Panic overtook Anna. She hadn’t expected Karen to take her up on her offer. Dammit. She had nothing to offer these kids except what not to do in Hollywood. And right about now, acting was not exactly something she was enjoying. How could she muster any enthusiasm for the kids with that attitude?
She mustered a smile as Karen held the playbill just out of reach, as if it were a hostage which it was. “Of course. As long as Caroline doesn’t have anything she needs me to do. We’re here for her wedding, so she comes first.”
Karen’s smile only grew as she got what she had wanted. “Of course, dear. I look forward to seeing you tomorrow.”
Anna grabbed the playbill and escaped while she still could, before she promised anything else like starring in the production, introducing the girls to her agent, or even worse, bringing them onto the set ofBlazing Passions.
So much for a low profile.
Chapter Eleven
They got in the truck and pulled out without saying anything. Anna's stomach was in knots over the promise Karen had pulled out of her and over the revelations from the whole evening. She was glad Wyatt didn’t want to rehash anything from the night. He drove swiftly, trying to beat the clock back to the house. They pulled in with minutes to spare, skidding into the dining room just before Ethan and Delaney.
It looked like Caroline wasn’t only playing with Anna and Wyatt but with all the couples, judging by the tension hanging thick in the air. Delaney avoided Ethan’s stare and slid into a seat next to Anna. Brigid kept looking at Grady, then away quickly, as if trying to figure something out. She couldn’t take another night of Caroline’s machinations, not even as a bridal gift.
Caroline tallied the results and glanced at Ethan. "All done, Ethan?"
"We missed one item," Delaney softly replied.
"Really? The great Delaney Winters lost a game? When was the last time that happened?" Anna snidely remarked, a grin spreading.
"Shut it, Anna. Stop being a bitch," Wyatt mildly interjected, a snap in his tone.
"I wasn't speaking to you, Wyatt," she growled but settled in her seat.
Caroline collected the lists and checked the items. Everyone found different parts of the dining room very interesting, all except each other. Anna studied Caroline, hoping she and Wyatt had completed their challenge and finished the game.
Caroline held out a hand to Ethan. "Do you have your receipt for dinner?"
Ethan pulled out a receipt and something else. A stone that he tossed on the table. No, it was a piece of sea glass. Delaney’s head whipped up and stared at him, clearly not having seen it before. Anna’s eyes narrowed.
Ethan shrugged. "It was too dark for a picture in the sand. It was next to the unicorn when I grabbed it."
Caroline accepted the explanation and walked to the front of the table. "We have a tie. Anna and Wyatt and Ethan and Delaney all found their objects. So, we need a tie breaker tomorrow night. I'll tell you the game then."
Delaney heaved a sigh of relief and slumped in her chair.
Anna shot to her feet. "How do we know he really found it here?"
Ethan quirked an eyebrow, his voice low but hard. "Are you calling me a liar, Anna? Do you think I walk around with sea glass in my pocket?"
She swallowed but stood her ground. "Maybe you bought it."
"Enough," Caroline interjected. "I'm the judge, and we're calling it a tie. Do you have a problem with that?"
Wyatt yanked Anna back in her chair. “Just let it go, Anna. It’s a goddamn game. Nothing more.”
She glared at him, but subsided, shooting an angry glare at the table. “I just wanted this over with.” She shook her head. "It's fine."
Caroline nodded. "Then we'll have to have one more event tomorrow. For now, it's a beautiful night. Let's enjoy it on the patio."
Everyone stood and trudged out of the room.
* * *
Anna wandered away from the house, not in the mood to socialize. She passed the lawn and the dunes and headed for the beach, and the privacy she sought. Her shell was brittle, skintight and stiff. She feared talking to anyone, feared the emotions that were building inside of her exploding and creating havoc all around her. The night had almost destroyed her last set of defenses, and she felt as if she stood on wet sand with the waves rolling in, eating away at her foundation with every gentle and subtle pass. Those same waves lapped at her feet now, her shoes discarded at the edge of the grass so she could feel the water and sand between her toes—feel something when the rest of her was numb and cut off.
“We talked about what happened to me over the past five years, but not you.”