She stared at Brenna, her mind racing with thoughts. So. Many. Thoughts. “Yeah, that’s under consideration.”

  Brenna shook her head and started to wander off. “Girl, get on that man ASAP, ’kay?”

  Mae laughed as she made her way back to the house. She looked at her phone, realizing it was time to get ready for her date with Kane.

  And now all she could think about was expectations. Which was kind of unexpected because she was always so laid back about dating. Ever since Isaac, she’d taken dating as fun and frivolous. Catch and release was her motto. And Kane was the perfect man for that.

  So why was she suddenly so damn nervous? She needed to get her shit together, because if nothing else, she’d get a nice dinner.

  As far as expectations, she had none. She reminded herself of that as she picked out what she was going to wear.

  She decided on a warm nicely burnished caramel cotton dress since the nights were cool, then put on her ankle boots. She brushed out her hair and pulled it into a high ponytail, then added a long necklace and earrings.

  She answered the knock at her bedroom door to find Honor standing there.

  “You haven’t had sex with him yet?”

  She rolled her eyes. “Brenna told you that?”

  Honor walked in and sat on the bed. “Of course she did. You know we don’t keep things to ourselves. Well, at least Brenna doesn’t. Erin doesn’t, either. I’m a vault, though, so spill.”

  “Nothing to spill, obviously, since there’s been no sex.”

  “How come? Knowing your propensity for loving and leaving, I’d have thought you’d have tried out the goods on the first day.”

  She shrugged. “I don’t know. Because he’s not someone I can have sex with and then dump. He’s going to be here a while, you know?”

  “You’ve been thinking about this,” Honor said, cocking her head to the side. “Debating the pros and cons.”

  “I very rarely debate sex. I’m either in or out.” She thought about it for a few seconds, then said, “But, yeah. This one? I’ve been debating.”

  “So he’s different from all the other guys.”

  She shrugged. “There haven’t been that many guys.”

  Honor shot her a look. “Honey. Since Isaac, you’ve gone through so many men we’ve all lost count.”

  “I wasn’t aware you were all counting. And I don’t have sex with every guy I go out with.”

  “Just a figure of speech. Of course we weren’t counting. But seriously, there’ve been a lot. Which just means you’ve been having fun. Nothing serious, right? That’s your motto.”

  “Yes, it is.”

  “And who cares how many men you have sex with? That’s your business. As far as Kane?” She blew out a breath. “So hot. Definitely add him to the who’s-counting list. Or no-one’s-counting. Whatever you call it. Won’t that be fun?”

  She wasn’t certain. “Absolutely. I’ll get right on that.”

  Honor pursed her lips, giving her a thoughtful look. “Now you’re mad. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to imply anything. I was actually kind of jealous you were having so much fun. You’re so free and open to possibilities in ways I never could have been. I don’t want you to lose who you are. Not for any man ever again.”

  Tears filled her eyes. “Thank you, Honor.”

  Honor, her eyes teary as well, stood. “Well. I hadn’t expected this conversation to turn emotional. So I’m going to leave and you’re going to go have some fun tonight, got it?”

  Shaking off the emotion, Mae nodded. “Got it.”

  After Honor left the room, Mae stared at her reflection in the mirror.

  She looked good. Damn good. Except for one thing.

  She took her hair out of the ponytail, brushed it out until it was flowing and glossy, then looked again.

  Yes. Much better. Before, she looked cute. Now, though? Hot. Definitely hot. And she was in the mood for hot.

  Now she was ready for tonight.

  Chapter

  twelve

  Kane stood at Mae’s front door—or the Bellinis’ front door—suddenly nervous to ring the bell.

  This was a date. Not a hookup, not meeting at a bar or someplace neutral. He knew the Bellinis weren’t Mae’s parents. Hell, he didn’t even know anything about her parents. There was so much more he wanted to know about her.

  Like, everything.

  The door opened and Mae stared at him.

  “Are you planning to stand out here all night or were you going to knock?”

  “Sorry. I was thinking.”

  She arched a brow. “Change your mind?”

  “About dinner? Hell no.”

  “Great. Let’s go.” She grabbed her bag off the table and he stepped aside so she could walk out the door. She pulled it shut behind her.

  “I was going to say hello to the Bellinis.”

  “They’re not here.”

  “Oh. Okay.”

  He led her out to his rental and held the door for her. He programmed the restaurant’s address into the GPS and they headed out.

  “Tell me about your family,” he said as he pulled out onto the main road.

  “Oh. Well. Not much to tell. My father died when I was little and my mother and I are no longer close.”

  “I’m sorry. You don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to.”

  “No, it’s fine. My mom was very close with my ex-fiancé. When I broke up with him, she was angry with me.”

  He turned onto the highway, merging with traffic. “Why would she be mad about that? Isn’t that your decision to make?”

  “I think it was more about the lifestyle he could afford me. He came from money and we don’t, so my mother thought I should overlook Isaac’s infidelity and move forward with the wedding. She knew how much he had hurt me, but for some reason she didn’t care.”

  “The idea of the money and the lifestyle was more important to her than your heartbreak.”

  She nodded. “That’s something I can’t ever forgive.”

  “Don’t blame you for that.” He couldn’t imagine finding out your fiancé cheated, calling off a wedding and then having your mother against you as well. “That must have been devastating for you.”

  “It wasn’t a fun time. Anyway, after I realized my mother would take the side of the man who cheated on me rather than see how much he hurt me, that she valued financial security over the feelings of her own daughter…well, that was the end of our relationship.”

  Kane blew out a breath. “I’m sorry.”

  “Thanks. Me, too. But I’m over it now.”

  He didn’t think a person could ever get past a betrayal like that. First by her fiancé, then by her mother. Two people who were supposed to love her. Damn.

  He was sorry he’d brought up the subject of family. He was going to have to try to make this night fun for her, to hopefully take the sorrow away.

  “Anyway,” she said. “Tell me about your family. You’ve talked about your grandpa and the ranch. How about your parents?”

  “They’re fairly normal. Dad worked the ranch when he was a kid, then he went to college and now he works in financial services and Mom’s in tech.”

  “Really.”

  “Yeah. They’re both busy, dedicated people who love their jobs.”

  “And how do they feel about you being an actor?”

  “They said as long as I’m happy doing what I do, then they’re happy for me. But they don’t pay a lot of attention to it, honestly. They kind of live in their own world, ya know? Sometimes it’s hard to get them to even answer the phone when I call them. At least recently.”

  She frowned. “Is everything okay?”

  “I don’t know. I mean, I’m sure it is. For all I know they’re on a cruise and don’t have cell service. It’s just…well, nothing.”

  “No, go on. Tell me.”

  “I don’t know. It’s a gut feeling that something’s wrong?”

  “Have they told you something?”

  “No. That’s the issue. They haven’t said anything. I can barely get them to talk to me.”

  “I’m sorry. That must be frustrating.”

  “Yeah. Kind of. But like I said, they’re both very independent and our lives are very separate. Which is okay. I don’t need to know everything going on in their lives. Just like they don’t need to know everything about mine.”

  “That’s probably a good thing for them, not to be so invested in what you do.”

  He almost sighed in relief when she didn’t push about the “problem” part he’d brought up about his parents. He didn’t even know why he’d said anything, other than because Mae was easy to talk to.

  “I think so. They celebrate my successes but otherwise they’re totally removed from this crazy business. I invite them to all my premieres and they’ve been to a couple, though they mostly save their vacation time for trips abroad.”

  “Does it bother you that they don’t come to see your movies?”

  “Nah. They see the movies, just on their own timetable. The glitz of premieres isn’t their thing.”

  “I can understand that.”

  He pulled into the parking lot of the restaurant. He’d chosen this place because it looked like a fun location to walk around after dinner. There were several restaurants, walking paths, even a pumpkin patch since it was nearly Halloween, and there was a pond with lights and waterspouts. Plus, he liked the ambience of the restaurant and the menu looked amazing.

  They walked in and he gave his name. Not his real name, but a made-up one. Fortunately, it was dark inside and crowded and the hostess was busy so didn’t pay them any attention as she led them to a table near the back of the restaurant, just as he’d asked. She handed them menus and promptly disappeared.

  “Perfect spot for dinner,” Mae said.

  “It looked good. Have you eaten here before?”

  “I have, but it’s been a while. I think you’ll like it.”

  He studied the drink menu. “Would you like some wine?”

  She studied the menu thoughtfully. “You know, I think I’ll have a cocktail tonight.”

  “Okay, sure.”

  When their server returned, he ordered a whiskey on the rocks and Mae ordered a flavored martini. She took a sip and he saw the delight on her face.

  “Yum.” She held up the glass. “Want a taste?”

  He shook his head. “All for you.”

  “Fine, then.” She took another sip, then studied the menu. “The salmon looks good to me. How about you?”

  “Steak, of course.”

  “Of course.” She laid her menu to the side and took another sip of her cocktail. “How did filming go today?”

  “It went fine. Not as much fun without you.”

  She laughed. “You mean without your real leading lady.”

  “Everly’s fun, for sure. We’ve worked a lot together, came up in the business about the same time, so we shared similar trials.”

  “How did you end up a big movie star, anyway?”

  “I took a liking to drama in middle school, which surprised the hell out of me, since I was a big jock who thought sports were my future. I did all the plays in high school, and got noticed by a talent agent who got me a small part in a TV movie. I guess I did well, because I got booked on a series. After that, I moved to L.A. and got a few roles here and there while I went to college, working some side jobs in between gigs. Then I got a part in a movie, then another movie, and my career just took off.”

  “Huh. It’s like it was meant to be.” Their server had brought warm bread, so Kane sliced pieces for both of them, sliding one onto her plate. She grabbed a pat of butter and slathered it onto her bread, taking a big bite.

  “You like food,” he said.

  “No, I love food.”

  “Yeah, me, too. It’s refreshing to be out to dinner with a woman who likes to eat.”

  She waved her bread at him. “I’m not even going to ask.”

  “Best not to.”

  She smiled. “No worries here. I eat all the time. I like all food. There’s nothing I won’t eat, and if I haven’t eaten it before, I’ll try it at least once.”

  “That sounds promising. We’ll have to explore more food.”

  “Sounds fun.”

  Their food was great and they talked through the whole meal without any awkward silences. She talked about her education and friends she had growing up. She asked him all kinds of questions about himself and none of them were movie related, which was refreshing. That didn’t happen all that often when he was out on a date.

  After their plates were cleared away, Kane ordered coffee and Mae wanted a cappuccino.

  “Are you sure you don’t want cheesecake?” Kane asked.

  “I do like food, but I have my limits, and the bread was very filling. I’m good, thanks.”

  “Okay.”

  He paid the bill and they stood. Mae started to put on her cardigan, so Kane stepped in to help.

  They walked outside and he breathed in the cool night air, took in the sounds of laughing kids, watching them run so freely. He wished he could remember that far back—how it felt to be that carefree. It was awesome to watch those kids.

  He took Mae’s hand and they walked the grounds, moving toward the pond where dancing spurts of water put on a light show.

  “Want to take me through the pumpkin maze?” she asked.

  “Are you sure we’ll make it out alive?”

  She snickered. “I don’t know. But if we get lost in there…”

  She let that thought trail off and smiled. He squeezed her hand. “Let’s take our chances.”

  They wandered in and he could tell right away that this had been set up for the kids. You could easily see where you were going and how to get out, but still, it was fun to walk through with Mae while littles zoomed past them. Hearing their giggles and squeals made Kane’s stomach tighten with a need for something he’d never felt until just now.

  “A lot of kids here,” he said.

  Her happy smile was infectious. “I know. Aren’t they great? Noisy and messy and running around squealing with joy.”

  “And you like that.”

  “Of course I do. Who wouldn’t? I mean, I guess if you don’t like kids it might bug you.” She paused, looking over at him. “Does it bug you?”

  “Hell no. I love kids.”

  She looped her arm in his. “Good to know our date can continue, then.”

  He laughed, realizing he felt more at ease with Mae than he had with anyone in recent memory.

  After winding their way out of the maze, they stopped in at a pizza place for glasses of iced tea, found a bench to sit and watch the kids play on the ropes and slides. He put his arm on the back of the bench and Mae leaned back as if instinctively searching for his touch. He didn’t want to presume, but he couldn’t help but reach out to play with a strand of her hair. Since she didn’t shrug him off—or punch him—he continued, letting his fingers wander over to her shoulder, keeping his touch light and easy, though the feelings that touching her evoked were anything but light.

  “Can I ask you a question?”

  She looked at him and nodded. “Of course.”

  “You mentioned in earlier conversation that marriage would be the last thing you wanted. I wondered why.”

  “Oh, that. I told you I was engaged once. It didn’t work out.”

  He took her hand in his and squeezed. “Right. You mentioned that when you talked about the falling-out with your mother, though you didn’t get into detail. Want to tell me about it?”

  “No.”

  “Okay.”

  They went silent then, so he resumed watching kids and parents chasing after kids.

  “He cheated on me,” she said, her voice a low whisper. “Repeatedly. Even after we were engaged.”

  He turned to look at her. “What? What kind of guy cheats on the woman he’s going to marry?”

  “A jerk. Asshole. Scum-sucking jackass. Reprehensible piece of shit. A lowlife loser with no sense of honor.”

  Impressed, he nodded. “You seem to have summed up his character well.”

  “Yeah, but what does that say about me? I didn’t see it coming.”

  “Maybe he didn’t let you see it. Some people are good at hiding who they really are.”

  “I don’t know.” She took a sip of her tea before continuing. “I should have seen it. As the wedding date drew closer, he was disappearing more and more, canceling out on more dates with me. He’s a musician, so I knew he was busy, and I thought he was just trying to fit in more bookings since we’d be taking off a couple weeks for the honeymoon.”

  “Wasn’t gigs, huh?”

  “Hell no. He was seeing another woman—multiple women, in fact. And when I found out and confronted him, he acted like it was no big deal. He told me he loved me and he was marrying me and I should be flattered. That he’d always be there for me, and I shouldn’t be upset about the small issue of him having a few, as he called them, fun pieces on the side.”

  Kane blinked. “Well, fuck that. And you didn’t kill him?”

  She laughed. “Surprisingly, no. But after I got over the cancellation of the wedding and the heartbreak, I did some digging and found out from former girlfriends that that was who he was. Who he always was. A serial cheater. And I never knew.”

  He rubbed her arm. “You know who really lost out on that relationship? He did. You didn’t lose anything other than some asshole who didn’t deserve you.”

  She nodded. “I know that now and believe me, I’m grateful I found out before the wedding. But seriously, what kind of person does that?”

  “I’m sorry to say that there are people out there who only think of themselves and their own version of happiness. I see plenty of it in my business. There are some people who buy into their star images and believe they’re deserving of being put on a pedestal, thinking that no matter what they do or who they hurt, they’re never in the wrong.”