Forever (7 page)

Katy was more than impressed. Resisting the pull of the moment had taken all her resolve. But what about him? Staying pure was something new for Dayne Matthews.

His determination to honor her was further proof of the depth of his love, his commitment. More than that, it was proof that he intended to live out his faith in every area of his life. Regardless of his past, he was telling her the truth when he said that he’d never loved like this.

She had no doubts.

They stood in knee-deep water, facing each other, the air around them silent except for the gentle lapping of the water against the shore. She hung her head.

“I always felt … I don’t know, better than other girls.” She lifted her eyes to him. The guilt in her heart was so strong she was sure he could see it. “When I was in high school I made a decision to wait until I was married. A lot of my friends did too, but… over time, one by one, most of them gave in.”

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He framed her face with his hands. “But not you.”

“No.” A breeze came off the lake and made a chill run down her spine. She wanted to take a step closer to him, but she didn’t dare. “I always thought it was only a matter of will. Make a promise and keep it. That sort of thing.” She studied him. “But just then … something came over me, Dayne. A part of me wanted to forget I ever made that promise at all.”

“I know.” He ran his thumb along her brow. “I felt the same way.” He hugged her, but after a few seconds he reached for her hand and took a step toward the shore. A tender smile played on the corners of his lips. “That’s why we’re going back up the hill.”

And that’s exactly what they did, not looking back even for a moment. Katy was grateful too. Grateful to Dayne and to God most of all. Because if Dayne had turned around, if he had swept her into his arms and back down to the shore, she was no longer sure about one thing.

Whether she’d have the strength to tell him no.

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DAYNE LED the way, and they reached the top of the hill in less than five minutes. He was still catching his breath from the scene down in the water.

Relief flooded him. Distance was a good thing. Only by God’s strength had they avoided doing something they both would’ve regretted. Now that he was thinking clearly, now that his brain had the upper hand again, he had no intention of leading Katy astray. Even if she did look irresistible with the sun in her hair.

Dayne pointed to a patch of grass washed in sunshine. “Let’s sit there.” He wrung out the cuff on his shorts and gave her a wry look. “We can’t go to the Baxters’ looking like this.”

She followed him and sat a few feet away. “How long do we have?”

“An hour. Dinner’s at four.” He put his hands behind him and leaned back. He loved the privacy they had here, loved being with her, talking to her without the threat of paparazzi or any of the craziness that came with his life. He studied the backyard and imagined it with a new deck and porch. “I see what you 46

mean, how you can picture us here a year from now. Five years.” He met her eyes.

“Twenty years.”

“Mmm. It’s the perfect retreat, like the rest of the world doesn’t exist.”

He was quiet for a minute before he drew a slow breath. The sound of a passing car faded in the distance, and a gentle wind stirred the maples that lined the property. If they were going to share everything, then he needed to tell her what he’d been feeling. “Hey … I need to talk to you.”

A ripple of concern showed in her eyes.

“Don’t look like that.” He reached for her hand. “It’s not about us.”

“Oh. I didn’t think so, but …”

“Katy, you’re perfect. This-” he waved his hand to encompass the lake and the house-“all of it is perfect.” A sigh rattled loose from somewhere deep inside him. “It’s about my job.”

A smile tugged at her lips. “Your job?”

“Yeah, is that funny?”

“I guess so. Hearing you talk about it like that.” Katy laughed, and the sound mixed with the breeze. “Like you’re an engineer or a salesman and not, you know, the Dayne Matthews.”

He made a face. “It’s still a job, whatever way you look at it.” He pulled his knees up and leaned on one of them so he could see her better. “Anyway, it’s bugging me lately.”

She waited for him to explain.

“The love scenes.” He released her hand and stared at the expanse of water. He’d been thinking about this since that day in the canyon-the scene with Randi and her comment about wishing they could’ve done multiple takes. Now that he loved Katy, he was uncomfortable kissing anyone else. Even if it was all pretend. He sensed something change in Katy. “What are you feeling?”

She looked at the line of trees. When she spoke, uncertainty hung in her voice.

“I don’t know. I always figured the love scenes came with the territory.”

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“And until a month ago you figured the two of us were finished.”

“Right. I haven’t had time to think about it.” She shaded her eyes. “What brought it up? You and Randi Wells?”

“Me and her. Me and whoever they cast me with.” He could hear the frustration in his voice. “My films always have love scenes. Some more than others.”

Katy looked like she didn’t want to ask, but now that he’d brought it up, she did. “How much in this film?”

“Not as much as some.” He frowned and looked out at the water. “No bedroom scenes. But still …”

Katy was quiet. She plucked a blade of grass and turned it over in her fingers.

“Makes me glad I’ve been here trying to get ready for Cinderella.”

“And now all you can picture is Randi and me, right?” He knew the topic would be touchy. But there was no way around it. He had to tell her how he was feeling.

“One love scene after another.”

“I guess. It’s not something I want to think about.” She tucked her legs beneath her. “I can see where it would bug you.”

“It does. A lot.” He pictured the canyon scene. “I’m standing there in front of fifty people kissing another woman, and for the first time in my life it feels all wrong. Completely wrong.”

She studied the ground next to her. “The Hollywood answer is obvious. Whatever happens on a set is simply acting, nothing more.” She looked up. “But if that’s true, then why do so many leads fall for each other during the course of filming?”

“Exactly.” He raked his fingers through his hair. “I have no feelings for Randi.

But I wake up every day missing you like crazy, and I spend the afternoons in the arms of a stranger. I don’t like it.”

A pair of eagles caught their attention at the same time, and they watched them dipping and soaring in wide, graceful circles. Dayne knew Katy wouldn’t have asked him to change for her,

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wouldn’t have brought up the topic. But it was eating at him more than he’d realized until now. Until he looked at it not only from his perspective but from hers.

“You’re the star, but do you really have any control?”

“Not for a script I’ve already approved. Not for this film.” He nodded slowly.

“But for the next one, you know? And all the others after that.”

“What could you say? I mean, look at you.” The smoky depth he’d seen in her eyes earlier down at the lake was back. “The film industry will expect you to have a leading lady, and that means love scenes.” She lifted one shoulder. “Maybe there’s no way around it.”

“I could ask for a clause saying no between-the-sheets scenes. That’s what some people do.” He raised his brows. “Most of them don’t work for long, but I guess that wouldn’t be an issue for me.”

“No.” Katy smiled. “I don’t think so.”

He sighed. “There’s always going to be some of it, Katy. Until I move to the other side of the camera.”

“Directing?”

“Yeah. Someday. Maybe after my contract’s fulfilled.” He’d been thinking more about it. An actor could only lend so much creativity to a film. A director could make or break it.

She looked like she didn’t want to say much. “It’s your career, Dayne. Your decision.” She put her hand on his shoulder. “I don’t question your loyalty for a minute.”

“I can think of one way around the problem.” His tone lightened.

“How?”

“You, Katy.” He took hold of her fingers. Memories flooded his mind. Paparazzi chasing them through the parking lot at Malibu Beach and later down Pacific Coast Highway. The insane fan rushing from the bushes intent on killing Katy.

But couldn’t they figure out a way to work together even still? “We missed the chance before, but maybe you could be my costar.” The idea 49

was appealing. Especially since everyone would know by then that they were married.

She laughed quietly. “We’ll have to see.”

“At least you didn’t say no.” He tilted his face toward the sun. “My director says he’d love a chance to work with you.”

“Really?” Katy looked surprised. She’d appeared in only one movie after all. A television special that never amounted to anything. “How does he know about me?”

“The audition film on you was amazing. Mitch Henry told every casting director in town.”

“Wow.” Her cheeks darkened. “I had no idea.”

“So think about it, okay?” The possibility was already taking root. He and Katy in a film together? Their love for each other would make their on-screen chemistry far better than it had been when she auditioned the first time. He leaned back and stared at the distant clouds. Hadn’t Katy told him she’d always dreamed of starring in a movie? Her privacy wasn’t at stake anymore; she was already a familiar face in the tabs. Working with Katy would be magical, a chance for her to share his world and show Hollywood what she was capable of.

Katy slid a little closer to him. “It could be fun.”

“Really?”

“Really.”

“Good.” He released her hand and stood. “Down the road a few months, I might have to remind you of that.” He felt the cuff of his shorts. “Well . . I’m getting drier.”

She ran her fingers over her shorts. “Me too.”

He helped her up and pulled her close. “We won’t have a lot of alone time later.” He gave her a shy grin. “Which could be a good thing.”

“Yes.” The color returned to her cheeks.

“No time for long good-byes.”

She put her arms around his neck. “Or swims in shallow water.”

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“Or that.” He smiled, but after a few seconds his expression grew serious. “Hey, Katy … thanks for understanding.” “About your job?”

“Yeah. You never complain. That means a lot.”

“I understand. And I feel better now that we talked about it.”

He removed one hand from her waist and brushed a piece of her hair behind her ear. “I love the house.” He ran his fingers along her jaw and slowly brought his lips to hers, then breathed the next words close to her ear. “But I love you more.”

They kissed again, but this time the restraint that had always kept them in line was back in place.

After a few seconds, Dayne turned and studied the house one last time. “Take pictures before they start the work. One day we won’t believe it ever looked like this.”

Katy smiled and he felt it reach to the farthest places in his soul. The sun beat down on them, all traces of the storm gone, and he couldn’t imagine saying good-bye in just a few hours.

They walked toward their cars, but before he opened her door he stopped and tenderly took hold of her hands. “Pray with me, Katy.”

She smiled and closed her eyes.

Dayne took a moment before he began. When he did, his voice was thick with emotion. “I just want to thank You, Lord. This place, the view, the lake. It’s perfect and already it feels like home.” He tightened the hold he had on her hands. “Please, God, let the time go quickly. You know how I feel, how all I want to do is leave everything behind and marry Katy tomorrow. Help me be patient, and help us stay strong-” there was a smile in his voice-“every time we wander into shallow water. In Christ’s name, amen.”

“Amen.”

As they climbed into their separate cars, Dayne was overwhelmed by God’s mercy, His goodness. He was engaged to a woman who knew him-the real him. A woman who loved him

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more than life, one he honored and respected. And over the next several months she would create a home out of an old pile of rotting wood, a place where they could build a future together, where one day they would raise a family. All of that and the possibility of starring in a movie with her someday down the road.

The future was better than any movie he’d ever made.

A wave of sorrow hit him, because in a few hours he’d be gone again. But not for long. One day soon these short trips would be a thing of the past. Now all they had to do was count down the days until then.

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53 REIF Mr

BAILEY F LANIGAN could hardly believe they’d been invited.

Dayne Matthews was in town, and he and Katy were having dinner with his birth family-the Baxters. But Katy had asked the Flanigans to come too, and it was all Bailey could do to keep from calling everyone she knew and telling them. She was having dinner with Dayne Matthews!

Her three adopted brothers were in Indianapolis at a soccer tournament, and Connor was spending the week camping with the Shaffers. So it was just her youngest brother, Ricky; their parents; and Bailey driving to the Baxter house.

In the backseat of her parents’ SUV, Bailey was texting Tim Reed, her friend from CKT. I’m having dinner with Dayne Matthews, she wrote.

His answer was quick. No way!

I am… well, not just me. :) She tapped out her response. My family and the Baxters. Oh, and Katy.

After half a minute her phone beeped three times. She flipped it open and read his message. I wish I were there.

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She smiled and began tapping the keys. Don’t worry… . I’ll get you an autograph. She sent the message.

Tim had been with her last year when Dayne was in town filming Dream On. The two of them had sneaked Dayne a message from Katy, and he’d treated them like equals. He’d even told Tim that he was doing a good job acting in the play.

Three more beeps. She opened her phone and peered at the screen. Not because of Dayne … because of you.

Bailey sucked in a quick breath. “Tim, my friend,” she whispered, “what’s all this?”