Hollywood Ever After (Red Carpet 1)

“I missed you too.” Will kissed me quickly.

“We were crazy busy. Can we just do nothing for the next twenty-four hours? Please?” Natalie hugged me. “Hey, Josh. Hey, Helen.” The last two words were more of a squeal. Helen and Natalie hugged and began talking ninety-to-nothing.

My mother hugged me then. “I’m exhausted. Those women don’t know what ‘slow down’ means.”

“Like you do, Grams?” Natalie teased.

A tall blond man appeared at my mother’s elbow, holding her knitting bag. “Oh, I almost forgot that, didn’t I? Thank you, Roman.” She took the bag from him.

“I’m glad you had a good time, Mom. Sorry you had to cut it short.”

“Did you miss me, Josh?” Will asked as he stretched from my arms toward Josh.

Josh took Will in his arms. “I sure did. Your mum and I did nothing but mope about, we missed you so much,” he teased.

My mother shook her head. “I have a hard time believing that.”

While luggage was located, Will and Natalie continued to fill us in on the trip. Mom eyed the wall-like presence of the other bodyguards, but didn’t say anything. I was thankful for that. I had no doubt that the after-dinner hours would be a lengthy question and answer session. But that was fair; she had a right to know what was going on.

As the trains began to pull away, we made our way inside the station where we made sure all the luggage was accounted for. With a suitcase in one hand and Will’s hand held in the other, we jumped over puddles on the way to the van Nathan had rented.

“Did you have fun?” I asked Will as I pulled the seatbelt from between the seat cushions.

He nodded. “I did. Did you? When did Daddy get here?” Will asked as I buckled him into the seat.

It took every ounce of control I had not to react. My hands tightened on the buckle, but I forced myself to finish securing him into the seat.

“Why would you say that, Will?” my mother asked.

I felt Josh’s hand on my back. “He’s not here, Will.” My voice was surprisingly calm.

“But I just saw him. He was getting on the train.” Will shrugged.

Josh’s hand left my back and I heard him speaking in low tones to someone. To one of our security guards, I assumed. I didn’t look back.

“It was probably just someone who looked like him, Willy,” Natalie said. “Dad’s working in India, remember? He called us the other night and he sent us that picture of the elephant.”

Will nodded. “But I thought maybe he’d come here. Because it seemed like he was watching us. And he looked like Dad.”

“All buckled?” I asked.

My mother was watching me closely. “We’re all good, Claire.”

Josh waited until the van doors were closed before he spoke. “I’ve sent Roman to check, Claire. Let’s get them to the cottage. If he was here, and Will did see him, maybe he was leaving.”

I nodded. Somehow, I wasn’t reassured.

***

Nathan decided to make dinner. My mother helped. I could sense trouble brewing between the two of them immediately.

“You don’t boil them first?” My mother was questioning Nathan’s method of preparing his roasted potatoes.

“No. I prefer them not to be mush, Marty.” He wasn’t fazed.

“Mush? You’ve never had my roasted potatoes, Nathan. My potatoes are never mush.”

“And we’re not having yours tonight, are we, Marty? We’re having mine.” He smiled, a lopsided smile that made my mother narrow her eyes.