Notorious

By Davis Leanne

Luke Tyler wants peace from the grief that has ruled his life in the three years since his wife's death. Instead he is forced to share a house with Kelly Reeves as they care for their shared nephew. He dislikes everything about Kelly until he begins to glimpse the true woman hiding beneath the notorious reputation that Kelly has carefully created. Kelly thought her trip to the small town of Seaclusion, Washington, would be nothing but a forgettable two-week vacation. Then she accidentally witnesses Luke's staggering grief and suddenly reevaluates what is truly important. Soon, Luke becomes the only person she trusts past the facade she has cultivated. Kelly believes their love can conquer all, but Luke isn't convinced. Kelly is forced back to her life of fame and fortune, making Luke question which is riskier--letting her walk away or running after her?

• Language: English
• Publisher: The Wild Rose Press
• Release date: Mar 14, 2014
• ISBN: 9781628301342

Book preview

Poison

Chapter One

Luke Tyler tugged at the tuxedo collar constricting his neck, while trying to ignore the crowd of people who gazed up at him. Instead he stared at the bright, shiny, brass colors of the crucifix. He flinched when the strands of the music started. God, he hated that sound, these people, and most of all being in this wedding.

He tried to focus on the crowd, the flowers, his brother, John, who was the groom, anything at all, in order to avoid staring at Kelly Reeves, who was coming down the aisle as maid of honor for her sister, Cassie Reeves.

Kelly stopped at the altar and smiled at him. Luke shifted his gaze over her head to look at the giant mural hanging from the back of the church. No way would he stare at Kelly while she walked down the aisle where he once walked his own bride.

The music rose into the swells of the wedding march. John’s usual stern face, relaxed into a lopsided grin when his bride appeared at the back of the church. Luke shifted his feet, tugged at his sleeves, and stared at the smudge on his shoe, anything to keep from watching the bride and groom. Anything to ignore the breath-stealing pain squeezing his heart. He shouldn’t be up here. Not alone. Not without his wife. Not with Kelly Reeves opposite him.

When Cassie’s blonde head came into view, her curves swathed in a gown of white, her image wavered for Luke. He had a severe case of déjà vu. He pictured himself, seven years ago, at this very altar, watching his own bride walk down the aisle. Shelly should be there in her beautiful, voluminous dress and brunette hair. But she wasn’t. She was dead. He shook his head trying to block out the images of his dead wife.

The ceremony was a blur. Little things stood out. Smiles, rings exchanged, words exchanged, and Kelly speaking with surprising eloquence about her sister. Luke did his duty well. He smiled when he should and watched the ceremony dry-eyed while pretending he was present today and not lost in painful memories.

Finally, it ended. John and Cassie kissed and smiled as if the world were just starting. They walked down the aisle to a standing ovation of clapping and whistles from the crowd. Luke took Kelly’s elbow and followed the bride and groom, all the while resenting the hell out of Kelly infringing on his memories of this sacred spot. The minute they stepped through the back doors, he dropped Kelly’s skinny arm.

In the church vestibule, they were met with a blinding explosion of lights. Cameras snapped and flashed in a hurried frenzy, the photographers resembling piranhas around blood.

Luke sighed and turned his face away from the spectacle. He wanted nothing more than to get out of the suffocating church and all the flashbacks it created. But instead, here they were, trapped in a funnel of cameras and voices, and it was all because of Kelly.

Her status as a famous supermodel was being exacerbated by her current scandal of sleeping with married leading man, Brett Carlton. Their tawdry affair was the buzz of Hollywood and the reason so many reporters from tabloids followed Kelly here, to their little town in the middle of nowhere.

Kelly used her bouquet of flowers to block her face. According to Cassie, who took her sister’s ridiculous lifestyle and fame with an ease Luke didn’t understand, Kelly didn’t seek out attention. Cassie claimed Kelly did everything she could to avoid the paparazzi. Cassie would say Kelly hadn’t meant for any of the media to know she was here in Seaclusion, Washington, attending her sister’s wedding. But Luke didn’t buy it. Kelly planned for her itinerary to be leaked in hopes of receiving this kind of attention.

And this was one of the reasons he so disliked her. He found her lifestyle disgusting. He’d had the displeasure of spending large quantities of time with Kelly when she came to town to visit Cassie, and Cassie’s seven-year-old son, Tim. Cassie had moved into the house John and Luke shared, so to Luke’s dismay, any time Kelly was in town, she became his roommate.

Kelly pretended to look stunned at the buzz of media in the stifling church vestibule. Father Thomas herded her out as if she were the bride, again taking attention from Cassie. Once Kelly was out of the cameras’ view, the incessant flashing of lights stopped and the half dozen reporters scattered out into the parking lot like a stain of ink spreading over a white shirt. They were in a hurry to leave now, no doubt planning to follow Kelly onto the reception.

There was one reception venue in town, the same one Luke and Shelly had used. He was reliving his entire wedding day. But this time he was all alone.

He tried to convince Cassie to have a beach-front ceremony. But Cassie was too afraid of Western Washington’s weather to attempt an outside June wedding. Luke hoped to avoid a day like this one, re-living his own wedding while he was best man for his brother. But if they’d had an outdoor ceremony, they’d all be part of this media fiasco, much more than they already were.

By the time Luke got to the reception hall, the reception line was long and filled with just about every person who had attended Shelly’s and his wedding, seven years ago. Cassie had a handful of people to stand up for her. Kelly drawing attention away from her was inexcusable.

Luke made a bee-line for the bar. Maybe a beer would ease the knot in his gut. The reception was going to be harder than the wedding because now, he had to socialize. Every family member and longtime family friend had been at his wedding, and his wife’s funeral. There was no getting around everyone’s pity and discomfort at facing him. There would be the hugs and handshakes, followed by the words of sympathy and sorrow, all capped off by some lame-ass excuse to get away from him.

Their discomfort about talking to him was tangible. It was excruciating to keep up his pleasant façade. Yes, he was doing fine. Yes, he was keeping busy and excited about moving into his new condo while John and Cassie were on their honeymoon. He smiled, shook hands and hugged, doing his best to put all the well-wishers at ease. He’d become the master of it. The perfect smile, hug, and tone of voice did the trick of convincing people he was all right and getting them off his back. Most believed him. Even his mother wanted to.

Too bad it was all a pathetic act. One maintained until Shelly’s parents, his former in-laws, came walking up to him.

Luke didn’t think they would be able to stomach coming back to Seaclusion, especially for a wedding. After Shelly died, they relocated to Arizona, where they had previously only spent the winter months. He blinked his eyes against the painful prick of tears when Shelly’s mom grabbed him in a crushing hug. Tears streamed unchecked down her face. She hugged him without speaking. They seldom spoke of Shelly, yet they talked at least once a month. They understood each other like no one else could, simply, they were here, alive and physically present, but their hearts were long withered and dead.

****

Kelly shuffled her feet, twirled her wine glass, and watched the liquid spin, anything to avoid looking around. She was being stared at, even whispered about. And she wasn’t being paranoid. Groups of women were looking at her and talking as they nodded her way. She was a giraffe, standing in a flock of birds. She was the tall, freakish outsider who was always in the public eye; therefore, it was okay in people’s minds to talk about her. They often did it while she was standing right in front of them. Like right now.

You’re not looking so glamorous now, standing there all alone.

Kelly spun around to find Sarah Langston walking up to her, in a short sun-dress, with her dark hair bouncing on her shoulders. Was Sarah going to talk to her? Anything was better than standing there alone. Sarah was dating John when Cassie showed up in town over a year ago. John ended up splitting with Sarah and falling back in love with his old flame, Cassie. The weird part was that Sarah disliked Kelly being in town even more than she disliked Cassie. Sarah, as most citizens of Seaclusion, disapproved of her lifestyle.

Why does the entire town have to be afraid of me?

What about all those paparazzi? You had nothing to do with them?

Of course, I didn’t. Have you ever seen me drag my work to town? Especially paparazzi?

Do you ever let anything be about your sister?

I didn’t do it on purpose.

Sarah’s gaze traveled over her. Well, you’ll have to forgive all us small town people of being weary of you. Paparazzi broke into our church! We’ve never seen anything like that spectacle before.

I didn’t plan it. Kelly shuffled her feet, her high heel squeaked on the ground.

Are you sure?

Kelly rolled her eyes. Of course, I’m sure. I had no idea they’d be out there until the back doors were opened.

You’re notorious, for everything from who you’re sleeping with, to what you’re wearing. You had to know they’d stalk you to such an important event as your sister’s wedding.

Kelly flipped her long, red hair. Believe what you want. I made every effort to keep this a secret. Come off it, you may hate my lifestyle, but you know how I feel about my sister. You know I’d never do anything to hurt her.

You might not plan it, but everything about your life hurts your sister. So it’s hard to feel sorry for you. Try being a little less of a walking scandal, and maybe people would want you around more.

I deserve to have my life ripped apart in public because I’m famous, right? It just so happens to be a nasty side effect of my chosen profession, and not something I enjoy. There was no sympathy for her. She deserved the invasion of privacy for having chosen to be a model. Kelly glanced at Sarah and asked, So how was it watching my sister marry your ex?

You’ve been waiting to rub that in, haven’t you? And for your information, I was glad, to see a couple so happy. I was never in love with John.

You were just sore to lose out to my sister.

I was a sore loser for a while. But Cassie and I have moved past it.

So what do you want anyways? You don’t like me.

Sarah tapped her finger against her thigh. I guess I could see where it might be awkward to be you, coming to this town. No one will even come up to you, will they?

No, they won’t. But you did. She hadn’t considered Sarah much of anything, after Sarah’s blatant dislike of her. But maybe having someone besides Cassie and Tim talk to her in Seaclusion might be a nice change. She pointed toward Luke and asked, Who is Luke hugging? I’ve met so many of their relatives, I can’t keep them straight.

Sarah turned and glanced to where Kelly motioned. Those are Shelly’s parents.

Oh. Shit. Dead wife’s parents. God, that couldn’t be easy for Luke.

They moved right after the funeral and haven’t been back since.

Kelly turned back to Sarah. Did you know Shelly?

I knew of her.

What was she like?

She was ten years older than I. She was a real estate agent who was born and raised here. She left for college, where she met Luke. He got on at the high school, teaching math, and they soon bought Shelly’s parents’ home to start a family. Then…you know the rest. I was away at college when she was in the car accident. It was terrible. Everyone was so worried about Luke.

Are they still?

I don’t know. He seems better. He’s the most popular teacher at the high school. When Shelly died, Luke stopped everything for a while. When he came back, he was never the same. He keeps everyone at arm’s length. Sarah paused, her eyebrows raised. How come you don’t know all this?

Kelly shrugged and grimaced. Like you, Luke hates me. So I don’t talk to him.

I don’t hate you.

You don’t?

No, just your lifestyle.

A lifestyle that I don’t live while I’m here. Why can’t you give me a chance? I’m really not all that bad.

Sarah narrowed her eye, finally she nodded. What do you have in mind?

I’ll be in town all week, taking care of Tim while Cassie is on her honeymoon. What if I stop by on your lunch hour and we can have lunch?

What makes you think I want to?

What time? Kelly persisted.

Noon, you idiot, just like every other working adult.

Great, see you then.

Sarah groaned out loud but smiled, shaking her head while she walked away. Sarah owned a shop on Main Street in Seaclusion.

After standing alone for over an hour at her sister’s wedding, it was time she found some kind of friend in this stupid town beyond her sister. And since Sarah had come up to her, why not start with her?

Luke and Shelly’s mom were still speaking. He had his hand on her back as he bent close to her. It pained Kelly. How could it not? Luke was thirty-four and already a widower, and had been for three years. Each time she looked at him, she pictured what it must have been like the moment he got the call saying his wife had been killed in a car accident. Shelly was pregnant when it happened, which made it sickening to imagine.

And no matter how much Luke detested her, her heart ached for him. No one deserved that kind of loss. Luke didn’t like her, but he was good to her sister and wonderful to her nephew, Tim. Tim was the only person who Luke showed any real feelings toward. Luke was somehow too nice, too polite, too perfect-acting for it to be real. He used it to deflect everyone’s pity. And everyone let him do it. Everyone stood there, pretending to be so glad for Luke to be moving into his new condo. They seemed to take the condo as proof Luke had moved on, as if a new address somehow represented Luke was doing fine. If Luke was busy, then he must be okay. Even his mother tried to believe it.

Too bad it was a bald-faced lie. It made everyone feel better to believe that lie, than to ask for the truth.

Except her. Luke didn’t pretend with her. He downright snarled at her. He gave her dirty looks, scowled, walked away when she entered a room, and had no problem telling her what he thought of things she said or did.

If she had to come to this small, judgmental, afraid-to-talk-to-her town, then her one distraction was going to be Luke. She said things to set off his temper, sarcasm, and annoyance with her. Why not? It was too easy; he believed everything bad about her anyway. And for the five minutes he was annoyed with her, he seemed a little less tragic, a little less lost, and a little more normal. It was worth it even if it exacerbated his foul opinion of her.

Chapter Two

Luke stood alone, his face pale, the pain he so carefully kept in check, starkly apparent. Shelly’s parents headed for the doors to leave, and by their posture, they were nearly beside themselves with tears. It must have been an excruciatingly sad reunion, leaving both Luke and them devastated. Cassie was watching Luke, concern etched in her face. Kelly sighed. If anyone could distract Luke from his pain, it was she.

Hey there, brother. I was thinking we should toast officially being family now.

Luke turned toward her. She put a beer in his hand. His stricken expression changed to anger at her sudden appearance. His blue eyes stared into her eyes for a long moment, and then he looked over her shoulder, clearly dismissing her. Her toes curled at the slight.

She could handle the entire citizenship of Seaclusion’s disapproval of her, but for some reason, this one man’s utter disdain of her hit her gut with surprising force. She didn’t know why it was exactly, that she was so concerned that Luke Tyler thought so little of her. But she’d cared ever since the first time he turned his face away from her with a sneer of disgust.

She smiled wider at his frown. She had a huge smile, a smile that graced more magazines than she bothered to count, but right then, it took all her professional ability to keep her smile in place when faced with Luke’s glacial response to her.

You and I are not officially anything. Nothing more than we were three hours ago. Which, in fact, is less than nothing to each other.

Sure we are, we’re some kind of in-laws. Our siblings are married, so we’re like siblings in-law.

That’s the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard. And the last thing I am is related to you.

You know what they say, you can’t choose your family.

Family? You don’t know the meaning of the word. And you are most definitely not my family.

I know the meaning of the word.

Her tone stopped him, and he glanced at her. She continued, "Just take a drink, and pretend you’re having a good time talking to me so that my sister, who is definitely my family, quits looking over here like she’s about to start crying for you on her wedding day."

Luke glanced over at John and Cassie. His jaw tightened. Luke took the beer and nodded his thanks to her, as he gave her a strained smile. Then he took his drink and abruptly turned and left her alone.

The rest of the evening, Kelly did her best to stay in the vicinity of Cassie and John. She took pictures of them, talked and laughed with them, sat next to them, and toasted them. She was John’s first dance after Cassie. And finally, after every wedding tradition had been performed, dancing opened up, and there was a full dance floor almost immediately.

Kelly tried to remain out of view, in the corner of the room, hoping people were over the novelty of her and bored from looking at her. She was tired of it now and had no desire to try and pretend it was fine anymore.

She was standing there, quietly watching John dance with Cassie as they swayed intimately to a slow song, when she was suddenly jostled from behind by two men, in their early twenties.

Hey there, model. Wanna dance?

No.

Come on! Give a guy a thrill, well beyond what you’ve already given us.

Her nude photos graced hundreds of websites and magazines. She didn’t usually react to comments about it, but right now, she was at her sister’s wedding and distasteful wasn’t funny tonight.

I said, no.

Why not? It’s just a dance. We’ve already done far more together.

I don’t want to.

What? You think you’re too good for us?

Kelly shuffled her feet. She turned her back on the boys.

One of them grabbed her arm to turn her back toward them. She yanked her arm from their fingers with a snarl. She was used to turning guys down, used to them thinking that because they’d seen pictures of her naked, they somehow had an in with her. Or that she was something to them. She so wasn’t.

But she didn’t want to deal with this tonight. Not here or in this town. But of course, it was a fact of her life that she should have expected. The later it got on a Saturday night, the sooner proper behavior toward her would dwindle. But this wasn’t just any Saturday night, and she didn’t want to cause a spectacle at her sister’s wedding.

The man’s lip curled up and his eyes narrowed.

Kelly sighed. Look, I’m sorry I don’t want to dance with you, and I don’t want a scene, so please, just leave me alone.

What kinda porn star are you anyways? What a bitch, one of the guys said his tone far louder than necessary. It caused several of the Tyler family members to turn toward her.

Better than a son of a bitch, a man’s voice cut in sharply from behind Kelly. Kelly turned, startled, as Luke came up behind her and took her arm. Come on, we’re dancing. Then Luke glanced at the two guys and said, Get lost.

Instantly, the situation was diffused, and Kelly was in Luke’s embrace, dancing. She glanced back at the creep who made the scene as he scowled after them, then turned and blended into the crowd. There were a few lingering stares, but for the most part, people went back to their business. And to her relief, Cassie and John were off talking to John’s parents, and none of them had witnessed the episode.

Thank you.

You know as well as I do that you didn’t need any rescuing. I was just trying to prevent an unnecessary scene for Cassie’s sake.

I wasn’t the one acting inappropriately, he was. Who is he, by the way? Family?

I don’t think he was an actual guest. I suppose you wouldn’t know that.

Know what?

Half the guests here aren’t our guests.

Because of me? You’re kidding, right? People came just to see me?

Yeah. Come off it, you’re used to it.

Yes, but it doesn’t mean I always expect it. Thank you, even if you were just saving the wedding.

I owed you. For earlier.

They were quiet then. The music surrounded them, Luke’s arms encircled her. He held her with surprising strength and guided their movements with self-confidence. He was not only a good dancer, but she was physically reacting to him. His blond hair caught the lights off the dance floor, his blue eyes were suddenly close and compelling. His face, usually so at ease, looked intense no doubt due to her nearness to him. But still, it was hard not to feel an attraction toward him.

If only she weren’t an inch taller than he in her heels! But she was wearing heels so she was taller than Luke, ruining any effect she could have over him. No man wanted his woman to be taller. Luke and she stood eye-to-eye on flat feet. A fact that she used to drive him nuts over the past few months during many of their infantile squabbles and silent standoffs. All she had to do was put on any of her high heels and she was instantly taller.

Did you hear what they said to me?

Yeah.

I suppose you think I deserve it. I know what you think of my career, and you’re pretty clear what you think of me and my life choices.

Luke sighed and rolled his eyes. I don’t think you deserve to be hassled after you said no.

For the record, I’m no porn star. I’ve never crossed that kind of line.

And if you had, you still would have every right to say no to anyone you want to.

I know that. I’m glad to see you know that. But just for the record, so we’re clear, I’m not a porn star.

Fine. Noted. Just for the record, I don’t particularly care.

You were just making sure I didn’t make a scene?

Was I supposed to do something more?

No, Kelly said, her tone flat. She turned her head so he couldn’t see her grimace. For a second, she wanted to believe Luke had defended her honor or some archaic thing such as that. But no, Luke was only shutting her up.

And for the record, you’re a lot of things, but I don’t think you deserve being called a bitch for not dancing with some drunk. The song ended, and he let her go, disappearing into the crowd.

****

By the time the reception wound down, it was nearly one o’clock. Tim had been sent home with John’s parents, and the bride and groom left for their hotel room. Mostly the younger crowd remained to party and dance. Kelly stayed only because she was paying back a favor. To Luke. He just didn’t realize it.

After their dance earlier, Luke avoided her. So did everyone else. She kept tabs on Luke. He started to get drunk. It was probably the only way Luke could get through this night. Now, he was finally good and