Noah
Jameson,
I swear, I felt my heart break into a million pieces the second I watched you leave, and yet every tiny shard of that broken heart loves you. I canโt fathom that youโre so far away, not when youโre everywhere I look here. Youโre standing beneath the tree, inviting me to fly. Youโre tucked into the corner booth at the pub, holding my hand beneath the table. Youโre standing on the pavement, waiting for me when my watch is done. I feel you everywhere. I know youโre training the new pilots in Eagle Squadron, not flying combat missions, but please be careful. Stay safe for me, my love. Weโll figure this out. We have to.
All my love,
Scarlett
โI didnโt think youโd come,โ Adam said as we hovered on the edges of the charity event, just beyond the crush.
โI almost didnโt,โ I admitted, nodding at an acquaintance across the floor. My brow furrowed slightly, thinking of how small and intimate Georgiaโs party had been, compared to the see-and-be-seen of all this. โYou havenโt responded to my email.โ
Adam sighed. โYou spent a month avoiding all mine. Consider it payback.โ He rolled his neck and tugged at his bow tie.
โSheโs not going to change her mind.โ My eyes continued to scan the crowd, seeking the one person Iโd come to see.
โMake her.โ Adam raised his brows.
โNo.โ My eyes narrowed as I spotted the indie film crowd to the left.
โBesides, she wonโt answer my calls. Itโs been two weeks, so thereโs a chance itโs intentional at this point,โ I said with a self-deprecating smirk.
โYou really want to go down as the guy who let his own ego get in the way of Scarlett Stantonโs happy ending?โ
โThatโs not what happened.โ Nope, he wasnโt there, either. I turned toward Adam, but looked over his shoulder, continuing my search.
โWell, thatโs what it looks like, and thatโs what all the reviews are going to say.โ He sighed.
โIs it badly written?โ I challenged.
โOf course not, itโs you.โ He shook his head in frustration.
โThen it stands. Copy edits are supposed to be back in a few days, right?โ I folded my arms across my chest.
โYep. And let me tell you just how pleased the copy editor was to have to doย bothย versions because you hadnโt picked one. Spoiler alert, she was pissed.โ
โThank you again for accommodating me.โ I meant every word. โShe also said the happy one is better,โ he tossed back.
โOn that, we agree.โ A flash of red caught my eye, and I smiled. Paige Parker. That meant Damian was here somewhere.
โThen why the hell are youโโ
โNoah Harrison!โ someone called out from behind me. I looked over my shoulder.ย Bingo.
โDamian Ellsworth,โ I said in greeting.ย Keep it civil. You need information.ย This wasnโt exactly something I could ask Georgia aboutโnot anymore.
โImagine seeing you here.โ He slapped my shoulder and moved to join us. Georgiaโs ex was just shy of six feet, giving me a good four inches on him as he smiled up at me with teeth so white, they were nearly blue.
โI could say the same, seeing that you have a new baby at home.โ I forced a smile as bile rose in my throat. This was the man who had ruined the woman I loved, who had told her time and again that she wasnโt enough to keep him satisfied.
What a fucking tool.
โThatโs what nannies are for,โ he answered with a shrug. โSo, how is my wife?โ He lifted his drink and took a long sip.
I refrained from shoving it down his throat. Barely.
โI wasnโt aware that you had a wife.โ I blinked in mock confusion. Adam sputtered on his own drink.
โHa. Touchรฉ.โ He glanced over me with obvious assessment. โTell me, does that old grandfather clock still keep time? The one in the sitting room?โ
โSure does.โ I lifted a brow at the transparent reminder of his past role in Georgiaโs life. โYou know, that reminds me. You knew Scarlett pretty well, didnโt you?โ
Adamโs eyes bounced between us like a ping-pong match, but he stayed silent.
โSure did. Thatโs why I have ten of her books optioned.โ He smirked. โThatโs right,โ I said like Iโd actually managed to forget that fact. What
the hell had Georgia ever seen in this off-brand Nick Nolte? โThen you arrived just in time, because my editor and I were discussing the end of the new book.โ
โThe book no one is supposed to know about?โ He half winked, which was just weird.
โThe same one.โ
โGuys. Keep it down. Weโre going for the whole surprise announcement angle, remember?โ Adam warned.
โRight. Of course.โ I could have kissed him for playing along. โAnyway, Adam and I were discussing the end ofโฆScarlettโs story, and there was one piece of the puzzle I didnโt quite get out of Georgia while I was in Colorado.โ I exaggerated a wince. โWell, you know better than most how open she isnโt.โ
Damian laughed, and my fists clenched, but I kept my arms crossed. โYeah, sheโs a prickly one, my Georgia.โ He smiled wistfully.
Myย Georgia, asshole.
Adam lifted his brows and took a long drink.
โRight. Anyway, I was wonderingโfor the sake of the storyโdid Scarlett ever tell you why she waited so long to have Jameson declaredโฆโ The word died on my tongue. In my head, the two had lived on, deliriously happy.
โDead?โ he suggested, taking another drink. โYeah.โ
โIsnโt it obvious?โ He looked at me like I was a moron. โShe never gave up hope. Ever. That woman was hard as nails, but man was she a romantic. She checked the mail at the same time every day, hoping there had been some word, some discovery, and that was long after Brian passed on.โ
โBrian. Right.โ I nodded. โI guess meeting him finally gave her the push she needed to move on and live for herself. Makes sense. Should have thought of that.โ My lips curved upward in what I hoped looked like a grateful smile.
Adam choked on his drink, then cleared his throat to cover the sound. That was exactly how Iโd written the ending, putting the pieces together from what little Georgia knew about that part of Scarlettโs life.
โI wouldnโt sayย meetingย him. Scarlett knew Brian for years, actually.โ Damianโs beady little eyes narrowed slightly in thought. โThey never talked about it, but he moved into that tiny cottage in the mid-fifties. Now that you mention it, she told me once that she couldnโt marry Brian that first decade because it felt like her first marriage wasnโt over.โ He shrugged. โGuess she finally realized it was. I mean, I think waiting forty years is long enough, donโt you?โ
My stomach sank.
โHey, baby.โ Paige Parker hooked her elbow through his. โYou about ready to sit down?โ
โIโm chatting business,โ he told her, then leaned down to whisper in her ear when she pouted.
The blonde was pretty, but she wasnโt Georgia. She didnโt have Georgiaโs eyes, either, or her wit, or strength. In fact, Paige couldnโt even
hold a candle to Georgia.
โAre you thinking what I am?โ Adam asked quietly.
โDepends on what youโre thinking,โ I answered, spotting my sister and Carmen on their way back from the ladies room. Perfect timing. Iโd gotten what Iโd come here for.
โSomehow Scarlett knew for certain in 1973 that Jameson wasnโt coming home,โ he whispered. โShe knew, and she didnโt tell anyone.โ
โLetโs keep that thought between you and me.โ Even the implication would crush Georgia.
Adam nodded as Paige walked off without so much as an introduction from her husband.ย Class act, Ellsworth.
โSpeaking of Scarlettโsโฆlife,โ Damian continued. โWhen do I get to read the manuscript?โ He sipped at his drink casually.
โIt releases in March.โ I was done playing nice.
โYouโre really going to make me wait until release?โ He laughed it off. โImagine if we announced the movie at the same time as the book. The sales would be astronomical.โ
โGeorgiaโs never going to let you make the movie.โ I grinned.
โOf course she is. Sheโs just pissed about Paige. Sheโll come around.
Trust me.โ
โTrust you. Thatโs funny.โ I nodded to Adrienne, and her steps quickened as she saw who I was standing next to. โYou can trustย me, Ellsworth. Itโs not going to happen.โ
His expression changed, dropping all pretense of humor. โWhat would it take for you to cough up that manuscript? Maybe lean my way so Georgia does the same? From what Ava tells me, you two areโฆclose.โ
โIโm in love with her,โ I corrected him.
โAnd?โ He tilted his head, zero emotion in his eyes. โMy offer stands.
Happy to kick something back for you, too.โ
โIโd rather die.โ I held out my hand to Adrienne. โYou ready to go?โ โIf you are,โ she replied.
โI am. Damian Ellsworth, meet my sister, Adrienne. Adrienne, meet
Georgiaโs piece-of-shit ex.โ I turned away from his beet-red face. โAdam. Carmen. It was great to see you.โ Pivoting with a smile, I walked away with Adrienne at my side.
โEmotions have no place in business, Harrison,โ Damian sneered. โEventually Ava will wear her down. She always does. How do you think I own the other ten options?โ
I paused. Heโd made five movies and still had five to go. Iโd seen the way she dug her heels in for Scarlettโs wishes, so then why did she give upโฆย Sometimes the only way to keep what you need is to let go of what you want.ย Her words from that day at the creek.
โDo you now?โ My smile widened. What if sheโd been referring to something else entirely?ย Clever woman.
โWhat the hell is that supposed to mean?โ he snapped.
โIt means I know Georgia better than you do.โ I didnโt bother to wait for his response. โSorry we arenโt staying for dinner,โ I said to Adrienne, walking her to the door.
โI only came for the show,โ she said with a shrug. โDid you get what you needed?โ
I nodded, moving us through the crowd. โYou donโt look pleased.โ
โGeorgia has trust issues.โ I nodded at another acquaintance as we approached the coat check.
โObviously.โ Adrienne blinked up at me.
โWhat would you do if you knew the only person in the world Georgia trusted completely had lied to her for her entire life?โ
โAre you certain?โ She paled, her eyes widening. โAbout ninety percent.โ Give or take.
โYou have to be a hundred, and then you have to tell her.โ
I cursed. โThatโs what I figured.โ Getting Georgia back just became a lot more complicated.