Dreaming With A Broken Heart (Hollywood Legends Book 1) (3 page)

“Hey,” Nate protested. “How did this get
turned around on me? I casually mention that having a legendary beauty for a
mother can sometimes be problematic and all of a sudden I’m a bad guy?”

“I’ve had to beat other men off with a stick for
decades. It’s the very happy price you have to pay when you love a woman so
beautiful inside
and
out.”

Garrett was used to the open, sometimes over-the-top,
affection his parents displayed. Everything they did was big. The way they
loved, the way they fought. The way they made up. One time after an epic
argument, he and his brothers didn’t see them for three days. At thirteen,
Garrett had been old enough to know what they were doing behind the closed
bedroom doors.

At the time, it was embarrassing. A few years later, when it
happened again, he admired their stamina. Now, for the first time, Garrett
envied not only loving someone that much; he longed to have it for himself. He
found it was easy to give away his heart. The hard part was getting one in
return.

“You seem pensive tonight.” Colt handed Garrett an
ice-cold longneck beer. “Problems with the new movie?”

“Other than a leading lady who thinks she’s God’s
gift?” Garrett took a long draw from the bottle. “Actors.”

“Hey, don’t lump all actors together. Some of us are
easy peasy to work with.” Colt laughed, his blues eyes sparkling.

Those eyes, and the handsome face that went with them,
graced hundreds of magazine covers over the past few years. Colt was blessed
with a face the camera loved. On top of that, he could act. Not just another
pretty face, one critic declared after Colt’s last film. Garrett was proud. In
public, he let the world know just how proud. In private, this was the baby of
the family. Putting him in his place was a mandatory older brother obligation.

“Easy peasy? More like easy. Period. You need to pace
yourself, Colt. At the rate you’re going, you’ll run out of starlets to sleep
with.” Garrett shook his head in mock despair. “What then?”

Colt chuckled good-naturedly. He was the easygoing Landis.
You could poke, prod, and goad him for hours. He was famously tolerant of
invasive paparazzi and overly enthusiastic fans. Colt never complained about
long delays on the set or lost his temper when the script was changed at the
last minute. Oh, he had a temper. The boiling point was high. Which meant when
he finally
did
reach it, watch out.

“You’ve been stuck behind that camera too long,
Garrett. Hollywood has an endless supply of beautiful women. Wave after wave.
Day after day. They come by car, train, bus.” Colt sighed happily at the
thought.

“Don’t you get tired of the same, vapid
conversation?” Garrett snapped his fingers, bringing Colt’s attention back
to him. “Oh, that’s right, you barely know their names. Being able to
discuss current affairs is not a requirement.”

“Stop giving Colt a hard time. With his track record,
he gets points for making it this long without an STD.” Wyatt joined them,
a glass of iced tea in his hand. He didn’t drink. Not anymore.

“No glove, no love,” Colt said.

“Charming.”

“Don’t scoff, Garrett.” Callie slipped an arm
around his waist, squeezing affectionately. His mother was a toucher. Hugs were
mandatory in the Landis family. “I hope you’re as careful as your
brother.”

Garrett kissed the top of his mother’s head.

“I don’t have as many reasons to be. But yes,” he
quickly added. “I’m always careful.”

“Good. Now.” She looped her arm through his.
“Let’s eat. Lorena’s spaghetti and meatballs await.”

There wasn’t anything the long-time Landis family cook made
that four hungry boys hadn’t devoured. Spaghetti and meatballs were Garrett’s
favorite. The family settled around the dining room table, each automatically
taking their usual spots. The conversation was easy, the topics eclectic. Work,
politics, climate change. Garrett tucked into the pasta and spicy sauce. He
hadn’t realized how hungry he was until the generous plate of food was in front
of him.

“We went to an auction at Anson Marlow’s house night
before last.”

Garrett’s hand paused, the fork full of food halfway to his
mouth. Swallowing, hoping to clear the sudden lump in his throat, Garrett ate the
spaghetti. He chewed and chewed, listening intently to what his mother was
saying.

“I didn’t think you socialized with him,” Wyatt
said as he reached for a piece of hot garlic bread.

“We don’t,” Caleb stated emphatically. “The
auction was to help survivors of that earthquake up north. I wanted to send a
check. Your mother insisted we make an appearance. I swear if we end up with
one more useless piece of
charity
artwork, we’ll need to build on
another room to store the crap.”

“Careful, Caleb,” his wife warned. “You’re
turning into a grumpy old man. Next you’ll be schlepping around in baggy pants
with the waistband pulled up under your armpits and yelling at kids to stay off
the lawn.”

“I didn’t hear you complaining about this
old man
this morning. I believe you grabbed my ass and called me God.”

“Honestly.” Nate shook his head in amazement.
“Do you two ever stop?”

“Hopefully, not until they’re putting me in the
ground.”

“In another forty or fifty years,” Callie added,
her deep purple eyes locked with the blue of her husband’s. “Where was
I?”

Colt smiled indulgently. When Caleb and Callie looked at
each other in that way, they often became distracted.

“You went to a benefit?”

“That’s right,” Callie nodded, smiling at her
youngest. “Anson Marlow might not be my favorite person, but when he does
something, it’s first class all the way. Not that he does anything except sign
the checks. Jade plans every aspect, from the flowers to the gift bags. The
details were impeccably thought out.”

“You saw Jade?”

Garrett held his breath waiting for the answer to Colt’s
question. The question he had so desperately wanted to ask.

Callie’s eyes turned a misty gray, concern written on her
face. “I think it’s the first time she’s been out in public for over a
year. I’m afraid many of the people there came because they heard she was going
to make an appearance.”

“Christ,” Wyatt said in disgust. “Why can’t
they leave the woman in peace? After what happened, who could blame her if she
bought a cabin in the woods and became a hermit.”

“It would be tempting,” Callie agreed.

“How did she look?”

“Thin,” she told Nate. “Stronger than I
expected. Jade always had an air of fragility about her. Years of being
emotionally bulldozed into submission will do that, I suppose. Of course, none
of us knew what was going on behind closed doors.”

“Her father knew.”

Callie didn’t blink at the ferocity in Garrett’s words. She
saw it as normal, what anyone would feel. Basic human compassion. What his
mother didn’t know, there was nothing basic about Garrett’s feelings. They ran
deeper than the surface — bone deep.

“That’s only a rumor, Garrett. One that was hushed up
quickly.”

Garrett turned his gaze, meeting eyes exactly like his own.

“Do you think anything goes on in that house without
Anson Marlow knowing about it?”

“There isn’t any doubt Marlow knew.” Caleb’s words
dripped with contempt. “He let his own daughter suffer untold abuse,
rather than taint his family with scandal.”

“Do you really think that’s why he didn’t
intervene?” Callie was shocked at the thought.

“You can count on it. The man is pond scum.” Caleb
pushed his empty plate away. No seconds tonight. The conversation effectively
killed his appetite. “Oh, he’s smart. Brilliant in his own way. He pulled
himself up from nothing. Worked hard, married well. Extremely well. He’s a cold
son of a bitch. You can’t blame his wife for leaving him.”

“I can blame her for not taking Jade when she
did,” Callie said heatedly. “You don’t abandon a small child. Not to
a cold, cruel bastard.”

“Why is she still there?” Colt asked after a few
moments of silence. “Why stay in that house, with that man?”

“Sometimes there’s comfort in familiarity.” Callie
looked around the table, grateful for her blessings. Not everyone had not one,
but five unwavering pillars for support. “From what I understand, Jade has
no one.”

Bullshit
, Garrett wanted to shout.
She has me
.
But did she know it? Had he ever told her?

“She still young,” Caleb reasoned. “It isn’t
too late for her to find her own way.”

“She needs a friend.”

“And that friend is you?” Caleb asked his wife.

“I’ve been thinking about it. Why not?” Callie
asked her husband defiantly. Unlike Jade, Callie knew how to stand up for
herself and what she thought was right. Then she backtracked. “I don’t
want to come off as a crusading do-gooder. Do you think it’s a bad idea?”

“Nope,” Caleb said, smiling when he saw the
surprise in her eyes. “Do me a favor, though?”

“What?”

“Let this new relationship bloom away from Marlow’s
house. It will be best for Jade and you if her father isn’t in the
vicinity.”

“Agreed.” Callie felt a jolt of energy. “I’ve
always suspected that underneath Jade’s smooth, cool exterior lay some heat.
Maybe if she has a friend who will listen, or just be there, she might find a
way to push some of that buried passion to the surface.”

Passion. Garrett knew Jade possessed plenty of that. When
they were alone. In bed. In the dark. Like his mother suspected, it was
something she’d always had. A spark that drew him the first time they met. The
one that kept him going back, hoping for more than she was willing to give.

Later that evening, Garrett was still thinking about that
spark. The drive to his Laurel Canyon home gave him plenty of time to let his
mind wander back to the first time he spoke to Jade for any length of time.

For years, they wandered in and out of the same parties,
concerts, and charity events. Los Angeles. Beverly Hills. Hollywood. They were
strangely insular communities. If you had money. Add the movie business, the
social circles became even smaller.

Garrett knew Jade Marlow by sight. Her porcelain skin and
red hair set her apart. The cool, aloof air she projected kept most men away.
She was beautiful. No denying that. He’d heard her described as icy. Too cold
to bother when there were so many warm-blooded, willing women to be had with
much less effort.

It was a hot August night that Garrett found out how wrong
everyone was about Jade Marlow.

THREE YEARS EARLIER

WHY DID I let you talk me into attending this party? Every year
it’s the same thing. Boring food, boring people.” Nate took a swig of
whiskey, grimacing. “Are they watering down the Jack?”

“Did you ever think that you might be the
problem?” Garrett asked. He sampled his own drink. No doubt. It wasn’t
straight whiskey. And it wasn’t Jack Daniels. “Other than the booze, you
should look at yourself and ask why you’re so restless. This room is filled
with beautiful women. Find one. Take her home. Screw your brains out.”

Nate yawned.

Garrett laughed. “If that idea bores you, there really
is something wrong.”

“Ha, ha.” Nate rotated his neck, trying to work
out some of the kinks, and perhaps loosen the tie he wore because it was the
thing to do. He knew how to dress for formal occasions. Owned several
custom-made tuxedos. His mother insisted. That didn’t mean he had to like
putting one on. He liked worn jeans, a soft t-shirt, and broken-in work boots.
Tonight all he wanted was his bed — alone.

“Tough shoot?” Garrett asked.

Nate was a stuntman. A damn good one. He worked his way up
until, for the first time, he was running the show. It was what he wanted —
dreamed of. It also meant a lot more work and responsibility. Now, instead of
just himself, he had the safety of his crew to think about.

By the looks of his brother, Garrett wondered if he was
losing a few nights’ sleep worrying.

“Yeah,” Nate acknowledged. “Made tougher by
an asshole director who won’t let the experts do their jobs. This guy is a
micro-manager, Garrett. And before you jump to his defense, let me tell you why
it’s a problem.”

Garrett nodded. Nate called it. He was automatically going
to defend a fellow director. He understood the need to keep all aspects of the
movie under control. He also knew if Nate was complaining, he had a good
reason.

“This morning’s stunt was fairly routine. A fight. Two
men. A plate glass window.”

“Nothing is routine during a stunt. You are too good at
your job to ever think that.”

“Too right,” Nate agreed. If anyone understood, it
was his brother — his twin. “Try telling that to Arnie Schmidt. He seems
to think if it looks easy, it is easy. After all, it isn’t real glass.”

Garrett winced. The breakaway glass used in stunts was safe.
It wasn’t foolproof. That’s why they were professionals. Because they were good
at their jobs, making sure everything ran smoothly, there was a perception what
they did wasn’t complicated. Thinking that way was the first step to a
potential tragedy.

“I hope you set him straight.”

“It didn’t come to blows, if that’s what you’re
asking.” Nate grinned. “It was a close thing. Luckily, the jerk
backed down. The stunt is in the can. I’m hoping he’s learned his lesson.”

“You don’t sound convinced,” Garrett said. All his
sympathy was with his brother.

“I’m not. There’s enough strain on the job without
having to pull this guy’s fingers out of my pie.”

“We are still talking about stunt work? Is Arnie
getting touchy with your personal pie?”

“Shut the fuck up,” Nate laughed. Count on Garrett
to make a joke.
That’s
why he was glad he had someone to bounce his
problems off. Feeling some of the tension lifting, Nate looked around the room.
This time he really looked.

“You know, you’re right. There are some damn sexy women
here tonight.”

Garrett smiled, watching his brother scope out the room. The
low wolf whistle shifted his attention to the woman across the room who managed
to grab Nate’s attention.

“Jade Marlow,” Nate said with obvious
appreciation. “I always wondered if she was as cool as she seemed. In bed,
does she turn into the wildcat all that red hair suggests?”

“Do you want to find out?”

For some reason, Garrett dreaded Nate’s answer. Not that
he
was interested. She wasn’t his type. Too aloof. Not enough curves. If Nate
wanted to find out if the layer of ice around Jade Marlow was a thin veneer or
glacier thick, why should he care?

“Tempting.” Nate gave Jade another considering
look, then shrugged. “Tonight, I’m too tired. I don’t want a challenge. I
want a sure thing. Ah, Nina Polk. Just what the doctor ordered.”

He didn’t track Nate’s progress. If he left with Nina, good
for him. Garrett’s attention was on a tall redhead in a pale yellow dress. Were
her eyes green? In all the years they bumped around the same circles, Garrett
couldn’t remember getting close enough to notice. His breath hissed through his
teeth when Jade chose that moment to lift her gaze. For a second, their eyes
met and held. Not green. Not brown. Hazel? He needed to move closer, wanting to
be sure.

Instead of moving in a straight line, Garrett made a
serpentine pattern through the crowd. He greeted friends, exchanged
pleasantries. The whole time keeping track of Jade.

Luck was with him. She stepped away from her group. Telling
himself there was nothing creepy or stalkerish about following her, Garrett
kept pace. When she exited the room, out the tall French doors, and onto the
balcony, Garrett smiled, saying a silent
thank you
when he found the
area deserted except for the two of them.

“Hello.”

Jade’s happy greeting was unexpected. Garrett imagined
having to coax her to start a conversation. Much to his delight, she made the
first move.

“Hello.”

From a distance, Jade Marlow was a beautiful woman. Up
close, she was exquisite. Her flawless skin glowed like rich cream in the
moonlight. Garrett decided right there that he wanted to taste every inch.

“I’m Jade.”

“I’m Garrett.”

“I know who you are,” she smiled tentatively.
“Everyone knows the Landis family.”

Garrett thought she seemed a little shy. Funny. The world
saw a cool, ice queen. He saw a woman who was a little unsure. Maybe a little
shy. It was all about perspective.

“Everyone knows Jade Marlow,” Garrett told her.
She looked pleased and a little surprised by his words.

“Really? Everyone?”

“Absolutely.” Garrett moved closer. “Which
makes me wonder. If everyone knows
us
, why have
we
never
met?”

Jade shrugged, turning away.

“I’m sorry. Did you want to be alone?”

He hoped not, but if she asked, he would leave.

“No!” Jade gave a low, husky laugh.

Garrett racked his brain for a way to make her do it again.
The sound made him happy. And horny. Quite a combination.

“That was a desperate sounding no, wasn’t it?”
Jade asked. “I don’t want you to go. Unless
you
want to.”

Her eyes. Garrett felt a catch in his breathing. Lord, what
eyes. Not green. Not brown. Hazel. There were little flecks of a hundred colors
swirling like a beautiful kaleidoscope.
Did he want to go
? Hell, no.

“I like it out here.”

Garrett moved to stand beside her. The view of the Hollywood
Hills, all lit up, was one of his favorites. Everything looked shiny and bright
— the way Hollywood should look.

“I like standing with you,” Garrett turned his
head and smiled. “You smell amazing, by the way.”

Oh, there it was. A little blush. A true redhead’s blush. It
told him so much. Cold women’s cheeks didn’t turn that lovely shade of pink over
such an innocent compliment.

“You’re a fake, Jade Marlow. You have everyone thinking
you’re made of ice. I see plenty of heat.”

“Do you know me well enough to decide that?” Jade
asked. Her voice was low, her eyes snapping with displeasure.

Shy, but with backbone. Garrett felt his interest ratchet up
several notches. Beautiful women were a dime a dozen in Hollywood. Interesting
ones were harder to come by. The combination was almost irresistible.

“I don’t know you at all, Jade. But I’d like to.”

“I…,” Jade took a deep breath. She looked at
Garrett for a moment. “I have a big decision to make. Will you help
me?”

“Tell me about it.”

“No. Not now.”

A mystery? He could live with that. Some more time with Jade
was what he wanted.

“What do you need me to do?”

“Take me for a drive. I don’t care where.” Jade
looked back through the French doors. “Away from here.”

Garrett didn’t hesitate. “I’ll get my car and meet you
out front. Say ten minutes?”

“Is five too soon?”

Garrett grinned. “Five, it is.”

Getting his car from the valet was an adventure. It cost him
two hundred bucks and the promise of an extra job in his next film to be ready
and waiting when Jade arrived. Five minutes on the nose. Garrett helped her
into the passenger side, once again taking in the scent of spicy oranges. As
she settled into her seat, the long length of her shapely legs drew his eyes.
They went on forever.

“We should go,” Jade told him, her eyes darting
toward the house.

“Are you being followed?”

“Not yet.”

Deciding questions could wait, Garrett closed the door,
skirted the front of the car, before climbing in behind the wheel. Jade said
she didn’t care where they went so he headed up Mulholland Drive.

Garrett drove with an easy skill. The winding road could be
dangerous. Especially at night. They were in no hurry, so he went at a
leisurely pace, barely hitting the speed limit.

He hated blasting the air conditioner at night, preferring
the feel of the air from an open window on his face.

“Will the breeze bother you?” Garrett knew from
experience that some women did not appreciate having their hair messed up.

“Hmm?” Jade frowned, her mind obviously a million
miles away.

“The windows. Do you mind if I open them?”

“Oh,” she smiled. “No. Not at all. I prefer
it to air conditioning.”

Garrett returned her smile. She was a gem. Or rather, rare
Jade. He chuckled at his whimsical thoughts. Lordy, he needed to get a hold of
himself.
Rare Jade
? Where the hell had that come from?

“Tell me what’s so funny. I could use a laugh.”

“Smile like that again and I will tell you
anything.”

“I’ve heard the Landis brothers cornered the market on
charm.” Jade’s smile widened. “This is the first time I’ve seen it in
action. For once, there was no false advertising.”

“Charm is a subjective thing, Jade.” Since they
were on a straight stretch of road, Garrett spared her a brief glance. Damn,
she was beautiful in the moonlight. “Other women might not enjoy my
brand.”

“I doubt you have any problem talking women around —
whatever it is you want.”

Garrett didn’t deny her words. He liked getting his way. He
was good at making sure he got it. Right now, all he wanted was to give her
what she needed.

“You said you had a decision to make. How can I
help?”

“Drive. Talk.”

“About?”

Jade leaned her head back, her eyes closed, and sighed.
“Anything. Nothing. Just talk.”

So that’s what Garrett did. He told Jade about the last
movie he made. Searching his brain, he relayed the craziest moments that at the
time made him want to tear his hair out. Now, they made her smile — laugh.
Every frustration became worth it when he heard that husky sound. She didn’t
respond in any other way, letting him go on and on. She relaxed, though,
slipping her feet from her stiletto pumps. Her hands that were once clenched
fists were now open, palms up on her lap. His words, and the miles they
traveled, seemingly taking her farther and farther away from her troubles.

Garrett finished his story. He didn’t feel the need to fill
the silence; instead, kept driving, enjoying the company. The summer air became
sweeter the higher they traveled into the hills. He realized he didn’t do this
enough. There wasn’t time. Busy schedule — busy life. There was something to be
said for driving with no destination. They had no place to be. They had no
reason to hurry.

“I never do this,” Jade said quietly.

“Go for meandering drives through the Hollywood Hills?
Me neither.”

“Well, yes.” She smiled again, not opening her
eyes. “I meant I don’t take off with men I’ve just met. I don’t take off
with men. Or women.”

“What do you do?” Garrett was genuinely curious.
What made getting out of bed each morning worthwhile for Jade?

“I… exist.” She scoffed at her own words.
“Wow. How overly dramatic does that sound? Poor little rich girl Jade
Marlow. She lives in a mansion with servants to carry out her every whim.
Designer clothes, expensive cars. Yearly trips to Europe. What woman wouldn’t
trade places with me in a heartbeat?”

“Sounds incredible.” Incredibly boring. Garrett
glanced at Jade’s hands. Fists. Clenched. Great. An hour of relaxation gone in
a few minutes. “Who would you change places with, if you had the
choice?”

“That’s a loaded question.” Jade turned her head
toward him, her eyes still closed. “What we see of other people’s lives is
usually what they want us to see. Scripted, so to speak. I could pick a
seemingly perfect family. Happy Mom and Dad. Rosy-cheeked children. What
happens when that door closes every night? I don’t want to know.”

“Untold horrors?” Garrett asked. He pulled the car
onto a secluded side road. Turning off the engine, he looked at Jade. “Why
would your mind go there?”

“Because I don’t live with any of that.” Jade’s
eyes opened and he saw a tired resignation Garrett didn’t understand. “I’ve
thought about leaving my father’s house. But why? I’m not abused. All he asks
is that I’m there when he’s in town. He wants a companion. The rest of the
time, I can come and go as I please.”

“Are you happy?”

“I think so.” Jade frowned. “I’m not unhappy.
And as my father reminds me whenever I get restless, there’s nothing wrong with
consistency.”