Levi’s forehead creased and he looked sympathetic to BJ’s situation. “I can understand it. I like my past. My family, my history. I don’t think I’d be thrilled if someone walked through that door and told me it wasn’t what it seemed.”
“It’s a lot to take in. But I’m trying to be open-minded. Gage insisted on giving me a key to the house that we are supposed to now own together. He wanted me to spend time there and go through the things they found that might help me learn more about my younger years. My past.”
“So how’s that going?”
BJ shrugged. “I stayed at the house the last couple of nights. I’m looking through all these photos of me and this man I do not remember. And then the pictures of me and my mom and him together…she just looked so young and happy. I just don’t get why she left if she was that happy. But anyway, I came by to see if you were free for lunch. I’m new in town, sick of thinking about all of this, and I figure I owe you a meal for showing up and saving the day.”
Levi stood. “I don’t turn down free meals.” He strode around his desk. “Let me tell the dispatcher where to find me then we’ll head out.”
They left his office and he went through another door; BJ heard him telling the woman behind the desk what he was doing.
The door from the street opened and to BJ’s surprise, Olivia, Jillian—her look-alike—and Cali, the older sister, walked inside. When Olivia saw him, she came to an abrupt halt but Cali came straight to him and hugged him.
“BJ, it’s great to see you. We missed you at the wedding. Please tell me you haven’t had another morning of disaster on that boat of yours?”
He laughed. “Hey Cali, it’s good to see you. Sorry about the wedding and no, I haven’t had trouble on my boat. I just had a lot on my mind.” He glanced back at Olivia and started to speak but Jillian beat him to it.
“I can’t understand how overwhelmed you must have been. Probably still are. But anyway, this is our sister Olivia. She surprised us with a visit.” She had grabbed Olivia’s arm and tugged her to stand beside her.
“We’ve met, actually.” It was obvious that she hadn’t told them that they’d met or Jillian wouldn’t have introduced him. So it didn’t take a scientist to realize she probably hadn’t told them she’d been stuck on her roof.
“Yes, we met on the beach this morning. BJ stayed at Gage’s place last night.”
Cali looked from him to Olivia. “You didn’t mention it, Olivia.”
“I didn’t have time. We had a lot to talk about.”
“True, we did,” Jillian agreed.
Olivia smiled at him. “It’s good to see you again.”
“So you stayed at the house,” Cali said. “Did you go through some of the photos that Shar told us about?”
“I did.”
Levi came into the room. “Hey, Olivia. What are you doing here?”
“I came to give my big brother a hug.”
“Well, if that’s what got you home, then I’m glad you came.”
BJ watched as Levi swept his sister up in a big hug. He also watched how her expression turned joyous as she hugged him.
“It’s good to have you home,” Levi said after a moment.
BJ suddenly felt out of place. “Hey, Levi, you’re probably about to get a lunch invitation from these lovely ladies, so why don’t we do lunch tomorrow?”
“Oh, we wouldn’t want to stop you two from going to lunch,” Olivia said.
“But we do need a quick moment with Levi,” Jillian added.
“How about we all go?” Levi offered.
BJ shook his head. “No, maybe another time. Today you go. From what I understand, you haven’t seen Olivia in a while. We’ll do this later. Ladies, have a nice day. It was good to see you.”
“Please come by and see us,” Jillian said. “You’re part of our family now and we’d love to get to know you better.” She smiled genuinely.
“Thanks. I’ll do that.”
Olivia studied him. “You really are welcome to join us. I hate to steal Levi away from you.”
He laughed. “It’s not a problem. I’ll talk to you later, Levi.” A few minutes later, he was walking back down the street, thinking about Olivia. Something about her got him in his gut. Her sisters looked so very much like her and yet when those eyes of hers hit his, there was no denying that there was something different in her effect on him. And he had noticed instantly that there was a difference in her and her identical sister. Something in the way she carried herself, and the turn of her head as she spoke or even listened. He’d be able to pick out Olivia from Jillian just at a glance. Despite everything going on in his life right now, he wanted to find out more about Olivia.
He stopped at a convenience store to grab a pack of gum and a bottle of water and stood in line behind a couple of young girls. They were chattering away as they waited for the guy in front of them to get checked out.
“Oh look,” one gasped and grabbed a magazine off the rack. “He is so sexy. And I loved his last movie.”
BJ nearly rolled his eyes at this young girl gushing over some movie star.
The other one sighed. “He’s a hunk. I’d kiss him any day. Can you believe they still don’t know who the mystery girlfriend is?”
“I know. I heard online that they think it could be his publicity manager or something.”
Bored but curious about who the mystery woman was, BJ glanced at the magazine they’d been ogling and saw the action flick movie star kissing some new blonde girlfriend. He was completely not interested in the dude’s love life. He was about to look away when something about the blonde woman pretty much being swallowed whole by the guy on the cover grabbed his attention. He leaned closer. No way. His heart thumped double time as he reached out and snagged a copy for himself. The girls were walking out as he slapped the gossip magazine on the counter. He had to control his urge to stop the flow of the line as he studied the shot. He pulled dollars from his pocket and then tucked the magazine under his arm and headed out of the store. Once he made it outside on the sidewalk, he strode toward the marina and his boat.
As he walked, he stared down at the photo. And there on the side of the page was a clear photo of Olivia. Olivia and the “hunk” Brad Pearson.
He halted and couldn’t help it as he thumbed to the article page and read the latest news on the mystery girlfriend.
It didn’t fit. But then, he didn’t know Olivia. Not really. All he knew was that she was scared of heights and she’d shown up in town unannounced.
She was hiding out. The heat of publicity surrounding her and her boyfriend’s ousted relationship must have driven her to lay low for a few days.
BJ tore his eyes off the article and then folded the magazine and tucked it under his arm as he strode the last block to the dock.
He was still in shock as he released the lines and headed back out for the day.
What was she thinking? You’d have to live off the grid completely not to have heard some of the stories of this guy’s love life. He was in the news all the time.
And Olivia Sinclair was his latest squeeze.
Chapter Four
“So let me get this straight: you think those crazy paparazzi are coming to my town again? Hunting you?” Levi’s expression was stern and one of disbelief. “Olivia, I thought you were smarter than this?”
“I am. I did not kiss him. He blindsided me.”
“How?” Levi’s gaze narrowed.
Olivia’s stomach churned. “I am not naïve. There were no warning signs that he was even attracted to me. It came out of nowhere when he grabbed me in front of the paparazzi and kissed me. It was almost like it was planned.”
“That creep.” He gave her a hug. “I hope he comes to town.”
Olivia loved her brothers. They were all supportive and would stand by her no matter what. “Thank you.” She hugged him back.
“That said, we better get ready because the press hounds will be coming. You’re absolutely right.
Man, I hate the bush hogs.”
Cali laughed. “I think Grant ruined Levi on the paparazzi. When they came to town in helicopters and vans, poor Levi and his deputies had to control the chaos.”
“It was the danger that they put everyone in. And people should have a right to their privacy, even if they are a celebrity.”
“Exactly,” Olivia said. “But as much as the celebrities hate it, they need them. Brad Pearson would dry up and wither if the paparazzi weren’t following him around, keeping him in the news. His love life is the new biggest thing since Brangelina.”
“Branja-who?” Levi scowled.
All three of his sisters laughed.
Olivia placed a hand on his arm. “Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie. The celebrity power couple. The paparazzi put their names together to represent their relationship. And now the same tabloids are going crazy because they’re splitting up and Brangelina is no more.”
“I still don’t get it,” Levi muttered, his brows drawn together.
“Of course you don’t and thankfully so.” Cali laughed. “They put the first few letters of his name then added n and then added the last letters of her name. Brangelina.”
“That’s crazy.” Levi looked unimpressed.
“So true,” Jillian agreed.
“As much as I may hate it too, things like that are what my job thrives on. Public relations advisors need controversy to keep their jobs going. Getting the celeb out of a fix is what keeps me working.”
“And you like it?” Levi asked skeptically.
She hitched a shoulder. “Sometimes. But it does get old.” She didn’t want to add that she was beginning get disillusioned. This hadn’t been her first choice for a career but she was very good at what she did. Having been recruited by the best company in the business spoke to her ability. This incident wasn’t going to help her situation at all.
Later, as she left her family and headed back home, she longed for the convertible that she once had. Her thoughts drifted to BJ as she headed toward her sister’s house. Would he be near? Had he seen a tabloid yet?
And if he had seen one, what would be his reaction?
Her job required her to go through all aspects of a situation, analyze it and come up with the best solution to solve it.
She hoped he hadn’t seen the photos. Wished they didn’t exist and that he was just a guy she’d met under normal circumstances, when there was no scandal hanging over her head.
She knew good and well what she was thinking—the man had looked amazing standing there in her brother’s office. And he’d been polite and almost determined not to intrude in her time with her family, or he simply could have wanted to get away from the odd lady who didn’t have the sense to get off the roof and out of the rain.
That could be the case, but still, the anticipation of seeing him again settled over her as she pulled into Shar’s driveway and parked. She got out of the Jeep and the cool breeze drifted over her.
She inhaled and looked up at the cotton candy clouds. A seagull flew over as she studied the sky and inhaled the salt air. She enjoyed the California beaches but had been so busy in the heart of LA that she couldn’t remember the last time she’d driven down to the water.
Hiding out had its rewards.
Grabbing her purse, she entered the house and kicked her sandals off as she headed for the kitchen and a glass of iced water. She carried it out onto the deck—it was time to enjoy.
There was no one on the beach as she took a drink of her water. Instead of sitting in the deck chair, she set the water on the table and strode barefoot down the steps and headed down the path to the sand. The water, the surf, and the sudden desire to dip her toes into it drew her. She wore a sundress, so she wasn’t concerned with rolling up her pants and immediately she entered the lapping surf. She loved finding seashells and studied the sand for something unique. As she wandered aimlessly down the beach, her thoughts eased and instead of pondering her dilemma, she found herself contemplating BJ.
Shielding her gaze, she studied the homes from the water’s edge. They were fairly secluded, sitting slightly off the beach with palms and landscape to protect them from view. That would help if she found a persistent photographer who really wanted to try to invade her privacy. With luck, they would realize she wasn’t really news and pull back before something like that happened. However, if not, they would have a bit of a problem figuring out which home she was staying in.
And that was a very good thing.
BJ stared at the phone on the counter beside the pictures he’d been going through. He needed to return the lawyer’s calls. He needed to find out more about his past. Needed to start filtering through where he went from here.
But, just like the revelations he’d gotten last week from Gage when he’d learned his mother had hidden his past from him, he knew that the call to the lawyer would reveal and change even more about the life he’d grown comfortable with.
It was inevitable.
But he just couldn’t do it. Not yet.
Walking to the large windows overlooking the water, he stared out at the beach. Tugging off his shirt, he left his phone on the counter and headed outside. He was halfway to the water when he saw Olivia.
She sat on a large rock with her chin resting on her knees. Her arms secured her sundress; they were wrapped around her legs while she stared out at the water. The breeze blew strands of her hair about her as she seemed lost in thought. With the sound of the surf, there was no way that she knew he was there.
Not wanting to startle her, he moved closer to the water so that she might see him in her line of vision and then he moved toward her. He’d been hoping to see her again.
He waved. “So we meet again,” he called. His adrenaline kicked in when she smiled at him.
“Hi. I wondered if I’d see you again. And just to assure you, I can get off this rock by myself.”
Cute. “Glad to hear it. So did you have a good lunch with your family?” His pulse kicked in when she glanced at his bare chest and then yanked her gaze back to the ocean. He reminded himself that she had a man in her life.
“I did. I’ve missed them.” She looked back at him, her gaze locked on his face—much like he’d locked onto her face when she’d been stuck on the roof in those wet pajamas.
He cleared his throat. “So you’ve been away working?” He was fishing and there was no reason to hide the fact.
“Yes…in LA. I’m in public relations.”
“That’s a booming business out there, I’d assume anyway.”
“If you’re good it is.”
“I’m sure you are.”
Her expression grew troubled. “I thought I was. Now, I’m not so sure. I’ve gotten myself into a bit of a fix so I’m here sorting it out.”
A fix? “So, I don’t mean to pry but can’t help myself. Are you Brad Pearson’s PR person?”
Her eyes narrowed and she grimaced. “You saw the photos?”
“On the way home from town. You looked pretty tight with him. Is it serious?”
“No. It’s nonexistent.”
“That was nonexistent? Looked like a great kiss.” His gaze went to her pretty lips.
“I was blindsided.”
“Really? You looked pretty involved.”
She scowled. “Like I said, I was startled and that translated to the photo like I was fully engaged in the plan.”
Why was he pushing? “Sorry, it’s none of my business.”
“Believe me, my phone is ringing off the wall. My messages are going crazy and I’ve been offered large sums of money for a tell-all interview with one of the tabloids, now that they know who I am. It’s overwhelming. On the one hand, it’s my job to handle things like this but when it’s about me, it’s a different dynamic. It’s overwhelming.”
She did look stressed. “Do you want to walk and talk? I’ve got my own mind-boggling situation going on. The beach is calling to me.”
She studied him, and then ran a hand thro
ugh her hair, trying to calm the flyaways. “I’d love to walk.”
He held his hand out to her to help her rise from the rock; when she slipped her hand in his, his pulse skipped and then soared. Much like the excitement he felt when he turned his boat toward open water and headed toward the horizon and the fish he would find.
But Olivia was no fish. No, she was not.
She was as deep and mysterious as the ocean depths.
He tugged her up from the rock and as she stood up, they were close. As close as they’d been when he’d helped her climb down the ladder.
Once again, the overwhelming desire to wrap his arms around her washed over him. And when she tilted her head to look up at him, he very nearly bent down and kissed her.
He stepped back. His heart thundered as he struggled to focus. What was wrong with him? “So, if you two aren’t an item, I guess he was taking a shot at winning you over?” Nothing like being blunt and laying the cards on the table.
She started to walk and he fell into step with her.
“If that’s what that was, it was a really bad move. No, I’ve been thinking hard about it. He called me and said he needed my help. I only went to the hotel because he’d called about some problem that had happened in the bar the night before. I’ve been thinking about it and I’m pretty sure I was set up. That the whole thing was a way to get him some attention and I fell right into it.”
BJ grinned; he couldn’t help it as he realized that Olivia wasn’t involved with the actor. That left her wide open on the relationship horizon. And that made him happy. “I’m sorry you were used, but I’m glad you’re not his girl.”
She halted on the wet sand, her bare feet making footprints before the fingers of surf washed up and over her feet and then receded behind her. BJ had let his gaze drift down her and now looked up and met those alluring eyes again. There were two lines of consternation between her eyebrows.
Forever and For Always Page 3