Down the Hidden Path (4 page)

She blew a long breath into his face. That was the thing with Jeremiah. He could talk a mermaid out of the ocean or a practical girl into a ridiculous Hollywood party.

From across the room Gray noticed someone waving. The crowd parted and a woman in a tight red dress made her way—in an obnoxiously self-impressed manner—toward the two recently graduated high school seniors.

“Miah, you made it!” Jennifer Cransden glided to them as if she’d been born with those five-inch stilettos on her pinched feet.

Gray’s skin crawled. She hated that this woman found it appropriate to call him Miah. That was Gray’s nickname for him. Sure it had been adopted by half the town, but not strangers. It wasn’t for Cransden types or Hollywood types. Or types who gave way too much attention to her best friend. And really, that was the heart of it right there.

Miah always had girlfriends. Of course he did. He was God’s gift to River Rock. Too big and perfect for his humble small town. Girlfriends, yes. But they weren’t girls who could ever steal him from Gray. Take him away. But Jennifer Cransden with her private jet and home in Malibu,
the Bu
, she called it, had it within her power to whisk away Miah and rob the people who mattered.

Predatory eyes fell on her. “Hello, Gray.” The deep red lips smiled, reminding Gray of a vampire in need of her next meal.

“Jennifer, this is quite a party.”

She waved a hand through the air, Scarlett O’Hara style, and rolled her eyes. “Well, you can hardly find quality catering out here in the sticks, but we’ve managed.”

Gray swallowed the insult rising in her throat. It was forming there, in the back of her mind, something about how it obviously was difficult for Cransden to find
manners
, too.

Gray felt Jeremiah’s hand slide into hers. Oh, he knew her so well. But she didn’t need a babysitter. “Tell me, Jennifer. Why do you suppose Hollywood comes to places like River Rock?” She blinked innocently.

The remark was met with Jennifer’s confused gaze.

Before the woman could answer, Gray forged on. “You know what I mean, us hillbillies with our dirty four-wheel-drive trucks and loud country music. Hollywood must find something
of worth
here. Though I can’t imagine what. With our love for God and country. Our insufferable hospitality and our infectious optimism. Oh, and the fact we have manners.”

Jennifer’s head tilted, eyes wide.

Miah cleared his throat. When Gray glanced over to him, he’d rocked back on his heels, no doubt enjoying the battle of wits, one-sided as it was. Good. Because she was sick of this group of people insulting her town. At the same time, she didn’t want to ruin the night for Miah. It was important to him and that made it important to her.

Jennifer’s mind seemed to finally catch up to the insult. A long, slow smile spread on her blood-red mouth. Her hip cocked seductively and she moved to Miah’s side and threaded her arm through his. “Hollywood can appreciate what places like River Rock offers.” Her free hand slid up and down Miah’s arm, crimson nails trickling over his skin. “Let’s face it. The views here are to die for.” Then she turned Miah’s head so that he faced her and planted a kiss on his lips.

Fire shot from Gray’s heart to every extremity, leaving her nerves raw and jagged. She’d hoped Miah and this plastic Barbie doll hadn’t hooked up, but now she had to wonder.

A man dressed in a white tux stopped near them. “Champagne?”

Jennifer took one and handed it to Miah. Then another to Gray, then one for herself. After a sip, she said, “Now, when you and your little friend are done at the buffet, I need to introduce you to some people. This is an opportunity for you, Miah. Don’t blow it.”

She sashayed off in the direction of a group of men who hovered near the corner bar.

“I wish you liked her.” Jeremiah’s voice cut an instant path to Gray’s heart.

“Not much to like,” she mumbled.

“She’s not all bad. She even said she could help us if we end up in Hollywood.”

Gray’s heart dropped. It had been her dream to go to California and try to make it as an actress. But that had all begun in middle school, and by high school she knew it wouldn’t happen. She’d been accepted to a good college within driving distance of home, and Miah would undoubtedly follow his father’s footsteps, even though the chatter about going to Hollywood had resurged since Miah’s movie part. “That was just a pipe dream, Miah. I’m never going. You know I couldn’t leave Nana. Who’d take care of her?”

But during long summer days lying on their backs by the lake’s edge waiting for a fish to bite, they’d talked about it—going to LA. It started in junior high, when Gray starred in her first play. Miah had a smaller role, but now, he had a supporting role in a movie. An actual movie. Not that it mattered. She’d never really believed Miah would go to California. He indulged the dream for her sake. It was their go-to conversation when things got tough. And after Miah’s mom’s illness was diagnosed, things had been tough a lot.

“But what about renting a cheap apartment in Burbank and working as servers in restaurants to make ends meet? What about auditions and counting pennies and stalking directors and writers? What about . . .”

She giggled, drained the champagne glass. “Look at me, Miah.”

When his golden gaze halted on her, Gray’s heart kicked up. She offered a sad smile. “I couldn’t even get a bit part in a movie filmed in my hometown.”

He cast a glance over his shoulder. “Not your fault. Jennifer won’t allow anyone more beautiful than her on the set. It’s in her contract.”

Beautiful? Miah thought she was beautiful? With her straight, slick, black hair and weird gray eyes. She’d looked at them in the mirror her whole life, but when she looked at everyone else, she had to admit—they were weird. In all the conversations she and Miah’d had, he’d failed to mention he thought her beautiful. She took the champagne from him and downed his glass. She didn’t drink, normally. But feeling out of place and now with Miah thinking she was beautiful and all, Gray worked her way through three more glasses while they chatted with the crew that would be leaving within a few days.

A couple hours later, Miah found her sitting alone at a table. Two of the guys from the crew had just left her.

“You were flirting,” he said as he pulled out a chair and sat next to her, where his powerful legs created a perfect frame for her to lean on.

Gray tossed her hair. “Was I?”

“Mm hmm.”

“You know what they said?” She didn’t wait for an answer. “They said I could make it easy in Hollywood. Said I had a unique look. Exotic.” She pointed into the air as if she’d unraveled the mysteries of the world. “No wait, intoxicating.”

“They’re right.” Something solid hit Gray’s floating heart, causing it to stop. Though the room had been dreamlike and whimsical moments ago, it was suddenly rock hard. Jeremiah was close enough that she could feel every breath he exhaled. Her hand was flat on his thigh, her face inches from his.

“You’ve never told me I’m intoxicating.” Heat rose through his pant leg and if it didn’t feel so good, she’d snatch her hand away. A war entered his golden eyes. Did Jeremiah really think of her as intoxicating?

Fingertips, warm and smooth, touched her cheek. “You’re more than that, Gray.”

And that’s when she realized he was only now seeing her. Maybe it had taken him a long time, but Miah was finally seeing more than the girl he’d grown up with. Their time together was ending; high school was over. “Why? Why now?” She didn’t need to explain her question. Miah knew her like no one else did.

He leaned back. “I didn’t like seeing those guys volleying for you.”

Her gaze narrowed on him. “I’ve watched girls fighting over you my whole life.”

He turned away. “That’s different.”

“Why?”

He didn’t answer, so she cupped his face with her hand and forced him to look at her. There really was a battle going on inside him. Golden eyes caught the light of the chandelier above, bouncing little sparks into the space between them.

But the silence gave Gray courage, and all the things she’d wanted to say to Miah for so long were rising to the surface on champagne bubbles. “Why should you get to have a steady stream of girlfriends traipsing through your life, but I can’t have one movie crew member taking an interest?”

“It’s just different, Gray.” His teeth were gritted, the muscle in his jaw tight.

She tilted closer to him, her hand still clamped on his thigh. “Why? Because I’m a girl?”

Jeremiah blew a breath of frustration into her face. “No. Because you deserve better than a guy like him. Better than . . .”

Suddenly, the room felt smaller, all the pretty decorations eaten up by the intensity that was Jeremiah. “What?” She’d leaned closer and when he stood, she nearly fell to the ground. But strong hands clamped on her arms and pulled her to her feet.

“Come on, I’m taking you home.”

Outside, the air was cool and crisp, unusual for early summer in River Rock, but a nice reprieve from the stuffy party and stupid Jennifer Cransden. Gray stood at the edge of the sidewalk overlooking the downtown street, now empty of the bustle of noise and traffic it normally held. It was late. Later than she usually stayed out, but Nana had taken some ibuprofen and wouldn’t be up until dawn, so it hardly mattered. Miah strolled to his car, but Gray stayed on the sidewalk, enjoying the quiet, the night, the dreamy way she felt.

When the wind kicked up, she tilted her head, closed her eyes, and let the breeze play through the strands of her hair. Miah was parked nearby, but she felt warm and powerful on the inside and if she kept him waiting there by his car door, so what? The hem of her thin silk dress flittered against her legs. She’d never realized how amazing silk felt against her skin. Soft and smooth and cool. Like touching heaven. Her fingers slid over the garment from her stomach to her hips, relishing the slick, glossy material and the way it pressed, just so, to her body.

Something trickled across the back of her neck, leaving a trail of gooseflesh. She opened her eyes to find Miah leaning against his car, one foot cocked in front of the other. He’d look perfectly at ease if it wasn’t for the intensity in his gaze.

Realization dawned for her. He was looking at her, noticing her stance, feet apart, wind pressing the dress to her body, hair flying behind her. She felt the power of being female, like a mermaid, or one of those women on the front of a ship with the breeze against her and the world as her audience, forging her own way, taking no prisoners.

For how many years had she been desperate for Miah to see her? How many times had he missed opportunities? And now, now that he
wanted
to see her, she didn’t want to be seen, at least not by him.

Around her the wind died, and with it, her moment of pretend immortal power. It left her empty. Now, she just wanted to go home and go to bed. Tomorrow was a new day. She’d wake up with this night behind her because to know that she could attract Miah meant she could maybe in some strange alternate universe
have
Miah.

And that meant she could lose Miah.

Her stature became lax as she corralled her hair, then dragged the length of it over her shoulder and hid behind it the best she could.

Jeremiah dropped his keys and bent to pick them up. When he righted himself, she saw the concern in his eyes.

“What’s wrong?”

“I don’t think I should drive.”

Her chin jutted forward. “Were you drinking?”

“No. I mean, I had several glasses of the punch. Jennifer gave them to me. I told her I had to drive home.”

Gray cut a glare to the door of the party. “You can’t trust people like Jennifer.”

“I can have Gabriel come pick us up.”

Gray touched his arm. “Gabriel is singing at the Neon Moon, right? We don’t want to cut his night short. If we sneak through the graveyard, it’s only four blocks. Let’s just walk.”

Miah’s face split into a grin. “You and your graveyards.” His eyes were a little glassy.

Gray took him by the hand and drew him in the direction of the cemetery where half the founders of River Rock were buried. She loved the place, the tilting headstones, the solitude. She hated the fact that a Hollywood scout was the only other being on the planet who had found value in the aged cemetery. He’d said it was the perfect spot for their movie, and suddenly, everyone in River Rock was talking about how wonderful and quaint their graveyard was. Gray felt a bit protective of it. Like she was its guardian. Or perhaps it was hers. She’d even done battle with a girl in seventh grade who’d called her
freak
and
zombie
for hanging out at the cemetery. A bunch of those girls had walked by once when she was placing wildflowers on a woman’s stone. She hadn’t known the woman, but her stone had looked lonely and Gray understood that. The girls had busted out laughing and now that she was older, Gray supposed it had looked weird, putting flowers on a gravestone of someone who’d been dead longer than she’d been alive. After that, she’d been pronounced the town freak, middle-school freak, high school freak. No, she couldn’t say that. In high school she just didn’t have any friends. Except Jeremiah. Which by design meant people tolerated her, but no one really liked her. It was okay. Life was bigger than high school. At least, she hoped it would be.