Redemption of a Hollywood Starlet

by Kimberly Lang

  But there was nothing that could be done now. Even if she weren’t contractually obligated to this film, she wanted this part, by God. Rebecca was more than just her ticket back to Hollywood; it was her chance to establish herself as a serious leading actress in her own right. No more playing the sidekick, always being compared to her mother and always coming up a bit short. She had a legacy to live up to.

  Which meant she had to get all this Finn stuff under control.

  And that seemed like a monumental task.

  “Not hungry, Caitlyn?” Jason put down the paper he was reading and grabbed a strawberry off her plate. He smiled at her as he chewed, and Caitlyn could only imagine the caption that would go under the cute picture of him eating off her plate.

  They were having a late, leisurely Saturday morning breakfast at a sidewalk café not far from her rented condo right off the water in downtown Baltimore. It was a trendy spot, carefully chosen to maximize exposure and photo ops for passersby. And it had worked; they’d drawn plenty of attention to themselves simply by doing nothing, and Jason’s popularity ensured that those photos would make their way to the blogs in quick order. After three days of them filming love scenes, rumors were already rumbling about their “amazing chemistry” that “might mean something more.” This breakfast would give those rumors legs, but only she knew the truth behind that so-called chemistry.

  Jason reached for another strawberry without asking, and she pushed her plate across the table to him. “I don’t really like to eat for the cameras. They always manage to catch me at just the wrong moment. I’ll get something later.”

  He obviously thought that was funny, even as he chowed down on the rest of her fruit and yogurt, and while there was some truth to the statement, there were plenty of other issues complicating it.

  Jason went back to his magazine as she stared at her paper, and to the world they’d look like any other couple having breakfast. She’d drawn a hard line about any snuggling or other public displays of affection, so they were going for the “comfortable companionship” vibe. Everyone would fill in all the blanks they wanted without Jason or her offering anything more.

  She really hated this whole arrangement on principle. It was deceitful to pretend to a relationship—of any sort—simply to up her popularity by tying it to Jason’s. She found it insulting on a professional level and personally distasteful.

  At the same time it beat eating alone. Not by much, granted, but the grind of “work all day, go back to a rental alone at night” had started to lose its shine already. She didn’t know anyone in Baltimore other than the cast and crew, and after keeping hours as long or longer than hers they weren’t much for socializing, either.

  She wasn’t bored, but she was getting a little lonely. Jason was a poor substitute for actual company, but at least he was a breathing human being.

  He’d been reading a magazine and now pushed it toward her. “Good interview.”

  “Thanks.” At least that woman had given her the chance to put some of her past in a different, more flattering light. It was a start.

  “This says you went to London and took acting classes.”

  “Yeah, I did some workshops, too.”

  “Rumor had it you went there to check into rehab.”

  She’d gone to London because it was far away from California and still in an English-speaking country. She’d considered Australia at first, but at least she knew a few people in London. She’d gone to hide and think.

  “That’s why they’re called rumors. They’re rarely true.”

  “Why?”

  Jason was pleasant to look at, but talking to him made her head hurt. “Why what?”

  “Why take classes?”

  Was he really that slow? “To improve my craft.”

  “You already knew how to act.”

  “Yes, but there’s always something new to learn, right?”

  “If you say so.”

  And that explained so much about Jason. She’d now take bets that his career had an expiration date in the not too distant future. Caitlyn shook her head as Jason went back to his magazine. She’d had the talent and connections to get her start in the business, but she’d found out the hard way that it just wasn’t enough.

  She’d had plenty of time over the last few years to analyze how it had all happened and where it had all gone wrong, and the disturbing return of a whole bunch of feelings she didn’t want to dissect didn’t change any of her conclusions.

  In many ways Finn had been the perfect choice for “Caitlyn Reese, Actress.” He’d been a rising power player from an already powerful family, and his reputation and prestige were being bolstered by a string of successful films. She’d been the daughter of the industry’s most respected director and America’s favorite actress. Their relationship had given the papers great headlines—all kinds of garbage about the merging of dynasties.

  While she had been born into Hollywood royalty, it wasn’t really her world and she hadn’t quite found her place. Oh, she’d had all the right connections to put her on a path to live up to her parents’ legacy, but she’d never really managed to get all the pieces in the right places at the right times.

  Growing up in that shadow had left her lacking certain social skills, and that had led to rumors of haughtiness and self-absorption, so that by the time she’d turned twenty-three she’d had a string of great acting credits to her name but no friends and little attention outside the films.

  Then she’d met Finn. Their connection had been instantaneous, red-hot and immediately front page news. Overnight, her reputation had changed completely, launching her into the public eye like a publicist’s dream.

  Oh, she’d launched, all right. Right into the danger zone.

  Finn had understood her—or so she’d thought. Being herself hadn’t worked out all that well, and that had made the hurt worse. Then things had just gotten out of hand. It had been totally accidental, but that original plan had fallen by the wayside for her, and by the time she’d realized how deep in she’d gone, there’d been no graceful way out. Within six months she’d fallen just as fast as she’d risen, becoming a cautionary tale about the young, rich and famous in Hollywood. It had been utterly humiliating—for her and her parents.

  But then she’d run away to London, and things had been different. Her reputation had preceded her, but without Finn to help fuel the fire she’d been able to live a bit more quietly. Distance had given her perspective, and after long discussions with her agent and her parents she’d launched her new plan. Her name guaranteed her acceptance into the right circles, but she’d never used it. Instead, she reinvented herself and thrown herself into acting classes and workshops. With the confidence she’d gained she’d made a new set of friends, and created a new life that was the polar opposite of the one she’d left behind. She’d taken smaller roles to stretch her range, gained some respect for those performances, then moved slowly up the ladder to bigger parts in the West End.

  The constant exchange between the West End and Broadway meant she’d known plenty of people in New York when she’d arrived six months ago. Mentally, emotionally and professionally, she’d managed to end up in a good place.

  A true redemption story, ready to be told.

  But now … She was starting to feel a little restless and alone. The feeling was familiar, but not fun. And she could feel the pressure mounting already: she needed to be “out there,” making the magazines, getting her name on people’s lips again … Living up to her legacy.

  Thankful for the sunglasses that hid her eyes, she glanced at Jason again. Yet, somehow she’d already been reduced to this.

  Four more weeks. Only a month. She could handle it.

  “You ready?” Jason’s voice cut into her thoughts.

  “Yes.” Finally, she added to herself as Jason paid the bill and they left, setting off a new flurry of whispers when Jason put his hand on her lower back to guide her out.

  Jason had left his car in front
of Caitlyn’s temporary home, and they walked the few blocks back. After they turned the first corner no one seemed to be paying any attention, and she felt her shoulders relax.

  “I’m not really sure I like this idea of pretending we’re something,” Jason grumbled.

  Surprise caused her to miss a curb and stumble a bit. Jason loved the attention from the press. Courted it, even. Maybe she’d pegged him wrong and he did have a conscience when it came to stuff like this. “Really? Me—”

  The corners of his mouth pulled down as he shook his head. “You and Finn were high-profile. I don’t want to look like I’m taking seconds or just your fall-back plan.”

  Her dislike of Jason grew a little more every day. “Or people might think that, given the choice between you or Finn, I chose you.”

  “I hadn’t thought of that …” He brightened considerably. “I like that interpretation.”

  Of course you do. “Honestly, though, I don’t want this to be any bigger than it has to be. I don’t want anything coming back to bite me later, or anything that will look like we were intentionally trying to make people believe something false.”

  “But we are.”

  He just wasn’t the sharpest knife in the drawer. “No, we’re not. We’re just not correcting their erroneous conclusions yet. We, as colleagues, had breakfast together. We might even catch dinner one night. People do it all the time, you know. I want to be able to honestly say we are just friends and make sure they’ll have nothing solid to point to that might suggest otherwise.”

  “Then what’s the point?”

  She appealed to the one thing she knew would work: his ego. “You don’t want Finn overshadowing you on Folly, do you? The producer shouldn’t get more attention than the lead actor, right?”

  “You’re right.”

  “We’re really just keeping attention where it belongs, instead of letting Finn run away with it.”

  “Good point.” They paused in front of Jason’s rental car. “Want a ride in?”

  I’ve had about enough of you this morning. “Thanks, but I’ll drive myself.”

  “See you later, then.”

  As Jason drove away she realized she was right, and that knowledge relieved her own conscience and brightened her outlook considerably. Not only would they keep the media’s attention where it belonged—on Folly—they would keep hers there as well. Maybe this plan wasn’t the worst idea, after all.

  Provided it worked.

  In the half-hour it took for her to drive from Baltimore to the set on the Patapso River, Caitlyn repeated every mantra and affirmation she could bring to mind so many times that she nearly believed the plan might actually work. Her mood began to lighten, only to crash when the very first person she ran into on the set was Finn.

  Why was he hovering over the production like some first-timer who didn’t trust the crew to do their jobs?

  Finn looked mildly surprised to see her, but the explanation came quickly. “I thought you were having breakfast with Jason.”

  And good morning to you, too, Finn. There was an edge to his voice, though, that kept the retort behind her teeth. “I did.”

  Finn raised an eyebrow at her. “So where is he?”

  That eyebrow grated across already raw nerves. “I wouldn’t know. I’m not his keeper or his manager.”

  “But it went well?”

  Define well. “The restaurant was lovely, and plenty of people saw us. That’s what you wanted, right?”

  “That was the plan.”

  This conversation was stilted, awkward and bordering on antagonistic. There was a set to Finn’s jaw that she recognized as irritation held in check, but she couldn’t be the cause. She’d just gotten here, for goodness’ sake. She knew the root cause of her attitude, though, and while Finn was to blame, she knew it wasn’t really his fault. She would just have to get hold of herself and get over it. And that would best be done at a safe distance from Finn Marshall.

  “I’m sure Jason will be along shortly, and if I see him I’ll let him know you’re looking for him.”

  Finn shrugged. “Don’t bother.”

  Okay, now I’m lost. “Then I’ll just be in my trailer if anyone needs me.” Beating my head against the wall, trying to knock the stupid out.

  He nodded once, then walked away, leaving her standing there feeling rather foolish.

  Once again, it was a feeling she was used to.

  CHAPTER FOUR

  EVEN though his body clock hadn’t fully adjusted to the time change, Finn was up before sunrise Sunday morning—and sunrise was not something he saw very often. At least from this side. He often saw the sun coming up as he made his way to bed, and the fact he was up at such a ridiculous time only compounded his bad mood. He needed a good night’s sleep.

  Being back in his childhood room at Hill Chase normally caused him to sleep like the dead, but the dreams that had plagued him since Cait’s sudden and unexpected return to his life still kept him tossing and turning all night. The strange sensation of want—rather like a nagging feeling—circling through his blood irritated him. Old flames had never held much interest for him before, but Cait seemed to be the exception to that rule, too. Hell, Cait had never run up against a rule she couldn’t break, bend or circumvent. It was one of the things they’d had in common.

  He’d finally given up all pretense of sleep and gone to the stables. A long ride on Duke helped clear his head, if nothing else. Although he was accepting of the changes that had happened in his absence, he still didn’t really like what he was now in the middle of. His project was behind schedule, hovering dangerously close to going over budget … And then there was Cait. Oh, she was definitely a wrench in the gears he hadn’t been expecting.

  He should have sent Dolby to Monaco instead of risking Folly by going himself. He was paying for that bit of bad thinking now. Still, he had to admit that Cait was the right choice—even if it wasn’t the choice he’d have made. Folly was better for having her in it, and he needed to remember this was about the project—not Cait, and certainly not him.

  His sudden appreciation for rules and the need to keep the bigger picture in mind made him feel like he was channeling his brother Brady this morning, and that didn’t help his mood, either. He needed to shake it all off and think about something else before he ruined his entire day.

  He and Duke were already back in the stable before the hands had made their way in to start the day. Duke snorted as Finn handed him over to finish being brushed, and Finn gave him a treat before he left.

  He missed Duke—and from what the hands said Duke missed him—but it wasn’t as if he could move his horse to Malibu. But he really did need to start scheduling more trips home. And not just for his horse. The Grands weren’t getting any younger. They were both still spry and in general good health, but for how much longer?

  He and Dolby had toyed with the idea of expanding more into television, and with the number of shows shooting in New York, it would make sense to establish something on the east coast as well. New York was far enough away to keep him sane, but only a short train ride to D.C., and he could spend more time here to keep the Grands happy.

  As Finn came up the hill to the house he could see the Grands on the back terrace, enjoying their morning coffee, which wasn’t surprising. Granddad liked to watch the horses as they were turned out in the morning, as over the last few years he’d finally had to admit he was getting a little too old to be as hands-on as he’d used to be.

  Yeah, after Folly wrapped he’d talk to Dolby about possibilities for Dolfinn on this side of the country.

  “Good morning, dear. Did you enjoy your ride?” Nana waved him toward a chair, and he realized the table was already set for breakfast.

  “I did. Let me wash up and I’ll join you. I’m starving.”

  “Be quick,” Granddad grumped. “Gloria’s been holding breakfast until you got back.”

  “And bring the others with you,” Nana called as Finn opened the door
.

  Finn stuck his head under the faucet and changed into clean clothes. As much as he would have liked to bang on Brady’s and Ethan’s doors, just for juvenile kicks, Ethan spoiled his fun by being in the hall already, still buttoning up a clean shirt.

  “You were up early.” Ethan’s hair was still damp, meaning he hadn’t been up very long at all.

  “I don’t have a lovely wife to keep me up all night.”

  Ethan’s grin confirmed his late night, but before Finn could say anything, Lily came out of the bedroom, twisting her hair up into a ponytail as she walked. Lily’s cheeks were flushed pink and she wore a small smile. Seemed Ethan had been up for a while, after all.

  “‘Morning, Finn.”

  “‘Morning. They’re waiting on us to eat.”

  Lily motioned them forward with a jerk of her head, since her hands were now busy tucking a tee shirt into her jeans. “Then let’s hurry. I’m starving.”

  Finn smirked. “Can’t imagine why.”

  Lily blushed even pinker. Ethan punched him in the arm and tried to frown him into good behavior.

  A musical jingle floated from the other end of the hall, announcing Aspyn and Brady’s appearance. Aspyn was a modern-day flower child, all the way down to the anklet of small gold bells that was the source of the sound. How she managed to tolerate his stick-in-the-mud oldest brother was a mystery for the ages.

  Neither one of his sisters-in-law were anything like who he’d expected his brothers to marry, but he liked them both—sometimes more than his brothers.

  “You were up at the crack of dawn this morning,” Brady said. “Did you have to try to wake the whole house?”

  Finn made a point of looking Brady up and down. “I obviously disturbed your beauty rest.”

  Aspyn shook her head at him in censure, but there was a small smile on her lips. “You’re so bad, Finn Marshall.”

  He grinned at her. “Just part of my charm.”

  Aspyn laughed as she moved past all three of them and hooked an arm through Lily’s. “Bloodshed before breakfast would make me lose my appetite. Let’s go before they get too worked up.”