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Chapter Twelve
Birch didn’t have any more time to get in an in-depth conversation with Allison as they both packed and quickly cleaned up what they could at the Jewels’ house. He knew the family would have a maid service come in but he appreciated that Allison hadn’t been raised to be waited on. They both worked together to straighten up and wipe down before loading the car and driving to the nearby Jackson Hole Airport.
There were so many things he wanted to say to and discuss with Allison, but she remained quiet on the drive and he took that as his cue. He couldn’t imagine how his life stories had sounded to her. He wished she’d just tell him that it was okay for them to date, but he thought she more likely would let him protect her and then go on her way. Why would she want to date someone with such inner turmoil? What kind of man was he if he could break a lifelong promise to his dead brother? What kind of an idiot was he if he could let Ally go?
They arrived at the airport and luckily they were directed away from the main terminal and the risk of being spotted again. Minutes after they arrived, Luke and Mar’s jet descended. Mar was a beauty with dark skin and hair and a bundle of energy. She hugged them both, her spicy perfume the perfect fit for her upbeat personality. She wanted to hear every detail of the stalker and how Allison hurt her shoulder, and hear it right this minute. Luke was more reserved and one of those guys who was obviously successful and powerful, but he had a welcoming smile and firm handshake and Birch felt instantly comfortable around him. He could easily see the resemblance to Isaac, especially the blue eyes and that both were men who understood responsibility and honor.
They settled into the comfortable recliners on the plane and Mar plied Allison with questions as they flew out over the dark mountain peaks of the Tetons. Birch was content to listen to Allison’s throaty, appealing voice and look over the notes Detective Jones had sent and the media articles speculating about him and Allison. He pushed their conversation and the road block in their relationship to the side, for the moment.
Allison was telling Mar what a hero Birch was and making him wish all over again that their relationship wasn’t in such limbo when he spotted something in one of the articles that bugged him.
He waited for a pause in their conversation, glancing over at Luke who was half-smiling to himself as he tapped away on his laptop. Birch thought the smile might be the guy making another million dollars, but was more likely the guy thought his wife was adorable and liked listening to her chat.
Finally, he cleared his throat and murmured, “Excuse me.”
The women both turned to him and Luke’s gaze darted up. He focused on Allison. “Are you competing for a role with Bermuda?”
Her eyebrows arched and he could read it all in her dark gaze. She knew Bermuda was the woman who had broken his heart, but that wasn’t what was important right now. “Yes,” she said, “but she and I are close friends and neither of us would begrudge the other getting the role.” Her eyes said she was worried about the role coming between them but she trusted Bermuda.
Close friends? Oh they were close friends, were they? His thoughts turned dark. Of course it made sense that Allison might know Bermuda but “close friends”? His stomach pitched and he wondered if it was Allison who might get stabbed in the back by trusting Bermuda or him for trusting Allison.
“I’ve been laying all the blame on my mother or sister but this also has Bermuda’s fickle fingertips on it,” he muttered.
“Excuse me?” Allison said while Mar’s expressive dark eyes widened and Luke’s distinctive Jewel blue eyes studied him.
Birch nodded as the pieces fit together. “Bermuda probably wanted to scare you away from accepting the role.” He tapped his phone on his leg. “Maybe she got info that you were going to be chosen over her.” The rest of the group was eyeing him uneasily, especially Allison. “It’s classic Bermuda, she has to be the top, win everything. You think she’s your friend, but she’ll backstab you faster than she gets her next lip injections.”
“I understand that Bermuda hurt you,” Allison said softly, “but that doesn’t mean that she would try to hurt me.”
“You don’t know her like I do,” Birch said.
“We went to Julliard together; she’s been my friend for years and helped me secure some of my earliest roles. She referred me to her agent who is one of the best out there.”
Birch guffawed harshly. “With Bermuda, it’salwaysa role. I doubt even she knows who she really is anymore. Of course she’d make you think she was genuine; deceiving people isn’t just her job, it’s her lifeblood, what she thrives on, life a vampire sucks blood, she sucks people’s souls by gaining their trust then playing them as if real people mean nothing. You should know better than anyone how easy it is to—”
Allison straightened as if he’d slapped her, and he immediately stopped talking. “I forget your hatred of actresses,” she said quietly.
Birch opened his mouth to explain that wasn’t what this was about but she asked, “How does the stalker and my attack play into your theory? The Sticky Notes Stalker has been after Hollywood actresses for months. You think she somehow found him and hired him to go after me and attack me?” Her words were filled with not quite derision, but definitely doubt.
Birch wasn’t close to backing down. “She could’ve hired a copycat stalker.”
Allison shook her head. “It doesn’t fit, Birch.” She studied him with those dark eyes that he’d become so invested in. “And I refuse to think the worst of someone because they’re an actress. Bermuda is my friend and she wouldn’t hurt me.”
Her last two sentences felt like a slap in the face. He didn’t know that he wanted to respond. She not only was digging at him for his generalizations of actresses, maybe she was saying that she trusted Bermuda over him. He knew how fickle and two-faced Bermuda was, but apparently there was no convincing Allison of that.
“Maybe you could check with the detective over the case and see if there’s anything supporting your suspicions,” Luke suggested into the cold, awkward silence.
Allison didn’t appear to like that but she didn’t say anything. Birch appreciated the break in their fight and wished Luke and Mar hadn’t seen them argue.
“I’ll follow up with him right away. Thank you,” Birch said. He kept studying Allison, hoping she would listen to him, listen to reason.
“I’m going to try and get some sleep,” Allison declared, reclining her seat and closing her eyes.
“Sounds great,” Mar said all chipper and cute as ever.
Birch tried to focus on the text he was sending to Detective Jones but he could only feel the sting of Allison not trusting him. He shouldn’t feel it so deeply as he should be remembering his promise to his brother, not wanting to throw himself at the mercy of this tempting actress, but Allison was so much more to him than some actress. He sent the text and closed his eyes while he waited for a response. It came quick, simply,We’ll check into it.
He closed his eyes again and prayed,Please, Lord help me to know what to do about Allison, how to protect her, how to be with her if that is Thy will. Send Blade’s angel to tell me it’s all right to love her, if that’s not asking too much. He normally would’ve laughed at himself for his insane request. Sadly he was too upset about the mess they were in and too stirred up by Allison to so much as smile.
