“Are you okay, Dylan? I mean, really okay? Daddy told me about the possible threat to your life and I’m...I’m so worried about you.”
“I’m fine. And they’re not absolutely sure if it was an attempt on my life. But to put your mind at ease, I’ve added additional security around here and I travel with bodyguards all the time now. I’m sure your father told you to keep this private. There’s an investigation going on.”
“Yes, of course. On any given day there are hundreds of people at the studio, Dylan. How can they possibly find out who’s responsible?”
“I don’t know, Callista.” At least he’d be finished shooting the movie in a few weeks and wouldn’t have to go into the studio anymore. “All we can do is hope the investigation gives them some leads.”
“Gosh, I hope so.”
Dylan softened a little. Callista seemed genuinely concerned for him. He couldn’t deny that they’d had a past relationship and that they still cared for each other’s welfare. “Thanks. I appreciate it. I value your friendship.”
She walked over to him, placed her palm on his cheek and locked her pretty doe eyes on his. “We’re more than friends, Dylan. I’d hoped you’d remembered that.” She brushed her lips to his and spoke softly over his mouth. “And it would make me very happy if you’d be my date for my birthday party.”
* * *
Emma shut her mind off to all of her misgivings about Dylan and looked upon his proposal more openly now. Her conversation with Brooke had helped her see things in a new perspective. She was still debating about marrying him, but at least the roadblocks in her head were slowly being taken down. She’d realized this as she was baking him a chocolate marble cake today, just like the one she’d demolished on her birthday years ago. If they could have a good laugh over it, then the cake would serve its purpose. Smiling, she entered the gates of his home, noting a foreign sports car in his driveway she didn’t recognize. Oh well, so much for having a quiet evening together. He had a visitor.
Emma parked her car in one of the empty garages on his property and carefully removed the cake holder, balancing it in one hand as she went up to the house and unlocked the back door with a hidden key. When she entered, she heard voices and debated about barging in, but as she moved into the kitchen, she recognized the seductive female voice.
Callista.
Emma set the cake down on the countertop and strode quietly toward the living room. She came to an abrupt stop when she saw Callista and Dylan tangled up in one another’s arms at the far end of the room. She blinked several times, not believing what she was seeing. Her first thought was how wonderful they looked together, two stunning people living in the same high-profile world, a place where Emma didn’t fit. They were the beautiful people, A-listers with friends who owned islands and airplanes and villas on the French Riviera. Seeing the two of them cuddled up good and tight, whispering to each other, brought it all to light. Emma didn’t belong in Dylan’s universe. Jealousy jabbed at her over the unfairness of it all.
But Dylan wasn’t Callista’s to ensnare. She wasn’t the right woman for him.
Emma had had dibs on him since forever. Was she going to give him up without a fight? Shockingly, her answer was a flat-out no. She couldn’t let Dylan get away. Jealousy aside, she wasn’t going to hand her baby’s father over to the wrong woman. Dylan had asked her, Emma Rae Bloom, to marry him, something he hadn’t done since Renee had torn his heart to shreds. And now, Emma was beginning to see a life with him and their baby. So what was her problem? Why hadn’t she jumped at his proposal last night? Why was she being so darn hardheaded?
To his credit, Dylan backed away from Callista instantly, wriggling out of her clutches before she could kiss him again. He didn’t see Emma standing there, so there was no pretense for her sake. He really was rejecting the woman.
“I can’t be your date, Callista,” she heard him say.
Emma breathed a big sigh of relief.
“Why?” She approached him again, a question in her eyes. “I don’t understand.”
Emma gulped air loudly, deliberately. She’d heard enough. Both heads turned in her direction. Callista’s mouth twisted in annoyance and Dylan, God love him, appeared truly relieved to see her. He put his arm out, reaching for Emma’s hand, much to the other woman’s horror, and Emma floated over to him and took it.
He smiled at her, and before he could say anything, Emma announced, “Dylan is my fiancé, Callista. I’m going to marry him.”
Callista’s mouth dropped open. Clearly stunned, she darted glances from Emma to Dylan and back again. And then her gaze shot like a laser beam down to Emma’s slightly bulging belly. She was sharp, Emma had to give her that. “You’re pregnant.”
Dylan pulled her closer in, winding his arm around her waist in a show of support. “I’m sorry, Callista, but that’s not an issue here. I was going to tell you about Emma and me.”
“When, at my birthday party? The one she’s supposed to plan and execute?”
Dylan’s eyes never wavered. He was such a good actor. As far as she knew, Dylan had no knowledge of that latest development. “Under the circumstances, that’s not going to happen now. I hope we can still be friendly, Callista. We’ve known each other a long time.”
Callista ignored Emma once again, speaking to Dylan as if she wasn’t standing there, in his embrace. “You can’t be serious, Dylan. You’re going to marry her?”
“Of course I’m serious. When have you known me not to be?”
“But...but...”
Emma stifled a giggle. She’d never seen Callista speechless before.
And finally, “You cheated on me with her!”
Dylan’s brows gathered; his eyes grew dark and dangerous. “Don’t go there, Callista. I never cheated on a woman in my life. We were on-again, off-again, and before my accident we were definitely off. Big-time off. And you know it.”
Callista made a show of grabbing her purse and stomping away. Before exiting the room, she swiveled around and glared at Emma. “It’ll never last. He’s just doing this for the kid. Wait and see.”
The front door slammed shut behind her.
Neither of them moved.
Seconds ticked by.
God, all of Emma’s fears had come full circle in Callista’s venomous declaration. Those three sentences revealed Emma’s innermost doubts. A tremor ran through her. Could she do this? Could she really marry Dylan?
And then Dylan faced her, the darkness of his expression evaporating into something hopeful and sweet. His eyes gleamed and the way he held on to her as if she was precious to him, as if he was truly happy, convinced her to stay the course. She’d made up her mind and couldn’t bear losing Dylan. If they had a chance at a future together, she was going to take it.
“You’re really going to marry me? You weren’t just saying that?” he asked.
“It wasn’t the perfect way to tell you, but yes. I’m going to marry you.”
His brilliant smile warmed all the cold places that threatened her happiness. “Good. Okay. Good. The sooner the better.”
He kissed her then, and all of her doubts flittered away on the breeze. She would give herself up to him now. She wouldn’t hold back. She was all in, and she would think only positive thoughts from now on.
After a long embrace, Dylan shook his head. “I’m sorry about that scene with Callista. I didn’t know she was coming over.”
“She was very upset, Dylan.”
“She’s dramatic and only upset because she didn’t get her way. In her heart, she had to know we were over. But the truth is, I never cheated on her with you or anyone. It’s important that you believe me.”
“I do,” she said. These past few weeks with Dylan had shown her what kind of a man he truly was. The tabloids liked to paint a less-than-rosy picture of celebrities, but Emma didn’t and wouldn’t believe a word of it about Dylan McKay. She’d walked in on Dylan rebuffing Callista’s advances and that alone was proof enough for her. She could place her faith in Dylan.
She had to.
He was going to be her husband.
Eight
Warm Pacific gusts lifted her wedding veil off her shoulders as she stood on the steps of Adam Chase’s palatial oceanside home, waiting for her cue to walk down an aisle laden with red rose petals. They, too, blew in the breeze in sweeping patterns that colored the pathway in a natural special effect.
She looked out to the small cluster of friends and family in attendance, no more than thirty strong. Their secluded little wedding ceremony was about to begin. Dylan’s mother was here, and Brooke, of course, was her maid of honor. She’d helped Emma into her ivory, Cinderella-style wedding dress. Wendy and Rocky were here, her part-timers who’d actually become dear friends. Dylan’s agent and manager attended as well as his closest neighbors—Adam Chase, his wife, Mia, and their adorable baby, Rose, seated next to Jessica and her country superstar husband, Zane Williams.
It had been Adam’s idea to hold the wedding here, the reclusive architect offering a place for their secretive ceremony away from any paparazzi who might’ve gotten wind of their engagement. To their surprise, Callista hadn’t spread any ugly gossip as yet and Dylan had insisted on marrying quickly. Parties-To-Go had immediately been fired from holding Callista’s big birthday event, much to Brooke’s glee. Ironically, Dylan’s hectic work schedule only allowed them to get married on the very same day.