Never Say Never (The Price of Fame Series) Page 3

  Deep down, she knew this was coming. But time was something she didn’t have much of either. Her mum couldn’t be left alone for long and Mrs. Young had her own life and troubles. If something happened and she wasn’t there, Chloe would never forgive herself. There had already been an incident when her mum had left the fryer on and forgotten about it. There had only been a small fire, but it could have been much, much worse. Her throat tightened with remembered panic.

  “Chloe?” Worry creased faint lines in Sander’s forehead.

  She pulled herself back to the present. “I don’t have any free time, Sander. You should find someone else to be your date. I don’t…I can’t…”

  The waiter arrived with their lunch and gave her an opportunity to regroup. The chance of a job at Studio Four had long-term benefits, but how was she going to manage short-term? Maybe if she explained to Mrs. Young that she would need more help just now until she was able to pay for a part-time caretaker they’d find a way to manage.

  The waiter bowed and left them to their meal. The steak smelled heavenly and distracted her for a second.

  “Why not, Chloe?” Sander was giving her his no-nonsense look again. On anyone else, it would have been intimidating and annoying. On him it was kind of sexy. “What other commitments do you have? Tell me and I might be able to help. After all, you’re the one doing me a favor. Do you have a child?”

  Chloe’s mouth dropped open again. Was there any subject he wouldn’t broach? She could add rude to the list. “No! I don’t have a child.”

  Sander relaxed, and he grinned. “Then unless you lied yesterday and do have a husband or boyfriend, I don’t see why you can’t spare a few hours a day with me.”

  His grin turned cocky and his expectant look riled her agitation. Clearly he thought she’d bend to his will. She was probably the first woman who had turned him down.

  “Given your schedule, I’m sure you understand people have commitments. I can’t drop everything to flounce about London on your arm. I have to work, and…have other things which take up my time.” She glared at him, unflinching and had to fight a smile as his grin faded.

  He ran a hand through his wavy hair. “That’s what I’m saying. If you tell me what the other things are, I might be able to help.”

  No way would she ask for help with her mum. And what could Sander do anyway? She doubted he’d invite Joyce out with them. No, there wasn’t anything he could help with on that score. Chloe sighed.

  “I’ll see what arrangements I can make.” After all, it would benefit her to do this for him if she managed to get the job.

  Thinking about asking Mrs. Young snapped her attention to her phone. She pulled it out of her pocket. Ice trickled through her veins when she realized she’d forgotten to turn it back on. With fumbling fingers, she managed to power it up. As soon as the voicemail symbol flashed at the top of the screen, panic tightened her throat. Ignoring Sander’s searching gaze, she retrieved the messages and put the phone to her ear.

  With a sinking heart, she listened to the digital voice announce she had six new messages. Please let everything be all right. But it wasn’t.

  Chapter 3

  Sander watched the blood drain from Chloe’s face and fear widen her eyes. She still held the phone pressed to her ear and her free hand shook on the table. He reckoned it had been almost a minute since her last breath.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “I have to go,” she whispered.

  Tears welled in her eyes and he silently cursed. What the hell was he supposed to do? Sure, he’d seen women cry. There’d been tears every week on Do You Have What It Takes?, but there were always people there to deal with it. His heart pounded against his ribs.

  “Come on.” Sander rose, pulled out his wallet, and threw a few bills on the table.

  Chloe didn’t move so he took her by the arm and urged her from the seat. Please, don’t cry.

  “Chloe, listen.”

  She looked up at him, those big, golden eyes shining with moisture.

  “What happened? Talk to me.” He wanted to shake her so she’d respond. Maybe even get her angry. Anything was better than tears.

  “I have to go. My mum…” Her voice trailed off on a sob and his heart crashed to his stomach. Damn. What the hell he was he supposed to do with that?

  He put an arm around her waist, nodded an apology to the waiter, then strode toward the front door, pulling Chloe along with him. The valet assured Sander his car was on its way. When they reached the curb, he didn’t release her. He chanced a look down at her face. No tears yet, but they didn’t look far away.

  “Chloe, what happened to your mother?”

  She stared down at her phone, her fingers white at the knuckles where she gripped it.

  “Mrs. Young, my neighbor, left a message. My mum has dementia. Sometimes she forgets her life now and thinks she’s in the past. Mrs. Young stays with her while I’m at work. But she left the house for a minute, and my mum went out. She’s missing, Sander, and I don’t know how to find her.”

  Her hands trembled. He felt like someone had sucker punched him in the gut. Commitments. Yeah, she had plenty of those, and there he was demanding more of her time. Time she really didn’t have.

  He released her and paced across the pavement. “Where do you think she might be?”

  She didn’t answer, so he stopped in front of her. Chloe’s head bent down to her phone. Shoulders slumped, she looked defeated. Sander reached out and placed his hands on her upper arms.

  “Chloe.”

  Her head jerked up. Eyes still shiny, she let out a soft, ragged breath, like she’d lost before she’d even began trying. To hell with that.

  “Call Mrs. Young back. Find out what happened. She might be home already.”

  Something sparked in her eyes. Hope maybe? “You’re right.” She pressed a few buttons on her phone then held it up to her ear.

  “What happened, Mrs. Young?” she asked. Her high-pitched tone sounded stressed, making his heart thump uneasily.

  Sander rubbed his palm up and down her arm. He had no idea whether it was comforting or not, but he couldn’t do nothing.

  “How long ago?” Chloe straightened. “Can you stay at the house in case she goes back? I’m going to look for her.” Another pause, then, “Thank you.”

  Chloe ended the call and slipped the phone into her jacket. “I have to find her.” She spun around, but Sander snatched her wrist.

  “I’ll help you look. We’ll be faster on the road.”

  Chloe turned to face him. “You don’t have to do that.”

  Yeah, he did. She was still trembling, hovering on the edge of tears, and it was his fault for insisting she go to lunch with him in the first place. “I want to.”

  The valet pulled up at the side of the road in his Porsche.

  “Where?” he asked her.

  He accepted the keys from the man, slipped him a bill, but his attention remained on Chloe. Her skin had paled a few shades and his heart squeezed. Hell.

  She chewed on the inside of her mouth for a minute. Sander was about to push further, but she spoke first.

  “Berwick Market. She told me yesterday she wanted to go shopping. She loves it there.”

  “Then let’s go.”

  He held the door open for her, then went around to the driver’s side. After checking the mirrors, he pulled out into the mid-day London traffic. Chloe remained silent through most of the journey, and it gave him time to reflect on how much of a jerk he’d been.

  Yeah, he hadn’t known. How could he when she’d been determined to keep it from him? But she’d been reluctant, and he’d only thought of how Chloe being his date would benefit him. Didn’t even consider the ramifications it would have for her.

  The dull ache in his gut grew more pronounced. Was it guilt? Probably. Sander darted a glance at Chloe. She’d clasped her hands together and they rested on her slender legs. She looked wound so tight it was only a matter of time before she sha
ttered.

  Another ache formed, in his chest this time. It was obvious she cared about her mother. She looked after the woman. Sander couldn’t imagine looking after either of his parents, but he guessed that’s because he’d never been close to them. Didn’t know them. Chloe’s mother must be pretty awesome for her to give up her life to look after her.

  “Don’t you have help? Other than your neighbor, I mean.”

  * * * *

  “No,” Chloe whispered, and her cheeks burned. “The coffee shop doesn’t pay that well.”

  Sander scowled out at the traffic, but she couldn’t worry about what had annoyed him now. Not when the thought of her mum out there alone caused her stomach to sink with dread.

  She closed her eyes and sent up a silent prayer, thanking God that Sander was with her. If it weren’t for him, she’d have let the tears burning the backs of her eyes have free reign in the restaurant. And she couldn’t break down, not now. Not when her mum was out goodness knew where, and she didn’t even know if Joyce was in her right mind.

  “You should have told me.” Sander’s voice was stiff as he maneuvered the car into a space across from the market.

  Chloe didn’t comment. It was obvious he had changed his mind about their arrangement, but she’d worry about that later. First, she had to find her mum. Sander pulled the car to a halt and hiked up the brake.

  She unfastened her seatbelt then pushed the door open. “Thank you for the lift.”

  Chloe didn’t look back as she ran across the road and into a crowd of shoppers. Her heart sank as she pushed her way through the crowd. Looking for her mum there would be like searching for a silver grain of sand on the beach.

  She pushed through, making her way toward the stalls selling paintings and ornaments. When her mum used to bring her to the market on Saturdays, that’s where she’d spend the most time. Chloe just prayed her mum’s love of home furnishings was still there. Sometimes, she had no idea who her mum was anymore. The thought made tears sting her eyes again, but she refused to let them fall. She had to keep looking.

  Chloe reached her destination in record time, considering all the people mulling about. She ran down the front of the stalls, her gaze anxiously sweeping the crowd, and the knots twisted tighter in her stomach when she found nothing. What if she was wrong? What if her mum hadn’t come there?

  She stopped at the end of the row, panting hard. A tear escaped and made its way down her cheek. Maybe she should call the hospitals. Chloe closed her eyes and sucked in a ragged breath. It felt like steel was closing in on her, crushing her insides to pulp. She struggled to inhale and could feel herself sobbing.

  “Chloe.”

  She almost laughed. Now she was hearing Sander’s voice. She really must be losing it.

  “Answer me, dammit.”

  Now that sounded too real to be a hallucination. She turned toward his voice, her labored breath caught in her throat. Sander rushed through the crowd with a nimble grace at odds with his large, muscular frame. As he drew nearer, his scowl disappeared and his pace quickened. One minute she was gawking at him like an idiot, the next she was being crushed in his big, strong arms. Her panic and stress dissolved as something warm and assuring took its place. The strength and comfort in his embrace was instant.

  Resting her cheek against his shoulder, she inhaled her first steady breath in what felt like forever. He smelled spicy and delicious, and for a few precious seconds, she relaxed.

  “Shhh, it’s going to be okay. We’ll find her.” His large hands ran up and down her spine.

  “I…I don’t know where else to look.”

  Sander pulled away. “Come on. We’ll have a quick walk through the market then try somewhere else. What does your mother look like?”

  Chloe blinked away the moisture glazing her eyes. “I didn’t think you’d want to help.”

  He frowned. “Why would you think that?”

  She shook her head. It didn’t matter now. What mattered was that he was there. With Sander’s strength, she felt like she could do anything.

  “She looks like me, only twenty years older.” Chloe smiled a little. People often mistook them for sisters.

  “Let’s go.” Sander linked his fingers through hers and pulled her back into the crowd.

  It was amazing the amount of people who stepped aside for him. Then again, when she darted a look at him, he was wearing his no-nonsense expression and strode with purpose. She wouldn’t want to get in his way either.

  They pushed through the crowd, her gaze scanning everyone at least twice. As they neared the end of the stalls, Chloe’s blood ran cold with fear. Sander’s firm grip was the only thing keeping her sane. Keeping her strong. But her panic wasn’t far from the surface, and the tight ache in her gut warned she wouldn’t be able to keep herself together for long. Not if they didn’t find her mum.

  Sander stopped and pulled her closer. “She looks like you.” He pointed toward a fruit and veg stall with his free hand.

  Holding her breath, she scanned the customers in line. When her gaze landed on a small, darker-haired woman near the front her breath hissed out between her teeth. She released Sander’s hand and clumsily darted through the crowd, bumping into a few unhappy people.

  “Mum!”

  “Chloe?” Her mum’s eyebrows were high over her dark brown eyes.

  Chloe wanted to laugh, and scream and jump around, she felt so happy. “What are you doing here?”

  A puzzled look crossed Joyce’s face. “I’m shopping.”

  Her mum’s eyes focused on something behind her, and her cheeks flushed. Chloe turned to see Sander standing a foot away, worry creasing his forehead. He cocked a brow in question. She nodded, relief making her grin like an idiot. She was so grateful to him for helping, she could hug him again.

  “Is this your friend, Chloe?”

  She turned back to her mum and the flush spread to her neck. Joyce was eyeing her with a knowing look, which only enhanced her embarrassment. “Mum, this is Sander Chase. Sander, Joyce Butler.”

  “Pleased to meet you, Mrs. Butler.” Sander stepped forward and extended his hand.

  Her mum shook it, and her eyebrows rose in question. Chloe was just glad her mum at least knew who she was today.

  “You’re on that telly program with the singers.”

  Please don’t start, Mum.

  Sander nodded.

  “What are you doing with my little girl?”

  Chloe groaned. She wasn’t a little girl anymore.

  “We had lunch together this afternoon. Chloe was worried when your neighbor said you’d left.” His voice was soft, gentle even, so she didn’t think he was annoyed. She relaxed a smidgen.

  Joyce turned back to Chloe, and pain shone from her eyes. “I forgot to say I was heading out.”

  “It’s okay, Mum. Really.”

  She felt horrible, truly horrible that someone as young as her mum had to suffer from this disease. She’d give anything to make it better.

  The grocer called the next customer and Joyce ordered some vegetables. Chloe turned to Sander. “Thank you so much for today. I don’t know what I’d have done without you here.”

  He’d kept her strong when she could have so easily fallen to pieces. It had been a long time since she’d been vulnerable.

  Emotions he’d disguised so well over lunch now played across his features. Chloe’s breath caught in her throat at the pain, the worry, the doubt she saw. What was he thinking?

  “I’ve got everything I need,” Joyce announced.

  “Come on, I’ll take you ladies home.”

  Sander turned and strode into the crowd. Joyce threw her a questioning look before she followed him. Chloe’s stomach dipped. Now that she’d found her mum, her earlier anxiety about Sander was back with a vengeance. If today taught her anything, it was that she definitely needed professional help with Joyce. Someone to look out for her when Chloe was at work.

  The only problem was…if Sander backed out of
the deal they’d made, how on earth could she afford it?

  Chapter 4

  Sander rubbed his hands down the front of his jeans as he vaulted the steps to Chloe’s terraced house. Every cell of his body screamed this was a bad idea.

  He reached out to knock on the door, but hesitated. Pull it together. He rapped his knuckles below the brass number four and waited. It had been two days since he’d seen Chloe. He assumed on Tuesday when she hadn’t been at the coffee shop that it was her day off. And again yesterday. When she wasn’t there today, he knew something was up.

  She opened the door and gaped at him. Golden brown waves with blonde highlights flowed down her shoulders. Bare of makeup, her cheekbones looked higher and her face glowed. The sides of his throat sucked together.

  “What are you doing here?” she asked.

  Sander swallowed and mentally gave himself a shake. “Can we talk?”

  She chewed the inside of her cheek for a minute, her dark golden eyes unsure, but then she stepped out and closed the door behind her. He took in her skintight white vest and hip-hugging sweats. Arousal punched his groin, fast and hard.

  Forcing his gaze away from her perfectly rounded breasts, he looked into her eyes. “Are you sick? I’ve been by the coffee house, but you weren’t there.”

  “I’m fine. Rachel’s covering my shifts for a few days.” She raised a sculpted brow. “I’m guessing you didn’t stop by to enquire about my health.”

  The irony in her voice, the way she stood strong and brazen in front of him was a stark contrast from the Chloe who’d almost fallen to pieces a few days before. It was as if he was facing another person. Either that or she’d had enough time to strengthen her armor.

  Still, he’d seen her vulnerable, he’d seen how terrified she was for her mother. And like it or not, he felt responsible.

  “I have a new proposition for you.”

  Shock parted her lips, and he had to stifle a chuckle.