Catch a Falling Star, page 1
part #4 of Royal Palm Resort Series
Catch a Falling Star
Hudson Brothers Romance
Cindy Roland Anderson
Copyright © 2019 by Cindy Roland Anderson
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
For Adrianne, my best friend for thirty-eight years and counting. Thank you for encouraging me—okay, it was more like dragging me off the bus to audition for the high school musical. It was the start of creating many fun memories together! And for Dee and Nedra Pace. You both saw my potential and made me feel like I could do anything.
Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Epilogue
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About the Author
Chapter 1
Bright lights didn't usually bother actress Londyn Montgomery, but the red and blue lights flashing in her rearview mirror tempted her to do something crazier than running away. Gripping the steering wheel tight, she pressed the volume control next to her thumb and turned the radio down. The red Audi she'd rented was fast, but it didn't mean she should try and outrun the law. Getting arrested wouldn't bode well with her plan to lay low until she could figure out her life and what she wanted.
Hoping the black SUV wasn’t really following her, she glanced in the rearview mirror as she slowed down and eased the rental car onto the shoulder of the road. Unfortunately, the unmarked police car did the same thing. She couldn’t afford to get a ticket. Not because of finances but because a speeding violation would be entered into the system, making it easier for her father and boyfriend to track her down.
The muscles in Londyn’s shoulders tensed as she watched the officer climb out of his vehicle. In the ten years since she’d earned her driver’s license, she had never gotten a ticket before and wasn’t sure what she was supposed to do. Nerves twisted her stomach into a knot as the officer approached her car. He looked intimidating with well-defined biceps that strained against the short sleeves of his uniform. A light breeze ruffled his dark hair as he strode purposely toward her. He gave off a don’t-mess-with-me kind of vibe, emphasized by his aviator sunglasses and the trimmed beard covering a firm jawline.
Heart thumping, Londyn considered how to play this out. Did she try flirting with him as she’d seen in the movies, or did she start crying, hoping he’d feel sorry for her and let her off with a warning?
Closing her eyes, she let out a slow breath to try and calm down. All of this was foreign to her. She’d never skipped town like this. Never disobeyed her father’s orders. She was the girl who never colored outside of the lines. Now she was like a preschooler given free rein with a red marker and a blank wall.
A tap on the driver’s side window made her jump, and she let out a tiny yelp before looking up to see the officer motion for her to open her window. Licking her lips, she pressed the button and drew in a deep breath as the window automatically lowered.
Warm, humid air filled the interior of the car as Londyn finally dared look at the man. He was even scarier up close. There was no way crying was going to work with this guy. She wasn’t sure flirting would work either, but that was all she had right now.
“Hi,” she said, giving him a practiced smile. “I’m not sure what to do here because I’ve never gotten a ticket before.” She cringed at the rush of words pouring out of her mouth. She shouldn’t have mentioned a ticket. What if he was pulling her over for a missing taillight or something? “Not that you’re giving me a ticket,” she said with a nervous giggle. “At least I hope you’re not giving me a ticket. Like I said before, I’ve never gotten a ticket. I’m generally a rule follower. It keeps me out of trouble.”
The officer stared at her for a few seconds, his lips pressed into a tight line. Then a tiny smile emerged, softening the hard lines carved into his sun-bronzed face. “So, you admit you were speeding?”
Wow, that southern drawl of his was as tempting as the homemade fudge she’d purchased on her last stop for gas. Butterflies fluttered to life inside her stomach as she returned the smile. To be honest, she had no idea how fast she’d been going. She didn’t even know what the speed limit was.
“Not exactly,” she said, wishing he’d take his sunglasses off so she could see his eyes. Eyes told you a lot about a person.
As if he’d read her thoughts, the man slowly removed the aviators, piercing her with the bluest eyes she’d ever seen. The light color reminded her of the turquoise water surrounding her father’s resort on the Virgin Islands. She wanted to dive right in. “Do you know why I pulled you over?” he asked with that delicious accent.
To ask me out? It was wishful thinking, and the absolute last thing Londyn wanted or needed. Besides, she wasn't in a position to start a relationship. Not until she could find a way out of her current relationship. An invisible clamp tightened around her throat, making it hard to draw in a breath. If finding her future fiancé in a compromising situation with another woman wasn't a valid reason to end things, then she knew nothing she said would convince her parents to let her decide who she wanted to marry.
She still couldn’t believe her mother’s advice after Londyn had told her about catching the man her parents wanted her to marry in bed with another woman. Her mom had simply patted Londyn on the knee and excused his behavior by telling her that “boys will be boys” and “men have needs.” Londyn had stopped listening when her mother told her it was her responsibility as a good wife to keep her husband’s indiscretions from reaching the media. She knew she needed to get out before the official engagement. An engagement that was planned out and staged to the very last detail by the public relation’s staff and her mother.
“No.” Her words came out breathless, mostly due to her anxiety as well as the spark of awareness she detected in the deputy’s gaze. She’d dated a lot of famous men over the years. They were all cut from the same cloth of the expensive custom made suits they wore. Somehow she knew that this lawman wasn’t anything like those men. “I don’t suppose it was to welcome me to South Carolina?”
A smile broke out on his handsome face. “No, ma’am, but welcome to South Carolina all the same.”
“Thank you.” Their eyes held for a few seconds as a current of attraction zipped between them. The moment broke when a truck sped past them. “Do you need to go after them?” Londyn asked. She was teasing. Sort of. While she didn’t want a ticket, she wasn’t ready to say goodbye. Not when she didn’t know his name.
He turned slightly and watched the vehicle speed away, allowing Londyn to look at his nametag pinned to his shirt. Only there wasn’t anything there, just a small tear in the fabric where the officer’s badge should be. It occurred to her that he might not be a real cop until she saw the Horry County Sheriff department patch stitched to his uniform. Her eyes skimmed over his impressive muscles again, noting a hint of a tan line peeking out from under the sleeve.
“Nope, sorry,” the deputy said, turning back toward her. Londyn quickly focused on his face, hoping he hadn’t noticed her checking out his biceps…er…tan line. “But he won’t get off easily.” He winked at Londyn. “I know where Chad lives and that his mama will be a lot scarier than I could ever be once I give her a call.”
Londyn wasn’t so sure about that. She was about to tell him how intimated she had been when another car passed by much more slowly. The driver, an older gentleman with gray hair, lifted a hand and waved. Whoever it was must have reminded the lawman that he was on duty.
Turning back to Londyn, he gently cleared his throat. “Ma’am, I’ll need to see your license and registration, please.”
Disappointed that he was all business, Londyn nodded her head and turned to dig through her purse. At least he didn't seem to recognize her, which might be a good thing—having Lincoln Montgomery as her father wasn't always a perk. He'd made a lot of money over the years and a lot of enemies along the way.
Finding her wallet at the bottom, Londyn removed her license and then opened the glove box. “The car is a rental,” she said, pulling out a stack of papers. “But I’m sure the registration is here somewhere.”
“Thanks,” he said, reaching out to take her license and the bundle of paperwork from her. The tips of his fingers grazed hers in the transfer, and she sucked in a quick breath at the spark of heat the contact created. The lawman stilled as their gazes locked. She’d bet her entire trust fund that he’d felt the same electric pulse. A light gust of wind rattled the papers. The officer glanced down at her license and then back up at her. “Your hair is a different color.”
“Yes, but it’s still me,” she teased, wondering if he liked blondes or brunettes. “I had to go blonde for my last role.”
“Role?” he asked with a slight frown.
“I’m an actress.” An actress soon to be morning show host and eventually a politician’s wife. Both
The creases on the officer’s forehead deepened as he studied her for a few more moments before looking back down at her license. “Londyn Montgomery from New York.” Slowly, he lifted his face and met her gaze. The cool look in his eyes sent a shiver of apprehension down her spine. “New York? Are you related to Lincoln Montgomery?”
“Yes,” she answered cautiously. “He’s my father.” Apparently, her dad’s reputation as a ruthless real estate mogul had reached this part of the country. She knew that he didn’t have any property holdings in South Carolina. It was one of the reasons she’d felt safe coming here. Still, she hadn’t taken the time to find out if he’d tried any hostile takeovers. The Royal Palm was exactly the competition Montgomery Resorts loved taking down.
“I see.” He held up the paperwork. “Sit tight, Miss Montgomery, while I scan this into the computer.”
“Do you really have to give me a ticket?” she asked, her voice rising with desperation. “If you give me a warning, I promise not to speed anymore.”
“Your daddy’s last name isn’t getting you out of a ticket,” he said, his tone as icy as his glare. “Being an actress isn’t going to help either.”
“Excuse me?” she asked, wondering what he had against her chosen vocation. The not liking her last name part she got—especially when it came to her father—but whether she was an actress or not shouldn’t factor into getting a ticket.
“Ma’am, I don’t care how pretty you are or if you’re an actress, singer, or a wealthy heiress.” His lips pressed into a tight line. “It won’t get you out of a speeding ticket.”
Londyn ignored the backhanded compliment that he thought she was pretty and focused on the end of his remark. Technically, she was all three of those things. But she’d never used her status as an aspiring actress, singer, or a wealthy heiress to do anything illegal. “I didn’t expect it to.” However, she had hoped her clean driving record might grant her a little leniency.
“Good.” He held her gaze, the invisible chip on his shoulder sharp enough to slice through her finger. “Because I clocked you going eighty-seven in a sixty miles-per-hour zone.”
She winced, wondering if it was too late to start crying. She couldn’t get a ticket. Michael and her father would know where she was before she had a chance to unpack her bag. “I’m sorry, I didn’t realize I was going so fast.”
Surprise flickered in his eyes before the cynicism returned. “Apologizing isn’t getting you out of a ticket, either.”
Fear and anger warred inside her. Londyn’s brain raced to come up with a way out of this. Quite honestly, her last name did give her an advantage in most situations. So did her association with her boyfriend, but she doubted bringing up Michael Preston’s name would help. Michael’s family had more money than her father. They also carried more power. Deeply embedded in politics, the Preston family were often compared to the Kennedy’s. Michael’s father was a formidable lobbyist in DC, and his uncle was an attorney for the Department of Justice. His grandfather, a powerful senator for the past two decades, had recently declared his pending retirement when his term ended in three years. Michael planned on replacing his grandfather, and Londyn’s daddy was ready to donate a lot of money for his campaign.
Chewing on her bottom lip, Londyn realized she had no one to call for help. No one except her friend Briar. Then it hit her. Hadn’t Briar said that her childhood friend was the sheriff? Dropping his name might be the only thing to get out of a ticket. Except Londyn couldn’t remember his name.
Rolling back her shoulders, she narrowed her eyes. Surely, mentioning that she knew the sheriff would help her cause. “I don’t appreciate your accusations, and I plan on reporting your behavior to the sheriff.” She struggled to recall the man’s name but nothing came to mind. “I’m a personal friend,” she said vaguely. “And I’m sure he won’t be pleased with how you’re treating me.”
One of his dark eyebrows lifted. “You know the sheriff, huh?” His lips parted into a grin that would be sexy if he wasn’t so obnoxious. “By all means,” he said, gesturing to her cell phone lying in the passenger seat, “feel free to call him.”
I would if I knew his name. “I don’t have his cell number. My phone is new, and I didn’t have time to back it up.” That was mostly all true. She did have a new phone. However, even if she’d had the time, Londyn didn’t plan on uploading the contents of her old cell to this one. Briar was the only person she had in her contacts.
Squirming under the lawman’s ice-blue stare, Londyn wanted to ask him to leave her alone for a minute so she could call Briar for the contact info. Briar would probably even make the call herself, putting Officer Grumpy in his place.
“I’d be happy to give you the sheriff’s number,” the man said with a decidedly wicked gleam in his eyes. “Since y’all are such close friends.”
Technically, she never said she was close friends with the sheriff. Should she clarify that he was actually a friend of a friend? Glancing down at her phone, Londyn tried to remember the conversation she’d had with Briar. Londyn was convinced that all men were like Michael and her father. Power hungry, deceptive, and uncaring. Briar insisted that the South still had good men, her sheriff friend being one of them. If he were as amazing as Briar thought, then perhaps the man would come to Londyn's rescue simply because she was also Briar's friend.
“All right.” She snagged her phone from the passenger seat and tapped on the screen. “I’m ready,” she said, opening the keypad. Her fingers trembled as she punched in the numbers. After a slight hesitation, she tapped on the call icon and held her breath. The phone started ringing, but the sound wasn’t just coming from her earpiece.
She felt all the color drain from her face as the officer unclipped the ringing cell from his belt and lifted it to his ear. “This is the sheriff. How may I help you?”
Chapter 2
Owen tried not to gloat when Miss Montgomery called his phone. That victorious feeling quickly morphed into guilt as he watched her skin go as white as a tourist’s first day on the beach. He wasn’t usually a jerk, but he’d sure acted like one. If his mama got wind of his behavior, he’d be in more trouble than Chad Bradshaw.
“Very funny,” Londyn said into the phone before ending the call. “You could have told me you were the sheriff.”
“If you know me so well, then you should’ve recognized me.”
“I didn’t actually say I knew you.”
“You implied we were personal friends.” He watched her closely, curious if she would deny it.
“You’re right. I did imply that but only because Briar told me how nice you are.” She cut him a glare. “I’ll have to tell her otherwise.”
Ouch. As much as Owen wished he could refute her accusation, he had been rude once he’d learned she was related to Lincoln Montgomery. Finding out she was an actress had pushed a few hot buttons too. In Owen’s experience, famous, wealthy people thought they were above the law. The A-list actor he’d arrested a few hours earlier was proof of that. Driving under the influence of alcohol and other illegal substances only a tox screen would reveal, the guy had plowed his convertible into the glass windows of a local convenience store. Lucky to be alive, the actor was belligerent, refused a sobriety test, and resisted arrest. He’d taken a few swings at Owen, repeatedly yelling, “Do you have any idea who I am?” The final straw was when the actor had ripped off Owen’s badge and tossed it over the bridge, telling him he was a nobody and had no right to touch him.
