Stars Collide

  Grandma took her place at the front of the room, turning to face the audience. The tears on her cheeks caused a catch in my throat.

  Deep breath, Kat.

  The wedding march began, and I looked over at Rex, who extended his arm. “You ready to go through with this?” he whispered.

  “Oh yes.” I whispered, “I love you, Grandpa,” and gave him a quick hug.

  Others on the set looked startled and even confused as Rex and I made our way to the appropriate place at the back of the aisle. Likely they were wondering when he had decided to take on the role of father figure in Angie’s life.

  Rex held my arm in his, walking me up the aisle as the wedding march continued to play. While the script called for a few antics—me tripping over the flower girl basket, for one—we’d decided to forego all of that. No, today called for something a bit more traditional. Athena would forgive me later. I hoped.

  I could still see tears in Grandma’s eyes as we drew near. To her right, front and center, Pastor Garrett offered me a warm, comforting smile. I returned it, feeling the joy of the moment from the inside out.

  Scott stepped into place and took my arm. In that moment, the last three years flashed before my eyes. Everything we’d gone through up till now—the characters we’d played, the emotions they’d faced—had led us here. To this precious, holy moment.

  “Who gives this woman to be married to this man?” Pastor Garrett asked.

  “Her grandmother and I do.” Rex’s words were laced with emotion. He lifted my veil and gave me a kiss on the cheek.

  Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Athena thumbing through her script with a perplexed look on her face. Thankfully Tia didn’t yell, “Cut.” I half expected her to, since we were so far off the script.

  The pastor nodded. “Ladies and gentlemen, we are gathered here today to witness the union of Kat Jennings and Scott Murphy.”

  A gasp went up from the audience and crew as most finally figured out what was happening. It was exactly the sort of reaction we’d been hoping for. From beside me, I heard Grandma whisper the words, “Who’s Scott?” Thankfully she didn’t say anything else.

  I caught a glimpse of Tia just offstage to my left. It was likely Rex had clued her in at the last minute, assuring her the second filming would follow the script verbatim. Jack and Angie would have their scene . . . right after Scott and Kat had theirs.

  Rex took a seat in the front pew, his eyes filled with tears. From here on out, it was just Scott and me. Well, Scott, me, and Grandma, who stood just behind me, sniffling all the way. I knew they were tears of joy. Who could blame her? She’d pegged this one, hadn’t she? Her granddaughter was getting married. Really and truly getting married.

  When the pastor got to the vows, my heart started racing. He looked at me intently. “Do you, Kat Jennings, take Scott Murphy to be your lawful wedded husband?”

  “Hey, he said the wrong names again,” little Toby whispered to Scott’s right. Fortunately, Pastor Garrett didn’t stop. No, he kept right on going, leading us through the exchanging of the vows, and then the rings.

  Candy moved to the front of the church to sing the song she’d rehearsed. As the words to “You Made Me Love You” rang out across the studio, her eyes met mine and I gave her a smile. She’d won me over, this little darling. I had a feeling there would be many conversations ahead of us. Right now, however, I needed to stay focused on the one person who’d stolen my heart.

  As her song came to an end, the pastor ended with those beautiful, scripted words: “And now, by the power vested in me by the state of California, and in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, I now pronounce you man and wife.” He added, “You may now kiss the bride,” and the crowd began to cheer, many rising to their feet in spontaneous shouts. No canned applause necessary here.

  I looked at Scott, my heart overflowing. The mist in his eyes only made me love him more. As he swept me into his arms, my mind went back in time to that day—that wonderful, glorious day—when we’d shared our first kiss under the cover of darkness.

  As fabulous as that secret kiss had been, it couldn’t hold a candle to the one sealing the deal today.

  23

  Happy Days

  At the end of our very real wedding scene, Tia yelled “Cut!” and the studio audience went crazy. Laughter and cheers permeated the building. I heard several of the tech crew giving joyous shouts. They were joined by Scott’s parents and my new aunties.

  Grandma turned to face me, tears streaming down her face. “Oh, KK! It was prettier than I pictured it in my imagination. Perfect!”

  She was right, as always.

  Rex rose from the pew and headed toward me, wrapping me in his arms. “I’m so happy for you, baby girl,” he whispered. “You’ve made this old man very, very happy.”

  “No, I’m the one who’s happy,” I whispered in response. “I’ve always dreamed of being walked down the aisle by someone who genuinely cared about me, and you made that dream come true.”

  He gave me a kiss on my forehead and nodded. “It was my pleasure.” He turned to Scott—my husband—and shook his hand.

  “How do I thank you?” Scott asked. “You made this possible.”

  “No, he made this possible.” My grandfather gestured to the heavens—well, the ceiling of the studio, anyway—and nodded.

  Tia approached, shaking her head. “Not your ordinary day in Studio B, that’s for sure.”

  “No kidding.” Nora and Jana spoke in unison as they approached.

  “I can’t believe you pulled this off,” Jana said as she dabbed at her eyes. “No wonder you went with that dress, Kat. It was perfect.”

  “And it’s mine,” I added. “Paid in full as of just a few days ago.”

  “No way.” She shook her head. “How did you manage that? It’s a couture gown.”

  “I know. It cost a pretty penny. But my grandmother insisted. It was her gift to me.”

  “That’s right,” Grandma said, slipping her arm around my waist. “And did you ever see a lovelier bride?” Before anyone could answer, she said, “Of course not!”

  “What I want to know is, how in the world did you do all of this without anyone knowing?” Nora stared at me with a dumbfounded look on her face. “It’s remarkable.”

  I laughed. “Trust me, a lot of work went into making sure no one knew. Well, no one but the pastor and Rex. And Tia at the last minute.”

  “Last minute is right,” Tia said. “Nothing like giving the director a heart attack sixty seconds before shooting a scene.”

  “I didn’t figure you’d mind,” Rex said. “It’ll be something we can talk about for years to come.”

  “Besides, we’ll use the footage,” Scott said. “It’ll be great to show our kids and grandkids.”

  Athena stood off in the distance with the other writers, still looking shell shocked. I had a feeling I’d be getting an earful. Soon. Before she could get to me, however, Scott’s mom raced to the stage and swept us both into her arms.

  “You did it,” she whispered. “You really did it.”

  “Of course.” Scott placed a kiss on her cheek. “We promised you a wedding scene, didn’t we, Mom? When we deliver, we deliver!”

  “So true.” She laughed. “Only, I had no idea. Is that why you told us to wear our Sunday finest?”

  “Yes.” I nodded. “After we film Jack and Angie’s scene, we’re all heading back to the house to have the reception. In the gardens.” My eyes filled with tears. “It’s going to be beautiful, and you should see all of the foods that Carolina has prepared.”

  “Oh my, yes.” Grandma’s eyes lit up. “It’s going to be grand.” She looked out over the audience. “I’d better get busy handing out the maps. I think we must have overlooked the invitations.” She headed off to fetch her purse, then made her way through the crowd, inviting one and all to the festivities.

  “Now you see why I was so insistent you come back for the fund-raiser?” Scott said, flashing a
smile in his mother’s direction.

  “You should tell a person.” She slugged him.

  I laughed. “We didn’t want anyone to know . . . except Rex, of course. And Grandma. But she thought it was real all along, so it just made sense.” I caught a glimpse of my grandmother forging her way through the throng of people, dressed in that gorgeous soft blue dress. She looked like an angel. Oh, and the joy I saw in her eyes. I’d never seen her in such a blissful state.

  Athena drew closer. “Kat?”

  “Yes?” I tried not to smile.

  “Did you neglect to tell me something?”

  “I’m . . . I’m married?”

  “Got that.” She paused. “So, let me get this straight. You replaced the actor with your real pastor.”

  “Yep.”

  “And he gave you real vows to repeat.”

  “Yep.”

  “You skipped everything we wrote for you, walked up the aisle, and got married. Just like that.”

  “Just like that.” I grinned. “Are you mad at me, Athena? We didn’t exactly follow your script.”

  “Follow my script?” She looked at it then tossed it into the air, and it landed on the edge of the stage. “Are you serious? You got me, Kat. You really, truly got me. And I’m not easy to get. Oh, but I’m mad at you.” She began to fume. “I always counted on being a bridesmaid at your wedding.”

  I shrugged. “Sorry about that. But when you find Mr. Right, I’ll definitely stand up for you.”

  “Like I would ever find Mr. Right in this crazy world I exist in.”

  I gave her a knowing smile. “Don’t be so quick to ignore the possibilities. Someone very wise once told me that the next scene of my life could very well be a mountaintop instead of a valley. Remember all of that?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Maybe you should have been preaching to yourself.”

  She groaned. “Whatever. But in the meantime, what happens next?”

  “Hey, you’re the scriptwriter. You tell me.”

  “Are you kidding?” She laughed. “I can’t keep up with you.”

  “I’ll tell you what’s next,” Scott said with a twinkle in his eyes. “We film the scene again, this time as Jack and Angie. And when we wrap up, you’re all coming to the reception.”

  “Dressed like this?” She gestured to her jeans and T-shirt.

  “See Jana in wardrobe. She’ll find something great for you.” I gave her a wink. “I told her to have several things ready, just in case.”

  “Ooh, that sounds like fun.” She paused then gave me an inquisitive look. “Just one more question.”

  “What?”

  “Do you two actually have a marriage license? I mean, is this marriage legit, or was it just some random thing you did for fun?”

  “Got it,” Pastor Garrett said, approaching with the paper in his hand. “Signed, sealed, and delivered.” He gave it to Scott, who raised it into the air with a triumphant shout.

  “We went to the courthouse several days ago,” I added.

  “How you kept the paparazzi from finding out is a miracle.” Athena shook her head.

  “Speaking of paparazzi . . .” I looked over at James Stevens, who had managed to sneak in a camera. “We knew he was coming, right?”

  “Sure.” Scott laughed. “But hey, we didn’t get to hire a wedding photographer, so Rex gave him permission to take several shots during the filming. At least we’ll have his photos to remind us of our big day.”

  “I don’t think I’ll forget it anytime soon,” I said, giving Scott a peck on the cheek. “This was truly the best day of my life. So far, anyway.”

  “Okay, one other question,” Athena asked. “Why did you film the real wedding first? I would think you’d do it the other way around.”

  “Because, goofy girl, you wrote in all sorts of antics for me. I’ve got to trip up the aisle and generally make a mess of things. I might ruin my dress. Didn’t want the real wedding to be ruined, so it had to come first.”

  “Good point.” She grinned. “Now, get back out there and do as you’re told, young lady. Stick to the script this time.”

  “Yes, ma’am.” I saluted her then took my place, ready to film the scene once again, this time for our television viewing audience.

  Tia gave the signal for the studio audience members to take their seats, and we were off and running . . . all over again. I sensed a new excitement in the crowd. Surely they wondered if the second ceremony would be as delightful as the first. We wouldn’t disappoint.

  This time I stumble-bumbled my way down the aisle, tripping over the flower girl basket and filling the scene with goofy, Angie-like antics. Perfect comedic timing, if I did say so myself. As I approached the front of the church, I tumbled squarely into Scott’s—er, Jack’s—arms.

  He looked down and, with a Bogart-esque accent, said, “Here’s looking at you, kid.”

  The audience members laughed, of course. And all the more as the camera panned in on my face, showing the missing eyelash stuck to my cheek. Jack plucked it off and stuck it on his upper lip as a mustache, which caused the children to roar with laughter.

  Yep. Jack and Angie couldn’t even get married without chaos attached.

  Thank goodness they were fictional characters.

  Still, I knew when to stick with the script and when to venture off on my own. This time I’d do things Athena’s way. But outside the studio, it was God’s script all the way. No doubt about it. For something as big as real life, only the ultimate writer would do.

  24

  Your Show of Shows

  According to the script Athena planned to write to kick off season four, Jack and Angie would fly off to a thatched hut in the Amazon for their honeymoon. Wonder where she got that idea?

  Scott and I actually flew to Acapulco for two glorious nights, returning just in time for the fund-raiser on Sunday afternoon. Our time together in the tropics was short but oh so sweet. Waiting for my real-life hero had been worth it in every sense of the word. Needless to say, we didn’t see much of the beach. With only forty-eight hours to honeymoon, it hardly seemed logical. However, we heard the weather outside was lovely. Perhaps when we revisited in a few months, we could find out firsthand.

  With the wedding happening so quickly, we’d left many unanswered questions back in L.A. Like where we planned to live, for instance. Every time I thought about leaving Grandma alone in that big, rambling house, a shiver went up my spine. Sure, Carolina would be there, but if the house lost its usual rhythm and flow, would it affect my grandmother’s memory even more? Scott and I had discussed the issue at length but still hadn’t settled on a plan.

  On Sunday afternoon, we arrived at the church at 1:30, just an hour before the fund-raiser was set to begin. Grandma met me in the fellowship hall. She wanted details about my honeymoon, but they were slow in coming. Some things were just better left unspoken. I gave her a girlish grin and told her we’d had a grand time, emphasis on grand. She giggled in response.

  “Come with me, honey,” Grandma said when I finished. “I want to show you all of the items people have donated for the silent auction. I think we’re going to make a lot of money for the orphanage.”

  She pointed out a few things that took me by surprise. A basketball signed by Kobe Bryant. A playbill signed by Angela Lansbury. A pair of Fermani boots with a handwritten note from the designers. These and several other things caught my eye. Looked like many of the people Scott had approached had actually come through for him. What a blessing.

  Finally we arrived at a dress that looked oddly familiar. Soft pink. Simple. I remembered it from the picture hanging in the great room. Still, I couldn’t believe Grandma would let it go.

  “This was mine,” she whispered. “I wore it in It Had to Be You.”

  “Grandma, you’re auctioning it off?”

  She nodded. “The past is in the past, KK. I’ve lingered there too long.”

  Rex drew near. “You know what the great John
Wayne said, don’t you?”

  “What’s that?’ I asked.

  “He said, ‘Tomorrow is the most important thing in life. Comes into us at midnight very clean. It’s perfect when it arrives and it puts itself in our hands. It hopes we’ve learned something from yesterday.’ ”

  “Wow. When did you become so philosophical?” I asked.

  He smiled. “These last couple of weeks have turned me into a poet.”

  “Me too,” Grandma said with a wistful look in her eye. “And you know what I’ve decided?”

  “What?” I asked.

  “Memories are lovely things. They can sweep us away to a happier time.” She turned to look at Rex, who pulled her close. “But you know what? I think it’s about time I make some new memories. What do you think of that idea, Rex? Would you like to make a proper lady out of me?”

  “Lenora, are you saying what I think you’re saying?” Rex whispered.

  She nodded, and he gave her a kiss so tempestuous that I had to turn away. Thank goodness we were alone. Well, except for the woman working on a table on the far side of the room. Even she looked a bit taken aback.

  Rex released his hold on her and turned to me with a smile. “What you don’t know, Kat, is that I proposed to your grandmother while you were away. She wouldn’t give me a firm answer.”

  “Hard for such a saggy old lady to give such a handsome fellow a firm answer,” she responded, still sounding a little breathless.

  We all laughed at that one.

  “So I’ll take that as a yes,” Rex said.

  When Grandma nodded, he tipped her backward and gave her another dramatic kiss. It rivaled any I’d seen in the old movies. I was pretty sure I heard the angels singing overhead. I, for one, offered up a triumphant shout of praise. Finally!

  “I let you get away once, Rex Henderson,” Grandma whispered as he lifted her up. “I’m not going to let that happen again. If . . . if you’ll have me, I mean.”

  “If I’ll have you?” His face lit into a smile. “I’ve waited over fifty years for you, Lenora Worth.”

  “You two were meant to be,” I whispered. “Oh, this is the perfect ending.”