An Unexpected Affair Read online

  Was he? Brock wasn’t sure.

  Monty glanced pointedly after Evie. “Do you need to go after her?”

  Brock heard the gentleness in his tone and was shocked. “Why would I do that? We’re done filming for the day.” He looked around, pain stabbing through him as he watched the stage manager starting to disassemble the set. “Hell, we’ve finished the movie!”

  “Yeah but…” Monty glanced over at the door, then at Brock again. “Sorry, Brock. I just…I had the feeling there was something going on between you and Evie.”

  Brock’s eyes narrowed. “Don’t gossip about Evie,” he snarled.

  Monty held up his hands and backed up a step. “Hey, no harm meant, boss,” he said with a nervous chuckle. “No one has said anything bad about Evie.”

  Brock understood what Monty hadn’t said though. “Are they saying anything at all?”

  “Other than the fact that you two make a cute couple?” He chuckled quietly, then stepped back at the renewed rage in Brock’s eyes. “Sorry, but…well, it’s pretty obvious that the two of you are a thing. I thought…I thought that you two were more than just a fling though. It looked like it was getting pretty serious.”

  “What the hell is that supposed to mean?” Brock demanded, practically stomping into his “office” to gather up the rest of his papers. Someone else would be moving in tomorrow. They’d need the space and he’d be over in the editing room for the next several weeks.

  “I don’t know, boss. Just...everyone thought that you two were together. You know? The secret looks, the sighs, and making such a point of arriving and departing at separate times.”

  “Why would leaving or arriving at separate times make the rest of you think we were a couple?”

  Monty eyed Brock with wide, uncertain eyes. “Well, at the beginning, we all knew that you two hated each other, but you’d also come and go together. It was as if you were trying to…I don’t know…one up each other?”

  Brock sighed heavily, bracing his arms wide on the makeshift desk. “I don’t hate Evie.”

  “I know, man. You love her, right?”

  Love? Brock shoved away from the desk. Immediately, he remembered Evie the other day, her eyes straying to that cabinet. A long time ago she’d mentioned something about a fix, a crutch. But he’d watched her even more carefully after that. She hadn’t been on any sort of chemical assistance. Plus, she never drank alcohol. He’d been with her every night and, lately, every morning as well. She filled her water bottle up from the pitchers provided by the catering crew. There wasn’t time for her to have snuck in alcohol. She didn’t even drink wine at dinner. Only water.

  Had he missed something? He should have peeked into that damned cabinet, but he’d wanted to trust her. He hadn’t wanted to sneak around and poke into her privacy. Not without evidence. Hell, he hadn’t even continued with the drug testing after the first few weeks. Every test had come back negative after they’d culled the initial drug users.

  No, he hadn’t missed anything. Evie didn’t…well, whatever her crutch was, he couldn’t figure it out.

  But love? Hell no! He didn’t love anyone! He wasn’t capable of love. His mother had taken care of that. When she’d…well, when she’d given up, he’d lost his ability to love.

  Although, if anyone could heal that wound, it would be Evie. She was soft and gentle, caring and generous. She was…but he didn’t love her. He couldn’t love her! Just the thought brought back that horrible moment when he’d walked in on his mother, splayed out on the floor. No pulse. A syringe on the floor beside her hand. No color in her cheeks, which meant she’d been dead since he’d left for school that morning.

  Love! He hated the word!

  What he felt for Evie was…it was tenderness. Caring. Yes, that’s it. Brock cared for her. Caring wouldn’t leave him vulnerable, he thought. Caring meant that they could have a future together, but that neither would be hurt if they later decided to walk away, that things weren’t working out.

  So, why the hell did the idea of Evie ever leaving him, walking out of his life, make him feel like punching the wall?

  “Hell!” he muttered, then noticed that he was drawing attention; the crew was peering curiously at him. “Nothing,” Brock assured them and they went back to disassembling the set.

  Evie. He needed to get to her. Talk to her.

  But if he was angry, and all he wanted was to get to her, see her, touch her…feel her in his arms…what did that indicate about his feelings?

  He grabbed his bag and hurried out of the room. When he moved across the set, not a single person dared to stop him.

  Slamming through the door, Brock breathed in the fresh air, closing his eyes to keep himself from doing something stupid. Like admitting that he was madly in love with Evie.

  He wasn’t. He couldn’t be! Damn it, love left a person vulnerable! It made a person hurt!

  Even now, the thought of never seeing her again…he ached to hold her.

  No! He wasn’t in love with Evie. Not a chance!

  He tossed his briefcase into the back of his SUV and drove out of the parking lot. But he didn’t go home. Nor did he go to Evie’s house. He just drove. He needed to clear his head, to make sense of this insanity. And to remind himself that he didn’t “do” love.

  Chapter 11

  Evie saw the woman sitting on her front stoop as she drove down her driveway. It had been six weeks since she’d first seen this Frankie woman. Six weeks of challenging days of filming and gloriously happy nights in Brock’s arms. They laughed and cooked. He helped her with her lines and they argued about scenes and how they should be played out.

  But filming had wrapped up. Everyone could tell the film was going to be good. No, not good. Epic! It was going to be one of the most amazing films of the year! Superficially, the story was about a woman who evolved into a serial killer. But the sub themes of parental emotional abuse, abuse of power, politicians’ hypocrisy, the challenge of growing up in the shadow of powerful people…it was all there in both subtle and not-so-subtle detail throughout the film. It was brilliant and she loved it!

  And she was also more than a little sorry that the filming was almost done. There would be several weeks of editing and polishing, then the marketing would start up. Interviews with all the major news channels and talk shows. Evie and Brock, along with the rest of the cast, would fly all over the country, drumming up interest.

  Still, she wouldn’t see Brock every day and that depressed her more than she was willing to admit.

  So finding Frankie on her front steps, a place where she should have privacy, sparked her temper.

  “What do you want?” Evie demanded, leaving her car in the driveway instead of parking in her garage.

  The woman stood up carefully and Evie realized that she was pregnant. Not very far along, but far enough that Evie could see her jeans weren’t buttoned and her tee shirt was stretched tight over her softly rounded stomach.

  “Could we talk? Just for a moment?”

  Evie sighed, and glanced up at the sun, which was blazing in the sky. She had no idea how long Frankie had been sitting out in the sunshine, but the heat couldn’t be good for the baby.

  “Come on in,” Evie grumbled.

  Frankie followed obediently and Evie closed the door, leading her into the kitchen. She immediately grabbed a glass and filled it with ice and cold water. “Sit,” Evie ordered, eyeing a chair pointedly. “What are you doing out in that kind of heat in your condition?” she demanded as Frankie sat and accepted the water. “Nothing could be that important.”

  Frankie gulped the water, then set the empty glass down, smiling with gratitude. “Well, see, there is something that important.”

  “Not my father!” Evie asserted firmly.

  There was a long silence. “You know Edward Meyers?”

  Evie bristled and took another glass from the cabinet, pouring her own glass of water and refilling Frankie’s. “I know about Edward Meyers, but he’s not my f
ather.”

  “But…?”

  Evie sighed and leaned against the counter. “Here’s the deal. My mother fell in love with Edward. She knew his reputation and didn’t care. He was charming and generous, and apparently, she enjoyed his company.”

  Frankie shook her head. “We must be talking about a different person then.”

  “No.” She rubbed her forehead. “From what my mother told me, Edward was only charming until she gave in and slept with him. She was his mistress for about six months. He even proposed, gave her a diamond ring and everything.”

  Frankie sighed, her shoulders drooping. “Then this really can’t be the right man.” She made a sound of disgust. “After the last time we spoke, I thought I’d made a mistake. So, I did more research, which is why I’m here. All the evidence I’ve discovered points to you as Edward Meyers’ daughter.” She shook her head. “I’m sorry. I won’t bother you again.”

  Evie put a hand on Frankie’s arm before she could stand up. “Let me finish,” she said softly.

  “Edward Meyers gave my mother a diamond ring and promised to marry her, but as soon as my mother told him that she was pregnant, according to my mom, he became enraged. The bastard kicked her out of his house and, because she was working for him as well, he fired her.”

  Frankie cringed even as she nodded. “Okay, that sounds more like the man I know.”

  “Yes, well,” Evie sighed and looked up at the ceiling. “The way Mother tells it, Edward asked my mother to attend several social events as his fiancé. But he refused to pay for her clothes. She used every dime she had saved up in order to look the way Edward wanted her to. He had very expensive tastes and, if she wore anything from a discount store, he criticized her. It was a hugely abusive relationship, from what she’s told me. And I’m grateful that she got away.”

  “So…what happened?”

  Evie toyed with her water glass. “My mother was sitting in a coffee shop, with me on her lap, when a talent agent asked if she was interested in allowing a photographer to take my picture. My mom was so broke by that point, she was willing to do just about anything. The way she tells it, we were weeks away from being evicted. The expense of giving birth was horrendous, but she was on a payment plan with the hospital. She was terrified that, if she didn’t pay what the hospital demanded, and I got sick, they wouldn’t help her.”

  Frankie cringed. “We have a horrible health care system in this country.”

  “I agree,” Evie laughed, but the sound was oddly flat. “Anyway, the photographer used my baby pictures in a marketing campaign. And that was the start of my glorious career.” She said the last with a bite of sarcasm. “But the thing is, Edward was absolutely livid when he found out that I was in the entertainment industry. He threatened to sue my mother for custody.”

  “His bastardness just gets worse and worse,” Frankie grumbled.

  “Exactly. So you can understand why I don’t want to acknowledge his paternity.”

  Frankie nodded. “Yes. I can understand completely. But here’s the thing….”

  “I’m not going to talk to him, Frankie,” Evie interrupted firmly. “There’s nothing you can say that will convince me that he doesn’t belong in a special place in hell.”

  Frankie laughed, her hand unconsciously moving over her stomach. “I agree with you. And since my little one here is that bastard’s grandson, I completely understand your feelings.”

  Evie’s eyes narrowed as the implication of Frankie’s words registered. “Do you mean…?”

  “Yes,” Frankie said, nodding firmly. “My husband, who was with me the last time we talked?” At Evie’s tense nod, she continued. “He’s one of Edward Meyers’ sons.”

  Evie blinked, still processing. Then a word struck her. “One of his sons?” she choked out. “Wait. Does that mean that your husband is…?”

  “Your brother,” Frankie nodded, starting to smile. “Well, technically, Kade is your half-brother. But,” she covered Evie’s hand with her own. “Kade is a wonderful man. So are the other two brothers. They didn’t know about each other either. But as soon as I introduced them, they bonded. They are,” she smiled, shaking her head. “Well, they’re really annoying, but very sweet, and they get together pretty often, getting to know each other.” She looked into Evie’s eyes with understanding. “They all have similar stories about Edward Meyers. He knocked up their mothers, and kicked them out of his life without child support. Because Edward is a wealthy, powerful man, he was able to threaten them with legal consequences if any of them demanded child support.”

  Evie’s head dropped into her hands as her mind spun. “Brothers?” she echoed. “I have brothers?”

  She used to beg her mother for a sister, someone she could whisper to at night about secrets and boys and all the things that she never wanted to tell her mother. She’d never considered brothers, but the possibility was…amazing!

  “You might have brothers,” Frankie clarified. “I need to do a DNA test to make certain.”

  “Yes!” Evie gasped. “Yes! I’ll do it. Just…yes!”

  Frankie laughed, obviously relieved. “Thank you!” she replied. “I have one here in my…” she looked in her bag, then groaned. “No. I have the wrong bag. I only brought my small bag here to talk to you today. Would you have time tomorrow? It only takes seconds. It’s just a swab of the inside of your cheek. No pain. No fuss. It’s super simple and I’ll have the results back in a few days.”

  Evie nodded, but she still felt a sense of…numbness. “Yes. Anytime.” She glanced at her calendar on her cell phone. “Shoot!” she muttered, biting her lower lip. “I’m at the studio tomorrow morning for some wrap up issues that I can’t get out of. But I can slip away for this. And I’d be happy to arrange for a private tour of the studios. Would that be convenient?”

  Frankie picked up her cell phone, nodding in agreement. “Give me the address and I’ll be there. Whatever time is good for you.”

  Evie picked up her own phone and flipped through the schedule for the next day. “I have a late morning call tomorrow. It’s just reaction shots.”

  “How about nine o’clock?”

  Evie put her phone down and nodded. “Nine o’clock. I’ll put your name in at the gate so you can drive through to the studio.”

  Frankie grinned. “This is going to be awesome! I have your phone number and I’ll call as soon as I have the results.”

  A moment later, she was gone, driving away just as Brock pulled up. Evie watched, practically vibrating with excitement, eager to tell Brock about her conversation with the private investigator. She hadn’t told him about Frankie’s visit the first time, dismissing Frankie’s comments from her mind. But now there was the possibility of brothers. She wanted to shout her happiness and hope to everyone.

  Then something Frankie said hit her. What if they weren’t her brothers? What if they were just strangers and there was no relation whatsoever?

  She eyed Brock, not sure what to do. On the one hand, she really wanted to tell him, to share this news. But on the other hand, if she said something, would she jinx things? Okay, that was absolutely ridiculous. The DNA test was simple science. She either was related to these men, or she wasn’t.

  Still, when Brock walked into the still-open doorway and hugged her, she wasn’t sure what to say. “Are you okay?” he asked.

  “I’m fine!” She said, adding a bright smile.

  He looked at her strangely. “Are you sure?”

  Evie pulled out of his arms and, unconsciously, started pacing. “Yeah. I’m sure. Why wouldn’t you think I’m sure?” She nibbled her thumbnail as her gaze darted from the kitchen to the patio, not sure where she would be more comfortable. In reality, Evie knew she wouldn’t be able to calm down until tomorrow. No, not true. She wouldn’t be calm until the DNA results were back and she could meet these men. Brothers! Good grief, not just one brother, but several! Evie hadn’t asked how many brothers there were, but just the thought of having a rela
tive, someone to call family, was…thrilling!

  Brock put the bag down and began unloading their dinner, bringing her attention back to the present. “Because you’re acting weird,” he replied. “Who was the woman who just left? She looked familiar for some reason.”

  Evie shrugged. “Her name is Frankie and she’s…” she stopped, worried that revealing that the other woman was the private investigator from several weeks ago might segue into questions about why she was back. “She’s just a friend.” That was sort of a fib. But not really. If the DNA came back showing she was related to Edward Meyers, then Frankie’s husband would be…!

  Evie spun around, continuing to pace. What if she wasn’t related? What if this was all for nothing and she was still all alone in this world? What if she didn’t have brothers she could talk to and laugh with and…!

  What if her brothers were horrible men? No, that wasn’t the case, she thought and paced along the edge of the kitchen. Frankie knew them, she had married one of them. Evie suspected that Frankie was a good person and wouldn’t have married a man that wasn’t good.

  But they didn’t live here in Los Angeles. Where had Frankie said they lived? Evie wrung her hands, chewing her lip as she tried to remember everything Frankie had said.

  “Evie, what the hell is going on?”

  Brock’s harsh tone broke through her worried thoughts. “Um…!” What could she say?

  “Did you take something?” he demanded, walking over to hold her upper arms. His fingers didn’t hurt, but his words did. “What are you on?”

  Stunned, Evie pulled back, feeling as if he’d just slapped her. “On? What do you mean?”

  His eyes narrowed suspiciously as he looked into hers, obviously trying to evaluate her irises. “Drugs? Did you take something? Is that woman your supplier?”

  Shocked at the outrageous question, Evie laughed, shaking her head. “Are you kidding me?”

  He dropped his hands and moved away, muttering under his breath. When he turned back to face her, there was fury in his eyes. “Evie, we talked about this. You know how I feel about drugs!”