THE STARLIGHT HILL COMPLETE COLLECTION: 1-8

by Bell, Heatherly

  She nearly chopped her finger off instead of the celery. “You are?”

  He lifted a shoulder. “I’m not worried about you anymore. The dentist isn’t going to hurt you. I see that now. He’s harmless.”

  “But— are you going up to the cabin?”

  “I’ll stick around till Joe gets back to be on the safe side.”

  “Oh.” It was all she could think to say. This was not going well. It seemed as though those kisses weren’t as memorable to him.

  “Look, Gen, just tell me the truth. If you think you want to get back together with the man, I won’t stand in your way. I know that Joe and your mother wouldn’t like it, but frankly that’s your business. Is that what you want?”

  She wanted to cry or scream or hit him in the face hard, with one of her pans. “What the hell is wrong with you?”

  “What did I do now?”

  Men! How could he not know? “We were kissing. And it was hot, and you have to ask me if I want to get back together with my ex? I was married to him for two months, six months ago!”

  “You have to admit you’re acting a little wacky. I know I’m a nice distraction right now, but maybe you need to face your problems.”

  Her heavy frying pan up against the side of that handsome face began to look better and better. “I’m facing my problem right now, and it’s you! Didn’t you like kissing me?”

  He looked at the ground. “I knew sooner or later you’d bring that up.”

  “You can’t lie to me. You liked kissing me, and putting your hand up my skirt. You enjoyed it as much as I did.”

  He winced. “I should apologize for that. I know you had a crush on me a long time ago—”

  “Don’t you dare apologize!” A crush. He still thought of her as a kid, since he seemed to be talking about a child, a teenager. Puppy love.

  “You got over it once before, and you will again.”

  That’s what he thought, but she’d never get over him. He still didn’t realize he’d always been the center of her heart. And maybe right now might not be the best time to tell him. He thought she was a stupid girl who couldn’t make up her mind. Someone who’d married a man she barely knew.

  “And I told you. I’m not going to be the rebound guy.” Wallace got up and walked to the window. He stood there for a few minutes staring outside, his hands in his pockets. She wanted to come up behind him and wrap her arms around him. She wanted to tell him she didn’t need a rebound guy. Every other guy she’d ever dated had been that. Wallace was the guy.

  But she didn’t say a word and instead watched him bend down and pick something up off the floor. His expression seemed to change from boredom to alarm. “What the hell is this— thing?”

  Great. She’d forgotten to throw away the bronze statue. It was still on the floor where she’d drop kicked it. “I was going to throw that away.”

  “I don’t blame you.”

  “It was a gift from Allen.”

  Wallace slid her a look. “Are you kidding me? He’s your ex. This is stalker-like behavior.”

  “He just has peculiar taste in art.”

  “This isn’t art, Gen.” He shook the statue. “It’s porn.”

  Porn? It was Allen’s idea of art. “Regardless. I’m throwing it away.”

  “Please. Let me.” He walked over to the trash can in the kitchen and threw it in. Then he turned to her. “I better stay after all. He’s not over you, Gen. Unless you’re interested…”

  “No! But it’s just a statue. Aren’t you overreacting?”

  His eyes smoldered with heat. “Overreacting? You haven’t seen your ex in six months and he sends you a statue of a couple copulating right before he looks you up again. Think he’s giving you a big hint?”

  This was going better than she could have expected. She thought she saw a throbbing vein in Wallace’s neck. “You know what? You sound kind of jealous.”

  “I’m not jealous.”

  She took a deep breath and found her last nerve. “Face it. You want me as much as I want you. Those kisses, they don’t lie. You have feelings for me. Why not admit it?”

  Wallace’s phone buzzed and he glanced at the caller ID. “It’s Billy. I need to take this.”

  Of course he did. Any reason to avoid talking about feelings.

  “Yeah.” Wallace spoke into his phone. “Is that right? That’s— well, that’s great. Right?” He glanced at Gen, nodded, broke into a rare smile and threw his head back. “Why can’t you —? Fine. I’ll be right over.”

  “Where are you going?” He wasn’t getting away from her before they could discuss the heat between them. Speaking of heat, she had to check on her stew.

  Wallace followed her back to the kitchen.

  “Billy wants me to drop by our mother’s. You won’t believe this, but you did it.” He smiled at her, and Gen saw what she’d forgotten— Wallace didn’t have Allen’s smile at all. Far from perfect, even though the teeth were straight and white, the smile was slightly crooked. One corner of the mouth curved more than the other like he didn’t use it often enough to know how. And it was so rare that seeing that smile often felt like a solar eclipse. It also did strange things to her body, and a zing went right through to the soles of her feet.

  Gen dropped her ladle. “I did what?”

  “Whatever you said, you convinced my mother. She’s called off the engagement.”

  “Me? What did I say?”

  “I don’t know, but it must have been what she needed to hear. Thanks.” He picked her up in his arms and whirled her around the kitchen.

  Gen’s breath caught in her throat. When Wallace set her down, he studied her again, his eyes zeroing in on her lips. His thumb traced the curve of her jaw, and she parted her lips, getting ready for his kiss. Waiting like a child waits for Santa on Christmas Eve. But it didn’t come.

  He let her go, and made a show of looking for his keys. “Sorry about dinner, but I need to go see what’s going on with my mother. Billy said I should check in on her.”

  “Why?” Genevieve asked, still rooted to the spot where he’d left her.

  “I don’t know. She’s upset or something. And you know Billy, God forbid he leave Brooke alone for a second. And Pop will be fairly useless. If it isn’t about grapes or baseball, he’s got nothing.”

  “Of course she’s upset. She just ended her engagement with the man she loves. I’m coming with you.” She shut off the stove.

  With no idea what she’d said to change Mrs. Turlock’s mind, Gen prepared to talk some sense into Wallace’s mother. A woman didn’t just give up on the man she loved. After talking to Mrs. Turlock, Gen had been convinced more than ever that she and Wallace belonged together. No matter how hard it would be, no matter how far out of her comfort zone she would have to travel to get there, she had to have Wallace.

  Wallace’s eyes narrowed and he laid a hand on Gen’s shoulder. “If you come with me, you don’t want to undo all your good work. Remember, she barely knows the man. And you have firsthand experience on how that doesn’t work.”

  “She has to end the engagement for the right reasons. If she doesn’t, she’ll always regret it. Don’t you want your mother to be happy?” She jammed her hands on her hips.

  “Yeah.”

  “Maybe there’s a romantic in you yet, dying to come out. There’s hope for you.” Genevieve grabbed her purse. “Let’s go, Romeo.”

  They drove in silence to Mrs. Turlock’s house on the outskirts of town on county land. Genevieve had been there every year for the annual Turlock family barbeque, but the size and scope of the home never ceased to amaze her. Billy had spoiled his family when he’d come into money with his first superstar contract. From time to time she’d felt bad for Wallace, since he’d sacrificed so much for his brother’s career, but it never seemed to matter to him. Just one of the many in a long list of reasons she loved him.

  “Remember what I said.” Wallace turned to Gen at the front door of his mother’s house.
/>   Wallace’s grandfather opened the door, Gen’s favorite octogenarian. She folded into his arms.

  “Well if it isn’t Genevieve! My darling, to what do I owe this pleasure?”

  “Gen wanted to come,” Wallace said, and she felt him put his hand on her back to lead her inside.

  “Come on in, you two. We’re having a bit of a wake here, and I could use a reprieve.” Pop walked through the massive marbled entryway towards the living room.

  Mrs. Turlock was seated on the sofa, a box of tissues at her side. She rose as they walked in. “Thank you for coming.”

  It did seem a little bit like a wake. Mrs. Turlock even had a photo of Giancarlo on the coffee table. Genevieve hugged Wallace’s mother. “I had to come. I’m so sorry.”

  “Sorry, Ma. Are you okay?” Wallace asked.

  “Not really. It’s a tragedy, when you think of it,” Mrs. Turlock said.

  Pop snorted. “Eileen, for the love of Pete. The man’s not dead. I told you that you were too old to get married. But did you listen to me? Does anyone ever listen to me?”

  Wallace walked over to Pop and put an arm around him. “What do you say we leave the women alone?”

  “Son, I’ve been waiting to hear that all day.” Both men walked out of the room.

  Genevieve took a good long look at Mrs. Turlock— hair mussed up; face streaked with tears, eyes brimmed red. Poor woman. Gen put her hand on Mrs. Turlock’s. “What happened? You seemed so happy when I was here the other day. You convinced me that true love comes in all shapes and sizes. And time frames.”

  “You tried to tell me, but I didn’t want to listen. I didn’t want to believe it, but you were right.”

  Gen swallowed hard. “I was?”

  “I’ve known Giancarlo for a few years, but I never felt that spark. Like you, I think it happened because I was so lonely. Pining away for the right man. My ex-husband, of course.” Mrs. Turlock patted Gen’s hand.

  Gen’s other hand flew to her mouth. “Your— your ex-husband? What does he have to do with this?”

  “When you mentioned that secret love of yours, it made me think. Maybe I never got over the father of my children.”

  Gen gulped and turned around. Nope, the men weren’t within listening distance. She had mentioned Wallace the other day, but only in passing and without naming anyone. “But—”

  “Like you said, when there’s a man in your past that you’ve always loved, how can that compete with some of these flash in the pan guys? Your marriage didn’t work, dear, and neither will mine.” Mrs. Turlock let out a hiccupping sob.

  “Oh, Mrs. Turlock.” Genevieve’s heart felt ripped apart.

  “It was a nice dream while it lasted.”

  Genevieve needed to tread carefully. She let out a deep breath. “Here’s the thing. I may not have mentioned this the other day, but my secret love— he’s not perfect.”

  “He sure sounded perfect.”

  And Mrs. Turlock probably did think that way about her oldest son, Gen conceded. Not that she realized who Gen had referred to. “He’s not all that romantic if you want the truth.”

  “Yes! That’s the problem. Giancarlo is not the slightest bit romantic. Not like my Billy. You heard about the way he proposed to Brooke, didn’t you? That’s the way to do it. Not over mashed potatoes and gravy!”

  “Mashed potatoes and gravy?”

  “It was Thanksgiving, and I’m in the middle of cooking a big dinner for my entire family, and what does he do but propose to me? I was beating the mashed potatoes at the time, I believe.” Mrs. Turlock sniffed. “I don’t eat starch anymore, but my boys wanted them. Speaking of food, Giancarlo had the audacity to say that he doesn’t like my cooking.”

  Gen’s hand came up to her chest and she tried not to gasp. Why not just stick a knife in Mrs. Turlock’s heart? It would probably be kinder. “Why would he say that?”

  “Maybe he’s already bored. First, my cooking. What’s next? We haven’t even said ‘I do’ yet and he’s got one foot out the door!”

  “What did he say when you broke off the engagement?”

  “He said, ‘if that’s what you want, my love’ and then he left. That was about two hours ago.” She looked at the grandfather clock. “What happened to fighting for the one you love? Why would he just walk out like that?”

  “So this just happened?” No wonder Mrs. Turlock was so upset. The body was barely cold.

  “Yes,” Mrs. Turlock said and dissolved into tears again. “Why wouldn’t he try and talk me out of it?”

  Gen thought about her break-up with Allen. She’d been grateful that he hadn’t fought for her either, and calmly accepted the reality. Until now. Why he’d come out here after six months was still a mystery to her. “Maybe Giancarlo thinks that going into a marriage without being one hundred percent sure means it won’t last. Giancarlo still has his daughter Sophia at home so he might be worried that you’re not committed enough to him. I don’t know.”

  Gen was just winging it now, but Mrs. Turlock nodded, so Gen kept going. “My situation is different. My guy doesn’t know how I feel, not yet. But the truth is I don’t think I’ll ever get over him. No matter how many other men come around. He’s the one for me.”

  “We need to go,” Wallace said from behind Genevieve.

  Crap. How much of that had he heard? The whole thing? Part of it? Which part? Gen couldn’t take in a breath for a moment. Yes, she’d planned on telling him how she felt, but she hadn’t counted on his eavesdropping to hear about it.

  “Thank you, Genevieve, I do feel better. A little. I have a lot to think about.” Mrs. Turlock reached in for another hug, then turned to Wallace. “Son, take care of this angel. She’s very wise for her years.”

  “She sure is,” Wallace said with a tight-lipped smile.

  He knows. He’d heard everything, and it had pissed him off.

  8

  Wallace didn’t know why his gut felt like it had digested glass. He shouldn’t be surprised that Genevieve thought she’d never get over Allen. He was the one for her. Yeah, he’d walked in on the end of that conversation, and it pissed him off. She’d been lying to him, playing with him, using him. Like a typical woman. And while he’d never thought of Genevieve as typical, she’d surprised him again.

  “Why are you being so quiet?” Gen said from the passenger side. “You don’t need to be angry. I didn’t try to convince her to give Giancarlo another shot.”

  “Good.” He couldn’t help it. Words were in scarce supply at the moment. But this didn’t make sense, and he didn’t know why he was so disappointed.

  “I can tell you’re mad.”

  He ought to let Gen sweat it out, but they’d always been able to talk. They’d been friends first, before she grew boobs and the world class ass. “I heard what you said, there at the end.”

  “Oh,” Genevieve sank in her seat. “I thought so. Let me explain—”

  His fingers dug into the steering wheel. “You don’t have to. You’re not over Allen and that’s fine. But I hate that you lied to me. We’ve never lied to each other.” Unless one counts keeping things from each other, genius, like the fact that you’d love to bend her over the couch.

  “I’m sorry that I lied to you,” Gen sighed.

  “It’s okay.” It was not okay, but it would have to be.

  “I’m sorry that I’ve been lying to you for over ten years.”

  He nearly drove off the road. “Ten years?”

  “Pull over.”

  “Why the hell should I pull over?”

  “Pull over, Wallace! Pull over!”

  She sounded so agitated that he listened, and veered off on the shoulder of Champagne Road near the entrance to Starlight Hill. “All right Crazy Woman, what is it? Why did you make me pull over?”

  “It’s you.” She spoke so quietly he wasn’t sure he’d heard her.

  “It’s me. What’s me?”

  “Oh my Lord! Why are men so dense?” Genevieve slid over clos
e to him. “You’re the one I’ll never get over. Every other guy has been the distraction.”

  “Gen, wait. You don’t know what you’re saying—”

  “Shut up, and don’t tell me it’s a crush! It’s not a crush, Wallace. I know what I feel. I know what I want. I’m twenty-eight years old and I’m looking at the only man I’ve ever wanted. Most of the time you didn’t even know I was alive, so what could I do? I dated other guys. But they were never good enough.”

  “That’s because you picked lo—” He stopped himself. “You didn’t always pick the best guys.”

  “It wouldn’t have mattered who I picked, because each one of them was going to be second best to you. And then I went for the Mother Lode of mistakes. I married Allen. It was so stupid, I know. But I was on the cruise, and he was there, reminding me of you. He liked me, and I thought what the hell. I’ll never have Wallace. So I settled.”

  That kicked him in the gut, and he didn’t have words for a moment. “You— settled.”

  “I know what it sounds like, believe me. But that’s why my marriage didn’t last, why it couldn’t last. He wasn’t you.”

  “Gen—” Are you sure? He was certain he should ask that, along with a few other cautionary words. Because he and Gen were never going to be easy or simple. They were beginning with Complicated. But somehow, damned if he wasn’t ready for complicated with her. More than ready.

  She kissed him then, in that way of hers that made him wonder why he ever spent time doing anything else. He was losing control of the situation, almost as certainly as he was a contractor licensed in the state of California and Nevada, because right now all he could think about was getting her in the back seat. He hadn’t been this desperate in a long time. But they couldn’t do that, his logical mind screamed at him, because Burt regularly patrolled this street.

  And Gen deserved better than that. She deserved him to be patient, control himself, and take his time.

  Somehow they made it back to her place, though he wasn’t quite sure how. Gen pulled on his hand and led him through the front door where she began feeding him her slow torturous kisses again. He backed her up against the couch, and she went down, bringing him with her. This was definitely working for him, except for the fact that there were too many clothes between them. She yanked off his sweater, and not to be outdone he removed hers. A lacy black bra greeted him, one which fortunately had a forward facing clasp and came off easily. Treated to her milky white skin and soft rosy pink nipples, he drew a nipple into his mouth and reminded himself to slow down. But then Gen bucked against him and slowing down suddenly seemed like a foreign concept. He’d slow down next time.