The Mighty Quinns: Ryan (17 page)

This opinion clearly made Miles DuMont uneasy. Greenmoor Studios had been counting on her to help them sell the idea. She was the best choice for the role. No one else in Hollywood was right. But for the first time in forever, she’d said exactly what she thought. “If that’s all, you can show yourselves out. I need to get my rest. I’m sure I’ll have a lot of interviews tomorrow.”

Serena stepped out onto the balcony and closed the door behind her. The sky had turned gray and she could smell rain in the air. Leaning against the rail, she drew a deep breath. She’d done it. She’d demanded the attention of all those people, and she’d made them listen and obey her wishes.

She heard the door open behind her, and a few seconds later, her agent, Craig Zimmer, stood beside her. “You did well,” he said.

“Thanks,” Serena replied.

“And you looked fabulous.”

Serena laughed softly. “You don’t have to stroke my ego, Craig. I really don’t care how I look. All I want to do is crawl into bed and sleep.”

“All right.” He reached out and patted Serena’s arm. “Is there anything I can do for you? Anything I can get you? Chicken soup? A massage therapist? A time machine?”

Serena shook her head. “No, I’ll be fine. Nothing a bit of sleep won’t cure.”

“You made the right choice,” Frank said.

“Did I?”

“Ben Thayer was not husband material. All your doubts were well-founded and then some. I’m so glad you figured him out in time.”

“Why didn’t you say something?”

“Because you wouldn’t have listened. And it wasn’t my place. I’m your agent.”

“You’re also my friend,” Serena said.

“Then, as your friend, let me say that I think you’re handling this extremely well. You might just come out of this unscathed if you play your cards right.”

“I’m not going to be playing any cards. No more games. I’m going to do exactly what pleases me, and that’s all. No more awards shows. I hate those things. The dresses and cameras and all the smiling and acting like it’s wonderful. And I want you and Bill to work on getting me out of the contracts that I have. No more studio movies.”

“But—”

“Independent films would be nice. Small roles. Two or three weeks of filming at most.”

“Serena, I’m not sure—”

“It’s what I want,” Serena said. “If you have a problem with it, I can find another agent.”

“You’re going to ruin your career,” he said.

Serena shrugged. “It wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world.”

“Serena, I know you’re under a lot of stress. And you’re tired. This will all look different in the morning, believe me. I’ll call you tomorrow and we’ll talk.”

“I’m not going to change my mind,” Serena said, pushing away from the rail. She walked back into the beach house and slowly climbed the stairs.

“We should discuss this,” he called.

“Start working on those contracts,” Serena said. “After everything hits the fan, I’m sure there are a few studios who’d be happy to dump me for another actress.”

She meant what she said. From now on, she was going to do only what made her happy. She wasn’t going to play the game. And if that wasn’t enough, then she’d accept the consequences. Serena loved to act. She just didn’t like being a movie star. If there was a way to separate the actress from the movie star, then she was determined to find it.

When she got to her room, she flopped down onto her bed, burying her face in a thick down pillow. She’d sorted out her professional life, but it was going to take a lot more energy to figure out her personal life.

* * *

“D
ANA
,
ARE
THESE
really necessary? Can’t you just leave them at home?” Ryan picked up the magazine and stared at the photo of Serena, ignoring the sensational headline.

The woman on the cover didn’t look like the Serena he’d fallen in love with. This was the Hollywood Serena, not the beauty who’d warmed his bed and made his body ache with desire. No one knew that Serena—except him.

It had been six weeks since he’d left her at the airport. For the first couple of days, he’d understood when she hadn’t called because she was busy with the publicity tour. And it was the holiday season. After that, he’d left for Kilimanjaro and then the Alps, and communication was difficult, not that she’d tried. But there were no excuses now.

“Call her,” Dana said, snatching the magazine from his hand.

“Why are you so sure that I haven’t?”

“Oh, please. If you’d been talking to her, you wouldn’t look like some sad puppy dog, drooling over her pictures and staring off into the distance. You love her. She loves you. Why make it so complicated?” She sighed and handed him an envelope. “This should make you happy.”

“What is it?”

“It’s from our aunt Aileen.”

He opened the envelope and withdrew the check. “Wow. That’s a big check.”

“I know! When I saw mine, I just sat there for ten minutes, staring at it. It’s hard to believe it’s real.”

“It’s not real,” he murmured. “It’s lucky money.”

“Of course it’s lucky. Lucky Aunt Aileen found us.” She snatched the envelope away from him. “If you don’t want it, I’ll take it.”

Ryan had struggled with his pride when it came to money. It had bothered him that Serena made a lot more money than he did and always would. Now, living without her, Ryan realized how stupid he’d been.

Money had nothing to do with his feelings for her. He didn’t love her any more or any less because of what she made—or what he didn’t make. Aileen had given all her money away to make her heirs happy. And all she’d asked for in exchange was a visit and a few hours of his time.

A million dollars. He could buy the surf school. He could build a life for them. But she didn’t want that life anymore. “I have a suggestion,” Dana said. “Why don’t you take some of that money, buy a ticket and go visit Aunt Aileen. And then stop by England on your way home and see Serena.”

“I’m not even sure she’s there,” Ryan said.

“She’s there,” Dana said.

“How do you know?”

“She sent me a gift. The return address was her place in England.”

“Why would she send you a gift?”

“It was just something silly. A nail polish that she liked and wanted me to try. The perfect shade of pink.” Dana paused. “I could give you the address.”

“Yes. All right,” he murmured. “Wait. No.”

“Ryan, if you want her, you’re going to have to let her know.”

“It’s not that simple. She needs to decide what she wants first. If she decides to keep making movies, how is that going to work?”

“So, you leave on expeditions from Los Angeles or London. Rogan works out of Sydney. We could use a Los Angeles office. It might help business.”

“That’s not the problem. It’s when, not where. When are we going to be together? Even if I leave Max Adrenaline and do my own thing, I know how hard it is to make a relationship work when one person is gone for weeks at a time.”

“If you’re really in love, you’d make it work.”

If.
If he was in love, then all of these decisions would be simple. He’d want to be with her, no matter where they were. He’d be willing to give up everything to follow her around the world. He’d happily become Mr. Hightower.

“I have to get out of here,” he muttered. “Where’s Duffy? I’m taking him home.”

“Sleeping with a dog is not going to replace sleeping with the woman you love,” Dana said.

“Give it a rest,” he said.

He found Duffy asleep on the porch. He called to the dog, and Duffy leaped to his feet and trotted after him. He opened the door of the Range Rover, and Duffy jumped inside. Ryan got behind the wheel, then sat back in the seat and stared out the windscreen.

He started the car and pulled out of the car park. As long as they loved each other, they could make it work. But how many couples made that promise, then later got divorced? Marriage was difficult under the best circumstances, and he and Serena were starting with the worst. Look what had happened to his own parents.

As he drove through Raglan, he wondered if maybe he shouldn’t have forced her to go back. Maybe he should have just gone along with what she wanted, to stay with him and forget her old life entirely. If he hadn’t pushed her, she’d be here with him now, planning their future. He realized then that’s what he wanted more than anything else—a future with Serena, no matter what it took.

He and Serena weren’t his parents. Ryan wasn’t his father, and he wouldn’t make the same mistakes. He kept his promises.

“You’ve managed to make a mess out of this,” he muttered. “Now how are you going to fix it?”

He’d start by buying a ticket to England. He’d give her a month. The scandal of her canceled wedding was starting to fade and she ought to know how she really felt about him. He’d do whatever it took to be with her.

As he finished the drive home, Ryan thought about what he’d say to Serena. He had to offer her a plan, a way to make their lives mesh. It wasn’t enough to tell her that he loved her, was it?

When he pulled the car into the drive of the
bach,
he noticed a Toyota SUV parked in his spot. He frowned, wondering which of his brothers had bought a new truck. Obviously one of them had started spending their money.

Duffy trotted next to him. When he reached for the screen door, Ryan heard barking coming from behind the house. Duffy’s ears pricked up and he took off around the corner of the cottage. Curious, Ryan followed him, striding down the narrow path to the beach. When he got to the sand, he found a group of dogs racing around along the water’s edge.

Duffy had already joined in the play, chasing a small terrier back and forth along the beach. A larger dog came trotting up to him and nuzzled his hand. Ryan bent down and patted his head. “What’s your name, mate?”

“His name is Riley.”

The sound of her voice sent a tremor through his body. Ryan slowly stood, then turned to find Serena standing behind him. She wore a pretty blue dress that clung to her slender form. Her face was scrubbed clean of makeup, and her hair was a different color than he remembered.

“Are these all yours?” he asked.

Serena nodded. “I figured if we just moved in, you couldn’t say no.”

“You think I don’t want you here?” He crossed the distance between them and pulled her body against his, his lips coming down on hers in a long, deep kiss. “I was coming to you. I love you. I want you wherever and whenever you call.”

She laughed, then kissed him again. “I’ve missed you so much. You were right. I needed to go back. And once I sorted everything out, my life was suddenly so much clearer. I know exactly what I want now.”

“Please say it includes me,” Ryan murmured, smoothing his hands over her pretty face.

“Of course it does. I have a plan.” She took his hand and led him back into the house, calling for the dogs to follow her. When they got inside, the dogs, including Duffy, settled down and began to jockey for spots on the sofa and chairs.

Ryan and Serena watched them in amusement. “One big happy family,” he said.

“This is what I wanted to show you,” she said. She crossed to the kitchen island and picked up a giant calendar. As he paged through it, he noticed some weeks crossed out. “If we work hard at it, we can do this. I’ve decided to cut down to two films a year and those will be indie films. So maybe two months of work. The rest of the time, I’ll live here. Is that acceptable?”

“Are we negotiating?”

“Now you have to make your offer. Then we negotiate,” she said.

“All right. I’m going to buy the surf school. Every now and then, I want to help my brothers by guiding a trip, but it will be no more than two a year. Is that acceptable?”

“We’ll travel with each other as much as possible,” she said.

“And we’ll take time for ourselves, to plan our own vacations.”

She nodded. “Those terms are acceptable to me.”

“They’re acceptable to me, too,” Ryan said. “So, do we need to put this in writing or will a kiss seal our promise?”

“A kiss would work,” she said.

“Is this going to be a real kiss or a show-biz kiss?”

“Oh, it will be very real.” Serena caught his bottom lip between her teeth, then gave him the most seductive kiss he’d ever experienced, leaving him breathless with desire.

“Have you missed me?” she asked.

“Not at all.”

Serena stepped back and gave him a dubious look. “Not at all?”

“I’ve been enjoying your company every night,” he said. Ryan walked over to the bookshelf and removed a large stack of DVDs. “I bought them all. Even the one where you get eaten by a zombie in the first ten minutes.”

“You watched all of my films?”

“I have. I can speak with authority now.” He tossed the DVDs on the sofa and slipped his arms around her waist again. “You are an incredible actress. And I think you should keep doing what you love to do.”

“Even if I make a lot of money at it?”

Ryan nodded. “I’m working on my issues with that. It doesn’t feel quite right now, but if you give me some time, I’ll come around. Besides, I’ve now got a bit of money of my own.” He explained about his newfound relative, Aileen Quinn, and his family’s windfall. He paused. “By the way, the new bed came right before the holiday. And it’s a little large for just me. You want to try it out?”

She nodded and pulled him toward the bedroom. But he stopped her. “There is one more point I need to discuss. And this is very important.” Ryan took her hand and stared down into her eyes. “When the time is right, I’m going to ask you to marry me. You’re going to say yes, and we’re going to have a simple wedding, maybe on the beach, with our friends and family there. And we’re going to have a few kids and enjoy our life together. And we’re going to live well past one hundred and love each other forever. Is that acceptable to you?”

Serena smiled, tears swimming in her eyes. “Yes,” she said. “It is. All of it.”

Ryan grabbed her around the waist and hugged her, picking her up off her feet. The dogs started barking and he glanced around at the chaos. “How did you get all these dogs here?”

“I chartered a jet.”

“A jet?” He put her back on her feet. “You chartered a jet to bring your dogs to New Zealand?”