Something New Read online

  Something New

  A Lone Star Match Romance

  Megan Ryder

  Something New

  Copyright © 2017 Megan Ryder

  The Tule Publishing Group, LLC

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

  No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  ISBN: 978-1-946772-88-6

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  Dedication

  This book, as with the whole series, would not have come about without the support of a lot of people including my readers and my MTBs. In particularly, I’d like to dedicate this book to Jamie Pope – yes, the Bridesmaids are done! And thank you, Katherine Ong, who’s invaluable advice and suggestions about Texas and being a Texas girl helped form the bridesmaids and create this series.

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Copyright Page

  Dedication

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  The Lone Star Match series

  More by Megan Ryder

  About the Author

  Chapter One

  Anna Costado Publicly Berates Single Mom Waitress

  In another instance of actresses behaving badly, earlier this week, Anna Costado, who plays nighttime bad girl, Bianca St. John, on Blazing Passions, was caught in a restaurant throwing a plate at a waitress and screaming about the waitress trying to kill her. See Video here. Costado and her current leading man, Derek Harper, were enjoying breakfast at the new trendy breakfast place, Eggcalent Morning, when she had her meltdown and stormed out without paying. Harper remained to pay and act the role of a true hero, but sources tell this reporter the waitress was still fired. This is not the first public meltdown for the fiery actress. In fact, Costado has been linked to several reports of erratic behavior both on and off the set, leading to rumors of diva behavior, poor attitude, and even worse, drug or alcohol use. Her contract is due for renewal. Could we be seeing the end of Bianca St. John on Blazing Passions?

  Anna Maria Costado tossed her tablet to the other end of the sofa and made a sound of frustration. Drugs or alcohol. Why did it always have to be substance abuse when a star was caught behaving badly? Did it matter why she was upset or if it was justified? Of course not. It never mattered. The star was always wrong, especially when the gossipmongers could spin the story about a single mother, working hard for her child and was abused unjustly by an actress in public. Of course, no one came to the waitress’ defense. Instead, all of these so-called concerned citizens chose to record it on their phones and post it to YouTube or sell it to make a buck instead of helping the situation or find out the truth. And they hadn’t even gotten all of the facts right. The reports were wrong; The waitress wasn’t fired although she should have and not because Anna demanded it but because she put a customer’s life at risk. Either way, Anna found the waitress a better job, something the poor woman could actually use to support her child.

  So, who was the asshole in that situation?

  Nope, still her.

  Her cell phone rang and she almost ignored it but the ring tone indicated it was Caroline Masters, her college best friend and soon-to-be bride in the upcoming wedding that Anna was expected to be attending next week. Damn it. She had almost forgotten about it in the chaos that was her life right now. With this whole shit-storm, how could she even consider going to Whitby Island and bringing this whirling cesspool of crap with her? No, she hated to do it, hated disappointing Caroline, but Anna would never forgive herself if she ruined Caroline’s wedding, a wedding Caroline had waited five years for.

  She clicked it on, vowing to take the coward’s way out. “Hey, Caroline. Not a good time. Can I call you later?”

  “When is it?” Caroline countered. “I saw the headlines. How are you doing, honey?” Caroline’s soft tone disarmed Anna completely, throwing her off her plan.

  Anna’s shoulders slumped and she sagged against the sofa cushions, resting her head against the back of it, closing her eyes, wishing she could make it all disappear. Her reputation was in tatters, destroyed by her own hubris and arrogance. She had reached too high, wanted too much, gone too far, and had fallen to the ground like Icarus in the Greek legends, burned by the bright lights of Hollywood and the paparazzi’s cameras, lying in wait for her to fuck up. Now, her career was in ruins, scattered in ashes around her. No one wanted to touch her. Her name, her identity, was a leper in the industry now. The best she could hope for was to slink off to the world of commercials and hope someone would forget and take a chance on her in the future. But, for now, Anna Costado might as well be dead.

  Anna gritted her teeth and pasted on her best smile, even though Caroline couldn’t see her. “Of course, I’m fine. Are you ready for the wedding?”

  “Anna.”

  Just one word. Her name. It was enough to break the walls that Anna had built, the walls that had already begun to crack with the publication of the article. Anna held up her hand, noting the shakiness. “Caroline, I can’t discuss it. Not now. Not ever. Please.”

  Caroline sighed, a gentle sound reminding Anna of their college days, sharing first a quad dorm room, then an apartment with Delaney Winters, society princess now fallen angel, and Brigid Anderson, another middle-class girl with a classic type-A personality, determined to be a lawyer. They had been the most incongruous of roommates, only Caroline and Delaney coming from the same levels of society, which was Houston high society, while Anna and Brigid had worked summer jobs and internships for everything they had. God knew who they had pissed off to be thrown together in a room, but there they were freshman year staring at each other wondering how the hell they’d survive. Caroline went into peacemaker mode, trying to help everyone get along. Brigid dove into her books, studying insanely until they dragged her out, kicking and screaming, to share a meal with them. Delaney remained aloof, staring down at all of them, especially Anna as if Delaney could smell the restaurant food odor that Anna never could quite get out of her hair or clothes after working in her family’s Mexican restaurant since she could stand on two legs.

  Eventually, they had all come to be good friends, even Delaney and Anna, spending summers on Whitby Island, off the east coast of Texas, just south of Galveston, where Caroline’s family had a cottage. Well, it was more like a mansion re
ally. Anna’s family home was a cottage compared to their summer house, seriously. The Masters’ summer house had more bedrooms than the house Anna had grown up in, and they called it a cottage. Well, now Anna had a house with more bedrooms than she grew up in. Funny how she only had one person sleeping in it. Just her. Not even a cat or dog to occupy another room.

  “It’s been five years, Anna. I miss my friends. I miss our closeness. I miss our bond.” Caroline’s voice broke into Anna’s memories.

  “We all grew up, Caroline. We got jobs and careers and our lives, well, all except for Delaney.” Anna couldn’t help the bitterness that crept into her voice.

  She and Delaney had had the hardest time connecting. What Anna had taken as snobbishness by Delaney was actually more shyness and a cool reserve. Delaney was cautious about who she trusted and let in, not unlike Anna was now. Once Delaney let someone in, they were in. But then came that fateful day, senior year, when her father was publicly arrested for a Ponzi scheme. Delaney’s life was on the fast track to her own personal hell and it also started the beginning of the end for the four friends. Anna still hadn’t forgiven Delaney for cutting them out of her life, excising them like a cancer, although, with her own life the way it is now, she might be able to understand it a little bit.

  “Anna, I want all of my friends here for the week, for my wedding. That’s all I ask for. I know your show is going on hiatus so you have no excuse.” Caroline’s voice turned more firm, harder, not brooking any refusal.

  A flicker from the television screen caught Anna’s eye and her image flashed on the screen. Another recap of her less than stellar performance at the breakfast restaurant. When would someone else fuck up in Hollywood and take the heat from her?

  “Caroline, I really don’t think this is a good idea. I mean, right now, my life comes with some serious baggage and you don’t need me bringing that to your doorstep, not for your wedding. Besides, we have some additional scenes to still film and I might be needed in town.”

  She didn’t want to tell her friend that she had just filmed a scene placing Bianca into a coma, a possible death for Anna’s character and a symbolic death for her career, so she really had nowhere to be for filming. Caroline didn’t need to know that. All she needed to know was that Anna was never going to bring the fiasco that her life had become to Caroline’s doorstep and ruin her wedding. She’d rather sacrifice her presence there, even though right now she missed her friends dearly. Besides, what was one more sacrifice in the name of her career? She had already sacrificed everything else—her family, her friends, the one man she would ever love.

  “Are you worried about seeing Wyatt again?” Trust Caroline to get right to the heart of the matter, the other reason Anna would like to avoid the wedding.

  Anna jumped up, pressing a hand to her stomach to quell the remaining nausea and pain from her bout with her food allergy, and paced her living room, to the floor-to-ceiling windows that overlooked the valley below. The one reason she had bought this place three years ago when she was offered a full-time role on Blazing Passions and finally able to afford it. Despite the wide-open space, the glass was treated for privacy and the house was perched on a cliff, guaranteeing a difficult time for any paparazzi to get a good shot into her house. It was surrounded by trees and solid fences, ensuring the quiet and isolation she craved after being on the set all day. The house itself wasn’t huge, not by Hollywood standards, but it was hers and she had her island after sharing a room for her whole life, from her three sisters, to college and three roommates, to grinding it out in Los Angeles until she made it. Now, she didn’t share any part of her house with anyone, not even a lover.

  And she was lonely.

  “Anna? Talk to me. Is this about Wyatt or something else?”

  “Why would it be about Wyatt? I’m sure he’s moved on by now, found some cute cheerleader to hang on his arm or something.” Anna tried to sound flippant but failed miserably.

  “No, I don’t think he’s seeing anyone. Besides, as your invitation clearly stated, you can’t bring anyone to the island until the wedding, or the rehearsal dinner.” Caroline’s voice turned tentative. “Are you bringing Derek Harper?”

  Anna sagged into a soft round chair, propped her feet on the ottoman and stared sightlessly over the valley. How could she tell Caroline that Derek had dumped her that morning, over text message no less? He wasn’t the prince charming everyone thought he was. No, his text was clear and to the point.

  “A – sorry but this isn’t working anymore. Ur draggin me down. Thanks, babe. Ur Gr8. – D”

  As if her life wasn’t already dive-bombing to rock bottom, now she was also a cliché. Dumped by text by a pretend boyfriend who was only using her for his career, ready to cut and run the minute things got rocky. Of course, judging by his current press on the muted television, his star was on the rise as the hero of the little people like the waitress whose neglect almost killed Anna. He knew what had happened. Did he try to clarify anything or help Anna? No, he threw her to the wolves and made himself look good, only confirming what she had learned a long time ago.

  Protect yourself. People are out for themselves and will use you and toss you aside. Thank God, she never trusted the asshole to have a real relationship or she’d be worried about sex tapes or nude photos showing up on the Internet. Oh no, she learned that lesson a long time ago. Anna Maria Costado trusted no one.

  “No, Caroline. He won’t be coming with me. In fact, I think Derek and I are done.”

  As expected, Caroline rushed to sympathize. “Oh, Anna, I’m so sorry. Well, he’s a jerk and I won’t go see any of his movies anymore. No matter what.”

  Anna smiled. At least someone had some loyalty to her but, even then, that came with strings. Like demands to attend a wedding, and a bridal shower and some weird college reunion. “I’m fine, Caroline. It wasn’t anything serious anyway.”

  “It never is with you, Anna. Not since Wyatt.” Caroline paused, sensing the sore topic. Anna prayed she would veer away from it.

  Anna’s heart seized inside and it took her a few breaths to be able to get through the panic. God, the thought of Wyatt was enough to take her breath away. What would happen when she actually saw him again? The last she had seen him, bitterness dug a deep furrow between them, the loss of his dreams, his injury, her success all deepening the trench until it became an impassable chasm leaving each of them standing on opposite sides staring at the other, not knowing how to cross it or even if they wanted to. Five years for that chasm to become the Grand Canyon of all divides. What would he be like now? Would he have moved on, forgiven her? And how did she feel about him?

  She swallowed, not willing to examine those feelings too deeply, and croaked, “Well, it’s been a long time. We’ve both moved on.”

  “Hmmm.” That one word, filled with sadness and regret, pierced Anna’s heart.

  The television blurred and she lifted a finger to wipe her eyes, surprised at the moisture that gathered on her lashes. She thought she had finished shedding her tears five years ago, thought she was over Wyatt Turner. If the thought of him could make her react this way, what would his actual presence do to her? Well, she’d find out in a few short days. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly like her meditation teacher had taught her.

  “Are you going to see your family when you’re in Houston?” Caroline asked.

  Anna jerked at the sudden change of topic, especially to one so emotionally charged as her family. Anna squirmed in the chair, frantically scrambling for an excuse out of visiting the place she had spent so many years desperately trying to escape. Yet, right now, with her soul battered and bruised, she found she wanted her home, her mother’s cooking, and her family around her. The soothing scents from the kitchen, the sounds of her family arguing and yelling, but knowing they always had each other’s back, and the warm embrace of her father, making everything okay, even when it wasn’t. It would be too easy to fall back on those moments, on her family, to get
sucked back in. Right now, she’d like nothing better than to retreat to the safety and protection of the Costado clan, but, like with Caroline’s wedding, she couldn’t bring the chaos of her life to her family’s doorstep to ruin their lives. It was why she had stayed away for so long, denied herself her family for the past few years. She had hated being at her younger sister’s wedding and the media following her, making a mockery of the event, turning her sister’s day into Anna’s. The accusations from her older sister still burned in her ears. Selfish. Self-centered. Bitch. They didn’t need her trouble, not then and certainly not now.

  “I’ll see,” she replied, settling for a non-committal reply. “I know my agent is hoping for some auditions during the hiatus and I have a few events to attend. I’m not sure what my schedule is.”

  “Anna Maria Costado.” Caroline’s voice grew stern. “I’ve put up with a lot of wavering and equivocation from you over the years, avoiding seeing me, but your family is different. You get your butt to that house sometime in the next two weeks or I’ll send your sisters after you. Have I made myself clear?”

  “Crystal.” Anna saluted the phone. “By the way, if I find out you’ve been conspiring with my sisters, well, you know what they say about payback.”

  Caroline giggled, belying the stern tone from before. “Yeah, yeah, it’s a bitch.”

  “And according to all the gossip rags, I’m the biggest one of all!” The phone beeped and Anna glanced down. “I have to go. It’s my agent. I’ll call you soon. Love you.”

  “Don’t forget!” But Anna clicked away without confirming anything, her usual avoidance response, as Caroline well knew, which is why a text message came in right after that.

  You’d better be here as promised. No take backsies.

  Anna grimaced. Caroline could be such a child sometimes.

  Anna took a fortifying breath, trying to cleanse her brain of wedding stuff, and braced herself for the whirlwind that was her agent. She had been lucky Yvonne Margolis had seen promise in her when Anna had first gotten to Hollywood. Yvonne had been an agent in a prominent firm and needed a Latina for a bit part in a television show. Nothing major but a one and done part but she had no one in her stable suitable. Anna happened to show up at the right time. Anna always knew luck played a huge factor in her success, luck and being a specific type of character. It could have typecast her into a specific role but it had worked out for her with the resurgence of nighttime dramas, circa the eighties and shows like Dallas and Dynasty. People wanted those evening soap operas again, only grittier, sexier and modern. Blazing Passions was born, with Anna cast as a small part initially, the fiery Latina bad girl, causing trouble for the main couple. Her character, Bianca St. John, had become so popular that she worked her way up to recurring character then one of the leads within three years, an almost meteoric rise in the industry.