Love in the Spotlight

by Olivia Jaymes

  The third?

  Another plus sign.

  The fourth?

  The word pregnant all typed out neatly. Just in case she didn’t believe the first three.

  She was pregnant. There was no denying the results. She couldn’t pretend anymore, although she’d been doing exactly that for the last few weeks, making excuses for not feeling quite right.

  Pregnant. With Sam’s baby.

  Would he even care?

  Did it matter? His emotions didn’t change anything.

  Her hand pressed against her still flat – for now – belly. It didn’t matter if Sam Collins wanted to be a father. She was going to be a mother and she’d be the very best one she could be. If he wanted to be a part of this miracle, that was fine. If he didn’t that was okay, too.

  She was going to have a baby either way.

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  It was good to sit down for lunch with friends like Nate and Paige. They were in New York City, along with their twin babies who were back at the hotel being minded by Nate’s mother and a nanny, working on the movie adaptation of Paige’s book. Nate had teased that the children were going to become intrepid travelers by their fifth birthday. The three of them spent the time while waiting for their dinner looking at pictures of the babies on Nate’s cell phone.

  Off in a quiet corner, no one bothered them but then this was New York City. People didn’t get starry-eyed about a couple of actors eating antipasto at a small out-of-the-way restaurant in Little Italy.

  Nate took a sip of his water. “You probably heard that I turned down the new Thunder movie. They had no idea how they were going to write me in since my character died. Honestly, it sounded like they hadn’t really thought about anything. They just wanted us all together again.”

  That was the understatement of the year. The studio seemed to have the belief that the script didn’t matter as long as the four men were on the theatre marquee.

  “I turned it down as well and I have to agree with you. If there had been a decent script…or any script at all, well, I might have made a different decision.”

  “Were they willing to finance your next project?”

  Sam chuckled as he remembered that conversation with his agent. “Yes and no. They were willing to finance a project, but they wanted to be far too involved in it for my liking. When I produce and direct a film I like to have control over it. I’m funny that way.”

  Paige nodded in understanding. “I’m learning that about myself, as well. I think you both did the right thing.” She glanced at her husband and then at Sam. “But that doesn’t mean that you can’t work together again. If the project was right.”

  Interest piqued, Sam leaned forward. “Do you have any ideas? I’m listening if you do.”

  Nate was already shaking his head. “Don’t encourage her. I didn’t realize what being married to a writer was going to be like. She gets ideas for stories all the time. Anywhere and everywhere and at all times of the day or night. She has a notebook filled with them and one whole section is devoted to stories that I could star in. Now she’s thinking about movies that all of us could do together.”

  Sam couldn’t think of men he’d rather work with than his Thunder castmates. They’d made some hellishly awful shoots much more bearable.

  “Send some of those ideas over. I’d be open to all of us doing another picture together, just not another Thunder movie. That franchise needs to go out while it’s still on top.”

  Paige gave her husband a smug smile. “See? I told you he’d be open to it.”

  “Don’t say I didn’t warn you,” Nate laughed. “You’re about to be bombarded with texts twenty-four hours a day.”

  “I look forward to it.”

  “You’re always such a gentleman,” Paige sighed. “Now enough about us and the babies, tell us how your vacation was. Did you get some well-deserved rest?”

  Poor Paige had no clue how loaded her seemingly innocent question was.

  “Some. It was nice to see my mother. She might come visit me here in the city in a few weeks.”

  “What did you do?” Paige pressed, taking a bite of her lasagna. “I love the beach.”

  Paige was originally from another part of Florida, but she’d made her home in London with Nate. She was still getting used to the rain and cold.

  “Really not much.” Sam didn’t like being evasive with his best friends, but he wasn’t sure he wanted to get into this with them. Lately he wasn’t sure of anything at all.

  Blissfully eating his chicken piccata, Nate didn’t appear to have a clue the inner turmoil that Sam had inside, but Paige was a different matter altogether. Like so many women, she seemed to have a sixth sense about things. Right now, she was looking at him with the same shrewd gaze his mother had.

  Shit.

  “Did something happen while you were on vacation, Sam?”

  He took a big bite of his pasta. “No.”

  Paige wasn’t buying what he was selling. She set her fork on her plate and cleared her throat delicately.

  “I hope you know that we’re your friends and you can tell us anything. We’d never disclose what was said in confidence.”

  “I do.”

  “So if something happened and you’re upset about it, it might help to talk it out.”

  “Maybe.”

  Another sigh, but this one wasn’t nearly as happy as the last one. “Let me stop beating around the bush and get right to it. Do you realize that you’ve been answering me in one or two-word replies?”

  “So?”

  “It rather suggests that there’s something you don’t want to talk about.”

  Nate placed a hand on his wife’s arm. “Then maybe we should take the hint, sweetheart. If Sam doesn’t want to discuss it…”

  She was looking him up and down or as well as one could when he was sitting. That sharp gaze was appraising, probing, seeing right through his bullshit. Heaven help poor Nate. He’d never get away with even a tiny fib, but then Paige had a teenage son so she’d had to have finely tuned mother-radar.

  “It’s a woman.”

  The pronouncement was calm and sure, like Paige herself.

  Nate winced and shook his head. “Then we really need to mind our own business. Let the man eat in peace.”

  “We just want to help,” Paige said gently. “But I’ll drop it if it bothers you.”

  These were his friends and friends wanted to help. They simply didn’t understand that there was nothing they could do to make this better. It was far too late.

  “I appreciate that but there really isn’t anything you can do. You’re right, I met a woman, but I doubt I’ll be seeing her again.”

  This time it was Nate who spoke. “Why not? Did you argue?”

  “Not at all. She’s a lovely woman and we got along very well. She’s a kindergarten teacher and a friend of my mother.”

  Paige smiled with excitement. “She sounds perfect. Why aren’t you going to see her again?”

  “Because she’s the type of woman who wants a real relationship,” he explained patiently. “Commitment, children, an actual home life. Not a man that gallivants all over the world for work and is never home. We’re too different.”

  Nate frowned, his gaze narrowing. “And you don’t want any of that? Not even a little bit?”

  “I had it,” Sam reminded his friend. “I had it and I blew it. I’m not cut out for happily ever after.”

  “One mistake doesn’t mean you can’t try again.” Paige reached for her husband’s hand. “The second time around can be pretty great. As for your marriage, it takes a lot of work from two people, not just one. You can’t take it all on your own shoulders.”

  He could because they didn’t know the whole story. A situation he wasn’t anxious to rectify.

  “Let’s just say that Trish had a good reason for divorcing me.” He realized how that sounded, though. They’d think he cheated on her.

  “You were young,” Paige argued
. “I doubt you’d make the same mistakes.”

  He wouldn’t want to but he might, and he couldn’t take that chance. Not again.

  “Trish was pretty clear when we split up that I was the worst husband on earth. She hated me and said she never wanted to look at my face again and she hasn’t. The divorce settlement was very generous. It’s the least I can do for ruining her life.”

  Nate frowned, his brows pinched together. “Is that what she said? That you’d ruined her life? That’s harsh.”

  She’d said that and a few other things that day. The last day he’d seen her. Even during the divorce he hadn’t seen her again; they’d conversed completely through attorneys.

  He hoped she’d found some sort of happiness in her life. He’d loved her once and he wanted the best for her.

  “I don’t really want to talk about my ex, if you don’t mind. Let’s just say that I’m not looking to get married again and leave it there.”

  Paige looked like she might cry. Damn, she was softhearted. “I think it’s sad, though. I don’t want you to live your life alone, Sam. You’re a good person and you don’t deserve that.”

  “I’m living my life…on my terms. It’s all good.”

  Tilting her head, Paige seemed to consider his words. “But she made you think about it? Just a little bit.”

  More than he should have. Riley wasn’t for him. Obsessing about what could be wasn’t good for his mental health.

  The buzzing of his phone mercifully interrupted their conversation. The phone displayed a photo of his mother that he’d taken when he was home.

  “Excuse me, it’s my mom. I need to take this.”

  Nate and Paige nodded in understanding, turning toward each other to give him a little privacy.

  “Hey, Mom. What’s going on?”

  “Um, Sam? This is Tara, your mother’s friend.”

  Why was Tara using Paula’s phone?

  “Hi, Tara. Where’s Mom?”

  A cold feeling was beginning to crawl through his veins, a sense of foreboding he couldn’t shake. Tara had a tone in her voice that Sam didn’t like.

  “That’s kind of why I’m calling. Your mom collapsed and had to be taken to the hospital. She told the doctors not to call you but both Riley and I think you should know. We’re here with her now and the doctors are running tests. It might be nothing or… Anyway, we thought you should know.”

  His mother was the single most important person in Sam’s life. Damn right they should have called him. He’d have a talk with Paula. Later. When she was recovered.

  His mother had always been in excellent health but she was getting older, a fact that Sam had been conveniently ignoring. He didn’t want to think of his life without her in it.

  “Give me a few hours and I’ll be there. And Tara? You did the right thing calling me.”

  He only hoped that this time he wouldn’t be too late.

  CHAPTER TWENTY

  Riley had been preparing herself for hours to see Sam, but when he burst into Paula’s hospital room it was still like a punch to her abdomen. She hadn’t exactly been completely relaxed before seeing him, but now it was as if every nerve in her body was at attention and every hair on her head was standing on end.

  She’d thought she’d have more time to figure out how to tell him he was going to become a father, but fate had taken over this afternoon. Paula had collapsed while outside doing some gardening and now the decision of when had been taken out of Riley’s hands. There was no reason to wait. He was here, Paula was okay, and Riley…? She was still pregnant and quietly freaking out as he rushed to his mother’s side, peppering Paula and Riley with questions about what happened and what the doctor said.

  “I’m fine,” the older woman sighed. “I got too dehydrated and my blood pressure dropped. I passed out. That’s the whole story. They’re giving me IV fluids and want to keep me overnight for observation. That’s why I told Riley and Tara not to call you. There was no need.”

  After her promise to Sam to look after his mother, Riley had felt duty bound to call him and now here they all four of them were, standing in a hospital room with the tension sky high.

  “Jesus, of course they needed to tell me. If you’re admitted to the hospital I want to know about it. Thank goodness a few people around here had some common sense.”

  Paula gave Tara a fierce frown. “And they’ll be hearing about that later. I can’t believe you left the film and came down here. How did you get here so fast?”

  “I chartered a plane and of course I left the set, Mother. I called the director and he can shoot around me for a few days.”

  “As you can see, I’m fine. They’re going to release me tomorrow with a promise to drink more water, especially when I’m outside. Apparently older people can become dehydrated more easily.”

  Riley inwardly winced. Paula hadn’t liked it at all when the young doctor had chastised her for not keeping her fluid intake up when she was in the hot sun. Then he’d had the audacity to call Paula a senior citizen. He’d left shortly thereafter, having been on the receiving end of a deathly stare that would have scared the bejesus out of most men.

  “You have to take care of yourself–”

  “I’ve had about enough of people calling me old in the last few hours,” Paula interrupted. “If you don’t have anything positive to say then you can get back into your fancy rented jet and fly back to New York. It’s kind of been a rotten day.”

  Sam’s expression immediately softened. “Do you need anything? A better room? Some food? I can run out and get you something to eat. Whatever you need. How about some books or magazines?”

  “The girls have already taken good care of me. Riley got me some dinner and some reading material for the evening, but they actually have cable here. I’ll be fine. Go back to New York.”

  Sam’s lips tightened with frustration. “Is my presence bothering you?”

  Watching the back and forth between mother and son was interesting. Clearly Paula didn’t want to be a burden and Sam was determined to take care of her.

  “No, but I know how you are when you’re making a new movie. You’re buried in your work and the character, usually. Is coming here going to be a problem?”

  “I’m not method, Mother.” Sam sighed and scraped his fingers through his hair, reminding Riley of the morning after their night together when his hair had been standing straight up, all tousled and cute. “I’m worried about you and I want to make sure you’re okay.”

  Paula sat up and pressed a kiss to her son’s cheek. “I’m fine and I’m glad you’re here. Why don’t you tell us about the new film? I’d love to hear about it and that’s more interesting than television or a book.”

  Somehow Sam found more chairs – from a few helpful nurses – and they all sat down to listen to his stories from the movie set. He’d barely turned to look at her the entire time he’d been in the room and Riley was growing increasingly angry with him. She hadn’t expected Sam to throw himself at her feet, but she hadn’t expected to be roundly ignored either. They’d parted as friends but he was acting like she wasn’t even alive. Frankly, it was a crappy thing to do.

  Her blood pressure had risen and her stomach tumbled with leashed rage by the time another nurse stuck her head in and said that it was time for them to leave. The nurse didn’t leave, however, hanging around and standing far too close to Sam. Riley didn’t have the right to be jealous but she was.

  Paula held out her hand and beckoned to Riley. “Can you wait a moment?”

  She nodded to Tara and Sam to go ahead of her while she hung back. “Of course, is there something you need?”

  “I’m fine. If you repeat this I’ll never admit it, but thank you for calling Sam. I hate to pull him away from work but it was nice to see his face after such an awful day.”

  “Actually, Tara called him,” Riley reminded her.

  “It was your idea. I know that he asked you to look after me.” Paula’s smile was full of love
for her son. “He’s a good boy. I’ve tried to be both mother and father to him. Frankly he deserved a better father, but I was all he had.”

  “You did a great job.”

  Sometimes a sign from the universe sits on your shoulder softly and sometimes it smacks you across the face.

  Riley’s baby deserved a chance to have a dad. No matter what, she had to find a way to tell Sam. He’d probably just offer her money and go back to his life, but she had to try. Maybe, just maybe, he’d want to parent this child with her in some manner. She didn’t know how they’d work it out but she was sure they could. The nurse eventually came back into the room and shooed Riley out into the hallway with Tara and Sam.

  “I need to get back home.” Tara checked her watch and then dug into her purse for her car keys. “Hubby should be off work now. Riley, are you going to take Sam back to Paula’s?”

  Riley hesitated, Sam frowned, and Tara didn’t have a clue as to the subtext of the conversation. She’d never told her best friend about her night with the actor.

  “Do you have a rental, Sam?” Tara asked when no one spoke up. “If not, either Riley or I can pick up Paula in the morning.”

  Sam was staring over Tara’s shoulder so it looked like Riley wasn’t the only one he didn’t want to make eye contact with. He was acting so strangely tonight and she was the one with the huge secret. What was his excuse?

  “I don’t have a rental but I can get one.”

  “No need.” Tara waved away the offer. “We can get her, no problem.”

  More silence but this time Tara seemed to get the idea that something was going on and she didn’t want to be any part of it. Smart.

  “Well…goodnight. See you tomorrow.”

  Tara fled and that meant that Riley had run out of time. Delaying wasn’t going to help and Sam’s idea of pretending they weren’t standing a foot from each other wasn’t going to work either.

  “I’ll give you a ride,” she said, turning toward the exit and hoping he followed without too much of an argument. Once they were alone she could tell him. Now that she’d decided she wanted it over with as soon as possible. “It’s on my way home.”