Rumor Has It (Limelight) (25 page)

Lorna put her hands to either side of her mouth. “Can I get everyone’s attention please?” All conversations ceased and everyone turned to look in our direction. Some of the women blushed, the teenagers eyes bugged out of their heads, and the little ones couldn’t have cared less. “This is Mason Nash…I know you’re all familiar with who he is, but he’s here to spend some time with us this afternoon. This is his friend, Ellie.” We both gave small waves to the crowd. Lorna turned to face Ellie and me. “Please make yourselves at home. If you need anything at all let me know.”

Ellie leaned in to say something to me. “What do we do now?” she whispered.

I turned and winked at her. “We mingle.”

We walked to the group of women closest to us and I introduced myself and Ellie again. They made room for us at their table and we sat down. So it went. We’d talk with one group for a while and move on to another. Eventually Ellie and I split up and visited with different groups.

I watched her talking with a woman and bouncing a baby on her knee. There was absolutely no judgment at all on her face as she took in the horrific stories of the women around her. I’d been sent here to use my celebrity stature for the greater good, but these women would’ve taken or left me. After speaking with Ellie it was clear they were enamoured with her.

I’d felt it when I met her the first time and clearly they had, too. There was something about her that made you want to open up and spill your soul. She reminded me of news footage I’d seen as a kid of Princess Di as she moved through a room, providing comfort to others.

Ellie looked up briefly and I caught her eye. She smiled wide and winked at me. That small gesture and a thousand like it before cemented her into my heart.

I was still staring at her across the courtyard with an idiotic grin on my face when the guy with the gun stormed in.

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

This poor woman’s story was breaking my heart. As I bounced her baby boy on my lap, I sensed a pair of eyes on me and I glanced up. Mason was looking at me from the other side of the courtyard. He had an amused smile on his face and his green eyes sparkled. I winked and smiled back.

A commotion across the yard had me turning to see what was going on.

Time stopped and everyone seemed to move in slow motion. I guess that wasn’t something that only happened in the movies. A middle-aged blond man wearing a Hawaiian shirt was yelling and waving a gun around. I remember thinking he’d been out in the sun too long because his face looked burnt. What a strange and innocuous thing to think at a time like that.

He was yelling the name Trina over and over. The baby on my lap started fussing and crying. That was enough to draw the man’s attention to us.

“Shut that fucking kid up! Now!” He came closer, pointing his gun at us. Blood thrummed through my ears; it was all I could do to hear him over the sound. I handed the baby back to his mom and he quieted once he was in those familiar arms.

“
Trina
!
Trina
! Where are you? I know you’re here, you stupid bitch!” He moved in circles frantically looking around the yard. I had no idea how he’d gotten in but I hoped he hadn’t hurt anyone to gain access.

Some of the staff members were trying to herd the women and children to the door leading out of the courtyard. The gunman spun in their direction shaking his gun at them. “Don’t fuckin’ move. You all stay where you are.”

I couldn’t sit and do nothing when there were so many women and children that’d already been exposed to so much violence. Despite legs that felt like Jell-o I stood up with my hands in front of me in what I hoped was a placating gesture. “Please don’t hurt anyone.”

He whirled to face me, his plump red cheeks full of fury. “Who the hell are you?”

“I’m nobody. I just don’t want to see anyone get hurt.”

“You find me Trina and no one gets hurt.”

Lorna came forward from my right. “Trina isn’t here anymore. She left two days ago.”

“Bullshit! Where would she go? She has nowhere to go! She has nothing!” His eyes bugged out of his head, his pupils so dilated I couldn’t tell you what color his eyes were. This guy was hopped up on something.

I saw Mason slowly and cautiously making his way behind the guy. It took everything in me not to make eye contact with him and will him to sit back down.

“It’s true. She’s gone to a different facility,” Lorna said in a calm voice. She looked so at ease, as if there wasn’t a crazy man waving a gun around a few feet from us.

Me on the other hand? Sweat pooled underneath my shorts and t-shirt. My mouth was as dry as the Sahara and I felt light-headed like I might pass out. I needed to keep my shit together though. The best thing I could do for Mason was to keep this guy talking and hope Mason knew what the hell he was doing.

“Is Trina your wife?” I asked.

“She’s my girlfriend! What’s it to you?” he yelled, spittle flying out of his mouth.

“When was the last time you saw her?” I asked, barely able to get it out.

“A month ago before she fucking left me in the middle of the night after a misunderstanding.”

“What happened?” I asked.

Wrong question.

He pointed the gun at me, square in the chest. Mason was getting closer, almost there. I took a deep breath and, looking him in the eyes, tried to use my calmest voice. “You love her a lot.” I said it as a statement of fact, not a question.

“Yes, yes. I love her so much. It was all a mistake.” Tears streamed down his cheeks.

“I know…I know. You probably feel so terrible about everything that happened.”

He shook his head and when he went to rub the tears from his face with the hand holding the gun, Mason sprung from behind, grabbing his hand. My feet were locked in place watching the exchange and fearing what would happen to Mason. Lorna forced me behind the picnic table where the woman with the baby was already hiding. In retrospect the picnic table wasn’t going to do much to stop a bullet but it was better than nothing.

I watched in horror as Mason and the guy struggled for control of the gun. Mason had age and condition on his side, but this guy was pretty beefy, not to mention he was so high on drugs he was feeling no pain. They struggled until Mason managed to smash the guy in the nose with his elbow. He grabbed at his face with both his hands, dropping the gun. Mason kicked the gun over in our direction and tackled the guy to the ground.

I swear I’d kick his ass later for that stunt but in the moment all I wanted was to launch myself on top of him and never let go. If anything had happened to him I knew I’d never get the image out of my head.

Sirens blared in the distance, but were getting louder. Someone must have called 911.

Mason held the guy until the police arrived. We all had to keep our hands in the air until after the police were able to sort-out what had happened. They finally took the guy from Mason, cuffed him and led him away. Women and children were scattered across the lawn; some sobbing, some yelling, and all of them holding their loved ones close as the officers attempted to take statements from everyone.

I ran over to Mason and threw my arms around him. “What were you thinking? Are you okay?” I gripped him tight, not willing to let him pull away from me. Eventually I leaned back to look at him. He brought his thumbs up to brush the tears I hadn’t realized I’d shed, off my cheeks.

“I’m fine. Are you okay?” he asked.

I smacked him on the chest. Now that I knew he was in no danger anger filled me. “What the hell, Mason? Were you trying to get yourself killed?”

“Me? Are you crazy? You’re the one who put herself in harm’s way!”

“I had no choice after the baby started crying,” I said, even more agitated now.

“Ellie, I couldn’t sit there and do nothing while some lunatic pointed a gun at you. Do you have any idea the horrible images that flashed through my mind? What could have happened to you? I’d never let anyone hurt you like that.”

That explanation took away some of my anger. He was right. If he hadn’t stepped up something much, much worse could have happened. I looked down at my hands and realized they were shaking. Mason pulled me in for another hug and I felt better just being surrounded by his strong arms.

“How do you think he got in?” I asked.

“I don’t know. I’m sure they’ll figure it out and make sure nothing like that can happen again.”

I nodded against his chest. Mason held me, without complaint, for a long time. He seemed to realize I needed him close, needed to be connected to him physically.

Eventually we had to split up to give our statements to the police and then we were free to go. As we were making our way, hand in hand, to the exit women and children kept coming up to us to thank us for what we’d done. Mason brushed it off as no big deal, but it was a big deal.

This was supposed to be a casual thing with Mason, no future in it, but if something had gone wrong? I couldn’t even force my brain to go there. That was how anyone would feel though, right?

Lorna was the last one to approach and she took us both into an embrace. “Thank you, both of you, for everything.”

I spoke first. “We didn’t do it alone, Lorna. You were so calm…you didn’t even seem nervous.”

“Oh, I was nervous. Believe me. The only difference is that I’ve been trained to deal with a situation like that. You two though…I can’t tell you enough what it means to everyone here that you did what you did.”

“Thanks,” Mason said. “I’d like to do something to help. I know it’ll be tough for them coming back outside as the days go on. I was thinking maybe I could send over a jungle gym for the kids to play in and maybe get some patio sets and stuff for the women, so they don’t have to sit on the blankets and picnic tables anymore. If it’s okay with you.”

Tears formed in the corner of Lorna’s eyes at Mason’s thoughtful gesture. “That would be wonderful. Thank you.”

“Consider it done then.” Lorna nodded.

We waved at them as we left the building. The parking lot was still teeming with police officers as we made our way to Mason’s Range Rover.

I wanted nothing more than to be back at Mason’s with him holding me in his arms, where I knew I’d feel safe. Where it felt more like home than my actual one.

CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

When we got back to the beach house, Ellie and I had lain on the couch for hours. She seemed content to be in my arms. I was pretty sure we were both replaying what had happened at the shelter over and over in our minds, thinking how if one thing had changed it could have ended very differently.

We hadn’t spoken much since the car, where Ellie had insisted she was okay. I didn’t see how she could be. Yet again another situation she wouldn’t have found herself in if not for me.

When I’d seen the guy pointing the gun in Ellie’s direction there was no question I was going to step in. I may not have been able to help my mom when I was younger, but I was no kid now, and there was no way in hell I was gonna let some abusive asshole harm another person I cared about.

My stomach growled, and Ellie looked up at me. I guess nature still called even in the aftermath of near-death experiences. “Are you getting hungry?”

“There’s no rush.” I gave her a squeeze.

She pushed up off of my chest. “I could go for something. Want to order a pizza?”

“Pizza sounds good, sure.” She began to get up off the couch, but I caught her arm before she got that far. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

She said nothing for a beat, looking into my eyes as if she was deciding what she wanted to say. “I’m still a little freaked…I mean…I’m not sure it’s really set in yet.”

“I knew it. Come here—” I reached out to pull her in but she put her hand out in front of me.

“Wait, let me finish. It’s also made me realize something.”

“What’s that?”

“It’s cliché, but life’s short. If things had gone bad there today it could have been all over. And here I’ve been worrying about what a bunch of people I don’t know think about me, what they’re saying about me. You know what? Who cares? Who are they to me? No one. If they choose to believe the lies and think the worst of me than so be it. I don’t care anymore. I’m going to live my life and do my best to carry on without worrying what a bunch of strangers think of me.”

I felt my grin split my face in two. “I think that’s a good way to look at it.” She’d learned in a few short weeks what it took me years to figure out.

“And I know what I’m gonna do about it, too.” The excitement on her face was palpable.

“Do tell.”

“I’ll do better than that. I’ll show you.”

“Mmm. Does you showing me involve all or part of you being naked?”

She laughed. “Sorry to disappoint, but no.” I stuck my bottom lip out and she giggled again. After today I was glad to see her smile. “I’m not going to tell you what it is…I’m just going to do it before I lose my nerve, but I’ll definitely show it to you.”

“So mysterious, Miss Wagner.”

“So curious, Mr. Nash.” She planted a chaste kiss on my lips and got up to order the pizza.