me?”
“It’s me. Dayne.”
“What? Dayne, is that you?”
77
He drew a long breath. “Kelly, can you get to a quieter place? We need to talk.”
There was the sound of her heels clicking on the floor, and then the background noise disappeared almost entirely. “Sorry.” She giggled. “I’m at The Zone.”
He wasn’t sure where to begin. “Did you get my last two messages?”
“Dayne, don’t start with me.” Her tone was suddenly icy. “Where was this attention before I mentioned the baby, huh?”
The magazine was still staring at him, still shouting at him. “You and Hawk are back together?”
“Are you kidding?” This time her laugh was more nervous. “Don’t tell me you believe the tabs! Come on, Dayne-you? After all they’ve said about your life?”
“They’re usually not too far from the truth.”
“Well, they are this time, okay?” The attitude was back. She dropped her voice.
“Listen, you can’t blame me for having fun with my friends. Everything about my life is about to change.”
Dayne stood and moved to his sliding door. He hadn’t been out on his deck since Katy left. “You plan to party right up until you deliver, or what?”
“I don’t appreciate your sarcasm.”
“Kelly, please …” The anger left his voice. His heart felt heavier than it had all day. He didn’t want to be enemies with Kelly Parker. “You and I were best friends back when, remember?” He hesitated. “Tell me you remember.”
“I do.” Her tone was softer now. “I’m sorry, Dayne.” The pretense was entirely gone. In its place was the vulnerable young woman who had gotten lost along the way. “I need a little more time.” She paused. “Is that okay?”
Dayne felt his anger stir again, but he kept it out of his voice. “Time for what?”
“To figure things out.” She sounded like a little girl. “The premiere for Dream On is in a month. I’ll be ready then.”
78
“You’re five months pregnant now. You wait that long and people will notice, Kelly. Don’t you think?”
“No.” There was a pout in her voice. “I’m not showing. The doctor says I can hide it until the premiere, no problem.”
He rested his forehead against the cool glass. The moon shone on the water, bright enough that he could see the beach was empty. “So that’s it, then? We don’t talk for another month?”
“We’ll talk.” Her tone was whiny and flirty all at once. “I’m just not ready to move in and be the mommy. Not yet.”
“Fine.” He wasn’t sure what to say. In the background he could hear someone walk up, talk to Kelly. She seemed to cover the phone and tell the person to hold on, but the guy near her-it was definitely a guy-wouldn’t let up. Dayne exhaled hard. “Need to go?”
“Stop …” She stifled a giggle. “Listen, can 1 call you back? Soon, okay.
Very soon.”
He wanted to tell her not to bother. That she could go party with the night crowd and hang out at Hawk Daniels’s house and live her own life for all he cared. But that wasn’t how he felt. Not when she was carrying his baby. Whatever rules she wanted to play by, he’d have to live with them. He could hear the guy’s voice clearer now, teasing her, asking her to kiss him, to make out with him.
Dayne would know the voice anywhere, the voice of his costar from more than one movie. The voice of Hawk Daniels.
“Hey … 1 gotta go.” Kelly didn’t sound drunk. At least, he hoped she wasn’t drinking-not when she was pregnant. But she sounded beyond distracted, deliriously happy with the attention from Hawk.***
“Bye, Kelly.” He clenched his jaw and turned back to the kitchen table. “I’ll be here when you’re ready to talk.”
The conversation ended, and Dayne tossed the phone on the table next to the magazines. Then he opened the patio slider and walked out onto his deck. If the paparazzi were hiding in the
79
bushes, so be it. He could stand against his railing and watch the waves if he
“It’s me. Dayne.”
“What? Dayne, is that you?”
77
He drew a long breath. “Kelly, can you get to a quieter place? We need to talk.”
There was the sound of her heels clicking on the floor, and then the background noise disappeared almost entirely. “Sorry.” She giggled. “I’m at The Zone.”
He wasn’t sure where to begin. “Did you get my last two messages?”
“Dayne, don’t start with me.” Her tone was suddenly icy. “Where was this attention before I mentioned the baby, huh?”
The magazine was still staring at him, still shouting at him. “You and Hawk are back together?”
“Are you kidding?” This time her laugh was more nervous. “Don’t tell me you believe the tabs! Come on, Dayne-you? After all they’ve said about your life?”
“They’re usually not too far from the truth.”
“Well, they are this time, okay?” The attitude was back. She dropped her voice.
“Listen, you can’t blame me for having fun with my friends. Everything about my life is about to change.”
Dayne stood and moved to his sliding door. He hadn’t been out on his deck since Katy left. “You plan to party right up until you deliver, or what?”
“I don’t appreciate your sarcasm.”
“Kelly, please …” The anger left his voice. His heart felt heavier than it had all day. He didn’t want to be enemies with Kelly Parker. “You and I were best friends back when, remember?” He hesitated. “Tell me you remember.”
“I do.” Her tone was softer now. “I’m sorry, Dayne.” The pretense was entirely gone. In its place was the vulnerable young woman who had gotten lost along the way. “I need a little more time.” She paused. “Is that okay?”
Dayne felt his anger stir again, but he kept it out of his voice. “Time for what?”
“To figure things out.” She sounded like a little girl. “The premiere for Dream On is in a month. I’ll be ready then.”
78
“You’re five months pregnant now. You wait that long and people will notice, Kelly. Don’t you think?”
“No.” There was a pout in her voice. “I’m not showing. The doctor says I can hide it until the premiere, no problem.”
He rested his forehead against the cool glass. The moon shone on the water, bright enough that he could see the beach was empty. “So that’s it, then? We don’t talk for another month?”
“We’ll talk.” Her tone was whiny and flirty all at once. “I’m just not ready to move in and be the mommy. Not yet.”
“Fine.” He wasn’t sure what to say. In the background he could hear someone walk up, talk to Kelly. She seemed to cover the phone and tell the person to hold on, but the guy near her-it was definitely a guy-wouldn’t let up. Dayne exhaled hard. “Need to go?”
“Stop …” She stifled a giggle. “Listen, can 1 call you back? Soon, okay.
Very soon.”
He wanted to tell her not to bother. That she could go party with the night crowd and hang out at Hawk Daniels’s house and live her own life for all he cared. But that wasn’t how he felt. Not when she was carrying his baby. Whatever rules she wanted to play by, he’d have to live with them. He could hear the guy’s voice clearer now, teasing her, asking her to kiss him, to make out with him.
Dayne would know the voice anywhere, the voice of his costar from more than one movie. The voice of Hawk Daniels.
“Hey … 1 gotta go.” Kelly didn’t sound drunk. At least, he hoped she wasn’t drinking-not when she was pregnant. But she sounded beyond distracted, deliriously happy with the attention from Hawk.***
“Bye, Kelly.” He clenched his jaw and turned back to the kitchen table. “I’ll be here when you’re ready to talk.”
The conversation ended, and Dayne tossed the phone on the table next to the magazines. Then he opened the patio slider and walked out onto his deck. If the paparazzi were hiding in the
79
bushes, so be it. He could stand against his railing and watch the waves if he
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