Page 188 of My Five Daddies

I turn around and spot one of the actors from the film coming toward me. His name is Jared and he plays a minor character with like four lines or something like that. I can’t remember his lastname.

“Hey, Tara,” he says. “Sorry to interrupt, just stopping by to say what’sup.”

“Hey, Jared,” I say to him. “Good job in your scenetoday.”

“Man, thanks. It was nerve-wracking, youknow?”

“Why?” I ask him. “You’re anatural.”

“I mean, I’m working with Jackson Hendricks. And there was so much drama on the settoday.”

I frown a little and glance at Laney. “What kind of drama?” I askhim.

“Oh you know, about him and Holly Hart. Everyone keeps saying that their relationship is fake orsomething.”

I raise an eyebrow at that. “Wait, what? I didn’t hearthat.”

“Seriously? It’s all people were talkingabout.”

That makes sense. Every time Jackson came up, I ran away. No wonder I didn’t hearit.

“He was in a shit mood all day too,” he says to me. “Not sure why, but man, that guy is scary. He’s a real SEAL, did you knowthat?”

“Yeah, I heard,” I say, a littledistracted.

Jared smile and shrugs. “Anyway, take it easy. Gotta go rejoin myfriends.”

“Yeah, sure. See youtomorrow.”

“Later.” He grins at Laney and walksaway.

“Not bad,” Laney says. “I’d hitit.”

I turn back to her. “What?”

“I mean, that guy. He’s notbad.”

“Oh,” I say, shaking my head. “Sorry.”

“You okay?” she asks. “That was some weird stuff to hear right after thatconversation.”

“I know. It’s bizarre. I think I’m okay, I just…” I trail off, looking down at thebar.

“Come on,” she says, getting out her cash and tossing it down. “Let’s go home. I’ll make you some dinner and we can watchGhostbusters.”

I look up at her and take a deep breath. “Yeah, that soundsgood.”

“Come on.” She gets up and I follow her out thedoor.

It’s been a weird day today, and that’s about the weirdest thing to happen. Jared’s timing was perfect, but even bigger than that is that possibility that Jackson isn’t really dating Holly at all. I mean, I know that fake romances happen all the time, I just didn’t think Jackson would doit.

It’s possible, though… and could explain things. But still, I don’t want to get my hopes up. The last time I did that, Jackson destroyed me. I need to guardmyself.

But there’s a chance. And that chance might terrify me more than I realized itcould.

15

Jackson

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