You don’t even know him! All you know is what you’ve read and heard in the media.”

  “And from you,” he pointed out.

  Her conscience pricked her. “I was wrong to say what I did. I was reacting to...false perceptions. Just like you’re doing now. Anyway, can you imagine going to your wife’s home and being treated the way he was treated tonight?”

  Joe toyed with the sugar bowl sitting on the table. “I know what that’s like. My in-laws hated me because I wasn’t interested in their religion.”

  “Exactly.”

  “You always did know how to make me feel like shit,” he muttered.

  She managed a halfhearted grin. “We’re siblings. That’s my job.”

  Her father got up to pour himself some coffee. “So tell me this, Gail. If the two of you are so in love, why are you here in Whiskey Creek and not on some extravagant honeymoon celebrating your marriage?”

  She could no longer meet his eyes. “This is about something more important than that.”

  “Like what?”

  The memory of finding Simon on the floor of his woodshop came into sharp focus. After that, a honeymoon hadn’t even crossed her mind. She’d just wanted to help him recover. “This home has always been my safe harbor.”

  Her father’s eyes widened. “But it can’t be the only place someone who’s that famous has to go.”

  “Anywhere else wouldn’t have the support he needs. This is the best place I know. The one I trust. I want him to have the peace of mind you’ve both given me. That’s why I brought him here.”

  After setting his cup on the table, her father came over to crouch in front of her. “He’s not a stray dog, Gail,” he said, taking her hands. “He’s a wealthy movie star who’ll probably break your heart—”

  “If he does...he does. He’s human, Dad. And he’s going through hell. Sure, he’s asked for a lot of it but everyone screws up now and then. He needs a way to break his fall. I’m trying to give him that.”

  Another silence descended as he considered her words.

  “Fine.” Her brother relented first. “I’ll be on my best behavior from here on out. You can get us to do anything. I think you know that.”

  Tears filled her eyes, which surprised her. She hadn’t realized this meant so much to her. “Thanks, Joe. Just give him a chance. That’s all I ask.”

  “Okay.” Her father squeezed her hands and stood as if that made it official. “Far as I’m concerned, he has a clean slate. But if he hurts you—”

  “He can’t hurt me, Dad. I know what to expect.”

  He returned to his coffee. “You just want to help him. That’s it.”

  “That’s it.” She wasn’t sure when her motivation had changed, when she’d become more interested in seeing Simon get back on his feet than in saving her business, but there was no doubt she was far more emotionally committed than she’d been before.

  “At least it makes sense to me now,” her father said. “But pity is a hell of a reason to marry someone.”

  It was more than pity. It was sadness over his lost potential, even a little of the hero wor
ship she’d felt for her favorite movie star. She knew that worship was what frightened her family. It frightened her, too. Maybe she’d become disenchanted with him in certain ways, but it was hard to get on an equal footing with an idol.

  “Thanks, Dad.”

  “You’re too good for him,” her father added when she came around to kiss his cheek. “But I’m willing to give him the opportunity to prove me wrong.”

  She offered them both a watery smile. She’d known they’d come through for her. They always did. “Thanks.”

  Sixteen

  Gail stared at the ceiling in her old bedroom for three hours. She’d been waiting for Simon to return, but he hadn’t come. She couldn’t help fearing he’d driven to Sacramento, left her car in long-term parking and taken a plane to L.A. Or that he’d gone home with one of the cocktail waitresses at the casino. She’d asked her family to give him a chance, but even she wasn’t sure she could fully trust him. If making the changes he needed to make were easy, he would’ve been able to do it on his own.

  But she’d doubted him once before, and he hadn’t been breaking his commitment to her. Not that the memory of finding him hurt made the passing time go by any faster. Surely, he hadn’t gotten into a car accident or a fight....

  As it neared one-thirty, she was too anxious to stay in bed. Getting a sweatshirt, she pulled it over her tank top and pajama bottoms, then went downstairs, where she made a cup of hot cocoa and sat on the front porch.

  The weather was clear but cool, somewhere in the low fifties. A gentle wind whispered through the trees in the yard, causing the red and gold leaves still clinging to the branches to fall and rustle against those on the ground. This wasn’t a traditional neighborhood. There was no curb or gutter. No square blocks, either. Just a narrow country road with two neighbors farther down, where it turned to dirt.

  Her father had built the house shortly after he married her mother. She and Joe had both been born here.

  It was good to be back. She just hoped she hadn’t made a mistake in bringing Simon with her.

  Because she hadn’t expected it, hadn’t even glanced at the driveway, it took her a moment to realize her car was parked there. Blinking several times, she tried to see inside it.