Brad shook his wild hair. “Tomorrow it will be exactly two months.”
“Congratulations,” Meredith said. Her mouth was delivering proper, polite conversation, but her mind was reeling with the image of Jacob Wilde’s being a roommate of this earthy man who now stood before her in a flannel shirt and shorts. The two guys were opposites. Or were they? She didn’t know enough about Jacob to determine whether he and Brad had more in common than met the eye. She was dying to know more about Jacob.
“Thanks,” Brad said. “You should have come to the wedding with Shelly. We had it at Descanso Gardens. The day was perfect.”
“It was a really nice wedding,” Jonathan agreed. “They had it in a rose garden, and the flowers were beautiful.”
Meredith wondered if Jonathan was a little envious. He and Shelly had wanted to marry outside, but Mom had insisted the weather was too unpredictable in Seattle in May. The wedding was held inside the church where Meri and Shelly’s dad had served as the minister for more than thirty years. Then, as if God were using the opportunity to validate their mother, it rained hard that day.
But Meredith was wondering what Jacob looked like in a tux. Was he the best man? Maybe Shelly had a picture somewhere.
Then something perplexing dawned on her. How could all these people know Jacob and not be impressed with his fame on the silver screen? Shelly had never once mentioned that she knew a movie star or that her next-door neighbor was an actor.
Why didn’t she ever tell me? Was she afraid I’d run right down there and make a fool of myself? She knew her sister might have had a point there.
Then, because her curiosity was killing her, Meredith asked Brad, “What was it you were saying about a movie being filmed at the waterfall?”
“Look out,” Jonathan said, giving Brad a playful punch in the arm before taking off to greet some other guests. “My sis-in-law here is a movie-star addict. Don’t tell her about you-know-who.”
“Who?” Meredith challenged as Jonathan began to walk away. “Jacob?”
Jonathan looked back over his shoulder.
“I already met your dear Mr. Wartman, and I didn’t faint or anything.”
Jonathan gave her a chin-up smile and kept going, blending into the crowd.
Brad’s face took on a fixed grimace. “You called him Mr. Wartman, and he didn’t slug you?”
“I didn’t call him that. Kyle did.”
“Well,” Brad tipped up his glass and sipped the remains. “I guess potential investors can call potential producers anything they want.”
“That’s not his real name?”
“Yes, it’s his real name. Jacob Frederick Wartman. He hates it. His agent changed it to Jake Wilde when he started doing commercials a couple of years ago. Then they changed it to the more sophisticated Jacob Wilde when he did Falcon Pointe. But don’t divulge that info to the rags. Kyle thinks it’s funny, and he can probably get away with it, but Jake hates to have people throw the ‘Wartman’ in front of him.”
“I can understand that,” Meredith said. “But it is his name. I mean, family and heritage aren’t something to cast off just like that.”
“He has a goofed-up family. But then,” Brad added, “in this day and in our society, who doesn’t? His grandparents raised him, and he was an only kid. They weren’t even his grandparents. They were a kindly old couple who adopted him when they were in their fifties. They’re both gone now, so he doesn’t feel a real strong obligation to carry on the Wartman name.”
“I see,” Meredith said. She found all this inside information about Jacob amazing. No wonder Shelly and his other friends didn’t idolize Jacob. To them, he was just an ordinary guy—their friend. Oh, how Meri wished she could turn back the clock and just be Jacob’s friend.
“How do you know Jake? Through Shelly?”
“Actually, I met him this morning at Kyle and Jessica’s.”
“He’s here?” Brad looked surprised. It was the first hint of emotion. “I thought he was in New York until next week.”
“I guess he flew in this morning, but he left about half an hour ago. I think he’s going back to L.A.”
“I didn’t tell him Alissa and I were coming up. He’ll be surprised to find out we were here,” Brad said.
Meredith’s curiosity was insatiable. “I have to ask you something. Is Jacob, or Jake, as you call him, thinking of making a movie here? You said something about the waterfall and Kyle investing.”
Brad nodded. “Last I heard, Jake and Kyle were in the final negotiations. It’s a script Jake’s been working on for as long as I’ve known him. Some kind of fantasy tale or something. He met this guy Kalen, and he’s been helping Jake with the screenplay.”
“Gabriel Kalen? Jake has been working with Gabriel Kalen?”
“Yes, you know him?”
“Only by his reputation. I work for a publishing house that distributes Gabriel Kalen’s video for children.”
“Then you should have talked shop with Jake. He’s going after this project big time.”
Meredith’s mind was whirling with thoughts of Jake and his screenplay. Was that why he was going to be at the Stories and More Conference? They were sort of in the same line of work. Why hadn’t Jake said anything?
“Excuse me,” Brad said. “I’m going back to the watering hole. Be sure to introduce yourself to Alissa. She’ll be glad to meet you.”
“I will. Nice meeting you, too.”
Meredith stood alone in a room packed with hundreds of people. She couldn’t stop accusing herself of the way she had turned into a crazed fan around Jacob and spoiled the beginnings of a normal friendship.
Making her way through the crowd, Meredith moved to the kitchen. She knew she could find some solitude there and maybe something salty to eat. Whenever she felt depressed, she wanted potato chips. Before she made it to the kitchen, Shelly intercepted her and grabbed her arm.
“Where have you been?” Shelly’s words didn’t sound accusatory the way Mom’s had. Her full lips lit up her bright smile. “Jessica said you and Jake went to the falls. Well? How did it go?” She had on a navy blue jumper with a soft pink, short-sleeved T-shirt underneath. Her long silky brown hair fell softly over her shoulders, and her brown eyes sparked with curiosity.
Meredith had long envied Shelly’s natural looks. Whenever she complimented Shelly on her welcoming appearance, Shelly groaned and said she wished she had inherited the finer features Meredith had—the narrow chin, the thin nose, and the dainty lips. They shared some common features, though. Their eyes were similar in shape although different in color. Meredith’s green eyes were enhanced by her tinted contacts. Both Meredith and Shelly had well-defined, arched eyebrows. Shelly had taught Meredith how to pluck sparingly and coax the dramatic brows into obedience. Meredith had taught Shelly, the tomboy, how to shave around the ankles without nicking the ankle bone.
“There’s nothing to tell,” Meredith said. “He’s a nice guy. I’m surprised you didn’t tell me about him before.”
“I told you about him lots of times. You were never interested. He’s a sweetheart, isn’t he?”
“Were you and Jessica in on this together? Were you trying to set us up or something?”
“No!” Shelly looked shocked that her sister would suspect such a thing. It was definitely the kind of thing Meredith would do, but Shelly didn’t go in for matchmaking.
“Why did you want to know how it went? How was it supposed to go?”
Shelly pulled Meredith out of the noisy room and onto the back deck. The sun had warmed the deck, and the Adirondack chairs that faced the meadow were all empty. Shelly sat down on the edge of the first chair and motioned for Meredith to sit next to her. Shelly had worked as a flight attendant for five years and had a smooth way about her when she wanted people to cooperate with her arrangements. Meredith sat in the hot chair.
“Yeouch!” she said, pulling down her shorts to cover the back side of her legs. “Second time in one day. It’s been
far too long since I’ve worn shorts and far too long since I’ve been in the sun on a hot day.”
“I know. The weather is perfect, isn’t it? I love it here!” Shelly leaned forward. “Don’t feel pressured about Jake. I don’t mean to sound pushy. It’s just that it looks as if he’s going to bring a film crew here in a couple months, and everyone’s excited about it. You might want to come down again when they start production.”
“I heard about the film,” Meredith said. “It sounds like it will be a lot of fun for you guys.”
“You’re going to think I’m crazy,” Shelly said, “and maybe I am. This is so unlike me, but when Jessica told me you had taken off for a walk with Jake, I thought, Of course! Meri and Jake. They’re perfect for each other.”
“You thought that, huh? Just like that? Out of the blue?”
Shelly smiled. “I told you before, didn’t I, that I went out once with Jake?”
Meredith felt uncomfortable. She had suspected something like this.
“What a disaster!” Shelly said with a shake of her head. “He likes classical music, like you do, so we went to this summer concert in the park. They played all your Vivaldi music, and we sat on these low beach chairs on the grass. It was a gorgeous, warm evening, and Jake leaned his chair back and fell asleep. Talk about a scintillating first date. He had been working long hours at the restaurant and as a gaffer at a studio just to get some film-industry experience. The poor guy was fried. That was our first and last date.”
Meredith didn’t know how to tell her sister about her first and last date with the same man. It seemed pointless, even in light of Shelly’s ravings about how well they would get along.
“I don’t think there’s much chance of Jacob’s being interested in seeing me again,” Meredith said softly. “He seems like a really nice guy, like you said, but I kind of hit three strikes with him all in a row. I think I’m out.” She decided not to list the three strikes and was glad Shelly didn’t ask for details. It was humiliating enough to remember how she had stood green faced before the innocent man as he slumbered and how she had screamed at him to get out. Then there was the puppet show. The muffin in the face, which might or might not have been a bad thing. But it didn’t really matter. The king strike was the way she had turned into a raving ditz when she found out who he was. She was outta there.
“Oh,” Shelly said softly. She placed her hands over her stomach and said, “It was just a thought. Don’t feel like I’m pressuring you into anything.”
“That’s okay. I know you’re just being a sis, and I appreciate it.”
“It’s funny,” Shelly said. “I always think of you as the matchmaker. Now I see why it’s kind of fun to be in that position.”
Yeah, well, now I know it’s a lot more fun to be the matchmaker than the one being matched up. Meredith looked out at the meadow. The powerful midday sun was causing the tall wildflowers to slump over. Soon their brilliant color would be dried up, and Jonathan would whack them all down with his power mower. She felt just like those wildflowers. Her brief, shining moment with Jacob had come and gone at the waterfall this morning. Inside she felt slumped over, too.
“I wanted to tell you something else,” Shelly said, catching Meredith’s gaze and bringing her back to the deck and into the small circle of confidence that embraced the two sisters.
“Yes?”
“I’m six days late.”
Chapter Seven
Late for what?” Meredith said absentmindedly.
“You know.” Shelly giggled. “I’m six days late.” She paused. “I think I might be pregnant.”
Meredith brightened and grabbed Shelly’s hands. “Really? Do you think you are?”
“I don’t know. I’ve never been this late before.”
“Did you tell Jonathan?”
Shelly shook her head. “No, he’s been so swamped with all the details here at camp that I didn’t want to put anything on him until after this was over. I was dying to tell somebody, and I’m dying to find out! Don’t say anything, okay?”
Meredith nodded.
“You promise?”
“Yes, of course!” Meredith put out her little finger, and Shelly automatically linked it the way they used to do as kids when they sealed promises.
“Now, I have a huge favor to ask you. Actually, this is why I wanted you to come over early this morning.”
“Sorry I wasn’t here.”
“No, don’t worry about it. It’s okay. But what I wanted to ask is if you could run to the drugstore in town to buy a home pregnancy test for me. Everyone in town knows me, and if I go, it’ll be gossiped all around before I even have the results from the test. I would have gone into Eugene to buy one, but I couldn’t get away the last two days. If it’s positive, I want to be able to tell Mom and Dad before they leave.”
“You’d better tell Jonathan first.”
“Oh, I will. I just need to get a pregnancy test.”
“Point me to the nearest drugstore. I’m your silent partner,” Meredith said.
“Oh, good. You can take my car. It’s parked over by our cabin. You know the drugstore on Main Street, don’t you?”
Meredith nodded.
“Here’s some money.” Shelly pulled some cash from the pocket of her jumper. “When you get back, leave the test in the bathroom at our house and then come tell me.”
“Got it,” Meredith said. She loved the thrill of an adventure. “Where are your car keys?”
“Inside the house in the basket on the counter. Don’t let Bob Two out. He knows something is going on around here today, and he knows he can’t have the run of the campground. We’re trying to get him to calm down.”
“I’ll be back in a flash,” Meredith said, grabbing the cash from Shelly and taking the deck stairs with a light step. “Mum’s the word,” she said over her shoulder. “Or should I say, Mommy’s the word?”
“Shhh,” Shelly said, placing her finger to her lips.
Meredith made a grimace. “Sorry! I’ll be right back.” She was sure no one had heard her. Too much noise was coming from inside the lodge. Meredith made a beeline for the small, charming log cabin Jonathan had built for Shelly and himself. It consisted of two bedrooms, one bathroom, a kitchen, and a living room. According to Jonathan, that was all anyone needed.
Bob Two, the caramel-colored cocker spaniel, started to bark before Meredith even reached the front door. “It’s only me,” she called out. “I’m coming in to get the keys, so don’t bite me, you mongrel.”
It flashed through her mind that Jake didn’t like dogs either. The thought made her laugh aloud. Maybe they did have a lot in common, as Shelly had suggested.
Maybe Jake can overlook my “strikes.” Maybe he’ll call me. He knows I live on Whidbey. Maybe he’ll look up my number. Or call and get it from Shelly. And we can have a second chance. We’ll start a phone friendship, or better yet, an e-mail romance!
Meredith paused before opening the front screen door. Naw, that would never happen.
“Back off, flea bait,” she said to Bob Two. Actually, for a dog, he was okay. Not too much slobber; just a little overeager. “I’m coming in.”
Bob Two didn’t seem to realize that Meri thought he was okay. He gave every indication that he didn’t like her. Backing himself into the corner of the kitchen, he barked, and his ears flopped. Meri grabbed the keys and blew a sarcastic kiss to the pooch. “See ya!”
Making sure the screen door was closed tightly behind her, Meredith headed for Shelly and Jonathan’s Jeep. Bob Two was still barking.
The engine’s roar drowned out his protests, and she took off down the gravel drive and headed toward town. Once she was on the smooth main road, Meri tilted the rearview mirror toward herself and checked her appearance. The top of her nose appeared sunburned as well as the high arch of her cheeks.
“Ah, summer sun. How I’ve missed you.” She noticed that her hair was unusually cooperative and still looked good despite the ride in
the convertible, the hike to the falls, and the jog to Shelly’s cabin.
What did Jake think of me? Am I plain compared to the glamorous movie stars he hangs out with? Would he think less of me if he knew my hair was really as brown as Shelly’s? No, I don’t think he would. I think he likes blonds. I think he liked my hair. He noticed it. I know he did. And he took a picture of me. I wonder what he’s going to do with that picture.…
Meredith stopped her train of thought. Wait a minute. This is pointless. Why am I still thinking about him? Let him go, Meri.
She rolled into town and slowed the Jeep way down to the posted 25 m.p.h. speed limit. The town looked cleaned out. Few cars were parked along the street at the little shops. Meri knew why. They were all at the conference center.
She parked the Jeep and hopped out, anxious to buy the pregnancy test and get it back to Shelly. She was as eager to know the results as her sister was. Well, maybe not as eager, but she felt special knowing that Shelly had confided in her before telling anyone else. She liked sharing in these significant moments with her sister and was glad to do what she could to participate.
A bell chimed over the door as Meredith entered the small pharmacy. It looked as if nothing had changed in this store since the fifties.
That’s what Shelly had said she liked about Glenbrooke. It seemed to be the town that time forgot. Many of the people lived by the values of a half-century ago. Everyone knew everyone. Some of the people who lived here had never been outside of a fifty-mile radius of their gentle town. It helped explain a little better the wild reaction when the women saw Jacob earlier. Movie stars just didn’t come to Glenbrooke.
Meredith stopped in the pregnancy-tests aisle and quickly scanned the boxes. She had three choices. All she knew to do was check for an expiration date on the boxes. They were all current. They were all about the same price. She did an eenie-meenie-minie-mo and picked the larger white box. Grabbing a pack of spearmint gum and a Milky Way candy bar, Meredith hurried to the counter. She remembered from their childhood that Jonathan liked Milky Way candy bars. If this test was positive, a Milky Way might help the news go down. Maybe she should buy a Milky Way for Shelly, too. And for their parents.