“That’s smart of you, Mer,” Josh said, using a nickname he hadn’t earned the rights to and showing that he wasn’t smart enough to realize he shouldn’t be part of this conversation. “Cruz goes through women like they’re water under his board.” He sneered at Cruz, turning quickly back to Meredith as Cruz gave him a threatening glare. “I would hate for a beautiful sweetheart like you to be another casualty of his unfaithfulness.”
“Excuse me?” Cruz was dumbfounded by the player claiming he was the one who used and discarded women, and he was sickened by the disappointed, hurt look in Meredith’s eyes. It was doubtful she’d give him a chance after hearing that, especially as there were many, many pictures of him online that women snapped and shared of him. They declared all manner of dating statuses with him. It didn’t matter if there was any truth to their claims. Social media loved to fester with stories like that about a single, well-known extreme athlete.
Cruz pointed a warning finger at Josh. “You consider this a warning. You treat me with disrespect again, and you’re fired.”
Josh clamped his mouth shut, a muscle working in his jaw. Meredith stared at Cruz as if she didn’t know who he was. The grilled steak suddenly didn’t smell so good. This was his big chance with Meredith, and thanks to Josh, it was getting all messed up.
“Cruz! Cruz Chadwick!” his production manager, Taylee, was hollering. “Get on over here and give us all a speech before we eat the delicious steak you’ve bought for us.”
Cruz stared at Meredith, begging her to not listen to Josh and to trust him. He wanted to yell at Josh to get out of here but was afraid he’d make things worse than they already were.
“Cruz! Cruz! Cruz!”
“Excuse me,” he muttered, turning and striding to Taylee’s side.
He halfway listened to Taylee bragging about him and the crowd laughing and cheering. He gave his own speech, hoping it made sense. All he could really focus on was Meredith and Josh standing close together and talking. Who knew what lies Josh was telling her or what empty flirtations he was using on her?
He finished his speech and told everyone to enjoy the party and the food. They all cheered, and he tried to hurry to Meredith’s side. She’d darted glances at him during the speech but was talking fervently to Josh as if they were best friends. Cruz’s gut stirred with anger, desperation, and jealousy. What was Josh playing at? He realized Meredith was gorgeous, one of a kind, but Josh was only concerned about another beautiful woman falling for him. He wouldn’t care that it was the woman Cruz had always wanted.
“Cruz!” He was interrupted from his march toward Meredith by a hand on his arm. He wanted to shake the person off and keep storming across the yard, but he couldn’t disregard someone like that. His mom treating him as if he had no value had made him determined to always make people know that they were important to him.
He stopped and startled. “Hope?”
“Cruz!” She grabbed him in a tight hug before pulling back and smiling happily at him. “Look at you. My superstar ex-boyfriend, all famous and handsome as ever.”
Cruz laughed. Hope was one of those people who made everybody feel good about themselves. That was more than half the reason he’d dated her most of their senior year. She was the complete opposite of his mom, and the boost to his confidence had been very needed. The other half was that first kiss they’d shared, but they’d never been able to replicate.
“You know I can only take your compliments for half because you give them so freely.”
“Oh, stop, you.” She batted a hand at him. “You look amazing, and I’m so stinking proud of all you’ve accomplished. Are you loving being the crazy athlete and all the fame?”
Cruz nodded. He did love it, and he’d worked hard to be where he was at, yet at the moment all he wanted was a chance with Meredith. He glanced around and spotted her still close to Josh, but now she was giving Cruz a very obvious glare. Dang it. What had Josh told her? Was the damage done? If he marched over there and demanded she listen to his side, would she even give him a chance? They’d been friends a long time. She’d trust him over Josh. He hoped.
He focused back on Hope. They’d dated off and on all through their senior year, but a serious relationship just wasn’t the right fit for them. They’d shared that one dynamite kiss in the pitch-black woods at a party one night, but when they’d kissed again in the woods later that night, it hadn’t even been close. As they’d kept dating, he’d tried to replicate that first kiss and even asked her about it a few times. She always regarded him strangely when he brought it up, and he was afraid he was offending her by trying to explain that their first kiss had been too incredible to compare any kiss to. He’d convinced himself it was because it was their first kiss and all dark and mysterious in the woods where he couldn’t see her.
“You look amazing too,” he said. “How’ve you been?” She was a tall, leggy blonde, beautiful, and had probably been the most well-liked girl their senior year. He’d been proud to date her, but he finally matured enough to realize it wasn’t right for them. He’d never been able to force Meredith out of his mind.
Her happy smile tugged down, but she kept it in place. “I’ve been okay. I just, um, finalized my divorce, so onward and upward, right?”
Cruz didn’t keep up much on local news, but wouldn’t Cat have told him Hope was married? “I’m so sorry, Hope. Divorce is … rough. Who did you marry?” Was that an okay question to ask? He was very, very curious, even though he was aching to get to Meredith. He glanced around and saw her still talking to Josh. Dang.
“You wouldn’t know him. I got too big for my britches and thought I’d make a go of it in Nashville. It was hard, but I was doing good with some backup singing. I made a pretty good name for myself and even opened for Cash Romeo and Hartley Raines.”
Hope had an incredible singing voice. Cruz hated to hear the end of this story. Cash Romeo and Hartley Raines were amazing performers, but he suspected something had imploded for her. Why else would she be back here?
“Then I mistakenly thought I’d fallen in love with Jake Lower. He was charming and fun. He claimed he was a successful executive for City Lights Production and could get me my own label.” She grimaced. “As it turns out, he worked in the mail room at City Lights and was just a drunk slob who liked to watch porn and smack me around. Fooled me pretty good until a few weeks into the marriage. Good enough that I stupidly gave him access to all my bank accounts, which I’m proud to say were doing all right with the acts I’d performed in. He’d cleaned them out by the time I got smart enough to dump his butt and file for divorce. He also smeared my name through the mud at City Lights, and ugly gossip spreads quick. Hartley and Cash’s fiancée Ava were attacked about that same time. He and Hartley were understandably busy dealing with their own issues, and I didn’t feel like I knew them well enough to bother them with my personal problems. My agent dumped me, and nobody was offering me opening acts any longer.” She shrugged nonchalantly, but a fat tear worked its way out of her eye and down her cheek.
“Hope.” Cruz hated to see his friend so down. He opened his arms, and she took the hug he offered, cuddling in close for a few seconds. “I’m so sorry.”