Chapter 17
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Shayne was still not used to the butterflies that showed up whenever she was faced with a new Evan situation. Or any Evan situation. Tonight, Deanna had invited her for dinner at Evan’s brother’s house. She hadn’t spoken to him about it, but Deanna had said that he was going to be there.
Her lips vibrated against themselves as she blew out a breath and grabbed her purse. She took one last look in the full-length mirror that stood in the corner. Nolan had picked out several (five!) “casual-chic ensembles” for her to choose from. God bless him.
The outfit she’d settled on was a coral deep V-neck shirt with a black lace bralette that peeked out from the low neckline. It was paired with black skinny jeans and gray ankle boots. Accessorized with silver hoops and bangle, an infinity necklace, and a metal-tipped leather belt.
She looked fine. Cute even. So why did she want to change so badly?
This was the fifth outfit that she’d tried on. Nolan had given up and gone out in the other room to hang with Ruby after she tried on the first outfit for the third time. She’d tried on number two and four twice but finally landed on lucky number five.
Is five lucky?
She knew seven was lucky. Maybe she should ask Nolan to pick out two more outfits and choose the seventh.
“Stop it,” she reprimanded herself as she forced herself to leave. On her way down the hall she wondered if attraction makes everyone this insane or was it just her?
If romcoms were to be believed she wasn’t alone, she concluded as she entered the front room where Nolan and Ruby were lounging on the oversized couch watching Stranger Things.
“Are you sure you don’t want to come with me?” Shayne offered once more. It was a long shot that either of their answers would’ve changed, but she figured that she didn’t have anything to lose.
“We weren’t invited,” Ruby chirped, sounding pleased as punch to stay put.
“So?” Shayne shrugged, desperate for their backup.
“I think it’s considered rude to bring plus one, or two–,” Nolan responded as he lifted Ruby’s foot, which he was massaging as she lay on the couch next to him, “—to a family dinner.”
“Don’t stop!” Ruby protested as she dipped her spoon into her pint of Cinnamon Roll Halo Top ice cream, her current preferred craving.
“It’s not a family dinner,” Shayne offered.
“Really?” Nolan asked, obviously unimpressed by her statement as he turned his attention back to the screen as his fingers dug into Ruby’s arch. “Then tell me, lovely, who will be attending this non-family dinner?”
She glared at her friends, who she now viewed as deserters in her time of need, and knew she didn’t have a non-family leg to stand on. Everyone that was invited was a family member. There was Evan, Deanna and her husband, Lucky, Evan’s brother Eli, and his wife, Kenzie. And then…it hit her.
“Me!” She raised her hand excitedly. “I’m not a family member.”
“Yet.” Nolan emphasized the word.
“Yet?!” Shayne parroted defensively.
There was nothing going on between her and Evan. Sure, one week ago they’d had their night of debauchery, but since then, nothing. They’d talked a few times on set. It had been friendly but there’d been no flirting. No innuendos. No wink, wink, nudge, nudge inside references. It was as if the night had never happened.
But it had. And it was driving her more than a little crazy that life was going on as if it hadn’t. She’d been tempted, more than once, to confront Evan about his business-as-usual behavior. The only thing stopping her was that he was doing exactly what they’d agreed upon.
When they were together last week, he’d told her about Noelle, his only serious girlfriend. And she’d told him that she’d never really had a real relationship. That Blane had started out as a publicity stunt but had turned into a causal hookup situation. She’d explained that whenever she was photographed with someone, gossip sites ran headlines saying she was dating them, so it made any romantic interactions difficult. She’d even confided in him that she never knew if someone was interested in her or being photographed with her. It was one of the reasons she was such a private, guarded person.
He promised her that no one would know anything that happened between the two of them. He’d joked that it would be just like Vegas. What happened between them, stayed between them.
There was only one problem with that plan. For the first time in her life, she wanted people to know about them. Not the sex part, but their connection. She wanted Nicole, from wardrobe who was always flirting with him, and Jessa the assistant director who blushed every time he spoke to her and Mikaela in sound who made any excuse to talk to him to all know that there was something going on between them.
Although, after this past week she wasn’t sure if there actually was.
That was the bad news, the good news was she wasn’t lying when she insisted, “There is nothing going on between Evan and me.”
“Doesn’t matter,” Nolan dismissed her completely. “That boy has gone total Top Gun over you.”
“Top Gun?” both she and Ruby repeated.
She knew that it was one of his favorite movies, mainly because of the volleyball scene, but she wasn’t sure how it related to this situation.
“O.T.M.” Nolan said as if what he was saying was as obvious as the elephant that had been in the room with Evan and Shayne all week.
“Stop speaking in code,” she demanded.
“But don’t stop this,” Ruby pleaded at the same time as she lifted her foot up to his hand.
“Off. The. Market,” Nolan emphasized each word.
“Ohhhh,” Shayne said as the context clicked in her head.
He was referring to the scene where Meg Ryan tells Kelly McGillis that Tom Cruise is in love with her. It was one of her favorite parts of the movie. Anthony Edwards on the piano singing to his wife. In her opinion, although it ended tragically, the real love story in that movie was not Maverick and Charlie, it was Goose and his wife Carole.
That was the kind of love that she wanted. Minus her husband dying, of course.
“Aww, I love that scene,” Ruby swooned as she took another bite of her ice cream.
“Me too,” Shayne agreed.
“Me three,” Nolan concurred before tilting his head toward Shayne. “Quick question.”
“What?” Dread filled her.
Nolan raised a brow. “What time are you supposed to be there?”
“Five.” She’d showered at noon just so she’d have plenty of time. Usually it only took her a little over an hour to get ready but she’d left herself extra time because of her newfound basketcaseness.
“It’s five-fifteen.”
Shayne’s eyes flew to the clock that hung above the fireplace. It was actually five eighteen. She cursed and rushed to the door. When she reached for the doorknob, she paused once more and turned back to her friends. “Are you guys sure that you don’t—”
“Go!” Ruby shouted.
“Goodbye!” Nolan exclaimed.
“Fine.”
She was halfway out when she heard Nolan say, “Our little girl is all grown up.” Ruby laughed before demanding that Nolan press harder. Shayne smiled as she walked down the porch steps. As she climbed in her rental car, she said a little prayer of gratitude that she had those two wonderful, bossy, infuriating, and amazing people in her life.
They truly were her family.
Her finger froze on the ignition button when something dawned on her. It wasn’t just that it was a dinner with Evan’s family, although that probably wasn’t helping matters. She was nervous because this was a family dinner, something she had very little—if very little was none at all—experience with.
Since she didn’t have time for the nervous breakdown that was closing in on her, she did what she’d always done when faced with adversity. She pushed past her fear and told herself to keep moving forward. Well, in this case she moved backwards to pull out of the driveway, but once she was out on the street, she moved forward.
On the short drive to Eli’s house, she gave herself a necessary pep talk. She’d met all the people that would be there. Deanna was hilarious and Kenzie, who she’d ran into several times around town was a sweetheart. She’d only met Eli and Lucky briefly, but they seemed like great guys.
But then there was Evan.
Chances were, he wouldn’t say much, but with five other people there she doubted there’d be lulls in the conversation. That was the marker of a successful dinner party. Was it the same for family dinners?
Plus, this was just his brother, cousin, and their spouses. It wasn’t like she was meeting his parents.
This was low-key. No pressure. And no one even knew that anything had happened between them.
So, it wasn’t as if Deanna and Kenzie were trying to set them up. This was just nice people being friendly. That’s it.
Far sooner than she’d wanted to, she pulled up in front of the address Deanna had texted her. She took a few deep breaths and reached for the bottle of wine she’d picked up earlier in the morning.
The wine?! Oh no!
She forgot the wine. It was sitting on the kitchen island. Why hadn’t she just left it in the car? She couldn’t show up to a dinner, family or otherwise, empty-handed. A knot formed in her stomach.
Her phone buzzed. She looked down and snatched it out of her purse. It was a message from Nolan.
Check the backseat.
She spun around and saw that sitting in the center console was the aforementioned bottle of wine with a decorative twine wrapped around it. Tears popped up in her eyes as her hand flew over her keyboard as she wrote back in all caps.
THANK YOU!
He immediately responded with a GIF of Hillary Duff with the caption, “I got your back, girl.”
Her heart filled with love. She had a family. And she was lucky because it was one she chose and they’d always be there for her and have her back.
With a renewed sense of confidence, she grabbed the wine and got out. She was halfway up the bricked path when the front door opened. It was Deanna and a woman that Shayne didn’t recognize. She looked to be in her fifties.
“Hi,” Shayne waved at them both. “Sorry I’m late.”
“No worries,” Deanna pulled her into a hug and took the wine as the trio moved into the large foyer of the house. “We’re still waiting on Lucky. He got held up.” She turned to the woman beside her. “Shayne, this is my Aunt Connie. She’s a huge fan.”
The woman nodded emphatically.
“Hi, Connie,” Shayne reached out her hand. “It’s so nice to meet you.”
Connie pulled her into a hug. “We’re huggers in this family. I can’t believe you’re really here. At my son’s house!”
Her son’s house.
“Mom. Step away from the movie star.” Evan’s voice chided next to them.
“Sorry.” Connie, Evan’s mom, stepped back.
When she did, Shayne could see Evan standing in the front room and her eyes shot to his.
A lopsided grin that had her stomach doing somersaults pulled at his lips as he said, “Hi.”
“Hi.” Shayne lifted her hand and waved awkwardly.
“I see you’ve met my mom,” he motioned to Connie and then to a man that was sitting on the couch watching a baseball game. “And this is my dad, James.”
“Hello,” he barely took his eyes off the television but his greeting was friendly.
“Hello, Mr. Bishop.”
Mr. Bishop? Why was she suddenly turning into Eddie Haskell? Before she knew that Connie was Evan’s mom she’d called her by her first name. Switching it up now was ridiculous.
“Oh, please. Call him James.” Connie waved her hand toward her husband. Then she turned back to Shayne, beaming as she said, “You’re even prettier in person. Isn’t she, Evan?”
“I told you she was.” He said as he lifted the bottle he was holding to his lips and took a drink, never breaking eye contact with her.
Shayne’s inner teenager was freaking out. He’d told his mom that she was even prettier in person. He’d talked to his mom about her.
“Oh, you’re here! I thought I heard someone,” Kenzie stuck her head out of a doorway to what Shayne assumed was the kitchen. “Hi! Dinner will be ready in ten. Is Lucky here yet?”
“Yes.” A deep voice sounded from the front door.
Shayne turned and saw Lucky swoop down and give Deanna a quick kiss. He dipped her back and her back foot lifted. It was exactly like the iconic sailor and nurse photo.
“You two are so cute,” Connie sighed.
“Get a room!” Eli called out as he stepped in from the backyard, carrying a tray of freshly barbequed chicken.
The room erupted in instructions for setting the table and people grabbing sides and drinks. Connie directed her and everyone else to their respective chairs.
“Everything looks and smells so delicious,” Shayne said as she took in the spread on the table.
Evan headed toward his designated seat, but he briefly stopped behind Shayne’s chair, bent down and whispered in her ear, “You look and smell delicious.”
It happened so fast that her cheeks didn’t start heating until Evan was already seated across from her. She smiled as her eyes lifted to his. He was looking down the table where Eli and Lucky were fighting over who had the better barbeque skills but she knew that he was watching her and thus saw the large smile that spread across her face. Evan was flirting with her. Finally.
She couldn’t remember what she’d been so nervous about. This is the best dinner ever.
*
Surreal didn’t cover how it felt to be having dinner at his brother’s house, surrounded by his family, sitting across the table from Shayne Fox.
He’d found out that she was coming when he got to his brother’s and his parents were there and his mom was clapping her hands excitedly in anticipation saying, “I can’t believe I’m going to meet Shayne Fox.”
Evan had worried that his mom might embarrass herself because she was so excited, but Shayne didn’t seem to mind or notice. She was also handling all the questions that his family was bombarding her with with grace, class, and humor even after he’d told her that she looked and smelled delicious.
He wasn’t sure what had come over him earlier. If he had to guess it was from all the hours he’d had to be on set with her and keep his distance. It had been torture spending that much time around her and not tell her how beautiful she was. It had killed him not to be able to pull her into his arms when she looked physically and emotionally exhausted after twelve to fourteen hours of filming.
“So, what do you have on deck after this?” His dad asked in his “dad tone.”
Shayne finished chewing and wiped her mouth with her napkin. “Um, I have a few projects that I’m considering, but I’m leaning toward a smaller indie film about a med student coming into her own. It has a kind of eighties-era John Hughes feel.”
“Oh! I love John Hughes movies!” His mom clapped her hands together. “I think She’s Having a Baby is my favorite.”
Deanna lifted her fork. “Mine’s Pretty in Pink.”
“I was a Breakfast Club, girl. I loved that the cheerleader ended up with the bad boy,” Kenzie blushed as she looked at his brother. The two of them definitely had a little good-girl-meets-bad-boy thing going for them.
“I liked Weird Science,” Lucky turned to Deanna and Evan saw the look. “But I don’t need a computer to make the perfect woman. She’s right here.”
“That’s cheesy,” Deanna smiled as she leaned over and kissed her husband. “But I love you.”
“Evan’s favorite was Sixteen Candles,” his mom said loudly. Or at least it was loud to him.
Every head at the table spun in his direction in shock. Shit. He’d been so worried that his mom would embarrass herself that he hadn’t even considered he’d be in the line of fire.
“I thought the exchange student was funny,” he offered.
“Then why did you always rewind the end when Jake Ryan shows up at the wedding and they kiss over the birthday cake?” His mom leaned closer to Shayne. “Don’t let him fool you. He’s a secret romantic.”
He’d actually just thought that the car was cool, but he knew that it was futile to try and defend himself.
“If I were,” Evan said dryly, “then it’s not a secret anymore.”
The entire table burst out laughing and, thankfully, the conversation turned to talk of grandkids, specifically when the two newlywed couples might start trying to have some. He was only half paying attention, though, as his thoughts kept drifting to the woman across the table.
His chest ached at how right it felt to have her here. Evan hadn’t realized until that moment how important that was to him. He’d been sure that he’d never feel that again. Noelle had grown up around his family, so of course she fit in with them. He’d never in a million years dreamed that someone else would, too.
“Come help me,” Deanna stood and tugged at his arm.
“With what?” Evan gave her a strange look.
“I brought a pie.” She tugged harder.
He stood and followed her into the kitchen, the whole time wondering why she needed help with a pie and why she hadn’t asked her adoring husband to help her. She opened the fridge and pulled out the pie box and set it on the island. Then she took a knife out of the wood block that was on the counter and handed it to him. “Cut.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“So,” Deanna leaned a hip against the counter as she sipped a glass of wine. “How long has it been going on?”
“How long has what been going on?” Evan slid the blade into the crust.
“You and blondie,” she whispered. “Is it serious?”
Yes. “Nothing is going on.”
Both statements were honest. It was both serious and there was nothing going on. It had been one week since Shayne had showed up on his doorstep. And while that night was amazing, nothing had happened since.
She’d made her feelings as clear as she possibly could.
“I’m glad we got that out of our system.”
He kept referring back to that in his head. Maybe she’d gotten Evan out of her system, but the same couldn’t be said for him. If anything, she’d taken over more real estate than she had before.
Now, instead of just wondering what being with her would be like, what sounds she’d make when he was buried deep inside of her, what she would taste like, or what her bare skin would feel like against his, he knew. He had memories that would not stop haunting him.
“Bullshit,” Deanna said bluntly, before setting down her wine and taking on a serious tone. “I like her, she’s sweet. I hope you know what you’re doing.”
He lifted his head and looked over at his cousin.
Was she trying to protect Shayne?
From him?
Did Deanna really think he’d do something to hurt Shayne?
She met his accusatory gaze and didn’t back down. “I’m just saying that it’s not right to play with people’s emotions. If this is some kind of rebound from Noelle—”
“It’s not.” It bothered him that she’d even think that.
“Aha!” she whisper-exclaimed as she pointed at him and a satisfied smile spread across her face. She continued her quiet-yelling, “So there is something going on! I knew it!”
He blinked several times. “Did you just—”
“Yep,” she confirmed as she did a little victory dance. “I tricked you into admitting it.”
“You are such a pain in the ass.” He couldn’t help but smile as he shook his head and finished his bogus task of cutting the pie.
She plated the dessert while humming a happy tune with a satisfied grin on her face. She really was the little sister he never had.
He was still reeling from his cousin getting the better of him while he washed and dried his hands to get the pie residue off of them.
“I need to talk to you.” His mother appeared out of nowhere and grabbed his arm.
If this was any other night, he’d think that her pulling him aside had something to do with one of his brothers or his dad. But he had a feeling they were not going to be the subject of this impromptu private discussion.
She kept her hand around his arm until they made it into the den that was off the back hall. He wasn’t sure what had transpired in the last five minutes to warrant this sudden heart-to-heart, but he followed behind her like a good son emotionally preparing to field whatever wild pitch she threw at him. She shut the door, turned, and hit him smack dab in the chest with a curve ball.
“You’re in love with her.” Her eyes started watering. “Aren’t you?”
“What? Why are you crying?” Evan asked, bewildered.
“Because I’ve been so worried about you after Noelle and Dr. York, and then I found out she was pregnant,” She wiped the tears that were now starting to fall down her cheek. “And you’re still getting over your injury and you couldn’t work and I know what your work means to you and I was just so scared that you were going to get depressed and I don’t know—”
He reached out and pulled his mom into his arms. “I’m okay, Mom. You don’t have to worry about me.”
But she had in the past and he knew that’s what this was about.
She sniffed and nodded against his chest. “You just hold everything inside and I never know if you’re really okay or if you’re just saying it.”
Evan hated that he’d made his mom feel like this. She’d always said that he was an island unto himself and he had been. When things were rough or he was having a hard time, he pulled away from everyone. But seeing how his retreat hurt someone he loved so much made him determined not to do that again. The people that loved him, that cared about him, deserved better than that.
He squeezed her tight before stepping back and looking down at her. “I’m really okay. I promise. And I also promise that if I’m ever not okay, I’ll tell you. You don’t have to worry about me.”
She reached up and patted his cheek. Growing up it had always been the gesture that indicated to him and his brothers that whatever they’d done was forgiven and she was no longer upset. This time, it told him that she believed him.
“Okay,” She patted his cheek once more and nodded before turning back to open the door. She looked over her shoulder before she did. “And, I’m sorry that I told everyone about the movie. I just wanted Shayne to know that there’s a heart behind the death stare.”
“Mom,” He didn’t want her to get ahead of herself. He and Shayne might have some chemistry and maybe more on his end, but that was all. “It’s not what you thi—”
“It is.” She smiled sweetly up at him.
He shook his head. “She doesn’t—”
“She does.” His mom nodded.
“I’m not—”
“You are.” She said with confidence. “I know the look and you have the look.”
The look.
The look that he’d seen on every man in his family.
He had the look.
He was in love with Shayne.
“I can see that comes as a shock. Why don’t you stay here and take a minute? I’m going to get out there before your father scares the poor girl away. He means well, but he can be a little intense and I think he’s worried that acting isn’t a stable profession. I tried to tell him that she makes more in a year than he did in all his years on the job, but you know how he gets. He worries.”
His mom left and he remained staring at the spot where she’d just stood.
I’m in love with Shayne Fox.
And it was a life sentence. The walls started to feel like they were closing in on him. When had this happened? He knew that he cared about her, that he was attracted to her, but when, how, had he fallen in love with her?
This was not good. There was no way that this could end well. He had no idea what she felt for him, but even if his wildest dreams came true and she did feel the same way, then what? She lived in LA. She traveled all the time for her career.
He’d just signed a three-year contract to be in Hope Falls.
She was a movie star. He was a hotshot.
She was young and had the world at her fingertips. He was on his second career and was a recovering addict.
He started to feel claustrophobic so he rushed out of the den and ran straight into Shayne. She bounced back on her heels to avoid a collision and she smiled brightly up at him. And just like that, his world was balanced again.
“Hi. I was coming to say goodbye.”
“You’re leaving?” Had his dad run her off?
“Yeah.” She pointed her thumb over her shoulder. “Deanna and Kenzie invited me to a book club…I think.”
“You think?”
“Well, when I asked what book they were reading they both just looked at each other and laughed.”
“From what I’ve heard there’s more wine drinking and talking than literary discussion.”
“Ah, I see.”
“Shayne!” Deanna called from the front room. “If we don’t leave now, Amanda’s double fudge brownies will be gone by the time we get there.”
“Coming!” Shayne answered before lifting her baby blues back up to him. The energy between them was so electric it was tangible. Evan was sure if he lifted his hand he’d get shocked by it.
“Didn’t she just eat pie?”
Shayne lifted her shoulder in an adorable shrug. “I guess the brownies are really good.”
He grinned down at her. The desire to lean down and press his lips to hers was so strong that he could hear the strain in his voice as he said, “Thanks for coming tonight. In case you didn’t notice, my mom was really excited to meet you.”
“I was excited to meet her. I mean…I was happy I got to meet her…” she stumbled over her words before taking a deep breath. “It was great meeting her. She’s everything I ever imagined a mom being.”
The vulnerability that shined through Shayne’s eyes reached into Evan’s chest and tore out his heart. It shredded him.
“Shayne! Brownies!” Deanna yelled.
“I better go,” she smiled sweetly and started to walk away. Evan reached his hand out, halting her.
Her big blue eyes stared up at him with a mixture of arousal and uncertainty.
“Just so we’re clear,” He rested his hand on her hip as he lowered and whispered in her ear. “You’re not out of my system.”
She sucked in an audible breath and he felt a tremor run down her body as the words left his mouth. He released his hand and stepped back.
“There you are,” Deanna came around the corner. “Let’s go.”
Shayne glanced up at Evan once more before joining Deanna and heading out.
For the first time in his life, he had no idea what his future held. But no matter what happened from this point on, he knew it was all worth it.
She was worth it.