Page 32 of Stone Promises

“You too, Mallory. I was just telling your dad that you have a lovely home.”

“Thank you. Did you come to see where Chad grew up?” I motion to the front door. “I’m sure the neighbors won’t mind if you want to see his old house.”

“I came to see you, Mallory.”

“Me?”

She nods. “Is it okay if we sit for a while?”

“Uh, yeah.” I look at my dad and he shrugs, giving me no indication of why she’s here. “Can I get you a drink first? Water, coffee?”

“Thanks, your dad already offered. I don’t want to take up much of your time.” She nods to the couch. “Is here okay?”

I walk over and sit down.

“Nice to meet you, Kendra,” my dad says. “I’m going to start dinner, Mallory. Take your time.”

“It was a pleasure meeting you, Richard.” She sits next to me. “Your dad seems great. And he’s a doctor. Impressive.”

“Yeah, he’s pretty great,” I agree.

She points to a family picture on the mantle. “And your mom, what does she do?”

“My mom died seven years ago,” I tell her. “It’s just us now.”

Kendra’s face falls into a frown. “I’m so sorry. I lost my mom at a young age as well. I know how hard it must be for you.”

“Thanks. Sorry you lost yours,” I say.

“We have a lot in common,” she says, followed by a deep sigh. “I have a feeling one of those things is loving Thad . . . uh, Chad.”

Two things happen at once. My jaw drops. And my heart breaks. She loves him? Of course she does. She’s here to shoo me away. But it doesn’t make any sense, given what she said to me last night.

Kendra starts laughing at my reaction. She scoots closer and puts her hand on my arm. “Oh, gosh, that obviously came out the wrong way. No, no, I love him, but I don’tlovehim. I’m married.” She shows me her ring and then studies me for a second. “But if your face is any indication, I believe I’ve hit the nail on the head.”

“Huh?” I ask, still fazed.

“You care for him, don’t you?” she says with a motherly smile.

“We grew up together. We went through a lot back then. So, yeah, I guess I do. But I don’t know him anymore. Things are different.”

“I don’t disagree that people change, Mallory. And I won’t try to defend his past actions. I’ve only known him for three months myself, and of course, I didn’t know him back when you did. But I can tell you this—if I had a daughter, there isn’t anyone I’d rather see her with than that man.” She shakes her head laughing. “Let me clarify. Not that I’d necessarily want my daughter dating a star, but the man he is inside—the huge heart he has—that’s the kind of guy I would wish for her.”

“Back when we were kids, he was like that,” I tell her. “He was always protecting me. Helping me. Helping our friend Julian or his brothers. He didn’t have a mean bone in his body. Well, unless you were hurting someone he loved. Then, all bets were off.”

“Sounds like the same guy I’ve come to know and love,” she says. “I get that you see him as the star he is today. The bad-boy persona that is plastered all over the news. Maybe that was him for a few years when he lost his way, but not anymore. It’s the press who keep trying to make him fit that same mold, twisting everything you see and read to make it look like that is still who he is. But I’m here to tell you it’s not. Don’t believe everything you hear. That’s rule number one of Hollywood, listen with deaf ears.”

“What about Courtney?” I ask.

“What about her?”

“Well, aren’t they sort of dating . . . or whatever?”Probably a lot of whatever.

“Is that what you think?” She shakes her head vehemently. “I told you, Mallory, don’t believe everything you hear. Pairing them as a couple is good for the box office. He’s told not to deny it.”

I look up at her, surprised. “What?”

She nods. “It’s all part of the game,” she says. “You really should be asking Chad about this. However, I will tell you that they did date briefly around the time of filming, but it didn’t work out. There were a lot of pictures taken of them during that time. They keep resurfacing. And if you ask me, Courtney likes it that way.”

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