A Wilde Night (Old Town Country Romance Book 3) (6 page)

I glance over at the books on his desk. It doesn’t look like pleasure reading. They’re all enormous textbooks.
“College?”

He nods. “I got my Associate’s degree before I applied for the police academy. I’m not sure if I’m going to keep them. I just haven’t had a lot of time to deal with them.”

I point to a poster of Jake Owen. “One of my favorites.”

“Mine too.”

“Tell me more about the band.”

“We get together when we can. It’s harder now with my work schedule. But we’ll be playing tonight
if you’d like to hear us. It’s just me and my brothers. It’s not a big deal. We really just hang out at the family bar and play for the locals.”

“Haymakers.”

“I can’t believe you remembered that.”

“I may not always be able to remember all of my lines, but I remember when something’s important.”

He closes the distance between us. He’s now so close to me I can feel heat radiating from his body. Or maybe it’s coming from my body. It’s hard to tell. But there’s definitely heat between us. A lot of it.

I try to swallow but I feel like my throat is closing up. And my chest is tightening.

When our eyes meet it’s almost more than my body can take. I can feel my knees start to weaken right under me.

Hunter’s gaze is so intense I feel like he can see right through me.

I don’t think I’ve ever wanted anyone to kiss me as much as I want Hunter to kiss me right at this moment.

He
cups my face in his hands and gently caresses my cheeks with his thumbs. I feel like I’m in one of my own movies only this is happening to me in real life.

When he leans down and places a soft kiss on my lips, it’s like someone let a
flight of butterflies loose in my stomach.

“Was that okay?” h
e asks. He looks concerned like he’s not sure the kiss was the right decision.

“Can I have some more?”

He smiles again. I hope it’s becoming a habit, at least around me. “You don’t have to ask twice.”

This time when he kisses me, it’s deeper and more passionate. I can feel a wave of electricity run right down to my toes. I feel like I’m no longer standing. More like I’m floating.

When Hunter pulls away it takes me a few seconds to ground myself again.

“What do you think about seeing the band play?”

“I’d love nothing more than to see you play with your brothers, but I know there’s probably too much risk involved. People could take photos. Ask questions. I’m supposed to be with Devon at his brother’s wedding not hanging out at a country bar, even if it’s where I’d much rather be.”

When I look up at Hunter I can already see the disappoin
tment in his eye. “It’s okay. I don’t expect Katie Lawrence to see the Wilde Riders play. And what would a big star like you be doing in a small down bar like Haymakers? It doesn’t make any sense.”

“Sometimes I wish I could be Kat from Phillipsburg again. Even just for a day.”

Hunter’s eyes narrow like he’s thinking about something. “Why can’t you?”

“Why can’t I what?”

“Be Kat again. Just for a day.”

Would it be possible? Could I pull it off? I see stars do it on those prank shows all the time. They put on a pair of glasses, change their hair and out of context, a lot of people don’t recognize them.

“I have an idea,” Hunter says. “Wait here.”

Before I can protest he hurries out the door 

Hunter comes back with a pair of dark glasses and a scrunchie and hands them to me.

“That’s it? That’s your idea of a disguise?”

“Don’t criticize before you give it a try.”

“Fine.”

I stand next to Hunter’s dresser mirror and put my hair back in a ponytail. I rarely wear ponytails in public so it does change my appearance slightly. I look a little younger, more my age, but I don’t think it alters my appearance enough not to be recognized.

“Now the glasses,” Hunter urges.

I put on the dark glasses. They make me look like I’m trying not to be recognized. Or that I’m trying too hard to look cool.

“I’m not sure about the dark glasses. And won’t we be inside a bar? I might not be able to see very well.”

He nods in agreement. Then snaps his fingers. “I have an idea.”

He hurries out of the room and reappears a few moments later carrying a pair of reading glasses.

“Try these.”

I put the reading glasses on and look in the mirror. I’m struck by how much I look like my mom.

And I wonder if I should get my eyes examined because I can actually see better with the glasses on.

“They were my mom’s glasses,” he says. “Just be careful with them.”

I turn to face him. “What happened to her?”

For the first time since I met him Hunter actually shows some raw emotion. “She died of cancer. My dad followed about six months later. He had a heart attack. But my brothers and I think he died of a broken heart. I don’t think he wanted to live without my mom.”

“I’m sorry to hear that.”

He nods then stands behind me and rests his hands on my shoulders while we both look in the mirror together.

“I’m not sure this is going to work,” I admit.

“Maybe we could try one more thing,” he suggests. He goes into his closet and pulls out an old sweatshirt. “Give this a try.”

I slip it on over my sweater. I feel like I’m swimming i
n the thing it’s so huge on me.

“See?” Hunter points to my image in the mirror. “Now you look like a girl from P-Burg.”

“I’m still not sure. I don’t want to get caught. And I definitely don’t want you or your family to be in the middle of some publicity scandal.”

“I don’t think you’re giving enough credit to context. Do you think anyone is really going to think that Hollywood
’s darling, Katie Lawrence, is actually sitting in a small town bar in rural New Jersey?”

“I hope you’re right.” I turn to face him.
“Because I really want to do this.”

He smiles. “So do I.”

When my stomach growls Hunter and I both look down at it.

“It’s getting a little noisy down there,”
he teases. “I promised you brunch. I think I’d better feed you.”

“I am hungry. I haven’t eaten anything since…I can’t even remember the last time I actually ate.”

Hunter frowns. “No breakfast?”

I shake my head.

“And you didn’t eat anything last night either. No wonder your stomach’s protesting.”

He
grabs my hand and pulls me out of his room. We hurry back down the stairs and into the kitchen.

“So what do you like to eat? When you’re not relegated to celery sticks and little tiny carrots?”

“I’ll eat anything really. What do you like to cook?”

“The family favorite for brunch is waffles, eggs and bacon. How does that sound?”

“Fattening.”

“Take off that hideous sweatshirt,” Hunter urges.

I pull the sweatshirt over my head and place it on a chair at the counter.

He looks me up and down. “Don’t take this the wrong way, but you could stand to gain a few pounds. Most guys like girls with some curves. And I’ll admit I’m no exception.”

I shake my head. “I’m actually considered overweight by Hollywood standards.”

“No way.
They’ve got some wacked standards if you’re overweight.”

I plop down on one of the counter chairs. “Today I’m su
pposed to be Kat from P-burg not Katie Lawrence. So hit me with the works: waffles, eggs, bacon. Whatever you normally make I’ll eat.”

Hunter grins. “You got it, Kat.”

I’m surprised by how much I like it when he calls me Kat. Everyone called me Kat when I was a kid. Now the only person who still uses my nickname is Elsie. When I first signed with my manager she told me that Kat wasn’t going to work if I wanted to be a big star. She said it was hard to imagine Kat Lawrence on a marquee and definitely not top billing. So she made me use Katie. It took me a long time to get used to it. I’m still not sure I like it. I’ve never felt like a Katie.

When Hunter opens the enormous refrigerator it’s overflo
wing with food.

“I’m lucky if I even have something to drink in my fridge at home. I’ve never seen that much food before.”

He laughs. “We’ve got to feed the crowd, remember? And this is nothing. You should see how much food we have at Haymakers. We’ve got a decent menu and a lot of our regulars like burgers and fries, nachos, stuff with lots of grease and fat.”

“Those are
two bad words in Hollywood. Everyone wants food that’s fat-free, dairy-free, wheat-free and organic.”

“So basically, the restaurants just serve air.”

“And they charge a lot for it.”

We both laugh.

“I can’t remember the last time I just hung out and had fun like this.” My comment is meant to be a compliment, but there’s a note of sadness in my voice that’s unexpected.

“We should do it more often,” Hunter replies, but then
reality takes over, and he looks sad himself.

I’m a movie star and he’s a cop. This probably won’t happen again. How can it?

“I promised you a decent meal.” He turns his attention to the fridge again and pulls out all kinds of items: eggs, milk, bacon, cheese, tomatoes, onions and green peppers. Then he makes his way to a large pantry and pulls out an arm full of additional ingredients.

“That’s a lot of stuff for just the two of us,” I say as I look over the counter now filled with fixings.

“The Wilde boys don’t do anything halfway. We always go all in.”

I have the feeling that he’s not just talking about breakfast, but I don’t want to read too much into the comment.

I also don’t want to think about anything, but being with him in the here and now. I want to enjoy what we have while we have it.

Seven

Hunter

The girl can eat when she wants to. I made enough food for several armies and it’s almost all gone. Of course Katie was practically starving herself so I’m not surprised. I’m just glad she’s finally allowing herself to be a human being again and not some robot programmed for stardom.

I wasn’t sure about Katie when I first met her, but I’m really starting to fall for Kat and that’s dangerous. She doesn’t get to be herself a good part of the time. She’s being forced to be Katie. I get it. It’s the only way she can have what she wants: a career in Hollywood. But sometimes I get the feeling that it’s not truly what she wants—deep down inside. I feel like part of her just wants to be Kat again.

When the last of the dishes
are cleaned and dried I ask Kat if she wants to head over to Haymakers.

She nods, but I can tell by the look in her eyes
that she’s still hesitant.

I place a hand on her cheek and look into her beautiful brown eyes. “It’s okay. I’ll be right there with you. I won’t let anything happen. I can’t guarantee that you won’t get teased though. My family is good at that. But no one is going to do anything to hurt you. I promise.”

She nods. “Let’s do it. For the rest of the night I’m Kat from Phillipsburg.”

***

It’s still early when we arrive at Haymakers. There are just a few regulars sitting at the bar and some older folks at a table having a late lunch/early dinner.

“Look who decided to make an appearance,” my brother, Tucker, teases as I approach the bar with Kat. He’s tending bar tonight, which means his
girlfriend, Gracie must be somewhere close by. He never lets the poor girl out of his sight. Not that I blame him. She went through a lot with her ex, including being abducted and beaten pretty badly. And the guy nearly killed Tucker.

“Hey, Tuck.” I pull Kat up to the bar. “This is my friend, Kat.”

“Kat, this is my brother, Tucker.”

I can tell by Kat’s wide eyes that she’s trying to figure out how the two of us are possibly related. I’m about as clean
cut as they come, but it comes with being a cop. Most people think Tucker is a little scary, not just because his blonde hair is long or that he’s covered in tattoos, it’s his demeanor. He exudes a don’t-fuck-with-me vibe, and God help the person who actually does. He’s got a heart of gold, but he’s also fiercely protective of the people he cares about. And he’s just a little bit crazy complements of the United States Army.

“Hi,” Kat squeaks out.

“What are you drinking?” Tucker asks.

She
looks at me then back at Tucker. “A beer?”

“Any particular brand?”

Kat looks at me again. She’s really not much of a drinker. “How about a Bud Light Lime? A lot of women go for that one.”

She
nods and Tucker goes to get her the beer.

“He didn’t seem to recognize me at all,” Kat whispers.

I laugh. “I wouldn’t base anything on Tucker not recognizing you. If he’s seen two movies in his entire life, I’d be surprised. If it’s not something directly related to lifting weights or his girlfriend, Gracie, Tucker doesn’t care about it.”

“Where’s Gracie?” Kat glances around the place.

I point to the extremely petite girl with long blonde hair who’s serving coffee to the older folks. “That’s her.”

“She’s so tiny. And your brother’s so big.”

Tucker is massive. All of the Wilde boys are well-built and muscular, but Tucker is by far the biggest one of us. It’s not surprising considering the amount of time he spends in the gym lifting weights. 

“They make it work somehow,” I reply.

I point to another blonde who’s putting condiments on some of the back tables. “She will be the true test. That’s Harley. She knows a lot about movies and actors.”

As if she can sense we’re talking about her Harley turns and looks in our direction.

Her blue eyes narrow as she marches toward us and I can see Kat gulp.

“Haven’t seen you in a while, Hunter.”
Harley places her hands on her hips. “And who’s this?”

“Harley, this is my friend, Kat. Kat, this is Harley.”

Harley gives Kat the once-over. “You kind of look like Katie Lawrence, but not as cute.”

“Thanks, I guess,” Kat replies.

“Where’s Jake?” I ask.

Harley rolls her eyes.
“Back room. But don’t worry. He’s doing paperwork, not shagging someone.”

“I’d like to introduce him to Kat.”

Now Harley is eyeing me suspiciously. “Why? Is she your girlfriend or something?”

I ignore the question and grab Kat’s hand. “Come on.”

“Nice meeting you,” Kat says as I pull her with me toward the back room.

“She was a little brash,” Kat whispers when we’re far enough away from Harley that she can’t hear us.

“You got lucky. She can be a lot meaner. But don’t take it personally. She’s mean to everyone when she first meets them. It takes a while for her to warm up to people. And even then she’s not exactly nice.”

“Good to know,” Kat replies.

I knock on the office door before I open it. Jake is seated at the small desk staring at the computer screen.

“Jake,” I
call to get his attention.

When he glances up at me he looks like he’s lost. “Sorry. This spread sheet is kicking my ass. I think I’ll wait for Coop to get here and ask him to give me a hand.”

“I think that’s probably a good idea.” Jake almost lost the bar because he’s so poor at bookkeeping. Cooper, the Wall Street Wonder, helped him learn a few things and tried to automate some of the accounting, but Jake still seems to have problems with it on a weekly basis.

“I wanted to introduce you to my friend, Kat.”

Jake finally takes notice of her. “Hey.” And gives her a quick wave. “You’re here to see Wilde Riders?”

Kat smiles.
“Hunter kind of roped me into it.”

“You won’t be disappointed.” Jake stands and looks Kat up and down. “So how do you know my brother?”

We both look at each other. Neither one of us thought far enough ahead to come up with a cover story.

“We met at the resort. I’m staying there for a few days and Hunter was working as a security guard.”

Jake laughs. “My kid brother likes to keep busy. No doubt about that. How many jobs have you got now? Five?”

I shake my head. “Jake likes to exaggerate. I’ve only got two jobs and sometimes I work here at Haymakers, when needed.”

“Well, it going to be all hands on deck tonight. We’re expecting a big crowd to see Wilde Riders and we’ve got not one but two bachelorette parties.”

I roll my eyes. Bachelorette parties usually mean that all of us are working at the bar except Jake because he’ll be busy screwing all the bridesmaids in the back room and sometimes even the brides themselves.

Jake looks at Kat. “Ever work at a bar before?”

She shakes her head. “No.
Never.”

“What do you do?” Jake asks.

Kat swallows. We should have anticipated some of these questions and come up with responses before we decided to put this plan into action.

“I’m in the entertainment industry.”

Jake raises an eyebrow. “Like adult entertainment?”

Kat looks horrified.
“No, nothing like that.”

“Seriously, Jake?
Does she look like a stripper?”

He
gives Kat another once over. “Take off those hideous glasses and the oversized sweatshirt…I don’t know…maybe.”

Kat is shaking her head so hard it looks like it’s going to shake off of her head. “I’m definitely not a stripper.”

“Would you show a little bit of class, please?” I glare at Jake.

“It’s nice to meet you, Kat.” He gives her one of his winning smiles. Jake has a lot of faults, but he’s also one of the most charismatic people on the planet. No doubt that’s how he gets into so many girls’ panties so quickly.

When I was younger I wished I had just a little bit of Jake’s charm. Now that I’m older and wiser it makes me a little sick to my stomach.

Jake’s quickly closing in on thirty, but he still acts like he’s the carefree and extremely popular guy he was in high school. He’s a Peter Pan who refuses to grow up.

Kat returns his smile, but it’s not a genuine one. It’s not like the crooked smiles she gives me. It’s more like one of her fake Katie Lawrence pose-for-the-camera smiles.

“I’ll join you guys in a minute. I just need to save this file.”

I nod then grab Kat’s hand and pull her back into the bar with me.

“Sorry about Jake. He’s kind of a mess.”

“He reminds me of a lot of guys in Hollywood. They’re usually just thinking about the fastest way to get into your pants. My glasses and sweatshirt didn’t seem to dissuade him all that much.”

I laugh. “If you’re a female you’re open game for Jake. Al
though he generally prefers blondes with big…um…”

“Hooters?” she offers.

“Pretty much clones of Harley.”

“So what is the deal with those two? She looks a lot younger, but he acts that way.”

“Jake’s the oldest of the Wilde brothers. He’s twenty-nine. Harley was always the kid next door. None of us paid much attention to her growing up. And she was kind of a tomboy. Until she graduated high school. Then things changed. She was supposed to leave town and go to college, but she changed her mind and decided to stay in Old Town. Jake gave her a job here at Haymakers and within a few weeks the two of them were spending a lot of time in the back room with each other. Jake’s a player. He has been since high school. But Harley knew that. He’s got a reputation that extends into several counties.  I know she has feelings for him. I’ve never seen her with anyone else but Jake. But he’s still playing the field.”

Kat’s eyes look like they’re a little wet. “I put up with the same shit with Devon so I can relate. I thought I’d be the one to change him, but I never could. Maybe Harley thinks she can tame Jake?”

I shake my head. “I wish her luck with that.”

The bar is starting to pick up a little bit and I know it won’t be long until it gets packed. “I may have to pitch in and help out if they get slammed at the bar. Will you be okay?”

“Was Jake serious about me working?” She gives me that crooked little smile that I’m starting to adore.

“He was serious, but I definitely don’t expect you to wait t
ables and serve people drinks.”

“Why not?”
She lifts an eyebrow.

I lean over and whisper
in her ear. “Because you’re apparently some kind of big star. I heard you even won an Academy Award or something.”

She laughs then whispers back, “I won two Academy Awards, but what does that have to do with me working at your family’s bar?”

I eye her suspiciously. “Are you serious? You want to wait tables?”

She shrugs. “Sure. Why not? I’ll get the full Kat from P-burg experience.”

I pull her into my arms and hold her. “You’re crazy amazing.”

“Crazy amazing?
Did you just make that up?”

“It’s the best phrase I could think of to describe you.”

I lose track of time as I just stand there, near the edge of the bar, holding Kat. Then I hear a small voice beside me clear her throat. “Hunter?”

I quickly release my hold on Kat and turn to see Gracie standing next to us. “What’s wrong, Gracie?”

People like to say I’m quiet, but Gracie has me beat by a mile. She’s the quietest person I’ve ever met in my entire life. And she’s so soft spoken it’s sometimes difficult to tell if she’s even talking.

“Tucker’s starting to get really busy at the bar so I was wo
ndering if you’d help me fill up the ice cabinet. It’s getting really low.”

“Of course.
First let me introduce you to my friend, Kat.”

Gracie doesn’t always meet people’s gaze, especially when she first meets them, but she seems drawn to Kat, almost like a magnet. For a second it makes me wonder if she recognizes her.

“Nice to meet you, Gracie.” Kat gives her a warm smile.

Gracie is so shy it’s unusual for her to look at people for very long, but she’s staring at Kat with such intensity it’s almost scary.

“Did we go to high school together?” Gracie asks.

“I don’t think so,” Kat replies.
“Unless you lived in Phillipsburg. That’s where I grew up.”

Gracie shakes her head, but she’s still staring at Kat. “You look so familiar.”

Kat and I glance at each other. I never expected Kat’s cover to be blown by Gracie of all people.

“I get that a lot,” Kat says. “People tell me I look like that actress from
Chasing Summer
. What’s her name?”

She’s smooth. I’ll give her credit for that.

Gracie furrows her brow as if she’s giving it some thought. “Katie something. Isn’t it? I never saw the movie.”