The Real Thing Read online

Logan couldn’t get Raine out of his mind. The house was empty without her in it. He couldn’t sleep. He couldn’t paint. He could barely breathe. Which gave him a hell of a lot of time to think and wonder if he’d made the right decision. Her marriage to this actor wasn’t real. Would being her guy on the side be so bad?

  His head said it would, but the hollow feeling in his chest said otherwise.

  Cursing, he threw down his paintbrush and went upstairs to change into shorts and a T-shirt. Maybe a long run would exhaust him so much he wouldn’t have the energy to think of Raine.

  He was just headed back downstairs when the doorbell rang. Whoever it was, he didn’t want any. Unless it was Raine. He wanted her and everything that came with her.

  Shit.

  He jogged down the last few steps and opened the door to find his sister standing there. Two years younger than he was, Lydia was tall with wavy, brown hair and eyes as dark as his. It wasn’t unusual for her to stop by unannounced, but she didn’t usually do it in the middle of the work day.

  “You didn’t tell me that you were dating Raine Montgomery.”

  Logan closed the door behind her. Lydia stood in the middle of the entryway, her arms folded across her chest, her eyes accusing.

  “I’m not.”

  He strode past her into the living room. His sister followed.

  “That’s not what The National Investigator says.”

  He frowned. “The what?”

  “The National Investigator,” she repeated, holding up a newspaper. “They say she spent a very romantic weekend here with you.”

  Logan took the newspaper from his sister, his eyes narrowing. On the front cover big as life was a picture of him kissing Raine beside her car. He stared at in disbelief.

  “So?” Lydia prodded when he said nothing. “Are you two an item, or what?”

  He clenched his jaw. “No.”

  Logan tossed the newspaper down on the coffee table and stormed into the kitchen.

  His sister picked up the paper and followed. “So, they just picked you out of all the men in world and Photoshopped the pictures to make it look like the two of you are involved?”

  Logan sighed and leaned back against the counter. He and Lydia had always been close, so if he wanted to confide in anyone, it would be her. Maybe talking about Raine would be cathartic.

  “We met a few weeks ago when I was up at the cabin,” he finally said. “She was on her way to some spa when her car slid off the road. I gave her a ride into the nearest town, but with the snow everything had already closed, so I ended up taking her to the cabin instead.”

  “That doesn’t explain this.” Lydia held up the newspaper. “Where does the kiss outside your house come in?”

  He shrugged. “She came by the gallery to look at my work and ended up spending the weekend.”

  “Ah.” His sister regarded him thoughtfully. “You know she’s getting married in two days, right?”

  He clenched his jaw. “I didn’t until she told me.”

  “Which, I’m guessing from the look on you face, wasn’t until after you two slept together.”

  “Yeah.” He stared down at the floor. “She says she’s only marrying this guy to help get her career back on track, that it isn’t even going to be a real marriage.” He shook his head, as if it should be as completely obvious to his sister as it was to him that this was the dumbest thing he’d ever heard. “She wanted us to keep seeing each other on the side.”

  “And you told her no.”

  “Damn right I did. I’m not going to sneak around like a freaking criminal and check into sleazy pay-by-the-hour motels under a fake name just to see her.”

  Lydia’s mouth curved. “Somehow, I doubt they’d be dirty hotel rooms. This is Raine Montgomery we’re talking about here, you know.”

  “It doesn’t matter what kind of hotel it is. I’m still not doing it, regardless of how I feel about her.”

  “Have you even told her how you feel about her?”

  “Why bother? It wouldn’t change anything.”

  “Because if she knew how you felt, maybe she wouldn’t be marrying Cameron Kincade. It’s possible she’d give up the whole charade for a shot at the real thing.”

  He snorted. Right. “You don’t know Raine. Her career is her number one priority, and she’ll do whatever it takes to further that career. Nothing I say is going to change her mind.”

  “Maybe you’re right,” Lydia conceded. “But it’s also possible you’re wrong. She came up here to see you a week before her wedding. That tells me you’re pretty damn important to her.”

  Obviously not that important if she was going to marry another man.

  “Logan, do you love her?”

  He wanted to say no, but the word wouldn’t come out. “I don’t know. Maybe.”

  “Well, you better figure it out, bro, because she’s getting married in two days. You owe it to yourself to at least tell her how you feel before it’s too late.”

  When he said nothing, she sighed. “Look, I gotta go, or I’ll be late getting back to work.” She tossed the newspaper on the counter. “Do yourself a favor and take my advice. Tell Raine how you feel, or you’re going to regret it for the rest of your life.”

  As the front door closed, Logan’s gaze went to the copy of The National Investigator on the counter. He picked it up and studied the photo of him and Raine. It was hard to look at her without his chest tightening up.

  When Lydia had asked if he loved Raine, he’d said he didn’t know because he honestly didn’t. What he felt for Raine was more intense than anything he’d ever felt for another woman, that was for damn sure. But he’d only known her a few weeks. Was it possible to fall in love that quickly? Or was he just confusing lust with love?

  He swore under his breath and tossed the newspaper on the counter. He’d thought going for a run would help take his mind off Raine, but thanks to his sister, he was more pre-occupied than before. Lydia’s advice was sound, but he wasn’t sure he had the courage to take it. What if he confessed his feelings to Raine—whatever they were—and she didn’t feel the same? She’d said she wanted to keep seeing him on the side. That wasn’t the same thing as love. And she’d made it clear she needed to go through with this marriage for her career. Why the hell would she give everything up just because a small-time artist from Seattle thought he was in love with her? Did he even have the right to put her in that kind of position—make her choose between him and her career?

  Raine’s wedding day should have been the happiest of her life, but when it dawned sunny and beautiful, all she could do was groan and pull the covers over her head. God, how she wished she could stay in bed all day.

  But there was hair to style, make-up to put on, and pictures to take. Reginald had even arranged for her to do an interview with Modern Bride before she left for the church. Along with exclusive photos, the magazine would get to hear all about how she prepared for the big day.

  “And don’t worry about anyone mentioning McBride,” her manager had assured her when she’d protested. “I told the media he’s an old lover who was wishing you well on your marriage.”

  At the end of the day, everyone wanted this to be a fairy tale wedding, so they were willing to overlook anything that got in the way.

  And Modern Bride was just the beginning. E! would be filming during the ceremony and the reception that followed. There’d be other film crews as well, along with a horde of photographers. Which was as it should be, Reginald had insisted.

  “Your wedding to Cameron is the major Hollywood event.”

  So, Raine smiled like the actress she was while the photographers from Modern Bride snapped her picture. After the interview, it was into the limo for the drive to the church, during which she sat in silence while Chloe alternated between reading through Reginald’s list of last-minute instructions and trying to talk her out of going through with the wedding. Raine only listened with half an ear. Everything was starting to move too quickly for her
to keep up with, like a movie on fast forward. But like with everything else in her life, it didn’t matter. Chloe and Reginald would be there to nudge her in the right direction. She was simply an actress playing her part.

  They arrived at the church to find flocks of fans waiting to get their first glimpse of the bride. As she stepped out of the limo, Raine forced herself to smile, afraid if she didn’t, everyone would see how her heart was breaking. It had been slowly doing so ever since she’d left Logan, but it had never felt more painful than it did today. Arriving at the church had been the final straw. She was about to throw away what was probably the best thing that had ever happened to her. And for what, so she could stay on the A-list a little bit longer?

  Reginald whisked her and Chloe into the small retiring room in the back of the church, then left again.

  “It’s not too late to change your mind, you know,” her friend said.

  Raine set her bouquet down on the table. “Yes, it is.”

  Chloe opened her mouth to almost certainly argue otherwise, but a soft knock on the door interrupted her. Muttering something under her breath, she picked up the skirt of her maid of honor gown and went to answer it. Hoping her friend would send whoever it was away, Raine wandered over to the window.

  “Raine,” Chloe said softly from behind her. “There’s someone here to see you.”

  Raine’s breath hitched.

  Logan!

  Pulse racing, she whirled around. Her eyes went wide at the sight of the middle-aged couple standing there.

  “Mom. Dad.” She hadn’t seen them in so long she almost didn’t recognize them. “I thought you said you weren’t coming.”

  Her mother gave her a tremulous smile. “We almost didn’t. But then we realized how much of your life we’ve already missed since you left home. We didn’t want to miss any more. Certainly not your wedding day.”

  She held out her arms and Raine rushed into them, hugging first her mother, then her father.

  “You look so beautiful.” Her mother’s eyes went wide. “Oh! I almost forgot.” She opened her small purse and took out a jewelry box. Inside, was an antique heart-shaped locket. “This is for you. It’s been in our family for generations. Your great--grandmother wore it at her wedding, you grandmother wore it at hers, I wore it when I married your father, and now that you’re marrying the man you love, I hope you’ll wear it.”

  Raine swallowed hard. If she truly were marrying the man she loved, she would be honored to wear it. But wearing it to this sham of a wedding would be a slap in the face to generations of women in her family. How could she tell her mother that, though?

  “Raine?” her mother prompted when she didn’t answer.

  She tried to speak, but nothing would come out. Luckily, Chloe came to the rescue.

  “Here, why don’t you let me put it on for you?”

  Taking the locket, she put it around Raine’s neck and fastened the clasp. To Raine, it might as well have been a noose.

  In the main part of the church, the Wedding March began to play. Chloe handed Raine her bouquet.

  “I think that’s our cue,” she said quietly.

  Raine’s father offered his arm. “Shall we?”

  She nodded, tears welling in her eyes. Out in the hallway, Reginald nodded approvingly as one trickled down her cheek.

  “The tears are a nice touch,” he said in her ear as she and her father made her way to the chapel. “There won’t be a dry eye in the house after your performance today.”

  Raine wasn’t sure how she didn’t lose it completely. She’d spent so much of her life faking it, that no one could even tell when her heart was really tearing in two.

  Logan barely made his flight. Of course, if he’d taken Lydia’s advice and gone to LA two days ago, he wouldn’t be sitting on a plane scared to death he was going to be too late to stop the wedding.

  He’d spent the past two days trying to figure out what he felt for Raine, only to finally come up with the answer his gut had tried to tell him all along—he was in love with her. And he’d be damned if he was going to let her marry some other man without telling her. He had no absolutely no clue what he was going to say yet. He’d make it up when he got there.

  If he got to the church on time. Between the delay taking off from Seattle and waiting to disembark at LAX, he was cutting it damn close. Unfortunately, Los Angeles traffic didn’t see fit to help him out. How the hell did anyone live in a place this fucking crowded? Less than five minutes from the airport, the cab slowed to a crawl and stayed that way.

  Logan swore under his breath as he glanced at his watch. It was less than ten minutes to the ceremony. Unless he made it to the church before then, Raine was going to become Mrs. Cameron Kincade. Anything he had to say after that wouldn’t matter.

  “How long until we get there?” he asked the cab driver.

  The guy glanced at him in the rearview mirror. “In midday traffic? You’ll be lucky if I can get you there in an hour.”

  Fuck.

  He should have left earlier. No, he should have left two days ago.

  Cursing his own stupidity, he flopped back in the seat and raked his hand through his hair as the minutes ticked away. First five, then ten, then fifteen, then thirty. He was too late. By the time he got to the church, the ceremony would be over.

  He leaned forward to tell the cab driver to turn around and go back to the airport when a gleam of silver caught his attention. He turned to see an old-fashioned looking diner on his right. At first he didn’t recognize it, but then the name slowly registered. Joe’s Place.

  Logan’s mouth quirked. How was that for irony?

  “Let me out here.”

  Digging in his back pocket for his wallet, Logan handed the man enough to cover the cab ride and a tip, then got out. He didn’t know why he was going into the diner—he sure as hell wasn’t hungry. But something drew him, and so he went.

  It was like any other diner—small and shiny and looking like it belonged on the set of Happy Days—but the minute he stepped inside he saw why Raine liked it so much. Despite the crowd, it wasn’t cramped or noisy. The high-backed vinyl booths probably had something to do with that. They gave you a sense of privacy, which was probably why Raine liked to come here so much.

  The teenage girl behind the counter came over to take his order as soon as he sat down. She tucked a strand of platinum blond hair behind her ear.

  “What can I get you?”

  “Just coffee,” he said. “Wait. And a slice of pumpkin pie. Someone told me you make the best.”

  The girl gave him an apologetic look. “We just sold the last piece.”

  Figures. When you snooze, you lose, right? “Just the coffee, then. Where are your restrooms?”

  “Straight back and to the right.”

  Logan slid off the stool and headed in that direction, only to stop in his tracks. Raine sat in the back booth. She was dressed in a wedding gown, her long, blond hair piled up on her head except for the few waves that framed her face. Her head was down and she was absently moving something around on her plate with her fork. Pumpkin pie.

  His mouth twitched.

  He forced himself to move, approaching her slowly, afraid she was a hallucination that might disappear. But she didn’t disappear. She didn’t look up, either, though. Not even when he stopped beside her table.

  “Funny place for a wedding reception,” he said softly.

  Raine stared at Logan. She had to be imagining him. A side-effect of too much stress and too little sleep. Because daydreaming of her lover had never conjured him up before.

  “Do you mind if I sit?”

  She was afraid to even shake her head, terrified he’d disappear if he did. But he didn’t disappear.

  “Wh-what are you doing here?”

  “I could ask you the same thing.”

  “I asked you first.”

  “Fair enough.” His mouth edged up. “I came to stop the wedding.”

  She frowned.
“You were at the church?”

  He shook his head. “I was in a cab sitting in traffic. I thought I was too late, though, and decided to tell the cabbie to take me back to the airport when I saw the diner. I don’t know what made me come in, but I’m glad I did.”

  Raine blinked. “You came to stop the wedding?”

  “Yeah.” His dark eyes searched her face. “So, if you just got married, what the hell are you doing sitting here alone?”

  She clasped her hands in front of her to stop them from trembling. “I didn’t get married. I was about to walk up the aisle, but when I saw Cameron standing at the altar waiting for me, I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t marry him.”

  She didn’t mention the scene she’d made fleeing the church. She’d mumbled something to her stunned father, then dropped her bouquet and bolted out the door like some runaway bride. With crowds of fans outside, there had been no way to slip out without being seen, but fortunately her limo driver was there to whisk her away to the one place in all of Hollywood where she could go to be alone—Joe’s Place. Reginald was probably still at the church trying to spin things for the press.

  “Why did you change your mind?” Logan asked.

  She took a deep breath, almost afraid to say the words. “Because I love you.”

  Raine waited for him to say something, but he only sat there gazing at her. Okay, maybe putting herself out there like that hadn’t been such hot idea.

  She chewed on her lower lip. “Isn’t this the part where you say something to me?”

  “Like, I love you, too? Because I do. And if I wasn’t so damn stupid I would have told you that before you left Seattle.” He got to his feet and taking her hand in his, dropping to one knee beside her. “Marry me, Raine.”

  Tears filled her eyes, happy ones this time. Not only did Logan love her—which would have been enough all on its own—but he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her.

  Down on one knee before her, Logan suddenly looked unsure of himself. “Isn’t this the part where you say something to me?”

  “Oh!” She giggled, embarrassed. “Yes! Yes! Yes!”

  He pulled her to her feet and into his arms, his mouth coming down on hers in a kiss that made her heart do a triple-flip.