But Toni clearly had not liked that idea and now he just had the sinking feeling he had screwed up beyond repair. Which really sucked because he was falling hard for Toni. Since was the first thing he thought about when he woke and the last before he fell asleep, her teasing little smile dancing before his eyes.
He was in deep. Which might be why he was freaking the fuck out. He didn’t attach all that easily and he felt like Velcro on Toni right now.
Or he had. Before she had dismissed him.
“Damn it,” he said out loud to his empty apartment. Which seemed even emptier now that he had woken up here with Toni. Twice. She was the perfect little sexy body next to his all night long.
His phone rang and he grabbed for it, pulling it out of his pocket and hoping like hell it was Toni. It was his sister. “Hello?” She never called him and it instantly worried him.
“Mom is in the hospital. She passed out this morning.”
Shit. “Okay, on my way.”
Toni texted him while he was grabbing his keys. Can we talk?
My mom just got admitted to the hospital. I need to get to Manhattan Beach. Can I call you later?
They did need to talk. He couldn’t just leave it the way he had and feel good about himself.
Oh my gosh. I’m so sorry. Can I help?
That was sweet of her.
Just think good thoughts.
At the hospital Jenny met him in the lobby. “I told mom to stop watching Magic Mike on loop, but she wouldn’t listen. Too many hip thrusts and she passed out.”
This was why he had a hot button when it came to people not knowing when to be serious. He didn’t even know if his mother was okay and his sister was making stupid comments. “That’s not funny, Jenny. Is she okay?”
“Of course she’s okay.” She stuck her tongue out at him.
He fought the irritation. “Do you know that or you’re just assuming? Can I go in there and talk to the doctor?”
“He’s still in there with her.”
So she didn’t actually know if their mother was okay or not. She was just burying her head in the sand and laughing it off. “I need to talk to the doctor.” He didn’t even trust Jenny to convey accurate information.
His sister rolled her eyes at him. When he went into the room his mother looked fatigued but okay. He wanted to hug her but she looked small and fragile. The doctor wasn’t even in the room which made him even more annoyed with his sister. “Hi, how are you feeling?”
She just gave him a wan smile. “I’ve been better. I’ve been worse. Weren’t you supposed to be at the beach with Toni? I’m sorry if I interrupted your day.”
He winced. “I was already home. We kind of had a fight. I don’t think we’ll be seeing each other any more.”
“What? A fight about what?”
He shrugged, not really wanting to discuss it with his mother. “She put that video up of us kissing and I don’t know. I feel like I don’t know what’s real and what’s a joke with her.”
His mother held out her hand. “Come here, Chance.”
That made him feel uneasy but he took her hand in his. “What, Mom?”
She gave him a smile. “You know what I want for you?”
“What?” he asked, feeling unnerved. Why was she looking at him like she was about to extract a promise from him?
“I want you to worry less and fall in love. Just fall in love, Chance. There’s a reason they call it falling. You have to let go.”
He didn’t know what to say. He did want to fall in love. With Toni. But he was saved from having to respond by a knock on the door. “Come in,” he called, hoping it was the doctor and not the nurse.
It was neither. It was Toni, hair wild and disheveled, panting as if she’d been running.
And right then and there he knew his mother was right.
Worry less. Fall in love. Right now. With Toni.
Toni hovered in the doorway breathing hard as she stared at Chance. “Hey, sorry, I just wanted to make sure everything was okay.” The woman in the bed behind Chance was conscious and smiling and she felt immense relief for Chance. She wasn’t sure what was going on but at least it wasn’t the worst.
“Hi, there,” his mother said. “You must be Toni. Come in, come in. I’m Sara, Chance’s mother.”
“What are you doing here?” Chance asked. “How did you know where I was?”
“You said Manhattan Beach. I took a guess and called this hospital.” All of a sudden she felt idiotic and self-conscious. “I can wait in the lobby. I was just… worried.”
“No, no, stay,” Sara said. “I want to meet you.”
Chance didn’t say anything so Toni obeyed and went forward and took her hand. “Hi. Is everything okay? I’m so glad to meet you.”
“I’m fine. Nice to meet you too. I was just telling Chance I’m glad he’s dating someone who can help him loosen up.”
“Oh, ha.” She gave an awkward laugh, not sure how to respond to that. Hadn’t Chance told his mother he was done with her? Apparently not. “I kind of like him the way he is,” she said, honestly.
“Did you hear that, Chance?” his mother asked.
“Yes, I heard.” He sounded amused. “Mom, I’m going to go find the doctor and talk to him. Toni, can you come with me?”
“Sure. I hope you feel better,” she told Sara.
She followed him into the hallway and waited until the door swung shut. “I’m sorry, I should have called but I was worried that something might be really wrong and I wanted to let you know that I’m here for you. If you knew me.” She finished her speech and blinked up at him.
God, she felt all the feelings for him.
Chance didn’t say a word. He just took two steps and kissed her. Hard.
It was unexpected but she melted predictably. “Oh. Hello,” she said when he broke away.
“Toni, I’m sorry. I don’t want to push you away. I don’t want you to change. Me being an asshole this afternoon was because it scares me that I like you this much and I’m worried that maybe I want to take it more seriously than you do.”
“The way I feel is no joke,” she murmured. “I have the hots for you. I like every minute I spend with you. I was scared for you when I got your text about your mother. Are you sure she’s fine?”
“According to my mother and my sister, yes, she is. You being here is very sweet.” He ran his hand down her cheek. “And I appreciate it. I appreciate you.”
“I thought we were figuring each other out,” she said. “We could have talked out the whole video thing.”
He nodded. “I know. Which is why I am apologizing. And I’m telling you that you are what I need in my life. I don’t want to blow this before we’ve had a chance to make it something amazing.”
“Yeah?” That was her brilliant comeback? The woman who was never at a loss for words was speechless. She placed her hands on his chest. “I think it already is something amazing.”
“I think you’re amazing.”
For a long moment she found herself drowning in his eyes, then Toni realized there was a woman who appeared to be filming them with her phone. “And I think that woman is filming us.”
“What?” He turned. “Oh, hell, that’s my sister. Jenny, what are you doing?”
“Huh? Nothing.” She dropped her phone down by her side. “Just looking something up.”
“Give me your phone.” He held his hand out.
But she scooted past him and down the hall. “Gotta go. I left my purse on my chair.”
It didn’t seem like a believable lie, and clearly Chance agreed. “I think that I need to recognize that the whole world is online.”
“Yep. It pays my bills.” I smiled at him. I couldn’t help it. He wanted this. A we. And he looked just a little uncertain.
“I love it when you smile,” he said. “But I love it even more when I’m the reason.”
She wrapped her arms around his neck. “I owe Jack Cooper a big ginormous thank you.”
Chance bent down to kiss her. “Forget Jack Cooper.”
“I already have.”
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Forgetting Jack Cooper…
Jack Cooper, current Hollywood It man, has a blockbuster new movie in the works all about redemption—only he’s never had to apologize for anything in his life, and he knows how lucky that makes him.
To prepare for the role and score some publicity points along the way, Jack undertakes a round-the-country tour to make amends to those whose lives he’s inadvertently harmed. Only what Jack doesn’t realize is that fate is taking a ride-a-long on his redemption tour, and each of his long-overdue apologies will lead to unexpected romance…
See yourself how hard it is to try Forgetting Jack Cooper--five different times! The Forgetting Jack Cooper series features New York Times and USA Today Bestselling authors Erin McCarthy and Jennifer Bernard, and award-winning authors Lizzie Shane, Elizabeth Bemis and Jennifer Chance.
Forgetting Jack Cooper:
The Big Idea Edition
(A FREE PREQUEL)
by Elizabeth Bemis
Even as the successful, hardworking PR director for a major Los Angeles studio, Ruth Miller has never felt like more of a fraud. Browbeaten by her stage-managing mother, overworked and pathologically under-glammed, Ruth must deliver a knockout concept to publicize the upcoming movie of Hollywood It-Boy Jack Cooper…and she only has twenty minutes to do it. What happens next launches Ruth and Jack on a whirlwind tour through Jack’s less than sterling past…but could it open the door to Ruth’s future as well?
Buy It | Read an Excerpt
Forgetting Jack Cooper:
The Stuntman Edition
by Erin McCarthy
If there’s one thing Toni Salvatore knows how to do, it’s make people laugh. Having embarked on a life of comedy back in college playing pranks with current Hollywood star Jack Cooper, she’s now a YouTuber with her own passionate following. Too bad her newest joke—a fake on-set kiss with Jack—results in an epic case of mistaken identity…and with Toni getting flattened by Jack’s stunt man and body double. What’s a girl to do but make the best of a bad situation?
Chance Ashton takes everything seriously—he’s had to, because of his past. Then he mistakenly drops the hilarious and hot Toni to the ground in what he thought was an action scene, and he’s so intrigued he lets her kiss him after all. The results? More explosive than anything he’s experienced filming movies. When Toni seems to be interested in more than a fast laugh, he knows better than to believe her…and yet…
For the first time in her life, Toni’s pratfalled herself into what could just be a real romance. But can she convince the sexy stunt man she’s capable of more than just a joke?
Buy It | Read an Excerpt
Forgetting Jack Cooper:
The Outlaw Edition
by Jennifer Chance
Always hanging out on the edge of trouble, Chantal Green didn’t so much mind taking the fall for Jack back in high school—it was worth it to get under the hood of old man Hassel’s prized Ferrari. Fast forward ten years, and Chantal’s racked up a string of misdemeanors and a whole lot of miles under her chromed-out wheels. She’s now the successful owner of Sex Machina, a high-end custom motorcycle and gear shop that has her on the road constantly, where she most wants to be. Sure, she wonders what it’d be like to have a real home and sense of community, but that’s not on the horizon for her.
When Chantal gets Jack Cooper’s redemption-tour invite, her first thought is to ignore it. But the publicity would be sweet, so…
For military vet Luc Martin, home has special meaning. He never expected to be caring for his great aunt and uncle—or taking over their French bakery in Panama City Beach—after his second tour of duty, but he can’t deny he loves it. He’s traveled the world over and he’s ready to stop and watch the sunset more, even if it’s a little lonely watching it all by himself. Then a vision in spiked motorcycle boots roars into his shop, and Luc suddenly finds himself wondering if maybe his definition of home is all wrong…and if maybe a tough-talking biker with a heart of gold is worth chasing, even if she’s mostly running from herself.
Buy It | Read an Excerpt
Forgetting Jack Cooper:
The First Love Edition
by Jennifer Bernard
You never forget your first love … especially if it was a total disaster…
Ten years ago, Peyton Locke got dumped right before the biggest moment of her life. Valedictorian with a side of heartbreak--thanks to Jack Cooper. If not for the boy with the second best grade average, Nick Kolanowski, she never would have made it through her speech. Now that she’s back in Everton working at the Urgent Care, she’s determined to return the favor and be the most amazing friend Nick ever had.
Now a high school baseball coach and history teacher, Nick’s come a long way since he helped Peyton pick up the pieces after her break up, and he seriously can’t believe he’s back in the friend zone with her. She obviously has no idea that he’s loved her since 7th grade. Maybe their upcoming high school reunion is the perfect time to reveal his true feelings…
Or maybe not.
How could he know that Jack Cooper, current Hollywood It Boy, would show up--with a plan of his own?
It might take some epic reunion shenanigans, a bombshell from Jack, and maybe even a medical emergency, but one way or another, Nick is going to prove to Peyton that he’s the man for her. So what if he wasn’t her first love. Does that mean he can’t be her best?
Buy It | Read an Excerpt
Forgetting Jack Cooper:
The Starlet Edition
by Lizzie Shane
Actress Ginny Jones knows all too well that sometimes her mouth moves faster than her brain. Case in point: badmouthing a beloved cinema icon on tape, a recording which was then leaked worldwide. Her costar Jack dropped her flat, along with her agent and so-called friends, leaving her in a career free-fall. It’s taken her six months to scrape her self-respect back together and get another chance—a no-budget indie flick filming in the middle of nowhere. Then, to her shock, Jack shows up on a mission to make amends…and he’s got a sexy new Brit in his entourage. A Brit who makes Ginny feel alive for the first time since the scandal broke.
Jude knows he shouldn't have let Ginny assume he was Jack's new bodyguard, but how can he tell the girl whose career he helped ruin that he's actually the tabloid reporter who first released the now-infamous Tape? He’d thought Ginny was nothing more than a shallow starlet who needed to be knocked down a few pegs, but the more he gets to know her, the guiltier he feels.... and the more he falls for her. Making movies—like spinning tabloid stories—may be all about illusion, but nothing’s felt more real to Jude than what he’s experiencing with Ginny. Still, can she ever forgive him when the lights come up on his deception?
Buy It | Read an Excerpt
Forgetting Jack Cooper:
The Soulmate Edition
by Elizabeth Bemis
Having led a charmed life practically since birth, Hollywood heartthrob, Jack Cooper, has never had to ask forgiveness for anything…even when he should have. But with a new movie role that might skyrocket his career, Jack gets a second chance to clear the air for some long-ago errors in judgment, and to score some publicity points along the way. He sets off on a round-the-country tour to make amends to those whose lives he’s inadvertently harmed.
What makes the tour even sweeter? The studio’s director of Public Relations, Ruth Miller, is spearheading the effort. Though she’s shy, quiet, and more than a little attention-averse, there’s something about Ruth that keeps Jack searching for ways to make her smile.
For Ruth, thos
e smiles are harder and harder to come by. After a lifetime of trying to please dear old Mom, a former Hollywood starlet who is now Ruth’s boss, Ruth scarcely knows what it takes to please herself anymore. And no matter how unexpectedly flirtatious Jack Cooper is, she knows that falling for him before she has her own head on straight would be a disaster.
Then Ruth and Jack hit the road, and she sees an entirely different side to the playboy. They have more shared interests and unexpected connections than she would have thought possible, and with each new stop on the tour, she finds how her own strengths mesh with his…and he helps her see how special she truly is.
Unfortunately, before Ruth can drum up the courage to ask for what she really wants, it may already be too late. Because with the enormously popular “Forgiveness Tour” coming to an end, Ruth realizes that Forgetting Jack Cooper may be impossible after all.
Buy It | Read an Excerpt
Forgetting Jack Cooper:
The Big Idea Edition
by Elizabeth Bemis
“Hey, Mom. Ralph said you were looking for me?”
The cool blonde behind the granite desk glanced up, assessing me with her equally cool eyes, every hair perfectly in place. Her berry colored lipstick looked as if it had been just applied by a professional makeup artist, as did the rest of her cosmetics. Heather Miller’s mascara would never dare clump. And of course, there wasn’t a single sign of her most recent, extremely expensive “procedure” with the esteemed Dr. Stanley Greenup, plastic surgeon to the stars. Which would make that procedure a success, since one shouldn’t ever be able to tell that a woman has had “work” done.
She sighed when she saw me. There was no amount of work that could fix what I had going on, which suited me just fine.
Forgetting Jack Cooper: The Stuntman Edition Page 7