Caitlyn's Christmas Wish Page 8

  “I, uh, have plans at the moment. Sorry.”

  He tried to step around the reporter but the man quickly blocked his way. “This is the perfect time of year to get together with family. How do you feel about having your brother home for the holidays?”

  Ridge squinted at him. He looked older than the other reporters, more seasoned with crows’ feet marking the corners of his shrewd eyes. This wasn’t some young pup writing an article for the society page. “Look. I don’t know who you are but I think you’d better leave.”

  All pretenses of courtesy disappeared as the man’s mouth tightened. “Vinnie Monshru of The Stars Are Out.”

  Was this guy for real? Ridge didn’t watch any of those flamboyant entertainment news programs on television.

  “What’s your relationship with Ms. Caitlyn Drevier?”

  Wow. The guy didn’t pull punches. “That’s none of your business,” Ridge said flatly.

  “How do you plan to balance any roles you might play in keeping the peace between you, your brother, and Ms. Drevier in the event that you develop a more permanent relationship with her?”

  “Don’t be ridiculous!”

  Furious, Ridge turned to stalk away when the brazen reporter’s next question stopped him cold. “Are you aware that your brother filed for Chapter Eleven bankruptcy last week?”

  Ridge whirled. “What?” His heart thundered.

  “And that he’s selling real estate and stock as fast as he can split it up?”

  Grant? Two-time-Grammy-Award-winning recording artist Grant with the three houses and five sports cars? His brother, Grant? Somehow Ridge managed to keep his chin from hitting the ground. “No comment.”

  That line always seemed to work in the movies. No such luck here.

  “None at all? Not even with his failed investments in premium real estate or his non-payment of taxes?”

  This Vinnie Moonshine was delusional. He couldn’t possibly be talking about his brother. Grant was a star. He’d made it big. He’d risen to the top and accrued millions. More money than Ridge could ever dream of making in a lifetime.

  “I think you’re mistaken, buddy.”

  A short bark in place of a laugh followed. “I don’t think so. My sources tell me that Grant Reel is in debt up to his skull. Yet he hasn’t given up his high-profile image. Gotta give him credit for trying.”

  Ridge darted around the slimy reporter and quickly found his car. If what the guy said was true, his parents needed to know. And Caitlyn. Because she was already halfway falling for Grant’s charms again. It wouldn’t take much for him to convince her to remarry him, especially if she wanted Brody to have a relationship with his father.

  Ridge slowed down as another thought occurred. Grant would then have access to Caitlyn’s money.

  Well, maybe. A pre-nup could take care of that. The two of them had some sort of an agreement before. However, he knew how determined his brother could be. So many things made sense now. Why Ridge hadn’t driven one of his sporty cars here and how angry he’d been at his publicist and accountant. Still breathing heavily in the cooler winter air, Ridge drove to his parents’ house. The lights were on in the upstairs window to the guest room. Aside from the porch light, the rest of the house was cloaked in darkness. That didn’t mean no one else was home. Sierra and her bunch could be watching a Christmas movie on the large screen television in the back room. Little Max had been grumpy during the photo session, so Sierra consoled him with the offer of a quiet evening at his grandparents’ house in place of the festival. But was Grant here as well?

  Cautiously, Ridge entered the house. “Hello?” he called.

  “Come on in, Ridge. You’re missing the fun!”

  Ridge closed his eyes and murmured a heartfelt thanks that Sierra was indeed home. But that didn’t stop his quest to find Caitlyn and make sure she was all right.

  ***

  After another long day of tending Brody, Caitlyn retreated to her room to read quietly on the bed when he finally fell into a fitful slumber. She’d barely opened her book and found her place when a soft knock came at her door. Her heart leaped at the thought of Ridge coming back. But when she opened the door, it was Grant. Hiding her disappointment, she lifted one finger to her lips, gesturing toward Brody’s still form inside the crib. Grant nodded and stepped back to allow her to enter the hallway.

  “Is there something you need?” she asked softly.

  “Funny,” he whispered, “I was going to ask you the same thing.”

  “I’m okay for now. I gave Brody another dose of medicine not too long ago and basically just held him today. He’s pretty tired from the lack of deep sleep over the past few days.”

  Grant fixed his gaze beyond her shoulder at Brody once again, his face a mixture of wonder and concern. “This parenting business is tougher than I thought. Not that I’ve done much to help you out. But I’ve seen how hard you work at caring for our son. I appreciate it.”

  A tiny circle of warmth ignited at his words and slowly spread throughout her body. Grant could be sensitive and caring when he wanted to be. “Thank you.”

  They stood there for an awkward moment until Grant backed away. “Well, I’ll let you get back to him. I’ll be downstairs in case you need anything—water, food, a back massage, you name it.”

  Caitlyn smiled at the offer. Grant’s back massages were almost as good as the ones she paid top dollar for at the spa. However, it would be wise to keep her distance. “I’ll be fine. Thanks for the offer, though.”

  “If you change your mind or need a break from the little guy, you know where to find me.” He leaned forward as if to brush his lips against her lips but she stepped back. For one nanosecond, his eyes narrowed and his mouth twisted before he schooled his features again. “You know, I’m only going to be here a few more days. I was just thinking it might be a while before I get to see you and Brody again. What would you say to going out to lunch tomorrow?”

  Caitlyn could only stare at Grant. “I don’t know, Grant. It’s Christmas Eve and I’m pretty sure the plan is for everybody to attend church.”

  “I’m planning on it, too. But there’s no rule saying we can’t spend some time together afterward, is there?”

  She supposed not. Then again, wasn’t the Sabbath Day supposed to be a day of rest? Caitlyn might not be much of a church-going person, but she’d like to change that. At the very least, she always reserved Sundays for catching up on personal matters and such. And with tomorrow also being Christmas Eve, she wanted to spend every minute she could surrounded by Ridge and his family. She wished with all her heart they could be her family again.

  She smiled and said as kindly as she could, “Grant, I’m glad I got to see this different side of you over the past few days. It gives me hope that you’ll be the kind of father Brody needs in his life. But I don’t think it’s a good idea for us to get back together. We’ve both changed so much.”

  His voice took on a pleading tone, one she’d only heard in his lonesome songs he crooned so well. “Please, Caitlyn. I know it’s not ideal with it being Christmas Eve and all, but this is all the time I’ve got for several weeks to come.”

  Hadn’t he told her a few days before that he would be taking time off? She was fairly certain he had. Caitlyn swallowed hard. “I’m not against you having a relationship with Brody. But, well, it’ll be awkward hanging around for visitations until he’s old enough to be with you on his own.”

  “It doesn’t have to be awkward. We can be together again—permanently.”

  They could—if she didn’t care for Ridge so much. And if Grant had really changed. No matter how badly she wanted to believe it, something held her back. “I’m sorry, Grant. I just don’t think it’s a good idea.”

  “Because you love Ridge.”

  He was right. Jacinda and Sierra had told her the same thing. But she wasn’t about to let Grant be the first one she admitted this to.

  Correctly interpreting her silence, his face fell. �
��Never mind,” he muttered before turning away.

  She watched him disappear down the staircase. What was she going to do about this situation? Her happiness depended on establishing stability. And so did Brody’s.

  Chapter Fourteen

  He was fighting a losing battle. Grant could see it in Caitlyn’s eyes. She wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt, but she just couldn’t let go of her reservations. He went downstairs with a heavy heart. If only Grant could have foreseen the future, this could have been avoided. The extravagant yacht parties. The trips to exotic places. His Malibu home along with the property he owned in the Bahamas. And who needed five sports cars anyway? He’d always dreamed of living the good life. It was good while it lasted.

  Naively, he’d thought his fame would extend beyond the few years it had boomed. He hadn’t recognized the fact that the average shelf life of a rising star was only one to two years unless he kept working hard, treating others with respect instead of constantly downgrading them, demanding that they put their lives on hold to cater to his every whim.

  Blowing through twenty-five million dollars hadn’t been his shining moment.

  The IRS and other collectors were hot on his trail, not to mention those sharks from the celebrity news programs. Most of them were oblivious to his financial situation except Monshru. The minute Grant’s gaze connected with his at the family photo session, his stomach almost revolted. The last thing he needed was for his financial woes to be leaked worldwide. Especially when his own family didn’t know.

  His accountant had clued him in a few days earlier. The situation was dire. If only he hadn’t insisted on getting that rhinoplasty surgery nose job to help his singing tone. But he’d needed it done if he wanted to save his career, right? The critics were becoming louder regarding the nasal quality of his voice. It was the smart thing to do. He could have used a lesser known, less expensive surgeon, he supposed. But he couldn’t trust just anybody to do this monumental task and leave absolutely no scar tissue, right? Only the best of the best could have performed such a delicate job to perfection. A man had to do what a man had to do.

  Grant had figured the only way to pay his debts at this point was to marry Caitlyn. Standing on that pavilion next to his sister earlier today, flashing his million-dollar smile and ignoring Monshru while acting like he didn’t have a care in the world, Grant wished with every fiber of his being that Caitlyn was beside him. They could show the world they were together again, that they were a team. But it was time to move on to Plan B.

  If only there was a Plan B.

  He marched downstairs, agitation dogging his steps. Think, man! There has to be a way to pay your debt. Caitlyn wasn’t the answer. Who could help him?

  He went to the kitchen sink, grabbed a glass and filled it with water before taking a long gulp to soothe his parched throat. He tugged on his collar. Had someone turned on the heater? He marched into the hallway to check the thermometer. No, it was set to a comfortable temp. Ignoring the pictures mounted on the wall, he walked back and forth from one to the other, racking his brain for an easy way out.

  “Sit down, Grant. You’re distracting us with all that pacing,” Sierra complained from across the darkened room, startling him from his musings. Coming further into the room, he lowered himself to the recliner for all of three seconds, then hopped up again and paced once more.

  Just then, the Hallmark movie Sierra’s family was watching paused for a commercial break. Grant automatically tuned the first two ads out while continuing to pace. Suddenly, a woman’s voice on the television said, “Baby, you’ve got a hold on me.” Grant grunted, having heard those same words more times than he could count. What struck him next, however, was the myriad of babyish giggles that followed the sultry words. Huh?

  He spun and faced the television. Oh, it was an ad sponsored by one of the top grossing baby food manufacturers in the nation announcing a contest for America’s cutest baby and seriously, the prize was no joke. Seventy grand for a modeling baby. Wait! He snapped his fingers. Brody was his ticket to getting out of this mess. Selling his yacht had really hurt, along with his home in the Bahamas. But a modeling baby was a gift that perpetuated itself. Caitlyn was living proof of that.

  “Are you okay, Grant?”

  With effort, he focused his eyes on Sierra, who was staring at him as if he’d lost his mind. He probably had. “Yeah.”

  Sierra’s raised brows clearly conveyed her doubt but she didn’t comment. Just then, the front door burst open.

  “Hello?”

  Ridge.

  Grant wished the jerk had never gotten involved with Caitlyn.

  “We’re back here,” Sierra called.

  He appeared a few seconds later, looking worried. His eyes darted to Grant’s. “Where’s Caitlyn?”

  “Upstairs. Brody’s finally sleeping comfortably. Don’t disturb them,” Grant warned.

  Ridge narrowed his eyes. “I didn’t realize you’re her keeper.”

  “Somebody has to protect her against the likes of you,” he snarled.

  “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  “Let’s see. You neglected your wife when she needed you at your baby’s side.”

  “I was taking a test at the college,” Ridge growled. “We were required to turn off our phones.”

  “She had a suspicious-looking lump on her head but you decided to wait to see a specialist.”

  “We took her into a family practitioner but were put on a waiting list to have her checked out. I also started working another part-time job because even with our limited insurance, I knew her treatment was going to be expensive.”

  Grant ignored him while trying one last desperate tactic. “You’re stuck in this puke town without a real way to provide for Caitlyn.”

  “She doesn’t need money, Grant. She needs love. You don’t even know the meaning of the word.”

  “Knock it off, both of you!” Sierra’s upset voice startled Grant. His brother-in-law, Scott, aimed a stern look their way. Grant lowered his face in shame, having momentarily forgotten about them.

  “Sorry,” Ridge mumbled. He turned to Grant. There was no mistaking the earnest note in his voice. “I love Caitlyn, Grant. I want to be there for her and Brody. You can fight me if you want. But I’m not going to step aside until she asks me to.” With that, Ridge swiveled around and darted up the stairs.

  Grant’s chest tightened with a feeling of panic. Okay. Plan B. The time had come to put it into action. “Sierra, what’s the name of that pretty photographer who took our pictures?”

  “Torrie Davidson,” she mumbled, quickly turning her attention back to the large screen as the movie came back on.

  Grant stepped into the other room and quickly Googled Torrie’s name, connecting it to Torrie’s Photography in Danzy. She answered on the third ring. “Hello, Torrie? This is Grant Reel . . . Yep, the one and only . . . That’s one of my favorite songs, too . . . Sure, I wrote it. I’d love to sing it to you sometime . . . Listen, honey, I wondered if you might do me a huge favor. I’m willing to pay big bucks. You see, I’d like to schedule a last-minute photo session for me and my son tomorrow.”

  According to the television ad, Grant had until midnight on New Year’s Eve to send Brody’s picture in. The only problem he could foresee was that he wasn’t actually Brody’s guardian, so he might have to forge Caitlyn’s name on the documents if Brody was selected, which shouldn’t be too hard to do with some kind of app for his phone. And if he had to marry someone else and seek co-custody of the kid to get this done, he would. But for now, he’d try the path of least resistance.

  The boy would be selected, of that Grant was sure. After all, Brody was the product of two extremely good-looking people. The judges wouldn’t be able to resist him. If the kid felt well enough to smile. Grant would just have to keep wipes on hand to keep the mucus away and somehow get Brody to giggle like the babies on the ad. Because even without a full set of teeth, Brody had a million-dollar smile lik
e his ol’ dad.

  ***

  Another soft knock announced a visitor from the other side of her door. Caitlyn let out a sigh and placed her book down again. What did Grant want this time? She tiptoed across the room and pulled it back an inch before swinging it all the way open. “Ridge!” He easily caught her in his arms. “How did the photo session go?”

  “Fine until the end.”

  “What happened?”

  “I’ll tell you about it after I’ve had a chance to speak to Mom and Dad. How’s Brody?”

  “Better. He’s finally sleeping soundly. I hope he sleeps through the night.”

  “I hope so, too, for your sake.”

  She pulled back and looked into his eyes, seeing the same warm compassion he’d shown countless times since she’d arrived. Then, his gaze turned more urgent, more sensual right before their lips met.

  “Uh-hmm.” A throat cleared behind them.

  Guiltily, they broke apart. Grant stood less than ten feet away, brows furrowed. But rather than appearing angry, a sad expression marred his face. He slowly approached. “Hey, look, guys. I’m sorry for the garbage I’ve put you through. Caitlyn, you’re obviously in love with my brother. And really, he’s the better man for you. I’m always gonna be on the road. I’d never have time for you and Brody.”

  Caitlyn caught her breath. Was he serious? This was a complete turnaround from less than an hour ago. She glanced at Ridge, whose confusion was evident, too.

  “Grant, what are you playing at?”

  He splayed his hands. “Not playing. I just know when I’m beat. And Ridge, I’m sorry for being a pain in the—”

  “Butt,” Ridge supplied, afraid Grant would use a more colorful word.

  “Yeah. Anyway, Caitlyn, I still care about you and always will. But I’ll have to love you as a brother. I feel bad that you’ve had such a hard time with Brody lately. You could use a break. How about if I stay with him for an hour or so while you spend time with Ridge? I’ll even pay for a horse-drawn carriage ride.”

  Ridge looked as if he couldn’t decide whether to hug Grant or punch him. Caitlyn laid her hand on the long sleeve of his shirt. “I think that’s a wonderful idea. But paying won’t be necessary.”