Lying Love (Lazy Love Book 3) Read online

  “Be good to her. We all think of Amber as a little sister around here, and we don’t want her hurt.”

  “I won’t hurt her.” John wondered at the loyalty Amber had brought out in her two male co-workers. They obviously cared for her a great deal.

  Bob smiled, the smile slightly predatory. “No, you won’t.” He turned back to Tony to talk a little more.

  Amber bit her lip to stifle her laugh. She couldn’t believe Bob was threatening John, but she found it very amusing. She’d been friends with both of her co-workers since their first day on set, but they’d always seen her as a little sister to be protected. She hated it just as much as she loved it.

  She looked over at May, who was talking quietly with Nicki. “I’d like you to stand up with me. You and Valerie, of course.”

  May nodded, a smile lighting up her face. “I’d love to!”

  “We’re going to have to pick a day to go dress shopping, because I need to get you both attendant dresses and little miss Nicki needs a flower girl dress. And a basket and flowers, of course.”

  May frowned at that. “And the wedding is Saturday? How about Tuesday?”

  Amber shook her head. “I’m not filming that afternoon, but I do need to go with John to get our marriage license.”

  “Okay. You pick then, because all the other days are equally bad for me.”

  Amber looked at Valerie. “Do you have a schedule for the week? I want to find a time when we can both be there. And it needs to be afternoon, so we don’t interrupt May’s sleep schedule too much.”

  Valerie jumped up as fast as she could with her extra baby weight and went to get the schedule she’d stuck to her refrigerator with a magnet. She handed it to Amber, who scanned the page. “How about Thursday afternoon, May?”

  May nodded slowly. “I have a new release coming out on Thursday, but Sara can handle it for me.”

  “When are we going to get to meet the phenomenal Sara?” Amber asked, handing the schedule back to Valerie.

  May shrugged. “I don’t know. Soon, I hope. I’m really hoping she’ll come down when the baby’s born. I’d love for you two to meet her.”

  “Sometimes I think she’s a figment of your imagination,” Valerie told May.

  May laughed. “I wouldn’t be able to accomplish half what I do without her, so she must not be imaginary. Not that I’m opposed to having imaginary friends, because I think they’re a very important part of everyone’s life. Without my imaginary friends, I’d never write another book.”

  At the confused look on John’s face, Amber leaned over and whispered, “May’s more than a little insane. We like her this way.”

  John just nodded, not sure what else to say. The whole lot of them seemed crazy to him, but as long as they didn’t affect his daughter adversely, he wouldn’t complain a bit. “That works.”

  Bob kept looking over at John on the couch, and John was starting to feel uncomfortable. “Bob, do you want to go for a walk and talk?” John asked.

  Bob nodded. “Yeah, I think that would be good.”

  Amber closed her eyes for a moment, not wanting to even think about what they’d discuss. She wasn’t going to let it bother her.

  Bob and John headed to the door, and Jesse looked up. “Tony, talk to the girls. I need to walk too.”

  A moment later, Tony was standing alone in the middle of the floor, looking over at the couch. “Sit down,” Valerie invited. “We all need to get to know you better.”

  The couch was a sectional with space for seven, and May moved over between Amber and Nicki, leaving Tony a large section of the couch by himself.

  “Tell us what you’ve done before,” Amber invited, wondering about the man. They were going to be filming their first kiss that week, so she wanted to know what he was like.

  Tony smiled. “I’ve been working on Broadway for years, but I wanted to try working in Hollywood for a while. I’ve been auditioning for about three months, and I landed the roll of Jackson.” He looked at Amber. “I’m really looking forward to playing opposite you. I’ve been a big fan of the show since it started.”

  Amber smiled. “Sounds good. We’re going to meet on the show in the first scene we film tomorrow, if I’m right. I’m going out for a sunrise ride, and I’ll find you hurt. Dylan will play big brother and not want me to get too involved with you.” Kind of like Jesse and Bob were playing big brother with John at that very moment.

  Tony nodded. “I’m really looking forward to filming all that tomorrow. I think I’m going to enjoy playing opposite you.”

  Amber smiled, wondering what else to say. “I think the whole cast will be at my wedding on Saturday, so if you’re not going back to Hollywood for the week off, you’re welcome to come.”

  Tony shrugged. “I can do that. I’m not planning on flying back and forth during time off just yet. I want to get to know the area and the set better first.”

  Amber looked at the door, glancing at the clock on the wall. She wondered how long the men were going to keep John. She was going to have to go to bed soon if she wanted to look human for her scene in the morning. She looked at May. “They won’t hit him, will they?”

  May shook her head. “I think they’re just trying to scare him.”

  Amber nodded, biting her lip. “Did you say something to them about John?”

  “Not at all. They knew there was someone in your past, and you show up engaged when you haven’t been dating, and they put two and two together. Neither of them are stupid.”

  Amber sighed. “I know. I just wish they didn’t always feel the need to play big brothers. I’m an adult.”

  Valerie laughed. “An adult who has no big brothers, but she does have two big strong men who have been acting with her for four years.”

  “I guess I should be grateful and not freaking out, huh?”

  Valerie shrugged. “Your response to their nonsense is up to you. I’m just explaining the way they think.”

  Nicki walked over to climb onto Amber’s lap. “Where’d Daddy go?”

  “He went for a walk with my friends, Jesse and Bob.”

  “Will he be back soon?”

  “I sure hope so.” Amber stroked the little girl’s hair as she held her.

  May looked at Amber, obviously trying to distract her. “What color are you thinking for the wedding?”

  Amber shrugged. “I’m thinking whatever we can find that will fit everyone. Having two pregnant attendants doesn’t make it easy to find the right dresses.”

  “We’ll figure it out together then,” Valerie said with a shrug. “I love this baby too much to care a lot about what I’m going to wear to your wedding.”

  Amber smiled at that. “I figured you’d feel that way. As long as I serve tacos at the reception, right?”

  May squealed, bouncing a little. “Could you? I hate going to the Mexican place in town, but I do love tacos. And it’s not like I’m going to cook them!”

  Amber laughed. “I’ll see what can be done. I’m going to call my mother tonight when I get back to my trailer, and see if she knows anyone.” She wrinkled her nose. “I’m not looking forward to it.”

  There was a knock at the door, and Valerie walked over, still as graceful as ever. Amber wondered when she’d start waddling, but she wasn’t sure it would ever happen. There was something special about her friend.

  She paid for the pizzas and carried them in, setting them on the table. “I don’t have enough chairs for everyone, so use your laps as a table.” Looking at Nicki, she asked, “Are you hungry? Do you want me to fix you a plate?”

  “I’m not hungry. We had a picnic by the river.”

  May wiggled her eyebrows at Amber. “A picnic by the river sounds very romantic.”

  “Sounds like something you’d write about for sure.” Amber sighed. “I’m not hungry either. We just ate.”

  “You’re not wearing a ring,” Tony commented. It was the first thing he’d said in a long while.

  Amber looked do
wn at her bare left hand. “No, not yet. He’s going to bring me a ring tomorrow.”

  “He proposed without a ring?”

  Amber frowned at him. “Yes, he did, but he’ll get me one. Why are you so concerned about my ring?” She didn’t think men were even supposed to notice things like that.

  May shrugged. “I didn’t have a ring when Bob proposed to me either.”

  “I never got an engagement ring,” Valerie added. “We picked out a wedding ring together the day after we got married.”

  Tony blinked. “I thought it was normal to have the ring first.”

  May shrugged. “In most cases, that’s what people do, but not all. You can’t judge someone on doing things their own way. I don’t know of any marriages happier than Jesse and Valerie’s or Bob’s and mine. Sometimes different is best.”

  Tony nodded, getting up to fix himself a plate. Valerie brought a plate of the taco pizza to May, who sighed contentedly. “I need tacos like I need air.”

  Amber just rolled her eyes, refusing to join in on the taco love-fest. “When I have a baby, I’m going to crave something normal like chocolate.”

  May looked at her. “Oh, we’re craving chocolate too, but tacos are just the worst of the cravings.”

  “Are you craving chocolate, too?” Amber asked Valerie.

  “Yup. Chocolate, pizza, and tacos, but tacos are the worst. I think I could eat tacos every day until this baby is born and not get sick of them. And I just might! Of course, I’ve even been buying these frozen tacos at the grocery store and baking them in the oven. It doesn’t seem to matter what kind or where, I just want tacos!”

  “I’m not quite that bad yet,” May said, “but I have a feeling it’s only a matter of time.” May was due several months after Valerie.

  The three men came back into the trailer, and Amber spent a moment looking at John, trying to find any visible injuries. “Everything okay?” she asked.

  John nodded. “You wanted to be home thirty minutes ago. I’ll walk you there.”

  Valerie smiled at John. “Leave Nicki here. We’ll watch her while you say goodnight.”

  Amber flushed, a little surprised at the offer. “You don’t have to do that.”

  “I want to,” Valerie insisted.

  Amber got to her feet and joined John. “G’night, everyone. See you bright and early.” She yawned just thinking about how early her day was going to be.

  As they walked to her trailer, she said, “I hope the men weren’t too overbearing. I know they were in a mood tonight.”

  John shook his head. “They obviously care about you. I think it’s sweet.”

  Amber blinked a couple of times. “You do?”

  “I do!”

  They reached her trailer, and she unlocked the door. “Do you want to come in for a minute?”

  He nodded, following her inside and closing the door behind him. As soon as it was closed, they reached for each other simultaneously, drawn together as if by powerful magnets. They had kissed too many times in the past for it not to feel exactly right.

  Her arms wrapped around him, and he grabbed her waist, pulling her body as close as he could. “I don’t want to wait to make love!”

  She pressed her lips to his, feeling the passion rising up within her, just as it had every time he’d touched her for years. “I do. I want to kiss you, but we need to wait.”

  “Why?”

  She sucked in a breath, resting her head against his shoulder. “We’re going to marry in six days. If we can’t wait that long, there’s something wrong with us. Our relationship ended over sex five and a half years ago. We need to wait this time, if only to prove that it’s not the most important thing. Besides, I think waiting until you marry for sex is the right thing to do.”

  He groaned, his hand coming up to cup her breast. “I’ve missed touching you. I’ve missed everything about you.”

  “But you’ll wait?” she asked softly.

  “Yeah, I’ll wait. I’ll do whatever you want me to do!”

  She yanked his head down for another kiss. “I need to be able to work in the morning, and this is going to keep me awake all night.”

  “Why is that?” he asked.

  “Because you turn me on like nothing else in the world ever could.” She sighed. “I don’t want to wait either, but I feel like we need to. I feel like it’s imperative for our relationship to work.”

  “Then we’ll wait.” He kissed her one last time. “I’ll see you tomorrow. I’m bringing your ring.”

  “All right.” She waited until he was almost to the door. “John?”

  He turned and looked at her. “Yeah?”

  “I’m glad we’re getting married.”

  As John left, he realized he’d told her he loved her several times, but she had yet to say it. He only hoped she still felt as he did, because it was going to be hard enough being married to a big time actress with love. Without it, they were doomed.

  Chapter 7

  On the drive home, John thought about what a confusing day it had been. Cashing in on one of his dates with Amber had resulted in an engagement and a quick wedding. How on earth did that happen?

  “Daddy, is Amber going to move in with us?” Nicki asked from the backseat.

  “Yes, she is. Does that make you happy?”

  “Yes! Can Miss May move in too?”

  John thought about the question for a moment. “Miss May lives with Mr. Bob in her house. She’s having a baby.”

  “They could still move in with us. I’d share my room with the baby.”

  John grinned. “Why do you want them to move in with us?”

  “I like Miss May. She’s nice.”

  “She is.” He didn’t comment on her husband’s disposition though. Bob and Jesse had made it very clear they expected nothing short of perfect behavior from him. They told him he’d better treat Amber as if she was a precious object made of glass, and if she got broken, so would he. With the actors on either side of him, it was clear that he was either going to have to make sure she was never unhappy or leave the country the moment she was.

  It wasn’t that he was afraid of either of them, because he wasn’t, but the combined power of the two men was downright scary.

  “So can they move in with us?” Nicki persisted.

  John shook his head. “No, they’re happy where they live, and Miss May sleeps during the day, so you’d have to be quiet all the time. That would be hard, wouldn’t it?”

  Nicki sighed dramatically. “Yeah. I guess we’ll just have to visit her a lot when she’s awake.”

  “I guess we will. I think you’re going to go shopping with Amber, Miss May, and Miss Valerie this week. Will that be good?”

  “For my flower girl dress and the basket I carry my throwing flowers in?”

  “You know you don’t really get to throw flowers at people, right?”

  “Why not?”

  “Because that’s not what flower girls do.”

  “It’s not? How do you know?” Nicki asked.

  “Because I’ve been to weddings before.” John wasn’t sure how long he could keep up this line of conversation. He wanted a few minutes of silence just to think!

  “Like your wedding to my mama who ran away?”

  “Yes, like that one.”

  “Grandma says I’m better off without her, and I should count my lucky stars that she left.” Nicki paused for a moment. “I want to count them, but I don’t know that I can count that high! Grandma says she can’t.”

  John bit back a laugh. His mother had never been fond of Kayla for very good reasons. His ex was a little witch and had hated Nicki from the moment she’d known of her conception. She’d cussed John when he’d fought with her about getting an abortion, and had fought with him about marrying.

  John hadn’t been surprised when Kayla had left, and he’d thanked God every day that she’d left Nicki with him. It had been hard to raise the little girl without a mother, but his mom had stood beside
him every step of the way. He wouldn’t change a thing that had happened, because Nicki was the best part of his life.

  And now Amber was back. Amber—the girl he’d dreamed about every night for years. The woman who would be his wife in six short days and very long nights. Amber. How had he lived through five and a half years without her? He’d never know.

  Amber sank down onto her couch for a moment, thinking about all that had transpired. She was going to marry John. She was going to tie her life to his, and spend forever with him. It’s all she’d needed for years, and it was finally going to happen.

  She pulled her phone from her pocket and took a deep breath before tapping her mother’s phone number. She had no desire to talk to her, but she knew she’d find out and show up at the wedding regardless. If she was invited personally, there was less chance of her causing a scene to end all scenes.

  “Hello?”

  “Mother, it’s me.”

  “Amber?”

  “How many people call you Mother these days?”

  “Don’t get snippy with me.”

  Amber sighed. “I’m getting married on Saturday. John asked me, and since we’ve been in love forever, we decided not to wait. We’ll marry in his yard at two in the afternoon. Will you come?”

  There was a long pause. “Of course we’ll be there. Is there anything I can do to help you plan? We could go wedding dress shopping!”

  “I have a dress. I was hoping you could help me with a caterer, though. I want to serve tacos at the reception, and I don’t know how to find a chef who specializes in tacos.”

  “Tacos? How about something a little more—classy?”

  “I want tacos, Mother. Both of my attendants are pregnant and craving tacos. And if you could find a way to have chocolate ice cream tacos for dessert, you’d be my hero forever.”

  There was a deep sigh. “I’ll never understand how a woman of your tastes came from your father and me.”

  “I’m sorry I’m such a disappointment to you.”

  “I didn’t mean that—you’re just so different from what I expected my daughter to be!”

  Amber closed her eyes. “Can you make the tacos happen?”