Previously…
Brett and Jordan continued to be concerned for Heather’s behavior with Violet. Stormy caused a scene when he found Kelly and Ke Liu together. Benji grew skeptical of Kelly’s engagement to Ke. Stormy proposed to Kelly, believing he’d lose her to Ke if he didn’t. Kelly later thanked Ke for helping her convince Stormy to propose, and then promised to keep his secret from his family—the reason for their broken engagement. After she left his cabin, Ke returned to the bedroom where Benji was waiting in his bed. After receiving a cryptic note accusing him of killing Suzanne, Jordan cornered Frank Dunning and violently attacked him. Miranda taunted Brooke with questions about David. She later told an angry Ethan that James and Brooke were growing close again. James thwarted another attempt at Brooke and Ethan reconciling. A gossip columnist received an anonymous tip that Brooke and David were brother and sister.
She moved quickly, pulling clothes from the dresser and throwing them haphazardly into her suitcase. Nylons, blouses, slacks, even a few stray articles of clothing that belonged to Michael. She didn’t care. She wanted out of the house and she wanted out immediately.
“Would you just listen to me?” James pleaded while he watched her erratic behavior.
“No, I’m through listening to you,” Brooke insisted, pushing her hair behind her ears and sobbing as she zipped up the suitcase. “I trusted you. I thought you’d changed for the better since you were shot.”
“I have changed. Brooke, I didn’t do this. I would never betray your trust like that. Especially about something this sensitive.”
She pulled the suitcase from the bed and set it on the floor while she gathered a few more things from around the room. “Then how did this story get out?” she demanded. “You, my mother and David are the only people who know the truth, and I doubt very much that either one of them said anything. What were you trying to do? Were you just stringing me along these last few days? All the talk about wanting to protect me and take away the pain was just an act, wasn’t it? All this time you were planning on sticking it to me. And why?”
“Brooke, please sit down for a minute,” he said and reached out to her.
“No, I don’t want to sit down,” she insisted and swatted his hands away. “I want to get out of here and go back to my own house. I just want to forget about you and your family.”
“I’m not the only one who knows about you and David,” James interrupted.
“What?” Brooke asked.
James sighed and reluctantly continued. “I told Ethan.”
“Ethan?” Brooke asked in astonishment. “Ethan knows about Royce Jennings? About David?”
“Yes. I’m sorry, Brooke. He kept asking me what went on in Phoenix and the more I tried to put him off, the more insistent he became. He was just worried. I told him the truth with the strict condition that you were not ready to talk about it.”
“That’s all well and good, except it wasn’t your secret to tell. You had no right, James. Who else knows? Who else have you told this to? Miranda?”
“No, I swear to you.”
Brooke shook her head. “No, she knows. The other day she was leading to something. She kept asking me about David and why I wasn’t pursuing a relationship with him. It was a complete 180 from a few months ago when she was so angry that he’d ended things with her. She hated the possibility that he was interested in me. Now all the sudden she’s pushing for it?”
“That doesn’t mean—”
“It was just Miranda being her usual hateful self,” Brooke acknowledged. “And I will put money on the fact that she’s the one who leaked this story.”
“Are you’re so sure it wasn’t Ethan?” James asked. “You said yourself that he’s been feeling neglected ever since you got back from Phoenix. He’s hurt over the way you ended things and now I’m afraid he’s using this to—”
“To what? To get back at me? That doesn’t sound like Ethan. That sounds like Miranda.”
“Not to get back at you. To weaken your defenses so that you need him more. You have to admit it’s always been him that you called when you were in trouble. Like the other day when you were driving around Phoenix.”
Brooke realized he might have a point. Ethan never did return her call, and he didn’t come see her in her room when she’d asked him to.
“Please don’t leave,” James said. “Not yet. Stormy’s asked the family to gather tonight for some kind of announcement. He wants you to be there.”
“I don’t know.”
“Just let this whole thing blow over. I’ll take care of Marjorie Stahl. I’ll make sure this story doesn’t get out in the paper.”
“You’d do that, James?” she asked hopefully.
“Of course. I will do anything to protect you and Michael. You know that.”
Brooke managed a faint smile, realizing that maybe she’d jumped the gun in accusing him. He did seem to have changed since their divorce.
At their condo in Marina Del Rey, Heather quietly strapped Violet into her car seat while Brett gathered diapers, a bottle and a rattle into the diaper bag. He stopped and looked over at her, hoping today’s appointment would give them the peace that they needed, though he was almost sure it wouldn’t. So far nothing had.
“Are you nervous?” he finally asked her.
Heather turned to him and shook her head. “About what? It’s just another appointment.”
“But Violet’s three months old today. That was always the first threshold for them to determine if she would have any developmental issues.”
She sighed and ran her fingers through her hair. “I know, but I just can’t let that get my hopes up. Everything I’ve read and everything that I’ve observed watching her is—”
“Heather, stop,” Brett cut her off, placing his hands alongside her arms. “You know you aren’t a doctor, and no manner how many books you read or articles you search for on the internet, all you’re doing is creating unnecessary worry for yourself.”
“How can I not worry, Brett? I mean, this is our daughter. This is her health and her future we’re talking about.”
He placed his lips on her forehead and pulled her close. “Just let the doctors do what they do best.”
“And what am I supposed to do in the meantime? Nothing? I can’t! I’ll go crazy!”
“Not nothing. Just love our daughter. That’s all you have to do.”
She sighed and placed her head against his chest, hoping that was enough.
Alex pushed on a pair of earrings and stood back to examine her reflection in the floor-length mirror. Perfect. She hadn’t looked better in her life. It would be a cold day in hell before she lost another role to someone like Kelly Kahoano. James would take one look at her and regret ever cutting her role in Angel Assassin 2. And all it took was a few Botox injections, a nine-hundred-dollar haircut and a French tip manicure.
“You look beautiful tonight,” Jordan said and came up behind her, slipping his arms around her waist and kissing her neck.
“Aren’t you sweet?” she asked and turned to him, her hands running down the front of his freshly pressed shirt. “How are you doing, darling? Feeling any better?”
He sighed and watched her as she fastened his cufflinks for him. “Not really. I honestly don’t know how Heather is going to get through this. She’s so fragile as it is. “
“I think she’ll surprise you,” Alex said while rolling his cuff and lining up the buttonholes. “Look at everything she’s overcome. And besides, she has you and Brett in her corner. Not to mention Miranda and me. We’ll see her through this. Besides, maybe they got good news at the doctor today.”
Jordan admired her from his close proximity. He could smell the fragrant scent of her gardenia perfume. She seemed different today. More upbeat than she had been in a while.
“What’s gotten into you?” he asked. “You’re not usually so positive.”
Once she was finished with his cuff-links, she kissed him lightly and adjusted his bow tie. “Just trying to spin things a different way. So my big screen comeback got cut short. So my son is blinded by a gold digger. So I still owe the government twenty-five million dollars. There could be worse things. My problems pale in comparison to Heather’s.”
Jordan pulled her into an embrace. “You’re amazing,” he said.
“I’m not amazing,” she blushed and walked across the room to select a handbag from her walk-in closet.
“I talked to my accountant today,” Jordan said after a brief pause. “I’m mortgaging the house so I can pay your fines to the government.”
Alex looked at him in awe. “You’re not serious?”
“I am very serious. You’re my wife. Your problems are my problems.”
“Jordan, I don’t know what to say.”
He smiled and dug his hands in his pockets. “I can’t have this burden hanging over our heads anymore. It’s bad enough James can’t pay back his loan and may lose his studio.”
“What?” Alex asked with a gasp. “I had no idea it had gotten that serious. Did he tell you that?”
“No, but the financial community is certainly talking about it. Apparently, the bank in New York granted him a three-month extension on the loan, but that’s just a band-aid. Eventually he’s going to have to pay that money back and Angel Assassin 2 is over budget and under publicized. If you ask me, it’s a good thing you got out of that film when you did.”
Alex sighed with despair, her heart going out to James and his troubles. It was her fault that he got stuck with the government fines. If she hadn’t went along with that ridiculous scheme with Congressman Walker, none of this would have happened. Yes, she was angry with him for cutting her part, but the scope of the problem was much bigger than that.
“Do you still have scenes left to shoot?” Jordan asked as he led her out of the bedroom.
She nodded. “A couple.”
“Well, I’d make sure you got your salary up front. The way it looks now, Sunset Studios may not have the money to pay you after much longer.”
“That film has more problems than I’ve ever seen on a set,” Alex declared as they made their way downstairs. “Frank Dunning is finally getting out of the hospital tomorrow. I still can’t believe someone would beat him up like that in the parking garage, as obnoxious as he is. Security has their hands full around there, that’s all I know.”
Jordan pretended to be unaffected by the news of Frank’s release. He wondered if he would ever point the finger at him as his attacker.
“So, when are we going to find out what this big announcement is?” Ethan asked and poured himself a drink.
“As soon as everyone gets here,” replied Stormy with a grin. They were both dressed in tuxedos, handsomely groomed and sharing a forty-year-old bottle of bourbon while standing beside the fireplace.
“Why can’t you just tell me now?” Ethan asked and nudged him.
“Now that wouldn’t be very dramatic, would it?” Stormy replied with a wink.
“I’m all for dramatics, but this is ridiculous,” said Miranda as she entered the room in a red strapless mini dress, a brown sable stole covering her bare shoulders. “Nobody gets this dressed up anymore.”
“I don’t think it’s going to kill you,” Stormy said with a wry expression. “And besides, you look very nice.”
“So do you guys,” she said and kissed him on the cheek, then moved over to Ethan and kissed him as well. “But seriously, what is this all about? Don’t tell me you’re going on tour with some singer again. Or going into business with Eddie again.”
“I’ve been trying to get him to agree to that for months,” said a voice from behind.
They all turned and saw Eddie walking into the room. A tiny gasp escaped Miranda’s throat when she saw him dressed handsomely in his tuxedo, a goofy smile on his face. She couldn’t recall if she’d ever seen him dressed up, but it was a sight to behold. Before she knew it, her knees were growing weak and she felt herself swaying back and forth on her feet.
“Thanks for coming, Eddie,” Stormy said and patted his best friend on the back.
“No problem.” He shook hands with Ethan and then turned to Miranda and offered up a crooked smile. “Hello Miranda. You’re looking very lovely this evening.”
“Thanks,” she replied in a daze. She wanted to kick herself for being so attracted to him. She’d had her one night of fun with him and that should have been the end of it. But if that were the case, why did she practically melt every time she ran into him? She’d have to force herself to ignore her feelings. Girls weren’t supposed to get crazy over Eddie Distefano, Hollywood’s resident doofus. Though working out in the gym had given him a bit more appeal. Okay, a lot more. Everything about him was different now. Not just his body, but his face seemed more mature. His jawline had gotten stronger and more defined, a few creases in his forehead would appear when he frowned—something she thought was incredibly sexy on men. She could see bits of Victor in him when he was his age.
“Oh, and I’m not stalking you,” Eddie continued. “Stormy invited me.”
Miranda flushed, fully aware that he was making fun of her as a result of accusing him other day when he showed up to see her father. She decided she needed to start playing it cool. Protesting too much would only raise red flags. Besides, it was probably a temporary lapse in judgment. In a week she’d be over her little crush.
“So Eddie, how much do you know about what’s going on?” Ethan asked as he handed him a drink. “The rest of us are clueless.”
Eddie exchanged knowing glances with Stormy. “I’ve been sworn to secrecy.” He turned and followed Miranda across the room to the sofa. “Do you need a drink?”
“Sure,” she replied, then realized she needed to have her wits about her. The night she spent with Eddie was a result of one too many cosmos. She didn’t plan on making the same mistake again. “I mean no. Thank you.”
“Okay,” he said, then tried another approach to engage her. “So what’s going on at the hotel? I was there this morning and the lobby was all tore up. Renovating?”
“Yeah,” she replied. She was desperate to find an excuse to get away from him. “Look, no offense, but I don’t feel like talking about work tonight.”
“Okay, well what do you want to talk about?” he asked.
“Nothing! I don’t want to talk about anything, Eddie! Stop being such a pain in the ass!” She turned and ran across the room where Ethan and Stormy were talking privately. She peered across the room, hoping Eddie would get the picture and leave her alone. She didn’t want to make small talk with him. She decided she needed to have her head examined for ever being attracted to him at all.
When Brooke, Kelly and Leilani entered the room, all eyes turned in their direction. Ethan took a sip of bourbon and smiled pleasantly at Brooke, who looked ravishing in a simple beige slip dress. Even at her worst she looked amazing.
“Good evening, everybody,” Leilani said, atypically dressed in formal attire consisting of a large black sequined dress and a simple white rose pinned in her hair.
Stormy approached Kelly and slipped his arm around her. “You look hot,” he said and kissed her softly. “I mean it.”
“Thank you,” she said, purposefully covering her ring finger with her right hand. She winked knowingly at him. “Do you think anyone suspects?”
“Not sure,” he replied. “It’s hard to keep secrets in this house.”
Brooke separated herself from the group and approached Ethan by the fireplace. “Can I talk to you in private for a minute?”
He nodded warily and followed her through the French doors onto the terrace. Brooke turned and securely latched the doors closed. Just as they had disappeared from view, James entered the family room and glanced around in search of her.
“Has anyone seen Brooke?”
Miranda was only too happy to answer. “She went outside on the terrace with Ethan.”
James set his jaw, panicked by the prospect of what they could be talking about.
Brooke leveled a look of resentment on Ethan and studied his expression carefully. The very idea that he could have betrayed her was almost as hurtful as the lies her parents told her. Granted, she hadn’t been fair to him over the past few months, but that didn’t give him the right to expose something so personal, knowing fully well that it would humiliate her.
“What is it?” Ethan asked.
“I need to ask you something and I want the truth.”
Ethan shrugged. “I’ve always been honest with you, Brooke.”
That was what made this all so hard to believe, she thought to herself. But still, the situation had been strained for quite some time. Who knows what mindset he could be after everything that had happened.
“Did you leak the story about me and David to the society columnist at the L.A. Times?”
“Did I what?” he asked, blindsided by the sudden accusation.
“Did you give them a tip off that David and I are brother and sister?” Brooke demanded. “I know James told you. All I want to know is if it was you that leaked the story.”
“You think I called into a gossip columnist with something as horrific as what just happened to you?” he asked in bewilderment and ran his fingers through his hair. “It’s like we don’t know each other at all, Brooke. What have I done to make you distrust me like this? What have I ever done?”
Her eyes stung with tears and she shook her head in despair. “Nothing,” she cried. “You haven’t done anything. You’ve always been nothing but good to me. That’s what makes all of this so hard to believe.”
“So why would you think I’d do something like this?” he asked through gritted teeth. “I don’t understand.”
“Things have just been so strained between us. I thought you were angry and—”
“You are the reason things are strained between us!” he shouted. “It’s all been you, Brooke. We finally had a chance to be happy. Finally. And what did you do? You turned me away. You told me that too much had happened.”
“I had just gotten divorced,” she cried. “I—”
“And then along came David,” Ethan continued, shaking his head with trace laughter. “You swore up and down that there was nothing going on. You were just friends and how dare I tell you who you can have in your life. I figured you just needed some space so I stood back, when all the while you were falling in love with him.”
“It wasn’t love,” Brooke lamented. “David was a distraction. So much had gone on with you, me and James. I just needed to step away.”
“Into his bed.”
Brooke flashed her eyes angrily at him. “How dare you rub this in my face!” she sceamed. “I slept with my own brother and you’re turning it into something against you!”
He realized she was right. He wasn’t being fair. David was now a mute point. Besides, she had her life turned upside down in the past few days and bringing up their past was selfish of him.
“I’m sorry,” he said. “Yes, I’m bitter and yes, I’m angry, but not enough to sell your deepest secrets to the highest bidder. If someone leaked the story about you and David to the media, it wasn’t me.”
She knew he was telling her the truth. And that meant only one other person could be responsible.
Miranda.
“Hello, Mother,” Miranda said inside the family room when Alex arrived with Jordan and Benji. “You look good. Did you have some work done today?”
“Of course not, darling,” Alex said with a laugh and kissed her daughter on each cheek. “I’m just very happy, that’s all.”
“Good,” Miranda said with a smile and approached Jordan. “How is Heather?”
He shook his head enigmatically. “Not good, but I haven’t talked to her since their appointment today.”
Miranda’s eyes sunk to the floor, fully aware of what Jordan meant. Her heart went out to her stepsister, and yes, even to Brett.
Across the room, Kelly was talking to Leilani and doing her best to squash her mother’s nagging questions.
“Mama, I told you, Ke was only here for a short visit. He’s gone back to Hawaii.”
“I thought he was going to trying to win you back,” Leilani replied with disappointment evident in her voice.
Benji overheard and approached casually, his hands dug into the pockets of his tuxedo trousers. “Did you say Ke left town?”
Kelly nodded. “Yes, why?”
He shrugged. “Just curious. He mentioned something about a surfing lesson.”
Laughing, Kelly took a fresh glass of champagne from Stormy. “You should be so lucky. He’s very good.”
“Yes, he was,” Benji murmured under his breath.
When Brooke and Ethan returned from the terrace, James couldn’t help but notice the tenseness on Brooke’s face. He wondered what they were talking about. The last thing he wanted was them to compare stories about some of the things he’d been orchestrating since she moved back into the mansion. All in the name of making her fall back in love with him.
Across the room, Stormy clinked a spoon against his glass. “Can I have everyone’s attention, please?” he announced as Kelly moved toward him. “I asked everyone here tonight because I have some very special news.”
“Here we go,” Miranda mumbled to herself sarcastically.
“About six months ago, someone came into this house, and into my life, and changed me forever,” Stormy continued as all eyes became glued to him.
Alex scoffed out loud, now realizing he was talking about Kelly, the worst thing to happen to their family in years.
“Well, not only has Kelly agreed to sign a three-picture deal with Sunset Studios, but she’s also agreed to be my wife. We’re getting married.”
A hush fell over the small gathering. Awkward silence permeated the room until Eddie burst into a robust round of applause.
“Congratulations!” he yelled out, doing his best to instigate a reaction from the rest.
Kelly smiled happily, throwing her arms around Stormy and kissing him passionately.
“Oh…my….God…” Miranda’s response was one of disbelief. She knew her brother did some stupid things, but this took the cake.
“Stormy, that’s wonderful,” James said and embraced his son warmly. “I’m very happy for you.” He turned to Kelly and gave her a quick squeeze and a kiss on the cheek. “Welcome to the family, Kelly.”
“Kelly, why didn’t you tell me sooner?” Leilani began, disapproval evident on her pudgy face.
“Mama, don’t.” She put her hand up in an effort to silence her. “If you’re not going to congratulate me then I don’t want to hear it.”
Sighing, Leilani pulled her into a hug. “We’ll talk about this later,” she said. “In private.”
Kelly wasn’t interested in her mother’s opinion. She knew how she felt. She thought that she was marrying above her station in life. She was a housekeeper’s daughter and had to struggle for everything they had. Her mother had worked for the Blackthornes for eighteen years and it wasn’t their place to insinuate themselves in their lives. Well, she was determined to change that.
She was just as good as the Blackthornes and now she was going to be one of them.
The mixed reviews continued pouring in. Half of the family was still on the fence where the impromptu announcement was concerned. Namely Alex.
“What are you thinking, Stormy?” she asked after pulling him aside. “I’ve warned you about this woman and all you’ve done is ignore me.”
“Because I love her,” he insisted. “Nothing you can do is going to change that. You can’t buy her off or scare her away, so don’t even think about pulling another one of your stunts.”
Alex shook her head in despair. “I love you and I just want you to be happy.”
“Kelly makes me happy.”
“For now. But I worry that your relationship is based on all the wrong things. What happens in a year when you’re unhappy? The same thing happened with Heather. Nine months into your marriage and you were cheating on her and going behind her back.“
“That was a long time ago. I’ve grown up a lot since then. God, why can’t you just be happy for me and accept that this is what I want?”
“Because I know you. And I know Kelly. Or at least women like Kelly.”
Stormy shook his head in irritation. “I think the only reason you are so against my relationship with Kelly is because she upstaged you.”
“That’s preposterous,” Alex harrumphed.
“She took over the movie which was supposed to be your big comeback, and now you’re gunning for her. If I wasn’t in the picture, you’d think of another way of sticking it to her.”
“How can you talk to me like that?” Alex asked, pained by his harsh words.
“Because you are being impossible,” Stormy replied. “And until you can accept Kelly and accept the fact that we’re going to be married, then I have nothing more to say to you.”
With that, he turned and walked back to the crowd. Alex stood behind, hurt that he would give her an ultimatum like that. All she was doing was looking out for his best interests. Why couldn’t he understand that?
Her attention was directed elsewhere when she saw Jordan across the room with Brett and Heather. Quickly, she rushed toward them.
“I’m so proud of you for coming,” Jordan was saying, kissing his daughter tenderly on the cheek as she held Violet delicately in her arms. “What happened at the appointment today? What did the doctor say?”
Silence followed for a moment or two, which caused Jordan’s heart to stop, but when a faint smile emerged onto Heather’s lips, he let out a slow, steady breath.
“They said Violet is developing normally so far,” Heather announced, exchanging happy looks with Brett at her side.
“That’s fantastic!” Jordan exclaimed, pulling his daughter into an embrace as she handed Violet off to Brett. “I just knew it. I knew she was going to be okay.”
“We’re so happy,” Alex chimed in and gave Heather a quick squeeze.
“What did the doctors say exactly?” Jordan wanted to know.
“Yeah, what kind of examinations did they do?” Alex added.
Heather tried to gather her thoughts, still a bit on edge after being worried for so long, but beyond relieved by today’s news.
“Well, they test for motor skills, communication, cognition…” she began to explain. “Things I never even thought of, like her opening and closing her hands, clapping her hands, even just finding her mouth.”
“Those are all motor skills and Violet has them all,” Brett interjected with a broad smile.
“They did this thing,” Heather went on, realizing she was talking a mile a minute but she had so much to say. So much to be thankful for. “Where they test if she can recognize us by placing a screen in front of our face and then seeing what happens when—” She started to get choked up. “But she recognized us, Daddy.”
“That’s wonderful,” Alex said, clutching to Jordan’s side.
“And that’s not the best part,” Heather said, the corners of her mouth curling upwards. “She smiled at me.”
“She smiled?” Jordan asked, bewildered.
Heather nodded happily as Jordan hugged her again, and then took Violet in his arms. “So is this the end? There’s nothing to worry about?”
“Not exactly,” Brett said. “There are still more milestones she has to reach later on down the road, but at least she’s on track as of right now. That’s all we can hope for.”
Heather smiled and kissed him warmly, more content and relaxed than she had been in some time.
Across the room, James casually made his way toward Brooke who stood alone in the corner, red watery eyes threatening to explode.
“Are you okay?” he asked and reached for her hand.
She nodded.
“What were you and Ethan talking about on the terrace?’
She shrugged, staring at Miranda from across the room. “A lot of things,” she replied, then finally looked at him. “He swears he didn’t have anything to do with leaking that story to the paper.”
“Well, of course he’d say that,” James replied. “But if it wasn’t him, then who?”
“I already told you,” Brooke said, stomping across the room and pulling Miranda toward her with blunt force.
“Hey!” Miranda exclaimed. “What’s with you?”
“How do you live with yourself?” Brooke demanded.
“Excuse me?” Miranda didn’t know what had gotten into her, but she had rarely seen Brooke look so angry. Not since she thought she’d kidnapped Michael two years ago.
“I know it was you. I know you leaked the story about me and David to the media. And I know that the only reason you did it was because you saw me and your father getting close so you did anything you could to throw a wrench in it. Well, I’ve got news for you, Miranda. Your father and I are just friends. That’s it. So, you destroyed my reputation, and David’s reputation for nothing. I hope you’re happy with yourself.”
She looked at her in bewilderment. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” The truth was, she had overheard the news that Brooke and David were brother and sister, but she knew well enough to keep that to herself. It was just like Brooke to accuse her of something she had nothing to do with.
“The hell you don’t,” Brooke hissed with contempt. “This smacks of every underhanded thing you did when your father and I first got together. Nothing was beneath you. You didn’t want anyone taking your precious father from you then, and you still don’t. So tell me, Miranda, when are you going to grow up and realize that everything doesn’t revolve around you?”
The entire room was now silent, listening to every word the two women exchanged in the heated argument.
“Brooke, that’s enough,“ James pleaded with her. “Come on, let’s go somewhere and talk.”
She waved him away. “No, I want her to admit what she did.”
“I didn’t do anything,” Miranda insisted. “But how typical of you to accuse me anyway. Anytime something goes wrong in your life it’s my fault. Well this time you can’t pin it on me. If there’s a problem with you and David, you have no one to blame but yourself. Maybe it’s karma for screwing over Daddy and Ethan.”
Insulted by her callous tone, Brooke took a step forward and glared at her. “I pity you,” she said. “And I’m through trying to be nice to you. I’m through trying to convince you that I’m not out to hurt this family. I think you’re the reason this family has problems. Everything you do is like poison. It infects everything and everybody you touch.”
Furious over her attempt at humiliating her, Miranda turned and raced out of the room. She hadn’t even done anything and she was being attacked. It was so typical of Brooke to lash out at her and blame her for her problems.
Eddie waited until the initial shock had worn off in the room before he took off in an attempt to find her.
Kelly folded her arms and curled her lips into a pout. Leave it to Miranda to steal her thunder at her engagement party. Everything had to revolve around her at all times, and it made her sick.
“So, Stormy popped the question?” Benji said as he approached her. “I’m so relieved for you.”
“What do you mean by that?” Kelly asked with a frown.
Shrugging, Benji dug his hands in the pockets of his trousers. “Well, it would have been kind of awkward if you’d married Ke. Him being into guys and all.”
Her eyes flickered past his and she nervously folded her hands together. “Ke isn’t into guys.”
“Oh, sorry, my mistake,” he replied in a thoroughly patronizing manner. “I thought I got a gay vibe, but I guess not. Well, I still think Stormy’s a better match for you.”
“Thanks,” Kelly said dismissively and quickly went to rejoin Stormy. She didn’t know how Benji knew about Ke, but if Stormy ever caught wind, he’d know that they set him up. She could always claim she didn’t know, but that would be a lie. She’d known for quite some time, thus the reason for their broken engagement.
Miranda paced back and forth in the pool house, steaming over the confrontation with Brooke and the way she blamed her for her own stupidity. She’d been the one to steal David from her so anything that happened as a result was Brooke’s own fault. She had no sympathy for her whatsoever.
Her temper rising to a boil, she picked up an ashtray from the table and hurdled it across the room where it smashed against the door. Glancing up, she saw the door slowly open and a white handkerchief waving in the air.
“Can I come in?” called Eddie as he slowly pushed open the door. “Or if you need to throw some more stuff, I can come back later.”
She gritted her teeth and groaned in frustration. “Let’s just say I’d steer clear if I were you,” she huffed and continuing pacing.
Eddie went inside anyway, shoving his handkerchief back in his pocket and regarding her carefully. “I’m sorry about what happened back there,” he began. “Brooke was way out of line. I mean, I don’t know what’s going on but—”
“You’re right, you don’t know what’s going on so just stay out of it,” she snapped.
Eddie raised an eyebrow and hesitantly turned to leave when she called after him again.
“Eddie, wait,” she said. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean that.”
“Do you want to talk about it?” he asked and motioned to the sofa.
“No.”
He watched her dart around the room in a rage. The truth was he was accustomed to her tantrums. She’d been having them since high school. There wasn’t a day he came to the house to hang out with Stormy that she didn’t throw a fit about something. It was part of her charm.
“Okay, so do you want to—”
“How dare her accuse me of spilling the beans about her incestuous relationship with David,” she cut him off. “I mean, yes, it sounds like something I would do, and I probably would have considered it if I’d thought of it.”
“You would have?” he asked in surprise.
“I said I would have considered it. And why shouldn’t I? She’s been positively horrible to me since the first day we met. Don’t let her fool you, Eddie. I’ve always been nice to Brooke. She was just too threatened by me because I knew from the get-go that she had a thing for my cousin Ethan while she and Daddy were engaged. She’s never forgiven me for that.”
“It sounds like—” he began, but again was cut off amidst her tirade.
“And how dare she stand up and announce to my family that I am the cause of all of their problems!” she exclaimed with a chuckle. “I’ve done nothing but help this family! I was the one who went to Phoenix and brought Stormy back after his affair, I was the one who got my mom and Jordan together, I was the one who helped Heather through that ordeal with Will Thomerson. How am I the bad guy here? Would you mind explaining that to me?”
He bided his time, waiting until she was finished with her rant. When she finally took a breath, he lurched forward and kissed her softly on the lips. Half expecting her to push him away, he jumped back and gauged her reaction.
After a few moments of awkward silence, Miranda raised an eyebrow and looked at him curiously. “What was that?”
He sighed and went in for another kiss. This time she did push him away.
“I thought you wanted me to do it again!”
“You thought wrong!” she retorted. “You caught me off guard. I’m kind of vulnerable here and you’re taking advantage of the situation.”
He slapped the palm of his hand against his forehead and then threw his hands up in resignation. “I’m sorry. I just thought I could take your mind off of everything. I thought if I didn’t do something you’d keep going.”
“So, you were trying to get me to shut up?” Miranda asked, insulted. “How on earth do you get all those women to sleep with you, Eddie? You have no game.” She turned away and folded her arms.
“Hey, I have game,” he insisted, charging forward. “Ask anybody.”
“Don’t think so,” she muttered, shaking her head.
“A lot of women find me attractive. I go out on plenty of dates.”
She rolled her eyes and turned back to him. “Yes, but how many second dates do you go out on?”
The question shut him up quickly. Maybe she had a point.
“Fine,” he said and headed for the door. “That’s the last time I try to make you feel better. Have fun crying in your pool house.”
She slapped her hands to her sides when he slammed the door after leaving. That hadn’t gone the way she’d intended. He was only trying to be sweet, and she was trying to play uninterested in order to avoid another repeat of that night a few weeks ago. Now all she did was insult him.
“Can I get you another glass of champagne?” Stormy asked Kelly as they hovered in the corner of the family room while their guests mingled.
“Stormy, what were you and your mother talking about earlier? She’s been giving me the evil eye all night.”
“It isn’t important,” he replied. “My mother is just being herself. She’s still bitter over the movie and she’s taking it out on our relationship.”
“I hate that she’s so against our being together,” Kelly said, cringing at the daggers Alex’s eyes plunged in her back. “I thought that by us getting engaged it would show her and your sister that this isn’t just a fling.”
“It will,” he assured her and rested his hand on her waist. “Once we’re married, they’ll have to accept it. They’ll come to love you as much as I do. You’ll see.”
She smiled vaguely as he took her champagne glass and set off to pour her another. After he’d gone, she scanned the room, avoiding eye contact with Alex, and letting he eyes rest on Brett Armstrong.
“Well, if it isn’t my white knight,” she said with a purr as she approached him at the fireplace. “Did I ever thank you for helping me that day a few weeks ago?”
“Yes, and you’re welcome,” he said sheepishly, digging his hands in his pockets. “Have any spin outs lately?”
She laughed and threw her hair behind her shoulders. “No, not since then. You know, I didn’t know if I’d ever see you again, but then I remembered you’re somehow stuffed into this mix one way or another.”
“My wife, Heather, is Stormy’s stepsister, and ex-wife, so it’s kind of weird I guess,” he replied and gazed across the room where Heather and Benji were talking.
“Yeah, that’s quite a family tree,” Kelly said. “So, your baby…she’s something else. Those eyes!”
Brett’s own eyes immediately lit up. “They’re gorgeous, aren’t they?” he said with a grin.
“What’s going on here?” Stormy asked as he approached, eyeing Brett suspiciously. He had no patience for his former brother-in-law, and he still didn’t trust him. It would be a cold day in hell before he left him alone with his fiancée.
“I was just thanking Brett for coming to my rescue a few weeks ago when I had that blow out on my car at the marina,” Kelly explained.
“Yes, well, we’re all grateful that Brett is such a handy guy,” Stormy said and quickly led her off to the other side of the room.
Brett couldn’t help but laugh. Stormy still had him pegged as this unscrupulous womanizer. The truth was, there was a time in his life when he would have jumped at the chance to seduce a woman like Kelly. Seduce, use, and toss out when he was finished. But things had changed since he became a father. His priorities were to protect his family and get them through this difficult time.
Alex glared across the room at Kelly, livid by the obvious way she flaunted her relationship with Stormy in her face. She knew she was against them getting married, and yet she continuously watched her to make sure she saw every touch, every kiss, and every whisper.
Finally having had enough, she approached Jordan and pulled him to the side. “I’m ready to leave,” she said insistently.
“Are you sure?” he asked.
“Yes, let’s go.”
“Okay, well I’ll let you say goodnight to Stormy while I check in with Heather.”
‘I’ll just meet you at the door,” she said hastily before charging out of the room and down the hall to the foyer.
James came out of his study just in time to see her flee outside to the porte-cochere. “Alex,” he called after her, wondering what had instigated her spontaneous exit. “Alex, wait!”
But she ignored him, knowing full well that he didn’t support her disapproval of Stormy and Kelly’s engagement. At least Miranda was still on her side, she thought bitterly as she got into the back of the limo and waited for Jordan.
James creased his forehead and mentally prepared himself to hear about her tantrum later. With Alex it was never over. Closing the door, he suddenly became aware that someone was standing on the porch in a dark drench coat.
“David,” James said with surprise.
“I need to see Brooke,” David said, his hands resting in the pockets of his coat.
James ran a hand over his face and exhaled deeply. “I don’t know that she’s ready,” he said. “Look, I fully understand that you were just as much a victim in all this as she was, but—”
“James, please,” he said. “We can’t ignore this.”
James knew he was right. They could put it off forever, but it wouldn’t solve anything. It was an ugly truth that had to be confronted.
“Wait here,” he said and gestured into the foyer. “I’ll go see if I can find her.”
Outside on the terrace, Brooke leaned against the railing and stared up at the full moon. She’d succeeded in calming herself down after the incident with Miranda, but her hands were still trembling. A cool breeze blew through the trees and sent chills up and down her arms. She rubbed her bare skin with her hands and jumped when she sensed someone behind her.
“Here, take this,” Ethan said and wrapped his tuxedo jacket over her shoulders.
She managed a gracious smile. “I guess I ruined Stormy’s engagement party.”
“I think he’ll understand. You’re under a lot of pressure. A lot’s happened since your father passed away.”
‘Which one?” she asked bitterly and made her way across the tiled floor.
“Look, whether Miranda did or didn’t tip off the media, it doesn’t matter,” Ethan said, trying his best to comfort her. “James said he was going to put a stop to the story, didn’t he? So, there’s nothing to worry about.”
“Nothing to worry about?” she asked with a chortle. “How about the rest of my life? How about how I’m going to function as a decent person after sleeping with my own brother?”
“You didn’t know he was your brother. If you did, it would have been a different story. All you share is a father. A father you never even knew.”
“How can I ever look him in the eyes again?” she asked. “How can I acknowledge him as my brother after what happened?”
Ethan sighed and thought for a few lingering moments. “Maybe you never will,” he responded. “Like I said, you shared a father and that’s all. I’m not saying that you’ll be able to just sweep it under the rug, but in time you’ll be able to look at yourself in the mirror again.”
She closed her eyes and turned her face toward the breeze. Two full minutes of silence went by before she spoke again. “How do we keep coming back to this place?”
“What do you mean?”
“You and I,” she explained and looked at him. She pulled his jacket tighter over her shoulders. “You’re always there for me. We’ve been going around in circles for so long. So many things kept us apart. I guess I never imagined one day it would be me doing it.”
Ethan took a step toward her. “It doesn’t have to be that way.”
She shook her head and turned away. “Too much has happened.”
“No, it hasn’t,” he insisted. “Throw all those insecurities out the window. Forget about the love triangles and the hurt feelings and the harsh words. All that’s important is how we feel about each other.”
“Is it really that easy?” she asked tearfully as he spun her toward him again.
“Yes. All you have to do is let go of everything. Tell me that you still love me as much as I love you.”
She knew he was right. She was holding on to too much, making it more difficult than it had to be. She’d loved Ethan since the first day she met him in James’s office.
“I do still love you,” she said and threw her arms around him.
Ethan kissed her passionately and held on to her as tight as he could. Neither of them noticed James standing just inside the French doors. He listened to their words and saw the way they held each other with such tenderness. He quickly came to the realization that he was fighting a losing battle, just as he always had.
His cell phone rang, and he darted away from the door while muffling the ringer. “Hello?” he answered with disinterest.
“James, I’ve been waiting to hear from you,” said a voice on the other end. “What’s going on?”
“What?” he asked. “Who is this?”
“Marjorie Stahl from the L.A.Times,” she replied. “You said you were going to get me confirmation on that tip you gave me about Brooke Taylor and David Jennings. I haven’t been able to get so much as a quote. Brooke isn’t talking and David Jennings has been unreachable. I can’t print the story without something.”
“Right,” he said and squeezed his eyes shut while thinking hard. “Don’t run it.”
“Are you sure?” Marjorie asked.
“Yes. It doesn’t matter now anyway.”
With that, he clicked off the phone and dropped it back into his pocket. He leaned against the wall in the family room and thought about his failed attempt at getting Brooke to fall for him again. Manipulating a situation that he would conveniently fix in her honor seemed like a good starting point, but now that her feelings for Ethan were on the table again, it was mute. Granted, he wouldn’t have allowed the story to be run in the first place, but the foreboding danger of it happening seemed like a perfect way to get close again.
Now he was forced to accept that their reunion would never take place. He began to wonder what there was left for him.
Next time….
Alex is unwittingly pulled into scandal on set. Jordan and Frank Dunning come to blows again. Benji has nightmares about the night his mother disappeared. Miranda learns that Heather has been canceling her appointments with Dr. Anderson.
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