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“Logan is so against my past acting career and I didn’t want to do anything to jeopardize our relationship. But today he was behaving like there’s nothing going on with us. I’m starting to think I made up our connection because I’m crazy about him.” Admitting her deep feelings wasn’t something that came easily to Scarlett, but time spent with her sisters had eroded the walls she kept up to guard against disappointment and hurt.
“You are?” Violet looked surprised. “How crazy?”
“The kind that’s going to end up with my heart broken.” Being able to share her concerns with Harper and Violet gave Scarlett a sense of relief. “Maybe I should go back to L.A. and take up my career again.”
“We’d miss you,” Violet told her.
“We would.”
Scarlett’s eyes burned. “Thanks.”
“I’ll bet Logan would miss you, too,” Violet said, her hazel eyes sparkling. “Maybe he’s pushing you away because he’s afraid it will hurt too much to lose you.”
That sounded sweet to Scarlett’s ears, but she wasn’t susceptible to romance the way Violet was. In fact, until Logan came along, she’d interacted with men with an eye toward what they could do for her.
“Logan Wolfe isn’t afraid of anything,” Scarlett declared. “Least of all losing me.”
“Everyone’s afraid of something,” Harper said in an unusual display of insight. “You’ll just have to figure out if he’s more afraid of keeping you around or letting you go.”
Nine
Logan paced his living room, aware that he resembled a grumpy, caged bear. He squinted against the sunlight streaming in his large picture window, but Scarlett’s flashy red convertible was not streaking up his driveway. For the tenth time in half an hour he glanced at his watch. Not surprisingly, the hands hadn’t crept forward more than a couple minutes. It was 12:23 p.m. and Madison should have been home from her birthday party almost two hours ago.
If something happened to her...
A car was moving through the vegetation that lined the driveway, but it wasn’t Scarlett’s. As the vehicle drew closer, Logan spied his niece in the passenger seat and recognized Scarlett’s assistant as the driver. Annoyed by the change in plans, Logan strode through the front door and went to meet the car.
“Hey, Uncle Logan.” Madison exited the car, her overnight bag slung over her shoulder, and waved at the driver. She stretched and yawned with dramatic flair as she neared him. “What a birthday party. That was the most fun I’ve ever had.” Lifting up on tiptoe, she kissed his cheek. “Thanks again for letting Scarlett plan the party.”
“Where is she? She was supposed to drive you home.”
His sharp tone caused Madison’s eyes to widen. “She had a meeting with Bobby and Chase, so she had Sandy bring me home. You can’t disapprove of Sandy, Uncle Logan. She’s thirty-five, never had a ticket. She drove the speed limit the whole way here.”
Ignoring Madison’s sass, Logan focused on what was really bothering him.
“So it’s Bobby and Chase, now, is it?” he demanded, his temper getting the better of him. “When did you get so cozy with them?”
He knew better than to take his frustration out on his niece. It was Scarlett who’d stirred up his ire. Scarlett who was hell-bent on returning to L.A. and her acting career.
Or maybe he was mad at himself for encouraging her to do so.
“I’m not cozy with them,” Madison retorted. “They were just being nice. Bobby gave me his card and Chase told me to look him up when I get to L.A.”
Logan’s focus sharpened. “What do you mean, when you get to L.A.? You’re heading to college this fall.”
Madison tossed her hair in a perfect imitation of Scarlett at her most exasperating. In fact, now that he thought about it, Madison had adopted several mannerisms from the actress. How had he not noticed the metamorphosis before this? His niece admired everything about Scarlett, why wouldn’t she think it was a good idea to behave like her?
“I know my parents sent me here so you could work on me about college, and heaven knows that’s a drum Scarlett has beaten to death, but I really think my path lies in Hollywood.” She rested her hand on her hip and tilted her chin. “And I’m eighteen now. I can do whatever I want.”
Logan ground his teeth and regarded Madison in silence. This wasn’t the tune she’d been singing yesterday morning. She’d been debating two of the schools she’d gotten into, trying to decide which way to go.
“You might be eighteen, but you’ve never been on your own without your parents’ money before.”
“I’ll get a job waiting tables or something and support myself until I get an acting job.”
Logan was beset by visions of his niece all alone and at the mercy of a string of people with bad intentions who would use Madison up and spit her out. “Do you really think it will be that easy?” How had weeks of good advice been erased in one short night? “And where are you going to live?”
“I can stay with Scarlett.”
