Driven By Love Read online

  Another photo popped in front of her, and she was brought back to reality. She smiled and kept autographing items and posed for so many selfies, she lost count.

  A gentle tap on her shoulder made her swing around and see her publicist, Cindy Stans, looking aggravated.

  Anne knew that look. She wasted too much time with the fans and she had to move on. With one last wave to them, she moved back towards the Ballroom.

  “Nice touch. That will definitely get more people viewing this next movie. Good for your image, too.”

  “I really wasn’t going for that, Cindy.”

  “I know that.” She patted her arm in reassurance, “Still, keep it up. It will get you far.”

  As Anne walked towards the building that housed the Ballroom she could see the lights of the indoor carousel blink as the carousel awaited her arrival. Her mother told her about the new attraction which housed a ballroom, kid’s museum and an indoor carousel and helped bring in tons of new tourists every year. The carousel and ballroom were part of the town’s history, which dated back to the start of the 1900s and was the ideal place to welcome home the town’s grand star.

  The security guard opened the door for her as she approached, and Cindy and the bodyguards followed. As she glided in she was engulfed in a bombardment of flashes and camera clicks as the mayor walked over to her and shook her hand to welcome her back.

  “Welcome back, Anne, to your hometown!” his voice boomed over the voices and camera clicks.

  With that, he led her to the double doors on the right and the smell of fresh popcorn made her mouth begin to water. The mayor took her around and showed her the whole carousel, which showed the history of the town, major landmarks, and companies. Anne was amazed at how beautifully built it was and how the horses and animals seemed to look alive. After she posed for more pictures, she was greeted more city council members and other committees, groups and business owners, most of whom she remembered.

  Her facial muscles groaned as she kept her smile plastered on her face for all the pictures and autographs. There were so many people she greeted that she felt like she personally said hello to everyone in the town. While she shook another councilman’s hand, her eyes glanced around the room to see where the rest of her family was. Helen Stevens would never miss this event and Anne had a hunch that she was probably somewhere in the background making sure that everything was perfect. Her father hated events like this, so she wouldn’t be surprised if he stayed home to get the barbeque ready for the family and friends party her mother planned for the evening. Her brother, Daniel, texted her the night before that he would be there as long as there wasn’t any IT emergency that he had to fix. Elle, her close cousin who grew up with them, was part of the event committee and made sure that nothing was missed. Missy, her supermodel sister, should have been there by now.

  As the camera flash went off, Anne caught a glance of her mother in the background. Helen was a striking woman even for being in her fifties. Her fiery red hair still held its vibrant color and her gentle smile welcomed everyone as she walked and greeted each person she met.

  Even though Helen did not grow up in the town, she still knew everything and everyone. She talked to Don the baker one minute and the next minute she mingled with the school principal. She enjoyed all the attention as much as Anne did. The pride she felt for Anne could clearly be seen on her face and she didn't try to hide it.

  As she finished her conversation with another business owner, she excused herself and moved in her mother’s direction, only to be stopped by her father’s good friend and Chief of Police Stan Whitman.

  A moment later, her mother walked up and placed her arm around Anne, and gently squeezed her.

  "Stan, didn't I tell you that my little Anne would put this town on the map?"

  "Mom..."

  "Yes, you did, Helen! I was just telling her how we all are happy with the extra business this movie is bringing in."

  Helen squeezed her daughter even tighter and then stopped and looked at her attractive bodyguard. "Oh, hello, Dean!”

  Anne spun around to face him, her neck craned so she could look. “You know him?”

  “Of course I know him! Dean is Jeri’s brother. I told you that your wonderful agent Jacob was going to hire him as your personal bodyguard, remember?”

  Anne vaguely remembered that conversion. She knew one of them was her personal bodyguard but Jacob didn’t mention that he was connected to her family. How did her mother convince Jacob to hire him?

  Missy. She must have persuaded Jacob to hire him. Anne knew that Missy would not normally do things like that, but if her mother asked her to, she would have done it.

  “Mom, I don’t need any extra protection while I'm here."

  Helen shook her head. "You never know, honey. There are a lot of crazy people out there.” Her head nodded in the direction of the crowds outside.

  Anne turned towards him and his hazel green eyes pierced into her and she felt her breath catch in her throat. “I, uh… I don’t know why I need extra security. I grew up here. Everyone knows me. No one would want to hurt me."

  "That’s the point. Your agent feels that you’ll let your guard down and get mobbed by a bunch of people or get stalked. He doesn’t want to take any chances especially since you are the star." Dean placed his hands behind his back in a clear military stance. "Don't worry. I’ll try and give you as much space as possible."

  Why did her heart sag at that thought? With her worldwide popularity it was easy for her to date anyone she wanted, so why did she wonder how those strong arms would feel around her?

  "Dean is not a babysitter, honey. With his military background, he’s the perfect candidate for the position. And he's a good family friend and not a stranger, so be nice to him. Now, I have to go and find Gina Parker. She promised me that she'd give me the recipe for her apple strudel cake."

  She spun around and weaved through the crowd of people like an elegant ballerina.

  "She loves you very much, Anne," Stan told her. "She is so proud of you that she can't stop talking about you and your sister."

  On cue, her phone rang and buzzed inside her purse. Taking it out, she looked around the area for someplace to check her phone without being interrupted.

  “We have a room reserved if you need a break,” Dean told her as he motioned to the other side of the building.

  “Yes, I do. Excuse me, Mr. Whitman.”

  “Sure. If you need anything while you are town just let me know.” With that he stepped away as Dean escorted Anne to the private room behind the carousel.

  When they slid inside the room, Anne looked at her phone. It was a text from Missy.

  Evan and I are on our way.

  Shock filled her every vein. Evan? Why was Missy with Evan? She dated him years ago in high school and left him with a broken heart when she went to LA to start modeling. The shock turned to guilt as she remembered that it was her connection that got Missy that modeling job which turned her into an overnight success. They knew Evan and his family from the time they were little kids. He truly was a good guy, one of the few that were left on planet Earth and she couldn’t bear to see him hurt again by her sister.

  Evan!?

  A few seconds later another message popped up. Yeah, he’s sweet. Brought red roses.

  Anne stared at the message as guilt took hold of her. She hoped that Missy wouldn’t hurt him again as she typed in: !??

  Her phone came back with another message: I will fill you in later. :-)

  Anne almost snorted. What was going on with her and Evan? If Missy was just using him then Anne needed to really smack her.

  Don’t hurt him.

  Trust me. Came back almost instantly.

  She definitely needed to corner her and get details as to what was going on. Not only was Missy her sister but she was one of her closest friends and shared everything with each other. Deep down inside she knew that Missy was not the kind of person that would manipulate people j
ust for her own entertainment. Still, fame changes people the wrong way sometimes and she hoped that it didn’t change Missy. As she waited for Missy’s response, she noticed that Dean gave her some space but yet still kept an eye on her. With his six-foot height and the dark suit he wore, he looked like a younger version of James Bond. Did he also carry a gun under that suit? A buzz from her phone pulled her attention away from her hunky bodyguard.

  Still there?

  The door of the room opened up and a dark wavy-haired woman in her late twenties walked in.

  "Anne!" she called out as she closed the door behind her.

  Anne smiled as she realized it was Jerilind Miller, her parent’s good friend and Dean’s younger sister.

  Quickly she typed in BRB.

  Even though she didn’t talk very much to Jeri, she owed her a great deal for helping her parents deal with the emptiness Anne and Missy left behind when they jetted out to the west coast. Every time she spoke to her mother, Jeri was always mentioned and Anne knew that her mother viewed her as another daughter.

  They embraced each other in a fierce hug. "You look wonderful!" Jeri told her as they released each other.

  "You look great yourself. Not bad for a farmer!"

  "I can't take all the credit. Your mom and dad help me out a lot. I think I would have been lost without them." The sincerity in her voice just made Anne’s heart swell. Even with the heartache of an empty nest, they still managed to go out and help people. Others would have just stayed home and kept watched TV all day.

  "They just love helping people."

  “Speaking of helping people.” Jeri motioned to Dean who hovered about two feet away, “How’s my big brother treating you?”

  “So far, okay. Doesn’t talk much.” She gave him a slight frown.

  “That will change after two beers,” Jeri told her as she smirked at her older brother. “You have to come over to my house while you’re here. I make a wonderful blueberry wine and the blueberries will be ripe in a few weeks.”

  Anne’s mouth started to water at the thought of the ripe, sweet, delicious berries that literally melted in her mouth when she ate them. “You don’t have to pull my arm. Blueberries don’t taste the same as they do from here. I know that Missy would agree with me on that.”

  "Speaking of Missy, where is she?" Jeri asked her as she looked around the crowd.

  "She will be here. Evan's driving her."

  "Oh, your mom told me.”

  “Why am I not surprised that’s she’s involved in this?” Helen was just as heartbroken as Evan when Missy broke up with him. She hoped and planned that they would get married, since it was so obvious that they loved each other. They dated for years ever since they met back in high school. They shared the greatest moments of their lives from homecoming to senior prom and graduation.

  Yet, when fame called to Missy, she couldn’t resist it and flew to L.A. to start her modeling career. Evan couldn’t leave his father and sister behind to struggle to pay all their bills. Instead of wallowing around in his sorrows, he studied nights to become a paramedic and later on took care of his father when he became ill.

  Helen and Kenneth admired Evan in so many ways. Anne knew that her mother still had hope that Evan would bring Missy back to reality and settle down with her. It was no surprise that any chance there was to get them back together would have Helen involved.

  “I honestly don’t think she’s in the middle. I heard that Evan just wanted to thank Missy for all the money she sent him while he was taking care of his dad.” Jeri grabbed two glasses of champagne from the small table that was by the wall and offered one to Anne.

  Anne nodded her thanks as she took the glass. “I remember Mom mentioned that she sent him money since he had to take so much time off of work to take care of his dad. I’m happy that at least she did that much for him.”

  “Yes and this visit has just gotten your mom’s hopes up just a little. I think she already has made baby clothes for the grandkids."

  "I wouldn’t doubt if she already had names picked out too."

  Jeri stifled a laugh.

  "No!" Anne exclaimed as her eyes widened.

  "Yes. She's got all the grandkids picked out. Let's see…" Jeri balanced the glass in one hand and started counted out the names on her other. "There's Evan Jr., then Amanda, Emily, and Tony."

  "Four kids?"

  Jeri smiled. "Yup, but that's just Missy."

  Anne sighed. "How many did she pick out for me?" She took a sip of the sweet liquid.

  "Five."

  Anne nearly spit out her champagne. “Why five?!"

  "Your mom has high hopes." She glanced at her brother, standing nearby. "They got higher when Dean showed up,"

  Anne saw Dean slightly stiffen and she wondered if he overheard their conversation. What was her mother thinking? She could never marry anyone like him. A move like that could damage her career. If she was to marry again, she needed to marry another A-list star or some top executive of a Fortune 500 company. She wouldn’t marry for love because there was no way she would fall in love. As much as she secretly wished to have a love-filled marriage like her parents, it just wasn’t in her future since every man viewed her for her Hollywood status and money, not who she truly was.

  "I'm going to go catch up with some other people. It was so good to finally see you." Jeri told Anne as she gave her another hug. “Keep my brother on his toes,” she said with a smile as she headed out the door.

  “Oh, I will.” Anne smirked as she took another sip and walked up to Dean. She needed a break from all the flashes and photos to finish her drink.

  "So what made you decide to go join the army?"

  "It was the Marines, actually," he corrected her gently as he looked into her eyes. "My father was a Marine and so is my brother and I followed in their footsteps to serve our country."

  "That is really a wonderful thing. I'm sure that you're glad to be back at home."

  A buzz interrupted Dean before he could speak. Anne she looked at her cell phone. Her sister sent her a half text.

  Did you

  Did I what? she texted back to her. Boy, her head was definitely in the clouds when she was with Evan.

  The door to the room opened and an older man stepped in. He wore a dark business suit and his gray receding hairline, mustache and potbelly made him look like and old politician. Behind him stood a younger man, around her age with striking blue eyes that matched his suit.

  They looked familiar to her. Didn’t she just take some pictures with them?

  The older man smiled and yelled “There you are Anne! You walked away before I had a chance to introduce my son.” the men walked right in.

  Dean stepped in front of her, hand extended, “I’m sorry, sir do you have a pass?”

  The man’s head tilted. “Pass? Of course I have one.” He pulled out a plastic card from his pocket and waved it at him. “I don’t know why I need to show you this since everyone knows who I am.”

  “Um, I’m sorry. You are…?” Anne’s confusion was clearly heard as she stood behind Dean. She peeked around him to look at the men.

  His face looked familiar, but she just couldn’t think of name that belonged to it.

  So much for a break, Anne thought as she plastered on her world famous smile.

  “I’m sorry. I don’t recognize you. What did you say your name is?”

  The older man frowned. “Councilman Dennis Sanders. I’ve spoken to your mother on numerous occasions. She considers us family friends!” he said with a chuckle.

  I doubt it. “Oh, well I haven’t had much time to speak to her today,” she began. “But it was nice of you to stop by.”

  He didn’t take the hint and stepped aside to push the younger man towards her. “I wanted to introduce you to my son Edward. He is running for the Senate seat next year.”

  There it is. She smiled and shook his extended hand. “Nice to meet you.”

  Edward’s smile was typically political. �
��It is such a pleasure to meet you, Anne. You truly are a gem to this town!”

  “Thank you very much.”

  “You know it would be wonderful if we all could get together for dinner while you are in town.” Councilman Sanders blurted.

  Not going to happen. “Unfortunately my schedule is pretty packed.” She frowned.

  Councilman Sanders squeezed past Dean and wrapped his arm around her. “Nonsense! We’re family friends I’m sure you can squeeze us in to one of the family dinners.”

  “I’m not sure…”

  “Dad, don’t be so pushy.” Edward chimed in. “Anne, I know that you are very busy so why don’t you just call me when something opens up?” He grabbed a business card and handed it to her. “I would love to take you out to dinner.” The political smile was back again.

  Seriously? She took the card and smiled back at him. “Thank you for the offer.”

  “I won’t take no for an answer.” Edward smiled.

  “I’ll talk to my publicist about my schedule.” And make sure it’s totally booked solid.

  “You do that.” He turned to his father. “I think Anne needs to rest a while and I thought I saw Judge Falker here.”

  His father beamed. “Yes, he was. Let’s go talk to him about my new proposal.”

  They both turned back to Anne. Edward extended his hand again. “It was so nice to see you Anne.”

  She shook both their hands and they exited the room.

  “Is there a way to barricade that door?” she mumbled as she looked at her phone again. No response.

  Dean noticed her worried glance towards her phone. "Is something wrong?"

  Anne started to worry. It wasn’t like Missy to just end a conversation mid-sentence.

  There was a loud bang at the door.

  "Dean!" a yell came from the other side.

  Dean opened the door. Stan stood on the other side with a grim look on his face. "We need your help. There's been a pile up of cars on the 190. I know that you have a lot of training in situations like this and from the sound of it, we’re going to need it."