Love, Again, page 17
“If I go with Aubrey, Dad would be alone with the farm,” I murmured. His happiness was going to depend on Aubrey’s decision.
Bennett nodded. “And I can’t let that happen. We both can’t leave Dad to deal with the farm.”
I could feel his pain, and see it all across his face. Placing a hand on his shoulder, I squeezed reassuringly. “We’re going to work this out. I don’t want you making the same mistake I did. If being with Emilia is what you want, we’ll make it happen.”
All we had to do was hire someone to help out on the farm. It could be done, and I sure as hell was going to make sure my brother got his happiness too.
Chapter 26
Aubrey
I could barely move. Thanksgiving at Cole’s parents’ house brought back so many memories. His whole family was there, including his aunts, uncles, and cousins. It was as if nothing had changed over the years. We all talked and had a good time like we always did on the holidays. This year, however, we added to those wonderful memories. Cole and I announced to everyone that we were getting married, in a month no less. His mother was all ready to help me plan. The only problem was finding a place to have the ceremony on Christmas day.
Cole set another piece of wood in the fire pit and stepped back. “You warm enough, sunshine?”
The night was chilly, but I was stuffed from all the food. We couldn’t have asked for a better night. “I’m good,” I replied, tucking my arms in close to my body.
Cole’s gaze narrowed, and he smiled. “I’ll go in and get you a blanket. Maybe some hot chocolate too?” I’d gotten used to his shaggy, light brown hair. A part of me hoped he let it grow out for a while. It reminded me of our island days in Turks and Caicos.
I nodded excitedly. Even though I was full, I couldn’t turn down a mug of hot chocolate. “I’m down for that.”
He kissed the top of my head and disappeared inside. Knowing he was going to be detained for a few minutes, I pulled out my phone. Vance had left me a message to call him any day, even if it was Thanksgiving, to give him my answer. I hated giving him the news I wouldn’t be working with him on the movie, but I knew it had to be done.
The phone rang and rang, so I was about to hang up when Vance’s voice came over the line. “Happy Thanksgiving, Ms. Reynolds,” he answered.
“Hi, Vance. Happy Thanksgiving to you too.”
“I’m assuming you’re calling to give me your answer?”
With a heavy sigh, I closed my eyes. “I am.”
He chuckled. “Why am I not liking the sound of that?”
“I’m sorry, Vance. You know I want to direct the movie with you, but I have other things I need to be doing right now. I’m actually getting married next month.”
“What?” he said, choking on whatever he was eating. “Why don’t I know anything about this? Surely it would’ve already been in the tabloids.”
“Not yet,” I replied, laughing. “It might be once Emilia spreads it on her social media. She’s going to be my maid of honor.”
“Well, I’ll be damned. Congratulations. Is it someone I know?”
“Not at all. He’s my high school sweetheart. We got back together a couple of months ago. We were actually supposed to get married back in the day, but I left him to go to Hollywood.”
“Wow,” he gasped, sounding mesmerized. “Sounds like some good stuff. Might want to turn that into a movie one day.” I’d already thought about that. Vance blew out a hard breath. “Are you sure I can’t convince you to come back? What if we triple your pay?”
That amount of money would be obscene. It still wasn’t enough to tempt me to leave Oklahoma. “I appreciate the offer, Vance, I really do. For now, I need to concentrate on my life.”
He huffed, and I could hear the disappointment in his tone. “I understand. I’ve already called Emilia and left her a message. We’ll be needing her in California at the beginning of next week.”
“I’ll relay the message. She’s staying at my house.”
We said our goodbyes and I hung up just as Cole walked out of the house with a blanket draped over his shoulder and two mugs of steaming hot chocolate. “Who were you talking to?” he asked curiously.
Shaking with excitement, I pulled the blanket off his shoulder and grabbed one of the cups of cocoa. “Once you sit down, I’ll tell you.”
He sat across from me, the fire casting shadows across his face. I couldn’t wait to tell him the good news. “I was talking to Vance McMahon, the producer,” I said.
His eyes widened. “Oh.” Then he took a sip of his cocoa, his expression guarded. No matter how many times he assured me he’d go to the ends of the world to be with me, I knew he didn’t want to leave Oklahoma. This was where we both belonged. “What did you tell him?” he asked, his voice low.
Setting my cup down, I reached over and held his hands. “I told him that I’m turning down the offer.”
He froze and stared at me. “Why? Please don’t say it’s because of me. I told you I’ll follow you anywhere.”
“No.” I laughed, moving closer to him. “I turned it down because there are other things I want to do. Things I haven’t told you about.”
Gaze narrowed, he cocked his head to the side. “Such as?”
Butterflies fluttered in my stomach. I wanted to scream I was so elated. “Remember that one book I read while we were gone?”
“Yeah,” he replied, still staring curiously at me. “You read it probably three times. I figured it was just your favorite.”
I nodded happily. “Not only that, but I want to see it on the big screen. I know just how to do it too.”
His lips pulled back, but he still looked unsure. “How?”
Squealing, I squeezed his hands. “By doing it all myself, right here in Oklahoma. I have it all figured out. You can be fire chief at the station, and I’ll direct movies locally. It’s a win-win.” The shock on his face made me burst out with laughter. “Say something.”
Breathing a sigh of relief, he pulled me into his arms. “Holy shit, sunshine. I was not expecting you to say this.”
“You were expecting me to take the job, weren’t you?”
Reluctantly, he released his hold on me and nodded. “I thought it was what you wanted.”
I looked into his eyes. “I want you, Cole, but I want us both to have the other things we want as well….”
“How do you plan on directing movies on your own? Won’t you need a film crew and actors?”
I couldn’t help but smile. “You might not know this, but I have connections. I’m kind of a big deal in Hollywood.”
Bursting out with laughter, he tapped my chin. “Oh, I know that, sunshine. I’m getting ready to marry Hollywood royalty.”
“And don’t you forget it,” I replied with a wink. “Granted, it might take a lot of work to get started, but I figured I have plenty of time.” Wrapping my arms around his neck, I pulled him closer to my lips. “I kind of want to enjoy being married to you for a while before I start a new adventure.”
Closing the distance, he pressed his lips to mine. “I can live with that.” He kissed me again, but then backed up quickly. “I need to call Bennett. He’ll want to hear this.”
“What do you think he’ll do?” I asked. Emilia had told me she’d asked Bennett to come with her while the new movie was being filmed, but she said he hadn’t given her an answer.
Cole grinned wide and pulled out his phone. “Oh, he wants to go. He just didn’t want to leave Dad with the farm if I was gone too.”
Hearing that only made my decision that much better. It was meant for us to stay. “Go,” I said, waving him off. “Go tell him. I have one more phone call I want to make.”
Cole hurried off, looking as happy as could be. I hoped I was about to make someone ecstatic as well. The last time I saw her was when I was in St. Louis at that huge book signing. I pulled out her card from my back pocket and typed in her phone number. It probably wasn’t the best idea to call on Thanksgiving, but I didn’t want to wait. I was ready to get this new adventure of mine started.
As luck would have it, she answered. “Hello?”
“Hi. Is this Annalisa Grant?” I asked, just to make sure. It’d been a few months since I talked to her. We got along great at the event. That was how I knew it’d be easy to work with her.
“Yes. I’m Annalisa,” she said, sounding unsure. She probably thought I was a telemarketer.
“I’m Aubrey Reynolds. I don’t know if you remember me or not, but we met in St. Louis.”
“Oh my God,” she gasped. “How could I forget meeting a famous Hollywood director? Yes, of course I remember you.”
She giggled nervously and it made me laugh. “Glad to hear it. I’m sorry for calling you on Thanksgiving Day. I know you’re probably busy with your family.”
She snorted. “Please. You can call me any day, any hour. My family’s not going to believe I’m talking to you.”
“Well…they’ll have to believe it after I tell you what’s on my mind. I’m hoping you’ll accept. It’ll be a new adventure for us both.”
Her breath hitched. “I am so nervous right now. I’m literally on the edge of my seat.”
I could hear her family in the background, asking her what was going on. I laughed again. “As you already know, I bought some of your books at Penned Con. I absolutely fell in love with As I Am. I think it’ll make a wonderful movie.”
“Get out of here! Are you kidding me right now?” she shouted, her voice shaky with emotions.
“Perfectly serious, Annalisa. It’s an inspiring story. I was hoping after the first of the year, I could convince you to come out to Oklahoma for a few weeks and we could work on the screenplay together.”
“Yes,” she screamed while laughing and crying at the same time. “Oh my God, yes. Of course, I accept.” Her family was going crazy in the background, asking her what was going on. She quickly told them everything, and it brought tears to my eyes, especially when she told her parents. They were beyond happy for her. I’d have given anything for my parents to see what all I’d accomplished. Annalisa was in full-blown crying mode now. “Thank you so much, Ms. Reynolds. You have no idea how much this means to me.”
“You’re welcome. And please call me Aubrey. I know there’s a lot we have to discuss, but it can wait until after the holidays. Today is all about family. We’ll keep in touch until it’s time to get down to business. If you need me, feel free to call this number; it’s my personal cell.”
She sniffled. “Thank you. It all sounds too good to be true. This has been a dream of mine for years.”
“Dreams do come true,” I assured her. “I started off as a dental assistant, and now I’m a movie director. You just can’t be afraid to take a chance.”
“Trust me, I’m not. Thank you for making this Thanksgiving one I won’t forget.”
“You’re so welcome. We’ll talk soon.”
We hung up just as Cole made his way back outside with a big smile on his face. “I take it Bennett took the news well.”
He sat down on the lounge chair and grabbed my hands to pull me over with him. “We made his night.”
I snuggled against his chest. “That makes two people. I called the author of that book I love. She was ecstatic when I told her the news.”
Cole wrapped his arms around my body. “I’d say it’s been a good day.”
Closing my eyes, I breathed him in. “It has. For the first time, it feels like everything’s going in the right direction.”
And just then, I felt a certain appendage rising in an upward direction against my back. I giggled, and Cole’s chest vibrated with his deep laugh. He leaned down to my ear and nipped it. “Things are definitely going in the right direction…literally. How about we celebrate this amazing Thanksgiving in the bedroom? I can show you what I’m thankful for.”
It’d be the perfect ending to the perfect day. I slid off the chair and held out my hand. “Lead the way.”
Chapter 27
Aubrey
“Wake up, sunshine. Breakfast is ready,” Cole shouted from downstairs.
I looked over at the clock and groaned. It was pushing nine o’clock, and it felt like I’d barely slept. I was exhausted…and nauseous. I threw on my pajama pants and slowly made my way downstairs.
Cole looked up at me as he finished the eggs and did a double take. “Rough night?” he asked.
I grabbed the orange juice and a glass, and sat down at the table. “Actually, I am quite sore in a certain place.”
Cole tried to hide his smile and failed. “Sorry, babe. Guess I got a little too wild last night.”
I waved him off. “Hey, it was all good. I thoroughly enjoyed it.” I poured some orange juice and guzzled it down. Cole fixed me a plate of eggs and bacon, and when he set it down in front of me, a wave of nausea hit me. Slapping a hand over my mouth, I raced to the closest bathroom. I dropped to my knees and threw up every ounce of orange juice I just drank.
Cole rushed in and held my hair back. “You don’t think you’re getting the flu, do you?” I flushed the toilet, and he let my hair go to check my forehead. “You don’t feel hot.”
I shook my head. “I don’t have body aches either.”
He sat down on the floor with me, his face serious. “Do you think you could be pregnant?”
With having the IUD, chances were slim. Then again, my body hadn’t felt right in a few weeks. I just didn’t give it much thought until now. Could I really be pregnant? My jeans had gotten a little snug on me. I figured it was from all the food we ate in Turks and Caicos.
“Not likely,” I said. There was really no way to tell, since I didn’t have a regular period because of the IUD.
Sighing, Cole grabbed my hands and helped me up. “I’m going to run to the store and get something for your nausea, and some cold medicine just in case you’re coming down with something.”
He kissed the top of my head and hurried out of the house. It wasn’t safe to be pregnant with an IUD. There were too many things that could go wrong. The chances of miscarriage and other complications rose greatly. On the other hand, having a baby with Cole would be a dream come true, but it’d break my heart if something happened to it. After I rinsed out my mouth, I went back to the kitchen and grabbed a bottle of water from the refrigerator.
I couldn’t seem to come up with any logical explanation. It was flu season, so it could easily be the beginning of that. However, my intuition pointed toward the other situation. Even if I wasn’t pregnant, it was probably about time I got the IUD taken out anyway. Cole and I had always wanted kids together.
My phone started to ring, but it was all the way in the bedroom. I ran upstairs and saw Emilia’s name on the screen. “Hey,” I answered.
“Hey,” she replied, sounding happy. “I didn’t get a chance to talk to you last night after Cole called Bennett. He’s so excited to come with me to California.”
That made me smile. “I’m glad. He’ll love it out there.”
She sighed. “I hope so. I really want this to work out.”
I started to feel dizzy, so I lay down on the bed. “It will, Em. Bennett loves you.”
“And I love him,” she said. “I’ve never been in love like this.”
“Those Haywood men know how to steal hearts.”
She giggled. “That’s for damn sure. I have a question though….What are you going to do with your house now that you’re pretty much staying at Cole’s? When Bennett and I come back, I’m pretty sure we’ll stay at his place while I’m in between films.”
My house meant a lot to me. “I plan on keeping it. It’ll be a good place for clients when I start directing again. It just so happens the author of that book I love is interested in making it a movie.” I planned on Annalisa staying at my house while we worked on the screenplay. It was the perfect place for inspiration.
“That’s amazing,” Emilia gushed. “I knew she wouldn’t turn you down. Somebody would have to be a real dumbass to do that.”
When I didn’t reply, I could hear the concern in her tone. “Aubrey, are you okay? You don’t sound right.”
I closed my eyes and drew in a slow breath. “Been really nauseous this morning.”
She gasped. “Holy shit, are you pregnant?”
I got up and went straight to the bathroom. Lifting up my shirt, I looked down at my waist. There was a slight difference. “Oh my God, I think I might be.”
Emilia squealed. “That’s so damn awesome. I’m going to be Auntie Emilia.”
My eyes burned so I squeezed them harder. “I don’t know for sure yet. If I am, we have a problem.”
“And that would be? Does Cole not want kids?” she asked.
“Oh, he definitely wants kids.” I wiped my tears away. “The problem is that I have an IUD. They’re going to have to take it out. When they do that, it could easily cause a miscarriage, and if they leave it in, the chances of miscarriage increases.”
A sad sigh echoed through the phone. “What the hell. I’m so sorry, Aubrey. Is there anything I can do?”
The front door slammed, and I heard Cole’s footsteps pound on the floor. “No,” I replied, trying not to cry. “Thank you though. I’ll let you know what’s going on later. Cole just got back.”
“All right. Take care, girlie. I’m here for you.”
