Addictions

Addictions Lucy A. Fazely

Published by Awe-Struck E-Books Copyright © 2005 ISBN: 1-58749-511-2 Electronic rights reserved by Awe-Struck E-Books, all other rights reserved by author. The reproduction or other use of any part of this publication without the prior written consent of the rights holder is an infringement of the copyright law. This is a work of fiction. People and locations, even those with real names, have been fictionalized for the purposes of this story.

Chapter One Leah knew the reality of it. Even after this one half-hour TV segment aired and exposed her work to thousands of viewers, she would still be working eighty to a hundred hours a week just to pay the bills. So, why not just take a real job and have a steady income? It was a question she'd frequently asked herself in the last year. She had worn her best dress for the taping; actually it was more of a nice denim jumper. The denim brought out the blue in her eyes, and she liked the casual look of the outfit. She had taken some time that morning in the hotel to style a few more waves into her hair than nature had given her. Fortunately, a studio beautician had done her makeup an hour earlier. Leah could put on a little blush and mascara, but that was the extent of her talents with cosmetics. Sitting there in the building's atrium, waiting for her turn, she knew that this upcoming TV appearance was just another step in a very long process, and not the answer she'd been looking for. Perhaps that's why she'd been stalling there for the last ten minutes, instead of waiting in her dressing room. She wasn't nervous about the show, but about her future. Okay Leah, she thought, pull yourself together and prepare for this show so you don't fall flat on your face. She got up and started to pace around the atrium, following the sidewalk that circled around a central grouping of trees. Flipping through carefully prepared notes, she rehearsed what she wanted to cover, hoping not to forget the important little details. If she was teaching a class, she'd be able to re-visit points forgotten, but not in this venue. *** Robert stood in the elevator as it took him to the ground level. It had glass along its back wall so he could see the trees and flowers in the atrium below. He had just finished taping a commercial voice-over, the only work his agent had been able to find him. They hadn't even wanted to use his face with his voice, believing he'd become too much of a liability. Seven months earlier he had been convicted of his fourth drunk driving offense. With fancy footwork his lawyers were able to plead down to a misdemeanor saving him from having to do serious jail time. He had spent only three months behind bars and another three months in rehab. In the month that he'd been out of rehab, his agent had been able to get him only this one gig. He used to be one of the biggest box-office draws in the world, and now he was unable to get any meaningful work. In those six months spent in jail and rehab, he had seen the need to change his life. He had steeled himself for the changes he'd have to make. He knew he'd have to dig deep, find the strength to keep away from the bottle, or throw away

any chances of a professional come-back. So, why was it he had sneaked out the back of the building before the taping and now carried an un-opened pint of vodka in his jacket pocket? Absorbed in his thoughts, he stared blankly down into the atrium until a movement caught his attention. There was a woman walking around the center of the atrium, holding a pile of papers and talking to herself using exaggerated hand movements. He was intrigued. She didn't look like someone in the business. There were a number of small studios that operated out of the building, and he wondered if she was there to do something with a small production. He got off the elevator on the first floor and stood watching this mysterious woman through the plate glass windows that opened up into the atrium. She continued to circle around the central section of the atrium, flipping through her pages as she walked. She had shoulder length brown hair, no fancy coiffeur. Her makeup was natural, no bright red lips and gaudy pink cheeks. Her clothes were plain, with sensible shoes. What is it about this woman? he asked himself. Why did he find himself fixated on her? She certainly wasn't the usual supermodel type he normally was attracted to. Far from it. She was tall, yet shapely; this woman actually had a little meat on her. Not overweight, just a nice size. She was what he had envisioned as a natural size for a woman. So unlike the gaunt, twiggy fashion plates with sunken-in cheeks and unnaturally enlarged lips and breasts that he'd been surrounded by for the past twenty years. Was it just the physical differences that he was seeing? He didn't think so. There was an air of quiet self-assurance about her. Not the fake over-confident posturing that women displayed around him, in an effort to get what they wanted. She seemed to have an independence and maturity that he rarely saw in women anymore. She was genuine. This is the kind of woman I need in my life, he found himself thinking. But, he didn't know anything about her. She could be married with sixteen children for all he knew. *** Leah looked at her watch. Oh no, she thought, I'm going to be late. She gathered up her purse, and balanced her water bottle precariously on top of the papers. Then she scooted out of the atrium and waited impatiently for the elevator to arrive. She didn't want the show's host, Paulette, to be mad at her because she was late. She only had five minutes to get back up to the sixth floor and this elevator was descending at an impossibly slow pace. She was so concerned with getting back upstairs that she failed to notice the man standing next to her waiting for the elevator. When the elevator doors finally opened she squeezed past the three passengers as they disembarked. She quickly turned to the control panel and punched the sixth floor button repeatedly, hoping the elevator would sense her urgency.

"Fifth floor," said the man who had entered the elevator with her. There wasn't time for another stop! Leah looked up, exasperated, only to come face to face with screen legend Robert Stetson as he reached in front of her and pushed the fifth floor button! Startled, she dropped her precariously stacked pile onto the floor of the elevator. She quickly bent down on one knee and started picking up her mess. The papers were now soaked from the un-capped water bottle that had fallen, along with the rest of the things she'd been juggling. Great, she told herself. I'm stuck in the elevator with Robert Stetson and all I can do is drop everything! Paulette had warned her before she came that, occasionally, big stars were seen in the building. She'd never expected to actually encounter any of them. Now, when confronted with one of the biggest screen stars of the last two decades, all she could do was make a fool of herself, and ruin her notes on top of it. Robert bent down on one knee and helped her pick up the wet papers, shaking them off. So, she's not a woman of steel, he thought. Some vulnerability there too. This could be interesting. He held out his free hand, and offered it to her, "Hi, I'm Robert. I'm sorry if I frightened you." She couldn't bring herself to look up into his eyes. She took his hand and was amazed at the physical reaction she had to his touch: there was an energy that shot through to her soul. "Leah," she said meekly just wanting to get out of the elevator and into the studio where Paulette would be waiting for her. She willed herself to let go of his grip, but could not. Robert stood up, still holding her hand. Noticing there was no ring on either hand, he helped her to her feet. "Leah, I'm sorry if I frightened you. Are you alright?" "I'm fine, thank you," she said, curtly, holding the wet papers away from her body in a useless effort to keep them from further soaking her outfit. Lord, she had to be in front of the camera in just a few minutes. She couldn't do it with a wet outfit on. The only other clothes she had with her were the jeans and t-shirt that she'd worn on the plane the night before. Tears stung her eyes. She'd spent every extra cent she had to get to Los Angeles from Michigan for this opportunity. Now she was going to blow it by showing up late and dripping wet. "Here," Robert offered, holding out a handkerchief. "Maybe this will help keep your dress dry." He opened the handkerchief and draped it across her arm so it hung between her dress and the wet papers. "Thank you, I really have to go." She darted out the opening elevator doors and rushed toward the studio.

Halfway down the hall she realized she was on the fifth floor. Damn it. How stupid can one person be in the course of just five minutes? She dashed back to the elevator, where Robert was good-naturedly holding the doors open for her. "Six," she said with tears running down her cheeks. There goes my makeup, was all she could think. She leaned up against the wall of the elevator, closed her eyes and let the tears flow. She just didn't care anymore. Robert was feeling terrible, causing this woman to lose her composure because of his presence. He took a finger and gently wiped the tears from her cheeks. Her eyes flew open and she found herself once again face to face with Robert Stetson and those incredibly beautiful brown eyes. Hot tears stung her face as never before, or was that his touch? She couldn't move. She could barely breath with him so close. "I'm really sorry, Leah. I didn't mean to upset you. I just wanted to go to the fifth floor. I guess we both have missed our intended targets today." With that he bent down and gently kissed her cheek, where he had just wiped away her tears. Leah felt a jolt go through her entire body. No, she told herself, it's just the elevator stopping on the sixth floor. With him standing just inches from her, all she could think about was how incredibly good he smelled. In forty plus years she had never smelled a man like that before. As the elevator doors opened, Paulette's assistant was there waiting for her. "Miss Mosley! I'm so glad I found you. Paulette is waiting for you on the set," the assistant politely informed her. The assistant was unable to repress a coy smile at this man with whom Leah was sharing, what appeared to be, an intimate moment. "I'll, be right there. Thank you." Leah tried to quickly regain her composure as the elevator doors once again closed. The elevator wasn't moving, so why was it she was having trouble getting her legs to support her full weight? Robert reached across and pushed the button to reopen the doors. When Leah arrived on the set Paulette was standing there, patiently waiting for her. Paulette was a beautiful, plus-sized woman in her fifty's. She wore a fantastic purple print, rayon batik pantsuit that contrasted nicely with her platinum blonde hair. "I love your outfit, " Leah heard herself saying as she shook her host's hand. And I know just the quilt I'd like to make with it! she thought mischievously. Leah quickly set up her demonstration, as she had so many times before. She could barely follow Paulette's explanation of how the show would proceed. Paulette interrupted herself to call for a touch-up on Leah's makeup, and a

hairdryer. Leah tried to focus on Paulette's words as a woman powdered her face and a man used a hairdryer on her wet jumper. She did hear Paulette explain that the show would be filmed as one long segment to be edited later. Leah hoped she hadn't missed any important directions. Before she knew it, the red light on the camera blinked on and Paulette was starting the show. "Thank you once again for joining me. On this segment of I Love Quilts we have talented quilt designer Leah Mosley. Leah, before we get into what you brought to show us, perhaps you could introduce the friend you brought with you today." Puzzled, Leah followed Paulette's gaze beyond the bright studio lights. Robert sat just off the set in a director's chair, as though he belonged there. She was flabbergasted. She thought she knew who he was. Maybe it wasn't him at all, but just a look alike. She hadn't a clue as to what to do. Worse than not knowing him, she had just been caught by the production assistant with him kissing her cheek in the elevator, and she had obviously been crying. Leah was sure Paulette had heard all about it and assumed they were close. Thankfully, Paulette saw that Leah couldn't respond and took over as the true professional she was. "As you home viewers know, we don't have a studio audience, but today Leah brought her friend Mr. Robert Stetson with her. Welcome Robert," she said shaking his hand as he confidently stepped onto the set. Now what was she supposed to do? This stranger was standing there with his arm around her like they were lovers, and all that she could think about was how good he smelled. "Robert, how long have you known Leah?" Paulette asked. "We've known each other for awhile," Robert answered, smiling down at Leah. Leah focused on his eyes and silently pleaded for him to go away. Oh, how could any man who smelled that good be so obnoxious? This was the same man that had made her get off on the wrong floor and be late on the set. Now, thanks to him, she had to do the taping with puffy eyes from crying. She really didn't want his arm around her, no matter how natural it felt. What could she do? She couldn't take the chance of being rude and not having it edited out before being aired. "Robert," Paulette smiled, "we appreciate you stopping in today. But, alas we do have to get on with the show. I'm anxious to see what beautiful things Leah brought to share with us." "Thank you Paulette." Then turning to Leah he said, "See you soon." He kissed

her on the cheek, sending another jolt through her. It wasn't the elevator moving this time. He left her heady, breathing in the remnants of his cologne. The next thirty minutes of taping were a haze. Luckily she had taught this quilting technique hundreds of times and was able to go into automatic, even without the benefit of her notes. Before she knew it, Paulette was thanking her for coming and the session was over. When the cameras were off and the studio lights turned down, Paulette pulled her aside and inquired, "Leah, what kind of cologne does Robert use? I need to get some of that for my husband!" Leah heard herself promising to find out and let Paulette know. She was reluctant to confess that she didn't know the man and would never be seeing him again. Feeling dejected, Leah collected her things then made her way out into the hallway. She had been so eager to get this booking, and now she couldn't wait to leave. Robert stood across the hall, leaning his frame on the railing looking down into the atrium. She froze, not knowing what to do. Her singular thought was to get to the elevator before he could see her. She wasn't halfway down the hall before he was by her side attempting to take from her the large, rolling suitcase filled with her sample quilts. Abruptly pulling the bag back, she stopped and turned to him. "What are you doing? Why are you following me?" She looked down the hall to the security desk where a guard was reading a paper. "Should I be calling for studio security?" Robert laughed and put his hands in the air, "Please don't shoot!" She had to laugh and she could feel her shoulders relax some. "Now that's not so bad, is it? I'm sorry if I threw you off balance. To be honest you threw me off balance when I saw you walking in circles in the atrium." "You were watching me?" she asked indignantly. "Well, yes," he confessed softly. "What were you doing?" "I was trying to go over my class routine so I wouldn't mess up in there." "Did you mess up?"

"How do I know," she sighed. She couldn't think anymore. The taping was done, and she was ready to go home. "I don't remember anything of the taping." "Let me make it up to you. Can I buy you a cup of coffee?" Sensing her hesitation he quickly added, "There's a Starbuck's on the first floor. There's security everywhere and I won't try to kiss you again. I promise." Then he traced a cross on his chest with his finger.

Chapter Two Unable to resist this man, she heard herself agreeing. They took the same elevator, in which they had met, to the first floor. This time he carefully stayed on his side of the elevator, in an attempt make her feel more comfortable. He was glad that she had agreed to spend some time with him. Maybe he could learn more about this intriguing woman. At Starbucks he approached the counter. "Hi there Mike," Robert said. "I'll have a French Vanilla Cap, and whatever the lady desires." Not a coffee drinker, Leah ordered an orange juice and chocolate biscotti, her usual pre-flight snack. She figured the orange juice was nutritious and the biscotti was filling so it shouldn't upset her stomach like a greasy burger would. She needed a settled stomach, more now than ever. She was feeling more turbulence, standing still next to this man, than she'd ever felt on any plane. I hope it's not an earthquake, she thought, well aware that it wasn't. "Well, you know why I'm here," Leah said as they settled on a bench in the building's front foyer. "What are you doing here?" She wasn't sure why she was still there with this man. Perhaps she was just lonely. After all, it had been quite some time since she'd enjoyed a gentleman's company, and it was without doubt the first time an international movie star had invited her for coffee. "I just finished taping a commercial voice-over on the fifth floor. I was on my way out to my agent's office, across town, when I saw you in the atrium from the elevator." "If you were done taping, why were you going back up?" she asked, suddenly realizing he had no reason to be on that elevator with her. "You were following me!" "Busted," he said looking down at his cappuccino. Then he focused his eyes intently on her. "I saw you and just wanted the chance to meet you. So, yes, I followed you onto the elevator." Then he reluctantly added, "You're probably aware that I recently had some legal troubles. It's all over the TV. But, honestly, I haven't been drinking, and I'm not crazy. I assumed that you weren't from L.A. and I was afraid I'd never see you again." He looked back down at his cup, his fingers moving nervously over the rim. What could he possibly say to keep her from getting up and leaving right now? She was miffed. Just because he was a famous movie star didn't give him the right to follow her. But, she looked at him sitting next to her, the way his shoulders were slumped and how his finger nervously traced the rim of his cup. She'd worked closely with people for most of her adult life and she felt his body language

indicated he wasn't lying. He was seemingly in pain and her nursing background made her want to comfort him. She reached over and took his fingers in her hands. "I don't think you're crazy. There are a lot of things in this life that can't be explained." He looked up and smiled weakly at her and she returned the smile. As her anger faded she began to realize how seriously attracted she was to this man. They sat there comfortable in each other's company, just holding hands and occasionally sneaking a glance at one another. "So, what do we do now?" he asked nervously. "I don't know," she replied. She was scared to trust him. His drinking problems and womanizing had been fodder for the tabloids for years. At the same time, she was becoming aware of a fear building in her that she'd never see him again. "I know this great Italian place. Will you join me for a late lunch?" "I'm supposed to be on my way to the airport now." She looked at her watch and was amazed that they'd been sitting there for close to an hour. "My goodness, if I don't leave now I won't make my flight!" She jumped up and grabbed her bags, heading for the main entrance. How she wanted to stay, but fear of missing her flight took over. "Wait, don't just leave me like this!" he called after her. Robert quickly caught up to her on the curb and hailed a taxi for her. She stood inside the open door of the taxi and turned to him, looking for answers. Now that she wanted to get to know this man, she had to leave. He gave her a gentle kiss on the lips sending shock waves through her body. "To LAX. She'll tell you which terminal," he said to the driver. Before Leah knew it she was in the taxi, on her way to the airport, wondering what could have been if she'd stayed. Who was this man to make her feel that way? Yes, he was the most handsome man she'd ever laid eyes on, with his perfect features, brown eyes and jet-black hair. He did smell incredible. But, was she really that shallow to be attracted just by surface features? There was something more. An honesty about him. He seemed genuinely interested in her and she hadn't felt that from a man in years. He was gentle and soft-spoken, so unlike his on-screen personas. And, there was a real vulnerability there. It was as if he was on the edge of a cliff ready to fall off and had nothing to hang onto. Oh what does it matter? she thought. He's gone now. Convinced the only place she'd ever see him again was on the big screen, she let out a heavy sigh and relaxed back into the seat. On the trip to the airport she contemplated how she had gotten to this point in her life.

She had become pregnant by her college sweetheart when she was twenty-two and they had gotten married. Now she could see the marriage for the mistake it was. At the time she felt that it was the right thing to do and she had loved him. Six months after the wedding, Leah had given birth to twin boys. Sweet little Brandon died when he was just three days old. Brent gave them some scares the first few weeks, but survived. Leah went through a year of deep depression after Brandon's death; mourning his loss and plagued with guilt over the joy of raising Brent all at the same time. When the boys were born, Leah had been working as a nurse on a surgical unit. Some fellow nurses on the unit had introduced her to quilting. She soon found it hard to make a design the way a pattern indicated. She was constantly improving the way the quilts were put together and changing the designs to suit her artistic instincts. She was getting burned out on nursing and was not happy at home. Quilting became a form of therapy for her. It was a creative outlet and she had something concrete finished when she was done. She'd started submitting some of her original designs to magazines, finding them easy to place. Soon her quilt designs were appearing regularly in national magazines. Encouraged, she worked every free minute to build her name as a designer and started a mail-order pattern business on the Internet. Alex, her ex-husband, had worked in sales. He was charming and had a way of selling things to people they didn't need. Unfortunately, he also had a way of blowing up at people who weren't buying what he was selling. He was fired from countless jobs over the years leaving Leah's paycheck to support them through much of their marriage. Ten years into their marriage he was driving home drunk and crashed his car into a tree. He spent two weeks in a downstate hospital, then three months in a physical therapy rehab center. When he was finally released he was depending on his wheelchair far more than his therapist, or Leah, thought he should. He was approved for permanent disability and made no effort to find a way to spend his time productively. He found it much easier to take out his frustrations on Leah. He didn't hit her, at least not often. But, his verbal abuse took on frightening proportions as did his new habit, cocaine. By the time Brent was in high school she was working for a home-health and hospice agency. It offered her a chance to do one-on-one nursing, which gave her a great deal of satisfaction. She found hospice patients to be the most 'alive' people she had ever met. There was something about coming to terms with their impending deaths that helped them live each day, as she had never seen anyone do before. It was something that she never forgot.

One night, five years after Alex's accident, Leah woke up with a start, gasping for breath. Alex was up on one elbow next to her in bed. He held one of his wellhoned hunting knives to her throat. She lay there paralyzed, not moving and not breathing. She could feel a trickle of warm sticky blood as it ran down her neck toward the pillow. Her thoughts ran wild. Thinking about their son being raised by this man, without her influence, was prominent in her mind. She closed her eyes and asked God to please spare her life, so she could see Brent into manhood. At that moment Alex gave a malicious little chuckle, pulled the knife away and stashed it under his pillow. Then he fell into an alcohol and chemically induced slumber. Leah lay there the rest of the night, too scared to move, too frightened to fall asleep. The next day, as soon as Alex had left for the corner bar, she called a family friend who owned a small, dank apartment building. He had a one-room efficiency immediately available. She moved Brent and herself in there that afternoon with the help of her mother and her best friend, Madison. She had taken only the bare necessities at the time, planning to sneak back for more when she knew Alex was gone. She resented having to start over from scratch again, and promised herself that she would never again be put in a position of having to run for her life. If she ever loved another man, she would stay independent and be able to leave at the first sign of trouble, not after years of abuse. She withdrew the savings she had in an account under her name, about six thousand dollars, and stashed it in her parent's safety deposit box. Madison's husband, Dean, was her lawyer and he drew up the divorce papers saying that she could keep the savings and the car, and Alex could have the house. Alex insisted on joint custody and she reluctantly agreed. Dean had warned if she fought for custody without as much as a police report to back her up, it was her word against his. She would end up with joint custody in the end and no money to start over with. In the six agonizing years from the time of Alex's accident, until a year after she moved out, Leah had used food as her drug of choice and had gained more than sixty pounds. A year after the divorce she began to take back control of her life in many respects. She joined TOPS, a weight-loss support group. With their support she was able to take the weight off, and keep it off. It had been a lonely five years. Living in Oscoda, a small Michigan town, she had little opportunity to meet men. At the time they moved out Brent was fifteen years old. Leah had promised him that she would remain in Oscoda until he was

eighteen so he wasn't pulled between living with one parent or another, and he could graduate with his high school class. As it turned out, within six months of when the divorce was final, Alex moved to South Dakota to live with some relatives. Brent hadn't seen his father in the four years since. Brent had left for a college in Georgia, eighteen months earlier, on a full golf scholarship. Now she was seriously thinking of moving somewhere in the south, the Carolinas or Georgia, perhaps. Her parents and Madison were in Oscoda and she had a hard time making any real plans that would include taking herself away from these people, who had been there for her through so much. She had taken a giant leap of faith when Brent left for college. She resigned her nursing position to work full time at her quilt design/pattern business. It meant that she worked days, nights and weekends. She now feared she might not be able to continue at that frantic pace and would have to return to nursing, at least part time, to pay the bills. The taxi came to an abrupt halt at the airport terminal, jolting her back to reality. As she paid the driver, her door was opened on the curbside of the taxi and she heard a voice asking, "May I help you with your bags, ma'am?" "No thanks, I've got..." She stopped cold when she saw Robert standing there, grinning. Looking around in confusion, she asked, "How did you get here?" He pointed to the large black Town Car, with darkly tinted windows, pulled up behind the taxi. "I could have given you a ride, but I didn't think you'd accept." She shook her head, befuddled. Pulling out her luggage she started walking double-time into the terminal, aware that her flight would start boarding in only twenty minutes. Her shoulders sagged as she saw the long line. She pulled the ticket from her purse, expecting to be in line for at least an hour, missing her flight. Her connecting flight from Detroit would be the last one to get her into Saginaw tonight. She'd be spending the night in either LAX or Detroit Metro. "Here, let me" Robert said grabbing her ticket in one hand and her elbow in the other. She scrambled to hang onto her bags as she was pulled to the ticket counter, mouth agape. She looked apologetically, and nervously, at the crowd waiting patiently in line. Robert found a supervisor who was not waiting on a customer and smiled sweetly. "Excuse me Jeanette," he said reading her nametag, "I made my friend late for her flight. Could you please see if you could get her checked in on time to make her..." he looked at the ticket, "two-thirty flight to Saginaw". The supervisor was obviously shocked that Robert Stetson was standing in front of her, and talking to her! "Of course, Mr. Stetson" she stammered. "Miss, I'll need to

see picture ID and your frequent flyer card if you have one." She was talking to Leah, but her eyes were fixated on Robert whenever she looked up from the computer screen. "Did you pack your own bags? Have you left your bags since they were packed? Did anyone ask you to carry anything on board for them?" Leah answered no to each question, but doubted if the supervisor heard her. It amazed her how quickly people became at ease in Robert's presence, and how gracious he was to everyone no matter how lowly their job was. Even the people waiting in the line, which they had just cut in front of, seemed to accept his apology without question. Within minutes she had her bags checked, a boarding pass, with her requested seat assignment, and they were on their way to the security checkpoint. "You didn't have to do that, I could have re-booked for a later flight". "Maybe it was a mistake then," he said sounding genuinely sorry. "I could have kept you company for hours while you waited. Now I have only a few minutes before you walk out of my life." "Wait a minute, " Leah said stopping in mid-stride just as they approached the end of the security line. She was starting to get her wits back after a whirlwind day. "We haven't even been introduced and you're talking like we know each other. I'm sorry; I shouldn't have gone to Starbuck's with you. I was a little flustered with you standing there in the elevator and being a celebrity and all. I was trying to prepare for my big TV debut, and thanks to you I don't think I'll ever be invited back." "Trust me, Paulette will invite you back." "How can you be so sure?" she asked obviously upset. She was glad the line was moving quickly so she could finally get away from this man. "Paulette knew that having me on, even for a few seconds, would improve her ratings. The same reason I knew that supervisor," he said looking back in the direction they had just come from, "would take you from the back of the line and check you in without question. People act funny around celebrities. They try not to, but they do. Just like you were. Now you're past that whole bit and are asking yourself what were you thinking and just who is this man who's chasing you around L.A. I just don't want you to go away angry, because..." "Why wouldn't I go away angry?" She couldn't keep the exasperation out of her voice. "If you'd let me finish," he said gently. "I hope you don't go away angry...because I'd like to call you."

"You're doing it again," she said rolling her eyes. "How do you say just the right thing that keeps me from thinking straight? I'll never be so happy to get on a plane in my life!" They were interrupted by the announcement that her flight would start boarding. With a cheap ticket she knew she had a few minutes, but her stomach plummeted at the thought of never seeing this man again. "Okay, you can call me," she found herself saying as she handed Robert her business card. Not believing her own words she looked up into his smiling eyes. He bent down and kissed her gently again on the lips sending a shudder throughout her body. "I'll see you soon," he whispered softly in her ear. Then he was gone. As the guards quickly passed her through the checkpoint, she was left wondering if she had been daydreaming. She'd have to make a point of trying to get out and socialize more; her fantasies were getting out of control. She worried that perhaps she was becoming psychotic. After all, it wasn't possible that Robert Stetson had followed her all the way to the airport, had kissed her and promised to see her soon. She had to get a grip on reality, and fast! She boarded the flight, found her seat and stowed her purse under the seat in front of her. Then she sank deep into her window seat and closed her eyes to the hustle and bustle around her. Thank goodness she always requested exit row seating, at least she could stretch out her long legs. The normal coach seats were just too cramped for someone five feet, ten inches tall. Sleep usually came easy on planes and she purposely never planned any work during a flight. It was one of the few times that she allowed herself to totally relax. Once in the air she tried to relax and fall asleep, but memories of the day kept popping into her mind. Finally, somewhere over Kansas she fell into a turbulent sleep filled with images of Robert, his touch, his scent and showing up late and wet to the taping. She slept fitfully until the flight attendant woke her. "Excuse me, Ma'am, you need to be awake for the landing since you are in an exit row." The flight attendant winked and gave her a smile. "Of course, thank you," she said shaking off the sleep. After a smooth landing, Leah settled in for what she knew was going to be awhile to unload. Her connecting flight to Saginaw didn't leave for another hour at a nearby gate, so there was no hurry to get off the plane. Let everyone else jostle for a place in line. She was content to be the last person off. Inside the terminal, she knew just where the Starbuck's was. Leah settled down in an empty row of seats at a nearby gate with her orange juice and chocolate biscotti. As she packed some extra biscotti in her purse, her usual treat for her best friend Madison, a man's voice asked if the seat next to her was taken.

Without looking up she said, "No." Feeling his eyes on her, she sat up and looked in his direction. Astounded, she let her mouth hang open. It was Robert sitting next to her. In Detroit Metropolitan Airport! "I told you I'd see you soon, " he chuckled. How was this possible? Leah jumped out of her seat spilling the orange juice on her jumper. Her biscotti landed on the floor next to a wastebasket. "Oh my God!" she said loudly attracting the attention of an older couple seated behind them. "You're stalking me! " He gently grasped her hand and pulled her back into her seat. Looking quickly at the couple behind them to be sure they weren't calling security, he said to Leah, "I'm not stalking you. I'll leave now if you ask me to and you'll never see me again." He was well aware that if security were called he'd be in big trouble. He was in violation of his probation by leaving California without permission. She couldn't bring herself to say anything. Her mind was reeling. She should tell him to leave and never contact her again. But, the thought of never seeing him again was too unimaginable. She couldn't explain it. Maybe it was some intoxicating ingredient in his cologne. "I have to change. I'll be right back." Leah escaped across the hall to the bathroom. After she changed into her jeans and a tee shirt, she felt more like herself. She didn't even try to avoid him when she came out of the bathroom. It was useless. She sat in the same seat next to him. Robert was smiling and signing an autograph for the older couple seated behind them. "I hope you have a great time in Hawaii." he said. "And, Ethel don't you let Elmer chase any of those native girls in hula skirts!" He turned back to her. "I'm sorry to have upset you, again. I can't seem to let you just walk out of my life and never see you again. I don't want anything from you. I just want a chance to get to know you." "Why me? I'm nobody. Don't you guys like the cute little starlets in short, tight skirts?" "Yeah, I've chased a few of those skirts in my time," he said shaking his head and laughing. She found herself laughing too. She watched Entertainment Tonight on a regular basis and was well aware of his reputation. She remembered wishing she could be

the one on his arm at one of his movie premieres, or waiting in the wings as he did The Tonight Show. So, how was it that he was here sitting in front of her, asking to see her again. Her nature was generally trusting, but she knew that this was a situation in which she should be suspicious. If he were a strange man who wasn't a celebrity she would be apprehensive. Why should she trust him just because he was a movie star? She should get up and run for the nearest security guard and have him arrested for stalking her. So why was she sitting there laughing with him instead? Was there some cosmic force that was pulling them together and he was just more in tune to it and allowing it to dictate his moves? "Please, don't be freaked out. I was supposed to be in my agent's office hours ago, and here I am in Detroit of all places. I've never done anything this crazy before. Well, except for agreeing to star in The Empty Summer." They both laughed. "I guess you saw that one," he said ruefully and then became serious again. "I don't understand this any more than you do." Looking at the floor, she nodded. She couldn't bring herself to look up at him. She felt ashamed for letting her emotions rule her otherwise logical life. His hand cradled her chin and brought her face up to his. This time his kiss was long and lingering. She was just glad that she was sitting down, or her legs would have buckled. Even her ex-husband had never left her weak in the knees. There was only one other man that had ever made her feel that way, and she had lost contact with him after her first year of college. So, maybe it was a real attraction to Robert, instead of being star struck. When she opened her eyes again he had his hand outstretched for a handshake. Bewildered, she took his hand. He shook her hand and said, "Hi, I'm Robert Stetson." "Hi, I'm Leah Mosley," she chuckled. "You complained at LAX that we hadn't been properly introduced. Now with that out of the way, can I offer you a ride to Saginaw?" "How can you do that? You don't have a car in Detroit. Do you?" she asked starting to think that anything was possible for this man. "How did you get here? The next flight from LAX isn't going to be here for hours?" "I went back to the same supervisor who checked you in and got a seat in first class on your flight. The flight attendant made sure that you weren't looking when I boarded. She told me she thought you were sleeping already. I was afraid I didn't make much of an impression."

"No, no it wasn't that! I always sleep on flights. It's my only real down time. Trust me, you made an impression," she smiled, feeling rather embarrassed. "So how about it, can I drive you to Saginaw?" Just then his cell phone rang. Answering the phone he listened for a moment then thanked the person on the other end and hung up. "There's a limo waiting for us right outside the terminal. Please, there will be a driver there," he added, "and you can tell him that you want the privacy window down the entire time." He was flooded with hope at the thought of being able to spend two more hours with this woman. He needed her strength in his life. He knew he could stay sober with the honest love of a woman like this. She felt beat down, unable to fight. Or, was it that she didn't want to fight? She nodded and Robert grabbed her purse and handed it to her. Then with a hand on her back he guided her through the terminal, past baggage claim and towards the exit. She was like a zombie, going wherever he told her. As the sliding doors to the outside opened, they were shocked by a bitter January wind. Neither had winter jackets and they rushed to get into the warm limo. In the back of her mind she couldn't help but wonder if they would find her body in a snowy ditch somewhere and no one would know to look for this guy. Although, she thought, he was taped on Paulette's show. Surely the police would retrace her steps and see the tape. They would see that he was on the same flight and the flight attendant would remember him. And, the limo must be in his name. The limo driver had called him by name when they got in. Okay, so she was doing something incredibly stupid by going with him. But, at least there would be a trail of evidence leading to him when her dead body was found off I-75.

Chapter Three Despite all her reservations, the limo ride to Saginaw was uneventful. Other than driving through Taco Bell, to pick up some dinner, it was just a girl and a guy getting to know each other. Demetri, a twenty-something Greek man was their driver. Robert asked him about his family. They learned that he was from Crete, on a student visa attending the University of Michigan. Half an hour into the ride, Leah felt more comfortable and let Demetri put the privacy window up. She told Robert about her failed marriage. How she had escaped with her son five years earlier with very little, bought a small house, quit nursing and now ran a quilt design business from home. He confessed that he had just spent three months in jail and then another three months in rehab after his fourth arrest for driving under the influence. It had been his third time in rehab, but the first time they made him serve jail time. The judge had promised next time it would be much longer than three months. His lawyers were skilled, but even he didn't believe they could keep him out of jail if he was arrested again. Heaven forbid someone was hurt because he was drinking; he'd surely serve serious prison time. She found herself believing him when he said he was tired of the routine and was hoping to stay out of trouble this time. He explained it was especially hard to live and work in Hollywood and stay sober. The biggest problem were the casual drinkers that didn't understand that one drink was enough to send him on a downward spiral. And, then there were always the alcoholics that didn't want to be alone in their misery, pressuring him to join them. He had just taped a voice-over for a commercial earlier that day and he was lucky to get that job. He felt like he had to earn the trust of those in power again before they would trust him with a picture. He had done a guest spot on a TV police drama before his last arrest and there had been talk of a recurring role, but he hadn't been asked back. "I'm not sure if I still have a career," he admitted. As she looked into his eyes, she could see the pain his addiction had brought him. She also saw his hope for recovery, and strength that maybe he didn't even know he had. He was, after all, just a man with problems, like any other man. It was then that she knew she could easily fall in love with the man, not the star, and that scared her. She'd already lived with an abusive addict. Why was she even thinking about the possibilities with this man when he was likely to go down the same path, again and again? Maybe it was because Alex never had any hope of recovery. He never tried. At least Robert was working on making a fresh start, and he had so much to live for.

When they arrived at MBS Airport, outside of Saginaw, Leah had the driver pull through the loading zone in front of the terminal doors. Her car was parked on the other side of a barrier, in the short-term parking lot. It was almost midnight and the small airport was quiet. The flight she was supposed to be on was the last flight of the night and it had already arrived. The last of the passengers were cleaning various amounts of snow off their cars. Robert and Leah entered the terminal and quickly returned with the bags she had checked in L.A. Robert followed her to the trunk of the car. It was a twelve-year-old Bonneville and in relatively good shape. It was dependable, which is what she needed. If it hadn't been for the mileage checks she got when working home care and hospice, she couldn't have afforded even this car. She quickly opened the trunk and grabbed her coat, and put it on, as Robert stored the luggage. The coat was colder than the night air and she shivered waiting for it to warm up. She never packed her heavy coat when traveling to warmer climates because she didn't want to lug it around. She started the car up and turned on the defroster as Robert scrapped the windows clean. She contemplated the fact that the time to say goodbye was upon them once again. In reality she'd probably never see this man again. L.A. was a world away, and she was sure she'd be forgotten, or worse yet become the punch line in a humorous story told at black tie dinners. She could see in her mind's eye a table, full of dressed up diners. They were all laughing at this woman who thought she had caught the eye of a famous movie star, the pathetic figure left sitting by the phone for months waiting for a call that never came. She suddenly felt very foolish and didn't want to continue this game any longer. When she got out to take the scraper from him, he pulled her close and leaned down to kiss her. She turned so his lips found her cheek. She couldn't look him in the eyes and turned to get into the car. "I'll see you soon," he said. "Sure. Until then," she replied near tears. "Thanks for the ride. I have a long drive from here, so you'll excuse me if I get going." Then she added, "You'd better get back in the limo, you must be freezing." With that she was in the car. She hung her head down, looking at the instrument panel, She acted like she wasn't watching him. Her eyes were on him though, her heart aching. She didn't know if it hurt more knowing that she'd never see him again, or that she was the butt of a sick game. He turned when he reached the limo and leaned against it, pulling his light suit coat close to his body. He stood there in the cold, as snow started to fall, until she pulled out of the parking lot. How could he let this woman, like none other that he'd known, drive out of his life? He pulled her business card from his pocket and

knocked on the driver's window. "Hey Demetri, how far is Oscoda?" "About two hours, Mr. Stetson," Demetri answered. *** The limo followed her down the back roads, and then along US-10 to where Leah knew he would soon be turning south on I-75, headed back to Detroit. She wondered if he was having a good laugh with Demetri. "Did you see how she believed everything I said?" he'd be saying. They both would be laughing out loud. "How long do you think she'll be waiting by the phone for that call?" Demetri would ask. Leah took the Northbound I-75 exit, keeping her eyes on the road not letting herself watch the limo take the Southbound exit. She didn't notice, until several miles down the road on Northbound I-75, that the limo was still behind her. They must have been having such a good time laughing at her that Demetri took the wrong exit. Damn them! She put on her blinker and pulled over to the side of the road. The limo pulled up behind her and stopped. Zipping up her coat she got out and went to the driver's window, totally disgusted that she had to talk to them after she was so sure that they were just having a good laugh at her expense. "Detroit is south," she said bending down trying to use the limo as a shield against the blowing snow. "You need to get off at the next exit and get back on the south bound side," she told the driver pointing south. "Yes, Ma'am. I realize that we're going north. Mr. Stetson requested that I follow you home to make sure you were safe. He was concerned with you driving in the middle of the night, on slippery roads by yourself." The back passenger door opened and Robert pulled his tall frame out. "What seems to be the problem?" "You're going north, when Detroit is south," she said not believing what the sight of this man did to her soul. He sauntered over to her at the driver's window, ignoring the cold wind piercing through his thin clothing, and the large flakes of wet snow that were landing in his hair. "I was worried. It's a long drive on roads that look pretty deserted to me." He looked up and down the freeway, and no cars were in sight. The few homes that were far off the road were dark for the night. "I'll be fine," she said indignantly. "I usually get the last flight home and that means I get home after midnight. I'm used to it." She couldn't decide if she was glad he

was here or mad that he was still following her. She did decide, though, that they probably weren't mocking her. At least not yet. "Humor me just one more time tonight. Let me follow you home. Or, better yet, I can ride with you, to keep you awake. Demetri can follow so I have a ride back." She raised her hands up in resignation. "Get in!" It was too damn cold to stand on the side of the freeway and argue with a man who was used to getting his own way. She saw him wink at Demetri and they both grinned like schoolboys. Once back in the car she insisted that he buckle up. "It's the law in Michigan," she informed him. She wasn't sure, but it looked to her as if he was shivering, but trying hard not to show it. She had just turned the heat down before pulling over, but put it back up for his sake. "Is January always like this in Michigan?" he asked rubbing his hands in front of the heat vent, wishing he could warm them elsewhere. "I'm afraid so," she said, glad to see that the cold did affect him; she'd been starting to wonder if anything ruffled his feathers. She turned down the music she'd been listening to, a tape of Crazed Boyz' greatest hits. She often listened to loud rock music on long trips to keep herself awake. "I know the band," he said in a matter of fact tone. "I'm not surprised, they've been around for ages." "That's not what I meant. I know the band." "No way!" "Honest. I did a cameo in one of their videos about twelve years ago. Now we get together anytime we're in L.A. at the same time. Jesse's probably the best friend that I have. I'm godfather to Garrett's second son." They talked about music for the rest of the ride home. Mostly he talked about the many concerts he'd been to. How he could get back stage to meet the bands. The videos he had done for Crazed Boyz and Hazed Vision. She didn't have as much to say. She talked about the CD's she had, the videos she liked and how she never got to see a concert living so far from any of the concert venues.

He looked out the window at the dark, barren landscape. "Gee, I wonder why a band like Crazed Boyz wouldn't come up here." "I never could understand that," Leah said with feigned sincerity. As they pulled into Oscoda, the streets were deserted. The two stoplights were flashing, instead of running their daytime routine. "So this is Oscoda, home of the rich and famous quilt designer, Leah Mosley," he chuckled. "Famous is pushing it. Rich? I don't think so. Trust me, I work hard just to break even each month. I have no savings, no retirement plan and no health insurance. There are months that I'm not sure I can make my house payment." "Then why do you do it? You're obviously an intelligent person. I'm sure with your nursing background you could get a good job that would give you more security." He studied her face intently waiting for her answer. "I love it," she answered simply, surprising herself. So, that's why she kept at it. It was the simplest answer of all. How did he get that out of her when she'd been struggling with that question for a year? "That's why I act," he said. "It is not an easy profession to be in, but at least I don't have to worry about money." Then he added with a little groan, "At least I don't have to worry about money when I'm sober. Seems I spend more than I should when I'm under the influence." Leah pulled the car through a couple of small back streets, keenly aware of the limo following her. It seemed so out of place in Oscoda, especially on her street, which was only a block long, dead-end. She pulled into the garage, parked and turned to Robert. "If you say, 'I'll see you soon' again I'm going to have to hit you," she laughed. He looked down as though he was embarrassed by his actions. "No, I really have to head back to L.A. You said that I could call though, right?" He looked up hopefully. "Yes, you can call." Remembering that she could be just a momentary diversion, she added, "I won't be waiting though." "You won't have to wait." He unbuckled his seatbelt and slid towards her, grasping her face in his hands. "I'll call. I promise." He kissed her softly and then got out of the car. "I'll watch to make sure you get in, then I'll be on my way."

"Thank you. I had a very interesting day," she said as she turned and unlocked the back door. With a little wave, she went in. Without turning on any lights, she ran to the front window and peeked out the curtains. She watched as he walked to the limo. He opened the front passenger door and paused. He turned and looked at the house for what seemed like an eternity to her. Finally, he ducked into the limo and it started to roll. Demetri was just barely able to get it turned around at the dead-end where the snowplows had piled the snow in large uneven mounds. In seconds it was out of sight. She sat on the carpet, in the dark, wondering what had just happened to her. Then she dragged her exhausted body to her cold bed knowing that when she woke up she'd realize it had been a long daydream after all. She really needed to start dating again!

Chapter Four The ringing phone woke Leah from a deep sleep. The illuminated clock informed her it was only five-thirty in the morning. Reluctantly, she picked up the portable phone next to the bed. No one ever called with good news at that hour. "Hello," she answered dreading the news she would surely hear. "Leah?" a man's voice asked. "Yes." Oh, this was going to be bad, it wasn't even someone she knew. "It's Robert. I'm sorry to wake you, but I did promise to call you soon. I'm in Detroit, waiting for them to fuel a private charter to get me home." "Are you crazy?" she asked pulling herself up into a sitting position. The room was cold and Leah pulled the quilts around herself. "Probably," he answered. "But I didn't want you to spend one waking moment wondering when I'd call." "Okay, I won't wonder," she said curling back up in bed, smiling. She could feel herself falling back asleep. "I'll let you get back to sleep. I'll call you soon, when you're awake. Okay?" "Okay. Good night." She yawned as she hung up the phone and let it fall to the floor. She slipped back into a deep sleep, content in knowing that he really was going to call her again. The next day Leah called her parents, to let them know she was home safely. She couldn't bring herself to tell her mother about Robert and made an excuse to get off the phone as fast as possible. There was such a surreal quality to it all, how could she even begin to explain it? She had lunch with Madison at a small local Chinese restaurant and gave her the biscotti that she'd brought from the airport. It was a little ritual with them. The closest Starbucks they knew about was at Detroit Metro. There may have been one closer, but they weren't aware of it. Besides, it would ruin the fun of bringing back biscotti for each other whenever they traveled. Madison didn't realize that the three biscotti had started out as four. Since Leah had dropped hers in Detroit, she'd felt it was only fair to have one of Madison's for breakfast that morning. Madison was a petite woman in her early forties. Leah was often jealous that her friend could seemingly eat anything she wanted, in enormous quantities, and still weigh no more than a wet cat on Friday. Madison was the first to admit that she no longer knew the true color of her hair. The last two years it had been a dark

auburn and Leah thought it suited her, as did the short-cropped cut with wispy bangs. They had met when they were both working as nurses on the surgical ward at the hospital in Tawas, a small town sixteen miles south of Oscoda. They'd became best of friends, often confiding to each other what they could tell no one else. Despite living several miles apart, and their hectic schedules, they had stayed close friends ever since. Madison currently held a public relations position at the hospital, but they often teased that she would be Leah's assistant when Leah could afford a full-time employee. Over the years Madison had even gotten off work, a couple of times, to attend Quilt Market, the industry's trade show. Madison excitedly asked how the trip was and wanted to know all about the taping. Leah told the truth, that it had been such a blur she really couldn't remember anything, except that Paulette was incredibly nice. Leah confided to Madison that she had met a man. Madison was thrilled for her and bombarded her with questions. Leah deflected them with an off-handed comment that he was from L.A. and she'd probably never see him again. She couldn't bear to speak the words that she'd let a stranger kiss her, that he was the "Robert Stetson" or that he had actually followed her to Oscoda the night before. There would be time later to tell family and friends what was going on. First she had to figure it out for herself. After lunch, Leah and Madison stopped into Pockrandt's Fabrics and Gifts. A good friend of theirs owned the store. Luckily, Miss Karen wasn't working at the time. Leah was relieved that she didn't have to withhold the truth from someone else she cared about. Leah didn't have to wait long for Robert's next call. When she got home from lunch and running errands that afternoon, there was a message on her answering machine from him. "Hey Babe! I guess I shouldn't have missed that meeting with my agent. Will tell you all about it later." Then he added softly, almost apologetically, "I miss you." She smiled to herself. He called her 'Babe' and he missed her. She knew she missed him too. She found it hard to concentrate on the daily routine of running a business when her mind was full of the previous day's memories and daydreams of what still could come. That evening Robert called again. "Hi Babe. Did you get my message?" "Yeah, what's going on with your agent?"

"Ringo said..." "Your agent's name is Ringo?" she asked unbelieving. "That's not the worst of it. His full name is Ringo Round." "Now you're pulling my leg!" she laughed. "Honest, he said his parent's must have been high when they named him." "I hope so," Leah said. "Otherwise they'd have no excuse." "Anyhow, Ringo said a producer had called and asked if I'd be up to doing a movie this coming summer." "Oh Robert, that's great news!" Leah realized that was the first time that she had called him by name. It was comfortable. Natural. "Zach is an old friend of mine and he's supposed to be directing and starring in the flick. He told the producer he wouldn't do it if I wasn't in it." "Zach Burns?" she asked, thinking of the washed out comedic actor. "No silly, Zach Yancy." "You're old friends with Zachary Yancy?" she asked incredulously. "Well, of course. Haven't you ever watched The Pride? It was my first full-length feature and Zach was the star. Don't tell me you've never seen it?" "I'm sorry. I'll rent it tonight," she promised. She was still reeling from the news that this man she knew, knows Zachary Yancy. Zach was the Australian heartthrob that every red-blooded American woman fantasized about. "That's not fair," he said seriously. "You get to watch me, and I'm left here without you." "You can print out the picture off my website," she offered lamely. "I already have," he confessed. "Are you serious?" . "Okay, so I'm totally infatuated with you. I'm telling you, it's cosmic. I can't help myself."

Flustered, she wanted to change the subject. "Tell me more about the movie." "It's a western, filmed in Australia. I play the bad guy to Zach's good guy. We find out we are brothers half-way through the film, then I come around to his side." He paused. "There's a catch though. I have to stay sober until then, or they will give the role to someone else." "You can do it Robert. I saw in your eyes your desire and your strength when you talked about it last night. I have great faith in you," she assured him. "Leah, I need to get out of L.A., it's too hard to stay sober here. There are just too many pressures. Can I come there?" "Robert, we hardly know each other!" she objected, hoping not to sound too harsh. "I can rent a house. It will give us some time to get to know each other. I just can't miss the chance to see you. I'll be gone July through December and I want to get in as much time with you as possible until then. I just have this feeling that it's my only opportunity. Please, don't say no," he pleaded. He knew she was his only hope. Meeting her was the only reason he had discarded that hidden bottle of vodka in a studio trash can the day before; the only reason he wasn't drunk now. "I can't tell you no," she relented. "It's a free country. If you want to rent a place in the same town as I live, that's your choice. Will I be upset that you are nearby? I don't think so. I can't believe that I'm admitting this out loud, but I do miss you." She could hear an audible sigh on the other end of the line. "Good. I'll see you soon. Have a good night." "Good night Robert." Leah hung up the phone, feeling serene. He was coming back to her. Her daydream would continue. Not knowing when he'd arrive she decided to scrap the work she had planned for the evening and clean the house. For all she knew, he could have never left town and was at a pay phone downtown. No! She couldn't think that way. She had to get ready for his visit, assuming that he wouldn't be there before tomorrow. Her first order of business was to drive a mile to Family Video and rent The Pride. "It's really good," the clerk informed her. "Zach Yancy and Robert Stetson are brother's fighting the mob. Lots of action. An oldie but a goodie." At home she popped the video in and started straightening up the living room. Two hours later she found herself coming out of a trance in front of the TV. She hadn't been able to take her eyes off Robert's handsome young face from the first scene until his death scene, at the very end. Her eyes teared up at the thought of his demise. Feeling drained she went to bed early. Sleeping restlessly, her mind

replayed his death scene in her dreams throughout the night. He called the next morning to inform her that he should be in town by dinnertime that following night. "You should have warned me," she scolded. "That's why I'm calling, to warn you," he said, bewildered at her response. "No silly! You should have warned me that you died at the end of The Pride." He laughed, "I'm sorry. I guess I don't think of it as dying since I was still around to cash the check." She had to chuckle. "Do you need me to arrange a room for you?" "No, I made a call. I'm set up at a place called Lakeside until I can look at houses. Is it any good?" "It's not the Beverly Hills Hilton, but I'm sure you'll be comfortable there. Do you need me to pick you up from Saginaw?" "No, I'm flying my plane into the Oscoda-Wurtsmith Airport." "Your plane? You have your own plane?" Why was she surprised? "Yes, and I have my own crew too." "I feel stupid, but I'll ask anyhow. Do you need a ride from the airport?" "That you can do for me. If you can't, I'll make a call and have a limo waiting." "Make a call. Is that all you have to do to get things done? I can't believe this," she said shaking her head in disbelief. His life was so foreign to her. She had to struggle for everything. "Please, no more 'calls'. I'll pick you up. Just give me a little warning." "Okay Babe, I'll call you half an hour before we're supposed to land." "Robert," she said softly. "I like it when you call me Babe." "Good," he said quietly. "I'd like to call you that for a long time. I'll see you soon. And, you know you can trust that." She giggled like a schoolgirl. "Yeah, I know when you say that, you mean it. I'll have dinner cooked and waiting for you tomorrow night. Just call and let me know

when to pick you up." The next day was a flutter of activity for Leah. She shoveled the freshly fallen snow and cleaned up the house. She stacked the cluttered piles of work, into neat piles of work. The small dining room had to be converted back to a dining room. It had been a cutting and sewing room since she moved in. She wasn't about to ask Robert to eat his first meal with her on the couch. She was already a couple of days behind her tight schedule, but she was much too excited about seeing Robert again to care. She put a lasagna in the oven, buttered the garlic bread, then tossed a salad. Just as she pulled the lasagna from the oven, the phone rang. "Hi Babe!" His greeting was fast becoming familiar, and her heart melted when she heard it. "The plane just landed. I'm sorry I didn't call from the air--some problem with the service." "That's fine. It'll just take me a couple of minutes." She could feel her heart racing. He was there! "Watch for me, I'm not sure where they land the private planes." "I'll be watching for you alright! You won't have a chance to get by me." The airport had been Wurtsmith Air Force Base until the early 1990's. There had been a hanger where she had roller-skated while in high school. She remembered passengers from small planes coming through that hanger. It was her guess that was where she'd find Robert, now. At the airport it was easy to spot the private jet, it was so out of place. It was much bigger than she thought it would be. She didn't dwell on the plane for long, because her eyes were immediately drawn to the tall, well built figure standing next to it. Robert! How quickly he had become the most important thing in her life. It scared her to think about it. She pulled up the car and popped the trunk. Before she could get out of the car, he had his bags in the trunk and was getting in beside her. Buckling his seat belt he stated matter-of-factly, "It's the law in Michigan." Again she found herself giggling. He was prepared for the weather this trip, wearing a stylish Colombia jacket. It was the type of jacket Leah had always wished she could afford. He waved to the crew who were walking around the plane doing a pre-flight check. "I'm sending them back to L.A. I figure I'll be here for a while and won't need it." Once she had the car going she casually placed her right hand on the seat between them. As if on cue, he picked it up off the seat and brought it to his face. She had to pull it away to make it around a sharp corner before he could actually

get it to his lips, so she held it back out to him, "You were saying?" He gently kissed the back of her hand and then held it between his hands totally engrossed in looking it over. It had to be the most sensual act Leah had ever experienced in her life. She retrieved her hand and placed it back on the wheel, so she could regain enough composure to drive the two miles home. As they pulled into the driveway he commented, "The air is so clean here, it almost makes me a little lightheaded." "Maybe that would explain your behavior the other night," Leah chided him. "Is everything always this white?" he asked getting out of the car and looking around at the white yard, white driveway, white trees and white roof. "Only in winter, silly. Come on in. Dinner's ready." "A home cooked meal. I can't tell you how long it's been." He took in a deep breath as he walked through the door, "Mmm, lasagna. My favorite. How'd you know?" "You offered to take me to an Italian restaurant the day we met. You must remember. It was only two days ago!" It seemed so strange to have him in her house. All of a sudden he seemed so out of place in her home, in her life. "Leah," his voice changed to a more serious tone than she'd heard before. She turned to find him right behind her. He took her in his arms and kissed her in a way she had never been kissed before. The force of the kiss pushed her back up against the counter. She was grateful for the support. Her hands found their way to his face and then to his short, thick black hair. She didn't want the kiss to stop. She wanted him to carry her into the bedroom and continue the process to a conclusion that she was sure would be coming before long. Her resistance was, well, she had no more resistance. He pulled away, leaving her hanging onto the counter to keep from falling. She thought she saw a glimpse of pleasure in his eyes knowing he'd left her in such a state. "Let's eat. I'm starving," he announced as if the room wasn't spinning, as it obviously was from Leah's perspective. "Have a seat at the table and I'll serve it," she said trying to sound casual. They chatted through dinner about the movie offer and how he liked her house. "Small, but cozy. I don't know how you fit your life and business into a house this size. How many square feet is it?" "Nine-hundred and twenty," she answered almost ashamed. "It was the only house within my price range in good condition. I'm not mechanically inclined and couldn't afford to have a lot of repairs done. It was a definite step up from the one room

apartment Brent and I were in at the time." She served a slice of lasagna on each of their plates and sat down at the table with him. "Am I going to be able to meet this ex-husband of yours?" "Not likely. Alex moved to South Dakota years ago. He hasn't even called Brent. He could be dead for all I know." "Too bad, I wanted to see the face of the man that chose a snoot full of blow over you." "Robert, you should know better than anyone else the face of addiction. I'm sorry to be so blunt, but an addiction is an addiction. Booze or blow. Is there really any difference when it's destroying your life and you don't have the strength to stop it?" "You're right, I'm sorry. That was an incredibly stupid thing to say. I only hope my drinking never causes me to lose anything as important as you." He took a second large serving of lasagna and two more slices of garlic toast. At least he liked her cooking. "That's okay." She was quiet for a minute while they ate. "Maybe this is a good time to bring up something that's been bothering me these last few days." "You've had time to be bothered by something, this is disturbing," he teased. She'd had a nagging feeling since meeting him, but wasn't able to put it into words until now. She turned to him and looked him in the eyes. "Robert, I've lived with an addict for five years. I'm not sure I can do it again." She paused to pull herself together, feeling like she was quickly losing control. "To be honest, if you fall off the wagon, I don't know how supportive I could be." Tears welled up in her eyes, as she could no longer hold back the flood of emotions that her first marriage had left her with. She jumped up and ran to the bathroom where she splashed water on her face and composed herself before returning to the table. He was deep in thought. "Leah, I don't ever want to hurt you. But, I do need your help to stay sober. I need this place to stay sober. I'll understand if you can't stay with me if I get tripped up. I'll let you go and you can forget me." He was talking fast now. "I just want to let you know that I have committed myself to staying on the wagon, and doing whatever it takes to get to know you better. I know I can't stay clean for you; I have to do that for myself. I just see you as the carrot at the end of the stick." He smiled and brushed her cheek with the back of his hand. "I'm sorry that I can't be as sure of myself. I still have a lot of wounds that haven't healed. I still cringe when someone even talks about getting drunk or high. It's a

life that I don't understand and I don't want to revisit. I don't think I could live through it again. I know I couldn't." This time she stayed where she was and the tears flowed freely. If for no other reason she was going to somehow resist sleeping with this man until she could be sure of his sobriety. If he falls off the wagon it will be easier to send him packing, she thought, if I haven't slept with him. He suddenly laughed out loud and she looked up, shocked. "You are the only woman I know that wouldn't put on makeup and dress up when having a movie star over for dinner." "I'm sorry," she said suddenly very self-conscious. "I didn't even think of..." "I know. I know. That's what so wonderful about you. There's no putting on airs with you. I know that what you say and do are from your heart." He pulled his chair close to hers and wiped away her tears. Then he kissed her. "Ummm, salty." She had to smile. How was this possible that Robert Stetson was sitting at her dinner table kissing her? "Me or the lasagna?" she asked. "You. The lasagna was perfect. Actually you are too. The perfect mix of salt and sugar." He pushed back his chair and stood up, his head hitting the chandelier in the middle of the small room. "I'm sorry, I had it high enough that I wouldn't hit it! Are you alright?" "I'm fine." He rubbed his fingertips on his scalp, then checked them for blood. "Let's get this mess cleaned up, then I need to get to my motel room." She took him by the hand. Pulling him behind her, she led him into the small living room. The sofa had a pile of bedding and a pillow stacked on it. This can be your room." She turned to face him to see his reaction. "Only if you're sure, Leah. I want you to be comfortable." "Yes, I'm sure. I thought about it. If you were seen checking into a motel there would be no peace for you. Unless, you'd rather..." "No, this is a good idea. I appreciate it." "It's settled then. Let's get the dinner dishes cleaned up and then I'll help you make up the sofa bed." Robert walked across the little living room to the opposite corner where Leah had family pictures lined up on a shelf over the TV. "Is this your son?" he asked looking at a picture of a tanned young man with blonde hair. "He looks like a surfer dude."

"Brent's in his second year at Augusta State College." She handed him a group photo, "He's on a full golf scholarship. That's this year's team. They are undefeated so far." "What's his handicap?" "I don't think he has a handicap," she said almost questioning. "Isn't a handicap basically what you shoot over par, on average?" "Basically. I usually shoot an eighty-four on eighteen holes, so my handicap is twelve. From what I understand, that's pretty good." "Well, I don't mean to burst your bubble, but Brent usually shoots between sixtyfour and seventy-two." "Wow! The kid's good. Is he on the varsity team?" "Has been since he was a freshman!" Leah was enjoying his excitement over Brent's game. She was so proud of him and always enjoyed seeing people's surprise over his achievements. "How are his grades?" "Well, let's just say he puts more effort into his game than he does into his studies," Leah lamented. "He's getting a degree in business management. I guess he figures he'll need to know how to manage all that money he'll make when he turns pro. Of course, I keep telling him, he won't be able manage his money if he's not paying attention in class." "Well, I can't wait to play him. Is he scheduled to come home soon?" "He plays right through all the holidays and vacations. He was back for one week last summer, and that's it. I drove down last month to see him for Christmas." "I have a few friends on the PGA tour. I'll have to introduce him, so they know to watch their backs!" As they made up Robert's bed, they piled on a couple of Leah's quilts to keep him warm. "These are great, Leah." He held one up, looking at the workmanship. "Did you really make these?" "Yep. These are some of the ones that I couldn't stand to part with. I don't get really attached to most of my quilts. I offer most of them for sale on my website when I no longer need them for work." "I checked out your website yesterday. Each quilt is so different. It was like taking

a virtual tour through an art gallery. How do you make so many, and still come up with new ideas?" "It's called paying the bills," she groaned. They sat on the sofa bed and talked late into the night. They talked about everything. They talked about nothing.

Chapter Five The next morning Leah woke up before Robert. He's probably on L.A. time, she thought. She stood in the hallway and watched him sleeping for several minutes. How was it possible that this man was sleeping on her sofa bed? What's the catch? she asked herself. Could it really be as simple as he said? Could it really be he just wanted to know her? And, if so, why her? There were just too many questions and no answers. The only thing she was certain of was that she wouldn't be able to hide his presence for long. Leah stopped torturing herself with all the questions and jumped in the shower. When she turned off the water she could hear him up and moving around. Dressed, she came out of the bathroom to the smell of sausage cooking. Leah couldn't remember anyone having cooked her breakfast before. On her way into the kitchen she noticed that the bedding was stacked neatly on the closed up sofa. This man knows how to take care of himself, she mused. "That smells great," she said, "giving him a peck on the cheek. "I hope you like your eggs scrambled. It's the only way I know how to make them." "That will be fine," Leah lied. The truth was that she rarely ate eggs. For that matter she rarely ate more than a bowl of cold cereal for breakfast. But, she wasn't about to turn down the first breakfast that someone, other than her mother, had ever made her! Leah was surprised at how good the breakfast was--even the eggs. "This is really good. Where did you learn to cook like this?" "My mother was sick for awhile when I was young and I did a lot of cooking then." Once the breakfast was done and cleaned up, Robert sat her down at the dining room table. He put a stack of papers on the table between them. "What's this?" Leah asked. "This is my life. I hate to dump this on you but I'm going to need some help. If I was in L.A. I could make a call and someone would arrange everything for me. Here, I'm at your mercy." "What do you need me to do?" She was more than happy to help if it meant that he could stay. "As you know, I'm on probation. There are conditions to probation. If I don't meet the conditions then I can be arrested and serve the rest of my sentence in jail. So,

this is really important that I get the conditions met." "How much longer do you have on probation?" "Five months. One condition of probation is that I can't leave the state." "What about your being here now?" Leah asked concerned. "Now I'm safe. My lawyer obtained permission for me to be in Michigan. The probation officer believes I'll have a better chance of staying sober here." "And, what about the other night?" "The other night will have to be our little secret," he said with a sly smile. Turning serious, he continued, "There are other conditions." "Just let me know what you need. I'll help in any way I can. Where do we start?" "First, I need a phone book." Leah got up and retrieved the phone book and returned to the table. "That was easy," she teased. "I have to attend six AA meetings each week. There should be a listing in the phone book." "I'll look it up on the Internet," Leah said. "That's how I found AlAnon a few years ago. They have an AA meeting in Tawas on Tuesday nights. Other than that, I don't have a clue. There aren't any in Oscoda. What else do you have to do?" "I need to do a hundred hours of community service in the next five months." "That shouldn't be a problem," she said quickly figuring that would work out to four to five hours a week. "We have a lot of very active groups in the area. I'm the area coordinator for the ABC Quilt Project, my parents are active in some groups and we have a small theater group. I don't know if that would count though?" "If there's any question, I can call the L.A. courts and they'll let me know. We can put the community service on hold for a little while, and catch up on it later. The main thing is the AA meetings. I need to get to one today." Robert told her that in L.A. you could practically find a meeting anytime of the day or night, on any day of the week. "I could have all six meetings in before lunch on Monday," he teased. Leah got on the Internet and they quickly found out it was a little more difficult to arrange six meetings a week in Northeastern Lower Michigan.

Leah was right, there were no meetings in Oscoda so he would have to go to the one in Tawas on Tuesdays. "That assures you you'll get your meeting today," she said encouragingly. Arranging to get to the other meetings was a little more difficult. On Wednesdays he'd have to go to West Branch in the evening. West Branch was an hour away and Leah would have to skip her TOPS meetings to drive him. The only other meeting within an hour's drive was to the north in Alpena. That was on Friday mornings at eight am. "So what are we going to do for the three other meetings?" Leah asked. "We can ask at the meeting tonight. They might have some ideas." They returned to the kitchen table. "Okay, what's next on the list?" Leah asked. "Lord, Leah, I can't ask any more of you!" He got up and walked into the living room. Leah followed and sat on the edge of the couch. "You've done so much already. You've welcomed me in your house, cooked for me. I just don't know if this is going to work. I'm afraid the problems that I brought with me are more than just conditions to probation, as if that wasn't enough. I should let you get back to your life," he said as he started to pick up his bags as though he was leaving. But he didn't move from that spot. "So that's it? You drop into my life, make me hope that perhaps there's more to living than just working twenty-four hours a day, and then you leave. Talk to me Robert. If you are honest about what you need, I'll be honest about what I can do. It really is that simple. If there is something that I can't help you with, you have the resources to find the help you need. Please, put down the bags and talk to me." He paused for a moment and then put the bags down. Turning to her he said, "Leah, you have no idea what getting involved with me will do to your life. I just had a flash of the future in there and all I could see was that I messed up your quiet existence. I don't want to do that to you. I envy the peace you have in your life." "Believe me, it's not so peaceful when you're worried about not being able to make your house payment. Everyone has problems to deal with, no matter what their station in life. Yes, your problems are new to me. Yes, my life has been disrupted and I'm sure it will continue to be disrupted if you stay." She walked over to him and held his face in her hands, "But, I'm sure you'll have to make sacrifices along the way too. Is it really worth giving up on us before we even try? How will we know it wouldn't work unless we try?"

""Leah, I appreciate that. But, you have no idea what a burden a celebrity can be. I don't want to put that on you. It's not fair. The only way to avoid it is to leave now." "Fine, I'll get the car out of the garage." Now she was angry. "You gather up your things and I'll meet you in the car." Before he had a chance to argue, she was on her way out the door with her coat half on and the car keys in her hand. Why wouldn't he talk to her? If he was that willing to give up, let him. She didn't need any more quitters in her life. A few minutes later Robert put his bags in the back seat of the car and sat in the front passenger seat looking dejected. "I just realized that my plane is in L.A.," he said. "I guess you'll have to take me to Saginaw. I'll book a commercial flight." Leah was surprised at how calm she was. She couldn't figure out if it was because she didn't really believe that he would go or that she was relieved that he would take all his problems with him. She had been surprised at just how overwhelming all his needs were. She decided to start driving. If he changed his mind by the time they got to Tawas they could eat lunch there, then return home. If he didn't change his mind by then, she'd take him to Saginaw, drop him off and never think about him again. After all, she never told anyone about him. Of course, there was the little matter of Paulette's show she'd have to explain when it aired. Once they were a few miles down the road she asked, "Robert, why did you want to come here?" "The other morning, the day we met in the elevator, I had bought a bottle of vodka just before I went in for the commercial voice-over. I had to sneak out the back door so Barry, my driver, wouldn't see me. It was my plan to take it back home and drink it once I was alone. I couldn't stand not having that comfort. I needed it. It was the only thing that I needed." Lordy, she thought, my intuition that he was ready to fall off a cliff with nothing to hold onto had been dead-on. What the hell was she doing with a man so close to the verge of drinking again? "So what happened?" "You." "Me?" "Yeah, you. I was on my way out after the taping and had the bottle in my coat pocket. All I could think about was how long it would take to get home so I could drink it. Then, from the elevator, I saw you there in the atrium. You were so intense, walking around talking and motioning to yourself. I stood there and watched you as intently as I've ever watched anything."

"And..." "And, I don't know what. All I knew was that I needed to get to know you. You were suddenly more important than the bottle in my pocket. There was something that I sensed in you. A strength maybe. I don't know, maybe it was vulnerability. Whatever it was, I felt like I could learn from you what I could never learn from all the shallow people in L.A." "So, did you drink your bottle?" "No," he said seriously. "If I drank the bottle I wouldn't be here, I'd be back at my house drinking more." "What happened to it?" "I threw it away at the studio building, while you were telling the clerk at Starbucks what you wanted. I didn't feel like I needed it anymore. It's almost as if--and I know this sounds ridiculous--if I have you in my life I can stay sober. I think that you can bring out the strength in me that I haven't been able to find on my own. Sounds crazy, doesn't it?" Leah wasn't about to take on the responsibility of keeping him sober. "It sure does. I can't keep you sober. I wouldn't even try. That's one thing that you have to do all on your own." "I realize that." "I would think that staying sober is the hardest thing you have to do. Am I right?" "Yes." Leah pulled into a small park on the shores of Lake Huron on the south end of Tawas so they could have more time to talk. "Then, maybe you should let me decide if I'm willing to put up with you instead of deciding for me. Actually, it makes me pretty mad that you think you can pop in and out of my life and decide what is right for me." "Leah, I'm sorry. I'm scared I'm just going to bring you pain." "Every relationship has pain. It would be unrealistic to expect it not to. But, don't you think you owe it to me to decide what I'm willing to sacrifice? Robert, I'm a big girl. I can take care of myself, I've been doing it for the last five years, and I actually was doing it for most of my marriage, too." She could feel the sting of tears in her eyes.

"I want to learn from your strength. I want to learn from you how to live again. But, I don't want to destroy you in the process." "You have a choice to make, Robert. You just say the word and we'll head to Saginaw." "Or..." "Or, you can take me to lunch," she said, pointing to the restaurant across the street. "Then we can go back to Oscoda and prepare to deal with your high maintenance life. It's up to you." With that Leah got out of the car and slowly walked to the beach on the boardwalk. It was covered in hard packed snow from footsteps of others that had gone that way before. There was a little pier that jutted out over the frozen shoreline. She walked out to the end, pulling her coat close, against the cold wind. She really didn't need to deal with an alcoholic; she had enough problems just running her own day-to-day life. She was overwhelmed with his need for her help already. Maybe she couldn't handle this. If he left, she told herself, she'd make a point of finding some nice guy who was normal and didn't have an addictive personality. Of course, she hadn't had much luck on that front in the last five years, why did she expect to now? She was brought out of her thoughts by a hand on her shoulder. " Leah, are you alright?" "Yeah, I'm okay. I'm just waiting to hear your decision so I can get on with my life, one way or another. Let's face it, neither of us has much emotionally invested in this relationship yet. If you want to leave, now is the time to do it." Leah was glad that she hadn't slept with him. That would have cemented a relationship in her mind and she would have had trouble saying goodbye. "Come back to the car, where it's warm." Noting her hesitance, he added, "Please." Once back in the car Robert started to describe for her what it would be like to have him in her life. "I don't have a driver's license. I won't get that back for years, and then only if I stay out of trouble. That's not really a problem; I can buy a car and hire a driver. The real problem is once the word is out that I'm here the media will swarm over us like locusts. You're not used to that. It's really frightening, even for me sometimes. Then there are people who will want to be your friend just because you know me. And, then there are those who will stay away because they think, that you think, you're too good for them. It's a crazy world and it just gets crazier the more money and fame you have. Of course there are the rumors and tabloid reports that I'm with some starlet while I'm on the set halfway around the world. How would you handle that? And what about people thinking that you're a gold digger?"

"Is that a bad thing?" she asked teasingly. "I'm being serious, and you're being incredibly naive. Are you prepared for everyone you know, and millions who don't know you, to scrutinize everything that you say and do? To put meaning to your words that you never meant? You know there are a lot of people that think that actors, musicians and athletes are way over paid. And maybe we are. But, look at the lengths we have to go through to get a few moments of privacy. I couldn't get on a public bus if I wanted to. I'd be mobbed at the bus stop. I was just thankful that I wasn't mobbed on the plane when I followed you the other day. I really think that was because I was the last to board and the stewardess was careful to keep me out of view." "But, I'm not a celebrity. I'm a quilt designer. I live in a small town and I'll continue to live in a small town. I'm not about to move to Hollywood. Maybe that's the real problem. After you get to know me a little you'd realize that you couldn't pack me up, mold me the way you wanted and take me wherever you go." "No, Leah, that's what I like most about you. I've been with a lot of women who tried to be what I wanted them to be. I think I was avoiding a real relationship because I knew that I couldn't stay with them very long. It's like talking to a mirror." "A lot of women, huh? I guess the tabloids weren't exaggerating things." "I'm not proud of that. I never wanted a relationship with anyone before. I never wanted to drag anyone into my misery. I've been drinking since I was nineteenyears-old, and I don't feel like I have much to show for the last twenty plus years." "So what now, you want to drag me into your misery? The lonely divorcée without a life in Podunk, USA will fall over and be there for you." "No, it's not like that." "Then what's it like, Robert?" She was irritated and she could hear it in her own voice. But she was beyond caring how she sounded to him. "Let's cut to the chase. More than anything else, what do you want? I really need to pee and if you don't make up your mind soon I'm going to be in trouble. So, what is it that you really want?" "I want to get to know you. I want to get to know you more than anything else in this world." The answer was right there all along, he thought. How'd she do that? "And, if you return to L.A. today. What will you do?" "There really is nothing else. I have nothing other than work, and that isn't enough to make me happy anymore. Even if it was, I can't seem to get much work. I'm

ready for something more in my life. I feel like I've come to a point in my life that I need a relationship, not just a series of dates. I believe that if my life continues down the same path I could easily become a bum in the streets. Someday they'd find me dead in a gutter somewhere." "Doesn't sound like much of a choice to me." "No, but I can't destroy your life to make mine better." "Maybe we can work together and make both our lives better in the end. It won't be easy, but we will never get anywhere if you just run away. I say, you do what you have to and I'll do what I have to and we'll see if we can't get through this together. Trust me, if it's more than it's worth to me you will find yourself in a snow bank in my front yard and no ride to the airport." He pulled her close and kissed her. "Thank you, Babe. I'll do what I can to protect you from the craziness around me, I promise." "The only promise I need from you is that you will be honest with me and let me decide what is best for me. Only time will tell the rest." "Then, would you let me buy you lunch Ms. Mosley?" " That I can do. Then I really gotta pee!"

Chapter Six They went into the small, family owned restaurant and had a quiet lunch, each engrossed in their own thoughts. Robert had retrieved a large pair of sunglasses and a baseball cap from one of his bags and he donned them before going inside. She felt funny with him wearing the disguise as they ate, but didn't say anything. There was no one else in the restaurant so she just tried to relax and enjoy the meal. Leah suggested that they take the opportunity while they were in Tawas to go to the hospital so she could introduce him to Madison. His AA meeting was in Tawas that night, so they might as well keep busy in town until then. They entered the hospital, and headed straight for Madison's office in the back of the building. Robert had his hood loosely over his head and would look down whenever anyone passed them in the hall. Madison's office was empty. They took off their coats and hung them up, then took the seats across from Madison's desk. After waiting ten minutes, Leah stood at the desk and picked up the phone. She dialed the intercom code and spoke into the receiver, "Mrs. Bennett, you are needed in your office. Mrs. Bennett, please report to your office." She sat sideways on the desk so she was facing Robert, and the door. She smiled and explained, "I worked here for years. I guess they haven't changed things too much." "Leah, what are you doing here, Sweetie?" Madison asked as she came in, finding her friend sitting on the desk. "I can't thank you enough for getting me out of that meeting!" Madison walked around Robert's chair and stood in front of him waiting for Leah to introduce them. "Madison, I'd like you to meet my friend, Robert Stetson." Robert stood up, towering over Madison's small frame and shook her hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you Madison. Leah has told me an awful lot of good things about you." Madison sat behind her desk, and then Robert took his seat again. Leah stayed on the desk, between the two waiting for her friend to have some kind of reaction. "Well, Robert, I must admit that Leah has told me nothing about you, so I'm at a disadvantage." She looked at Leah sitting on her desk, stood up decisively and grabbed her friend's arm, dragging her out of the room. "Robert, if you'll excuse us for a minute I have something that I must attend to before I can spend a few minutes getting to know you." "Certainly." Robert stood up, and with raised eyebrows, watched as Leah was

forcibly dragged out of the room. Madison dragged a dazed Leah into the office across the hall and shut the door. "Is this the man you said you met in L.A.?" "Yeah," Leah said trying to get her blouse to hang the way it had before Madison accosted her. "Are you crazy?" Madison said, trying to keep her voice down, without much success. "Well, I know..." "What do you know? Do you know that he's been arrested for driving drunk sixteen times in the last two years? Do you know he's got a different woman on his arm every time I see him on TV? Just what do you know, Leah?" "I don't know!" Leah confessed, now confused. She had expected her friend to be excited to meet a celebrity and happy that she was finally seeing someone, after five years of being alone. "The man is an alcoholic, Leah! Why would you even consider talking to him, let alone dating him?" "It's only four." Leah was trying desperately to catch up with the conversation. "Four what?" Madison screamed, then checked herself. "He's only been arrested four times." "Oh, well that makes everything alright," Madison threw her arms up in the air and rolled her eyes. "I don't understand, I thought you were happy I'd met someone." "Someone. That's not someone," Madison said in a motherly tone, pointing in the direction of her office. "That's Robert Stetson!" "He's still just a man." "He's an alcoholic. Leah, why would you put yourself through that again?" "I like him, and he likes me." Leah said pouting like a sixteen year old. She was upset. She expected Madison to be happy for her. She had her own doubts, and plenty of them, especially after he had told her today just how close he was teetering on the edge. She didn't need a lecture from Madison. Not now. "Can we

please go back in there before he leaves? We're being rude." Leah started to leave, hoping her friend would follow. The two women returned to Madison's office to find Robert sitting cross-legged flipping through a nursing manual. He quickly stood up when they entered. "Is everything alright, ladies?" "Sure Robert," Madison answered as they all took their seats. "I was just asking Leah how she could be seeing you, it just doesn't add up to me." Leah was pleading with her eyes for Madison to shut up and let it drop. "What concerns you, Madison?" Robert asked sitting forward in his seat, expecting the worst. "Well, how can she be seeing someone who has such bad judgment..." "Madison!" Leah shouted, jumping out of her chair. "That's okay, Babe, let her finish." Robert put his hand on Leah's arm to calm her. Leah sat back down resigned. "Thank you Robert." Madison said giving Leah a smug look as if she'd won. "My question is, how can she be seeing someone who has such bad judgment that he would have taken a role in The Empty Summer? It has to have been the worst movie ever made; you must have been able to tell that just by reading the script." Robert laughed out loud as Leah let out an audible sigh. "You've got me there, Madison. They should have called it The Endless Nightmare, because it follows me everywhere I go. I've been in over thirty films, and that seems to be the only one everyone wants to talk about." Leah was ready to beat Madison to within an inch of her life, after that little stunt, but was relieved that she hadn't asked about his drinking. A young nurse's aide stuck her head in the door and spotted Madison behind her desk. "I'm sorry Mrs. Bennett. I was hoping to talk to you for a minute." She looked around the room to see who else was there. When she laid eyes on Robert, who had turned to see who was at the door, her jaw dropped. "My God! You've got Robert Stetson in here!" She slid her petite body into the office and shut the door behind her like she was hiding a secret. Robert stood as the young woman entered the room. "Hi Jennifer," he greeted her. "May I have your autograph Mr. Stetson?" Jennifer asked standing, and drooling, just inches in front of Robert. She reached into her smock pockets and retrieved a

package of sterile four-by-four gauze and a pen then handed them over to Robert. "Jennifer, I think you better get back to work," Madison said sternly. Ignoring Madison the young woman asked with concern, "Are you sick, Mr. Stetson?" "No, Jennifer. I'm here with a friend visiting Mrs. Bennett," he said handing her the autographed gauze package and pen. "Too bad," Jennifer said brazenly. "I was going to offer you a sponge bath." "Jennifer!" Madison stood up abruptly like she was going to drag the young woman out of her office next. "You'd better get back to work now, or you won't have a job much longer." "Yes, Mrs. Bennett," she said dejectedly turning towards the door. "Jennifer," Robert called to her as she was leaving. "I need you to do me a favor. Don't tell anyone you saw me for a few days. Okay?" "Not even my boyfriend?" "Not even him. Trust me. If you show anyone that autograph now they wouldn't believe you anyhow. After the press knows that I'm here, all you'll have to do is show them that," he said, pointing to the gauze package, "and they'll believe you." "Okay, Mr. Stetson. But, it will be hard." "Thank you Jennifer," Robert and Leah said in unison. "I'm sorry about that Robert," Madison said as they all once again took their seats. "So tell me, how long are you in our neck of the woods, and where are you staying?" "Actually, he's staying with me," Leah interjected, enjoying Madison's look of frustration over her friend's lack of good judgment. "I hope to stay until the end of June," he said turning to Leah, "if she doesn't kick me out first!" "Why June?" Madison asked confused. "I leave to start a movie in Australia." He pointed to the posters on the wall behind Madison, "I see you know some of the same people I do."

"Right!" Madison said turning to look at the posters of her favorite movie and rock stars, then turning to look at Robert. "Are you telling me that you actually know Grant Kane and Jesse?" "Grant and I did a movie together about ten years ago. Jesse and I are really good friends," he said of the Crazed Boyz lead singer. "You'd like him. He's a really nice guy. I know that haircut makes him look like a bad boy, but he's a real family man." "So Robert," Madison asked bashfully, "will your friends be coming to visit you and Leah?" "Sorry Madison, I doubt if any of them even knows that Oscoda exits!" "Too bad," Madison moaned. Madison was called away to a meeting and when they were alone again, Leah hugged Robert. "Well, I think that went well. Smart of you to pull that 'I know your hero' card on her. It really softened her up to you." *** Robert attended his first AA meeting in Tawas that evening wearing his sunglasses and cap. He said it was the nature of the meetings that if he didn't want to say anything they would respect that and let him just sit in the back of the room. They would just think that he wasn't ready to accept his problem. Leah waited in the hallway, wishing she were home catching up on some of her work. Robert spoke privately to Arnold, the group leader, after the meeting. Arnold also lived in Oscoda. He agreed to let Robert come to his home three times a week to conduct the meetings. By the time they returned to Leah's house it was seven-thirty. The sun had already set and the stars were out. They had stopped at Pizza Hut on the way home and brought some pizza home for dinner. They were both physically and emotionally drained, and didn't want to expend any extra energy in preparing a meal. "Leah," Robert said as they were making up the sofa bed. "Thank you." "For what?" she asked. "If it wasn't for your cut-to-the-chase attitude today, I would be in L.A. passed out right now. I owe you for not letting me run away and take the easy way out of things." "Maybe you should start giving me a little credit for being able to handle myself. I'll tell you if it gets to be too much." They had finished making the bed and lay down.

Leah snuggled up along side him. He's the perfect fit, Leah thought as she yawned. "You fit next to me just right," Robert said quietly. Leah smiled to think he was thinking the same thing as she was. "I think tomorrow we'd better get over to your parents' house." "Sounds like a plan." She yawned again, even wider than the first. She was quickly falling asleep.

Chapter Seven The next morning Leah woke up on the sofa bed next to Robert. She tried to get up without waking him, but he stirred with her movement. "Good morning, Beautiful." "Good morning, Robert. I'm sorry if I woke you." "Not a problem. I hope it was as good for you as it was for me," he teased. She hit him in the arm and tried to push him off the sofa bed, but he was a solid mass and wasn't going anywhere. "You cad! You know as well as I do that nothing happened." It wasn't as if Leah hadn't thought about being intimate with him. It was frequently on her mind. She still wasn't sure that he'd be staying much longer and she didn't want to make that kind of commitment. She knew that was oldfashioned, but it was how she felt and she wasn't about to compromise her feelings for a quickie. "Okay," he laughed. "If that's what you want to believe." She crawled over his body and jumped spryly onto the floor. "I'm going to take a long shower and leave you with nothing but cold water," she announced as she scooted into the bathroom. "Ohhh," Robert moaned loudly so she could hear him. "I really need a cold shower after you teased me by being in my bed all night." In reality he was amazed with this woman. In more than twenty years no female had failed to succumb to his charms. And, he'd known her for days and she still hadn't even indicated that she was interested. She hadn't asked him for anything either. All the women he'd known since his first movie role had always jumped into bed with him and then immediately started hinting at the gifts they wanted. He often felt it was a legalized form of prostitution. He'd get them their gifts and then within weeks, or occasionally months, he would break it off. He had gotten what he wanted and he never minded the constant publicity. So what was he doing with this woman who lived in an entirely different world from him? And, what was she doing with him? The answer to the first question, he was forced to answer yesterday. He needed her to stay sober. There was something about being with this woman that made him want to live again. It was as if the grains of sand representing his lifetime were running out and she was the only thing keeping the last of the grains from falling through his hourglass. Robert had breakfast ready for her when she got out of the steamy bathroom. "Did you really only leave me cold water?" he asked. "I heard you," she said kissing him softly. "You said you needed a cold shower this

morning after sharing a bed with me. I told you that I would do whatever I could to make you comfortable." "Thanks, Babe. I appreciate your concern for my welfare," he groaned. "You know, it might be a good time to make a confession," she said as she sat down in front of a plate of scrambled eggs, sausage and toast. "What are you going to tell me? You're a lesbian and I'm going to be taking cold showers the rest of my life?" "No, silly," she giggled. "I can't live this lie any longer. I really don't like eggs." "How can you not like eggs!" he exclaimed with exaggerated surprise. "Never have. Oh, I like them hard boiled and deviled, but that's about it." Then she hurriedly added, "Your eggs are the best I've ever tasted, but I really am not an egg person." "So what do you like? A man really ought to know what his woman likes for breakfast." His woman. Leah repeated it in her thoughts. She liked the sound of that. "Usually a bowl of cold cereal and milk. A glass of OJ is good too." "Then why do you have all these eggs, sausage and things in the fridge?" he asked, holding the fridge door open. "I went shopping when you said you were coming. I thought you might like them. I live on cold cereal in the mornings and then take-out or canned food for the rest of the day." "So what was with the lasagna? A meal to tantalize me and make me think that you were going to cook for me?" he teased. "No, I love to cook and bake. I was glad to have someone that would eat it. Do you know how long it would take me to eat a pan of lasagna? I usually have to give most of it away and freeze a bunch. You ate a fourth of the lasagna in one sitting!" "That's nice! I make you breakfast and you call me a pig." He sat down next to her snorting like a pig. Leah choked on her toast while laughing. After breakfast they had another powwow and planned out the day. They knew it wouldn't be long before the press heard about his whereabouts and they had to figure what to do. Robert was a media favorite, as much for his acting

career as his problems in recent times. Reporters would swarm over Oscoda as soon as the word was out. Robert and Leah decided that it would be best to announce that he was living there and not to hide from the press. It was their hope that if they talked to the press and gave them the photo opportunities they wanted, that he could ask them to stay outside of her fenced-in yard and they would honor that wish. They really didn't want the paparazzi sneaking around the house trying to take pictures through a crack in the curtains. Robert started the process, doing what he did best. He made a few phone calls. His agent was to make an announcement to the press the next day, at nine a.m. L.A. time, which would be noon Michigan time. The local police were also notified since there was likely to be an influx of media, and it could cause big problems on a very small, dead-end street. Her neighbors would not be happy if they couldn't get into their driveways and if the media was camped out on their lawns. He hired a Detroit security team to keep reporters outside the fence and to keep them from bothering the neighbors. Lastly, he arranged for Madison to take a week off work, starting after lunch the next day. She would answer the phone for them. Before the announcement, they would have to tell Leah's parents. She called and told them that she'd like to bring over the left over lasagna for dinner that night. They were always thrilled to have dinner made for them. She forewarned them that she wanted them to meet her new boyfriend, and that he was "a bit of a celebrity". Her parents weren't quite as star-struck as Leah had been and they welcomed him into their home. Cap Halverson, Leah's father, was a thin, tall man in his early seventies with very little hair. He had been wheelchair bound since a stroke six years earlier. Cap, Robert learned that evening, was a nickname that followed him through life. He had been an Air Force captain during the Korean Conflict and the name had stuck. Cap liked to tease that he couldn't even remember what his given name was. Josephine Halverson was a quiet woman in her late sixties. She had salt and pepper hair that she kept up in a tight bun. She had put on a few pounds over the past six years and it showed on her short frame. Leah had tried to get her to join TOPS with her, but she had her hands full at home caring for her husband. "Maybe when your father gets better," she would say. Leah wasn't sure if her mother really believed that he would improve, or if it was just a convenient excuse. The older couple expressed concerns about the media circus that was expected the next day. They invited the couple to stay at their house, with their rules, of course, as long as they needed to. Robert assured them that they would be fine and that he knew the storm would

eventually blow over as a new story, somewhere else, would catch the presses' interest. He did warn them, that before it was over, the press would likely find their way to their doorstep as well. Robert offered to hire security to help them cope. They turned down his offer, saying that they would be able to handle it. At the end of the evening Leah's parents were comfortable with Robert and wished the couple well. Later that evening Robert called the Detroit security company again and ordered guards for the Halverson and Bennett homes, in addition to the security he had already arranged for Leah's house. "What about your family, Robert?" Leah asked. "Aren't you worried about them?" "I only have my mother. She's in a nursing home in Kansas City. I doubt if they would trace her. I'll alert their security team just in case." At noon the next day, before Madison arrived, the phone rang. "Does it really happen this fast?" Leah asked Robert. He shrugged as Leah answered the phone hesitantly. "Leah, it's Vi Pacheco with Quilts for Today." "It's one of my editors", Leah whispered to Robert and they both relaxed a little. "Hi, Vi. What's up?" "Leah, my notes show that I should have had the "Fall Fling" design yesterday. Is there a problem?" She could hear the concern in her editor's voice. "Vi, I'm so sorry. I was in L.A. last week taping an episode of I Love Quilts, and my life has been a whirlwind since then. The quilt is done. I just have to clean up the graphics and print out a clean copy of the manuscript. I'll send it overnight delivery within an hour. I promise you will have it on your desk tomorrow." "That's fine, as long as it's no later than tomorrow. Are you sure everything is alright?" "I'm fine Vi," she said smiling at Robert. "Just dandy. I'll also fax you a copy of the manuscript and graphics within the hour. I'm really sorry." "Don't worry, it's alright. Take care of yourself." Leah hung up the phone and said to Robert in a stern voice, "Do you see what you do to me. I've never missed a deadline in my life. You waltz in here and now I'm missing deadlines!" She popped up on her tippy toes and planted a kiss on his lips. Then she said with a sly smile, "Thank you for waltzing into my life."

"You tell me what you want me to do. I'm your personal assistant. I have to earn my keep while I'm here." "Are you serious? You'd help me?" This man was one surprise after another. "Where do I start? You want me to find a box that will hold that quilt?" he asked pointing to the appliquéd leaf quilt she had been looking at on the design wall, while talking to Vi. "That would be great. I'm sure you saw the stash of boxes in the corner of my bedroom," she said, relieved that she could possibly get some of her work caught up. She didn't tell him, but she had three other deadlines within the next week! Nothing she couldn't handle in the normal course of her life. But, having a movie star living with her had never been a normal course of her life before. "Really, there's a pile of boxes in the corner of your bedroom?" he smiled quizzically. "Maybe if you had let me in there, I would have known that." She laughed and pushed him gently in the direction of the bedroom. "Make yourself useful, silly." "Gee, I thought that's what I was offering to do." It did her heart good to see him so lighthearted. Maybe being in Oscoda would help him after all. Within an hour, Leah was stepping out of the Post Office with the package safely on its way Vi. That afternoon she had learned that Robert also knew how to send a fax as well as make a call. Life was definitely good. Pulling out of the Post Office parking lot, her heart sank. It was starting. She could see two blocks south where a TV van from Alpena, the small city an hour north of Oscoda, was pulling into the township hall. It was just a matter of time before they had a map in their hands and were on their way to her home. She pulled the car into the garage and ran into the house. "Robert, they're here. I saw them in town," she said winded. "It's okay, Leah. Remember, we are in control of this, not them." She melted into his arms, not sure she was ready for what was coming. But she kept her concerns to herself, hoping that he couldn't read her body language right now. The next week was a zoo. Actually, zoo wasn't the right word. In a zoo the animals are separated from each other and fenced in. Jungle was probably a better description. The police did the best they could to keep the street open. Six blocks away the grocery store's parking lot was full of media vans from all over the

country. There was a steady stream of reporters and cameramen coming and going down the side streets to her house. It reminded her of a line of ants swarming on a piece of candy on the sidewalk. They were as dedicated as the Postal Service, coming each day in sun, snow or freezing rain. On the second day the police had all the reporters clear the street and a large snowplow came in and widened it since residents were having trouble getting through the narrow street with so many pedestrians. Occasionally, she'd peek out the curtains to see what was happening. She'd catch a neighbor asking the media what was going on. She thought they must have been relieved that it wasn't an armed standoff. She never got to know her neighbors, so she didn't feel the need to warn them ahead of time. She had wanted to be by herself when she had moved into this house. Having lived in the town for most of her life, she didn't have the need for more friends. Each day, twice a day, Robert would brave the cold and walk out to the end of the driveway and talk to the reporters, patiently answering all their questions. She couldn't believe how composed he was in the face of this whirlwind. One day he even ordered dozens of pizzas to be delivered to the media, to thank them for their cooperation. There were a couple of paparazzi that crawled over her fence. The security guards were right on them and the intruders were hauled away by the police. It wasn't hard for security to see a breach. The snow was knee-deep in most of her yard and tracks were an obvious giveaway. Robert received permission from the court to miss up to six AA meetings. He had called the California court concerned that the anonymity of the meetings would be compromised. It wouldn't be fair for the other participants to have the media pushing their way into the private meetings. The court made it clear to Robert they were granting the waiver only to protect the privacy of others, not for his convenience. Madison answered all incoming calls during the day. They unplugged the phone at night so she could go home to her husband, Dean. Robert still had his cell phone and they gave that number to Leah's parents. If daytime calls were from the media Madison gave them a prepared statement, thanked them and hung up. Her previous experience in public relations was a godsend. She also ran errands for Leah. She made runs to the Post Office and to pick up groceries or fast food. As far as best friends go, Leah knew she had the greatest. Madison really rallied and stayed strong. Leah on the other hand felt like a puddle of mud. She had kept up with her work. That wasn't hard with Robert and Madison to help. But, she hated being trapped inside of her house. She missed her freedom and fresh air. By the sixth day, she

asked Robert, "How much longer can they possibly stay out there?" Tears were welling up in her eyes from the frustration. "Babe, they aren't going anywhere until you give them what they want." "I don't know if I can do that," she whimpered. "Think of it as publicity for your website and pattern business. If that was all there was to it, you would jump at a chance for free international publicity. Now isn't that true? You are just freaked by the rest of it. Just focus on it as a publicity stunt. You control the situation, not them. Always remember that!" Leah knew that he was right, so that afternoon when he was talking to the media he announced that Leah would be out to talk to them the next day. He gave them her artist statement and suggested they check out her website before she talked to them. When he came back in he hugged her tight. "Now, let's get my girl ready!" He was so strong. She wondered how he ever succumbed to alcohol. This was not an addict that she was seeing. They selected something for her to wear--casual but nice. Even though she would be wearing a winter coat, she didn't want to wear the same dress that she'd worn on I Love Quilts. It was entirely possible that they would get their hands on the clip. She didn't want everyone to think she only had one dress. As part of being in control, Robert explained that it was important not to watch the TV or read any newspapers or tabloids. He warned her that it would be very easy to get flustered if they saw, or heard, what was being reported. He had an agency that watched those things for him. They would alert him if there was anything that he should take action against. The next afternoon Robert escorted her out on the front porch. Was it just her perception that more reporters and cameramen were there than any other morning? Behind her she heard Madison from inside the house, "You go girl!" Slowly they walked out to the end of the driveway where the reporters were already yelling questions at her. She couldn't understand any of it; the voices all ran into each other. She felt dizzy and looked to Robert for guidance. He held up his hand, and loudly asked their cooperation. "Leah is not used to all this. Please let's take it one question at a time, and she will get to as many of you as possible". Thankful for his strength, she nodded to a reporter that was near her. "Ms. Mosley, you are a..." she paused to check her notes, "'professional quilt designer'. Just what does that mean?"

"I design a quilt, write the instructions, make the sample quilt. Then it is published in a magazine, book or other publication." She nodded to the next reporter. "Is that profitable?" "I make ends meet, most months. But, it's not why I do it. I do it because I love to. I also love traveling to teach quilting. It's not life or death, but it is good therapy for many people who take up the craft." She looked to the next reporter, "Miss Mosley, how long have you known Mr. Stetson, and what is the nature of your relationship?" Leah looked up at Robert and smiled. She was glad he was there with his arm around her and she leaned into his body feeling safe. "We met just over a week ago." She looked at the next reporter and the last one jumped in, obviously not happy with her answer. "And, just what is the nature of your relationship?" he insisted. "That's none of your business," she said firmly and looked again at the next reporter with his hand up. "Surely you are aware of Mr. Stetson's arrests in the last couple of years. Aren't you concerned that he could bring ruin on your life with more arrests? What about the possibility you could lose your home if he were arrested with drugs in your house?" "Mr. Stetson is an alcoholic, not a drug addict. If I believed that he was bringing drugs into my home, he would be on the other side of the fence with you." The reporters laughed. "He came here to give himself a chance to dry out without all the pressures of his everyday life. I'll give him that chance. Will you?" "Ms. Mosley, aren't you being a little naive?" asked the irritating reporter. "Perhaps, but only time will tell." It seemed to go on like that for hours, although it was probably less than half an hour. She looked to Robert with tired eyes, letting him know enough was enough. Robert put his free hand up, "Ladies and gentlemen, that will be it for now. Thank you for your patience. If you'd like to submit written questions for either of us, you can hand them to a member of the security team and we will fax you our answers. Thank you." With that he guided her back into the house. Leah ran past Madison and into the bedroom, throwing herself on the bed. She could hear Robert tell Madison what a good job Leah had done. He came into the

bedroom, closing the door behind him. He sat on the bed next to her, and put his legs up on the mattress. "God that was awful," she said through her tears. She curled up next to him with her head on his lap. He wrapped his arm around her and pulled her close. "You did fine, Babe. You told them the truth and you didn't let them push you around. You couldn't have done any better." She appreciated his words but she felt drained, and somehow violated by the experience. "I just don't know how you do it. How can you live your life under a microscope, with the whole world probing at it and picking at it like some ameba without any feeling? It can't be worth it." "Probably not," he said softly. "But, would you give up designing just because you couldn't make your house payment every month? No, you'd take a real job to make ends meet and design in every extra minute you could find. We can't help that we have a zeal for what we do. We are incredibly lucky to have those passions. On the other hand we have our crosses to bear for that privilege. Dealing with the media is just part of what I do. I have enough money that I could retire and live to a ripe old age in comfort. But, I couldn't bear to think of never acting again. It's in my blood; it's who I am. It's a hard business, and that's probably why so many of us turn to artificial means to get through tough times like this." Getting up on one elbow, she looked up at him concerned, "You're not tempted, are you?" "Oh no, this is kid's stuff for me. I was thinking of how tough it was for you. You're not tempted are you?" he joked. "Yes," she laughed snuggling back into him. "But, with your help I think I'll get past it." She must have fallen asleep comforted by his strength. When she awoke it was dark and Robert was no longer there with her. She went out into the living room. She saw Madison and Robert standing by the open curtains of the front windows. The curtains hadn't been opened for a week. "Come look at this, Babe." She walked over and hugged him from behind, using him as a shield. Looking around his body, she saw... Well, she saw nothing. No reporters, no cameramen, no cameras flashing. He reached around and pulled her under his arm. "I told you they would go once you gave them what they wanted. Of course it helped that

some Latin heart throb announced his secret marriage to one of his dancers." They all laughed. The relief was overwhelming to Leah and she could feel her eyes start to tear up. He pulled Madison under his other arm and announced, "Ladies, I'm taking you out for dinner tonight! Madison, call Dean and have him meet us. Leah, call your parents and have them come too. It's a time to celebrate!" Madison suggested a restaurant and time. They all agreed and she went off to call everyone. Robert turned to Leah and gave her a long lingering kiss. "I told you. You did great Babe." "Robert, I couldn't have done it without you." "Remember, you wouldn't have had to do it if I hadn't marched into your life." "I want you invading my life. I'm just glad it's over." She buried her face in his chest and they stood there several minutes rocking slightly back and forth.

Chapter Eight That evening at dinner Robert was able to meet Madison's husband, Dean, for the first time. Dean was a tall man, about six feet, with brown hair and a touch of gray in his bangs. Dean always had a twinkle in his green eyes, and the little laugh lines were indicative of his light-hearted look on life. He was a lawyer by trade, practicing out of a small private firm in Oscoda. Dean and Robert quickly found much to talk about, and Dean made plans for Leah and Robert to join them for dinner in their home that weekend. That Saturday Leah and Robert showed up on the Bennett doorstep. After ringing the bell, Robert turned to Leah. "Our first dinner party as a couple!" he said grinning. He bent down and kissed Leah. Dean opened the door, smiled at the sight and started to shut the door again, "I'm sorry, I'll give you two a little time!" "Don't be silly, Dean. It's cold out here," Leah shivered. "I thought I was keeping you warm," Robert teased. They entered the kitchen and greeted Madison. The house smelled of freshly baked bread and baked chicken. Robert rubbed his stomach as he stole a finger full of frosting from a chocolate cake sitting on the counter. "Everything smells so good, Madison. I wish Leah knew how to cook!" he taunted. Leah pushed him away from the cake and they joined Dean in the living room. She showed Robert pictures of the Bennett's children. "That's Richard, he's in his third year of medical school at Harvard, and his wife Leslie. This picture," she said holding up another framed photo, "is Margaux who is in her second year at Yale Law School." "You two must be really proud!" Robert said as Madison joined them. "That's nice that they are following in their parent's footsteps." "Do you have any children, Robert?" Dean asked. "No. At least none that I know of!" Robert pulled Leah close and she wondered if he wished he had some children to brag about. "I'm looking forward to meeting Brent. I'll have to teach him how to play golf." The four friends laughed, knowing that not many could beat Brent one-on-one in a golf match. "Robert, why don't we leave the women to finish dinner. Come upstairs and see my den." The two men went upstairs leaving the women, who returned to the kitchen. "Leah, I still can't believe you found him. I'm still concerned about you know what,

but God, what a charmer! And, how the hell does he smell so good? I can barely think when he's near me." "I tried to locate his bottle of cologne and couldn't find anything," Leah said tossing the salad. "Even Paulette had asked me to find out what he wore! Anyhow, I finally had to break down and ask him." "So, is it something I can afford to get Dean for his birthday next month?" "Sorry," Leah grimaced. "He goes to some aroma specialist in L.A. She somehow determined what to mix together to bring out the best scent for him. I know it blows me away! The funny thing is that it comes in this little unmarked bottle. And, if you smell it by itself, it smells nasty." "So, how much is it?" "He never really said, but I think it's more than anyone in Oscoda could ever afford." "Wow! How's it feel to be with a man with money? Is he draping you in furs and covering you in gold?" Madison strutted across the kitchen in an exaggerated stride with her head held back and shoulders high. She stroked the invisible furs with one hand while holding out the other hand, wiggling her fingers as though they were heavily laden with gold. "Madison, please! Have you ever known me to want those things?" "No." She stopped her little dance and returned to the stove. "But, then again, you've never had anyone who was able to do those things for you." "Isn't that the truth!" Leah lamented. "So, is he cheap or what?" Madison questioned as she mashed a pot of potatoes. "No, I think he respects my need to stay independent. I expect he'll do something eventually. I've been trying to prepare to be grateful, but that stuff really doesn't mean anything to me." "So, tell me, how is he in the sack?" Madison asked devilishly. "Don't know," Leah admitted shyly. "Oh, come on, Leah. You mean to tell me you have that good looking, good smelling, man living with you and you still haven't slept with him?" Madison asked incredulously, trying to keep her voice low. "Are you crazy!"

"Maybe. You know me. I knew I was going to marry Alex before we slept together. It's a commitment to me." "I know girl, but we are talking about," Madison lowered her voice to a barely audible whisper, 'Robert Stetson.'" " Why would I want to raise the stakes until I know that he's going to be around, and stay sober?" "Because, he's Robert Stetson!" "I'm not saying I'm not tempted, because I am every minute of every day. I just need time to feel comfortable." "Don't wait too long is my advice to you," Madison said rolling her eyes. "Or, you may lose your chance. A man like him doesn't have to wait, if you know what I mean." "That's exactly why I want to wait. If he's not willing to wait, then I don't want him. Besides, aren't you the one who said I shouldn't get involved with a man with an addictive personality?" "Yeah, but you have a gorgeous hunk of male flesh living in your house and you're taking cold showers. I really thought you were smarter than that." "Well, Miss Madison, dinner's about ready. I'll go get the men." Leah was ready to end the conversation. She had to fight her own urges daily. It was hard enough to keep her resolve without Madison telling her how foolish she was. Upstairs, as she approached the open door to the den, she heard Dean ask, "I'm grabbing a beer, you want one?" "Sure, Dean, that sounds great," Robert answered. Leah stood in the open doorway to see Robert take a beer from Dean and open it. The two men heard her gasp and turned in time to see her running towards the upstairs bathroom. She slammed the door in Robert's face. Robert stood outside the locked door, "Leah, let me in. I need to talk to you. Please, Leah. It's not what you think." He shifted his weight, then added, "I really feel foolish talking to the bathroom door." There was a clicking on the doorknob, the door opened hesitantly, and Robert slowly entered. She was standing in the middle of the room with her shoulders drooped and tears streaming from her eyes. He enveloped her body with his massive arms and pulled her close. Into her ear, he explained, "Leah, darling, I wasn't going to drink

it. Honest. I've found that it's much easier to accept a beer and just pretend to take a sip once in awhile instead of explaining that I'm an alcoholic. We were just having a good time. I didn't want to break the mood." He grabbed her shoulders and held her back, looking into her eyes. "Babe, you have to trust me. I don't like beer, never have. It's just a way to get through a social situation without getting into my past." He wiped her tears. "Do you believe me?" She shrugged her shoulders. "Leah, I know you don't trust alcohol of any kind. I didn't expect this to come up, or I would have explained my little ploy to you. I've used it successfully many times. I take a beer, pretend to start to take a sip and tell some joke that makes me have to put it down. I take it with me to the bathroom and pour it down the sink. It just is a way to keep things light." "You weren't going to take a drink?" she asked meekly. "No," he said firmly. "Will you tell me these things before you do them next time?" "Yeah, Babe. You know I've never known anyone like you before. I've been with women before who didn't even flinch when I'd say I'd take a beer, and they knew I was on the wagon. You're the first person who has really cared about me." She looked up into his eyes and saw that his brow was deeply furrowed and his eyes were unwavering from her gaze. She put her arms around his neck and gently pulled him to her. "I do care, Robert. I care very much." "Thank you, Leah. You've given me more than you could ever know." She pulled back to look at him again. "Promise you'll never scare me like that again." "Cross my heart and stick a finger in my eye," he said seriously. She laughed and pulled him close again. "I think I'm falling in love with you," she said quietly. "I know I'm falling in love with you," he whispered into her ear. Leah loosened her grip a few moments later, now smiling and wiping away the last of the tears. "We'd better get downstairs before they eat without us." They enjoyed a pleasant meal and while eating Madison's chocolate cake, Robert explained to Madison and Dean that he was a recovering alcoholic. He told them

of his strategy to act like he was drinking a beer to keep a situation light, and how it had frightened Leah. "I'm sorry that we put a damper on the evening. It's my fault that I hadn't told Leah how I handle some situations." Dean apologized, assuring him he wouldn't have offered him a drink if he had known. As they left, Madison hugged Leah and whispered to her, "Dear, you better take care of that man before he walks out of your life." Dean shook Robert's hand. "So, we'll start on that project next Saturday, weather permitting, right?" "That would be great Dean, thanks!" In the car, curiosity had gotten the best of Leah. "What project?" "You'll see," was all that he'd say. As they pulled into Leah's driveway, there was a beat up old Chevy parked in front of the fence. "Who's that?" Robert asked. "Don't know," Leah said with trepidation. They parked in the garage and as they walked to the back door a shape came from around the front of the house. "Who's there?" Leah called out. "Hey, baby doll, don't tell me you don't recognize me!" Before the figure limped under the light, leaning on a crutch, Leah knew who it was by his voice. "Alex. What are you doing here?" she said in obvious disgust. She couldn't believe how emaciated and gaunt he was. His cheeks were sunken in and his once full hair was now scraggly and had receded back a good four inches. She held Robert's hand tightly so he couldn't leave. "My lovely bride is getting famous. I've been seeing you all over the TV." Leah pulled Robert in close behind her, to protect her if necessary. "Hey, this must be the guy you're shacked up with. Nice to meet you Bob," Alex said, extending his bony hand, the same hand that he had just used to wipe his nose with. Robert didn't acknowledge the gesture and gruffly said, "The name is Robert." "Okay, man," Alex said putting his one free hand up in a gesture of surrender while

supporting his weight on the crutch. "Just trying to be friendly." His smile showed what was left of his rotting teeth. "Alex, what do you want?" she asked hoping to get rid of him quickly. "I just saw that you were, uh, doing good now. I thought maybe you, uh, could help out a bit. We did spend fifteen wonderful years together. You should take that into consideration, you know." "Fine, I'll write you a check for five hundred dollars. It's my house payment, a small enough price to pay if it will get rid of you." "Five hundred dollars? Baby doll, with a movie star in your bed, that's the best you can offer me?" Robert had enough and stepped in front of Leah. "I know your kind," he said angrily. "There won't be five hundred dollars. There won't be one red cent for you here. And, if you ever show up here again, I'll have you arrested. Do you understand?" "Hey, Bob! Calm down man." Alex kept rubbing his left arm under his jacket; making her wonder if he had graduated to shooting up. "The name is Robert, and I'm not your 'man'. What I will be in about thirty seconds is your worst nightmare if you are not out of here. Comprehend?" Alex sniffed and wiped his nose again. "No need to get all excited there, pal. I'll go. I'll call you, baby doll." Robert walked up to the pathetic figure and grabbed him by the shoulder with one hand and physically lifted him from the ground. "Leave now and never come back. If I ever see you, or hear of you calling, or coming by, you won't have to worry about another thing again. I have some friends in pretty low places, and it will be the last time you are ever seen. That's a promise!" "Robert, please!" Leah was concerned that he would hurt Alex and then be in trouble with the law. He was still on probation and an assault and battery charge would cause him real problems. Robert held up his hand for Leah to stay put and let him handle this. Then he dropped Alex. Alex used the crutch to help himself back up off the snow-covered driveway. Then he limped away toward the fence, and his car. They went in the house and Robert stood at the front window as the car drove away. "I don't think he'll be back anytime soon."

He turned around to find Leah crying softly on the couch. "I'm sorry Babe, it's the only way to handle someone like that. If you would have given him the money, he'd just be back every couple of weeks for more." Robert sat next to her on the couch and put his arm around her. "That's not why I'm crying," she sobbed into his chest. "He never even asked about Brent!" She sobbed heavily, trying to catch her breath. "Please, once you meet Brent, you can't tell him his father was here," she pleaded between sobs. "I won't Babe. I won't." He held her tightly as she wore herself out with the tears. That Friday Madison called Leah and asked if she'd go to Alpena with her the next day. She had some society dinner to go to with Dean and needed a new dress. Leah quickly agreed. They'd been enjoying a break from the harsh winter weather. It was the second day in a row the temperature had reached fifty degrees. The two friends enjoyed their shopping trip, getting much more than just a dress for Madison. They had lunch at a terrific Chinese restaurant and ordered enough food to take home for dinner. When they returned from Alpena late in the afternoon, Leah was surprised to see activity on her property when they pulled onto her short road. As they approached the house she could see a beautiful wooden wheelchair ramp being built in her front yard. It wasn't quite completed and the two men were hammering away. She couldn't help but notice that someone had plowed all the snow from her front yard. "What are you guys doing?" she exclaimed as she got out of Madison's van. Robert sauntered over to her, wearing nothing but a pair of boots, jeans and a red plaid flannel shirt. "This," he said making a grand sweeping gesture, "is so you can have Cap come to your house instead of always going to visit him." The ramp started near the fence and then wrapped in a gentle slope along three edges of her front yard ending on the right side of a new front porch. A small set of stairs on the left side led down from the porch to the front walk. "Oh Robert, this is the nicest thing anyone has ever done for me." She buried her face deep into his sweaty flannel shirt. "Is this the project you and Dean have been planning?" Robert grinned. "Guilty as charged." "Have you told Cap yet?" she asked. "No, I thought you could have him over for lunch tomorrow after they go to church services."

"You must be cold!" she said, worried. "Let me find you a coat." "Let me get back to work. I'm warm enough if I keep moving. Go on in the house. Call your parents and ask them for lunch tomorrow. We'll be done in half an hour." "Great," Madison said, heading into the house with the bags of take-out. "We'll have a gourmet dinner all cooked and ready for you men when you're done." Leah was so delighted that Robert was building the ramp with Dean. It would have been so easy for him to pick up the phone and have a crew there to do the work. Leah really couldn't remember anyone doing something so nice for her. She had expected that any gift from him would come from a jewelry store. She was greatly relieved, and pleased, that it had come from his heart instead. The next day Josephine and Cap Halverson arrived at twelve-thirty. Leah had to tell them the day before about the ramp. Her mother had been so worried about how they were going to get him into the house that she had called back three times. Cap was able to push his chair up the gentle slope without any difficulty. "It's great, Robert! A little unsteady though," he said concerned. "I know Cap. When the ground thaws we'll change the supports and sink them into concrete," Robert answered. Leah enjoyed having her father inside her home for the first time since she'd purchased the house. She'd always wanted to have a ramp, but could never afford one. Cap went from room to room finding little things to fix. He asked for a note pad and started making notes. Leah hadn't seen her father so animated in years. Her mother would maybe get some respite from her constant duties if Cap was able to come over and work on the house. Robert's gift had been given to more than just Leah. How could she not love this man?

Chapter Nine The next months were relatively uneventful. Robert had become a helpful assistant. Although there were days that he was more of a hindrance than help. Leah never attempted to teach him how to actually sew; she figured that would be pushing it. He was able to type onto the computer the manuscripts that she wrote out longhand. It took him ten times as long as it took her, but she never let him know that. He used hunt and peck, using only the index finger on each hand. He seemed happy to keep occupied and Leah figured any extra time she had in her schedule gave her time to spend with him. One day he watched her as she effortlessly built and arranged graphics on the computer. "How did you make that box? How did you change it from red to yellow? Do you have to build each block, or can you duplicate them?" After teaching him all afternoon, Robert had become adept at making the geometric graphics. He seemed to like the logical way the quilt graphics program allowed him to design patterns. After that he worked on graphics as often as he could. Leah would often find him making shapes that had nothing to do with her work. I've created a monster, she thought. But it was better than him getting bored and bugging her to finish up early, so she let him be. They often played loud music as they worked. It pumped Leah up and kept her working at a steady pace. They seemed to have the same preferences in music, for the most part. They had both grown up with the music of Aerosmith, Crazed Boyz, the Eagles, Hazed Vision, and U-2. They also agreed on some newer groups like Creed, Fuel, Matchbox Twenty and The Dave Matthews Band. Although, Robert couldn't understand her passion for Neil Diamond. If she wanted to play Neil, she did it in the car when she was by herself. When she played it near him, he spent the entire time running it down and she couldn't enjoy it anyhow. Robert owned a dreadful cassette tape of twangy country songs that would chase her out of the house every time he played it. Every week or so he would pop it in the tape player without warning and turn it up loud. She'd make her excuses and would leave. She never thought he looked as though he enjoyed it, so she had to wonder why he would listen to it. She figured he must enjoy it on some level. She drew the line and prohibited the tape in the car, since she had no escape. The people in town had become accustomed to Robert's presence and he rarely got asked for autographs when they went out. When he did, he was always gracious, taking a minute to stop and talk or pose for a picture. He often commented to her that he loved the freedom of being able to go out in public without a disguise or bodyguard.

Oscoda is a tourist town nestled between Lake Huron and the Huron National Forest, with the AuSable River cutting through it. It was a popular destination for campers, boaters, fishermen and hunters as well as those tired of city life looking for a couple of days of rest. The summer tourist season hadn't started and Leah worried about being overwhelmed with out-of-towners as the weather warmed. She'd seen some gawkers driving by the house, taking pictures, and she knew it was just the beginning. Maybe it was a good thing he'd be leaving in late June. And then of course there were the almost daily AA meetings. He had gotten permission from the court to miss six meetings when the media circus was there. Unfortunately, the weather wasn't always cooperative for attending their tight schedule of meetings. There was one particularly stormy week in early March that he missed his Wednesday evening meeting in West Branch because of a blizzard. There was a total white out and the state police warned that no one should be on the road except for emergency service vehicles. Robert was on the phone the next day with the court in L.A. They were not very understanding that the meetings weren't as available where he was, as in L.A. A magistrate got on the phone and told him that he would have to make up the meeting somehow, or risk arrest. They had approved the missed meetings months earlier and they would make no more exceptions. It was his choice to be where he was, and it was up to him to overcome the problems that his location had presented to him. Because of his profession, they had afforded him the opportunity to travel, something that the average citizen might have had difficulty getting permission to do. Robert and Arnold, the AA leader from the Tawas group, had gotten together that morning. Robert knew from their conversation that Arnold was not going to be available for another meeting that afternoon. Leah got on the Internet and started searching for another meeting. They found a group in Saginaw that met on Thursday evenings at six p.m. Since it was already two p.m. they didn't spend much time getting ready. It took them almost three hours just to drive the normal two-hour drive to Saginaw. Many of the roads, although cleared from the blizzard, were still getting a fine snow blown over them making them extremely slippery. She waited in a nearby restaurant during the meeting. It was another three hours home. Much of the day's slush on the road was now slick ice, and the driving was treacherous. They didn't get home until ten p.m.. They went straight to bed, exhausted from the tension of driving on bad roads. To get to the eight a.m.. meeting the next morning they had to leave at six a.m. since it had snowed more during the night on top of the ice. Leah knew that the hills between Oscoda and Alpena could get extremely slippery. If it were for any other reason, she would have stayed home. The fifty-mile drive took almost two

hours. The temperature warmed some by the time they left Alpena and they drove home in freezing rain. After that, whenever there was even a hint that they could have difficulty getting to any of the meetings, they drove to Bay City for a Monday morning meeting or Flint for a Monday afternoon meeting. In late March, The Weather Channel had predicted one winter storm after another for late in the week, so Robert went to both the Bay City and Flint meetings, then the regular Tuesday meeting in Tawas. The predicted storms ended up moving further south than expected and dumped fourteen inches on Detroit. By early April weather was no longer an issue, although they occasionally had to work around scheduling conflicts. Leah drove Robert everywhere. She wasn't ready for him to hire a driver. It just seemed too out of her lifestyle to have a driver at his beck and call in Oscoda. While he was in his meetings she'd wait in the hallway or the car, depending on the weather, and would sketch designs. At first she wasn't shocked when he came out of the meetings with some woman hanging all over him. After about the third time, she'd had enough. "You know it's not fair for me to see you come out of a meeting with women hanging all over you," she said near tears as they drove home. "There's nothing going on," he said, as if it shouldn't be an issue. "They just want to be close to someone famous. It makes their lives seem better somehow." "Is that what you think I'm doing?" she asked, irritated. "No, Babe. If that's all you wanted you would have been gone a long time ago. I know that you want me for who I am. You're the first woman I've met in twenty years that made me feel like I was special for who I was, not what I was." "Well how am I suppose to trust you that you aren't hooking up with these women instead of going to your meetings?" She was especially sensitive since they still hadn't slept together. Maybe he was getting it elsewhere, as Madison had predicted, and that's why he didn't mind waiting for her. "You've got to be kidding me! I've never given you any reason not to trust me." "Really? You think that coming out of meetings with some chick on your arm isn't reason enough to worry?" "No. I thought you trusted me. If you trusted me then you wouldn't even be thinking that way." "You think so," Leah said, frustrated. "What do you know about trust? Trust is

earned, not automatic. If you act in a way that says you can't be trusted then that eventually becomes a reality. You can't act like you are not with me, then expect me to trust you blindly." "That's a bunch of crap Leah and you know it! You either trust me, or you don't. It's as simple as that." If they stayed together there were going to be plenty of times that her trust would have to get her through. Like when he was off filming on location. She wasn't going to let him ruin any trust she had before it was a real issue. She was starting to formulate a plan in her head. If he thought it was okay for him, she'd see if it was acceptable for her too. At the next Tawas meeting, Robert came out of the meeting room with a skinny blonde hanging all over him. One look at Leah in the hallway and he pushed the blonde off his arm and marched over to her. Leah was standing with her back against the wall, giggling. A man was standing close to her, with his elbow leaning against the wall just above Leah's shoulder. "Oh, Hi Babe," she said when she saw Robert standing behind the other man, an old boyfriend from high school who had agreed to help her. "Are you done already?" Then she turned her gaze to the other man, "I guess I'll see you next week. Take care," she said coyly. Robert's steps were fast. Once in the car he didn't speak all the way home. He had a dark look on his face. The usual twinkle in his eyes was gone. Finally, as they pulled into the driveway, he asked the question she'd been expecting. "Who's the guy?" "An old boyfriend from high school. He works in that building and was just leaving as your meeting started. We had a nice talk." "I bet you did!" he said angrily. "Oh come on Robert," she said off-handedly. "We're just friends. Don't you trust me?" He didn't answer. Leah was relieved to see that her ploy worked. He never again came out of a meeting with someone on his arm. After that he seemed to make a point of staying away from women other than those that they both knew, and with whom Leah was comfortable with. A condition of his probation was to do a hundred hours of community service. He went to the monthly work bees at Pockrandt's Fabric & Gifts to make quilts for the ABC Quilt Project. Once the ladies stopped swooning, they teased him endlessly

as they tried to teach him the finer points of quilt making. "Don't worry if it doesn't work the first time," they'd tell him. "Leah always tells us that the kids will throw-up on the quilts three times before anyone notices the mistakes." Leah knew that he wasn't going to the meetings to learn to quilt. He loved to be with women. To have the attention of so many of them at once kept his spirits up. Anytime he was in the spotlight, he was happy. The first work bee had the usual fifteen or so volunteers. The next months they had thirty to forty volunteers. Even if he didn't do much work, he was a good draw to get volunteers. That was a big help in itself. He'd sign autographs for the ladies "daughters". Leah chided him because she was usually the one they were asking for an autograph when the latest quilting magazine came out with her designs. Now they would ask for his autograph on her design. Then as if an afterthought, they would ask for hers as well. As the area coordinator for ABC Quilts, Leah was able to sign off on his community service time sheet. She was able to include extra time since they spent time at home sorting baby quilts, photographing them, logging them in and checking them for stray pins or loose threads. When delivering quilts out of town, usually on their way to an AA meeting, she included that time too. The local thespian society asked him to give a presentation to their group. He gave a wonderful lecture on getting into your character's emotions and then also went to the weekly meetings as his schedule allowed. With the court's permission, he was able to count his time with the theater group as volunteer work as well. Leah enjoyed going to the theatrical meetings and sitting in the back of the theater, watching him interact with the group. He did what he could painting sets, running lines with actors or helping with costumes. Leah was surprised at how many costumes he "volunteered" her to alter or hem. He never seemed to overstep his bounds though. He didn't want to take over the group, he just enjoyed their company and working with them. He told Leah that he had done some stage plays early in his career and it was a dream of his that some day he could be in a Broadway play. Leah canceled her trip to Spring Quilt Market. It was a sacrifice she was willing to make. She didn't have any classes scheduled so there was no reason that she had to be there. Fall Market was the larger of the two markets, and she would go to that. Her editors and suppliers understood when she explained that she didn't want to leave for five days, two days traveling and three days at Market. She just spent more time planning projects over the phone and via email. Overall life was hectic. But they were enjoying each other's company and falling deeper in love each day they spent together.

In late May the movie script arrived and she learned how to read lines with him. It made her giddy to think some of the same lines she was reading were ones that Zach was memorizing for his part. She was grateful that she had a chance to help Robert with his work. She tried not to think of his leaving in four weeks. How could she go back to a normal life until he returned in December? She tried not to think about it, it gave her an ache in the pit of her stomach. She booked as much work for those months as she could, so she would be too busy to miss him. Or, at least that was her hope. Then there was the thought that perhaps he wouldn't return. No, she couldn't even bring herself to think like that. She was blown away by the speed at which he could memorize his lines. Once the words were memorized he began working on the emotion and depth to them. Leah could not believe the intensity he gave his lines. No wonder people in the business insisted on working with him, even with all his troubles. He was good. Very good. They were going through an exceptionally intense scene in early June. They had arranged lawn furniture, the lawn mower, ladders and anything else they could drag out of the garage into the back yard. The setting was in an Indian camp where he was supposed to be rescuing Zach's character, who had been captured. Leah read all the other lines in the script and moved around like the character she was supposed to be at the time. She did this to the best of her ability but she knew that she would never make a good actress. She peeked around a ladder that stood in for a tee-pee and raised a shovel over her head like she was ready to attack, "Eiiiii Yaaaa!" she yelled. He lunged at her with a garden rake, standing in for a rifle and bayonet. "Die you dirty bastard!" he yelled, throwing her off balance with the force of his words. She fell back against the ladder and tumbled over, landing in a heap. Her right leg caught in the legs of the ladder and she cried out in pain. Robert dropped his rake and ran to her. She didn't know if she wanted to laugh or cry. He helped her up and she limped into the house and onto the couch with his assistance. Just then two police cruisers pulled up with lights flashing, one in the driveway and one on the other side of the fence. The officers cautiously got out looking around. One came to the front door while the other made his way around the back of the house. Robert met the officer at the front door. "Is there a problem officer?" "We had a report of a disturbance," he replied looking Robert over carefully for signs of a struggle. "Is anyone here with you?" "Yes. Leah Mosley. It's her house. Please come in, she's on the couch." Robert held the door open for him. The officer hesitated until his partner came around the other side of the house and shrugged, indicating he had found nothing. "Ma'am," the officer said taking off his hat as he entered the house. "We had a

report of a disturbance. One of your neighbors called saying he heard you being threatened and then a woman's scream. Are you all right?" He was so careful not to turn his back on Robert, it was almost comical to Leah and she giggled. "I'm really fine officer. We were practicing a fight scene in the backyard and I fell over a ladder and bruised my leg up pretty good. This is Robert Stetson. He's staying here and we were just practicing a scene in a movie he'll be filming this summer." "Yes Ma'am. I'm aware of who Mr. Stetson is. I'm also aware that he's on probation for offenses in California. You wouldn't be protecting him, would you?" "Here officer," she said holding out the script to him. This was his line just before I fell, and he delivered it very convincingly. Please, go ask the neighbor just what he heard and I bet it matches the line in the script." The officer hesitated, still not trusting Robert. "Please, take it," she pleaded. He took the script and instructed the other officer to stay on the front porch until he returned. He pulled his cruiser out of the driveway, lights still flashing, and back down the small street. Leah suspected it must have been a neighbor behind her on the next road that had called in the complaint. Ten minutes later the cruiser pulled back into the driveway, now with it's lights turned off. The officer came in and handed her the script back. "I'm sorry for the trouble ma'am. You should be happy that you have neighbors that care. By the way, Mr. Jones on the next street asked if he could have that page out of the script signed by Mr. Stetson. He'd like to frame it." The officer smiled at her and she gave a little laugh. "Thank you officer, I appreciate your efforts to protect me." "Mr. Stetson," the officer said as he nodded to Robert on the way out the door. "Thank you, officers," Robert said, and then shut the door. He fell laughing to his knees in front of her on the couch. "Can you believe that? He was ready to cuff me and haul me in!" "Maybe I should have had him arrest you," she said seriously. "Why would you do something like that, " he asked with obvious concern. "So you'd at least stay in the same county. They wouldn't let you leave to go shoot the film in Australia. I could visit you in jail everyday," she said playfully. "You could come with me to the set. I've told you a million times, I'll take care of everything," he said.

"I know," she said, "you'd make a call."

Chapter Ten By early June Robert had completed his probation and felt like celebrating. Leah's forty-second birthday was just a week away, so he started making plans one evening as they cooked. "I want to take you somewhere for your birthday dinner that you would never think of taking yourself. You name it, anywhere in the world!" "Well, since I don't have a passport, I think it will have to be limited to anywhere in the United States," she laughed. She didn't want his extravagance. She was happy cooking spaghetti with him in her kitchen, like they were that night. "Okay, anywhere in the United States. But, I think we should get started on this passport problem tomorrow. I don't like to be limited by little details like that." "What's wrong?" she chided him. "You can't just pick up the phone and make a call when the government is involved?" "Laugh all you want. We're getting you a passport. Now tell me where you want to go for your birthday." She had spent so much energy trying to keep him from paying for everything. She paid bills at the post office when they came in, so he'd never see them. She'd get up early and sneak out while he was still asleep and do the grocery shopping and keep the gas tank filled. Anything to keep from becoming dependent on someone else. She'd been paying her own way, and she liked it. She never wanted to rely on anyone else again. Of course there were times when they were out together that she couldn't help. But he was staying in her house and she let him pay what she felt was fair. She did love the practicality of the wheelchair ramp as a gift. Gifts like that were always welcome! She'd have to give in to his extravagant inclinations this time. It would be nice to be pampered for once, she thought. "I want to go to Raphael's Bar-Risto in Providence, Rhode Island," she said. "I want the baked chicken gnocchi and that scrumptious chocolate volcano cake they bake while you wait." He grabbed her around the waist and swung her around the kitchen. "At last I broke down the barrier. Raphael's it is! I'll make a call and arrange it." They went back to their cooking duties: she was making a tomato sauce and he was making a salad while waiting for the water to boil for the pasta. "Have you ever been to Raphael's, or did you read about it?" he asked. She put her hands on her hips and looked at him indignantly. "Of course I've been to Raphael's. Hasn't everyone! You aren't the only one who has done some

traveling. Madison and I went there as part of a business dinner while at Spring Market in Providence a few years back." "Okay, miss smarty pants, but aren't you the same person who just confessed to not having a passport?" he asked with raised eyebrows. She knew this was one she couldn't win. Not with him! Best to change the subject. "We went to a restaurant in the center of town the next night. We couldn't find parking and ended up going the wrong way down a one-way street. As I was turning the car around, and the car was perpendicular to the road, a station wagon started backing towards us going a hundred miles an hour. It slipped between some parked cars along the road. We thought we were goners the way that car was coming at us broadside! We drove around again and spotted a man walking quickly in the direction of the restaurant. Madison rolled down her window and caught his attention. 'Where do we park to eat here?' she asked. 'Let me park your car' he answered. So I leaned toward her window and asked him, 'And just who are you to park our car?' 'I'm A.J. the valet!'" Leah had to stop and laugh remembering what a good time they had. "So I asked him if he was the one that had parked that station wagon a minute ago. He said he was and I said, 'But this is a rental car, I can't let anything happen to it.' Do you know what he said?" Robert shook his head as she continued, "'Don't worry, I'll let you know how fast it will go in reverse.' Can you believe that?" "So what did you do?" Robert asked. "I let him park the car. We were hungry and the car was insured." Leah smiled. Sharing this memory with Robert came so naturally to her. "Well, let's hope that A.J. the Valet, isn't working for Raphael's these days," he joked. "No, I don't think so. Raphael's is next to a large lot, they don't need a valet." "Sounds like you and Madison had a great trip." "We always have a blast going to market together. I just wish she could get off work more often to come with me." "Weren't these trips for business?" he asked. "Well, yes," she said timidly. "But, you can't believe what responsible women can be like when they are away from their husbands and kids for three days!" "You guys probably make voodoo dolls with your fabric and poke them with quilting needles," he joked.

"Oh my God! How did you know?" she asked truly surprised. He turned to drain the noodles in the sink, obviously not believing her. "No, you don't!" "Well not all the time. Just once when we had rented this huge cabin with five connecting rooms in Tennessee. Ten women, a little wine in some of them and a lot of chocolate in all of us. It was a lethal combination. At least for the voodoo dolls. We burned them in the fireplace after poking them with pins." "I think I learned more about the female psyche tonight than I should ever know," he laughed. "Come on, let's eat before this gets cold." She slid her backside up on the kitchen counter and pulled him close, wrapping her legs around him. She held his face in her hands and then brought it down for a long lingering kiss. When they came up for air he said, "Okay, Babe, let's save some of that honey for dessert." He tried to pull away but she tightened her grip with her legs. "Robert," she said seriously, sliding her arms around his waist. "How are you doing?" "A little hungry, but over all pretty good," he replied putting his hands on her shoulders, ready to push away, so he could go eat. "Seriously, you've been here for months and you leave in only four weeks. Are you going to be okay? Do you need more time away from it all?" "Don't worry. I'm not the same person I was then. I'm stronger and I have you to thank for that." He kissed her on the nose. "I want to come back to you. I want to make movies and someday work on Broadway. I know I can't do those things if I start drinking. I'll be fine. I just will always need to take it one day at a time. That's why I'll be calling everyday, for my little piece of the Oscoda magic." Leah cocked her head to the side and raised her eyebrows in her, You're-nottaking-this-seriously look. "In all seriousness, I think I'll be fine. It was just the break from Hollywood that I needed. And, when it's over I'd like to come back until the next gig." He lowered his head and then added, "If you'll have me." "I'd like that, Robert." He brought his gaze back up to her, now more serious. "There is one thing that I'm having a little trouble with."

"I know," Leah said, embarrassed. "Me too. It won't be long, I promise." "I hope not. I'm trying to be respectful of your wishes." He rubbed his hands up and down her arms as his eyes undressed her body. "Why, Robert?" she asked still confused. "I still don't understand why you'd be willing to wait. I think that's partly why I'm having trouble committing to this relationship. You could get it anywhere, and you're here with me taking cold showers for months on end. I just don't get it." His eyes looked tired and sad as he explained. "In L.A. I would have gone through two or three girls in the time I've known you. They wouldn't have meant anything. I'd take someone out, have them on my arm for a photo-op when we arrived wherever we were going, then I wouldn't see them again until it was time to take them home." Leah looked at how his shoulders sagged, "It must have been lonely." "It was. Very." "So why? You still haven't answered why you're still here with me." He paused, looking for the right words. "I haven't had the chance to get to know a girl, really get to know her, without sex, since high school. I sensed that pushing you would push you away, not into my bed. Am I right?" "Yeah, you are." "So here we are, both frustrated. But, Leah, I have to say that I've really enjoyed this time getting to know you. I admire you more than you'll ever know for that." He straightened up, and with a more playful look in his eyes, "Of course, admiration is quickly turning into something much more devilish!" With that he wrapped his arms around her and gave her a good hug. Finally he got out of her grip so they could sit down and eat the now cold dinner. Leah hoped he wasn't just acting because he totally convinced her. She felt more at ease that he was committed to a long-term relationship to her, and to sobriety. It was what she'd been waiting for. She knew he was frustrated by her desire to wait for a physical relationship by his frequent jokes about cold showers. She was frustrated too. After the dinner dishes were cleaned up she helped him make up the sofa bed as usual. Then they lay down together to watch TV. Leah rolled over into his arms and kissed him gently, but sensuously. Robert pulled away as he did when he felt he would compromise her wishes to wait. This time Leah kissed him again, more

deeply. He pulled her body under his. Then catching himself he started to back off and pull away. "It's okay, Babe," she whispered seductively. "You said you wanted to save a little honey for dessert."

Chapter Eleven Leah awoke on her birthday and wondered why Robert wasn't in bed with her. She stumbled half-asleep into the bathroom. She stood in front of the commode and stared at the shut lid. Draped over it was a linen napkin with a single, long-stem, red rose on that. What a strange, and wonderful, way to start the day she thought to herself. When she came out of the bathroom she had the rose under her nose, breathing its scent in deeply. Robert was in the kitchen making breakfast. "Thanks for the rose. It was a nice way to start the day. Strange, but nice," she laughed. "Happy Birthday Babe! I hope you're hungry because I've mixed enough batter to make pecan waffles for six people. Besides, we have a long day in front of us." "I know! Raphael's for dinner." She smiled from behind the rose as she sat down and waited for her chef to serve her. "Got any blueberry syrup?" "Would I make you pecan waffles on your birthday without knowing what your favorite syrup was?" He ladled the thick, hot blue syrup all over her stack of waffles. "How'd you know?" she ask unbelieving. "I made a call. How else?" "I really need to have a talk with Miss Madison." She took a mouthful of the gooey waffle. "Oh, maybe not. These are really good." "As soon as you're done eating, you need to get showered and dressed. Just casual for now. The plane will be here at nine," he informed her. "Nine? Just to get to Providence for dinner?" she asked. "We have a couple of things to do before dinner. Now finish up and get ready." "You're making me nervous you know. Do I need to pack anything?" "No need to be nervous, just bring your sweet self," he replied kissing her on top of the head. She finished up breakfast, wiping the last traces of syrup from the plate with her finger. She wanted to lick the plate, but thought he might not understand. He shooed her out of the kitchen when she tried to wash up the dishes. "It's your birthday, get out of here. Go get ready, woman!"

She happily complied; glad to have someone pampering her for a change. Forty-five minutes later she was ready to go. "Here I am," she said with her arms outstretched. "I'm all yours. Where are we going first?" "You ask too many questions. You need to relax and go with the flow," he told her. "When have you ever known me to go with the flow? You know I like things relatively structured. You shouldn't start someone's birthday out by bossing them around and not telling them anything. It's not nice," she pouted. "That's not going to work with me girlfriend. The limo's here, let's go." "A limo to go two miles to the airport when we have a car in the garage? Now this is just silly." "We couldn't go out on your birthday in a twelve-year-old car. What kind of man do you think I am?" he said escorting her to the limo. "You're certainly like no man I've ever met before," she said more to herself than to him. She was glad to see he was just wearing jeans and a T-shirt and hoped he had a change of clothes on the plane suitable for them to wear to dinner. It just took the limo minutes to get to the airfield. Once again, she was in awe of just how big the jet was. She had always imagined private jets to be much smaller. "I must admit I've never been on a private jet before. It's so much bigger than I imagined." As they entered the plane, it opened up into a living-room-type space that had reclining bucket seats, low tables, large built-in TV screens at each end and couch-like seats that ran across one side of the cabin space. "It's a Boeing Business Jet," he told her. "It's the largest private jet they make. There are other models that are much smaller, but I don't like to be cramped. Come on, let me show you around." She was astonished that it had a bathroom as big as hers at home, and a shower! There was a private bedroom and a conference room. On top of all that, the crew had their own bathroom and sleeping quarters just behind the cockpit. Ending the tour in the cockpit, she met Jerry, the pilot, and Tom, the co-pilot. "No jokes, please," Jerry said laughing. "We've heard them all!" "What about long flights, don't you need two crews?" she asked. "For long overseas flights we use a secondary crew that we book in advance. It's people that we know and trust," Jerry explained.

Once back in the living quarters and buckled in for take off, Leah continued to question Robert. "How can you afford this? This has got to be more that even you can afford!" "It was steep," he said rolling his eyes. "I'll give you that. At first I thought of it as just a tax write-off, but I found a management company that has turned it into a profitable deal. It pays for itself, and then some!" "How is that possible?" "When I use it to get to a movie set the production covers the cost. If some of the cast flies with me, it pays extra. On really remote locations, we've been able to land it on nearby landing strips and then the cast and crew use it like a hotel of sorts. The productions pay big time for that!" "Still, it must have an awful lot of down time, like the last five months." "I have first refusal on it at all times. I only need to give twenty-four hours notice to get it, although I usually know weeks or months in advance when I'll need it. Other than that the management company leases it to corporations, production companies and musical groups that don't have their own private jet. By leasing it during down times I'm able to keep the same flight crew, and ground crew, employed year round. I prefer having people like Jerry that I trust instead of a new group of yahoos every flight." "Are there really that many companies out there that would pay to rent a jet this size? It must cost a small fortune." "Look at it from their perspective. You're flying all your top executives from New York to Los Angeles. Do you trust a commercial airliner and maybe get a maintenance crew of who knows what caliber? The flight crew could be drinking. Or, do you pay for the assurance that the plane was properly serviced and a flight crew that's fit? It's a price they are willing to pay not to lose their entire top echelon of people. Same with a band. They don't want to risk losing the whole band in one shot. With terrorists targeting planes as much as they have in the last few years, people are scared." After a smooth take-off Leah sat on a couch by a window and made herself comfortable. Robert stretched out on the couch with his head in her lap. She played with his hair, enjoying the moment in silence. "Penny for your thoughts," he asked. "Oh, I was just thinking that you needed to get back to your L.A. hairdresser."

"Why? I thought you did a great job trimming it last month." "Well it is getting long again, but that's not really the problem. There's an awful lot of salt showing in this pepper," she teased. "Are you implying I have gray hairs?" "No need to imply," she said yanking one out and showing him. "Thanks. It's your birthday and I'm the one who is finding out I'm getting old." "I found my first gray hair when Brent was fourteen-years-old. I showed him saying, 'Look, my first gray hair.' He looked at me like I was crazy then informed me that it was just the first one that I'd seen. Now, you can't tell me you didn't know you had gray hairs?" she said unbelieving. "I have my hair dyed regularly. Seems like every movie it's a different color, and then I get it dyed back to black. When would I have a chance to know that it was getting gray?" "So are you going to tell me where we're going and what we're doing, or do I start yanking them out one at a time?" she asked, yanking another gray hair. He reached up and pulled her under him. "That hurt, my dear. I guess I'll have to keep you occupied the rest of the trip to keep you from pulling my hairs out and asking so many questions." "What about Tom and Jerry?" she asked, giggling. "They're well trained. They can fly the plane without us." His lips found hers and she forgot about everything else. *** She was asleep when the pilot's voice came over the intercom. "Mr. Stetson, I'll need you and Miss Mosley to buckle up for landing. The weather is sunny and seventy-six degrees in New York City. It should be a smooth landing." New York City? Why is he bringing me to New York? After they landed Jerry opened the door and they thanked him. "I'll be back shortly," he told the pilot. "I thought we were going to Providence," she protested.

"Hush, we don't have time for all these questions. Let's get you where you need to be." "And just where is that?" she asked. "Get in the limo, I just told you there was no time for questions." The ride was relatively short. She couldn't believe how quickly they were downtown after hearing horror stories about New York traffic for years. The limo stopped in front of a large department store and he whisked her up to the fourth floor. "Carolyn, how are you my dear?" he greeted a stunning woman who came towards him. Suddenly Leah felt her first pang of inadequacy. "Carolyn, this is Leah. Leah this is Carolyn. She's going to take care of you while I'm gone." "Gone, where are you going?" Leah asked truly stunned. "I told you she'd be full of questions," he laughed as he headed quickly back the way he had come. "Leah, welcome to Baird's Department Store. Let's get you ready for tonight," Carolyn said as she led her into a private dressing room. Leah felt extremely uncomfortable. She was in jeans and a camp shirt. And here was this Carolyn lady, that Robert obviously knew well, dressed to the nines in a slick black mid length dress with just the right amount of gold jewelry. Her blonde hair was pulled up in a tight bun on top of her head without a stray hair and her makeup was flawless. This was the type of woman he was used to being around and it made Leah nervous because she could never be like that. Maybe he would figure out what he was missing while they were in the big city. "What's tonight?" Leah was distressed that Robert left her here without telling her anything. "When's Robert coming back? Where did he go?" "Sorry dear, I'm not allowed to answer your questions. I can tell you that we only have three hours to do our magic. Jeannette, Laura and Polly will bring out dresses for you to look at. You just let me know what you'd like to try on and we'll get it in your size, I'm guessing about a ten?" "Actually, a twelve or maybe even a fourteen," she said feeling extremely selfconscious now. Carolyn must be wearing a size two, if that! Robert had never complained about her body and she had never even thought of it as being an issue until now. She wanted to run out of Baird's and find her way back to the airport!

The ladies started to parade fancy, high-priced dresses and suits by her quickly. She couldn't pick any of them. They just all looked like something Carolyn would wear, not her. "Have you seen anything you like yet?" Carolyn asked sweetly. "Carolyn, I'm sorry. I work at home and usually dress very casually, as you can see," Leah said looking down at her faded jeans self-consciously. "I really need some help. I have no idea of where I'm going or what we'll be doing. He's left me totally in the dark and this is so foreign to me." She could feel the tears welling up in her eyes. "Leah, that's fine. Robert told me to show you the glitzy stuff first to see if you liked any of it. He also told me that you are very down to earth and asked me to also pull a selection of dresses that would be more to your liking and still be suitable for his plans. "Ladies, can you bring out the outfits on the second rack, please," she called into the back room. "Suitable for what plans?" Leah could no longer hold back the tears and hid her face in her hands. Carolyn held up a hand to her helpers, asking them to wait. Then kneeling next to her, she gently pulled Leah's hands away from her face. "I'm sorry honey, I'm sworn to secrecy. I could lose my job if I told you his plans. I wish I could, because I understand your frustration. Just know that Robert has made these plans to make this a very special birthday for you because he loves you very much. I've never seen him like this with anyone before." She handed Leah a tissue. "Now, trust me to make you look great for this evening. Can you do that?" "Yes Carolyn, thank you," Leah whispered. The next three hours were a hustle of fittings, alterations, makeup, manicure, a haircut and style. Leah was glad to find out that she was indeed a size twelve, and not a fourteen. Leah and Carolyn were standing in front of a wall-size mirror admiring the results when Leah caught Robert's reflection in the mirror behind her. She ran to him and gave him a huge hug, being sure to keep her makeup from smearing. "Carolyn, you're a wonder. My girl here looks great!" "Oh Robert, thank you!" Leah gushed. "I love this outfit. I can't believe that I can

look as good as a fashion model and still feel so comfortable." "You look great, Babe!" he said lightly touching her hair so he didn't mess it up. He leaned down and kissed her lightly as she pulled away. "Don't smear the lipstick, I don't know how to fix it!" she said. "It's suppose to be smear proof, dear," Carolyn said. "You shouldn't have to do anything with it all night." She handed Robert two bags, a store bag with the makeup in it and another bag with Leah's clothes that she'd worn in. "Thank you Carolyn, for everything," Leah said hugging her. She couldn't believe that this woman, who was at first so intimidating, could make her feel so comfortable in a foreign atmosphere. She hoped that Robert paid her well, because she was worth it. Leah chatted the whole trip back to the plane telling Robert about Carolyn, the clothes, the hairdresser and how it was her first manicure, ever! She was especially impressed by the difference getting her eyebrows waxed made. "You men don't know the pain we go through to be beautiful for you," she said. Robert chuckled as she talked. He was glad to see her so comfortable now. He knew he had really put her in an awkward situation by just leaving her there. As they boarded the jet once again, Jerry let out a soft whistle and said, "Welcome back Miss Mosley." Tom came out of the cockpit long enough to let out a faint whistle too, before ducking back into the cockpit. *** The trip to Providence wasn't long. They spent more time taxiing around the airports than in the air. She was getting excited about going back to Raphael's. It was only five p.m., but she was starved, having only had cheese and crackers at the department store. They were greeted at the front door of Raphael's Bar-Ristro and spirited away to a private dining room, past the other diners. She had to admit to herself that she was pleased to see so many heads turn as they went by. She had the best date in the house and she felt comfortable to be on his arm. She told herself that she could really get to enjoy this type of lifestyle, occasionally. Once they were seated the owner came in and welcomed her. "Miss Mosley, I understand that you had your choice of going to any restaurant in the world and you chose our humble establishment. I'm honored." "I'm so happy to be back here!" She smiled at the owner and then at Robert. "I

was here a number of years ago and have often wished I lived closer so I could come back and repeat that wonderful meal." "Thank you ma'am. Tonight's meal will be the Baked Chicken Gnocchi. The chicken is sautéed with red and green peppers, a five cheese blend and shallots, then baked to perfection. That will be followed by our Warm Chocolate Cake which comes out of the oven with a warm chocolate center. I was informed that you will be drinking just water, no lemon, this evening. If you desire anything else, please let D'Angelo, your server, know and he will get it for you. Enjoy your meal." There was a flurry of activity for a short time as D'Angelo got their water and served a delicious bread and cheese spread. Then he brought some small salads with Thousand Island dressing on the side, just as she liked it. "I really have to have that talk with Madison about her loose lips," she laughed. Robert smiled and watched her intently as she picked at her salad. She felt awkward being scrutinized while she ate. "So what were you doing while I was with Carolyn," she asked. "I can tell you got a haircut and changed into a suit. Surely that didn't take three hours?" "Women aren't the only ones that take a long time to prissy up," he said and left it at that. D'Angelo brought the gnocchi and placed a plate in front of each of them. "Please be careful, it just came out of the oven and the plates are hot." Then he was gone. These guys didn't hang around any longer than they had to. She wondered if that was pre-arranged as well. "Oh Robert, it looks too good to eat!" she said breathing in the aroma. "Well, if you aren't going to eat yours, I'll have to eat both," he joked. "Not a chance!" she countered. She had to blow on a forkful before putting it in her mouth. "Ummmm! It's just as I remember. They just melt in your mouth. Robert this is the best birthday I've ever had, thank you so much." "It's not over yet," he said looking at his watch. "It's only six p.m." Somehow she knew he had more up his sleeve than just dinner. She was enjoying her meal too much to worry about it. Shortly after they finished their meal, D'Angelo came in with their cakes, then disappeared once again. She bent down and took a deep whiff of the cake. "Oh my gosh. I remember it smelling this good! I could just sit her and smell it all night. If the hand bag Carolyn

picked for tonight could hold more than a tissue and tube of lipstick, I'd stick it in there and smell it all night long." "I think you'd better eat it. It really is wonderful!" he said, as he tasted it. "I'm glad you picked this place. I'd never been here, but I think we will have to come back again soon. She smiled at the thought of being able to hop in the jet and come to Raphael's whenever they wanted. She was getting totally spoiled, and Robert loved every minute of it. "You know when you're done eating your birthday cake, you should open your birthday presents." "Presents, what presents?" she said looking around the room not seeing anything. He reached inside his coat and pulled out several envelope-sized gifts wrapped in glittery wrap. She recognized the gift-wrap as coming from her stash she kept under her bed. It made her feel good to know that he had wrapped them himself instead of having some department store do it. "Robert, you didn't have to get me anything! My goodness the make over and dinner was more than I ever got in my life." She opened the first package he handed her. She wrinkled her brow in confusion when she recognized it as what appeared to be a fax copy of one of her credit card bills. "What's this?" He pointed to a line in the middle of the page as she tried to make sense of it. "You paid off my credit card bill? Robert, I owed thousands on that card!" He grinned and handed her the next package. Again it was a faxed copy of a credit card bill with a balance of zero. "My God, Robert," she said feeling lightheaded. "I owed even more on that card! I can't let you do this. It's too much." She sat and shook her head looking over the two statements. "When I had to start over again after the divorce they got out of control. But I've been working hard to get them paid off. It was just a matter of time." Without a word he handed her the last envelope, this one a little larger. She looked him in the eye, scared to open it. He pushed it toward her in a gesture for her to go ahead and open it. She pushed it back on the table in front of him. "No Robert, this is too much already. I'll pay you back. It will take awhile, but I'll get it paid back." Her head was spinning. She couldn't look at the third envelope. It scared her too much. "Please say something," she pleaded.

"Open it," he said as he pushed it back in front of her. Seeing that she wasn't about to open it, he opened it for her. She braced herself, but nothing could brace her for what she was about to see. "No, Robert..." she pushed away from the table and stumbled to the ladies room leaving the document saying the land contract for her house had been paid in full and the house was now in her name. She stood in front of the mirror, tears flowing freely. How could he have misunderstood her to such a degree? Didn't he know that her independence and ability to provide for herself was important to her? It's all she's had to hold onto the last five years and she wasn't ready to give it up. She looked at her image in the mirror. Suddenly, the fancy clothes made her feel like a kept woman. She started wiping the makeup from her face, first with the back of her hand and then with a hand towel, trying to remove the trappings of ownership. A sedate looking woman came in the bathroom, checked to see if anyone was in the stalls and then left. Robert came in and took Leah in his arms. She held her arms close to her chest and pulled away from him. "How could you?" she asked. "I thought you knew me. I thought that you knew how important taking care of myself was. I don't want any of this," she said holding up the edges of her dress. "I think you should go back to L.A. and find a woman that would appreciate you." With that, he turned without a word and was gone. She slumped in the soft chair in front of the vanity mirror. Great, she thought. I'm stuck in Providence without a way to get home, no pride and no Robert. She buried her face in the arm of the chair in utter despair. "Here," Robert said standing over her holding out a glass of water. "I thought you could use this." She accepted his gesture and took a sip of water placing the glass on the counter. She was exhausted. "A simple 'thank you' would have sufficed," he said looking at her with worry lines deeply etched in his forehead. "What happened to your makeup? It looks a bit…" he paused looking for a polite word, "uneven." "Robert, don't think I'm ungrateful. Really I'm not. Nobody has ever done anything like this for me before. I've had to struggle for everything my whole life. I don't want to get used to being taken care of only to be kicked to the curb when some young skirt catches your eye." "Leah, I'm sorry. I thought you would like having your bills paid off. It will free up your income to invest in the business like you want to. You could hire that full-time

assistant you need. I just wanted it to be a really special birthday for you," he finished softly. "Special? Now I have the memory of crying my eyes out in the bathroom of Raphael's. Robert, I really can't accept your gifts. I really can't. I'm sorry." "I'll tell you what," he said kneeling in front of her. "You sleep on it tonight and if you really want to, we can set up a payment plan and you can pay me back every cent." "You mean it?" "Yes, it's better that way anyhow." "How do you figure?" she asked. "Well when we're married, your debts are half my responsibility. At least this way I'll only owe myself." "Are you asking me to marry you?" she asked stunned. "No silly, I said 'when we're married'. Do you really think I'd do all this to ask you to marry me on the bathroom floor of a restaurant?" He looked around, "Although this has to be the nicest bathroom I've ever been in." She laughed out loud. How could he turn her tears into laughter? She truly loved this man more than she thought possible. And, it absolutely scared her to death how deeply he seemed to love her. "I'm going to send someone in and she'll help you get your face back in order. I'll see you in a few minutes". "Thank you, Robert." Leah held onto his hand, as long as she could, not wanting to let him leave. A few minutes later the same lady who had checked the stalls came in with the bag of makeup that Carolyn had given Robert. Without a word she promptly started fixing Leah's face. "There you go dear," she said at last. "You have a very handsome, and bewildered, man out there waiting for you. You'd best not keep him waiting any longer." She handed the bag to Leah and escorted her back into the private dining area. Leah couldn't help but notice the line of women waiting to get into the Ladies Room and she felt ashamed for the special treatment she was being afforded. Robert stood up and took her hand. The owner escorted them out to the limo. "I hope the food was to your liking ma'am?"

"It was a wonderful meal and we both enjoyed it a great deal, thank you," Robert said as he helped her into the limo. A meek, "Yes, thank you," was all she could muster. It had been warm and sunny when they arrived. Now as they left it was dark with a light rain falling, matching her mood. They sat in silence as they were taken to the airport. Leah found a reclining chair, separate from the couch-like seating in the plane and buckled up. She'd need the long trip home to think this through. It was already eight p.m. It would be hours before they were home. Maybe I can sleep, she thought as she dozed off in the chair.

Chapter Twelve She awoke with a start, hearing the pilot's announcement that they were preparing to land. Looking at her watch, she saw it was eight-thirty p.m. "Robert what's going on? I thought it would take longer than this to get home." "We must have had a good tailwind," he said with a twinkle in his eyes. She looked out the window. With city lights as far as she could see she knew they were definitely not anywhere near Oscoda. "Please, Robert, I just want to go home. I can't take anymore in one day. Please, just take me home," she pleaded. "Just one more stop, Birthday Girl. I think this will get you pumped up." "I don't want to get pumped up! I just want to go home and get in my own bed." By then the plane was taxiing. He took off his seatbelt and knelt down in front of her. "I have some people that are waiting to meet you." "Another day, Robert. Please." She didn't want to see anyone else. She'd had enough for one day. This rich and famous routine had worn thin with her. Her mind was still reeling with the thought of how much money she now owed this man. How would she ever be able to pay that back in any decent time frame? At least with the land contract it was stretched out over thirty years. Now she felt pressured to pay it back right away. He put his hand on her cheek, pulling her out of her thoughts. "I thought that you'd always wanted to see a Crazed Boyz concert? They're playing their home town in Philly tonight and it promises to be one of their best concerts ever." "Crazed Boyz?" Leah sat up straight in her chair. He now had her full attention. "We're going to a Crazed Boyz concert?" "Not if you want to go home," he said getting up off his knees. "I'll tell Jerry to take us to Oscoda." "Crazed Boyz?" It was all she could say as she pulled him back down. "Yeah Babe, Crazed Boyz. The band is expecting us to come back stage during the intermission. I've told them so much about you. They are expecting to meet you tonight." "Crazed Boyz?" "It's Okay. We can find them another night. It's not a problem. I'll have the pilot change his flight plan and we can be on our way home within half an hour." Again,

Robert tried to get up only to have her hold him down with a firm grip on his hand. "Crazed Boyz?" "Can you please say something else?" he said looking tired. "Crazed Boyz are waiting to meet me? I better go check my makeup and hair. Not that I'd know what to do about the makeup! Does my dress look too wrinkled from sitting here?" she asked excitedly as she stood up. Robert smiled and told her that she looked fine. He was glad that his acting skills could come in useful when he needed them. "Don't think that just because I'm going to the concert that I'm accepting your gifts," she said ducking into the bathroom to freshen up. An hour later they were pulling up to Hershey Stadium. She mentally prepared herself for the crush of the crowds, something she didn't get much of in Oscoda. She couldn't have been more wrong. The limo pulled up to a door away from the main entrance. A single security guard was there. He greeted Robert, "Welcome Mister Stetson, it's good to see you again." Turning to Leah he tipped his hat, "Ma'am." He let them in and another security guard led them up to a private booth overlooking the right side of the stage. Leah felt like a kid in a candy store. She wandered from one marvel to the next. "Look, a fridge! You want a soda? Oh my, a fully stocked mini bar. Well, we won't need that," she winked at Robert who was just standing there happy to watch her. "Robert, look! Macadamia nuts! Can I have these?" she asked holding up the small bag of nuts for him to see, then clutching them to her chest. "Take what you want, Babe. It's all there for you." Robert slid open the large window in front of their seats. The roar of the crowd and the music from the preshow band filled the booth. She rushed across the room and joined him at the window. "Wow, it looks like you could reach out and touch the stage, yet the band looks so small. What a fabulous effect." The phone by the window buzzed. "Go ahead and answer it," he said. She picked up the receiver. "Leah?" the caller said. "Yes, this is Leah. Who is this?" She could never mistake that voice, but she wanted to be sure.

"It's Jesse," he said sounding so casual, like he'd talked to her a thousand times on the phone. "We just wanted to make sure you and Robert were here before we started the show." She couldn't believe her ears. The Crazed Boyz lead singer was calling and asking if the band could start the show! "Uh, yes," she stammered. "We're looking forward to it." "Great! I'm sure that band on the stage is getting tired, and running out of material. We've kept them out there a half hour longer than usual since you were late." She stood there with the phone to her ear with her mouth agape. "Leah we look forward to meeting you during the intermission. Enjoy the show." Then he hung up. "My God, Robert, that was Jesse! Why didn't you drag me out of Raphael's bathroom and tell me that they were holding up the show for us?" "I didn't want to spoil the surprise," he said simply. "Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome the greatest band on earth and Philly's native sons, Crazed Boyz!" an announcer bellowed. The crowd roared. Excitement welled up in her from her toes all the way to her scalp. She grabbed Robert and jumped up and down. She couldn't believe the energy in the stadium. The band took the stage and started right into their line up. "I think you were right about this pumping me up!" she yelled to Robert over the music and roaring crowd. They danced around the booth and sang along at the top of their voices. She was totally swept away by it all. The music pulsed through her body in a way she had never felt before. Time went by way too fast and before she knew it the band left the stage for intermission. Just as she was catching her breath, a guard appeared at the door asking them to follow him. They went through a maze of narrow passages until the guard opened a door and held his hand up indicating they should enter. "Robert! How are you buddy?" It was Jesse, bounding over to them. The other band members got up and followed him. She prayed that she could get through this moment without looking too foolish. "Jesse, guys, this is Leah. Leah I think you recognize Jesse." She nodded as Jesse wrapped her in a big bear hug and kissed her cheek. She leaned toward Robert, scared her legs would give out. Jesse had to be the model for raw sex appeal. He oozed sex from his pores. She could not believe that a man such as this actually existed. "This is Tory, our guitarist, Garrett, our keyboardist, and Squid the drummer."

Jesse introduced each of his band mates one by one as they approached and took turns kissing her hand and greeting Robert. She nodded with each introduction, not knowing what to say. She remembered from an interview they'd given, that Squid was a nickname given to their drummer because he looked like he had eight arms when he played. She had no idea how dumbstruck she would be. When she had met Robert in the elevator it was just one on one and she'd only known who he was for a few years. These men were icons. They'd sung the soundtrack to her life from the time she was in high school. She could find no words. "Somewhere around here is Bob, our bass player. I suspect he's off doing something his girlfriend wouldn't be happy about," Jesse said raising his eyebrows in obvious disapproval. "Come on in and have a seat." Jesse motioned for them to sit down. They all settled in. It looked to Leah as if they'd already changed into dry clothes. The band was still pumped and it was obvious. Squid was drumming his sticks on the side of the couch. Garrett kept drumming his fingers on the legs of his fringed leather pants. Jesse couldn't sit still for more than a minute at a time and was usually standing somewhere bouncing up and down on his toes like a boxer getting ready to go into the ring. Tory was the only one that seemed to sit still. By looking into his eyes she guessed that it was a natural ability to sit still rather than a chemically induced state. Although, he was nodding his head to a music that only he could hear, much the same way the other men were doing. "Hey, Leah are you going to talk to us? Or do we have to guess if you are enjoying the show?" Jesse asked. "I'm sorry, Jesse," she said lowering her head in embarrassment. "I must confess to being totally star-struck. I just can't believe that I'm sitting her with you. I've been a fan since the eighties." "Robert said this was your first time seeing us in concert. That doesn't sound like much of a fan to me," Jesse said with a twinkle in his eye. "I live over three hours from Detroit, the nearest venue that you play. It just never worked out to get tickets and afford a room for the night." Quickly she added, "But I have all your albums. I listen to them in the car, in the house, while I'm in the shower." Did she really just admit that she listened to them while naked and wet? "Uhh Leah, I'd like to see that," Garrett said with a devilish smile, looking up with his eyes.

She blushed. She knew she'd say something stupid. Robert pulled her close, "Over my dead body, Garrett," he said. "Don't worry, Leah," Jesse interjected. "Garrett is rather harmless. Most of the time, anyhow." If Jesse took her by the hand and led her into a back room right now, she would have no choice but to surrender to him. It wouldn't even matter that Robert was sitting right there. Jesse was the personification of sex. He wasn't much taller than her, but his roguish good looks were overpowering. His black hair was only a few inches long, and looked as though it hadn't been combed in months. Although it was so perfect, she had to assume it was planned to look that way. It gave him a real "bad boy" edge. The thing that was most disarming was his charm. He acted as though she was the most important person in the world to him and that there weren't thousands of shrieking fans waiting for him. Robert's words brought her back to reality. "So this is your last gig after being on the road for ten months?" "Been around the world and back," Jesse sighed. "You must be looking forward to getting home to your families," Leah commented, trying to sound casual. She knew that except for Bob, the newest member of the band, the other men were married and had children. "Yeah, everyone except Garrett over there," Jesse said. "His wife filed for divorce, and custody of their two kids, while we were in Africa six months ago." They were interrupted by an assistant peeking in the door and announced, "Five more minutes, gentlemen!" "Well boys, I guess we better get the show back on stage before they start a riot out there," Jesse said bouncing towards Robert and Leah. "Leah, it was a real pleasure to meet you." Leah found it hard to look into his eyes without feeling like her thoughts were being betrayed. "I hope Robert will bring you for another show when we have our next tour. Or, maybe we should bring the show to your little town in Michigan." He hugged her and kissed her on the cheek again. "I don't think Oscoda could handle you guys!" Leah laughed. She could barely contain her excitement. "Robert's promised to be in a video for our new album next year. Make sure he brings you along," Jesse said as he bounced out into the hallway. Squid and Tory shook hands with both of them on their way out the door. Garrett

was last out. He hugged Leah. "If you ever dump him," he said giving a nod in Robert's direction, "you give me a call." Robert slugged him in the arm. "Stay away from my girl. She deserves better than a musician." Garrett laughed as he left the room calling back, "Like an actor is any better!" Leah fell into Robert's arms unbelieving what had just transpired. She must be dreaming. Yeah, that's it. She fell asleep on the plane on the way back to Oscoda and this was all just a dream. "Mr. Stetson, I've been asked to escort you to stage right." They looked up to see a guard standing in the doorway. They obediently followed and stood just off stage watching the band perform, "Living for Your Love," one of their most recent hits. It was a rollicking rock anthem that had Leah and Robert dancing with each other. When the song ended Jesse bounded over and took her hand. Oh no, she thought. She'd seen on TV how some of these bands would have a girl on stage to dance with the front man. She really didn't know how to dance and didn't know what to do. Jesse guided her to a stool in the center of the stage and motioned for her to sit. She obeyed, grateful she wouldn't have to dance. He kissed her on the cheek, picked up his microphone and said with all the pomp of a circus announcer, "Ladies and gentlemen, the band and I would like you to welcome our good friend Robert Stetson and his lovely lady, Leah Mosley." Stunned, Leah looked around to find Robert standing just behind her holding a microphone. She tried to ignore the fact that there were twenty-five-foot screens behind them with their images blown up. Jesse continued, "Robert asked us for help in serenading his girl. One...two...one, two, three, four!" With that the band started playing "My Breath, My Soul", one of their power ballads from the eighties. It was Leah's favorite Crazed Boyz song. Leah caught Robert's eyes and pleaded for his help. He winked, grinned and then shrugged his shoulders as if to say, it's gone too far to turn back now. Jesse started his solo and was singing to her, just inches from her. Leah was glad she was sitting on the stool because she could not have stood if she tried. Robert joined Jesse in the chorus, taking Leah's hand and looking like each word was straight from his heart. Somehow Jesse, the band and twenty thousand Crazed Boyz fans disappeared from her sight and all she could see and hear was Robert. Robert stepped aside and let Jesse serenade her with the verses. Her

eyes couldn't stay on Jesse; they kept going back to Robert. Twice more they sang the chorus together to her. As he finished the last of the song Jesse bowed to her as he backed away. With the music winding down, Robert kneeled in front of her with the microphone to his lips. "Leah, will you marry me?" Stunned, she sat there for what seemed like an eternity. Jesse said, "Leah we're waiting for an answer." She looked at Jesse, and then back to Robert. "Yes, of course!" she yelled over the crowd. By this time Robert had put down the microphone. He stood up and grabbed her as the band started playing their next song. He kissed her and then pulled back and yelled, "I love you!" Robert and Leah walked off the stage, looking back and waving to the band and then to the crowd. A guard nodded and began walking, indicating they should follow him. They went through another maze of narrow hallways and he opened the door to where their limo was waiting for them. "Wait a minute," Leah said, "I left my bag in the booth." "We've taken care of it ma'am, it's in the limo. And, may I be the first to offer congratulations," he said and then turned and hurried away. *** Back on the jet and in the air again Robert knelt in front of Leah one more time. "Leah, you need to tell me your answer again. I don't want you to think that I would hold you to an answer you gave in front of thousands of screaming Crazed Boyz fans. I realize you had no choice but to say yes under those circumstances. So," he paused and took a deep breath, "will you marry me?" "Yes, Robert, nothing would make me happier!" Tears of joy welled up in her eyes. "Then I have one more question for you. Please consider this carefully before you answer. Will you marry me tonight?" "Just what are you saying?" she asked. "In about fifteen minutes the pilot can make a turn to the north and head for Oscoda, or turn southwest and head to Las Vegas. We can be married before your birthday is over, Nevada time," he said. "What's the hurry?" she asked. "Wouldn't you rather wait and have family with us?"

"I'm leaving in a couple of weeks. I'm going to be gone for six months. I want you to be my wife now. I don't want to wait for six months. I need the security of knowing that I have you to come home to." She liked the idea of having the security that he would be coming home to her. "Let's do it!" "Thank you, Leah. You've made me very happy." He hopped up like a spry schoolboy. Pushing on the intercom button he said, "Jerry, take us to Vegas." "Yes sir, Mr. Stetson. Congratulations sir!" came back over the intercom. "So how do we find a chapel and get this done before midnight?" she asked excitedly. "I made a call. It's all taken care of." "I should have known," she laughed.

Chapter Thirteen The next morning Leah awoke in the honeymoon suite at the Sands in Las Vegas as "Mrs. Robert Stetson". She sat up in the huge heart-shaped bed and watched her husband sleep. She admired the plain gold band that adorned the ring finger of her left hand. Then she looked down at the matching ring on Robert's hand. He may have been wrong about some things yesterday, but he was right on target with the plain gold bands. It's exactly what she would have chosen. What a whirlwind day it had been. Did they really do all those things in one day? She had initially thought that the day she had met Robert was a daydream. Now she wondered if yesterday was all just a daydream too. Maybe she'd been psychotic for months and hadn't realized it yet. Robert stirred. She bent down and gently kissed him on the lips. He grinned, his eyes still closed. "Good morning, Mrs. Stetson." "Good Morning, Mr. Stetson," she replied. He stretched as he sat up on the side of the bed. The bedside clock caught his attention. "Oh crap! It's after nine already. Didn't they call with a wake-up call?" he asked obviously distressed, as he ran to the bathroom. She heard him splash water on his face and brush his teeth quickly. He was still pulling on a T-shirt as he ran out the door. His actions left Leah wondering where he had to go in such a hurry, in Las Vegas, on a Friday morning. She shrugged and decided that she'd find out soon enough. Leah showered and put on her jeans she'd left the house with the day before. Feeling more like herself, she went downstairs and had some breakfast. She would have preferred to share their first breakfast as husband and wife with Robert, but she was used to eating alone so it didn't bother her. Besides, she was too hungry to wait for him when she didn't know how long he'd be. When she got back to the room Robert was standing just inside the door, waiting for her. He wrapped her in a big bear hug. "I'm sorry, Babe. If I didn't get to the AA meeting downstairs, I could have lost the movie." AA, of course! How could Leah have forgotten? "I'm glad you woke up in time!" she said. "I'd hate to see my new husband taken away in shackles!" She giggled at the thought. She knew he was not legally bound to attend the meetings any longer. He went because the studio insisted that he continue with at least three meetings a week. "Did you eat?" she asked, concerned. "Yeah, I had some coffee and a donut at the meeting. I smell like I've been on the road for weeks. I need a shower," he said as he headed off to the bathroom.

"Me too," Leah lied as she hooked her finger in a belt loop of his jeans, letting him pull her into the bathroom. "I'm feeling especially dirty this morning!" *** A couple of hours later they sat in the local Hard Rock Cafe waiting for their lunch. "Leah, I need to know, are you are going to accept my birthday gifts?" Robert asked. "Robert, I know that we're married now, but I still need my independence." "You could say they are a wedding gift if that makes you feel better. Since that first day I met you you've talked about needing an assistant. This will give you the resources to do that. I've seen how hard you work. And, trust me, you work too hard to still be struggling to pay your monthly bills. If you hire Madison, or someone else, as your assistant, you can do the creative part that you are so good at and let them do the day to day running of the business. You are so talented Leah. It is just stupid for you to continue to use up so much of your energy in doing things like filling orders and bookkeeping." "But..." "I know you worry about independence. Think of it this way. I'm giving you, as a wedding present, the ability to stay independent for a longer period of time. Because, quite frankly, the way you are going I'm afraid you'll burn out, and soon. Please, let me give you these gifts." Leah thought about it for a few minutes. She liked the idea that she could still be independent and maybe not have to work eighty hours a week. "I guess it would be silly to owe my husband. Thank you," she conceded. Then she quickly added, "It's a great opportunity you've given me and I love you for it. But, Robert, please don't do anything like that again. I need to keep my business separate from you. I need to feel like I'm supporting myself. I know what I make is a drop in the bucket compared to you, but I need it. I need the independence. I don't ever want to be in a position of fearing for my life and not having the money to leave. So, promise me, that's it and I'll accept your gifts." "Does that mean you don't want to talk about moving into a bigger house before I leave?" he asked sheepishly. "Robert, what have you done?" she asked, expecting the worst. She tried to read his eyes but it was impossible behind the sunglasses he was wearing. Before she met him she'd always thought that sunglasses and a baseball cap was a cliché used in the movies. She was finding out that it was indeed how

Robert handled going out in public. She thought it would attract more attention to see someone trying not to be noticed by wearing sunglasses and a baseball cap inside, but it seemed to work amazingly well. The only person who seemed to have a glint of recognition was their waitress and she hadn't said a word. "Nothing, honest. I just think we need more room. I love your full-size bed," he said rolling his eyes in sarcasm, "but there are some nights I could use a little more room." "I'm going to be home alone for the next six months. Why would I want to move into a bigger house by myself? No," she said firmly. "I need to have some things stay the same in my life and I'm comfortable in that house right now." "Okay, I know when to stop," he grinned sitting back and holding his hands up in defeat. "Unfortunately, I can only stay in Vegas for a week. I need to get back and get ready to leave." "A week!" Leah said surprised. "Robert, I can't stay for a week. I was supposed to be back today. I can take another day, but I really need to be home by Sunday night. I have a design due on Wednesday. I haven't even started making the sample. It's small, so I should be able to have it ready to ship overnight on Tuesday." "Can't you call your editor? It's our honeymoon after all," he said kissing her hand sensually the way he did, driving her wild. She pulled back her hand so she could think straight. "Yes, I can call my editor but that puts her in a bind. She would have to bump the design and find something else to put in its place. Vi's been so good to me. I can't do that to her. I really need to be home by Sunday night." "Okay, but I'd like to make a stop in Kansas City on the way home," he said. "That would be great." She wanted to meet Robert's mother and was happy that she would finally get the chance. The waitress brought their food and placed it in front of them. "Here's your bill, sir," she said, laying the ticket upside down next to his plate. "Thank you so much for the nice service, Janet," Robert said. It amazed Leah how he always found out someone's name and then called him or her by it. Sometimes the person wasn't wearing a nametag and he hadn't asked them. She couldn't figure out how he knew their name. Perhaps he overheard someone else call them by name. She'd have to watch to see if she could figure this one out, without asking him. However he did it, she admired the fact that he went out of his way to make people so comfortable around him.

"I'm sorry to bother you, but do you think you could sign an autograph for my son. He's a huge fan and would never forgive me if I didn't ask." "Not a problem, what's his name?" "Geoffrey, with a 'G'." she said. As he handed the autograph to her she said, "Thank you, Mr. Stetson. And, congratulations to both of you." "Oh my," Leah sighed. "Is the news out already?" "I'm afraid so ma'am. Enjoy your meal and let me know if you need anything else." "What can we expect from the media," Leah asked Robert as they ate. "It won't be anything like before," he said taking a bite of his sandwich. "They already have background and photos on you. So mostly they will just put together a story using what they have with the latest information off the AP wire. I don't think we have anything to worry about. Besides, if they need new footage they'll probably use the tape from the concert last night with your picture blown up all over those twenty-five-foot screens." He was looking down at the forkful of salad he was bringing to his mouth and looked up with just his eyes, hoping to catch the look of horror on her face. He wasn't disappointed. After lunch they walked around the different casinos and did some windowshopping. She made the mistake of admiring a beautiful black jumper in a casino shop window. It looked like a great outfit to wear when teaching quilting--simple, yet not too casual. He dragged her into the store and asked the prissy-looking clerk sitting behind the counter to let her try on the jumper in her size. The clerk looked up and saw them dressed in jeans and Robert in his sunglasses and baseball cap, now turned backwards. She quickly surmised that they weren't serious enough customers to bother with. "I'll be with you shortly, sir," she said returning to her inventory list obviously hoping they would go away. Robert was not used to bad service the way Leah was. He took off his baseball cap and sunglasses, then leaned down just inches from the clerk's face across the counter. "Excuse me Brenda," he said reading her nametag, "I believe I asked you to let my wife try on that outfit." Leah had to feel sorry for the clerk. She looked like a deer, not just caught in the

headlights, but being slammed into by a semi. "Yes, sir, Mr. Stetson," she stammered standing up so fast that she knocked over her stool. "I'm sorry, sir. Mrs. Stetson, please come with me and I'll get you a jumper to try on. Please this way, ma'am. I'm so sorry for keeping you waiting." As they went into the dressing area Leah looked back at Robert. He was scowling as he put his cap and sunglasses back on. Once she had the jumper, matching shoes and a purse in a bag and they were on their way down to the casino floor, she turned to him. "Robert, you really didn't need to do that to her." "Haven't you ever been treated like that and wished you could teach the person a lesson that they wouldn't forget, about treating every customer like they were special?" "Well, yes. But..." "There's no excuse for anyone to be treated that way. I had enough of it before I hit it big. I'm not going to put up with it now. There's just no excuse for it as far as I'm concerned." "Yes, but..." "Do you think that she'll forget that little lesson?" he said pointing back in the direction of the store. He seemed to be walking faster with every step. "No, but..." "Then it was the right thing to do. Next time some poor guy that isn't in the movies goes in and tries to buy his girl a dress he won't have to be subjected to that ignorance." She knew she couldn't argue. Obviously his reasons ran deep. And, he was walking so fast that she was having trouble keeping up. "You didn't have to buy me a dress," she said, changing the subject. "I saw the price tag, Robert, and it was ten times what I would have paid." He stopped in the middle of the hallway and turned to her. "I know. I'm taking my new bride out on the town tonight. I don't want her wearing the same dress that everyone saw her wearing last night. I'm sure they will be running the footage on Entertainment Tonight and everyone would have seen it." He smiled again at her look of sheer horror. "And, they certainly won't let you in wearing blue jeans. That's why we are headed over to get me a suit as soon as we drop some money in those donation boxes they call slot machines."

They gambled for about an hour taking turns at the slots, roulette wheel and black jack table. Robert even had her toss the dice at the craps table. In that hour he lost more money than she could have made in a year. Leah really couldn't enjoy watching him throw money away, but she tried to look like she was having fun for Robert's benefit. He was enjoying himself and she didn't want to spoil his fun. Sensing her uneasiness at the craps table, he told her that it boosted the economy and gave jobs to people who otherwise would be unemployed. Somehow that didn't ease her discomfort. It seemed like there must be better ways to boost the economy and help unemployment without lining the pockets of already rich casino owners. Robert had a lady from the casino beauty parlor come up to the room to show Leah how to use the make up. She had been so overwhelmed the day before she didn't even think to watch how the beautician put it on. She was embarrassed to admit to Robert that she wasn't sure what to do, but she didn't want to go out looking like a clown either. For dinner they went to a club, in one of the casinos, that was so private it didn't have a sign over the doorway. She never did find out the name of the establishment. It was very plush and she felt out of place in her new jumper. The women were all dressed to the hilt, the lighting was low and the music was soft. They were seated immediately and Robert ordered for them without looking at the menu. "I hope you don't mind," he said once the waiter had left. "When I filmed Revenge in this area a couple of years ago we ate here almost every night. And, trust me when I say that there wasn't much worth ordering. The filet mignon, on the other hand, melts in your mouth. I think you'll enjoy it." "Not a problem, Robert. It's been a long time since I've had a good steak." She sipped on her ice water and then broke a piece of fresh bread off and ate it. "I'm going to gain ten pounds on this trip if I don't watch it." "Leah, please just enjoy yourself. Don't get to be one of those salad pickers that worry about every mouthful. Life is just too short. And trust me, they don't make very good dates!" Leah laughed. "Have you ever seen me pass up food?" she asked, raising her eyebrows. "I've learned how to keep my weight at a fairly even keel. I just don't want to have to work a month to get off what I put on in three days. That's a far cry from being a salad picker." "Is that a promise? Because I'm expecting a red hot date tonight!" She slid her hand into his lap, "That's a promise, Big Boy."

The waiter brought their food, respectfully trying not to notice where Leah had her hand. Leah sat up straight, embarrassed. She looked at Robert and saw he was trying hard not to laugh. "If I can get you anything else, Mr. and Mrs. Stetson, please let me know." "Thank you, Ben," Robert said. Now how did he do that? she asked herself. After the waiter left she asked, "Do you know him?" "No, he must be new." God, he's good, she thought. He was right about the filet being tender. She even skipped her usual request for steak sauce, well aware that a place like this wasn't likely to have it anyhow. As they ate their dessert a man slid into the seat next to Leah and leaned across her, almost all the way over to Robert's shoulder. "Hey man. Were you going to leave tonight and not introduce me to your new bride?" His voice sounded familiar to Leah, but he was in her lap and she couldn't see who he was. She was a little perturbed that this man, who smelled almost as incredible as Robert, felt it was okay to pin her back into the booth while she was trying to finish her chocolate mousse. "Bob, how ya doin'? Long time no see?" Robert said with great pleasure. The man pulled back and Leah dropped her spoon. "She's not real graceful, is she Robert?" "Leah this is Bob. Bob meet my now blushing bride, Leah." "Mr. Worth, it's a pleasure to meet you." "Well, I don't want to ruin your honeymoon. The wife," he motioned to an elegantly dressed woman standing a few feet away with her back turned to them, "and I were just on our way out to give some more money to the casino. Maybe we'll see you around." He paused a second, looked at Leah, and gave Robert one of his million dollar smiles, "Or, maybe not!" Then he was gone as soon as he had come. "Robert, that was Bob Worth!" "Yeah, I know. We did Revenge together. He's the one that first brought me here. Don't tell me you haven't seen that movie either." Leah shook her head

embarrassed. "I'm calling Ringo and having him send you the entire library of my films. You should know what I've done and whom I've worked with so you don't go dropping your spoon every time you meet someone in the business. It's embarrassing," he said with feigned seriousness. "You're telling me!" she said wide-eyed. As they were leaving, another couple was entering the club. "Robert! Will I see you in Australia next month?" the man asked. "Sure thing!" Robert answered as they passed one another. Leah smiled graciously. She wasn't going to say a thing. Even if that was Rick Martinez and Melody Ann Riecker, one of the more recognizable Hollywood couples. All in a day as Mrs. Robert Stetson, she thought. this was her first day as Mrs. Robert Stetson, what did she get herself into? Later that evening they went to a fabulous show with showgirls and acrobats before heading back to their room. Leah was tired, but wasn't sleepy. She sat up in bed talking like a twelve-year-old girl with a girlfriend. After just a few minutes, Robert had enough of the chitchat and pulled her close. "What about that red hot date you promised me, Darlin'?" *** The next day went much the same way. They wandered around during the day with Robert 'incognito'. He had to buy her another new outfit so he could take her out again. Luckily, the clerk didn't need to recognize him to treat them well. Then they had a wonderful prime rib dinner in another dimly lit, unmarked restaurant followed by another show. She was trying to remember all the celebrities they saw. She wanted to be able to tell Madison all about it. Some they stopped and talked to. Others just gave a little wave or nod as they crossed paths. She was getting better at acting nonchalant, like she saw or met movie stars, top athletes, rock stars and best selling authors everyday. She found herself wondering if anyone was left in Hollywood if they were all in Vegas for the weekend.

Chapter Fourteen Sunday morning they packed up all their things in a new set of luggage that Robert had bought for the occasion and took a limo to the airport. Leah counted no less than thirty-six limos on the short ride. We're not in Oscoda anymore, she thought. Robert seemed pre-occupied during the ride and didn't notice her little game. She wondered what he had on his mind but knew he wouldn't tell her until he was ready. They buckled up next to each other on the couch-like seat. As they were taking off he picked up her hand. "Leah, I need to talk to you. I haven't been totally honest with you and I'd better come clean before we get to Kansas City." She sat there quietly, waiting for him to purge himself of whatever was bothering him, hoping that it wasn't something that would make her regret marrying him. "I told you that Mom was in a nursing home. She's eighty-four and doesn't have all her mental faculties. That's true. What I never told you is that my parents were in their late thirties when they married in the L.A. barrio. Mom had me late in life, she was forty-one. I don't think she really wanted a kid, but she did her best. They were both heavy drinkers and fought all the time. Dad beat on both of us. When I was eight, he left and she really hit the bottle hard. After he left, I was the one who was responsible to get food for the both of us. I would steal money from her wallet after the welfare check came, before she had a chance to drink it all. I washed out our clothes in the sink. I was forced to be the adult. I'd often steal money or food, whatever was easiest to get that day. I missed a lot of school. I'm not proud of what I had to do, but I also don't regret it. I finally left home when I was fifteen, vowing that I'd never drink. I lived on the streets for a month before my friend Ryan's mother, Mrs. Reilly, found out and let me move in with them. I never knew that life could be like that. Mrs. Reilly not only did all the cooking and cleaning, but she'd often have cookies just out of the oven waiting for us when we got home from school. She was just like Mrs. Cunningham on Happy Days. They didn't have any extra money but they bought me new clothes and burned the rags I'd been wearing. Occasionally, Mr. Reilly would take us to ball games on weekends. They taught me that a family wasn't a burden, but a safe place. My mother has never forgiven me for abandoning her. It took me a long time to realize her life would have continued on the same path no matter what I did." He paused for a moment, then continued. "Once she got to the point that she couldn't care for herself anymore I put her in the home. It's the best in the country and she gets excellent care. I just wanted you to be prepared, because it won't be a sweet family reunion." He paused again. "It could get downright ugly. If it gets bad, promise me that you'll leave and wait in the limo for me." She nodded. Sensing he was done she asked, "What about your dad? What became of him?"

Robert became very uncomfortable. The plane had already leveled off and he unbuckled his seat belt. He could no longer sit still and started pacing in front of her. She'd never seen him like this. She was worried about him. She was starting to see why his life took the path it did and guessed there was a great deal of pain still buried deep. "It's okay Robert, if you don't want to talk about him," she said grabbing his hand as he passed in front of her. He stopped and looked at her for a long time as if he were thinking it through. "I guess I better get this over with now. Then we never talk about it again, agreed?" "Agreed." He sat down and started his story. "My dad would show up every few years. Mostly looking for a hand out. When I was nineteen he must have seen a handbill that I was starring in a small play in San Francisco. He tracked me down and acted like he wanted to be a father again. That lasted for a whole fifteen minutes. Then he started hitting me up for money. I was working; I should be able to give something back to the man who raised me, and crap like that. I gave him two hundred dollars, my rent money, just to get rid of him." They sat there for at least ten minutes in silence as she gently rubbed his back in a gesture of support. She could tell the story wasn't over, but didn't want to push him to tell her anything until he was ready. Finally, he dropped his head into his hands. She could tell by his breathing that he was crying. "I killed my father," he said through his hands and tears. She wasn't sure what that meant, but she could see what pain he was in, and it broke her heart. "Robert, I love you," she said hugging him the best she could around his back. He sat up and leaned back against the seat. Leah scrambled to come around him as he sat back and squeezed under his arm, wrapping her arms tightly around him. "Leah, he took that two hundred dollars and bought heroin. He overdosed that night on the heroin he bought with the money and they didn't find his body for three days." He paused, trying to keep himself composed. "I've never told that to anyone before, not even to the army of shrinks I've seen. I wouldn't blame you if you don't love me after knowing the truth," he said turning his head as if to look out the window, but she could tell he was wiping the tears from his eyes. He pushed her away and stood up. "I'm sorry, I've never cried like this before. Except when I was getting paid to. I think that's why I was compelled to act. It allowed me to express the feelings that I didn't feel safe expressing on my own. Do you hate me for what I've done."

"No! I could never hate you." She jumped up and took his face into her hands. He looked away. She pulled his face back to her and forced him to look her in the eyes. "Robert, these things happened to you. You didn't make them happen. They aren't your responsibility." Nineteen, Leah thought. That's the age he said he had taken his first drink. And, his refusal to give Alex any money. His actions were starting to make sense to her. "That's easy for you to say, but I have to live with the reality. Do you know why I listen to this damn thing?" he asked pulling that awful country music tape from an inside coat pocket. She shook her head. "It was his. It's the only thing I have left of him. When I start to get comfortable and let myself forget what I did, I play it to remind myself what a miserable human being I am." How much deeper can his pain go, she thought, aching for him. As soon as she thought she knew, he'd pull away another layer of anguish. "Robert, I don't know what to say." "You don't need to say anything. Just forget I ever told you. It's what I try to do." "Has it worked?" she asked shaking her head in confusion. "What do you mean? Has what worked?" "Has trying to forget about your past worked? Have you been able to forget what has happened to you?" "No." "Then stop trying to run from it. You're forty-three years old. You're not that eightyear-old little boy. You are no longer under the control and influence of your parents. You can no longer blame them for ruining your life. You've been on your own since you were fifteen. That means they had fifteen years of messing you up and you've had twenty-eight years of making things worse, instead of better. In twice the time that it took them to mess you up, don't you think that you could have worked past it? How do you expect to stay sober if you can't get past all this? You said yourself that you play that tape to torture yourself." "Are you saying it's my fault I'm messed up?" "I'm saying it's your fault that you're still messed up." She stared him straight in the eye without flinching.

He looked at her for a few moments. "Boy, you really don't pull any punches do you?" Then he sat down in one of the bucket seats. Leah took it to mean he needed to be alone, so she retreated into the jet's bedroom. When the jet landed, he guided her into a waiting limo. "Thank you," he said to her quietly as they sat in the limo. Then that was it. He never talked about it again. When they arrived at the nursing home, Leah was surprised that it looked more like a large, single-story private home than the sprawling nursing home she expected. Robert had to get outside in front of a security camera so they could see him before opening the gate at the road. The limo went up a small hill to the home. Robert and Leah had to show their ID's to the guard at the front door and sign in. The guard made a photocopy of the ID's and then handed them back. "Mr. Stetson I'm sure your mother will be happy to see you. Enjoy your visit." Then he nodded to Leah, "If you folks will wait in Dr. Bradley's office, he will be with you shortly." With that he unlocked the door into the main part of the house and let them enter. Their first stop was the first door on the right. The name on the door was "Dr. Kenneth Bradley". A few minutes passed before an older, rather rotund man came into the office. "Robert, it's good to see you again. Mrs. Stetson it's good to meet you." He shook both of their hands, then sat behind a large desk and motioned for them to have a seat across from him. "Thank you Doctor. I'm looking forward to meeting Robert's mother. How is she?" "We've tried to prepare her for your visit, although I must warn you that she's a bit agitated today. I did give her a light sedative, so hopefully you will have an uneventful visit. Mrs. Stetson, I think you should be prepared. Your mother-in-law is not a well woman. She's been on a slow decline since she arrived here two years ago. The long-term effects of alcohol poisoning on her system have been devastating. Mentally she's easily agitated and verbally combative. Physically she's very weak. Her liver functions are not good. Frankly, and I've spoken to Mr. Stetson about this before, I'm not sure why she is still with us. All I can think of is that she's just too feisty to give up. I'll let you go in and see her now. If you have any questions after your visit, I'll be available to answer them. Also, Mrs. Stetson, your husband has requested that you be kept fully informed, so you will not be having any trouble obtaining information on your mother-in-law's condition whenever you need it. I hope you have a smooth visit." "Thank you Doctor." She had been looking forward to meeting Robert's mother for months, but now she felt dread wash over her. She'd worked with geriatric patients for many years and she knew what words like 'agitated' and 'combative' could

translate into. Robert's mother's room was in the back of the building. As they stood outside her door Robert turned to Leah with a worried look in his eyes. "You don't have to do this if you don't want to." "I'm fine." She hoped that she was convincing him, more than she had convinced herself. The room was impressive, at least as big as Leah's entire house. There was a twelve-foot door wall facing the woods behind the room. Outside the window was an array of birdfeeders and birdhouses aflutter with activity. In a large bed on the left side of the room lay a gray-haired, frail looking woman. Robert motioned for Leah to stay by the door as he went over and gently sat on the side of the bed. "Momma, I brought someone for you to meet," he said rubbing her shoulder to wake her. The woman became immediately animated, sitting up in bed. "Robert! Where is your father? He said he'd give me money for my medicine and I haven't seen him in days! That no good bastard, I hope he's dead in a gutter somewhere!" Leah couldn't believe the hate in her voice. It was like a physical presence in the room. "It's okay, Momma," Robert said gently. "I saw Poppa yesterday and he gave me this money for your medicine." He took out his wallet and handed his mother a twenty-dollar bill. She clutched the money to her chest as though someone might try to steal it from her, and then hugged him, still clutching the money tightly in her fist. Pulling away a little, she stayed close and looked up into his eyes like she was about to share a long-held secret. "Robert dear, why don't you run down to the corner store and get your momma her medicine?" "Sure Momma, I just want you to meet someone first." "No! You need to go now!" Leah couldn't believe how quickly this woman could change from sweet to hateful. And poor Robert! His head was hanging and his shoulders slumped. His face had an incredibly innocent quality to it. He looked like that eight-year-old boy that he spoke of on the plane. He was trying so hard to be the adult, to be all grown-up when he was just a child in his mother's presence. Leah's heart was breaking watching this interlude. She felt like she was eavesdropping on a private moment from early in his life. It was the saddest thing she had ever witnessed. "Momma, I got married. I want you to meet Leah, my wife." He motioned in Leah's

direction. Leah took one step forward, uncertain if she should go any closer. The older Mrs. Stetson narrowed her eyes and glared at her. "I told you not to bring your tramps here. This is my house! Get that slut out of here, now!" Before Leah could react the old woman grabbed the water glass from the nightstand and threw it at her. Leah stepped back from the force of her words. The glass fell several feet in front of her and water splashed on her leg. Robert turned and looked at the glass on the floor, and then at Leah to make sure she was all right. He cocked his head toward the door. Leah took her cue and went out in the hallway, glad to be out of the room. My god, she thought, what he must have gone through as a child. She made her way through security and waited in the limo as they had planned. Fifteen minutes later Robert joined her and asked the limo driver to take them to the airport. She waited for him to say something, but he was silent. It was an hour into the flight to Oscoda before he spoke to her again. "Are you alright?" "I'm okay, Robert. How about you?" "I'll be fine. I can't wait to get back to Oscoda." With that he lay down with his head in her lap and fell asleep.

Chapter Fifteen Leah had arranged to have Madison meet them at the airport. She had teased Robert the night before that he wasn't the only one who could "make a call". As they got off the plane Madison ran up to them, "I can't believe you two ran off and got married! You've been all over the TV and papers." She was jumping up and down as she gave each of them a big hug. With Robert on one arm and Leah on the other, Madison escorted them back to her van. "I can't wait to hear all about it. This is just more excitement than I can handle. And, Crazed Boyz! Lord, Leah I hope you didn't wash the cheek Jesse kissed, because I want to rub a little of that hunk off on me!" "Sorry Madison, she's showered since then," Robert said. "But, I'll make you a deal. Next time we go see one of their concerts, we'll take you along and you can meet Jesse for yourself." "No way! Please don't tease me if you don't mean it," she pleaded. As they pulled into her driveway Leah couldn't help notice that her parent's truck and Dean's SUV were parked in front of the house. "Madison what did you do?" "Nothing, honest! Your parents made all the arrangements to have a little gettogether for the two of you when you got home. Okay, so I confess that I called them last night to let them know when I was supposed to be picking you up. Other than that, you'd better talk to your mom." "I've got a few things to talk to you about too, Miss Madison," Leah said. Madison parked the van and turned to look at Leah in the back seat. "What can I say, I can't keep a secret. When Robert asked for some of your preferences I thought it was sweet that he cared. So, sue me! Besides, when was the last time someone cared about what kind of salad dressing you liked?" "Madison, we're talking about more than just salad dressing preferences here," she said seriously. "Come on Leah, everyone is waiting for you two," Madison said rolling her eyes and walking towards the house. "Are you really that upset I told him about your passion for blueberry syrup?" Leah stopped her friend. "Madison, you are the only other person in the world that knew about my credit card bills. I paid them at the post office the same day that I got them. You shouldn't have told him!"

"Really, Leah, I didn't tell him anything like that! I would never tell him anything that serious." "Leah, give her a break," Robert interrupted as he passed them with a load of suitcases. Both women abruptly turned to look at him. "I saw the names of your creditors in your check book register. Madison didn't tell me." "Oh my God, Madison, I'm so sorry!" Leah turned back to her friend. "Can you ever forgive me?" "I'll let you know when I'm done being hurt that you would think I'd betray your confidence. How could you even think that I'd do that! I had no idea he was going to ask you to marry him. Even if I knew his plans, and he asked, I would have told him it was none of his business," Madison walked into the kitchen, visibly upset, leaving Leah sitting on the back porch alone. Robert followed Madison into the kitchen. "Where's the blushing bride?" Leah's mom asked from the living room. "I'll have her there in a minute. Just give us a few moments," Robert called into the other room. Then in a soft voice, "Madison, it's been crazy the last few days and we're tired. I'm sure under normal circumstances Leah would have never even thought of accusing you. She had guessed about the salad dressing and it wasn't long after that I gave her the credit card statements. I'm sure she just connected the two without thinking. She was so shocked by my gifts that she spent half an hour in the bathroom at Raphael's." "They do have a nice bathroom," Madison laughed trying to get past her pain. "Yes, I was quiet impressed." "What were you doing in the ladies room, Robert?" "I didn't want to miss the Crazed Boyz concert." Madison gave him a quizzical look, unable to follow his line of thought. "Suffice it to say it's a long story," Robert continued. "Let's get Leah in here and you two can work things out when she's not so tired, okay?" Madison agreed. She went out on the porch and brought Leah in the house so they could enjoy the gathering. Everyone was excited to see the couple home. There was lots of food and conversation about the wedding and honeymoon. Leah dragged out the new

outfits Robert had gotten her. "They're rumpled and a little smelly," she confessed. He bought this for me on my birthday for the concert. I guess it's my wedding gown now!" She leaned over and kissed Robert gently on the cheek. "This is what he bought our first day in Las Vegas. I thought it would be great for teaching. Which it would, but it wasn't quite cutting it for the places he took me. So, we had to go with a little more glamour the next night," she said holding up the gown she had worn their second night in Las Vegas. I have no idea where I'll ever wear it again." "Certainly nowhere in Oscoda," her mother said. "Maybe you could wear it to a Halloween party," Dean joked. They all had a good laugh. Robert was laughing with them, but he looked a little concerned that perhaps they weren't really joking. "Best of all..." Leah started, as they all sat around in the small living room. Then looking at Robert, "Well, maybe not best of all. You wouldn't believe who nearly sat in my lap. Bob Worth! Can you believe that? He just sat down next to me and then leaned across me to get close to Robert. I dropped my spoon when I saw who it was. All those two guys could do was make fun of me," she said giving Robert a playful jab. "What can I say, it's embarrassing to have your wife dropping her silverware every time she meets one of your friends," he said with one eyebrow cocked up in a 'but what can you do about it' expression. "Bob Worth," Cap asked, "wasn't he in Revenge with you?" Robert stood up and gave Cap a formal little bow, "Thank you sir, I was starting to think that nobody in your family watched my movies." Laughing, Leah pulled him back down on the couch. "I made a list of everyone I saw, let me grab it from my bag." "You made a list?" Robert scratched his head not sure why she was spending her honeymoon making lists. Leah went through the list and the couple answered questions about each celebrity. "Was she nice? Is he as tall as he looks? Who was on his arm?" Finally, after everyone had gone home, Leah realized just how tired she was. It certainly had been a very long and draining day. She grabbed her bags and went into the bedroom. "Robert?" she called sweetly. "Yeah, Babe," he answered from the couch knowing full well what she was going to ask.

"Did you have something to do with this?" she called out to him. He came into the bedroom and hugged her from behind. "What do you think?" he asked. "I thought we weren't going to have any more surprises, is what I think." He pulled her over to the new king size bed that took up half of her bedroom. He pulled off the giant red bow that adorned it and handed it to her. "I respect your wishes not to move to a bigger house right now. Respect my need to have a bed big enough to sleep in." She laughed, "It was getting a little uncomfortable wasn't it." She was actually glad to see the larger bed. After having spent several nights away from the full-size bed, she had been dreading going back to it. "Shall we try it out?" she asked demurely unbuttoning his shirt. She was really starting to appreciate his practical side. *** A few days later, Robert was in the back yard fixing a leaky gutter when Leah called to him, "Robert, your agent is on the phone." Leah couldn't help but notice that Mr. Jones, who they had since met, was sitting on his deck with several other neighbors watching Robert work on the gutter. Leah waved and they all waved back. When he got off the phone, Robert found Leah sitting on the floor of their bedroom, digging through her fabric stash. "Hey Babe, how 'bout going to L.A. with me next week?" "What's going on in L.A.?" she asked looking up from her position on the floor. "Well, Ringo said that I need to come in for a drug screen and sign some papers before I leave for Australia. To top it off he booked me on Monday's Tonight Show. So, how about it?" "Sure. That sounds like fun. Will I get to meet Jay Leno?" "Only if you promise not to drop anything in front of him." "Thanks a lot!" she laughed hitting him in the knee with a handful of fabric. Leah had purposely left the second half of June free of work so she could spend as much time as possible with Robert before he left. She knew she would need to keep busy with work once he was gone. Now was their time. "Okay, I'll make the arrangements. We won't need to leave until Monday morning.

This will give me a chance to pick up a few things from my place in L.A. so I don't have to go back to my house before I head down under." "Robert?" "Yeah, Dear?" "What if we leave Sunday morning and run by Augusta first? I really want you to meet Brent before you leave." "Best idea I've heard in a long time," he said pulling her to her feet and kissing her. "I thought that you weren't working until I left and here you are playing with fabric when you should be attending to your new husband!" He pulled her close and sidestepped in small little circles, making his way over to the bed. *** Early on Sunday morning they were on their way to Augusta. Leah was getting excited about seeing Brent again; it had been six months since she'd seen her son. Robert had a limo waiting for them at the airport. They went straight to Brent's school sponsored apartment complex where all the school's sports teams lived, attracting more than a little attention as they pulled up to the curb. Word had gotten out that they were coming, and Robert was mobbed with autograph seekers. While he complied with their demands for his autograph just outside the limo, Leah pushed her way to Brent's door. Leah and Brent waited for about fifteen minutes before Robert was able to join them inside the apartment. Leah introduced the two men in her life to each other. "Sorry about that," Brent said pointing in the direction of the sidewalk. "I told a friend who apparently has a big mouth." "Not a problem. I've got a tee time," Robert said looking at his watch, "in about forty-five minutes. Can you join me?" "Sure. They have some great courses in the area. Which course we going to?" "Augusta National," Robert answered casually. "Hey, Robert," Brent said shaking his head. "I don't think they'll let even you in without a membership." "I've been a member for years, how do you think I got a tee time?"

"Oh Mom, I like him! Sure, I'll join you." Brent disappeared into a back room and returned quickly with his golf bag over his shoulder. "This is going to be great!" Leah enjoyed watching the men play golf together. Of course Brent outplayed him by nine strokes, but Robert took it in stride. After the game, Robert took Brent into the clubhouse and introduced him around to the staff. Robert had Brent's name added to Robert's membership, so Brent could golf there whenever he wanted. They had a nice lunch at the course and then Brent gave them a tour of the campus. It was a beautiful campus, with elegant, old buildings mixed with wonderful modern architecture. Then they drove around the town a bit as Brent told them about the classes he'd be taking in the fall and how the team was doing. They went to a great Chinese place for dinner, out for a movie, then they took Brent back to his room. Robert shook Brent's hand as they prepared to leave. "I'm supposed to be doing a celebrity golf tournament next March," Robert told Brent. "I'll need a caddy, do you think you're up to the task?" "Sure Robert, what course?" "Pebble Beach. Have you ever played there?" "No way! Pebble Beach! I'd love to be your caddy. I've always wanted to see that course." "We'll have to put you on my membership there too." "This is just too cool," Brent said shaking his head in amazement. "You'll get to meet some interesting people there. I just hope you handle meeting my friends more graciously than your mother has." Leah gently kicked Robert in the shin. "Brent we really have to go," she said hugging her son goodbye. "Are you going to watch Robert on Jay Leno tomorrow night?" "Of course, I'll tell everyone he's my golf buddy! That will impress them more than telling them he's my step-father." Leah had enjoyed watching her two men interact all day. It had been so long since Brent had had a good male role model. Cap had tried to cover that hole in his life, but it wasn't the same as having a father. It was almost eight p.m. by the time they got back to the airport. Robert and Jerry

discussed the schedule and it was decided that they would all sleep on the plane that night and then fly out early in the morning. The crew had their own cabin, so Leah and Robert sleeping in the bedroom in the back of the plane was like having their own private hotel room. *** The next day Robert's driver, Barry, picked them up at the L.A. airport in a black Lincoln Town Car with darkly tinted windows. Barry was a nice man of probably sixty years. He congratulated the newlyweds and hugged Leah. "Why the dark windows?" she asked Robert once they were on their way to Ringo's office. "You wouldn't believe the people that will follow you around if they recognize you. I once had a lady, in hot pursuit of my car, drive through a red light and get broadsided by a taxi. No one was seriously hurt, but it taught me a lesson. The woman and the taxi driver both tried to sue me. Can you believe that! That's why I prefer to get limos wherever I go. They offer the privacy I need." Leah instantly liked Ringo Round, Robert's agent. He was in his early thirties, tall and lanky with short, spiky red hair. His eyes were bright and constantly moving. She could see why people liked to work with him; he was obviously dedicated to his job and had the energy to do it well. "Leah, it's so nice to finally meet you," he said enthusiastically, coming around his desk to shake her hand. He looked her over, head to toe. "Somehow I thought you'd be a lot taller from all that footage shown on Entertainment Tonight of the Crazed Boyz concert." He gave a wink to Robert and she knew that she'd been set up. "Actually, Ringo, I am much taller. It's just that I look so much smaller next to Robert's ego," she teased snuggling into Robert's side. "Oh she's fast, Robert. You're going to have fun trying to keep up with this one." "Seems like she's getting a little harder to keep up with each day." Robert lamented. "Leah, I assume that you received the video library I sent." "Yes, Ringo. Thank you. I figure that I'll do my 'homework' while Robert is in Australia." "Well, down to business, Robert. I've got a meeting with Bob, in fifteen minutes, so we'll have to move this along." He motioned for them to sit in the chairs across the

desk from him. He handed Robert some lab slips, "Take these to the clinic, you know which one." Robert nodded in agreement. "I'll also need you to sign these contracts. Robert, remember that this contact is only as good as your lab work. If you have a positive result the contract is null and void. I want you to look at clause four dash sixteen very carefully." Ringo flipped the pages and then pointed out the clause to Robert. "It states that if you have a positive test at any time between now and the time the movie is finished they can pull you out of the picture and you won't be paid any more than your initial payment. And, they can recast the role at any time. In that case you would receive no credit, and no royalties from the film. They will insist on a drug test at least once a week, although it is at their discretion to do it as often as they need, to feel comfortable. The drug tests are so they know you haven't just changed your drug of choice from alcohol. They also have the right to have a blood alcohol test taken at any moment that they think you've been drinking. Understand, Robert, they don't need a reason to test you. If they hand you a lab slip, you walk over to the medical trailer and take care of business. Refuse a test, and they send you packing." Leah found herself shamefully wishing he'd refuse a test the first week so he could come home to her. Ringo continued, "Also, they have insisted on a death scene to be added and shot early in the schedule. It's set up so they can kill off your character at any time and continue the movie with an alternate character if they decide to go that route. The rest of the contract is pretty standard. Take a second to look it over and then we need to get it signed. Do you have any questions?" "No Ringo. I'm just happy to have the opportunity to work again." He signed the contracts and then slid them over to an assistant that came in just long enough to witness his signature. "Ringo, I don't understand why the contracts are being signed so late in the game." "Honestly Robert, no one thought you'd still be sober." Robert sat back deep into his chair, as though Ringo's words had a physical impact on him. How horrible, Leah thought. No one has faith in him. "Well you'd better fall on your knees and kiss Zach's feet. The studio was not willing to work with you. Fortunately for you, they weren't willing to work without Zach, so they picked the lesser of two evils. You're just lucky that he's better than you are bad." "I know Ringo. I've messed up for the last time. I'll show you, and the studios." "I hope so," Ringo said gravely. "Frankly, I haven't been able to book you for an underwear commercial these past few months. Everyone has you crossed off their lists. It's up to you to prove them wrong. You got it?" "I'm better now, honest. I'm ready to work and I'll stay sober." He squeezed Leah's

hand. She felt bad for him. She'd seen all his potential, as well as all the pain he'd fought his entire life. Somehow it didn't seem fair that he should be groveling to do what he was so talented at. "Okay, you two, out of here. I need to make room for Bob's giant ego. Take care, and don't let me hear any bad news Robert! Be at the Tonight Show studio by two p.m. for makeup." In the outer office of Ringo's agency, Bob Worth bounded through the outer doors and came towards them. Leah expected him to shake Robert's hand. She couldn't have been more wrong. He swooped her up and waltzed around the room with her. Her eyes couldn't have opened any wider as she tried not to hit any furniture or trip over a coffee table. He took her twice more around the room and then deposited her next to Robert. "Hey Robert, she's a lot more graceful than I initially thought!" "Leah, did I ever warn you about this guy?" Robert asked, laughing. Leah shook her head, more to clear her mind than in answer to him. "You kids take it easy. I better not keep Ringo waiting." And again, he was gone as fast as he had come. "What is it with him?" she asked, flabbergasted. "He's high on life. What can I say," Robert laughed. They took care of the clinic business, and then ate an early lunch in a little cafe on the beach. After lunch they went to Robert's house in south L.A. It sat on a cliff overlooking the ocean. Leah could not believe the view and the house was absolutely palatial. She'd seen houses like this on TV. She never imagined she'd ever be in one, let alone married to someone who lived there. It was spotless and uncluttered. No feminine touches anywhere, very businesslike. The bedroom window must have been eight feet wide and floor to ceiling high. Leah stood in front of it and looked out at the ocean for the longest time. Outside there was a fine mist in the air and the sky had a soft glow. Thousands of gulls were flying about doing their daily business. "How can you not just stand here the rest of your life and marvel at Mother Nature?" she asked him as he packed some things. He came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her. "It is beautiful, isn't it?" he said snuggling his face in the back of her neck. They

stood there together looking out for several minutes. Then he let go and gave her a playful slap on the backside. "Come on Babe. We'll have to leave now if we're going to make it to the studio before two, Mrs. Stetson." "You're going to have to drag me away from here, you realize that don't you?" "Okay," he said grabbing both of her hands and dragging her to the car. "Barry, would you please grab the bags off my bed? I couldn't get the bags and her out of the house." "Certainly, Mr. Stetson. Would you like me to lock up too?" "Thank you, Barry. That would be great." Robert helped Leah into the back of the Town Car. "But, I didn't get to see the rest of the house. I wanted to see the kitchen and the bathrooms," she protested. She looked out the car window and asked, "Just how many cars do you have?" "Just this one right now. Ringo wouldn't keep me on if I didn't get rid of the sports cars and allow Barry to drive me everywhere. He even had it added to our contract. All of my arrests started out with traffic stops and he thought I'd have a better chance of not being arrested if I wasn't driving." "But I thought you lost your license after your first arrest?" "I did, but you don't need a license to drive. Just a car and keys!" Leah looked back at the garage still perplexed. "Then why do you need an eight car garage?" "It came with the house. I had as many as six cars at one time, never eight though."

Chapter Sixteen Leah couldn't believe she was going to get the chance to stand off stage at the Tonight Show and watch the taping. How often she had fantasized about being with someone like Robert and standing there watching him interact with Jay. Now it was really happening. In the dressing room a lady came in and announced she was there to do his makeup. "Let me have it, Joyce!" he said jumping into the makeup chair. Robert was in good spirits. She could tell he was getting pumped up about getting in front of the camera again. "You must have had Joyce do your makeup before?" Leah asked. They both looked at her like she must be implying something else had happened. "Oh no, Mrs. Stetson! I just started this job six months ago. We've never met." Then how did he know her name? she thought. She tried to remember if anyone had told them that Joyce would be doing his makeup. She couldn't remember it ever being said. This was getting interesting. A couple of minutes after Joyce had left, Jay knocked quickly and walked in catching Leah on Robert's lap as he sat in the raised makeup chair. She jumped down, tripped over Robert's feet and fell in a heap on the floor in front of Jay. He helped her up with his usual good humor. "She's as graceful as Bob told me!" Jay laughed. "I'm sorry Mr. Leno," Leah said brushing herself off, the blush in her cheeks getting hotter by the second. "Leah, is it? I'm pleased to meet you." He took her hand and shook it. "Maybe you and Robert can join the wife and I for dinner, some night when you're in town." "Thank you, that sounds wonderful!" Then looking at Robert he asked, "You ready buddy?" Robert nodded. "You know we'll have to talk about a few things out there. You okay with that?" "Sure Jay, I trust you." "Great, we'll see you in a little while. Leah it was a pleasure to meet you." They stayed in the dressing room and watched his monologue and "Headlines" segment. Before she knew it, Leah stood off stage watching Jay start back in after a

commercial break. "Well folks, you know this actor from his wide range of film rolls over the last twenty years. He's had a few scrapes with the law in the last couple of years, but he seems to be pulling himself together. Please give a warm welcome to the very talented Robert Stetson!" Robert confidently strode from a door on the far side of the stage from Leah. She was struck by how handsome he was. It had been so long since she had seen him except through the eyes of a girlfriend, lover and wife. It wasn't hard to remember just how she felt about him before she knew him for the man he was. He gave a big two-armed wave to the audience as he walked across the stage and sat down next to Jay. The audience roared. He blew a kiss to Leah as he waited for the audience to settle down. Once they quieted down he turned to Jay, "Thanks for having me back, Jay. Seems like you are the only one willing to work with me at the moment." Boy is he putting on the charm, she thought. And the audience was eating it up. He had them right where he wanted them in only two sentences. "Now Robert, that isn't entirely true, is it?" Jay leaned toward him, in that way he does when trying to make a guest feel comfortable. It was like they were in his home talking one on one. "I understand that you leave for Australia next week to shoot a new movie." "Yes, I'm really excited about it. Zach Yancy is starring and directing. He insisted that they use me, otherwise I'd just be another unemployable bum on the streets of Los Angeles." "Tell us a little about the movie," Jay asked, sincerely interested. "It's a western called, Trouble in Little Town. It's big budget, lots of big names in it. It will be out late next year." He turned to the audience, "Make sure you all get out and see it." The audience applauded wildly. "Now, you were just released from rehab, what...? About six months ago?" "About that. I'm working hard on making sure it's my last time there." The audience went wild, yet again, and Robert gave them a little wave showing his appreciation for their support. "Well, you certainly have the encouragement of your fans. I understand that you have the devotion of a lovely lady in your life too." "Yes, she's here tonight," he said looking at her off-stage. A camera found her and

zoomed in. Leah tried her hardest to give a sweet little smile, but she felt like she was going to faint realizing that a close up of her would be broadcast to millions of TV's all over the world, that evening! "Leah and I were married a couple of weeks ago." "I understand that you had an elaborate day all planned out for the day you proposed, you dog." "Yeah," Robert confessed. Leah thought she could see him blushing. "I tried to be romantic. The guys of Crazed Boyz helped me serenade her. It must have worked because she said yes." Again the audience erupted into applause. "Of course she said yes! What choice did she have in those circumstances? Shame on you! Is that really the only way you could get someone to marry you?" By now Jay and Robert were laughing almost uncontrollably. When Jay got his breath back, he said, "Folks, I got to meet the lovely Mrs. Stetson back stage and I have to tell you she's the most grounded person I've ever met." With hardly a pause, he continued, "Folks, Robert's got to run, but we'll be right back after these messages." He drummed his pencil on the desk and then leaned over to Robert and they laughed at whatever he was saying. Robert and Jay came over to her off stage. She stood with her hands on her hips and gave Robert a stare that would scare off a grizzly bear. "I'm sorry Leah, I couldn't help myself. Can you forgive me?" Jay pleaded with his shoulders drooping. His head was hanging down, swinging from side to side, in an exaggerated attempt at looking apologetic. "You Jay, I forgive. You sir," she said looking at Robert, "are another matter." "I didn't say anything," he protested pointing to Jay. "He said it!" "Hey, Leah, he told me to," Jay said like a ten year old tattling on his friend. "Honest." Robert smacked Jay in the arm, and it looked like it hurt. "Don't you have a show to do?" "Don't worry Jay, I know who was behind this," she said shaking his hand. "It was a real pleasure to meet you." Jay was rubbing his arm where Robert had hit him. "It was a pleasure to meet you, Leah. I'm glad you can see clearly what you've gotten into here. I wish you luck!"

Robert pretended to chase Jay back on stage. They stopped at his desk, shook hands and shared a quick hug. The live audience was enjoying it and couldn't get enough of their little show. Robert waved to them as he returned to Leah. Then they both waved as they headed backstage. *** Back home in Oscoda the next day, Ringo called to inform Robert that his drug screen was negative and that he was to report to the set Monday morning of the next week. That meant he would have to leave on Friday morning. He was going to make a quick stop in Los Angeles and pick up Rick Martinez and a couple of other cast members. It was a long flight with a fueling stop in Hawaii, then they needed some time to get over the jet lag. Leah didn't want to share him the last couple of days. She eventually agreed to a small, private gathering of her parents and some friends Thursday night at Tait's Bill of Fare, a small local restaurant. Leah had trouble getting through the evening and they excused themselves early. They'd only been married a couple of weeks and she really didn't want to see him go. They went to bed early to snuggle and talk. "I don't want you to leave," she said close to tears. She didn't need him in her life, she could get on fine by herself, but she desperately wanted him there. He reached under the bed and pulled out a gift-wrapped box. "Cheer up, Babe, I got this for you." "Robert, I thought we agreed..." "Don't worry, this won't interfere with your sense of independence." Leah unwrapped the gift, a cell phone. "Now," Robert said, "this is really a gift to myself. I'm the only one with this number. That means you won't be on the phone chatting with Madison or Vi for an hour when I'm trying to call. I'd like you to keep it with you all the time, day and night." "Will I have a way to call you?" "Of course, open the battery case on the phone."

"She obediently opened the battery case and found a thumbnail picture of him, the caption "Hunk of Burning Love", his cell phone number and speed dialing instructions. Leah laughed, and then turned serious. "It's not the same, Robert. I feel so selfish, but I want you here with me." "And I want to be here, or have you there with me. Leah, if I stayed here and missed this movie I'd go crazy. I'm an actor. I have to act. I love Oscoda and look forward to my downtime here. But, too much downtime anywhere is not a good thing. I need to work. And this movie will prove to the world that I'm back. It's a testament to the world that love does conquer all." "That's all nice and everything, but I still want you to stay," she pouted. "Your passport will be here in a couple of months. When you get it, I'll have Jerry fly you down." "I've booked so much work the next few months. There's just no way I could take off any amount of time. I have to teach at Quilt Market in October. It's a great opportunity." "We've both lived through worse and we'll live through this. Just concentrate on how great it will be when I get back!" The next morning was a whirlwind of activity. Before she knew it she was standing on the tarmac, waving goodbye to her new husband as his jet took off.

Chapter Seventeen The next morning at nine a.m. there was a knock at her front door. She'd slept late, not wanting to get up to a house without Robert in it. She put on her bathrobe and smoothed out her rumpled hair. Looking out the front window she could see a young deliveryman. She opened the door and accepted the floral box he handed her. She quickly found her wallet and offered him a tip. "No thank you, ma'am," he said politely. "Mr. Stetson took care of everything." Leah thanked the man and went into the kitchen and opened the box. Inside was a single, long-stemmed red rose. She brought the rose to her nose and breathed in deeply. How sweet, she thought. It wasn't the same as having him there, but it was a nice touch. Late that afternoon Robert called on the cell phone he'd given her. "Hey Babe! I'm in Australia and missing you more than you could ever know!" "Oh Robert, I miss you more than you could possibly miss me! Thank you so much for the rose. It was so sweet of you." "Is this a good time to call?" "Sure, it's about four in the afternoon." "Great, it's six in the morning here. I'll try to call about the same time each day. Occasionally, it might change if I have to be on the set early. Of course, if I'm on the set, I'll have to have the ringer turned off. I can always see that you've called and then call you back as soon as I possibly can." "Robert, I love you so much. Please, take care of yourself so you can come back to me." "Don't worry, Leah. You can't get rid of me that easy," he laughed. "I'm needed for a costume fitting, so I have to let you go. I love you Mrs. Stetson," he said seriously. *** Leah buried herself in work. Her daily routine was much the same as before she met Robert, with two exceptions. Each morning, at nine a.m., a fresh rose was delivered to her and each afternoon or evening he called her, even if for just a few moments. She could keep busy during the day. But crawling into their large bed without him was almost unbearable. She called him at bedtime frequently those first weeks.

Sometimes he'd answer right away. Other times he'd return the call as late as three or four a.m., when he was on his dinner break. That was okay with her and she would fall asleep, content that he loved her. One of her first orders of business was to change her name. She and Robert had discussed the options before he left. They had decided that it would be best to change it to Leah Mosley-Stetson, so the name that she had spent years building as a designer would still be recognized. It was their hope that the addition of the Stetson name would give a boost to her business. She went to the County Clerk's office to up-date her DBA to reflect the change in her business name from Leah Mosley Designs to Mosley-Stetson Designs. She also changed the name on her driver's license and sent in the application for a new Social Security card. She made an appointment with her accountant and they went over her books. She explained the gifts that Robert had given her and told him how much more money she had to work with each month. They crunched the numbers and came up with a figure of how much she could offer to Madison to work for her, taking into account all the additional tax obligations that came with having an employee. The next day Leah had Madison and Dean over for dinner. She explained the salary she could offer Madison to work for her, knowing it wasn't as much as Madison was making at the hospital. Madison had been planning on retiring some time in the next five years and she said that she'd check into getting an early retirement. She'd been working for the hospital for over twenty years and was ready for a change. As a woman, being content with her work was more important than a big paycheck. Besides, Dean made a good salary and she really worked because she wanted to, not because she financially had to. Dean and Madison discussed the options over the next few days before Madison called Leah to tell her she would accept the job. She was able to get an early retirement from the hospital and would be able to start working the first of August. Madison frequently came over nights and weekends to train while finishing her time at the hospital. She was excited about the new job and couldn't wait to get started. Leah was glad for the help. The orders from her website were ten times what she was used to. Marrying Robert was good for business. Not just for the mail order business, but for classes too. Leah was keeping a list of the offers she was receiving to teach, but didn't schedule any new classes. She really didn't want to tie up her schedule when she had so much to catch up on at home. Besides, she was hoping that she'd be able to go with Robert occasionally when he traveled and she didn't want to be tied down to a teaching schedule. The one job that she already had scheduled was teaching a single class of her new appliqué technique at Quilt Market in Houston that October. She was new to the teaching staff, so one class the first year was not unusual. The class fee

wouldn't even cover her expenses, but she hoped that she'd be offered more classes in the years to follow. After their marriage had been announced in the papers and on TV, someone from Quilt Market would call every couple of weeks and schedule more overflow classes. Everyone wanted to take a class from Mrs. Robert Stetson. Leah was glad that Madison would be coming to Market as her assistant. She really would need the help this trip. Madison started working full-time in August. Leah was amazed at how well she jumped in and worked without any problems. Madison had been around Leah's business since she'd started it and had spent a good amount of time training in the month prior to that. Still, Leah had worried that perhaps their friendship would be strained working daily with each other. Other than an occasional disagreement about where they should order lunch from, they worked together marvelously. Madison took over everything to do with inventory and processing orders. She picked up the mail, deposited the checks and kept the bookkeeping up to date. Bookkeeping was something that Leah never had been able to keep up with herself. Madison was able to enter the new manuscripts into the computer, build the graphics pages, cut out the quilt fabrics and do much of the piecing. Leah could not believe how much time that freed up for her to spend on the more creative aspects of the business. Leah was free to design original works, instead of cranking out the same old tired things that she'd been doing for awhile. It awakened the artistic side of her that had been buried under a busy schedule for years. When Robert would call, she'd excitedly tell him how much fun she was having again. She thanked him repeatedly for seeing just what she needed and giving it to her. She had spent so much time resisting the idea of him paying off her debts, even after she said she'd accepted them. Now she wondered why. On a particularly oppressive afternoon late in August, she complained to him about the weather. The small window air conditioner in the dining room was keeping the humidity down in the house and not doing much to reduce the temperature inside. "I think I'm going to have to get another window unit. Madison and I are roasting in here!" she whined. "Go ahead, Babe. We can afford it. There's no use in you suffering! Of course, you realize it's almost spring here!" he teased. "Thanks Robert, I needed to be reminded of that! I wish I could be there with you." She missed him so much that it physically hurt on a molecular level.

"Leah, I really could use you down here." His tone was serious and grabbed Leah's attention. "They have AA meetings here, and I'm going to them regularly. But, I miss you so much; I'm tempted at times. If I knew you were coming down it would be easier." "I'm sorry Robert, you should have told me sooner you were having a hard time! I have to teach at Market. They have me doing six classes already. I told them, no more. I'll be ready for a break after that. Madison is doing such a great job that I'd feel comfortable leaving her here by herself." "Are you serious? You're willing to come down?" "Can you hold out until then?" she asked worriedly. "Oh, yeah. I feel better already. You've made my day. Hang on..." she could hear him yelling to someone. "Leah?" a man said in an incredible Australian accent. "Zach?" she asked unbelieving. Leah frantically waved at Madison to get her across the room, so she could hear too. "Hey, Leah. Your man is missing you down here. You can't marry him and then leave him. Get your butt down here, missy!" "I'll be there in a couple of month's Zach," Leah said, while sharing the phone with Madison so she could hear too. "Zach? Is this really Zachery Yancy? " Madison asked quietly. "Hey, Leah, who you got there with you?" Zach asked. Leah laughed. "Zach, this is Madison, my assistant and best friend." "Hi Madison, are you coming with Leah when she comes down?" Madison could stand no more and sat on the couch next to Leah, her eyes wide with wonder. "Sorry, Zach," Leah said, still laughing. "I think Madison's had enough, she had to sit down. I won't be able to bring her, she'll have to stay here and work." Madison got on her knees and pulled on Leah's shirt, in a gesture of begging to let her go too. "Hey, Babe," Robert was back on the line. "I'm not going to let this brute spend all my phone time talking to you." "Was that really, Zach?" Leah asked incredulously.

"Yep, he's asking if we could come to his ranch for dinner some night." "Sure!" was all Leah could say. She loved Robert, for the man he was. But, she had to admit that getting to know his friends was a real fringe benefit. "Did your passport come yet?" "No, but I expect it any day. Didn't the paperwork say it would take at least six weeks?" She had admitted to him earlier that she didn't apply immediately after he had left. It was one of so many details that she had to attend to, and to her it wasn't a high priority. After she hung up, Madison was pouting on the couch. "You're going to run off and play house with Robert Stetson, spend time with Zachary Yancy and leave me with nothing but this!" She held her hands out and looked around at the living room piled with boxes of quilts, patterns and fabric kits. "Sorry, Madison. A girl's got to do, what a girl's got to do." "And all these years I thought we were friends!" *** The next day, before Madison even arrived, a Lamrock Heating and Electric truck pulled into the driveway as Leah opened the front curtains. She assumed that they were turning around, as people often did when they realized they'd gone down a dead-end road. She went into the kitchen to prepare a breakfast of cold cereal and juice. A knock at the front door brought her back into the living room. The truck was still in the driveway. The man at the door handed her a copy of a work order. "Mrs. Stetson, we have an order to install an air conditioner. If you could show me your furnace, I can get started." "Did my husband call you?" Leah asked. She wasn't sure why she was surprised. She knew better than to tell him what she wanted or needed. The heat had clouded her judgment the day before. "Yes, ma'am. For some reason though, he said that he didn't know what kind of furnace you had." "That's because he's in Australia!" she said, leading the man to the furnace.

Later that afternoon Leah and Madison were enjoying extremely cool air in the house. "This is soooo nice!" Madison said relaxing on the couch. "Why didn't you complain to that good smelling man of yours last month?" "You realize we can't leave it this low, for long. We'll freeze!" "Thought you'd be used to that with all those cold showers you must be taking again with him gone," Madison taunted her friend. "Thanks! I may be married to Robert, and running off to meet Zach Yancy, but you have your man year 'round. I guess we all have our own crosses to bear." The women laughed. Life was good and right now they reveled in it. Leah's passport arrived in mid September. She was ready to leave right then, but tried to focus on getting ready to teach at Quilt Market. It was just a matter of weeks and she'd be back together with Robert. She'd endured hard times in the past; surely she could endure a few more weeks apart from him.

Chapter Eighteen Leah was just finishing up her last class and was answering questions when Mrs. Finch, the director of Quilt Market, appeared at her classroom door with two security guards. "Mrs. Stetson, we have a security problem in the building. I need you and your students to follow the directions of these security guards to insure everyone's safety." "Of course, Mrs. Finch," Leah complied, a little concerned. The last few weeks there had been a rash of bomb threats across the country and Leah hoped it was another false alarm. After all, Mrs. Finch's manner was calm and not panicked. The taller of the two guards shut the classroom doors and took up a position in the back of the room. The other guard sauntered up to the front with Leah. They were both dressed in black uniforms, wore large aviator sunglasses and had on caps with large bills that covered their foreheads and hung low over their sunglasses. "Ma'am," he said, with a strong southern accent, nodding to Leah then turning to the class. "Ladies, we don't expect serious problems, but as a precaution we would like everyone to stay seated. Please keep your belongings ready to take with you in case we need to evacuate." Turning back to Leah he said, "Mrs. Stetson, you should just leave your class materials. If you could hold onto your purse and water, then you will have what you need in the unlikely event we have to leave." Leah obeyed, thinking it was a strange request to include her water bottle. But it was sitting next to her purse and he was probably just trying to be helpful. She turned and picked up her things from the table behind her. When Leah turned back the guard was standing alarmingly close to her, face to face. "Thank you ma'am," he said in his southern accent. Then he dropped his sunglasses down on his nose, smiled and very quietly said, "Nice to finally meet you Leah," in an incredible Australian accent that she recognized immediately. Leah dropped her water, and the uncapped bottle fell to the floor losing much its' contents once it got there. Those incredible green eyes were unmistakable. Only one man in the world had those green eyes, and they belonged to none other than Zachary Yancy! Leah found those eyes to be even more stunning in person than on the big screen. Zach put his sunglasses back in place and called out to the guard in the back of the room in his southern accent. "Okay, Robert, I owe you twenty bucks! You were right that she'd drop her water." Leah stood in shock. Did he say 'Robert'? She stood frozen for a moment trying to see something familiar about the guard in the back.

The tall guard took off his sunglasses and cap. There was an audible gasp from the students, who were now all turned around in their seats. "Robert!" Leah ran to him and buried her face in his chest with tears of joy flowing freely. Oh, he felt so good! And, he smelled as good as she remembered. After a minute of adjusting to the reality of his being there, she pulled back and looked him in the eye. "I missed you so much!" "Babe, you couldn't have missed me half as much as I missed you," he said seriously. As he bent down and kissed her, the class stood up and erupted in spontaneous applause. Zach, still incognito, got the women's attention and announced in his southern drawl, "Ladies, thank you for helping us surprise Mrs. Stetson." Leah and Robert stood arm in arm at the back of the room watching his performance. Then in his startling Australian accent, "I hope we didn't scare anyone." With that he took off his sunglasses and cap. Another audible gasp, even louder than the first, came from the women. Leah and Robert laughed as all twenty women grabbed for their chairs, to steady themselves and sit down. It was in the realm of possibility that their instructor's husband would make an appearance. But, it was more than any of the women could ever have dreamed of that Zach Yancy would be in their presence. Robert and Leah joined Zach at the front of the room. Zach grabbed up Leah in his arms and twirled her around. Setting her down he said in his natural Australian accent, "It is really a pleasure Leah. Maybe now this guy can stop talking my ear off about you!" He planted a kiss on her cheek and then gave her back to Robert's embrace. "Ladies," Robert announced. "We had to promise Mrs. Finch not to disrupt Market with a scene. So, we can't open the doors again until we have our disguises back on. If you like, we'd be happy to stay here and meet each of you, sign autographs or whatever. Just nobody leaves until we are done. Let me see everyone's hand that would like to stay for a little while." Every hand in the class shot up. "Ask a silly question..." laughed Zach. The women spent about half an hour talking to the two men and getting their market brochures autographed. Leah surmised that many of them were missing appointments with fabric manufacturers, or other classes, but none of them seemed to mind. Finally, the men put on their caps, sunglasses and serious faces. They asked the ladies to please stay in the room for about five minutes so they had time to get out to the waiting limo before anyone found out they were there. The women were

happy to cooperate. The two men picked up Leah's class materials that she had packed up while they were busy with her students. Then each man, fully disguised, took up a position on Leah's arms and escorted her out of the classroom. When they reached the front entrance, Paulette met them as she was coming in the building. She looked surprised at the guards escorting Leah, but stopped her to talk anyhow. "Leah, dear! I've been meaning to call you. I'm taping again in January and was hoping I could book you to come on the show and demonstrate that appliqué technique you do. And," she gushed, "you must bring that good smelling man of yours." Robert lowered his sunglasses onto his nose for just a moment. "Thank you, Paulette, we'll be there." Paulette was obviously shocked, and embarrassed by her comment about Robert. She quickly regained her composure. "Robert, how good to see you again!" "You'll have to excuse us ma'am," Zach said with his southern drawl. Then pulling down his sunglasses for just a second he added, in his Australian accent, "We have a plane to catch." What he had to catch, was Paulette. She nearly fell over in front of them. Zach held her up and helped her to a nearby chair. He then rejoined the couple, and the three quickly left the building and got in the waiting limo. Inside the parked limo, they doubled over in laughter at Paulette's reaction. "I thought I'd never see Paulette lose her composure," Leah said once she could catch her breath. "Like you never lose your composure, dear," Zach piped in. Leah had tried to prepare herself to meet this man once she was in Australia. She just wasn't prepared to be in such close contact with him now. His presence was overwhelming, much the same way Robert's had been that first day in the elevator. "I need to go to the hotel and get my things before we can leave." Leah said. "And, Madison! I need to let Madison know that I'm leaving." "We have a little plan for Madison," Robert said winking at Zach. "We need you to find her and bring her back to the hotel room in half an hour. Can you do that?" "No. Please, Robert, I just got you back. I don't want to let you go," she whined snuggling into his side. "Come on Darlin'. We have a sixteen-hour plane trip in front of us. You'll get plenty of me then. That's a promise!"

"Okay," she said dejected. Leah looked at her watch and then hugged Robert, unwilling to let go. Finally, she handed him her hotel room key card as she got out of the limo. Hesitantly, she headed into the convention center to find Madison. As the driver shut the door she could hear Robert's voice, "So, how about that twenty..." Madison was at the Classic Cottons booth, where they had planned to meet after Leah's class. Leah was forty-five minutes late and Madison was done looking at all the latest lines of fabric. "Leah, you should have been here. I went ahead and picked some fabulous lines that I thought you'd like to work with. Okay, so I picked lines that I wanted you to work with. Anyhow, they'll send you samples as they come out." Handing her a piece of paper, "Here's the list of what I ordered and when it's expected to be on fabric." "Madison, thanks so much. I was delayed in my classroom by some security guards. I think they had a bomb threat in the classroom area, or some such thing." "Not a problem, I just hope I did okay for you. How exciting it must have been for you though." You have no idea! Leah thought. "I'm beat, Madison. Let's get out of here. I want to go back to the hotel room and lay down for awhile before dinner." The women headed for the door. "What about your class materials, Leah? Don't you want to take them to the hotel room? You won't be coming back if we go to dinner. Then you have to meet Robert's plane at seven." "I put them in a taxi and the driver was going to drop them off at the hotel for me," she lied. "I was too tired to lug them around anymore. Six two-hour classes in three days is just too much. I'll never let them book me for so many again." Madison looked at her quizzically. It wasn't at all like her friend to spend money on something so impractical as a taxi to take some luggage to the room. Back at the hotel, Madison unlocked the room and entered first. Out of the bathroom sauntered Zach, dressed only in a towel! "G'day, Madison!" Madison stumbled back into Leah's arms. "Oh my God, it's Zach Yancy!" Leah supported Madison as she got her footing back. "Robert came early to get

me and brought Zach with him," Leah explained. Robert waved at them from inside the room where he was sitting on the side of a bed. "Oh my God!" Madison said again. She walked past Zach looking up at him, and then down at his towel, in disbelief. She sat on the bed next to Robert who put his arm around her to steady her. "Oh my God!" she said again. "Hey Leah," Zach teased, "You could learn from your friend on how not to drop things when meeting new people." Leah passed Zach, punching him hard in the arm and then took a seat on the other side of Robert from Madison. Shaking her head Madison said, "I had a dream like this a couple of years ago. This is so unreal." "Madison," Zach said getting her attention. "Did this happen in your dream?" He let the towel drop from around his waist. Madison threw her hands up to cover her face. The other three burst into laughter and Madison peeked out from behind her fingers to see Zach standing there with beige boxer shorts on. Indignant she said, "No Zach, that never happened. It was an innocent dream, honest!" She was blushing and she started talking faster, trying to cover her embarrassment. "In the dream I came home from work and you had just walked out of the shower wearing just a towel. You thanked me for letting you stay at our house while you were in town. My husband was there. Nothing happened." "Too bad," Zach teased. He was well aware of the effect he had on women and he seemed to enjoy it immensely, in spite of the fact that he was happily married and never rumored to play around. "Well folks, this has been fun," Robert said, standing up he winked at Zach. "We have to get you ladies downstairs for dinner so we can eat before the flight." Zach came over and grabbed Madison by the hand. "Come on dear, we have reservations," and he pulled her to the door. "But, shouldn't you..." Madison stammered. "Shouldn't I what?" Zach answered innocently with his hand turning the doorknob on the door to the hallway. "Shouldn't you get dressed?"

Everyone had a good laugh as Zach looked down, acting as if he had forgotten he was in his boxers. Then he popped into the bathroom for a moment and came out dressed, complete with sunglasses and a large rimmed baseball cap. As Zach escorted a bewildered looking Madison out the door, Leah took a step towards the door. Robert pulled her back and into a firm embrace. "Where do you think you're going?" "To dinner," she answered innocently. "Do you really think that I'm hungry for dinner after being away from you for four months?" Leah smiled, "I guess they can keep each other company for a little while without us."

Chapter Nineteen They stopped in L.A. to pick up Rick Martinez, and a couple of crewmembers from the picture that had wanted a few hours with their significant others. Leah was thankful for the private bedroom on the plane so she and Robert were able to spend most of their time in privacy, and get to know each other all over again. It was a long flight and she felt totally out of sorts by the time they got to Australia, even though she'd slept most of the flight. Between the thirteen hour time difference and the change in seasons, she was really disorientated. Robert had a nice trailer on the set, and she spent the first two days inside sleeping, except when Robert came in on a break or for the night. She enjoyed their little forays and really didn't care what time it was when he woke her up. He brought in food so she didn't have to cook or go out. The second night he brought her dinner into the bedroom and sat on the bed stroking her hair until she woke up. "Hey Babe, I'm glad your home," she said smiling sleepily. "How you doing?" "Lordy, I had no idea that it would take so long to adjust," she told him a little confused as she sat up in bed. "Maybe I'm getting sick." "It gets easier when you've done it a few times. Remember, you were at a disadvantage from being so tired after three days of teaching. You told me once that you usually spend a day or two sleeping after being gone teaching for a few days. So you really are no worse off than if you had gone home to Oscoda." Leah thought about it. "I guess you're right. I was thinking it was all jet lag, but I was pretty beat before we even took off." "You think you'll feel more like yourself tomorrow?" Robert asked grinning. Leah rolled her eyes and kissed him, "What have you done?" "Nothing, it's just that Marcia is eager to meet you." Leah was at a loss. "And, who is Marcia?" "Marcia Yancy. Zach's wife. You remember Zach, the goofy looking fellow with a funny accent?" "I hardly think that anyone but you would describe him that way!" she laughed. "Yes, I think I'll be okay to go out tomorrow. I'll walk around the set some while you're working and get my sea legs back. That's alright if I just walk around, isn't

it?" "Sure, just when you see the red light on top of a camera, pointing in your direction, duck!" He really loved that she was so clueless about his business. He wanted to see the wonder in her eyes the way a child sees things for the first time. "What if I come back at lunchtime, we could go out and eat together? I'll show you around then. How's that sound?" "Sounds like you don't trust me to explore on my own?" She acted hurt and gave a little pout. "You? Trust you? You'd probably trip and set the place on fire if you saw Zach walking across the street." "I think you are asking for a fight." She got up on her knees and wrestled him down onto the bed. He didn't resist, too much. "I'm so glad you're here, Mrs. Stetson." *** By lunchtime the next day, Leah was still exhausted but getting a touch of cabin fever. She was glad to get out with Robert for lunch. Despite his misgivings, she didn't set the place on fire. She didn't even spill her water when Zach sat down across from her at lunch in the small cafeteria set up in a tent. "Hey Leah, I see he finally let you out!" Zach said loudly as he started to eat. The little cafeteria was suddenly filled with laughter and Leah was so embarrassed that all she could do was to put her elbow on the table and hide her face behind her hand. Robert wasn't going to let Zach get the best of him. "Had to feed her, so she didn't get weak," he said equally as loud. "Robert!" Leah stood up quickly, unbelieving that they would sit there and make fun of her like a couple of teenage boys in the school cafeteria. In the process her tray went flying across the narrow table and landed upside down on top of Zach's tray. "Thanks, Leah, I really appreciate you sharing!" Zach made a big show of scraping what was left of her tray onto his and he started eating from the now messy double portions. Leah sat down hard. There was just no way she was going to get anywhere with these men. They were like a pair of juvenile delinquents when they got together.

"Remind me never to go out in public with both of you at the same time," she said loudly. A low "ohhhh" came from the other diners. Now she was scared, they thought she was egging them on. Lord, why couldn't I have kept my mouth shut? she thought. Thinking quickly, she turned to Robert. "I'm really tired, I'm going back to the trailer," she said standing to leave. She could hear Zach as she walked away, "Tired, I bet!" Everyone started laughing again. She knew if she returned to the table she'd be asking for more, so she retreated to the safety of the trailer. She vowed not to leave it for the next month. A few minutes later Robert came in and found her crying on the bed. "Hey, Babe! What's this? We were only having fun." She sat up and retreated to the far side of the bed from where he sat. "Sure, at my expense. It wasn't nice," she whimpered. He looked into her puffy, glossed over eyes. "You aren't usually this thin-skinned. Are you still tired? Or, maybe you are getting sick?" He felt her forehead and pulled his hand back with alarm. "You're burning up!" Leah felt her own forehead, and she did think that it felt a bit warm. Robert laid her back down in the bed. He covered her with the quilts she had sent with him when he had first come down, so he could snuggle with them, if not with her. "I'm sending for the nurse on duty. We'll see Marcia another time." He kissed her forehead then teased, "Ohhh, hot stuff!" Then he left. The studio nurse, Bonnie, came and checked her over and took some blood. "I don't think it's anything serious. Probably a touch of flu exacerbated by your schedule and all the travel. Lots of rest and fluids," she warned her patient with a smile. There was a knock at the door and Bonnie went to answer it. Leah was shocked when Bonnie didn't return, but instead a wall of spring flowers walked through the small bedroom door. From around the side peeked a very sorry looking Zach. "Leah, can you ever forgive me? I never would have made fun if I'd known you were sick, honest." "Come on in Zach, but just don't tell Robert that I let you in our bedroom." She tried to laugh but coughed instead. "So, you're entertaining Zach as soon as I'm gone," Robert's voice came from behind a second wall of flowers that appeared in the doorway. "Robert! You two are going to spoil me!" She motioned for him to sit on the side of the bed with her.

Robert put the flowers on the floor, where they promptly fell over. "Here I'll get them buddy, you take care of the missus." Then Zach grabbed the second floral arrangement and did his own version of the Three Stooges trying to get through the small door with the two huge bundles. Robert and Leah laughed long after Zach had left the room. A few moments later they could hear the door shut as Zach left the trailer. Robert lay next to Leah, putting his arm around her back and pulling her close. "The nurse said that she was going to send the blood to the hospital and she'll let you know the results tomorrow. She didn't expect anything out of the ordinary." He kissed her forehead and asked, "Can I get you anything?" She coughed, from laughing so hard. "They say laughter is the best medicine. Thank you for that dose." She yawned and then barely whispered, "Tell Zach thank you for me." She snuggled next to him and promptly fell asleep in his strong arms. He lay there for half an hour, with her in his arms, after she had dozed off. He marveled at this woman, so unlike any he had known before. How did he survive without her for forty-three years when he barely survived the last four months without her? Bonnie stopped by the next morning to inform Leah that the blood work showed nothing out of the ordinary and that she should just get lots of rest and fluids. Leah promised to obey orders. It wasn't hard, she had no energy. Robert stopped in at lunch and brought her some chicken noodle soup that Marcia Yancy had made for her when she'd heard that Leah was sick. Leah took a good whiff of the hot soup after Robert had warmed it for her. "Oh, that smells good! I'm not really hungry, but I think I can get this down." "Good girl," Robert encouraged her. "Robert, I may be sick, but I haven't forgotten what day it is," she said taking a spoonful of soup. "What day is it, Babe?" "You know," she teased, "your birthday." "Oh no! I don't have birthdays anymore. Those are for people who are getting old. Do you see any gray hair?" he asked leaning his head down so she could see the top of his head. She pushed his head away. "I know why you don't have any gray hair, and it has nothing to do with the number of birthdays you've had." She coughed more when

she laughed, so she tried not to laugh. "I got you this," she said reaching under her pillow and pulling out a gift-wrapped box. "Although I don't think you're going to be able to use it tonight." He took the box from her and shook it next to his ear. "Well, if I can't use it, maybe I shouldn't open it." "Don't be silly, you have to open it on your birthday. You can use it another day, when I feel up to baking a cake and all that fun stuff to go with it." Robert slowly unwrapped the box, enjoying the moment. He never got gifts when he was a child, and rarely as an adult. From inside the box he pulled out a lacy red silk teddy and a garter. "I don't think it will fit me," he said acting disappointed. "Sorry, honey. I was going to wear it and give you myself for your birthday," she coughed. "But, I don't think it's going to work out today." "Thank you! I'll take a rain check," he said kissing her on the forehead. "You've got it!" she said between coughs. "I didn't know what else to get a man who can get anything he wants. You've got to be the hardest person in the world to shop for. It's not fair!" "Babe, I couldn't ask for anything more than I already have. You are the greatest gift in my life." He got a mischievous look on his face, "I can't wait to see you all wrapped up in my present!" Four days later Leah woke up early feeling like herself again. She shook Robert until he awoke from a sound sleep. "What's wrong, are you alright?" he asked truly concerned, but not quite awake. "I'm fine," she grinned mischievously, dressed in the risqué red teddy. "I just need a shower after spending all that time in bed." Then she jumped out of bed, enticing him to follow... *** That evening they went to Zach and Marcia's ranch. The Yancy's had a fleet of three helicopters to get around in. The ranch was a good 250 miles from the set and at least thirty miles from their nearest neighbor. Leah liked Marcia from the moment they met. She was very down to earth and enjoyed her life in the outback. Their two children were both grown and living in the States, with families of their own. Once the meal was over the men left them alone to talk. The women sat on a

couch in the Yancy's massive front room and found much to talk about that first night. Marcia told Leah how they had lived on canned beans for ten years before Zach started to make money. Then it was like a river washing them downstream. They had to hang on for dear life, or get swept away by it all. "Have you had any troubles adjusting to Robert's money?" Marcia asked, concerned, but not prying. "No, I just pretend like it's not there. I mean, there are things that can't be ignored; like his jet, limos to get everywhere, and stuff like that. But, when we are home we still live in the house I had when I met him. It's small, but I'm comfortable," Leah said, confident that she was handling the changes fairly well. "Leah, dear, I don't mean to be rude on your first night here, but you need to wake up!" Leah was shocked by Marcia's words. She thought that they were so much alike and that Marcia would understand how they lived. "I don't understand," she said shaking her head in confusion. "Dear, your man, Robert, is an international movie star. If you've just lived together in your small town since you've met him, then I need to clue you into a few things." Leah listened intently, not knowing what to expect to hear from this woman, who seemed to have her best interests at heart. "First, never watch him film a love scene. Never! You got that?" Leah nodded. "If you want to see how it's done, and I strongly suggest you do, you watch someone else's love scene, like the one Zach is filming tomorrow. You'll see how it's done, without having to watch your man do it. It's all very unnatural, and if he loves you, he'll be coming home to you." "You don't worry? Ever?" Leah asked amazed at this woman's candid approach to things. "I learned a long time ago not to worry. The day he doesn't come home to me, is the day I will start to worry. Now, let's talk about your living arrangements. You have to tell him that you want a huge mansion on a hill somewhere overlooking a lake, stream, river or something. Tell him that you want six garages and a car in each one. Tell him that you want separate servant's quarters, and a big guest house in the back." "Marcia, please. I know you mean well, but I really don't want those things."

"You may not want them for yourself, but you really need to start thinking about what Robert needs. I'm giving you the benefit of the doubt here that you are not just being selfish." "What?" Leah asked, amazed that this woman seemed to think she was selfish for wanting to live simply. "Dear, those things that you are going to tell Robert you want, are actually what he needs. He loves you a great deal, I can see it in the way he looks at you and by the way he can't stand not to be touching you when you two are in the same room. By telling him that you want them, he will be getting what he needs in trying to provide for you." Leah was still shaking her head. None of what Marcia was saying was making any sense. "I still don't understand, I'm sorry. I don't understand why he would need six garages when we only have one car." "Leah, Robert pays a very high price for doing what he does. He can't go out in public whenever he wants, without a disguise or a bodyguard. His life is constantly covered by the tabloids and plastered on the TV. The only place that he has a true sense of who he is, is at home with you. He needs that to be a place where he can be comfortable and spend his time between movies, without feeling any restrictions on his movements. Do you understand yet?" Leah was still confused, "Are you saying he needs lots of space at home, because it is the only place he can relax?" "Basically. I know you haven't been exposed to all this for very long, and only a little at a time, so bear with me, okay." Leah nodded. "Tell me, have you seen his house in L.A.?" "Just for a few minutes," Leah confessed. "It was palatial and sat on a cliff overlooking the ocean. I'd never seen anything like it before." "And you can see what kind of spread we have here," Marcia said holding her arms open and looking around the room. "Our men, Leah, lead lives that are bigger than life. Yet, they are tied to their celebrity, and know very little peace because of it. Robert has that house in L.A., because he needs it, not just because he can afford it. There's a reason they are paid as well as they are. It's because so few people in the world have their degree of talent. And, even fewer that are willing to give up all sense of privacy the way you have known it for your entire life."

"Marcia, I feel so stupid," Leah said hanging her head down, suddenly seeing what she'd been hiding from. "I can't believe that I spent so much time worrying about being independent and self-sufficient, that I didn't see his needs. I'm so ashamed." She hoped that Marcia couldn't see that she was ready to cry. "Dear, I'm not telling you these things so you will feel bad. I'm just trying to pass on some knowledge that has helped us survive in this crazy world of theirs. You two obviously love each other very much, and I wanted to share with you some of the lessons I learned the hard way." Thinking Leah was about to cry, she quickly added, "I fought getting this ranch for years. I told him I wanted to live in the city, and we did for several years. It nearly killed him, with everyone wanting a piece of him day after day. I'm just thankful that Mrs. Gibson was able to clue me in before I lost the man I love." Leah wasn't going to ask, she could guess which Mrs. Gibson Marcia was talking about. By the end of the evening Leah had learned a great deal from Marcia and looked forward to spending more time with her. *** Leah spent a second week at the trailer with Robert and then a week at the Yancy's ranch. She and Marcia went shopping at a high-priced Shoppe in Melbourne for dresses to wear to the movie's premier that next year. It was the first time she'd used the credit card that Robert had given her for what he had called, "things that you'll need to be Mrs. Stetson." At the time she didn't think she'd ever use the card, because she wanted to be the same Leah she had always been no matter what her last name was. She was grateful to have Marcia to help guide her into the unknown territory that was to be her life with Robert. She promised Marcia she would consider her advice seriously. The men came back to the ranch each evening, sometimes late. It depended on when they were done shooting for the day. Leah enjoyed her time with Marcia, but was always glad to see Robert walk through the door. Her last week in Australia, she stayed in the trailer so she could have every minute with Robert that he was free. It seemed to her that as director, Zach was allowing Robert to have a light schedule that week. If Zach still felt bad about making fun of her while she was sick, she was glad for it and would have to tell him he was forgiven. But, only when she was ready to leave. She wasn't willing to give up any of her time with Robert while she was still there. Leah boarded the plane two days before Thanksgiving. Robert came on with her. They sat together, not speaking for a time. "I miss you already," she said softly. "I know Babe. I'll be home soon. We're ahead of schedule, so I may even be home a little early."

"I hope so," she said sadly. "Are you sure you can't escort me home?" "Zach really had to re-work the schedule so we could spend some extra time together this week. I need to get back to work so we can stay ahead of schedule." She leaned into him, not wanting to let go. "I won't ever get used to saying goodbye to you." Tom and Jerry boarded the jet after their pre-flight exterior check and quickly went into the cockpit, giving the couple privacy. Robert stood up and pulled her to her feet. "I'll see you next month. If you can stay strong, then I can stay strong. I need you to stay strong, Leah. Will you do that for me?" She buried her face into his shirt. She nodded, but in her heart she didn't want to stay strong. She wanted to melt into a puddle of tears. He kissed her like he had that time so long ago in her kitchen and she had to sit down. Then he was gone, and the door shut behind him. She buckled into a seat near the window so she could watch him until he was no longer in view.

Chapter Twenty The day after she returned she was trying to catch up on her sleep on the couch, when there was a knock at the door. She answered, bleary eyed. A FedEx deliveryman handed her a large box, "From Australia, ma'am," he informed her. There was only one thing she wanted from Australia, but she didn't get into that. She politely thanked him and put the box on the couch. It didn't weigh much, considering it's size. Retrieving scissors from the kitchen, she returned and cut the tape down the seams and opened the box to find the contents covered with a large black bag, with a note on top. "Babe, thought you might like this to keep warm until I get home! Love, Robert" She opened the bag to find his Colombia jacket that she loved so much. She held it to her face, with tears wetting the cloth. It smelled just like him. It was an unusually warm November day and she had the windows open. Despite the weather she put the coat on and laid back on the couch, wrapped in his scent, in his love. Leah was recovered from her jet lag by Thanksgiving. She had her parents and the Bennett's over for a traditional turkey dinner with all the fixings. She knew she had a great deal to be thankful for, but she really didn't feel like celebrating without Robert there with her. It was hard for her to focus on work the next Monday, but she soon found out she had to. Leaving Madison on her own had been overwhelming to her friend, and Leah had a few fires to put out. It wasn't anything urgent, but she was glad to have the distractions. Leah had stayed in close contact with Madison via the telephone, fax and email, but some things just needed her personal touch. The rose deliveries hadn't stopped while she was gone, and Madison was sad to see her daily rose, now taken back by Leah. But, she could see that Leah was hurting and was glad that Robert had the foresight to arrange such a nice gesture. Leah hoped that Robert would make it home by Christmas and started making arrangements for his Christmas gift. She'd show him he wasn't the only one who could arrange a surprise. Making arrangements for his gift quickly took up most of her day, once again leaving Madison to struggle alone. After a week of hardly seeing Leah during the day, Madison sat her down. "Leah, I think I need a part-time assistant! I have no idea how you kept up by yourself all these years. I just can't do this on my own. So much of your time is taken up by being Mrs. Robert Stetson, and that's how it should be. But, I don't want to give up being Mrs. Dean Bennett in the process." "I'll see what I can do," she promised Madison. The next day she took the

bookkeeping to her accountant and was surprised to learn that she was indeed making enough for Madison to have a part-time assistant, as well as rent office space to run the business out of. The Stetson name had brought a great deal of attention to Leah's work. The income generated by the increased sales was more than Leah had ever imagined. She had no idea just how much work Madison had been keeping up with in the last couple of months, as the orders continued to increase almost daily. Leah knew that the old designs would only sell so long. If the business were to survive she'd have to get some of her new ideas off the sketchpad. She tried to spend at least half of each day with Madison. They looked for a suitable building and planned the move. Leah also started turning the new designs into patterns. Leah promoted Madison to office manager, with a salary matching what she had made at the hospital. She left the hiring to Madison, since she was the one who would be working closely with the new assistant. Leah was keeping busy and time slipped away quickly. On Christmas Day she was all too aware that she was alone. She spent way too much time on the phone with Brent. Then she visited her parents and the Bennett's. She and her parents didn't open any gifts; they wanted to wait for Robert's return, which they hoped would be before New Years. Still waiting for Robert's call, she returned home. She went to bed at eight, hoping she could sleep. She sat up out of a deep sleep and looked at the clock. It was nine. She'd only been sleeping an hour. She sat still, did she hear something, is that what woke her? "Leah," she heard her name whispered. "Who's there!" she yelled trying to sound unafraid and reaching under her mattress for the mace. "Leah, it's just me," came Robert's voice. He turned on a hall light and she could see his silhouette in the bedroom door. "Robert!" She ran into his waiting arms. "My God, you scared me!" "I thought you'd be glad to see me," he teased. "Maybe I should check our bed to see why you weren't expecting me," he said as he pretended to look past her to see who was in the bed. Leah punched him, then snuggled back into his arms. He felt so good, and she had missed the scent of his cologne almost as much as she missed him.

He pulled her back so he could kiss her. "Ummm, I missed that," he said. "But, no time for any of that right now." Leah moaned. He wasn't going to leave again so soon, was he? "Come on, Babe," he said pulling her robe over her shoulders and pushing some slippers on her feet. "I've got something for you." "You got me a present?" she asked surprised. "Don't you know you're the only present I want to unwrap tonight?" "Please, don't distract me. I have a mission. You can unwrap to your heart's delight, but just give me a few minutes to show you what I brought you." Leah moaned again as he dragged her to the back door, and then moaned even louder when he opened the door and a bitter December wind whipped through her robe. He ignored her protests and dragged her into the garage where a brand new Buick LeSabre sat wrapped with a huge red ribbon. The ribbon was so wide that it blocked the entire front seat from her view. "Robert, thank you! Oh, I love it! How did you know?" He scratched his head and looked to the ceiling, "Let me see, your car was older than Brent! How's that for starters?" "Thank you so much. I've been paying more to keep the old Bonneville going than it was worth. I love you so much for always knowing just what I need." She hugged him in appreciation, as much as to get warm. "Can we please go in now? It's freezing out here!" "How rude, my dear. You have to open a gift at the time you receive it." She didn't want to be rude. She was cold, and she hadn't seen him in a month. "Okay, okay." She opened the car door, expecting to shut it quickly and get back into a warm bed, with her very warm husband. As the car door shut, her mouth dropped open. Did she really see...? She opened the car door all the way this time, and there sat Brent, smiling like a fool. "Brent!" She turned to Robert, then back to Brent. "Why didn't you guys tell me you were coming?" "It's called a surprise, Mom," Brent said sarcastically. He got out of the car and gave his mother a big hug. "I've missed you, Mom. It's good to be home."

"Can we go in now, please?" Leah pleaded. She wasn't really feeling cold any longer with her two men there. She just wanted to get inside and spend some time with them. "Mom, I don't want to be in the way." Leah started to protest, and Brent held up his hand to quiet her. "You two need some time alone, and you aren't going to get it with me in the next room. I'll be back in the morning, I'm sure Cap and Grandma will be happy to see me." She kissed her son on the cheek. "Thank you, Brent. I'm so glad you're home." They watched as Brent drove the car out of the driveway, minus the big red bow. Then they went into the house to warm each other. The next morning was the best day that Leah could remember in a long time. She had Robert, Brent and her parents all there with her. They ate a big breakfast, including a large pan of Robert's scrambled eggs. Then there was gift-wrap flying in every direction as they opened their presents. There were the usual round of thank-you's and 'It's just what I needed'. Sitting in the living room they began discussing their lives. Brent talked about his third year of college and how good the golf team was doing. Robert teased that Brent was just trying to rub in his victory at Augusta National. Robert then told about the movie and how it was to premier in early September and he hoped they could all make it. Leah showed them the dress Marcia had helped her pick out. "That's not for Halloween!" Robert said firmly making sure there was no confusion on the subject. After half an hour of lively conversation Brent got a perplexed look on his face and turned to Leah. "Mom, didn't you get Robert a gift?" "She's my gift," Robert said trying to save her. "Actually, Brent, I did." She turned to Robert, "Robert this gift is probably more for me than you. Since we'll need your money to pull it off I would understand it you don't want to go ahead with it." Robert raised his eyebrows, "Now you have my attention. I'm intrigued!" Leah pulled a large file from underneath the couch where they were sitting and handed it to him. "What, no bow?" he asked seriously. "I don't want a present without a bow."

Leah pulled a bow off a discarded piece of gift-wrap that was sitting on the floor next to her and put it on his head. "There's your bow, silly. Now will you please open it?" Robert slowly opened the flap of the file, glancing at Leah, trying to read her face. He pulled out a large stack of papers and started leafing through them. "Is this what I think it is?" Leah lowered her head, as if ashamed. "I hope you don't mind, but I really do need a bigger house. You had said you wanted a bigger house, and I thought maybe you wouldn't mind if I did some research while you were gone." "Great, I love it! He hugged her, as half the papers fell out of his hands. Everyone, except Cap in his wheelchair, scrambled to retrieve the papers for Robert. "Show me what you've done." Leah started sifting through the papers. "This house has three bedrooms, and a two car garage." She started the paper on a trip around the room, starting with Robert. She was trying to read his face, and thought she saw a trace of disappointment at the small property. She continued to send around flyers from other available properties, each one getting a little bigger. It looked as though Robert was getting a little more satisfied with each of the larger properties. "This is the largest property available right now." She passed the paper around describing the five bedroom, two bath old farmhouse in the downtown Oscoda area. "The good thing about this is that it's not too expensive because it needs a lot of fixing up." Leah was pleased to see a dark look cross Robert's eyes. "Leah, dear," he said hesitantly, not wanting to sound ungrateful for all the work she had done. "We can afford to get something that's not a fixer upper. Don't you understand that yet?" "Well, then the only other choice is to build," Leah said with flair pulling a second folder from under the couch. She started another series of flyers around the room. "This property is twelve miles north of town, it's sixteen acres, is accessible only by a private road and is located between Lake Huron and a golf course. We may be able to get another eight acres or so, adjacent to the first property." Oh, was she ever enjoying playing him like a deck of cards. His face was quickly brightening and she thought she actually saw a smile creep in. "Here are a few floor plans for the main house. They range from four thousand to six thousand square feet. Personally, I was hoping for a little more space myself." She kept it moving quickly now, "The smaller floor plan would be for the separate servant's quarters, and we could have a second servant's house if you wanted to bring Barry here when you're here for extended periods." Continuing the parade of papers she said, "Here are some ideas for a separate guest house. Then of course, we have to have at least an eight-car garage, I'm not going to live like a pauper just because we aren't on the ocean..."

Robert was on his feet letting out one heck of a whoop and throwing the papers in the air. He pulled her up and spun her around in the little bit of space that wasn't taken up by company. He set her down and kissed her, while the family looked on with raised eyebrows. They weren't quite sure what to make of what they had just witnessed. Robert and Leah finally sat down, laughing with each other. "God, Leah, I love you so much. Thank you!" "I don't get it," Brent said shaking his head. "She wants you to buy land and build a house with your money, and that's her present to you?" Leah and Robert looked at each other, still laughing, and then turned to Brent and nodded, grinning like two crazed people. "Alright," he said, "but I think you two need some serious help." "I feel like celebrating!" Robert announced. "The jet's here. Let's all go to L.A. for a late lunch at Club Nineteen in Pebble Beach." Brent's eyes got big. "Are you serious! You want to jet off to Pebble Beach for the afternoon?" "Sure, why not?" Robert asked as he pulled his bride off the couch. "You too, Cap and Josephine. Let's go make a day to remember!" His manner and good mood didn't leave much room for anyone to argue. *** Hours later they landed at the Monterey Peninsula Airport and were whisked away by a waiting limo to Club XIX. They had brought Cap's wheelchair and Robert lifted Cap effortlessly in and out of the vehicles and wheelchair, before Cap had time to protest. Leah was amazed at his gentle and caring ways. After meeting his mother, she wasn't surprised that he knew how to care for those he loved. And, he had been so good to her when she'd been sick in Australia. She just hoped that he would be there if she ever needed real support from him. Cap and Josephine talked all through lunch about the jet; amazed by it's size, much as Leah had been the first time she had seen it. Brent had flown in with Robert the night before so he was a bit more used to it. Cap, Josephine and Leah spent the afternoon at the spa while Robert, Brent, Jerry and Tom played a foursome of golf. Before they all flew back to L.A., they called ahead and ordered some Chinese

take-out to bring back to the house. "I doubt if there's a morsel of food in the house," Robert said. "I haven't lived here since I moved to Oscoda almost a year ago." While in L.A., Leah went through the entire house, making notes. She wanted their new house to be comfortable for him in any way she could make it. Marcia had been right. He needed a large private home he could come home to and be himself. She would just have to make the sacrifices of living in a palatial house with him! They all stayed at the beach house that night. Robert had stacks of supplies that were kept for unexpected guests. She'd never been in a hotel that was as accommodating. He had every kind of sundry item anyone needed, and they were welcome to help themselves. That night Robert and Leah slept in his room for the first time. She left the drapes open, enjoying the moonlight on the water until she drifted off to sleep. The next morning they flew Brent to Augusta before returning to Oscoda. Robert and Leah were excited about the new house. Robert was able to convince Stephen George, the architect who worked on his L.A. beach house, to design the new house. Leah and Robert spent many hours going over floor plans and then sent him the ideas they wanted incorporated in the house as well as pictures and a layout of the land. They were able to obtain the sixteen acres as well as another twelve acres to the north. The second of January was moving day for the business. Madison, her new assistant, Janet Chevalier, Robert, Leah and Josephine spent an entire day moving boxes into the new office on the old air base. There was a large storage area in the rear of the building, perfect for keeping all the stock in order. Cap stayed in the new building, directing everyone when they came with another load of boxes. It was one of those days that you knew you had worked hard, but felt good about what you'd been able to accomplish. Leah was glad to have the business out of the house, as she was sure Robert was. They finally could get up in the morning without worrying that Madison would be there by nine. It seemed strange to Leah, not to have boxes of patterns and bolts of fabric taking up every extra square inch in the house. She figured she'd better get used to it because Stephen George planned to have their house finished by early September. Leah had to admit that she enjoyed the idea of living in a large house, and not having to clean it herself. She was grateful to Marcia for talking some sense into her.

Robert was like a kid with a new toy to play with. He took her shopping all over the state looking for just the right furnishings and wallpapers. When they didn't find things that were to his liking, he put them on a list to look for when they were going to be in L.A. later in the month.

Chapter Twenty-one On the anniversary of the day they met, Robert surprised Leah with a trip to Providence where they enjoyed a quiet meal at Raphael's. It was very pleasurable, and she didn't cry once. When they returned from Providence, they found the latest Crazed Boyz CD in their pile of mail. Ringo had sent it along with the director's notes on how he envisioned the video. The couple sat and listened to the track that the video was covering. It was a power ballad of lost love. Leah flipped through the director's notes. "Did you read this yet?" she asked wrinkling her nose in confusion. "He's got all this macho, techno stuff in here; lots of wild dancing and fast cars. Did you hear any of that in the song?" "Honestly, no. But, this director has done a lot of successful videos for the Boyz. I'm sure he knows what he's doing." Leah hoped so, She didn't want the only unsuccessful video to be the one with Robert in it. He was having enough trouble getting his career re-started without a lousy video slowing it down. A few days later they had to be in L.A. for the back-to-back tapings of Paulette's show and then the music video. This time Paulette had Robert on the set when she opened the show. "Welcome back to another segment of I Love Quilts. We have a special guest with us today. Leah Mosley-Stetson has returned and she's brought her new husband, Robert Stetson. Leah, I understand that you met Robert the last time you were here." "Yes." Leah blushed, glad that Robert's arm was around her this time. Robert quickly left the set and Leah introduced her new line of patterns and showed some of the appliqué techniques she had used to create them. All in all the taping went much smoother than her first, and Leah felt good about it. After the taping, Leah went out into the hallway and found Robert, leaning on the railing looking down into the atrium the same way he had been a year earlier. She felt frisky and silently headed for the elevator. He quickly caught up with her and took her suitcase from her hand. Leah stopped and looked at him seriously, "Are you following me!" "Yes, my dear I am. So get used to it." They laughed and took "their" elevator to the first floor where Barry was waiting for them. They drove across town where the Crazed Boyz video was preparing to shoot. The set was very busy with technicians and set people running around. Jesse, Garrett and the other Boyz greeted them and introduced the couple to Houston

Jim, the famed video director. He was a large man in cowboy boots and a cowboy hat. She knew by his reputation that Houston wasn't his actual name, but where he was from. She couldn't ever remember hearing what his last name was. But, this was show business and she wasn't surprised. Houston Jim, Robert, Jesse and the other Boyz huddled, discussing the video while Garrett took Leah on a tour of the set so she could find her way around and get something to eat if she got hungry while they worked. She liked this man, he was kind. She felt bad for him though; he seemed lonely and lost without his family. "How are your kids?" she asked as they stood in front of the catering table. "I don't get to see them much. My ex decided that she wanted to live the high life in London so she could spend my money without me there." He lowered his head and shifted his weight uncomfortably. She touched his arm, "I'm sorry Garrett. It must be really hard on you. I know how hard it is to have Brent away at school. I can't imagine how it would have been not to have him near when he was growing up." Garrett looked into her eyes and then gave her a hug. "Thanks Leah, I'm glad you're here. You put a little sunshine in this otherwise miserable life," he laughed and she couldn't tell if he was truly joking, or just trying to cover his pain. They went back to the set and he found Leah a comfortable chair and got her settled in a place where she could watch the day's shoot. Then he returned to the other men. By the time they broke for lunch at three p.m. everyone was in a bad mood and frustrated. They went to a near-by Chinese buffet and Leah listened as the men talked about how it wasn't working and that they should scrap the whole concept and start over. "Leah never did think the concept went with the song," she was horrified to hear Robert say as he sat down next to her. She tipped over her water glass trying to shush him up. The water quickly traveled across the table and cascaded off the edge of the table onto Garrett's pants. He jumped up and had a large wet spot in a strange place. Leah covered her mouth with her hand, trying not to laugh. "I told you Leah did it for me," Garrett teased Robert. He wiped up the water the best he could with a napkin but the wetness would take awhile to dry. Houston Jim turned to Leah, "So, Leah. How did you see the music when you first heard it?" he asked seriously. Leah had just taken a forkful of lo mien and quickly covered her mouth with a napkin, begging for a moment with her eyes. "Jim, I'm sorry. Robert shouldn't have

said anything. I know nothing about making videos. I leave that to you." "Okay, leave it to me to make the video. Do you watch music videos?" "Oh yeah, all the time. I love music and the videos just add to the meaning behind the lyrics. At least the good ones do," she answered. "Then I would say that you're qualified at least to give me your ideas on how you saw the music when you first heard it." Jim waited intently for her to answer. Leah looked at Robert, who nodded his approval. She looked around the table at the Boyz, and they all were waiting to hear what she had to say. "Alright, but it's just what I saw. I'm sure you all have a vision of what it should be." "Let's hear it, Leah," Garrett encouraged her. "When I first heard the song, I already knew that Robert was to be in the video. I imagined him lost and lonely, looking for his lost love," Leah put her fingertips on her chest indicating herself. "I could envision him in a room filled with burning candles of all shapes and sizes. Mirrored walls just amplified the effect and it looked like there were candles going on forever. He wandered through the room, lost, lip syncing to the song. Each of the Boyz took their turn taking his place, singing about lost love." She looked up at Garrett, hoping he didn't take it too personally. "Then in the end, you know, where the music rises and then falls off after the lyrics are done, I could see all six men wandering through the room of candles at the same time and the candles would all go out as if they had lost all hope." Leah looked around the table, looking for some sign of what these men were thinking. Nothing. Everyone just went back to eating. Robert gave her hand a little squeeze. I really blew that, she thought to herself. Back on the set, the men huddled again while Leah sat in the corner, ashamed of her ideas and wishing Robert hadn't said anything. She pulled out her sketchpad and tried to focus on work. Jim came over to her once their little meeting was over, "Leah, we loved your idea, all of us." She looked up and saw the men across the room smiling at her. She was in shock. They had no reaction at lunch, how could it be that they liked it? "If you have the time, I'd like you to help put the set together the way you envision it. I lost my assistant last month when she got married, that's probably part of why I can't seem to get things to work. Actually, she stopped concentrating on work a year ago when she first met the guy. But, I see you're busy working..."

"No, I'd love to!" she said putting down her sketchpad. *** Leah had a wonderful afternoon getting the set ready. Robert and the Boyz went out and played a round of golf since they weren't needed. She was amazed at how she could ask for something and it would almost magically appear within minutes. Then after dinner everyone on the set, from Jim to the makeup artists, started lighting the candles. They filmed Robert, then each of the Boyz walking through the room and then the final scene with all six men together wandering around as though lost. They found putting out all the candles at once presented a few problems. A huge fan just sprayed everyone with tiny droplets of hot wax. These men were supposed to look solemn, and having them jumping around trying to wipe off the burning wax, just didn't work. They finally had the men stop and stand perfectly still until all but the front candles were out. With the other candles still smoldering they started filming again and a row of crewmembers blew out the front ones. It was all a little comical, Leah thought, how low-tech so much of this hightech business was. It was well after midnight before they got back to the L.A. beach house. Leah was exhausted, but exhilarated. They took some bedding outside and slept near the cliff. It was a warm January night and the cool salty air felt good. The next two days, Robert and Leah went to a dizzying array of stores looking for furnishings for the new house. Leah had wanted to buy as much locally in Oscoda as possible. But, Robert really wanted some more high-end appliances and stereo equipment that just weren't available from Oscoda merchants. He also took her on a shopping spree on Rodeo Drive and they spent a small fortune on clothing for both of them. She was once again surprised at how comfortable some of the clothing was. It was a much better quality of materials and workmanship than what she was used to. She could still keep a relatively casual look, but look like she'd spent some money on a nice wardrobe. She enjoyed the look in Robert's eyes when she gave in and let him spend money on her and the house. She had fought him on everything for that first year, and she was ready to give in and have some fun. She figured she had earned it by having him gone so much of the time. She had to sacrifice a lot for his career too, and she was starting to understand that, thanks to Marcia's honest and straightforward talks with her. After the second day of shopping, they returned to the beach house, for what Leah thought would be a quiet night. She was surprised and happy to see Madison sitting on the couch when they came in. "Leah, this is wonderful," she said hugging her friend. "I know you told me all about this house, but wow!" Madison swung herself in a small circle looking around the massive room.

"What are you doing here?" Leah looked from Madison to Robert, knowing full well he had something to do with it. Robert answered for Madison. "If you remember, I made a promise to Madison that the next time we saw a Crazed Boyz concert, that we would bring her. Tomorrow night is their first concert to promote the new album, so I flew her out so she could join us." The next afternoon Robert, Leah and Madison met with Houston Jim and the Boyz in a screening room located in Jim's office building. The Boyz all signed a copy of their new CD for Madison and she could not help but gush over Jesse. When they settled in to watch the video, Leah had to laugh at her friend as she hauled Jesse off to a remote corner of the room so she could have him all to herself, if even for just a few minutes. Leah was seeing a whole other side of Madison, as if someone had unleashed the beast inside of her. The video looked exactly the way Leah had envisioned it in her head the day she had first heard the song. "That's amazing, Jim!" she told him when it was over. "I can't believe that you got it exactly the way I saw it." Realizing that she didn't know what anyone else thought of the video, she looked around the room for their reaction. Everyone was nodding and saying how great it turned out. Leah was relieved that it seemed to meet with everyone's approval. "Thank you for saving the video," Jim said, shaking her hand. "I've already sent a contract over to Ringo, I hope you'll consider working with me in the future." Leah couldn't believe what she was hearing. "I have a Hazed Vision video coming up in a couple of months and I don't have a clue on where to go with it." "Hazed Vision?" she stammered. "I hope you know their work. I'll send you their new CD right away and you can get back to me if you're interested. Thanks again," he said giving a quick wave to the room. "I'll see everyone later, I really have to get this out so the world can see it." He quickly left and Leah was left there standing there in shock. She looked up at Robert who hugged her, "Way to go, Babe!" "Robert, did he really say Hazed Vision? He wants my ideas for a Hazed Vision video." "Sure why not," Garrett interjected. "You know what works. That's the best video we ever made. You'll like Whip and the boys. Don't worry, they don't bite anymore than we do," he teased hugging her a little tighter than she thought was appropriate. He then shook Robert's hand. "I'll see you two again soon, I hope." Bob, Squid and Tory all thanked her and said that they hoped she could work on

their next video. Jesse was excited about the video and hugged everyone. Madison was last in line. Much to everyone's surprise Jesse swung her around, dipped her and then kissed her full on the lips. "Make sure you bring her to the concert tonight," he told Robert as he left. "My God, Leah, did you see that!" Robert and Leah laughed as Madison swooned and sat in a chair to keep from falling over. They knew both Jesse and Madison were seriously committed to their marriages and enjoyed watching them flirt with each other. From the screening room they went directly to Ringo's office. Leah wasn't sure of what the odds were, but apparently the planets were in the right alignment because as they entered the foyer to Ringo's building, Bob Worth was coming out of an elevator. Leah braced herself for anything, but he took Madison's small frame up in his arms and danced around the foyer with her. Leah had to laugh at Madison's face as she tried to come to grips that Bob Worth was dancing around with her. Bob set a dazed Madison down next to Robert, who quickly helped her to a seat. "I see you're traveling with a harem today," Bob said flashing that amazing smile of his. Then he was gone. "What just happened?" Madison asked, stunned. "Let me see," Leah said. "You've been kissed by Jesse and danced with Bob Worth all within half an hour's time. I don't know why you're so flustered." Once Madison was able to walk again they went up to Ringo's office. He was busy and expecting a client at any moment. He agreed to squeeze them in while they were in town. "Well, whom do you have here?" Ringo quizzed as they walked in. Madison held up her hands in defeat. "Please, just put a chair under me, I can handle no more." They got Madison settled and then Ringo quickly went over the contract that Houston Jim had sent over the day before. "Well, Leah. First let me offer you my congratulations. Seems as if you made a real impression on Jim. I'd be happy to sign you on as a client. But, if you want me to represent you, I'll need you to sign a contract first. It's pretty standard. I'll send a copy home with you and then you can overnight both contracts to me if you're interested. Jim's contract says that you'll agree to do a minimum of six videos a year for the next three years with him exclusively. He's worded it so you can do as many as you can fit into your schedule. On the bottom of page twelve is the figure that he's offered." He pointed the figure out to Leah, who nearly fainted.

"That's per year, or for all three years combined?" she asked praying she wouldn't pass out. "Per video," Ringo stated matter of factly. "Honestly, if I were you, I would have it added to the contract to increase that amount by fifty percent after the first six videos to a more standard rate. He's started you on the low end since you are new to the business." Ringo didn't seem to notice that she was reeling from the news that she'd make more in the course of a few days on one video than she made in a whole year before she met Robert. "You all right, Leah?" Robert asked, concerned. "You're looking a little green." "I think I'm going to be sick," she said getting up and running to the bathroom. Madison came in the bathroom a few minutes later. "Leah, what's wrong? This is so fantastic! I didn't see the figures, are they low?" "Madison, they are out of this world." She braced herself against the sink as she rinsed her mouth. "How can I sign a contract to earn more in a just a few days than I made in all of the last two years? What if they don't like my ideas from now on? The contract is for three years!" There was a little knock at the door and Robert hesitantly came in looking around to be sure he wasn't seeing anything he shouldn't. "Leah, you really need to get back in there. I don't know what's going on in here, but Ringo has Melody Ann Riecker waiting to see him. She isn't a very patient person," he said, as though he had prior personal knowledge. She nodded numbly and he helped her back into the office, passing a pouting Melody. It seemed to Leah that she could remember that Melody and Robert had been an item briefly years before. She didn't have time to dwell on that now. "Ringo, I'm sorry. It's just all a little overwhelming," Leah apologized. "I'm sorry to rush you, Leah. You can take these home and look them over, or have your lawyer look them over. Then FedEx them to me tomorrow." "Thank you, Ringo. I appreciate your patience. Please apologize to Ms. Reicker for me." "Certainly, Leah." Ringo quickly turned his attention to Robert, "While I've got you here, I have to tell you that staying sober during the movie has got the offers rolling back in. I'm proud of you Robert, I know it hasn't been easy. See my assistant and she'll get you the scripts that I was going to FedEx to you. There's

one that just came in this morning. It starts in two months and I think you'll be interested. It's a six-month shoot in Africa. They lost their first choice in a contract dispute, so I need to know your answer yesterday." Ringo headed to the door. "Madison it was a pleasure to meet you. You two, out of here, I have other clients you know. Next time make an appointment," he laughed. As they left they could hear Melody complaining loudly to Ringo about having to wait. By the time they were in the car and Barry was driving them to an exclusive restaurant where Robert had made dinner reservations, Leah was getting her head back in order. "I feel like celebrating! Let's take Barry, Jerry and Tom with us to the concert," she told Robert excitedly. Robert thought it was a good idea, as did Barry. They got on the phone and arranged to have Tom and Jerry meet them there. *** At the concert, they were escorted to their booth. The flight crew was already there, and visibly excited. Leah was happy to see everyone together. These were the people who were like family to Robert, and she appreciated how devoted they were to him. Madison was a little over the top, taking turns dancing with each of the four men. At least six times she hung out of the window, to the point that someone would have to grab her so she wouldn't fall, and screamed at the top of her lungs, "I love you Jesse!" After the last episode, Jesse looked up and blew her a kiss. Leah thought her friend was going to faint. There was no way Jesse could have heard her, but his timing was perfect. Madison deserved the break after how hard she'd been working the last six months and she was taking full advantage of it. They spent another night at the beach house. The next morning they drove by Ringo's office on their way to the airport. Leah ran up to Ringo's office and signed both contracts while his assistant witnessed them. "Tell Ringo, that I said Thank you," Leah said trying not to notice who was sitting in the waiting room. When she returned to the car, she turned wide-eyed to Madison, "My God, Madison, you should have come up with me. Grant Kane was waiting to see Ringo!" "No!" she yelled dramatically as she started out the car door. "Grant! Baby, I'm coming!" The rugged action star had been a hero of hers for years and she would have died to get the chance to see him in person. Robert dragged her back in the car and she sulked. Pulling into traffic, Barry nearly

hit a pedestrian he was laughing so hard. Madison stared out the window and wistfully mumbled, "So close, and yet so far away."

Chapter Twenty-two Robert, Leah and Madison read the script for An African Sunset in the small conference room on the plane, handing each page to the next person as they finished reading it. The overwhelming consensus was that it was an opportunity that he could not afford to pass up. It was not as big a budget movie as Trouble in Little Town had been, but it would have significant box office punch and would go a long way toward restoring his career. Leah wasn't happy about losing him for another six months so soon, but she was beginning to resign herself to the fact that it came with being Mrs. Robert Stetson. Even though she didn't like it, she knew she would have to get used to it. There was so much to do before he'd be home in September that she hoped it wouldn't be as hard on them both as the first movie had been. It left them only two months before he was to leave again, and he'd only been home a month at that time. Leah was glad that Madison and her assistant, Janet, were settled in nicely and she could enjoy her time with Robert. Leah told Madison that she had permission to make Janet a full-time employee as soon as she felt it was necessary, so Madison didn't get overwhelmed again before Leah realized it. Madison didn't seem to mind the hard work as much since her trip to L.A. Leah got the impression that her friend hadn't said much to Dean. But when she was with Leah she would go on and on about her dinner at Quilt Market with Zach Yancy, her kiss with Jesse, her dance with Bob Worth and how she had just missed seeing Grant Kane. She'd also frequently ask Leah and Robert when they were going back, hoping that maybe it was convenient for them to let her tag along. Leah had to have an account set up in an L.A. bank as part of her contract with Ringo. Robert handled that, setting the account up in the same bank as his. It was through the bank statements that she would see how much had been deposited after Ringo took out his fee. When Leah received her first statement, she had to sit down. Ringo had warned her that Houston Jim had added a "little" bonus since the candle video had come in under budget. It was also the most requested video on VH-1 and MTV in the last two years. Even after Ringo's fee, and all the taxes were taken out, the amount was twice the figure on the contract. This is enough to buy a new car with, she thought! She called Ringo's office to make sure it didn't include an advance payment on the next video, and it didn't. That night as they sat on the couch after dinner, she showed the statement to Robert who was busting at the seams with pride. "You need to talk to my financial planner, Leah. He can put that money to work for you." "What in the world do I need this kind of money for?" she asked, totally stunned.

She'd worked for years to make that much money, and this she earned in a single day. "You earned it, don't act like it just fell in your lap. All those people on the set and nobody had a clue as to how to make that video work, except you. Do you know how much money one video generates for a band? A good video can generate millions in record sales, and even more in concert tickets. You did good, and this is a business that pays cash for good work." "I'm still not used to you having money, I don't know how I'm suppose to adjust to having my own money." "Well, if you don't want it," he teased taking the statement from her, "you can still pay me back." She yanked the statement from him and playfully kissed him on the cheek, "Not on your life. That was a wedding present! It would be bad luck to give back my wedding present from my handsome husband." "I think maybe Brent was right. You do need help. When you're dirt poor you want to pay me back. When you have money, you refuse to. What am I missing here?" "You've spoiled me, what can I say," she said with a silly grin. "You realize that you can stop worrying about being financially independent now. No matter how your design business does, you'll have a really nice nest egg even if you do just the eighteen videos in the next three years. And, with me gone so much of the time, you should have plenty of time to get in some extra videos." "Aren't you worried I'll run off with some handsome musician?" "Don't you worry I'll run off with some cute starlet?" "Sometimes, yes. Quite frankly it has occurred to me. You weren't a saint before I met you; why should I trust you to be one now?" "Because, my dear," he said laying her back on the couch, "I love you!" Unfortunately, the phone rang just as they were getting comfortable. "Hello," Leah answered. "Leah, I love the ideas that you sent Jim for the new video!" a very familiar voice on the other end of the line said. Leah pushed Robert off of her and he landed on the floor with a thump "Whip?" Leah asked, finding it almost impossible to believe that the Hazed Vision front man

would be calling her! "Yeah, me and the boys are in Brazil, we have a concert tonight. Just got the ideas from Jim and wanted you to know we look forward to working with you." "Thank you," Leah stammered, as Robert picked himself off the floor. "We were hesitant to go with Jim since his videos have been, well," he paused looking for the right word, "crap lately. But, we agreed to give him another try. Then when we saw what he did with the last Crazed Boyz video. Well, what can I say, it was genius." "Thank you," Leah stammered again. "Did you have something to do with that as well?" "Yes, it was my concept." She was going to have to go to the doctor and have an EKG tomorrow. All this had to be taking a toll on her heart. She could hear Whip yelling to his band mates that the Crazed Boyz video was her concept and there was a great commotion in the room behind him. "That's super, Leah. Now we really can't wait to work with you." Before she had time to say anything else, he asked, "Is that man of yours around?" "He's right here. Thank you for calling. I look forward to meeting you next month." She handed the phone to Robert and the two carried on a lively conversation for half an hour. He made Whip promise to watch out for her and not to flirt with her, too much. *** Leah enjoyed the video work a great deal. It was like quilt designing in a lot of respects. With the quilts she would receive the fabrics from a manufacturer and then decide how they would best be represented in a quilt. The videos started with the song and then she decided the best way to bring the ideas in the song and music to the screen. Of course, working with the biggest bands in the world was a definite plus. It worked out that the Hazed Vision video was to start taping the same day as Robert's Celebrity Golf Match. The day before, they flew to Augusta and picked up Brent on their way to L.A. They went their separate ways that first day, with the boys flying up to Pebble Beach for the tournament. Leah came home much later than Robert and Brent. She warmed up some take-out food they had brought home earlier and everyone settled into the comfortable sectional seating in the large living room.

Leah was exhausted from a long day of work, but not too tired to share in Brent's excitement. "Mom, you won't believe this! The other celebrity in our foursome was Samuel L. Jackson! Can you believe that? He's pretty darn good too. There were celebrities everywhere. Robert introduced me to Mel Gibson, Bob Worth... I can't remember them all. And guess which golfers played with us?" Brent's excitement was contagious. "Couldn't even guess. You're just going to have to tell me." Leah was really beat, but she did want to hear all about Brent's day. She was well aware that he could talk about a single golf game for hours, and braced herself for a long evening. "Mickelson & Cousins! Can you believe that?" Leah shook her head, well aware that Phil Mickelson and Frankie Cousins were two of her son's favorite players. "That's not the best part. Mom, there is no way you're going to believe this," he looked at Robert and the two men grinned from ear to ear. Leah braced herself to hear something really exciting. "Frankie," Brent said feeling like he was now friends with these men, "told me that his caddie has to go in for surgery next week and wouldn't be able to work for six weeks. Frankie's scheduled to play the U.S. Open in three weeks and won't have a caddie." "And...?" Leah asked, already anticipating what Brent was about to tell her. "He wants me to be his caddy at the US Open! And, you'll never guess where we're playing. The second course at Pinehurst!" "Oh Brent, that's wonderful! I remember when we were down there about five years ago so I could teach a class. Remember how we went to the clubhouse and they wanted three hundred dollars for you to golf there! I'm glad that you'll finally get a chance to at least caddie there. This is fabulous." Robert joined the conversation. "He'll get to do more than just caddie there. I made a call and he's already been added to my membership. He can golf there anytime he wants, especially since it's not that far of a drive from Augusta." "You should have seen the shot Robert made onto the first green today," Brent said as he started his hole-by-hole account of the day's golfing. Leah settled into the couch, leaning on Robert, hoping she wouldn't fall asleep before he was done. *** The next two days as Leah worked on the video, Brent and Robert golfed for fun in the morning and then came to the set in the afternoon and stayed until Leah was

ready to leave. Leah enjoyed meeting the band the first day, but she worked so hard all three days that she didn't get much time to get to know them. She was exhausted. It was a much more involved video concept and the sets took forever to set up and prepare. She felt like she was earning her paycheck this time. When they said goodbye to Jim, he handed her the new Bon Jovi CD, letting her know they wanted to tape in June. Robert, Leah and Brent all listened to the CD on the plane ride to Augusta, with Leah jotting down notes on the track the video was to cover. She was sorry to see Brent leave again. She'd been so busy working, she didn't get as much time to visit with him as she would have liked. Robert left for Africa a week later, leaving all the unresolved decisions on the new house to Leah. She spoke to him every night, so most of the decisions were still jointly made, but it wasn't the same as having him there to keep things running smoothly. He had the rose deliveries resume starting the day after he left. It helped her to know that he cared enough to do something like that, but she still missed him more than she'd allow herself to think about. Leah had faxed her ideas to Houston Jim about the Bon Jovi video. The song was one about rebuilding. She didn't know if it was rebuilding a life after a lost love or a death, rebuilding a relationship after an affair or rebuilding after a disaster of some type. It was a beautiful song that could be taken to heart by so many people for so many reasons and she wanted to incorporate that into the video. Since the house was still going to be in its early stages of being roughed-in, the first half of June, she thought of using that as one of the sets. Jim liked the idea and she started listing other local places that could be used as well: a cemetery north of town, the beach, a riverfront park, a natural spring and a section of virgin forest in the middle of the state. Each band member would be rebuilding something throughout the video, flashing between them. Fortunately the moon was to be full during the shoot. Oscoda being on the west side of Lake Huron, they should be able to use the moon rising on the lake. At its best it is a huge, blood red ball just as it breaks the horizon, and then it shrinks and fades in color quickly as it rises into the sky. There wouldn't be a lot of time for shooting, and no time for retakes. Jim liked the idea and they were going to go for it, weather permitting. The men and the crew showed up two days before Leah's birthday. She'd been a huge fan of the band since the eighties, as she had been with the Crazed Boys and Hazed Vision, so it was a great honor to meet them. Madison and Janet took a couple of days off to watch the shoot. Dean showed up after his day was done to make sure Madison wasn't flirting with Jon too much. She was, but she curbed it around Dean. Thankfully, the moon cooperated on the first night and the rest of the shoot

seemed to go as smoothly. The third day of taping was Leah's birthday and their first wedding anniversary. She missed Robert desperately. She was glad that she had the video to keep her mind off thinking about him and how they had spent the day just a year earlier. They should have wrapped up the project by dinnertime that night, but Jim decided they needed a concert scene, so she had to scramble to arrange to use the high school's football field. It all worked out incredibly easy and she was thankful for that. Madison, Dean, Janet and Leah all got on the phone and called everyone they knew and asked them to pass on the word that Bon Jovi would be giving a free concert at the football field that night at ten p.m. and everyone was welcome. Most of Oscoda and the surrounding towns already knew that the band was in the area filming, so they didn't expect to have any problems filling the seats. Leah was trying to enjoy the concert, but she couldn't stop missing Robert. Being at a concert again was too much like the night they had gotten married and he still hadn't called. It was after eleven p.m. before her cell phone rang. "Hey Babe, Happy Birthday! It is still your birthday, isn't it?" Leah could barely hear him and quickly walked around the building that housed the restrooms and refreshment stand so she could talk to him easier. "Oh Robert, I miss you so much tonight. We should be together." She couldn't hold back the tears anymore. Then the phone went dead in her ear. Damn, she thought. "We should be together," she heard Robert's voice saying. She looked at her cell phone thinking maybe it wasn't a dead line after all, but she had turned it off. She quickly turned around and there he stood. "Happy Birthday, Mrs. Stetson!" He stretched out his arms and she complied by falling into them. "Happy Anniversary, too." "Happy Anniversary," she said through her tears. How she had missed him. She suddenly stood back, giving him a stern look. "You arranged all of this didn't you? The concert, the football field and probably the taping to be this week." "What can I say? I like to pamper my girl on her birthday." "You rat, you!" she yelled and hit him. "Why can't you just come home like every other man, without a big production?" He smiled and said nothing in response. He knew that she wasn't really mad, just wishing that she'd had some warning so she could look forward to his visit. "This rat, has one more surprise for his lovely bride. Come on."

"Oh no, Robert. No!" she protested as he dragged her back onto the football field and then up on stage where the band was just finishing up "Older". They started right in on "Bed of Roses" which Jon sang to her with Robert joining in for the chorus. Leah was glad that they had a stool for her to sit. She'd always thought it was the most romantic song she'd ever heard, and Jon sang it with such passion it took her breath away. As soon as the song was over she gave a quick hug to each of the band members, since they were leaving right after the concert. Robert then whisked her away in a limo to their small house. Once there, she finally asked the question she'd been dreading to hear the answer to. "How long can you stay?" He looked at his watch. "Two hours. Let's not spend another second talking," he said kissing her into silence. *** Robert's short visit, and knowing all the planning that he had done to prepare for it, helped her to tolerate his being away again. The next month she flew to the Grand Canyon to film the next Crazed Boyz video. They had recorded the sound track for Trouble in Little Town, and the first video was the theme song to be released before the movie premiered in early September. Madison had insisted on going as her chaperone. Leah discussed her concerns with Robert, about the blossoming connection between Madison and Jesse. Robert had known Jesse for years and he knew that Jesse was devoted to his family and didn't think that Jesse or Madison would let things go to far. Leah relented, hoping she wasn't putting temptation in front of them. Leah knew that it was sometimes hard to be around these men who were so charismatic, and dropdead gorgeous. If it wasn't for Robert, she could see herself having a little fun. Leah shouldn't have worried. Madison and Jesse did have a great time flirting. They both knew the boundaries that their marriages put on them and they respected that. More than anything, there was a deep friendship building there. Much as Leah and Garrett had become friends. Leah wasn't sure why, but she sensed that Jesse was in desperate need of Madison's friendship at that time. He didn't have the same bounce in his step the way he had when they had first met and there was a profound sadness in his eyes. He was his old self only when Madison was around, or they were performing for the video. The shoot took five days, because most of the shots had to be done from the air. The band members frequently had to be ferried back and forth by helicopter to get them in hard to reach places. Each night the entire crew and band went to a small

cafe located just outside the park. The locals quickly realized that the band was showing up there each night and the cafe owner closed the doors for two hours each evening, so the band could eat in peace. Leah and Garrett often went for long walks along the canyon rim after the day's work was done. Garrett talked about how his two boys were going to spend two months with him when they were on hiatus after the tour was done. He missed his sons a great deal and hadn't seen them in over a year. Leah's heart ached for him and she was glad that he could talk to her about it. She talked to him about how much she missed Robert and how he had surprised her on her birthday, for the second year in a row. She asked him about his personal life. He admitted that he had been seeing someone for a while but had broken it off. "I'm waiting for you to leave Robert," he teased.

Chapter Twenty-three By the first of September the house was finished and ready to move into. Robert had told Leah that he wouldn't be there until the fourth and then the premier for Trouble in Little Town was the fifth. She wasn't about to move in without him, so they planned on moving in together on the sixth when they got back from L.A. Leah busied herself the last few days before Robert was due back by taking care of little details with the house. Making sure the curtains were all up, stocking the kitchen, making the beds. She loved how spacious it was, over seven thousand square feet. There were separate buildings for a guesthouse and servant quarters, but the main house was just for them. Leah was waiting at the Oscoda airport for half an hour by the time Robert's plane landed. She knew what time he was expected in, but she couldn't wait to see him and feel his arms around her again. Once the plane landed, and the stairs were in place she ran up and wrapped her arms around him from behind as he was picking up his bags from a chair. "Robert, I'm so glad you're home!" Robert turned around and returned the hug, but said nothing. She figured he was probably tired from the long flight. "Let's get you home, I know just what you need!" she said grinning as she slipped behind the steering wheel. She bent towards him and they shared a long, lingering kiss. "Aren't you going to show me the new house first," he said with a deadpan voice as she was driving, "I'm dying to see it, and we have to leave again soon." "You haven't seen me in three months and all you want to see is the house?" she asked incredulously. "Is there a problem with that?" he asked, still serious. "Yes!" she nearly screamed at him. "Yes, there is!" She stopped the car in the middle of the road. A car behind them honked its horn loudly as it nearly rearended them. The other car swerved around and finally stopped honking a block later. Leah, feeling dejected and close to tears, turned to Robert. He was smiling as wide as he possibly could. "Damn you, Robert Stetson!" Can't you just come home and be nice!" Oh, he made her furious with his constant joking around and showing up unexpectedly. He was one of the most talented actors in the world. How was she supposed to know when he was acting and when he was serious. She didn't stand a chance against this man. "Come on Babe, it's only a few more blocks to the house," he pleaded as she

pulled the car onto the side of the road. "Let's go, please. You can show me what it is that you think I need." She wasn't about to give in this time. He'd gone too far making her almost cry in the first two minutes after he'd just gotten home. She'd been waiting so desperately for his return. "I think you'd better walk the rest of the way," she pouted as she put the car in park and crossed her arms. "You can't be serious?" Robert said unbelieving. "We have to be back at the airport in two hours if we're going to get to L.A. tonight. Come on, Sweetie, I was just joking." She took the keys out of the ignition, slid them into her pocket and got out of the car. Pulling her sweater around herself against the early fall chill in the air, she started walking the three blocks home. It wasn't fair that he should pull on her heartstrings unnecessarily when his work took him away from her so much. Her emotions were already pulled taut to the breaking point. She heard his car door open, and she picked up her pace, hoping he wouldn't catch up to her before they got to the house. With any luck he wouldn't have house keys on him, since he usually left them at home when he was gone for extended periods of time. "Leah, wait up," she could hear him yell from a block behind her. Actually surprised he hadn't caught up to her yet, she turned and looked back as she rounded the corner onto her short road. Mr. Jones' car had pulled up next to Robert, a block behind her. She couldn't hear what they were saying, but Robert was motioning to Mr. Jones, as if he was in a hurry to catch up to Leah and he didn't have time to talk. Leah picked up the pace and felt like she had won a race as she came around the back of the house, pulling her keys from her pocket. She looked up as she approached the back door. "Robert! How'd you get here, you were..." Leah looked around to see what she was missing. He hadn't passed her, so how was it he was sitting casually on the back step? "Never underestimate the power of celebrity, my dear." Then he smiled and cocked his head to the back fence. "Mr. Jones gave me a ride and I hopped the fence." "Damn you! Can't you ever let me win at anything?" Robert pulled her between his legs that were propped up on the bottom step. "I let you win my heart." How he had missed his feisty wife and her mood swings. He couldn't imagine how boring his life would be without her. Robert leaned down and kissed her with a ferocity that she had forgotten he

possessed. "Uncle," she said when he let her up for air. She couldn't stay mad at a man who could simply kiss her into submission. Two hours later Robert and Leah met up with her parents and Madison at the airport. "Where's Dean," Robert asked? "He's got a big case that he couldn't get postponed. Tomorrow is his opening arguments. He said to tell you to break a leg, or something silly like that," Madison said apologetically. She grabbed Leah's arm and the two women walked up the stairs of the plane together, "Is Jesse going to be there?" Madison whispered. "Yes," Leah whispered back. "You better watch your step, my dear." "I'm just having fun!" Madison looked around to be sure no one was listening to their conversation. Robert slept in the plane's private bedroom for most of the flight, except for a short time when Leah had sneaked back to check on him. "I was just dreaming about you," he said pulling her close. Once they landed in L.A. they went straight to the beach house, where Robert immediately went to bed. Of course, Leah had to make sure he was tucked in before she returned to their guests. "He's out for the night. That jet lag is a killer," she explained. "Probably wouldn't be so bad," Madison snickered without looking up from the TV program she was watching, "if you'd stop going in and bothering him," "Hey, a girl's got to do what a girl's got to do." Leah tried to ignore the fact that her mother was blushing with the not so subtle line of the conversation. "What time is the premier tomorrow?" Josephine asked, desperate to change the subject. "We need to be there by six, so he can schmooze with the press, but the screening won't start until eight. You can come later, just in time to see the movie, Mom." "Are you kidding? I want to walk down the red carpet and see all the stars. I know my son-in-law is some big movie star, but I haven't had the chance to see all these friends of his like you and Madison have." Robert slept most of the next day, except to come out for lunch and to drag Leah back into the bedroom to tuck him back into bed. By five-thirty everyone was dressed. She was glad that Marcia Yancy had helped her pick out an appropriate gown; she never would have picked the revealing red sequined gown on her own.

Robert looked sharp in a black tuxedo, complete with a red cummerbund that matched her dress. "So we can find each other if we get separated," he told her. Leah and Robert rode in a limo. The others went in the Town Car with Barry, stopping to pick up Jerry and Tom on their way into town. When they arrived at the theater, Leah could not believe the number of press that lined the street and on the sides of the red carpet. She could feel the excitement welling up inside of her, starting in her toes. She hoped that it didn't stretch her skin because it would split the tight dress wide open if it did. Robert was first out of the limo. She waited respectfully as he had requested her to. She had to shut her eyes to the blinding bursts of flashes as everyone tried to get that first photo op. When she opened her eyes again, his hand was in front of her. She took his hand and he gently guided her out of the limo and they took a few steps down the red carpet before they were stopped for his first impromptu interview. He was so gracious with the press, just as he had been that first week in Oscoda when things were so crazy. There was more to just acting in his line of work. Public relations was a job in itself. Leah found it hard to focus on anything with the constant flashing of camera lights, not to mention everyone yelling at Robert at the same time. He kept her close with his arm around her, but she needed to let him do his thing. She caught his attention in a rare split-second that someone wasn't in his face with a microphone. She got on her toes and whispered in his ear that she'd meet him inside. He looked down and smiled understandingly at her. But, she wasn't off the hook that easy. He quickly swooped her up in both arms and dipped her back and in grand style kissed her as he pulled her up. Then he stepped back, still holding onto her hand until his arm was outstretched, gave a dramatic bow and then released her hand. Leah could not believe that he was such a ham in front of the cameras. The fans outside the red carpet area went wild and he waved with both hands as he continued to make his way slowly towards the theater. He's such a natural, she thought, this is where he belongs. Leah, on the other hand, had had enough and turned toward the theater doors, hoping that there was sanctuary beyond them. But she wouldn't find out right away as she came face to face with Zach and Marcia Yancy who had been working the other side of the red carpet, unbeknownst to Leah. They all hugged and Zach admired Leah's dress. She nervously tugged on the low cut front, hoping not to fall out of it. Marcia sensed Leah's discomfort in this foreign environment. She whispered something into Zach's ear and then she gently started guiding Leah to the doors. "We don't get paid enough to go through that gauntlet," Marcia teased trying to ease Leah's growing discomfort with the crowd and constant flashing in their faces.

They were only ten feet from the doors, when Bob Worth came up from behind Leah, twirled her around to face him and then dramatically two-stepped her twenty feet further away from the doors. Then he disappeared into the crowd. Leah looked desperately for Marcia, but couldn't see her through the hordes of people. This is just crazy, Leah thought. When she'd watched things like this on TV it always looked like fun. But this was just insanity. Leah started the tedious task of trying to get closer to the door once again, hoping that she'd seen the last of Bob Worth. "Leah," she heard a voice behind her. Scared it was Bob, she ignored it and took another precious step towards the doors. "Leah!" A hand grasped her shoulder and she turned to find Garrett grinning at her. "Oh Garrett," she said with relief as she hugged him. "You clean up nice!" she gushed standing back a few inches to admire the leather jacket and leather pants, studded down the seams. His brown curly locks falling almost to his shoulders looked as though they had been professionally styled, unlike his usual "let it fall where it wants" look. "I could say the same about you, sweetie," Garret said as he forcefully pulled his gaze away from her revealing bust line. "You see those doors, right over there?" Garrett followed Leah's stare and nodded. "Can you please get me through those doors before the screening starts at eight?" Garrett laughed. "First premier, my dear?" "This isn't funny! I can't get close to the doors and I have no idea if Robert is in there yet." "He's back there." Garrett pointed in the opposite direction of the doors. "Don't worry, you'll beat him in. Jesse's with him. They'll be awhile." "Garrett, I feel like I'm going to pass out from all these lights and the yelling. Can you get me inside?" "Sure, here's the plan. I'm going to hold on tight, you look down and we'll just push our way through not caring whom we knock over. Got it?" Leah had to laugh at his battle plan, but it did sound like it would work. Garrett put his arm around her shoulders and the two plowed through the crowd. She could hear a few people expressing their displeasure at being bumped or pushed, but it worked and in under a minute they walked through the doors.

"I thought it would be better in here somehow," Leah lamented as she looked at the foyer that was packed, wall-to-wall with people. Leah could see a few chairs along the wall close to where they were. But people were pushed right up to the chairs and there would be no way to sit. It had to be another forty feet to the doors leading into the theater itself. Garrett looked at Leah, and then looked at the next target, "Are you ready?" Leah nodded and they took up their battle positions again. Then Garrett pushed them through like a tank going through the enemy's front line. Once inside the theater, Leah felt like she could breathe deeply again. Only a few people were already sitting or milling around. "Garrett, I can't thank you enough!" She went to kiss him on the cheek and he turned his head so her lips found his lips instead. He put his hands on each side of her face so she couldn't move. She froze as this man, her friend, kissed her in a way that made her feel extremely uncomfortable. When he stepped back he could see her eyes wide, questioning what had just happened. "I'm sorry Leah, I don't know what came over me. Excuse me, I have to..." He quickly turned away and returned to the packed foyer. Leah took the first seat she could, still unable to grasp what had just happened between them. Had she missed something over the past year and a half? He was a good friend of Robert's. Why would he risk that friendship? "Mrs. Stetson?" Leah looked up, way up, to find Grant Kane smiling down at her. "You are Mrs. Stetson, aren't you?" "Yes," she said standing to shake hands with him, but tripping over her floor length hem instead. She landed with her knees on top of his boots, wrapping her arms around his legs trying to keep from falling further. Although considering where her face landed she had gone far enough. "It's nice to meet you." She said looking up to see him smiling down at her. She was getting used to meeting celebrities, but still couldn't seem to keep her composure as well as she would have liked. He helped her up and she looked in the direction of the doors, wondering if Grant had seen what had just happened with Garrett. "Don't worry, I won't tell Robert. It was obvious that you were taken by surprise by that young man's attentions. Are you all right? I can have security pick him up, if you like." "No! No please! He's a friend." She paused for a second. "At least I think he is."

She looked up into Grant's smiling eyes. "I understand you're relatively new to all this." Leah nodded. "Don't worry about a little kiss. He was probably just swept up by it all. He's with Crazed Boyz, isn't he?" "Yes, he's the keyboardist. He's friends with Robert, and I've worked on some music videos with him." Where is Madison, was all Leah could think as she spoke with Grant. Madison would never forgive Leah if she missed meeting her hero once again. "Really, did you work on the one with Robert and the Boyz in the room full of candles and mirrors?" "Yes, that was my first video concept. It's what got my foot in the door." She liked Grant; he had a gentle way about him. The generous laugh lines around his eyes told almost more of what he was thinking than his eyes. He must have been almost six and a half feet tall, and his shoulders were broader than any man's she'd ever met. His face was rugged and worn; like he'd spent his life bringing herds home from the range. Yet, he was incredibly attractive at the same time. "That video was great! I understand it's up for some awards. You should be proud of yourself." "Thank you, Grant, you're too kind. It really was a simple concept and I was just lucky that it worked out, and that people liked it." "Don't underestimate what a good concept is worth in this business. Without a good concept behind a script your husband and I would be out of jobs. I assume Robert is still out in the lion's den?" Grant said looking towards the theater doors. "Uh huh, I haven't seen him in over an hour. Do you know this theater, Grant?" she asked handing him her ticket. "Do you know where I'm supposed to be?" "Yes," Grant said as he threw his head back and let out a good belly laugh. "You should be out in the lion's den with your husband." "No, please, not out there," she said with widening eyes, frightened that he would drag her back out there. "He gently put his arm around her back and guided her to a seat in the front of the theater where the two sat next to each other.

"Thank you Grant. By the way, my name is Leah." In one of his cowboy accents, he roughly said, "Nice to meet 'cha ma'am." Then he tipped his invisible cowboy hat to her. She laughed so hard she dropped her ticket on the floor. When she sat back up, she found Madison standing in front of them with her hands on her hips, obviously upset. "What kind of friend are you?" Madison put up her hands, rolled her eyes then continued. "No, don't tell me. I know. You were going to have this little interlude with Grant Kane," she said nodding in his direction and returning her hands to her hips, "and then tell me all about it later. Just like last time!" Leah laughed, not only at Madison's theatrics but also at Grant's quizzical look as he tried to remember meeting her before this. "Grant, it gives me great pleasure to introduce you to my best friend in the world, Madison Bennett." Madison sweetly stepped up to Grant and held out her hand. "It's such a pleasure to finally meet you," she said in a low Greta Garbo voice. Grant stood up enjoying the game and used his gruff cowboy intonation to reply. "Ma'am, it's all my pleasure," he said, again tipping his non-existent cowboy hat. Madison fell to her knees dramatically and pulled on his hand, "Grant, please take me home. I'll love you forever." Grant and Leah laughed at her outrageous antics. Grant pulled her up, gave her a big bear hug that her little body seemed to get lost in, and then kissed her on the cheek. "I'll be back for you my dear," he said again in his drawl, continuing the game. "Right now I have to go round up the herd." "Okay Grant, I'll be waiting," Madison said in her best Gone With the Wind inflection. Grant was laughing hard by now and held Madison close under his right arm, where she seemed a little too comfortable. "Grant, I'm sorry. I shouldn't bring her out in public. I know better," Leah said trying not to laugh and encourage her friend's behavior. "That's alright Leah, at least it was original," Grant said as he pulled Madison a little closer. Madison had a smug look on her face as if to say, 'Hey, it worked didn't it?' "Grant, I think I should probably explain, we have never met. I saw you sitting reading a script in Ringo's office, that's all. Madison never forgave me for not hog-

tying you and dragging you home for her." "You should have introduced yourself. This is a small business and we've all worked with Robert over the years. I would have enjoyed meeting you." Then he changed the subject, still standing there with a self-righteous Madison under his arm, "Do you know a band called the Purple Fire Hydrants? They're relatively new on the scene, but they're making a big splash." "I haven't met them, but I know that Houston Jim's been signed to do a video with them sometime in the next six months." "Great! I have a favor to ask. When you work on your concept for the video, will you keep me in mind? I have some nieces that would think that I could do no wrong if I was in one of their videos." "Actually, I was ready to tell Jim that I was going to skip on that video. I have a hard time getting into their music. But, for you Grant, I'll see." "And don't forget to schedule your best friend to assist you on the set," Madison said almost threatening. Leah couldn't believe how Madison transformed around these men! What a nut. Just then the Crazed Boyz all walked through the theater doors and Madison quickly escaped Grant's embrace, "Jess! How are you kiddo?" She stopped halfway up the steps and turned back, "Nice to meet you Grant," she said sweetly. Then she turned back and ran into Jesse's waiting arms. He twirled her around, twice, and then set her down, kissing her on the cheek. She snuggled up to his side. "Where's your wife? I was hoping I could finally meet that lucky woman!" The Boyz all laughed at Madison, but quieted down quickly when Jesse said in a monotone, "She's at home, sick. She couldn't make it." "I'm sorry Jess. This is a big night for you guys. She should have been here for you." "That's okay, Maddie, you're here." He smiled again and she stayed under his arm as they made their way down to the front seats. Grant greeted the Boyz, like he'd known them for years. When he shook Garrett's hand, Grant pulled him close and whispered something into his ear. Garrett glanced nervously in Leah's direction, without making eye contact, and then quickly moved to the back of the group. "Hey, Jess, you stole my girl here," Grant said sounding as if he wanted a fight. "You better watch her, she seems a little fickle." He reached over and put a big

hand on Madison's head and rubbed it. She ducked down and back as much as she could, without leaving Jesse's embrace. "Watch the hair, Grant! It cost me a pretty penny to get this done." "And it looks fabulous, " Jesse said, calming her. Jesse was smiling, but his face looked drawn and his color was pale. His shoulders were sagging: he didn't seem to be himself. Leah tried to catch Garrett's attention, but he carefully avoided her gaze. Leah was worried about him; his kiss was so out of character. Robert finally made his way down to her just minutes before the premier started. She thought he'd be tired, especially since he'd just been on the other side of the world forty-eight hours earlier. But, he was wired and wrapped Leah in his arms from around her back. "I missed you out there," he whispered to her. "I was here trying to chaperone Miss Madison, but she doesn't make it easy when she jumps from one man's embrace to another," Leah laughed as she teased her friend who was now between Grant and Jesse, both with their arms around her. "Where's a photographer when you need one," Madison bemoaned. Robert waved to a photographer that he knew, who came and took some photos of the group, with Madison in the middle with her men surrounding her. Garrett carefully stayed towards the back on the other side of the group from Leah and Robert. The lights dimmed, warning them that the movie would be starting soon. "Grant, why don't you stay down here with us!" Leah asked. "Dean, Madison's husband and Jesse's wife couldn't make it. They could use some adult supervision." Madison looked up into Grant's eyes, pleading for him to stay. "Sure," he said. "I just found her, I'm not about to leave her in this cad's hands in a dark theatre." Madison mouthed a "thank you" to Leah and then she found three seats in the front row to accommodate her entourage. Josephine, Cap and the others were ushered in at the last moment before the lights dimmed and the film rolled. Leah was concerned that her mother looked a little overwhelmed by the evening. She mentally made a bet with herself that Josephine would never again insist on doing the red carpet thing again. Leah settled in next to Robert, anxious to see the movie that had taken him away from her for so long. As the theater darkened she could hear Grant asking Madison, "Have you ever thought of acting, my dear?"

Leah and Robert were both hopeful that this would be his return to the top of the box office ladder. Once the movie started, Robert whispered into her ear, "Leah, I love you. You know I couldn't have done this without you." Leah smiled thinking that she had finally made another one of her daydreams come true. She was the woman on Robert's arm at his movie premier. The movie was fast-paced and action-packed. Leah was thankful that Robert only had one small love scene before his love interest was killed by a band of rogue, bloodthirsty Indians. She still wasn't sure how she'd handle watching him on the big screen making love to a woman, knowing that he'd done the shoot after they were together. During one of the few slow scenes, Robert leaned to Leah and whispered in a serious voice, "Leah, I told Jess that he and his wife could stay in the guest house for awhile. I hope that's okay with you." "Sure! Is everything alright with them?" she whispered back. "Things have been bad between them for awhile. He's hoping some time away will help them." A few minutes later Leah laughed out loud, and then caught herself. Embarrassed, she covered her mouth. Robert put his arm around her knowingly, as his onscreen persona entered the Indian encampment to save Zach's character. "Die you dirty bastard!" Robert's character screamed, as he drove a bayonet through the Indian attacking him with a tomahawk.

Chapter Twenty-four The next day they flew back to Oscoda, where Robert and Leah spent their first night in the new house together. They planned a huge house-warming party for the first week of October. Leah had to relent and hire a housekeeping service. Robert had wanted her to hire a couple that would live in the servant's quarters to take care of the house and property. She had a hard time finding people that she trusted enough to let into their lives. Robert put an advertisement in some of the largest newspapers across the county, hoping to find the right people to fill the position. Until then, the housekeeping service would make sure that someone was at the house each morning before breakfast and stay until after dinner was served. A local landscaping service was contracted to keep the grounds in order. Leah listed her small house with a real-estate agent. It represented her ability to be independent and she didn't really want to part with it, but there really was no need to keep it. The agent wanted to list it at a ridiculously high price, since it was the "Stetson's" first home together. Leah agreed, hoping no one would pay that price and she could keep the little house a little longer. Madison came over to work at the beach house the week before the party to help Leah with all the arrangements. One afternoon as they sat in the breakfast nook, looking over the catering choices, Leah could no longer keep her secret to herself, "Madison, I have to tell you something." She lowered her head, ashamed. "What is it? You're not pregnant, are you?" "Please!" Leah felt much better knowing it always could have been worse. "Garrett kissed me at the premier." She could tell that her friend didn't grasp what she was saying. "Full on the mouth, and not just a peck." "Leah, what did you do?" "I didn't know what to do, I was in shock! Do you think I've been leading him on?" "If he doesn't know the difference between being a friend and being led on, it's his problem. Hey, if Jess doesn't think I'm leading him on, how in the world could Garrett think you were?" Leah nodded. Madison's antics had been over the top, but Jesse always knew the boundaries. "I just don't understand, then," she said shaking her head. "What did he say?" "Nothing! He made an excuse to get out of there and then stayed away from me

the rest of the night. Grant saw him kiss me, and he thought that Garrett had just gotten carried away." "My Grant?" Madison asked with a far away look. Leah nodded and Madison said, "Hey, if my Grant said it was nothing, then he must be right. Just forget about it and get on with your life." Leah knew her friend was right. Still, she couldn't get rid of that nagging feeling that she had done something wrong, and that it may have cost her a good friend because of it. "Although," Madison added, "it would be interesting to know just what a keyboardist could do with those hands!" "Madison! Shame on you," Leah laughed, realizing her friend had a good point. By the time of the housewarming party, Robert had more reasons to celebrate. Trouble in Little Town was the number one movie in the country, for three weeks in a row. His work had received unanimously excellent reviews. He was also offered the lead in a Broadway play that was in the earliest stages of planning. Leah was proud of him, for being able to stay sober and making one of his dreams come true. She was also happy that rehearsals didn't start for over a year, so hopefully they'd be able to lead a somewhat normal life for a while. Late one night two weeks after Thanksgiving there was a knock at the door. Robert had gone to bed early so Leah jumped up to answer it. "Jesse! It's so good to see you," she said surprised to see Jesse and his wife. She hadn't expected them for a few more days. "Please, come in. It's freezing out there." Jesse and his wife came in, standing nervously just inside the door. "Leah, I'd like you to meet my lovely wife, Whitney." Jesse put his arm around Whitney's shoulders and smiled weakly. Whitney proceeded to shake his arm off. Then without a word she walked across the living room and stared out the wall of windows, looking out over Lake Huron. Whitney's bleached hair was chopped off in uneven chunks, and stood in stiff peaks. Her skin was unnaturally pale and she looked too thin for her tiny frame. Leah could tell from her dilated pupils and the glazed-over look in her eyes that she was medicated, leaving Leah to guess that it wasn't from prescription drugs. Jesse looked as though he'd been hit in the stomach. "I'm sorry, Leah," he said quietly. Leah hugged him and whispered into his ear, "Hang in there, Jesse. It can only get better." Turning to Whitney's back, and holding onto Jesse's hand she said, "Let's

get you two settled out in the guest house. Robert's already asleep for the night, so you'll have to wait to see him tomorrow. We can talk in the morning." Whitney said nothing as Leah showed them out to the guesthouse and gave them a quick tour. "Breakfast is served at eight. If you're up, please join us." Leah left the couple, hoping that they would be able to work out their differences. It hurt her to see Jesse in so much pain. It was after eleven p.m. by the time Leah returned to the main house, but she called Madison and woke her up. "You won't believe how bad it is," she told her friend. "Can you stop in tomorrow for lunch? I think Jesse could use you about now." Madison readily agreed to come the next day. The next morning Jesse and Whitney showed up for breakfast. Everyone ate in silence; the rift between the couple was big enough to draw the whole room down in with them. Jesse and Robert went out to look at some property Robert was hoping to acquire in the Huron National Forest. "Just as an investment," he had told Leah earlier that week. After breakfast Leah tried to engage Whitney in conversation without much luck. Whitney informed her that she had already served Jesse divorce papers, months before, and didn't understand why they were there. Then she retreated to the guesthouse by herself. The men were back in time for lunch. Jesse and Madison were well behaved, with him just giving her a quick peck on the cheek when she came in. Whitney could have cared less if Jesse had dragged Madison into the nearest bedroom and ravaged her. It was sad to watch how devoted Jesse was to this woman, when she wanted nothing more to do with him. After a quiet lunch, Jesse announced that he was taking Whitney to Alpena so they could see a movie and have a nice dinner out. With Whitney waiting impatiently in the car, Jesse came back in and asked Leah and Madison if they could do some things for him while he was away. The women quickly agreed and started setting up the guesthouse as soon as the car had left the driveway. They ordered tons of flowers to be delivered, then they went shopping. They went to every store in Oscoda and bought out all the candles in each establishment, along with a good supply of matches. Jesse called fifteen minutes before they returned, and the women went to the guesthouse and lit all the candles. Leah was impressed with the soft glow in all the windows as they returned to the house. Both women expressed a desire for Jesse's plans, to soften Whitney's heart, to work.

*** Leah was awakened by a noise, just hours after she and Robert had retreated to bed. Sitting up she looked around and listened. There was a frantic knocking on the door-wall that opened up to the porch outside. Leah jumped out of bed and opened the curtain. There was an ominous orange glow coming from the north, where the guesthouse was. Jesse was outside the door-wall, pounding once again, frantic. Leah quickly opened the door, straining to see exactly where the glow was coming from as Jesse ran into the room. "Leah, call 911!" Jesse shouted. The commotion woke up Robert, who got out of bed and threw on his robe and slippers. Leah grabbed the phone, asking, "What's wrong?! Where's Whitney?!" "The guest house is on fire! Oh God, I'm so sorry, Robert." "Where's Whitney?!" Leah shouted as the 911 operator picked up the phone. "Our guest house is on fire," she told the operator as she shook the now dazed looking Jesse as he sat on the foot of their bed. "Where's Whitney?" Robert asked gravely as Leah spoke to the operator. "She's fine. She took the rental car and left right after the fire started." He looked up at Robert's stern face. "I'm so sorry, Robert. I never should have brought her here." "We'll figure that out later. Let's go see if we can do anything before the fire department gets here," he said pulling Jesse off the bed, dragging him out into the cold winter night. In the yard the three of them stood transfixed, staring at the now fully engulfed two-story building. "Oh my God," Leah said. She was filled with an overwhelming feeling of awe, at the force of nature. Although she had no personal attachment to the structure, or to anything in it, she could just imagine how awful it would be to watch your own home full of precious memories and belongings go up in flames. The fire department came faster than they had expected, considering they lived twelve miles from the firehouse. Madison came in right behind them. She ran to Leah, "Oh my God!" she screamed. "One of Dean's friends called and said that they had just been called out on a fire call to your house. Is everyone alright?" She looked around at Jesse and Robert. "Where's Whitney? No! Don't tell me she's in there!" Madison could barely hold herself up thinking of her friend's wife in the firestorm.

"She's fine," Leah said quickly, relieving Madison. "She took the car after the fire started. She's not in there." "Jess, are you okay?" Madison asked gently, giving him a hug. "Yeah, Maddie, I'm all right. But, I think I've lost her for good." Madison and Jesse huddled together, as Leah and Robert did the same. There wasn't much the firemen could do other than dowse the fire and keep it from spreading to the nearby trees, or the other structures. The firemen were there until sunrise. Madison and Leah tried to keep them going with hot coffee. After every one left, the four had a quick breakfast. Then Leah and Robert went back to bed leaving Madison and Jesse talking on the couch. "Jess, you going to be okay, Hon?" "I don't know Maddie. I just don't know." He leaned on her shoulder and wept softly for a few minutes. Straightening up he said, "I just don't know what went wrong. When I met Whit ten years ago I knew that I wanted to spend the rest of my life with her. She was only twenty-two at the time, but she seemed so mature." Madison couldn't fathom Whitney ever being mature, but let Jesse talk anyhow. "She knew what life with me would be like, and she agreed to it. God, I really thought I had it all. Up until then I led a pretty wild life. You know, enjoying the rock and roll lifestyle of drugs and a different woman after each night's concert." "Not you, Jesse!" Madison teased. "I know, I've just blown your image of me. But yeah, I was pretty out of control. I gave it all up when she walked into my life. And I never missed any of it. I never once looked at another woman that way." "Ohh, Jesse, I'm so hurt," Madison said. "Come on Maddie, you know I love you. There just could never be anything else between us. Maybe, in another lifetime, huh?" "I'll be waiting," Madison whispered laying her head on his shoulder. They settled back on the couch together, "So what happened, Jesse. Tell me where you think it started to go bad." She hoped that maybe he could gain some insight into the problem, in turn helping him come to terms with what was going on in his life.

"I'm on the road so much Maddie, it's hard to know. Last year I started hearing rumors. I asked Whitney and she said that she couldn't live with me on the road nine months out of the year, and having every woman in the country fantasizing about me. She needed more stability in her life. A month later she moved out. Said that she was in love with Sledge, the front man for that shit group Purple Fire Hydrants. She filed for divorce two months ago, and asked for full custody of our kids. Maddie, how can she do that when she knows how much they mean to me?" "I don't know, hon. Let's talk to Dean tonight and see if he has any suggestions. I'm assuming that you have a good lawyer in L.A.? "Yeah, he's supposed to be the second best. Whit got to the best one first. How do you like that? She's using my money to take away my kids from me." "So what happened tonight?" "Lord, Maddie. I'm so sorry that I dragged her here and messed up everyone's life. She didn't want to come. I told her that I wouldn't fight the divorce if she would just give me one week, so we could try to work things out." "And?" "We came back to the house after the movie and dinner and she was actually starting to enjoy us being together again. You know, a little more relaxed and talking." Madison really couldn't imagine it, but she kept her mouth shut. "Sledge called. He was mad that she was here with me. She got mad at me and insisted on leaving right away. I told her I'd fight her forever on the divorce if she left. So, she picked up a chair and threw it at me. It missed me, but knocked over a whole table full of candles onto the couch. As I tried to put it out, she grabbed the keys and left like she was going out to get a gallon of milk." They talked for another hour before falling asleep together on the couch. The next day Leah took her small house off the market, so they could use that as a guesthouse until the burned building could be rebuilt. Jesse stayed at the small house for a week before returning to L.A. He spent a lot of time with Dean and Madison, learning as much about the law from Dean as he could.

Chapter Twenty-five Four months after Jesse's visit, Leah returned home after working all day in the office with Madison and Janet. She stepped into the front room and stopped cold. Across the room Robert sat on a couch, expressionless. In front of him on the coffee table was a partially emptied pint of vodka. Next to it was a glass filled with a clear liquid that Leah could only assume was the devil itself. She took a deep breath, then gently walked across the room and sat next to him. "Robert, what's wrong?" she asked cautiously. She didn't see any moisture along the rim of the glass to indicate that he'd taken that first sip. "Jesse's dead." His voice was emotionless, like he was telling her that he'd just killed a spider walking across the room. "You're kidding! Oh God, Robert, tell me that you're kidding!" Leah's head was spinning. She felt like someone had eviscerated her, and left her gasping for her last breath. He picked up the glass and turned it around in his hands, looking at it intently. Leah was terrified. She couldn't think about Jesse, not when Robert was about to destroy both of their lives. "Robert, please, put down the glass and talk to me. Please, Robert! You're scaring me." She gently touched his arm, guiding it gently back down to the table where he put the glass down, but he never stopped staring at it. What could she do? What could she say? "I don't want to talk. There's only one thing that I want now." "No, Robert. You just don't want to feel the pain anymore. That's just a quick solution," she said looking down at the bottle. It was the most frightening thing she'd seen in a long time. So much worse than watching the guesthouse burn down. He picked up the glass again and put it to his lips. "That's right, I don't want to feel the pain. And, this," he held the glass high before returning it to his lips, "will stop the pain." She waited in fear as he held the glass to his lips. "Robert," she said softly when he didn't take a drink, "you have me to help you through the pain. It will hurt for a while. It will hurt a lot, because Jesse was your best friend. But, you'd be throwing away everything good in your life. Do you think Jesse would want you to destroy your life, in his memory?" He looked at her, with blank eyes. "He threw it all away. He took a fistful of pills and now his pain is over."

Leah felt like she was going to throw up. Oh, Jesse, how could you have done that when you had so much to live for, she thought. "Is that what you want? You want to give up because Jesse did?" "No, I just don't know how to live without him, and with the pain." She took the glass from his hands, as it still sat on his lips. She carefully put the glass back on the table. Then she sat on his lap, facing him, so he would have to look at her. "Robert, I can help you through this. Then, when you can see the light at the end of the tunnel again, you can resume your life. It will take some time, and we'll shed a lot of tears in the process. But, in the end," she held his head up so he was looking into her eyes, "we will still have each other and everything that we've worked so hard for these past two years. You'll still have your career, your other friends, and me. You just have to be strong." Tears started streaming from his eyes and some life started returning to them. "I don't want to throw away everything, Leah. I just don't know how to deal with this pain." "Let me help you and you'll be stronger in the end. If you take that drink, you will have to start all over again and the pain will still be there. It won't go away, it will be with you until you die. Do you really want to keep it?" Robert buried his head into her shoulder and she could tell by his heavy breathing that he was crying. They sat there for the longest time, just holding each other. He finally relaxed a little and sat back against the couch. "She took his kids. You know she once told me that she never even wanted kids." He paused. "First she ripped out his heart, then she stole his kids. God, Leah, how can she be so wicked? He must have felt like he couldn't go on without his family. I miss him so much already." "I know Robert. I can't believe it either." She sat next to him again, staring at the vodka bottle and glass. "You know what you have to do, don't you?" He stood up and carried the bottle and glass to the kitchen and poured them out into the sink. Leah came up behind him as he stood at the sink, "I'm so proud of you Robert. You scared me to death." Two days later Robert and Leah, accompanied by Madison and Dean, flew to L.A. for Jesse's funeral. It was private, and the press was never given the location, so it didn't turn into a mob scene.

Garrett was waiting in the limo for them when they landed. They went straight to the funeral home, where Jesse lay in an open coffin. Madison and Dean went up and paid their respects first. Madison was near hysterics. She felt as though she had lost her soul mate. Somehow Dean understood, supporting her weight as they walked a few steps to some seating nearby. At first Robert didn't want to see Jesse. Leah stayed with him in the back of the funeral parlor and they sat quietly, each lost in their own thoughts. "I want to go up alone," Robert finally announced. "I'm here if you need me. I love you," Leah reassured him. Robert approached the coffin, then knelt in front of it and stayed there talking to Jesse in a low voice. While Robert was gone, Garrett sat next to Leah. She could tell that he too had been crying. "Leah, I'm sorry about the premiere. I had no right. Can you ever forgive me?" She put her hand on his cheek. Dear sweet Garrett. He's lost what amounted to a brother to him, and he's worried about me being upset. "Garrett, it's been long forgotten." She smiled meekly at him, concerned for him, "How are you doing? You okay?" "I miss him so much, Leah. I just can't believe he's gone. That bitch took everything that meant anything to him, leaving him with nothing. And now he's gone. It's just so unreal. I know I felt like doing myself in when my wife left with the kids, but there's a big line between feeling like it and actually doing it." "I'm so sorry Garrett. Please, let us know if there is anything we can do." They all stayed at the L.A. beach house that night, including all the surviving members of the Crazed Boyz. The next day they buried Jesse on a hill overlooking the ocean, in a cemetery north of L.A. Whitney didn't show up, which was probably best. Jesse's mother came with his children. It broke Leah and Madison's hearts to see those three beautiful children for the first time, as they buried their father. The women took each of the children aside at the dinner following the funeral. They told them how much their father had loved them and what Jesse had told them about that child. Eight-year-old Sandy was interested in ballet and they encouraged her to dance for her father, that he would be watching her from heaven. Six-year-old Jesse Jr. was a baseball fanatic and they told him how his father used to talk about how he loved to play catch with him. Four-year-old Teri was too young to understand much other than something was really wrong. They each gave her a hug and kiss. Everyone stayed at the L.A. beach house again that night, staying up until dawn talking about Jesse. Garrett told of how Jesse was there for him when his wife had

filed for divorce when they were in the middle of a tour, and how he told him there was always hope as long as there was life. Madison told of how he had kissed her that first day they had met and how it had brought so much joy into her life that a man, such as Jesse, would consider her a friend. Dean raised an eyebrow at the story about the kiss, but he didn't seem surprised and pulled Madison close as she spoke. Tori told how Jesse had brought a kangaroo on stage with him when they did a concert in Australia, and how the kangaroo had kicked Jesse so hard that he had to lean on a chair the rest of the performance. "He never brought a kangaroo on stage again," Tori laughed. Everyone had stories and they laughed and cried, then laughed some more, helping each other through their shared pain. As the sun came up, Robert and Leah retreated to their bedroom. "Thank you, Babe," he said softly as they lay in bed holding each other. "For what, Robert?" "For helping me though this. I really didn't think that I could live through losing Jesse. Yet we were in there remembering Jesse and I was able to laugh and cry. It does help heal the soul. If I had taken a drink, I'd still be hurting just as much, and I would have lost you and my career in the process." "You did the hard work. You're the one who had to pour out that drink." "Yes, but I couldn't have done it without you. I love you."

Chapter Twenty-six Robert and Leah tried to return to a normal routine in Oscoda after Jesse's funeral. It was difficult, especially for Robert. He'd been going to the weekly AA meetings in Tawas since his return from Africa. He resumed going to the West Branch and Alpena meetings as well. Leah had her yearly check-up. Her doctor thought he felt a suspicious lump in her left breast and ordered a mammogram. A week later, Robert accompanied her to the hospital and waited nervously while Leah went in for the test. "They'll call us next week," Leah told Robert when she came out of the exam room. "It will be fine. I just know it will. God didn't give you to me, just to take you away. I'll be here every step of the way, I promise." "I know you will. Thank you." Robert flew them out to Raphael's for Leah's birthday and their second wedding anniversary. Neither was in a mood to do much else. It was good to get away though, if even just for the evening. The next day they went back to her doctor and were informed that the mammogram showed a lump they couldn't ignore. She was scheduled for a needle biopsy the following week. "Damn," Robert said on the way home after the doctor's appointment. "Why can't they just go in and find out what's wrong and take care of it instead of making you wait a week to take a test and then another week to find out the results, only to have to go through it all again?" Leah was quiet. She understood Robert's frustration all too well. But, he was facing the possibility of losing his wife; she had to come to terms with the possibility that this could kill her. It was more than she could handle, yet Robert was already in so much pain from Jesse's suicide that she didn't talk to him about her uncertainties. She feared it could send him over the edge, into the bottle. Leah tried to work on a new line of patterns, but she wasn't feeling very creative. She'd go into the office and spend much of the time talking with Madison, instead of working. Two days before she was supposed to get the results of the needle biopsy she came home from work and could feel a dark cloud descend over her as she walked in the front door. She didn't see Robert, and walked around the house calling his name. The ominous feeling she felt scared her, and she was anxious to

find him to be sure he was safe. Finally, she found him down on the beach, standing just a couple of feet out in the lake where the water lapped over his ankles. It was a warm, beautiful June day and there wasn't a cloud in the sky. Yet, Leah felt like it was ready to storm in a way she'd never witnessed before. "Robert, what's wrong?" she asked, fearful. "Dr. Bradley called. My mother died in her sleep last night." Leah didn't care that she had expensive shoes on, and walked out and wrapped her arms around his neck. He was stiff and didn't respond to her. "Robert, please, we've been through so much together. Please, Babe, let me help you through this too. Don't push me away." He wrapped his arms around her awkwardly. "Don't worry. We'll get through this." His voice scared her. He had no life in his words, no feeling. It was as though he were dead inside. "What can I do for you?" she asked, hoping he would let her in to where his pain lay. "I'd like you to fly to Kansas City tonight and bring Mom back." He looked at his watch then continued, "Jerry should have the plane at the airport by now waiting for you." His lack of emotion terrified her to her core. Every cell of her body was screaming that this was not a good idea. "Robert, you need to come with me. She's your mother." "No." He looked her in the eye for the first time since she'd gotten home, "I need you to do this for me. Will you help me, please?" His eyes softened a little and she prayed that it was as simple as he made it sound. "Sure, Robert. I told you, I'd do anything for you. If this is what you need, I'll do it." She guided him into the house, where they both put on some dry clothing. Then he went with her to the airport and saw her off. Leah had an uneasy feeling that she couldn't shake. She didn't know what else to do, except to help him in the way that he'd asked. An hour into the flight Barry called her. "Mrs. Stetson, I just thought that you should know that Mr. Stetson asked me to drive him to the bookstore."

"Thank you, Barry," Leah said as hot tears stung her eyes. She had talked to Barry after Jesse's death to see if he knew how Robert had gotten the vodka. Barry said that Robert had him drive him to the bookstore that day, where there was a liquor store next door to it. The parking lot was in the back of the stores, so he had probably gone through the bookstore, out the front and into the liquor store, returning out the back of the bookstore again. Fear gripped Leah, the same as it had the day Jesse had died. But, would he have started drinking before she returned? Even if she had Jerry turn the plane around now, it would be an hour before she'd get home. Madison and Dean were out of town for the evening, so she couldn't ask them to check on him. She briefly considered asking her mother to check on him but she didn't want to involve her parents. Leah called Garrett while still in mid-air. "Garrett, I don't know what to do. Robert's mother passed away last night and he has me flying to Kansas City to pick up her body. Garrett, I'm so scared that he's drinking. What should I do?" They talked for a while and she explained about the bookstore and how Robert had come so close to drinking the day Jesse died. Garrett became more concerned the longer they talked. "I'll meet you in Kansas City and fly back with you. I'll be there by the time you have his mother's body loaded on board." Leah hung up, glad to have Garrett's support but still worried to death about Robert. She dialed their home phone number and there was no answer. She dialed his private cell phone number, and again there was no answer. In Kansas City she was taken to the funeral home, where she signed paperwork releasing her mother-in-law's body to her. A hearse transported the body to the plane where they loaded the casket into the cargo hold. Garrett met her there as promised and Leah was glad to have his company on the two-hour flight back to Oscoda. They tried several more times to reach Robert to no avail. She called Barry and he informed her that to the best of his knowledge Robert was in the house. He called back a few minutes later saying that he could see Robert moving around in the house, but that he wouldn't answer the door when Barry knocked. When they reached Oscoda, a hearse was waiting to take the body to the funeral parlor. Barry was there waiting with the car, just as anxious as the others to be sure that Robert was all right. "I'm sorry ma'am," Barry said. "He sounded so up-beat and said that he wanted to get a book of poems so he could read a poem at his mother's service."

"It's not your fault Barry. We may be jumping the gun. It could be that he just wanted a book of poems." Leah hoped that her prediction was true, but in the pit of her stomach she already knew what she would find when she got home. Her life as she'd known it for the past two years would be over. At the beach house, Leah unlocked the door and called out for Robert. There was no answer. Garrett told her to stay there, and he walked through the house, looking for Robert, turning on lights as he went. He came out of the kitchen, somber looking. "Leah, he's in here." Leah wanted to run from the house. She couldn't go through this again. But, filled with trepidation, she forced herself to walk into the kitchen. In the corner, under the sink, Robert sat slumped over with an empty bottle of vodka on its side between his legs. On the counter was another empty bottle. "Robert," she cried as she ran to him and knelt next to him. "Oh God, Robert, no. Please, no!" She checked his pulse to be sure he was still alive. Looking at Garrett, she pleaded with her eyes for it not to be true. Turning back to Robert, she took his face into her hands and kissed his forehead. She couldn't help but feel for him. She loved him so much, and even though she knew that their lives would never be the same, she had to mourn the man she had known. "Robert, I love you so much. Please, baby, don't do this to us," she sobbed uncontrollably letting the tears drop on his shirt as she stayed there, forehead to forehead with him. She felt Garrett's hand on her shoulder. "Come on, Leah. We need to get him into bed. He'll get sick if he stays on the cold marble floor all night." Leah knew he was right. She picked up the vodka bottle that was on the floor between his legs and put it on the counter. Then with Garrett on one side of Robert and Leah on the other, they lifted him off the floor. Leah knew that Garrett must have been supporting the bulk of Robert's weight, and was grateful for his strength. Once they got him to an upright position, they started to drag him towards the bedroom, knowing full well they would be lucky to get him as far as the couch. "Hey, Babe," Robert said looking at her through bleary, half-opened eyes. "Did you bring the bitch home?" "I brought your mother home. Robert how could you do this? I don't understand how you could do this." Her pain was overwhelming and she could barely walk, let alone carry part of his weight. Garrett sensed her struggle and they laid him down on the couch, giving up on getting him to bed. "Baby Doll, how about a little lovin'?" he slurred pulling her close, kissing her face with big, wet slobbering kisses and not letting her go when she fought him. "Your man could use a little lovin' about now."

"Robert, please," she cried, "please let me go!" She'd never had to deal with Robert when he was drunk. It broke her heart to see her strong, virile man so out of control. Garrett pulled Leah from his arms and held her back from his reach. Robert tried to reach her anyhow and fell off the couch. "Damn it, Garrett! She's my wife! Get the hell out of here and leave us alone!" Garrett gently tried to help Robert back onto the couch, but Robert didn't want his help and pushed him away with all the force he could muster. "Get the hell out of my house and stay the hell away from my wife, you bastard!" "Robert, please calm down," Leah pleaded through her tears. "Garrett came to help. Let him help you get back on the couch, please." "I'm not stupid," Robert stammered. "I know what he came to help himself to. My dear wife. That's who!" He muttered some unintelligible comments and passed out again on the floor. Garrett straightened up, standing over Robert's limp body. "Do you have some blankets we can throw over him for the night?" "Yes," Leah said. "I'll be right back." She had to hold onto furniture as she walked into the bedroom, to keep herself steady. She quickly returned with four large quilts. "Can we put a couple on the floor and roll him over so he's not cold?" "Okay," Garrett said hesitantly. He really didn't want to chance waking the sleeping beast again. He knew what Robert could be like when he was drunk, but Leah didn't have a clue. That night Garrett slept on another couch, so he could keep an eye on Robert and make sure he didn't wander off in the night. In the morning Robert was in the shower when Leah woke up. Coming out of the shower naked, he greeted her as she was getting out of bed. "Hey Babe, I didn't see you come in last night," he said cheerily. "Did you know that Garrett is out there?" "You didn't see me because you were drunk out of your skull. Damn you Robert Stetson, how could you!" "I just had a few drinks. These past few months have been hard. I feel better now." He sat her down on the bed next to him. "It won't happen again." "Are you sure Robert? You scared the crap out of me last night. You were passed

out in the kitchen and we had to carry you to the living room." "Oh no, I wasn't passed out. Now you're exaggerating. I just had a couple of drinks, it calmed me down and I fell asleep." She wanted to believe him so badly. She didn't want to believe that their life as they knew it could be over. Yet she'd heard all the excuses and denials before in another lifetime. But, that was Alex and this was Robert. She at least owed him a chance to prove that he was telling the truth before she judged him automatically for Alex's past transgressions. At least he was animated and talkative today, so unlike the rigid robotic response he had the day before. "Okay," she said snuggling into him. "But, you have to promise me to go to your AA meetings and never touch another drop." "Scouts honor," he said holding up the scouting hand pledge. Then he kissed her and lay her back on the bed. "No Robert, I'm too upset!" "Everything is alright, I'll show you." She continued to protest to no avail. As Robert made love to her she wept silently, knowing that the man she knew wouldn't have forced himself on her when she was this upset. She felt no more love from him than if she was a toilet, a receptacle for him to relieve himself. It was a feeling she often had when she was married to Alex. She never imagined that she would now feel the same way from a man who had waited three months for her to be comfortable. A man who had been a gentle and caring lover ever since. *** That afternoon, Leah reminded Robert that they had to go into the doctor's office early the next morning for the needle biopsy results. He was supportive and said he'd be there with her every step of the way. Robert was a little edgy that evening and insisted that they go to bed early. Barry drove Garrett over to the small house for the night. Leah was suspicious, but settled down when Robert lay next to her. She was tired and quickly fell asleep in his arms. The next morning the alarm clock woke her from a deep sleep. She turned it off and then looked at the other side of the bed, which was empty. "Robert," she called out, hoping he was just in the bathroom. There was no response.

She wandered out into the living room and found him sleeping in a recliner. She tried to wake him, but couldn't. She reached down next to him in the chair and pulled out an empty vodka bottle. "Oh no! Robert, no!" She didn't know how much more she could handle. She called Garrett and he said he'd be ready if she would have Barry come and get him. Half an hour later, Garrett was there, giving Leah a much-needed hug. "He promised he wouldn't drink anymore. He promised!" There wasn't much Garrett could say. He'd seen it a thousand times, with Robert and other friends. "Leah, why don't you go get a shower. You have your appointment to get to." Garrett accompanied her to her appointment instead of Robert. He was going to wait in the waiting room when they called her name, but she insisted that he come in with her. She couldn't stand to face bad news alone. There were just too many other bad things happening in her life to go through this alone too. It was bad news. They had found cancerous cells. Although the biopsy had shown the tumor to be benign, without surgery they couldn't rule out a malignancy as well. She was scheduled for surgery the following week. They were going to remove the cancerous lump and take some more biopsies to be sure the cancer hadn't spread. Leah could hardly walk to the car and was glad to have Garrett to lean on. What would she do without him? He was her port in the worst storm of her life. When they got home, Robert was up and showered. "I'm sorry Babe, you should have woke me up. I wanted to go with you," he said as they walked into the house. He tried to hug her but she ran past him and locked herself in their bedroom. "What the hell is wrong with her?" he asked upset, as if he'd been wronged. "She should have gotten me up. I can't help it if she didn't wake me up." "You're a real bastard, Robert," Garrett said as he turned to leave. "Wait just a minute," Robert said catching up with his friend. He turned Garrett around on the front step. "This is my house. You stay the hell away from my wife." Then out of nowhere, and without any warning, he slugged Garrett square on the jaw, knocking him over and down the six front steps. "Stay the hell away from us!" Garrett slowly got up, shook himself off, and then walked off without a word. Robert slammed the door and then went to the bedroom door. It was still locked from the inside. "Damn it Leah, open this door!" When she didn't answer he picked

up a chair and started banging it on the door, trying to force the door open. "Just a minute," Leah called out. When the banging stopped, she unlocked the door and then returned to the bed, where she'd been crying. Robert came in, with a black scowl on his face. "Don't you ever lock me out of my own bedroom. What the hell is wrong with you? You don't wake me up and it's my fault?!" He was yelling and Leah cowered, scared that he could easily get violent, unaware that he already had. "I'm sorry," she said quietly. "I tried to wake you up and couldn't." "Well you didn't try very hard, if you left while I was still sleeping," he said pacing in front of the bed. "What the hell is wrong with you? You bring Garrett into our home and then run off with him while I'm sleeping. Are you sleeping with him?" He was standing over her now, as she curled up on the bed, expecting the worst. "No, Robert. Honest. I just thought you might need a friend to help you with your mother's funeral arrangements." "Then why did you sneak off with him this morning?" He was calming down a little, but Leah was still fearful. "I didn't want to go to the doctor's appointment by myself," she said, starting to cry all over again. He sat next to her, gently stroking her hair. "Then you should have woke me up, Sweetie." He put his hand under her chin and brought her face up, kissing her forehead. "So tell me what did the doctor say?" "It's cancer." Leah couldn't believe that she was able to use that word. It still wasn't real to her, yet there it was, labeled and real. "It'll be okay. We'll get you the best doctors. We'll fight this together." He pulled her close, and she gave in to his love. She needed him so desperately right now. She couldn't afford to push him away while he was offering her support. That night, Brent arrived to attend the funeral the next day. Robert was cheerful, but Brent only had to look at his mother's face to see there was something seriously wrong. The next morning, they tried to wake Robert to no avail. "Oh God, Brent, he can't miss his mother's funeral!" "Mom, he knew it was today. I can't believe you've been going through this alone. You should have called me."

"There's nothing you could do. There isn't anything anyone could do. He has to pull himself together." "Do you think he can do that? Dad never could." "I know baby. I still have hope for Robert." Leah hadn't told Brent about the cancer or the upcoming surgery. She didn't want him to worry about more things when he couldn't help. When Brent and Leah arrived at the church, Garrett stepped out of a waiting car and came up to Leah. "Are you alright?" He had deep lines of worry etched in his forehead. She pulled Garrett away from where Brent could hear them. "I called the small house, and you weren't there. I couldn't reach you on your cell phone either. Garrett, where the hell have you been? I thought you were going to be there with me?" "Leah, didn't he tell you what happened?" Garrett's face was so serious that Leah thought maybe it was better she didn't know. "Tell me what?" "After we got home from the doctor's he chased me out of the house and then hit me so hard I fell down the front steps." "I'm so sorry," she said, gently touching the bruise on his chin. "You know he wouldn't do that if he weren't drinking." "Don't make excuses for him Leah. He did it. And, I've been worried sick that he'll hurt you. I couldn't call you. If he had answered and it was me, he could have taken it out on you. My cell phone broke when I fell, so you couldn't reach me." "Where are you staying now?" "I'm at the Lakeside Motel. I didn't want him to know I was still in town." "Garrett, I'm so scared. I don't know what to do. I don't know how he's getting the vodka. I don't know anything anymore." She leaned into his strong frame and cried. "I rented a car to get around, Leah. I waited outside your house last night and Robert drove out after all the lights were out. He's taking the cars out." Leah stood up straight. "He's driving?" she asked incredulously.

"Yeah, and you know that if he's caught he will go back to jail." "Thank you, Garrett. I'll have Barry hide the keys." "What about you, Leah? What are you going to do?" "I'll call his sponsor and see if he can help. I'd rather he get into rehab and lose his career than to kill himself. What else can I do?" "You can get the hell out of there now! Before he hurts you," Garrett said forcefully shaking her shoulders. "I don't know Garrett, I just don't know. I feel like I owe it to him to stand by him. He's done so much to get his life back together. I can't just walk out on him the first sign of trouble." "I think you're making a big mistake," Garrett said shaking his head. "Will Brent be around for awhile?" "No, he flies out right after the funeral." "Then you call me at the Lakeside if you need anything." He stroked her hair then gently asked, "When's the surgery, two days?" "Yeah, will you go with me if he can't?" she asked hoping that by taking away the car keys he would be able to stay sober. "Sure, Leah. Just have Barry stop by and pick me up," then he added, "if Robert can't make it." When Leah returned home after seeing Brent off, Robert was in an agitated state. "Where the hell have you been?" he yelled at her when she walked in the house. "At your mother's funeral. You missed it," she said emotionlessly, as she went into the kitchen to get a glass of juice. She was feeling dehydrated from all the crying. Funny she thought, she'd gone to a funeral and she's cried for everything except for the woman in the casket. "That's not until tomorrow. You were out catting around, weren't you? You won't sleep with me because you're getting it elsewhere. You bitch!" He left her in the kitchen and stormed out. She held onto the counter, afraid of him, the cancer, and the future.

Chapter Twenty-seven The next day, Leah pleaded with Robert to stay sober so he could take her to the hospital the following day for her outpatient surgery. He promised, assuring her that she was the most important thing in his life. The next morning he was passed out, naked in the bathtub. Leah couldn't understand it. Barry kept all the car keys with him. So, where was Robert getting the alcohol from? She searched the pockets of his clothing that were strewn about on the bathroom floor, looking for a car key and finding none. On the way to the hospital Barry stopped by the motel and picked up Garrett. She was glad to have someone with her. Madison was already at the hospital when she checked in and she helped her get ready while Garrett waited in the waiting room. Having worked at the hospital for so many years Madison knew the hospital staff well. Although she was there as a friend, the staff allowed her unlimited access to Leah. "You okay, Leah?" her friend asked concerned. "I don't know if I can go through this again," she said speaking of living with an alcoholic, rather than the surgery. "You know you don't have to. Sweetie. Why don't you leave before it gets worse? Dean and I are worried sick about you." "I'm all right. There are just so many things that have gone wrong. God, we still haven't gotten past losing Jesse, then everything else came down up on us." A shadow passed over Madison's eyes at the mention of Jesse's name. "He just needs a little time. He promises he'll stop drinking." "Leah, you're a smart woman," Madison said gently tying Leah's hospital gown. "You know it's not just a matter of stopping. He needs help. He needs to get into rehab, and now." "It's not that simple. If he goes into rehab it will be all over the papers. Ringo's already called saying he's heard rumors and he'll dump him instantly if he finds out they're true. I know I shouldn't have lied for him. But Madison, he's struggled for the last couple of years to re-build his career. I can't just let him flush it down the drain." Madison knew that Leah's intentions were right, but that she was so bogged down with her own problems that she couldn't see Robert's problems for what they really were. "Let's get you healthy again, then we'll worry about Robert, agreed?"

"Agreed. Thank you for being here Madison. I really need you more than you can imagine." *** Madison's face was the first Leah saw when she came out of anesthesia. "Hi sweetie. How you doing?" "Sleepy," Leah answered clearing her throat. She knew that it was feeling rough and scratchy from the tube they had put down it during surgery. "And sore," she added as she regained more feeling. Her left breast felt as though it had been cut off. Leah felt her chest to make sure it was still there. "You rest for awhile. Robert is outside waiting for you when you're ready." "Robert," Leah said drifting off to sleep, content in knowing he was there for her. She had forgotten that Garrett was the one who had brought her in. When she woke again Robert's smiling face was over her. "Hey, Babe! I've been waiting for you to wake up." He bent down and kissed her on the forehead. "Robert, I'm so glad that you're here. I need you." Then she dozed off again. When her system was finally clear of the anesthetic and she was fully awake and sitting up, Madison checked her vitals signs and told her that they were going to let her go home. She went over the discharge instructions with Leah and Robert. Robert aggressively agreed to all the instructions, insisting that he would take good care of her. Madison asked Robert to leave the room for a minute so she could help Leah get dressed. Once he was gone, she asked Leah, "Are you going to be okay with him? I can come over and take care of you. I can think of nothing I'd rather do. Or better yet, you can come home with me." "I'll be fine. Thanks for the offer though." Madison knelt in front of Leah as she finished buttoning up the last of her shirt buttons. "Sweetie, there's something you should know..." "All she needs to know is that I'm here to take her home," Robert interrupted loudly. Leah looked up and smiled at him. Then she looked at Madison's face, full of concern. "What's wrong? What should I know?"

"We'll talk later, sweetie. You better get home and get some rest." Robert pushed Madison aside and roughly took Leah's arm. "Come on Babe, let's get you home." He escorted her out to the car and gently helped her into the passenger seat. She looked around for Barry, and was appalled when Robert slid behind the steering wheel. She tried to unbuckle her belt, but her hand-eye coordination still wasn't what it should be. "Robert, you can't drive. Please, let's get Barry." "I can drive. They just don't want me to. There is a difference you know," he said confidently. "Please, Robert you could go to jail if they catch you." "Let them send me to prison. For what, driving my favorite girl home after she's had surgery?" Leah prayed all the way home, hoping they would get there safely. When they pulled up in front of the house, Barry was sitting on the front step waiting for them. "Mrs. Stetson, I'm sorry. Are you all right?" "Yes, Barry, thank you." Barry looked anxious, like he was concerned for more than Leah's health, but he couldn't speak his mind while Robert was there. Robert gently helped Leah into the house, while Barry parked the car in the garage. "Let's get you into bed," Robert said with real concern. Leah took a pain pill and fell back asleep. When she woke up, it was dark outside and she could feel Robert's hands on her. "Hey Baby," he slurred. "I'm glad you're awake because I need you." "Robert, I can't. Remember the instructions that Madison gave us?" "That bitch is like the rest of them," he said as he dragged his body on top of hers. "They all want to keep you away from me." Leah cried out in pain as he rested his weight on her body, crushing her breasts. "Robert, no! Oh God that hurts!" She could feel the stitches, on the underside of her left breast, pulling and ripping her flesh as the incision opened. "Oh how can your man giving you a little love hurt? Shush up and let me show you how much I love you." Leah lay pinned by his body, as his hands tightly gripped her upper arms. She openly cried out in pain, weeping as he had his way with her. She tried to roll her

upper body, so his weight was supported more by her right side, but it didn't help much. Each time he thrust forward she cried out in pain feeling as though she was being ripped apart. After what seemed like an eternity, Robert rolled off her and fell into a drunken sleep. Leah used a pillow to support her breast and carefully walked into the bathroom. Each step shot daggers through her chest and breast. She shut the bathroom door and turned on the light. Once her eyes had adjusted, she removed the pillow to see that the pillow and her nightgown were soaked with blood. She cautiously lifted the blood-soaked gown and was horrified to see that the stitches had all been ripped out. She had an open gash that reminded her of when she worked in surgery. Feeling faint, she quickly sat on the chair next to the vanity and put her head between her knees so she wouldn't pass out. Feeling stronger, she put the pillow back over her breast in an attempt to keep it stabilized, then cautiously walked to the phone next to the bed. "Hello," Dean's sleepy voice answered the phone. "Dean, I need someone to take me to the hospi..." When she regained consciousness she was lying on the floor between an overturned straight-backed chair and the bedside table. She reached up and winced when she touched her right eye. It was quickly swelling and hurt like she'd been hit with a baseball bat. Her arms ached from where he had held her down. And her breast! The pain was unbearable. Robert was snoring loudly on the bed, oblivious to the damage he had done. She pulled herself up and dragged her body to the front door. She unlocked it, then lay on the cool marble floor where she passed out again. She awoke to the pungent stench of smelling salts. "Okay, okay," she protested. She could see two shapes above her. "Do we need to call an ambulance?" Dean's voice asked. Madison quickly lifted Leah's gown and assessed that the bleeding wasn't life threatening and shook her head. "Get her in the car. Now!" Dean picked Leah up and carried her to the car and tenderly laid her across the back seat. "I'm sorry," Leah mumbled. "He..." "Don't talk sweetie," Madison said propping her friend's legs up to keep her from going into shock. Kneeling in the small floor space between the front and back seats, Madison pushed back the hair from Leah's swollen face. "We'll get you to the hospital and get you all fixed up." Madison's voice cracked as she looked at her friend in such a bad way. She couldn't hold in all her fears anymore and they

came flowing out in a flood of tears. Madison quickly brushed away the tears, hoping that Leah couldn't see them in the dim light of the car. She felt her friend's forehead. It was starting to feel cold and sweaty. "Dean, please hurry!" "I'm going as fast as I can without killing all of us," Dean said, his voice strained with worry. *** The next day Leah woke up in pain. "Oh God! Oh someone please help me!" she cried softly unable to speak any louder with her throat so sore. Madison and Dean were sleeping in chairs next to the bed and jumped up at her cry. "Leah, honey. I'll get someone to give you a shot." Madison motioned for Dean to go get the nurse on duty and she stayed, stroking Leah's hair and bruised arms. "Oh Leah, I'm so sorry I let you go home with him. Please forgive me. I didn't think he'd ever hurt you." Madison was openly crying. "Oh God, Madison, it hurts so much! Please, do something!" "They're coming with a shot right now, hang in there sweetie. I know you're strong, you can hang in there for just another minute." Dean came to the door, upset, and motioned for Madison. "I'll be right back with your shot honey." Dean pulled her out of the room so Leah couldn't hear. "They say there isn't a doctor's order for pain medication. They said their hands are tied." "Dean, you go in and try to calm her, I'll take care of this," Madison said, as she started off down the hall in a full trot. Five minutes later an apologetic-looking nurse came in with a shot of Demerol. Leah was tossing in bed, screaming in pain, while Dean tried desperately to hold her down and keep her from hurting herself further. "Here you go Mrs. Stetson, this will work quickly." The nurse put the medication directly into her IV line. Within minutes Leah was asleep again leaving Dean and Madison to comfort each other. "I'm going to kill that bastard," Madison said. "I'll help," Dean replied. "How could he do this to her?" Madison cried on Dean's shoulder. "She's helped him through so much." "I don't know honey. I guess it's the alcohol. I'm sure he wouldn't do it otherwise."

"I don't know how he could do it even if he was drunk. My God, he loved her more than I thought was possible. She doesn't deserve this..." Leah woke up the next day, still sore, but not in as much pain as before. She could hear a commotion in the hallway, and Robert's loud and angry voice. "Robert?" she called out. "Leah, this damn guard said he can't let me in!" he yelled through the door. The door opened and a frightened looking guard was standing there. "Mrs. Stetson, I was hired by the Bennett's with strict instructions that Mr. Stetson could not enter your room. But ma'am, if you're awake and want him to enter, I can't keep him out." Leah wasn't sure what the problem was; she couldn't even remember why she was in the hospital. "Let him in." She was sure she needed her husband by her side and couldn't understand why anyone would want to keep him away. Robert pushed past the guard, almost knocking him off his feet. "Baby Doll," he said sitting down on the bed next to her and picking up her hand. "God, I've been so worried about you. I woke up yesterday and didn't know where you were. There was blood all over the house. Barry said he saw Madison and Dean carry you out to the car in the middle of the night. I called Madison and that bitch wouldn't tell me anything. I had Barry drive me down here. They didn't want to let me in." "I wonder why Madison wouldn't call you?" Leah searched her memory, but the combination of anesthesia and pain medications was clouding her memory. Yesterday? she thought. Why did it take him a day to find me? There was a knock at the door. "Come in," Leah called out, her throat still sore. A Michigan state trooper, intimidating in his navy-blue uniform, walked in and took up a position just inside the door. "Can we help you officer?" Robert asked, obviously agitated. "Mrs. Stetson, I'm a good friend of Dean Bennett. When he saw me downstairs he asked that I come up and be sure you were doing okay." The trooper gave Robert a cold stare and put a hand on his holstered pistol. Leah couldn't understand. Why would Dean send a trooper to protect her? From what? From who? Robert was defensive and complained loudly about everyone trying to keep him

from his wife. Leah's brain was slowly starting to focus and she could see short flashes of being under Robert, of the pain. "Ohhh!" she cried out, tortured by the memory. "Can I get you something, Baby? Tell me and I'll get it for you." He was holding her hand tightly, too tightly. "Can you go to the house and get my bathrobe?" she asked trying to smile and sound casual. "I hate hospital robes." "I'll send Barry," he said turning to go. She grabbed his hand weakly. "No, Robert, I want you to get it for me. It will make me feel better knowing that you did this for me." "Okay Baby, I'll have Barry drive me. I'll be back soon." He kissed her on the forehead and left, snarling at the trooper on his way out of the room. "Officer, could you please get me Mr. or Mrs. Bennett?" Leah asked, with the last of her strength. "Of course, Mrs. Stetson, they are waiting downstairs with my partner." He spoke into the walkie-talkie on his shoulder, then smiled. "They'll be right up." "Leah, oh sweetie, are you okay?" Madison asked with grave concern as she came into the room. "Madison, what the hell is going on?" Leah asked on the verge of falling asleep again. "Leah, he hurt you. You had to have surgery to repair the damage and they gave you two pints of blood. Sweetie, I'm worried about you. Let the doctor transfer you to a hospital in Traverse City where he won't find you until you're healed." "Sure," Leah said as she fell back asleep. When she awoke again she was in an ambulance with Madison next to her. "Dean's in the car behind us," Madison reassured her friend. "Madison, will you call Garrett for me. I'm worried about him. He left without telling me and I..." Leah couldn't remember anything other than that Garrett had left without telling her. "Sure, sweetie. I'll call him for you." She didn't tell her friend that she knew why

Garrett had left so suddenly or that she'd been talking to him several times a day. There was time to fill her in on everything once she was feeling better.

Chapter Twenty-eight Leah was taken to a private hospital in Traverse City. The administrator agreed not to bill her insurance until Leah was discharged, understanding her safety was at risk and that Robert had the resources to follow a paper trail. Knowing the Stetson name guaranteed his payment, he wasn't concerned. Leah was kept lightly sedated for the first three days of her stay there. An infection had set in, and antibiotics were added to her IV to combat it. The doctor felt that she needed a lot of rest to recover and that the stress of dealing with what had happened to her could greatly slow her recovery. Dean had to get back to work, so Madison stayed by her friend's side, day and night. Leah had a large private room with a couch that pulled out into a sleeper, so Madison didn't have to sleep in a chair. On her fourth day, they reduced the pain and sedating medications allowing Leah to slowly regain consciousness. Madison had dreaded this day, because she knew Leah would want to know what had happened. "Hi sweetie," Madison said as Leah opened her eyes. "How you doing?" "Madison," she said groggily, "I feel like I've been sleeping for a week." "Just about four days," Madison said softly. " Should we call you Rumplestiltskin?" "Madison, what's happened to me?" Leah asked, as the fog slowly lifted from her brain. "Why don't you take some time to wake up, then we'll have a long talk." "No, Madison, I need to know what happened." "Do you remember anything?" "Just flashes. Garrett was there. Then Robert took me home from the hospital." She paused, then remembering that night she winced and cried out, "and oh God the pain! I remember the pain. I called Dean and then I was in the hospital. Then Robert was there, and a state trooper followed Robert in the door to protect me. My God, Madison! Why did I need a state trooper to protect me?" "Sweetie, I have a lot to tell you. Why don't I start from the beginning." "Okay, I'm listening," Leah said, anxious to hear what had happened but dreading it at the same time. She knew she felt better than she had. There was still some discomfort in her left breast. Worse than that, all her muscles were tired and weak

from being in bed for so long. "Leah, Robert started drinking again after his mother died. You probably remember that." Leah nodded as Madison continued, "He slugged Garrett making him fall down your front steps the day he brought you home from the doctor's office. Then Garrett brought you in for your surgery because Robert was passed out. While you were in surgery Robert showed up and pushed Garrett around, accusing him of sleeping with you. Thank goodness Garrett left before it got out of hand. But, he did give me his new cell phone number so I could call him." "Is he all right?" Leah asked, concerned. She tried to sit up, but hadn't the strength to do it. "Yeah, honey. He's fine." Madison smiled reassuringly. "He's just scared for you. I've been calling him three times a day updating him on your condition. He came and saw you the first day you were here." "Thank you Madison, he really is a good friend." She relaxed back into the bed. "I know honey, I know. Anyhow, Robert drove you home from the hospital and you called us in the middle of the night. Do you remember what happened? How he hurt you?" "I think so. I woke up and his hands were all over me. He said he wanted to show me how much he loved me. Ohh, Madison, it hurt so bad!" She could feel tears stinging her eyes at the memory of the pain. "I tried to keep his weight off of my breast, but he was drunk and so heavy. I went to the bathroom and there was blood all over the place. I was lucky I was able to call before I passed out." Touching her face, where it was still tender around her right eye she added, "I think I fell between a chair and the nightstand the first time I passed out." "Sweetie, are you telling me he forced himself on you the night of your surgery?" Madison asked unbelieving that she could possibly be telling the whole truth. "Uh huh. He wasn't trying to hurt me. He was drunk, he didn't know." "Leah, sweetie, think hard. When did he hit you?" Even if she were telling the truth, Leah must have been screaming in pain. Why wouldn't he have stopped? "He never hit me. It's not like he wanted to hurt me." "Well, he hurt you whether that was his intention or not!" She wasn't about to let Leah sweep this under the rug, not after the condition he left her in. "Sweetie he tore out all the stitches and ripped your incision open another two inches. You lost

a tremendous amount of blood. They had to give you two pints in Tawas." "There was blood everywhere in the bathroom. I remember that, and the pain. Oh my God, it hurt!" she cringed remembering it. "You're in Traverse City now. We got you into a private hospital and it's arranged that he can't find you before you're released. So, you just have to worry about getting better for now." "What about Robert? He must be worried sick about me!" Leah still couldn't quite grasp her friends were that worried about her safety. Robert hadn't meant to hurt her. "Please, Madison let him know that I'm all right. He doesn't need anymore on him right now. Promise me." "Sweetie, Dean's been over there several times to let him know that you're safe. He's either been passed out cold or wouldn't listen to Dean. He accused Dean of trying to keep you for himself." "Oh Lord, Madison. What am I going to do? He needs help, but he'll ruin his career if he goes into rehab." Leah started to cry. "Sweetie," Madison said getting her attention. "Remember, you're here to take care of yourself. You can worry about Robert when you get out of here." "Let me call him, so he won't worry. Please." "You can use my cell phone," Madison relented but held the cell phone just beyond Leah's reach. "But Leah, promise that you won't tell him where you are." She still didn't trust that Leah hadn't been beaten and that she wasn't blocking it from her memory. "I promise," she said as she took the cell phone and started punching in the number. After a few rings the answering machine picked up. "Robert, it's Leah. Honey, I just wanted to let you know I'm okay and I'm getting better everyday. I miss you so much. I need you, Robert." Then quietly she added, "I love you." She turned off the phone and handed it back to Madison, dejected that she hadn't been able to talk to him. She was so worried about him. How could she worry about herself when he needed her? "You ready to focus on getting better now?" "Okay, I'll take care of myself for now," she lied. "When I get home, I can take care of Robert." Madison couldn't believe her ears. Leah was planning on going back to him. After all he'd put her through and with little hope of getting the help he needed. She

knew she only had four days to help her friend see that it was too dangerous to go back while he was still drinking. She hoped she could. Two days later Leah was curled up sleeping in a reclining chair next to the hospital bed. She became aware of a man's hand stroking her hair and face. "Robert?" she asked opening her eyes hoping she wasn't dreaming. "No Leah, it's Garrett." "Garrett!" she exclaimed as she threw her arms around him, trying not to tangle the IV line still running into her right arm. "I can't tell you how worried I've been." He leaned back and looked at her face and into her eyes, "You look like you've got some color, and your eyes are clear." He gently touched the remnants of her black eye, "Are you feeling better?" She pulled him close again and snuggled up to his shoulder as he knelt next to her chair. "I feel good enough to go home, but they won't let me out for another two days until the IV antibiotics are done." "I'm sure the time in here will do you good," he reassured her letting her continue to hang on to him. His knees were getting sore on the hard floor, but he didn't flinch letting her get the hug she obviously needed. "I miss Robert so much," she said with her face buried in his long curly hair. "I know you do Honey." He didn't understand it, but he also knew that love had it's own agenda. She finally released him and he pulled up a chair next to hers, sitting on the edge of the seat, so he was as close as he could get to her. "What are you going to do when you get out of here?" he asked gravely with a wrinkled brow. He took her hands into his. "I need to get home and make sure Robert's alright. I'm so worried about him Garrett. I promised Madison that I'd concentrate on getting better, but it's hard when all I can do is think about how he's doing." "Leah, you need to be realistic." Garrett paused. He knew that chances were nothing he said would change the course of things. But, he was compelled to try. "Robert is an alcoholic. You didn't know him before. I did. He drank heavily, but it always seemed to be casual, you know like all of us did in the early years. Then a few years before you met him, he couldn't control it anymore. Who knows, maybe he never was in control." Leah listened intently while Garrett continued, "He started becoming belligerent

and picking fights. He drove, even after his license was revoked. He'd go on weeklong benders and no one would know where he was. He changed. I don't know what to tell you, except that's where he is today. He can't just have a drink and get on with his life. One drink and he's into it full-blown with the paranoia and aggressive, sometimes, violent behavior." "But, his arrests were always from traffic stops, I don't ever remember hearing about any violence," she said unbelieving that her sweet and gentle Robert could be anything but. "Honey, money buys a lot of silence." "Are you saying he paid to have things hushed up?" She couldn't believe that. Not with the press always hounding him. Something would have leaked. Garrett nodded and then looked her square in the eyes. "Leah, I don't want you to go back to that house, not while he's still drinking. You can't stop him from drinking, but you can become his punching bag if you're there." He looked down at the large bulge under her gown where a large dressing covered her breast. "Garrett, he didn't hit me, honest. I wish everyone would stop acting like he tried to hurt me. It was an accident!" "Sure honey, sure," he said, disbelieving, but trying to calm her. "It was! Damn it, what kind of friend are you? You're supposed to be one of his best friends and you think he could have done this to me on purpose. He was making love to me when he was drunk. He didn't know it was hurting me!" Leah was mad. Why did Madison, Dean, the doctors and now Garrett all think she was in danger? And, from her own husband! "Okay, Leah." Garrett said quietly trying to calm her. "I'll believe you. I wasn't there so I could never really know." "That's right. None of you were there, so how could any of you know?" "I was there when he slugged me, though." "Oh Garrett, I'm so sorry about that. I truly am. But, you have to believe he would never hurt me. Not on purpose." "I've already lost one friend, I don't want to lose you too. I would feel better if you didn't go back to him. Not until he stops drinking, anyhow." Leah shook her head. "Where would I go? That's my home."

Garrett looked down at their hands. "You could come and stay in my L.A. house. I can take care of you, and you'd be safe until he sobered up." "I appreciate the offer, but I need to get home. We've been through so much. I need to be home, so I can get better and we can get him some help." "Leah, you know he won't go to a rehab center, unless he's arrested. Either way his career is shot. And, without help, he can't work. What do you think you can do?" "I don't know. All I know is that I love him too much to give up so fast." "Leah, the nurse said I could only stay a little while. So promise me, before they kick me out, that you'll take care of yourself and you'll call me if you need anything. Anything at all." "I promise," Leah smiled at her friend. He could never know how much he meant to her. "So, before you leave, tell me how you're doing, and the band." "We've decided to try to find a new lead singer. We're holding auditions next week. I'm not really hopeful; it's going to take a lot to fill Jess's shoes. God, I miss him so much!" Madison walked into the room looking like she was freshly showered. "Did I hear my sweetie's name?" she asked wistfully. "Yeah, we're going to try to keep the band together so we can continue singing his songs and keep his memory alive." Madison sat in Garrett's lap and put her arm around his neck, pushing his long locks away from her face. "That sounds really nice." Then she hugged him fiercely. "Thanks." Garrett stroked Madison's hair as she remained on his lap, continuing to hold Leah's hand with his other hand. "He thought the world of his 'Maddie', you know that don't you?" Madison smiled with sad eyes remembering how he used to call her that. Garrett continued, "He used to get this dreamy, far-off look in his eyes when he'd talk about you and say, 'in another lifetime,' or something like that." A nurse came in a few moments later and ended their little love fest. It had been good to see Garrett, and Leah was sad when he had to go. As was Madison. He was a link to Jesse for her and with all she'd gone through with Leah in the previous week she really needed a link to Jesse's spirit.

A couple of days later, Leah finished her treatment of IV antibiotics and was released from the private hospital. The doctor delivered the good news to her that the cancer they had removed in Tawas was benign and the biopsies were all negative. Other than frequent check-ups, she was considered cured. Dean was waiting in Madison's van when they walked out of the hospital. The three drove back to Oscoda, mostly in silence for the four-hour trip. Anytime either one tried to talk her into staying with them for a few days she cut them off. She needed Robert, and he needed her. She'd have to be strong. She was feeling strong and was hopeful that she could get their lives back on track. When Dean pulled the car up to the beach house, Dean and Madison tried once again to talk her into staying at their house for even just one day. "I have to do this," she told them resolutely. She had Dean leave her overnight bag on the front step and then she hesitantly entered the house by herself. "Leah!" Robert jumped up from the couch where he'd been watching a game on TV. "Oh my God! Girl where have you been?" He swept her up in his arms and danced around the room with her, stopping in front of the couch, where he helped her down and then sat next to her. "I can't tell you how much I've missed you." He kissed her forehead, then her cheeks, her neck and then ended on her lips. Oh, he felt so good to her, but she also noticed that he didn't have his cologne on. She missed how he smelled when he wore it. "Robert," she said pushing him back. "Robert, stop!" He sat back and looked at her, unsure of why she was stopping him just as he was getting started. "Listen to me, carefully." "Okay, Baby, you got my full attention." "Robert, I can't live here with you if you're drinking. I could have died last week." "What are you talking about? Nobody would tell me what happened, or where you were. Baby, I've been worried sick about you." "Robert, shut up and listen. The night I had surgery you got drunk and forced yourself on me, ripping my incision open and tearing me up pretty bad. I could have bled to death if I hadn't called Dean to take me to the hospital." Robert gently touched her breast, "Lord, Leah, I had no idea. I would never have hurt you on purpose. Please forgive me. I'm so sorry."

"I know you're sorry, Robert. But that isn't enough." He looked up at her, fear in his eyes. "What are you saying?" "You drink one more drop and I'll file for divorce." "You don't mean it," he laughed. "Try me," she said with a steely voice.

Chapter Twenty-nine Robert stayed sober for four days, giving Leah hope that perhaps he'd been able to conquer the problem on his own. He was excited about the up-coming Broadway play, and their future. Then on the fifth day Leah returned from visiting her parents for the evening to find him passed out in bed. She sat next to him on the bed and cried openly. Oh, Robert, she thought, why? His routine of drinking, passing out and belligerent behavior resumed. He wasn't violent. Leah stayed, hoping that maybe if he could do it for four days, he could get sober again for a longer period of time. She offered to find him a private counselor. They could pay him enough for his silence; no one would ever have to know he'd fallen off the wagon. He kept promising her he wouldn't drink anymore, saying how he wanted his career and he was going to do the play in January. After a month of the same promises and the same let downs, Leah was ready to go to L.A. to shoot the Purple Fire Hydrant video. She needed a break from the constant stress his drinking put on her. She always felt like she was walking around on eggshells, and that if she cracked one their lives would all fall apart into a pile of dust. She found herself constantly feeling edgy and moody, ready to fly off the handle at the slightest provocation. She'd even taken her frustrations out on one of the young housekeepers, who now refused to come back to their house. Leah couldn't blame her. She'd been awful to her and the level of tension in the house was going nowhere but up. Leah had been able to talk Houston Jim and the band into letting Grant Kane star in the video. She told them it was because he was a huge fan, not the truth that he wanted to impress his nieces. Madison had threatened to never speak to Leah again if she didn't take her to see "her Grant", so Leah conceded and brought her along for the shoot. On the set, Leah and Madison were shocked to see Whitney hanging all over Sledge. "Madison, with everything else going on I forgot she might be here. I don't know if I can handle this." "I'll get you through this. Just stick close to me and we'll just act like she's not here." The problems with the shoot started almost immediately when Jim announced that the actress to play Grant's love interest canceled at the last minute and they would have to re-cast the part. Grant suggested that Jim use Madison instead. Madison resisted at first, until she heard that they would have to kiss. Then she readily agreed. The band had a really loud, head-banging sound, un-like the other bands that she'd worked with. Jars of aspirin and earplugs could be found throughout the set,

for the crew to take advantage of. Grant and Madison were dressed in futuristic outfits and played out the boy meets girl, boy loses girl and boy gets girl back routine. By the last day of the shoot, Leah and Madison had been able to avoid all contact with Whitney. Leah had to get Sledge for a scene, and found Whitney on his lap in his dressing room. "Sledge, we need you on the set," Leah said flatly and then turned to leave. "Hi Leah," Whitney said, obviously enjoying that Leah was uncomfortable with her presence. "Hi Whitney." Trying to be pleasant, she asked, "How are the kids?" "Don't know," Whitney said, kissing Sledge, squirming seductively on his lap. "Don't have time for rug rats when I've got my man to take care of." She plastered kisses on Sledge's shaved head. Leah wondered if Whitney ever caught her lip in the dozens of piercings he had all over his face. "Where are they?" Leah asked concerned. She knew what those kids had meant to Jesse. How could Whitney be so malicious to take away his kids and then leave them without a parent to raise them? Jesse never would have killed himself if she had let him have the kids to raise. "They've been with my mother since the funeral. She's good with kids," Whitney cackled. "She raised me." Leah didn't realize that Madison had been right behind her until her friend went flying past her and pulled Whitney by the hair until she fell screaming off Sledge's lap. "Oh, cat fight!" Sledge said getting excited, rubbing his hands up and down along his heavily studded leather pants. "You bitch!" Madison yelled as Whiney picked herself up off the floor, looking like she was primed for a fight. "You stole his heart, then you stole his kids. You killed him! You killed one of the few decent men in this world!" By now Grant was in the small dressing room holding Madison back so she couldn't hurt Whitney. "Let's take it out back!" Whitney egged her on as she rubbed her head where Madison had yanked her hair. "In a heart beat!" Madison screamed, struggling to get out of Grant's hold for the first time since she'd met him. Sledge gave Whitney a little push in Madison's direction, and Whitney grabbed

Madison's costume, tearing the sleeve off as Grant pulled Madison into the hallway. "I'm going to kill you just the way you killed Jesse!" Madison screeched. Grant pulled her down the hall and into his dressing room. Leah had never seen Madison lose her cool before. She followed them, unsure of what to make of what had just happened. When Leah entered Grant's dressing room, Madison was still fighting to get away from him. "Let me at that bitch, she killed Jesse." Grant tried to wrap his arms around Madison to calm her, but she quickly ducked down under them and headed for the door, which Leah blocked. "Let me at her. How dare she steal his kids and then dump them like they were trash!" Grant was able to grab her from behind and hold her arms down tight. She fought for a while and then went limp, crying uncontrollably. "She killed him," she sobbed as she gasped for breath. "She killed my Jess." Grant brought her around so she was facing him and held her tight, letting her sob. Leah and Grant looked at each other, not knowing what else to do. Leah joined the group hug, and cried for Jesse as well. Fifteen minutes later, Madison was still trying to calm down, occasionally whimpering as she sat between Grant and Leah on his dressing room couch. Houston Jim knocked briskly and then came into the small dressing room. "What the hell is going on here? I've got a video to shoot and no actors and no front man. Leah?" "I'm sorry Jim," she said apologetically, not quite sure of what to tell him. "It seems that we've uncovered a few unresolved feelings about Jesse's death. We'll all be on the set in fifteen minutes," she said looking at Grant and Madison, pleading with her eyes for them to help her. "I'll find Sledge." "Make it ten, or look for another job!" Houston Jim was a big man, and he was used to getting what he wanted. "Come on you two, we need to get going. Are you alright, Madison?" "Sure. I'm really sorry for messing things up. I just couldn't stand there and hear her talk like that." "I know, hon. I know." Leah hugged her friend. "Now, let's get out there--we've all got work to do." Leah tracked down Sledge; he was in a storage room with some young blonde in a compromising position. "Sledge," Leah said loudly with her back to them. "Jim

wanted you on the set fifteen minutes ago. So, unless you're done I'd suggest it wait for another time!" After looking around for Whitney for a few more minutes, a guard at the back door informed Leah that Whitney had left in tears just after the incident and hadn't returned. Leah gave strict orders that she was not allowed back on the set before the taping wrapped. By the time Leah returned to the set, Madison was looking beautiful and perky again, with a costume designer sewing her sleeve back on. Leah was followed in by a dejected looking Sledge. Jim gave Leah a look to say that she'd just scraped by on this one. "We're here to work, people," Houston Jim bellowed. "Let's get back to it!" The rest of the shoot went smoothly, although Leah was worried that Madison was going to slug Sledge that evening when he hit on her, saying that he liked feisty women. Madison was in heaven after her little love scene with Grant. It wasn't a romantic thing, it was very robotic and professional, but it didn't matter to Madison. She got to share an on-screen kiss with Grant and she would be able to watch it over and over again, with Sledge's vocals muted. *** Leah and Madison stayed in L.A. for a day after the shoot was over and went shopping. Madison needed a little buffer time before she went back to the real world, and Leah really dreaded going home. Once home in Oscoda, Leah waited at the front door of the beach house for a full minute before she could bring herself to unlock the door. She walked in and the place looked like an earthquake had hit it. Pictures on the wall were either knocked askew or on the floor, broken into pieces with shards of glass scattered everywhere. The couches, chairs and tables were all overturned. She walked into the bedroom where all their belongings had been dumped out of their drawers. The bed was stripped and the sheets thrown across the room. She really didn't want to see anymore, but she was concerned about Robert. Her tolerance had been sorely tested and this was just about to break her. She had tried to call several times each day while they were in L.A., but he never answered the phones. When she called Barry, he informed her that Mr. Stetson had fired him and he was back in L.A. In the kitchen all the silverware was dumped on the floor, mixed in with the broken remnants of their expensive dinner and glassware. Throughout the rest of the

house she found more of the same mess. Still, she couldn't find Robert. She went down to the beach, but there was no sign of him there either. When she returned to the house, the phone was ringing. "Robert?" she answered it hoping to hear his voice. "Sorry sweetie," Madison said. "It's just me. Is everything all right over there?" "I can't find Robert and the house is trashed," she said in a falsely upbeat voice, "so yes, everything is just peachy." "I'll be right over," Madison said, then hung up before Leah could argue. While waiting for Madison to arrive, Leah called the housekeeping service. They informed her that Robert had cancelled the service the day she left for the video shoot. Leah asked if they could please resume service and that she needed several women right away if at all possible. Madison was there within fifteen minutes and she and Leah sat amidst the wreckage. "Sweetie, you have to leave. What if he did this while you were here? You wouldn't stand a chance. He's too strong for you to fight off." "I know." "Why don't you stay with us, us? Or, you can stay at your small house." "I know I should. I just can't help but feel like this is somehow my fault." "What?" Madison asked unbelieving. "What if I didn't get sick when he was dealing with Jesse's and his mother's death? Maybe he could have handled those things, but not me being sick on top of it all." "That has got to be the most idiotic thing I ever heard you say!" Madison practically yelled at Leah. "You think you had a choice in being sick? Get over it Leah. He's the one with the problem. I know you love him, but you can't keep putting yourself at risk to help him." There was a knock at the door and Leah jumped up hoping it was Robert. It was a couple of women from the housekeeping service. Leah, Madison and the women got to work cleaning up the mess. It took them all afternoon. After they finished, the women left and Madison left an hour later. Leah stayed up as long as she could, waiting for Robert. She even went out and checked all the out buildings to make sure he wasn't in any of them. She checked to make sure all the cars were accounted for. She finally lay down on the couch closest to the front

door, praying he would come home. The next morning the brilliant sunrise over the lake came through the large plate glass windows and woke her from a restless sleep. She ran to the bedroom, expecting to see Robert there. The bed was empty and untouched. She fell to her knees next to the bed and cried. Where is he? It was still too early to call anyone's home, so she started by calling the hospital and police to see if he'd been admitted or picked up. Everyone was very sympathetic, but no one had any record of him in the last week and promised to call if they heard anything. Then she started calling everyone they knew, in Oscoda and then around the country. She was feeling foolish, but someone had to know where he was. By lunch she had gone through their list of friends and no one had heard from Robert. When she spoke with Garrett he was sympathetic, but reminded her that he had warned her that he used to go off on week-long binges. Leah called Madison, frantic. "I don't know what to do. What if he's hurt somewhere and can't call for help?" "Leah, dear, you have to calm down. There's nothing you can do but wait. I know it's hard, but you don't have much choice." "Madison, I don't know how much more I can take. I'm starting to think maybe everyone is right and I need to leave him to take care of himself." "Now you're talking," Madison said, silently cheering her friend on. "Madison, I'm serious. This isn't easy. Imagine how hard it would be for you to give up trying to help Dean, or Jesse, if they needed you." "You're right. I'm sorry. I guess I've been rather harsh on Robert. I've just been so worried about you." "I know you have. And, I appreciate it." "So what are you going to do?" "I leave in a week for that Hazed Vision shoot in the mountains outside of L.A. If things aren't better by then, I'll consider moving into the small house." Leah prayed that it wouldn't come to that. As tired as she was of the stress, she still loved Robert and wanted him to get well. Leah wandered around the big, empty house by herself for another two days. On the fifth morning she was sleeping on the couch when she heard a key in the front

door. She jumped up as Robert quietly tried to get in the house without making any noise. "Robert!" He straightened up, and looked at her, shocked that she was there. "Hey Baby Doll, you home from the shoot already?" He looked awful. His short black hair was standing up in places, his usually clean-shaven face had a week's growth of stubble and there were dark circles under his eyes. His clothes looked like they hadn't been changed the entire time he was gone. "I've been home for five days, where the hell have you been?" she yelled, on the verge of crying. She was relieved that he was apparently okay, but five days of fear for his well being was all coming out, and it was aimed directly at him. "I would have come home sooner if I'd known you were here." He smiled, trying to hug her. She pulled away. "You would have come home from where?" "I'm home now, Baby. How about some lovin?" "Are you kidding me? You've been gone for at least five days, with God knows who and doing God knows what and you want me to fall into bed with you?" "Hey Darlin." He swaggered over to the side of the room where she had retreated to. "I just went out for awhile." "Robert!" Leah continued to move away from him as he approached. "The house was trashed and you've been gone for almost a week. And, you have nothing to say except, 'How about some lovin'?" "You used to like making love to me. Now you're always running away from me. Were you and Garrett getting it on in L.A.? Hell, you probably just got back today and are trying to turn your guilt around on me!" Leah didn't like the tone his voice was taking. His anger was rapidly rising and she was worried that he'd quickly become violent. She made her way over to the door as they played their little dance around the room. "You bitch! Who else did you sleep with while you were out there?" His face was getting livid with uncontrollable anger. When Leah got to the front door, she bolted and ran to her car. Luckily she had been able to grab the car keys and pocketbook off the table on her way out the door. Robert reached the car just as she locked the doors. He pounded on the windows, shattering the driver's side with his fist. "You bitch! Get back in the house where you belong!"

Leah fumbled with the keys, trying to get them in the ignition. Once they found their mark she started the car and drove at a breakneck speed off the property. She drove to Saginaw and boarded the first flight she could get to L.A. She planned on staying there until the Hazed Vision shoot started. On the second night she called Robert to be sure he was all right. "Robert, it's Leah," she said into the machine when it answered the line. "I don't know if..." "Leah," Robert picked up the phone. "Leah, please don't hang up on me." "Why shouldn't I?" she asked. "Leah, I haven't had a drink since you left. I even went to an AA meeting last night. I promise, I'll never take another drink. Please, don't leave me." "Robert, I've had enough." She felt dead inside. "I can't do this anymore." "I know, Leah. I'm sorry. I promise I'm done; I'm not drinking anymore. I need you, not the bottle." "I don't think I can." She was resigned to being on her own again. It was just too hard to keep one step ahead, or was it one step behind, him. "Leah, just promise me that you'll come home and see for yourself." "I have to do a video shoot in a few days. I'll be done in about a week. I'll come home then." "Thank you Leah! I promise, things will be different. I love you so much, I need you in my life." "I'll see you in a week," Leah said, hopeful once again, then hung up. They spoke on the phone the next day and Robert was upbeat and looking forward to her return. After that he didn't answer the phone when she called.

Chapter Thirty Leah was tired by the time she got home on Sunday morning. She'd been outside of L.A. for the taping of a Hazed Vision video. It had been a longer than normal shoot and in rugged mountain conditions. Barry, who had since returned to work, picked her up from the Oscoda airport and drove her to the beach house. Once they were parked in the driveway Barry turned to her. "I'm sorry Mrs. Stetson. But, I really don't think you should go in there." His face was drawn and his eyes lowered, as though he was profoundly sad. She looked at the house. It can't be any worse than the last three months, she told herself. "Thank you Barry. I appreciate your concern. Why don't you wait out here with my bags? I may have you drive me over to the small house." "Yes, ma'am." Leah unlocked the front door, took a deep breath and then walked in. The stereo was blaring and it appeared Robert had a wild party the night before. There were eight bodies sleeping around the main room, in chairs, on couches and some on the floor. She didn't recognize any of them. They were probably bums he had picked up in the bar with the offer of free drinks. She walked into the bedroom looking for Robert. She found him. He lay on the bed face up and naked. Next to him laid a half dressed floozy. They were both passed out and the smell of liquor was over powering. She had known this day would come, and somehow she was glad it was here. Now she could take back her life. She'd had enough. Unable to cry, or care anymore, she retrieved their Polaroid camera from the closet and took two pictures of the bodies in their bed. One picture she put in her purse, the other she laid on the nightstand. Then she slowly slid her wedding band off and carefully placed it on top of the picture. Had it really only been just over two years since he slid it on her finger that night in Las Vegas? *** Settled in the small house, Leah couldn't face anyone. She didn't call Madison or her parents to let them know that she was home. About four hours after she had left Robert, the phone rang. "Leah, oh my God. I don't know what happened, honest. Please, pick up. Please. I just woke up and found this picture and your wedding ring. Leah, I don't remember anything, honest. Please, pick up. Lord, Leah, I would never..." The machine cut him off. He called several more times and left more of the same garbage on her machine. She took the tape out of the machine and put it in her purse next to the photo. She called one of the security guards that frequently did work for them and he came over to keep Robert away

from the house. Then she unplugged the phone. Monday morning she was standing in front of Dean's office when he arrived for work. Dean could immediately tell that something was seriously wrong by her disheveled appearance and bloodshot eyes. He showed her into his office and silently hugged her until she finally broke down. They stood there for a few minutes while Leah bawled in his arms. Finally she took a chair, attempted to compose herself and slowly told him what she had come home to find the day before. She showed him the photo, then handed him the cassette from the answering machine. He took the cassette into the outer office where she could hear him play it. "What do you want to do, Leah," he asked with concern when he returned. "I need you to start divorce proceedings immediately. I know it will only take three months in Michigan since we don't have any children. I want this to be over with. I won't live through this a minute longer than I have to." She paused. "I just want my life back." "Okay, not a problem. I have some questions for you so I can file the papers." He went through a series of questions on dates and such. Finally he asked, "Leah, did you sign a pre-nuptial agreement?" "No, I offered to after we got married so quickly, but he wouldn't hear of it." "You realize that means that you are entitled to half of his estate," Dean said seriously. "I really don't think that I'm your man. You should get a lawyer from Detroit that specializes in high stakes divorces, so you get what you are due under the law. I'm sure he'll have high-priced lawyers, and you really need to protect your interests." "Dean," she said looking at her hands in her lap. "I never wanted his money. I just wanted him." She looked up into his eyes. "He was the pot of gold at the end of my rainbow, not his millions. I don't want any of his money. I never wanted it while we were together. Please, write up the papers so I am only asking for what I brought into the marriage or was given as a gift; my personal belongings, the LeSabre, my businesses and the small house." "Leah, you can't be serious!" "I'm totally serious, Dean. Please, do this for me," she pleaded. "But, Leah, you could be set for life with even a small fraction of his estate. You really need to see another lawyer and plan for your future. Have you talked to Madison about this?"

"Dean, please. I don't need to talk to Madison. I need you to do this for me. I don't want another lawyer. I'll sign a waiver saying that this is what I asked of you and that you tried to refer me to another lawyer. You know, something like a patient would sign when checking themselves out of a hospital against medical advice." "Okay, Leah, but this really is against my advice." Dean sat back in his chair shaking his head. "I have some serious reservations here. There are some ways around this if you change your mind, once you've come to terms with all that's happened. We can drop the first case and re-file. I personally don't know a judge that would hold your first case against you under such circumstances." "Thank you, Dean. When can you have the papers served to him?" "I can have the initial papers served tomorrow. I realize that this needs to be done before the press gets wind of it. I'll have Julie clear my schedule today and walk this through the system. I'll get you the first available court date after the three month waiting period. Please, Leah, don't feel like you have to stick to this if you come to your senses." "I won't change my mind," she said firmly. *** Leah had purchased a stack of answering machine cassettes so she could keep a record of Robert's calls. She feared he could become threatening when drunk and she didn't want a case to come down to her word against his. She had learned her lesson with Alex. The next morning her phone rang at nine a.m. It was Robert. He sounded tired. "Leah, I just got served the divorce papers. Please, Babe, let's talk before this goes any further. Please, just call me." A few hours later the phone rang again. "Leah, I'm going to stay with Zach for awhile. I can't stay in this big house without you. God, Leah, I love you so much. I've really messed things up. Please, don't give up on us yet. I love you." A few hours later another call from Robert. She figured he was leaving the country; she could at least pick up the phone and talk to him. "Leah, thank God. Please Leah, let me come over and we can talk." "There's nothing to talk about. Your actions said it all. You've chosen the bottle, and the lifestyle that comes with it, over me. It's the second time in my life that I've failed to make a man happy to the point where he just wanted to finish his life in a chemical haze. I can't..."

"Oh Lord, Leah. It's not your fault, Babe. It's me. I'm weak and I got tripped up after Jesse died, then Mom. And with you sick, I couldn't handle any more. It's not you! Please don't ever think it was your fault." "I'm going to hang up now. You have a safe trip and tell Zach & Marcia I said hi." "Leah, wait. One more thing. While I'm down there, call if you need anything. Better yet, call Ringo. I know you wouldn't call me. Ringo can arrange anything you need. Please, promise that you'll call Ringo if you need anything." Her patience was growing weary. "I'll call Ringo if I need anything. But, I won't need anything. Goodbye Robert." She hung up the phone and threw herself on the bed, where she cried herself to sleep.

Chapter Thirty-one On Tuesday, once she was sure that Robert had left the country, Leah sent home the security guard. Madison came over with a pot of soup, and a big box of Kleenex. The women talked for hours and Leah was drained by the time her friend left. She went to bed early and once again cried herself to sleep. A pounding at her front door brought her out of a deep sleep. Shocked, she made her way to the door, dreading the thought that Robert could have lied about leaving the country and she was now vulnerable. She turned on the front porch light and peeked out the window. "Garrett!" she exclaimed as she quickly unlocked the door. Garrett came through the door and wrapped his strong arms around her. Leah wept, leaving wet, salty streaks down the front of his indigo silk shirt. After a few minutes, Garrett guided her to the couch. "Leah, my God, Robert called and told me he was going to Australia because he couldn't stay in the house without you. He said you filed for divorce. Leah, what the hell happened? Did he hurt you again?" Without a word Leah walked into the kitchen and retrieved the photo from her purse. Returning to the living room, she stood over Garrett on the couch and handed him the photo. "Leah, I'm so sorry," he said standing to hug her again. "Are you okay?" "I'm getting there," she said meekly. "I knew it was just a matter of time. Everyone tried to warn me." They sat back on the couch. "I should have listened. I should have left that first day. Staying didn't get him to stop drinking, it just dragged me down with him." Garrett gently stroked her hair and cheeks. He had been where she was now and he knew the pain she was facing. It broke his heart to see her so torn apart. "What can I do? I'll do anything you ask. Leah, I feel so badly. I know how much it must hurt." "Yeah, it hurts. But, I'll get through it," she said looking at her hands. Garrett put his hand under her chin and brought her face up so she could look into his eyes. "Leah, you don't deserve this." Leah couldn't hold his gaze and looked down again. "Are you sure? Every man I love seems to need to self-medicate himself to get away from me."

"Leah, don't be stupid! These men have been too weak to handle what life throws at them. You had nothing to do with it." Again, he pulled her face up with his hand. With his other hand he gently wiped her tears. Leah, although face to face with Garrett, could not look him in the eyes. Her shame was too great. "Leah, look at me!" Garrett was forceful, trying to break her out of her self-pity. Leah lifted her blood-shot eyes and looked into his blue eyes. She'd never noticed how beautiful they were before, and how full of love they were for her. How she longed for comfort. As she looked deeply into his eyes, she was looking for forgiveness, more than anything. Slowly, she found herself bringing her face up to his, as he lowered his head to meet her lips. Leah was surprised to hear herself say, "Stay with me tonight." "Are you sure, Leah?" Garrett asked, concern in his voice. "If you're going to change your mind, you'd better do it now before things go to far." He'd loved her since that first night they met backstage, and he didn't want to take advantage of her while she was hurting. "I've never been more sure about anything," she said before kissing him fiercely. She was out of control, but she didn't care. She needed comfort and redemption. She needed him to love her, when no one else would. *** The next morning Leah awoke to find Garrett in the bed next to her. She wasn't sure if she felt any better. She didn't feel any worse, so she figured it couldn't have hurt anything. She snuggled into his side, but couldn't find the same comfortable spot that she could on Robert. We aren't a perfect fit, she thought. Garrett stayed for two days, much of which they spent in bed. Leah knew that it was only physical comfort but she needed love and was glad that Garrett had it to give. They tried to act as a normal couple, but Leah's heart was torn between the man who had betrayed her and this man who wanted her so desperately. They didn't talk about anything deep. Garrett knew that she would need time to heal. He wasn't sure that sleeping with her was the right thing to do so soon, as she mourned the loss of her marriage. He'd seen her with Robert. He knew the depth of her love for him and he suspected that he would lose her in the long run because of his actions. He too was trying to come to grips with loss, after Jesse's death. They needed each other right now, and that's all that seemed to matter.

"So," Leah asked on the second day as Garrett was packing to return to L.A., "have you found a new lead singer?" "Actually, I'm going to take over." He kissed her lightly on the cheek as they worked together getting his freshly washed clothes packed. "I've been singing backup for twenty years and I guess I picked up a lot of Jesse's style. When we held auditions my voice was closer to Jesse's than anyone else's." Leah's eyes perked up. "You mean I slept with the new Crazed Boyz front man?" She hugged him playfully, "I had no idea!" "Yup, you're my first groupie," he teased. "Actually, I'd rather have Jess back. God, I miss him." He held her tight, not ever wanting to let her go. "I'm sorry. It has to be hard to step into his shoes when you miss him so much." "I'm not sure if I'm ready to be a front man either. There was always a degree of privacy that I was able to enjoy that Jesse couldn't. I guess that I'll have to learn to live with the changes. As hard as it is, I'm glad on some level that I'll be the one to bring his songs to life again. It really is an honor." He paused. "Leah, we're doing a small concert in Seattle next week, to test the fan reaction to the new lineup. I'd appreciate it if you could be there." "I think I'd like that," she said pulling out of his embrace to finish packing his things. She was really glad that he had come when she needed him, but she really needed some time alone for awhile. "I really could stand to get out of here for awhile. When do I need to be there? I'll need to book a flight." Garrett turned to her with his brow furrowed. "Leah, you can't fly on a commercial flight." "Why not! I flew commercial flights for years before Robert walked into my life. I'm perfectly capable of getting myself where I want to go," she said indignantly. She hoped he wasn't going to start treating her like some Prima Donna. "Leah, dear, the tabloids are full of pictures of you and Robert. If you go to an airport, you'll be swamped with reporters. I want you to come, but I'm not going to let you go through that right now. I'll hire a charter for you." "But, I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself!" She sat hard on the bed, not wanting to trade one man taking care of her for another. Realistically though, she also knew she didn't want to face the press. Not now. "I know you are, Hon. But, let me take care of this." She nodded as he sat next to her on the bed. He hugged her close and firmly added, "That's that!"

*** The next week was a terrible time for Leah. Two days after Garrett had returned to L.A., she was standing in line at the grocery store when she saw a picture of Robert in bed with the floozy plastered all over three tabloid covers. The picture was different than the ones she had taken. In the published picture the woman had her arms and legs wrapped around him, covering his nakedness. She left her cart of groceries and ran from the store. Leah vowed to stay in the house until she left for Garrett's concert. Madison graciously did any errands that she needed done. Unfortunately, she wasn't safe at home either. One night when she couldn't sleep she was watching videos on VH1 when the "Candle" video came on. There was Robert, wondering lost, singing about his lost love. Then there was Jesse, lost and broken, just as he had been in those last months of his life. And then, Garrett. Looking for love, her love. She turned off the TV. Damn, she thought as she dragged herself off to bed. Why did I ever make that video? By the time she boarded the private Leer Jet, which Garrett had chartered for her, she had been getting a little stir crazy and was glad to be going somewhere, anywhere. In Seattle she was taken from the airport to the concert venue by limo. Garrett was at a rear door to meet her, unable to hide his excitement to see her again. "Leah, I'm so glad that you made it." He hugged her and then bent down and kissed her softly before ushering her into the back of the hall. Leah enjoyed the concert. She was amazed at how much Garrett sounded like Jesse. The audience was more subdued than other concerts, but they genuinely seemed to enjoy the new line-up. The new keyboardist was very good and got along with the other Boyz well. They flew back to Garrett's L.A. home that night. His home was much more modest than Robert's oceanfront home. It was in a normal up-scale neighborhood, unlike Robert's secure, gated community. She stayed for two nights before he took her to the airport for a chartered flight home. They sat in the Leer jet, waiting as the jet was preparing for take-off. "Thank you, Garrett. I really needed this break. I appreciate you asking me to come. You've been a good friend when I needed one." He took her hands in his and looked her in eyes. "Leah, we leave next week to start a nine month tour. We're starting overseas and won't be back to the states for three months. I hope that you'll see me when I come back. Your divorce will be final by then. Maybe we can talk about spending more time together." He looked

down at their intertwined hands, then confessed, "I've loved you for so long, I really don't want to miss the chance to have you in my life." Leah was surprised by her reaction to the news that he'd be gone for three months. She had no physical reaction, no emotional reaction. If it had been Robert leaving her for three months, she would have felt like someone was pulling her stomach out through her throat. She could see that Garrett was serious and waiting for her answer. She didn't want to hurt him, but the reality was that she just didn't care for him the way she did for Robert. She couldn't while her heart still belonged to Robert. "Garrett," she said quietly, looking at his hands holding hers. "I've enjoyed the time we spent together. You were there when I needed you." She looked up to his eyes and could tell that he knew what she was going to say. He put a finger to her lips. "You don't have to say anything. I know you still love Robert. You take the time that you need. Maybe some day we can get together again." "I'm sorry Garrett. I didn't set out to hurt you," she said, wrapping her arms around his neck. "I know, dear. I hope I was able to help you through this." "Oh, you did." She brought her hands around to his face and looked into his eyes. "Trust me. I was feeling so unloved, like no man could care about me without being drunk or high. You've given me hope for the future." He kissed her softly. "I love you, Leah. Take care of yourself and call me if you need anything, okay?" "Thank you Garrett for understanding. Maybe, some day..." Garrett kissed her softly again, then he left her on the plane to await the take-off by herself. *** For the next month Leah involved herself in her work, planning the next three upcoming videos, trying not to think of the pending divorce. She and Madison had discussed the design business and they decided that maybe it was time for Leah to focus strictly on the videos. Plans for a new line of patterns was scrapped. "I'm glad to have the design business off my back," Leah admitted.

"I don't know how you've juggled it all for so long," Madison sighed. "And with everything else going on in your life." "Really," Leah lamented. "It's a full-time job just keeping up with that!" "So," Madison asked brazenly, "you never did tell me if it's true about a keyboardist's hands." "Madison, you're terrible!" "Terrible or not, I need to know. Does the man know how to use his hands for anything other than the keyboard?" "You do not need to know, you just want to know. There's a difference you know." "Okay, so sue me! But, for goodness sake, don't make me wait another minute to find out." "Well, all right. Without going into too much detail," Leah enjoyed Madison's dejected look. "Overall I would give him a ten in that category. There was one night that I could have died, it was so wonderful." "What, for goodness sake. What?" Leah blushed remembering her time with Garrett. "Well, we were laying in bed watching videos and an old Crazed Boyz video came on. I was lying on my side and he knelt behind me and used my side as his keyboard. It was a turn-on to say the least!" "You mean he literally played you like a keyboard?" Leah nodded and Madison shook her head in amazement, "Oh, he's good! I can't believe you let him go. The only man you were ever involved with who didn't have an addictive personality, and you let him go." A couple of days later Madison called, excited. "Leah, you'll never guess who just called!" Without waiting for an answer she continued, "Grant! Can you believe that? He called me at the house!" Again without giving Leah a second to respond, she talked even faster, "Sweetie, he wants me to be in his next movie! It's a costarring role!" Leah had to hold the phone away from her ear as Madison screamed. "Madison, that's great! Where, when? Tell me everything!" "It starts filming in March. I forgot to ask him where? But, guess who I have a love scene with," she whispered making Leah assume that Dean was nearby.

"Let me guess, could he have the initials G.K. by chance?" "Leah can you believe it? He said I was a natural! Me, a natural!" It turned out that Dean wasn't as excited about Madison's career change as she was. When Leah was in his office to sign some contracts he cautiously broached the subject, "Leah, I'm worried that I'll lose Madison, if she runs off to Hollywood." "If anyone can understand your concerns, it would be me," Leah told him. "But, honestly, Dean, I've watched Madison with Jesse and Grant. She's a natural ham, but her heart is here with you. If you were going to lose her, it would have been to Jesse. They had a connection that ran deep." Dean nodded in agreement. "But, they both knew the boundaries and stayed within them." "But, when you were with Robert, didn't you ever worry he wouldn't come home?" "Of course. It's only natural. Marcia Yancy told me that she doesn't worry and that she won't until the day Zach doesn't come home to her. And you know that was one of the most valuable lessons I've ever learned. Why look for trouble before it comes? As I found out, it often comes from a different direction than you're looking." "I just can't help but worry. I'm a small town lawyer, how can I compare to someone like Grant Kane?" "Just make sure she gets what she needs from you Dean, and she won't look elsewhere. You do a lot of divorce work." Dean nodded. "Then you know that someone can leave a marriage for someone far less attractive than a movie star." "Boy, are you right there!" Dean had worked on a number of divorces where he wondered why someone had left a stable family to run off with a real bum. "You can't control her life. If you try to, you'll lose her for sure." "So, what can I do?" "You know you're asking someone with their second divorce pending!" "Come on Leah, you're her best friend. You know her secrets probably better than

I do." "My best advice would be to support her in what she wants to do. If she wants to try her hand at making a movie, then let her. If she wants to and doesn't try, then she'll regret it all her life, and probably resent you for it. Like I said before, make sure she gets what she needs from you so she doesn't look for it elsewhere." Leah and Dean talked for another half an hour until he was a little more comfortable with the idea that his wife would be a movie star. "I just hope you aren't charging me by the hour for this advice!" Leah laughed. Since Madison would be busy with her new career she really didn't want to be bogged down with having to worry about the office. They made arrangements for Janet to take over as office manager when Madison left for the movie set in March. It really was silly for them to keep the small business running when they both had more lucrative careers calling them. Janet could keep things running until the business slowed down to the point that she, too, was no longer needed either. One Saturday night Leah was surprised to hear a knock at the front door. Opening the door, she was shocked. "Mrs. Stetson," the young woman on her doorstep stammered in a soft voice. "Do you know who I am?" Leah stood there for several seconds with her hands on her hips, staring at the woman. "Yes," she finally answered. "You were in my bed next to my husband." "Mrs. Stetson," the woman pleaded. "I need you to listen to me for just a minute. Please. Nothing happened!" "You've got sixty seconds before I shut the door," Leah said wanting to slam the door in her face. Yet, there was something very innocent in her expression that made Leah decide to listen to what she had to say. "I stumbled into your bedroom that night. Mr. Stetson was already passed out on the bed. I just was looking for somewhere to sleep, nothing happened--honest." She talked faster, trying to get her story out before Leah shut the door. "My boyfriend saw your wedding ring on top of the picture that next morning. He thought we could make a buck selling the story so he took more pictures. I'm so sorry. Three tabloids promised to tell my side of the story, the truth. But, they didn't. They didn't want to hear that the pictures were staged. They paid me," she held out three crumpled checks for Leah to take, "and then they printed what they wanted. It was all garbage, I'm so sorry." She lowered her head in shame. Leah took the checks, which totaled over twenty thousand dollars. "Why haven't you cashed these?" she asked, stumped.

Still looking at the ground, she said, "I couldn't. Not when I saw the lies they printed. I'm so sorry Mrs. Stetson. I don't want the money. I can't live with myself knowing that you think we slept together. I didn't mean to ruin your marriage." Leah looked at the beat up car the woman had parked in the driveway. "Here," she said returning the checks. "Go ahead and cash them. You've earned it for what they put you through. I appreciate your honesty, and your attempts to let the truth be known. I know how the tabloids work, and they don't care about the truth. You ended up a victim in all this too." After the woman left, Leah sat on the couch. She needed to think about this. He hadn't slept with the woman. Did that really change anything? His drinking had been out of control for months. Even if he didn't sleep with someone that night, maybe he did while she was gone to L.A. to tape the Hazed Vision video, or for the week he was missing. It was just a matter of time before something like that would have happened even if it hadn't by then. She had to stay strong. She couldn't go back to him while he was still drinking. She couldn't put herself through that again. She wouldn't. Leah went to see Madison and Dean that night. She told them the woman's story and swore them to secrecy. They agreed that she should keep the information to herself and continue with the divorce. After all, it was just a matter of time before he would be unfaithful when he was drinking so heavily.

Chapter Thirty-two Leah tried not to think of the incident in the next weeks as she mentally prepared herself to face Robert in court. She hoped he wouldn't show up for the proceedings. Four nights before the court date, Robert called. "Leah, I just landed in Oscoda. Can I come over? Please, I just need a few minutes of your time, then I'll leave." "Okay, Robert, I won't stop you." When Robert arrived she was at the front door waiting for him. She was worried that he could have been drinking, but thought she should give him a few moments to speak his mind before the divorce was final. She let him in and motioned for him to sit on the couch. She had to hold on to the doorknob as he walked by. He smelled so good. It had been so long since she'd been knocked off balance by his scent. He had stopped caring about his appearance when had started drinking again. Today, he was well dressed, and his eyes were clear. They sat on the couch in silence for several minutes. She could barely stand to be this close to him. God, I love this man, she thought to herself. Leah finally could stand it no longer and ran into the kitchen. She was standing with her back to the counter when he came in and stood in front of her, pinning her to the counter, holding onto her shoulders. Leah couldn't look him in the eyes; she was scared that her resolve would disappear. Instead she focused her gaze on his royal blue Izod shirt, of which the fibers strained to cover his muscular frame. "Leah, I'm sorry for all that I've put you through. Honestly, I don't remember anything about that woman. I have to accept that I must have betrayed your trust, and I know you can't forgive me for that." He could barely stand to be so close to her. He hated that she bristled at his touch. What could he ever say to win her back? There was nothing. All he could do was apologize and let her get on with her life. She wanted to tell him about the woman's visit, but she couldn't bring herself to. It was best if she didn't. She needed to stay strong and go through with the divorce. "Leah," he said bringing her chin up so she had no choice but to look at him. "I love you. I was lost for a while after losing Jesse and Mom, one after the other. And it scared the hell out of me that I could lose you. I've been at Zach's for the last few months, drying out. I haven't had a drop since the morning you left."

"I'm happy for you," Leah said, lamely diverting her gaze. It was nice he was getting his life together when hers was falling apart. "Leah, I just wanted to let you know, that I understand, I have to stay sober, or die in a bottle. I'm prepared to stay sober without you. I know there's a good chance I'll never win your heart again, and my life will have to go on." "Good luck, Robert." She was awash in a feeling of deja vu. It was as if she was back years earlier when he first came into her home. He was so strong, so focused. He knew what he wanted and wasn't afraid to humble himself to her, to have her in his life. "Leah, I just wanted you to know that I'm committed to sobriety, with or without you. If you want to go ahead with the divorce, I won't fight you. Although, I'm hoping that you will drop the divorce for now, and give us some time to see if there is anything still there worth saving." He backed away from her, and she held onto the counter for support. Then he leaned down, gently kissed her on the cheek and turned to leave. Robert, I love you! Stay with me! was what her heart screamed, but her head kept her in check. She couldn't speak. How could she know he was going to stay sober? "Thank you for seeing me. I have to head for New York. We start rehearsals for the play tomorrow." She stood supported by the front door as he walked to his limo. When he reached the fence he paused and turned to her, "Leah, I love you." He looked somber, so beaten down. Her heart softened a little. She held onto the door for several minutes after he left, breathing in his scent, the knowledge that he loved her, and that he was sober again. The next day Leah called the office and asked Madison to come to the house. Once there Leah told her of Robert's visit. The two friends talked for hours with Leah not coming to any clear-cut decision on what to do. *** The second day after Robert's visit Leah received a call from Dean's office. "Leah, this is Julie, Dean's secretary. Dean and Judge Sherman would like you to come in for a three p.m. meeting at the courthouse. Can you do that?" "Sure Julie. Do you know what it's about?"

"Sorry, Leah, they keep me in the dark," Julie laughed. At three p.m. Leah was escorted into Judge Sherman's chambers. Dean and the Judge stood and welcomed her. Once they were seated the judge started, "Mrs. Stetson, I must tell you this is the strangest divorce case that has ever come in front of me. I'm supposed to finalize the proceedings in a couple of days, and I just wanted to talk to you to be sure you understood the latest developments." "What's going on?" she asked, looking first at the Judge, then to Dean, for answers. "We've heard from Robert's lawyer," Dean said. "Are you telling me he wants to fight this?" she asked unbelieving. "He can't stop me from getting the divorce, can he?" Now she was getting mad. She knew how he could make a call and get whatever he wanted. He couldn't do that with her. What was that whole visit two days before all about if he wasn't going to let her go through with the divorce anyhow? "No, Leah, he's not trying to stop the divorce. He just wants to change the terms," Judge Sherman stated. "Why? I'm not asking for anything but what I brought into the marriage. The car was a gift, if he wants that back, he can have it." Now she was totally unbelieving. Was he trying to get her house and businesses too? Why would he be so spiteful after just declaring his love? Perhaps he was trying to strong-arm her into dropping the case. Well, Leah thought, it isn't going to work! He can have it all. I'm out of here. "Leah," Dean said softly getting her attention. "I need you to listen carefully. Robert isn't contesting the divorce or looking to take away what you asked for." "Then what is it?" She was close to tears, not understanding what these men were trying to tell her. Why couldn't they just get to the point? "Mrs. Stetson," Judge Sherman continued slowly, so she didn't misunderstand him, "your husband has asked that his entire estate be transferred to you as part of the divorce settlement." Leah sat, stunned, looking from one man to the next. "Leah, did you hear what the judge said?" Dean asked. Leah nodded.

"Did you understand what he said?" Again, she nodded. The men got up and moved to the door. "We're going to go into the courtroom. You take as much time as you need. When you're ready to talk, you know where we are," Dean assured her. Again, Leah nodded numbly. How could this be, Leah asked herself? Why would he give away everything he owned? He knew she didn't care about those things. Leah sat there deep in thought for several minutes until Dean came to the door to check on her. "Dean, please come in," she said. He settled into the chair next to her. He picked up her hand in a gesture of support. "Dean, I don't understand. Why would he do that?" "Leah, first understand that Judge Sherman will do what you want. You don't have to accept Robert's terms if you don't want to, or you can donate everything to charity. It will be your choice." "But why? He's worked his whole life to build what he has. He needs things like his private house, his plane, a car and driver. Because of his celebrity he needs those things to live anything close to a normal life." "Leah, I hate to do this to you, but I'm going to answer your question with a question. Why did you ask me to file the divorce asking for only what you brought into the marriage?" "If I couldn't have him, I didn't want his things." "He's using the same tactic dear. Think about it. He's saying he doesn't need his money and material possessions. It's not what is important to him. What he really wants is you in his life." Leah looked at him, stunned. "He's doing all this to say he loves me?" "I believe so. From what I understand it's a two-way street." He paused, "We can go through with the divorce, and like I said the judge will finalize whatever settlement that you ask him to." "Or?" "Or..." Dean paused. "Or you can go back to the man you love. You know he wasn't unfaithful. I know he scared the hell out of me when he was drinking. And, we thought he had beaten you the night we took you to the hospital. But, Leah,

he's sober again and maybe there's hope for a reconciliation." "But, he could start drinking any day. He's an alcoholic." "Leah, think about it. Suppose he stays sober for the next two years and then, out of the blue, he's hit by a car." Leah's eyes opened wide at the thought. "Are you going to wish that you had given him a chance? Or would you be glad that you had given up on the man that loved you?" "But what if he starts drinking again?" she asked, not quite sure she could give in. "If he starts drinking again, you can always file for divorce at that time, and I'd support you one hundred per cent. But, is it really worth missing out on a possible lifetime with the man you love, just because something bad might happen again? You two had one horrible thing happen after another. I'm not saying it couldn't happen again, it very well could. But deep down, when he's sober, Robert is one of the most decent people I know." Leah looked at him with a faint smile. The reality of it was finally sinking in. "You mean that we could really try again?" "Yes, Leah, you can try again. It's up to you though. He's made his wishes clear. The man wants you back in his life and he's offered everything he owns at your feet as a sacrificial offering. I think he's made quite a statement." Leah nodded. "I need to think," she said standing up. "Dean, thank you. I'll call you tomorrow. Would that give you enough time to go either way?" "Sure, dear," Dean said as he hugged her. *** The next evening she dialed Robert's cell phone number. "Hello," he answered. There was a lot of noise around him and she could barely hear him. "Robert," she said gently. "Leah! Hang on Babe. I'm making my way back to my dressing room." She heard scuffling on his end, picturing him making his way out of the noise. There, can you hear me okay?" "Yes."

"Leah, I can't tell you how good it is to hear your voice. Are you doing okay?" "Yes." "Babe, talk to me. Do you need something?" "I spoke to Dean today," she said. "And...?" "I dropped the divorce. Is that alright?" "Is that alright? Of course it's alright!" he said excitedly. "Why did you ask your lawyer to change the settlement?" She was still speaking quietly, now sure that she still wanted this man in her life, but unsure of his motives and his ability to stay sober. "I needed to make it clear to you that all I want is you. I don't care about anything else. That stuff doesn't mean anything to me, not without you in my life." "Why should I believe anything you say?" "That's a question I can't answer for you. I know I don't deserve your trust. You were so right years ago when you told me that trust is earned, not automatic. And, I know that I haven't earned your trust. I just hope that you give me the chance to show you that I've changed and that you can trust me again some day." "I don't know Robert. I miss you, but I'm scared. You hurt me more than I thought I could be hurt; mentally, emotionally and physically." "Leah, dear, I'm so sorry for all that I've put you through. I know I'm not worthy of another chance. I just hope that you can find it in your heart to give it to me." "I need time." "Of course you do. I'm just happy that you've taken the first step by dropping the divorce. You tell me where we go from here. I'll do whatever you want. I won't push you. I know that would only push you away, and I never want to do that again." "Why don't you call me tomorrow night?" "That I can do, Mrs. Stetson." Then he added, "I love you." The next afternoon six-dozen long-stem red roses were delivered to Leah's home.

Within minutes her phone rang. "Hey, Babe. Did you get the delivery?" "Yes, Robert. They're beautiful! But, I don't have enough vases for all of them." "I'll make a call," he said. "No, please. I'll manage. Robert you have to promise me not to get crazy about this. I've agreed to talk to you. That's all I can do right now." "I know. I just wanted you to know how sorry I am that I've missed the last six months with you. Even when I was there, I was in the bottle. Lordy, Leah, if you only knew how bad I feel." "I know you feel bad. I went through a lot while you were drinking. You weren't there for me. I'd tell you I needed you to come with me to a doctor's appointment and you'd be passed out when it was time to go. I'm having a hard time getting past that, as well as other things. My God, Robert I spent a week in the hospital because of you." "I know. I'll spend the rest of my life trying to make this up to you." "Robert, I have to be honest. Things may have gone too far to make this work again." "Please, don't say that. Just give it a chance, that's all I ask." "I spent time with Garrett while you were in Australia," she blurted out. There was a pause on the other side of the line. "I know," he said quietly. "The tabloids had a picture of you two kissing before his Seattle concert." "Oh, Robert. I'm sorry. I didn't know. I wouldn't have done anything like that to hurt you on purpose." "It's okay, Babe. I'm not happy about it, but I have no one to blame but myself. I can't even fathom how much I must have hurt you. I can understand that you needed to find some comfort." "Robert," she said sternly, "I'm not going to spend the rest of my life apologizing for my time with Garrett. If you and I do get back together, you will have to get past it and not blame me, or Garrett." "I can do that. I'll do whatever it takes to get you back." "You might say it now, but what are you going to do when you see us together? I'll still be working with him and I hope that he could still be a friend to both of us."

"I'll have to work on that. Please, don't expect me not to be jealous. You are both important to me. I'll be honest though, I hate that you turned to each other." He paused. "I guess we both have things to get past." "Then you also have to make sure that you don't put me in a position again that I seek out the comfort of another man's arms." "I know, Babe. I really messed up. I accept responsibility for everything." "If it helps," she told him, "I broke it off with Garrett shortly after the concert. I couldn't lead him on when my heart was elsewhere." "Are you saying you still love me?" "Yes, Robert, I still love you."

Chapter Thirty-three The next morning, promptly at nine a.m., a long stemmed red rose was delivered to Leah, as it was each morning after. Robert called each night and they talked, sometimes for hours. If her cell phone batteries were low, he'd call on her home phone. At first their conversations were much the same as the first couple of phone calls, with talk of betrayal, reconciliation and forgiveness. As the days passed, they spoke more of his play, her videos and other things. Leah was getting re-accustomed to thinking of him as sober and stable. It wasn't easy and trust wasn't forthcoming. A couple of months after she had dropped the divorce, while waiting for Robert's usual call, she answered the phone and it was Garrett. "How's my favorite front man?" she teased him. "How's my favorite groupie?" he teased back. "I'm doing good," she replied. " How about you, Garrett? You haven't called since I was in L.A. with you. I've been worried about you." "I met someone, Leah. I wanted you to know before you read it in the papers or saw it on TV. We're getting married while the tour is in Japan next week." "Oh Garrett, I'm so happy for you!" "Are you? I was worried that maybe you had reconsidered and were waiting to hear from me." "I've been waiting to hear from you, but as a friend. I do love you, Garrett. It's just that my heart will always belong to Robert." "Good, I'm glad to hear that you aren't upset. I need you to be happy for me." "I'm happy for you, you know I am! Can you be happy for me? Robert's sober. He's in New York City rehearsing for his Broadway debut and we've been talking." "Leah, I'll be happy for anything that makes you happy. And, I know that Robert makes you happy. I'm glad that he's sober. You deserve some peace in your life." "Yeah, I'm ready for that! We're just talking for now. But, I did drop the divorce, so there's hope." "If you ever need me, you can still call. I'll be there for you." "Thank you Garrett. Every girl needs a friend like you." They spoke for an hour. He told her all about his fiancé and how she reminded him of Leah in so many ways.

She spoke of the progress that she and Robert had been making. It was awkward at times knowing they had been lovers, if only briefly, but Leah desperately wanted to get their friendship back to where it had been, and she sensed that Garrett did too. A couple of days later, nine front row tickets to Robert's opening night performance were delivered by FedEx. Opening night was just a week away, and he wanted her to come. He also invited Brent, her parents, Dean, Madison, Barry, Jerry and Tom. He had worked so hard to get to this point in his career and he was making a dream of his, to be in a Broadway play, come true. She worried, though, about reconciling too quickly. Maybe she should give him more time, make sure he could really stay sober more than six months. She sat down with Madison later that day, over lunch in Madison's kitchen. "I'm just not sure about seeing him so soon," she said with trepidation. "What are you afraid of?" Madison knew Leah had reservations but wasn't sure what the problem was. The man was a hunk, hadn't slept with the floozy and was sober. And it didn't hurt that he loved Leah madly. Sure, Madison had her share of qualms after all he'd put her through, but she knew that he would never hurt Leah when he was sober. She also didn't want her friend to lose Robert and a chance at well-deserved happiness. After losing Jesse she knew that life was too short for a lot of "what if's". You had to take what life was offering you, and right now it was offering Leah a chance to be happy again with Robert. "I'm afraid that I'll take him back too soon and he'll take it for granted that I'll come running back every time he sobers up." "Leah, it's been six months! I wouldn't call that running back. You know you want to get back with him, don't you?" "Yes, but..." "But what? But maybe this will happen or maybe that will happen? Maybe one of you will wait too long," Madison said raising her eyebrows, "and then you'll lose the chance that has been given to you. Have you thought of that?" "No. If he really loves me, he'll wait for me." "For how long, Leah? He's a grown man with needs. Pretty soon he's going to find that he can get love elsewhere without being humiliated for the rest of his life for his past mistakes. Then you will be left with nothing! Is that what you want?" "Of course not! How can you think that?" Leah asked, incredulously.

"I know you're scared. I hated him for hurting you. But, that wasn't the Robert we all knew, it was the alcohol." "I don't know if I can forgive him." "Sweetie, I always thought you were pretty smart. You got out of a bad marriage, started over, raised a wonderful son, started your own business and now you're working on videos. Girl you've done it all," Madison leaned forward and looked her squarely in the eyes, "except to forgive yourself." "What?!" She couldn't believe Madison was talking to her like this. They'd been friends forever and now she was making this all Leah's fault! Madison had been there with her through all the madness. How could she blame her for this? "That's it, isn't it? You can't forgive yourself for sleeping with Garrett, so you don't feel like you can ask Robert to forgive you. You know he didn't sleep with that woman, so it's only you who's betrayed your vows." Leah felt a sudden release of something that had been dammed up inside of her and tears flowed from her eyes. Is that really it? she wondered? Was it really her own guilt that was keeping them apart? She looked into Madison's eyes and she could see that it was true. It was her guilt, not Robert's problems, that was holding her back. She'd Robert for all the hurt; she just couldn't forgive herself. Now in a full sob, Leah hugged her friend. "How'd you get so smart?" "I'm not," she said gently. "I could see in your eyes what you wouldn't allow yourself to see." She handed Leah a tissue. "No wonder Jesse loved you so much," Leah said sniffling. "You really helped him too, you know that don't you?" "I know. I miss him. I know we didn't get to spend much time together, but we always had a connection, like soul mates. He was a really good man. I miss him more than you could know." "In another lifetime?" Leah asked softly. "Yes, definitely!" Madison rolled her eyes and let herself think of the possibilities. "If I weren't married to Dean, I would have gone off with him in a heartbeat. You know Leah, his family was everything to him, and in losing his family he lost himself. Leah, please don't let that happen to you and Robert. Forgive yourself, and get on with your lives." "Thank you so much," she said hugging her again. "What would I do without you?"

"I can't imagine what a mess your life would be!" Madison teased. *** The afternoon of the opening Jerry and Tom flew in with Barry, who had been spending time in L.A. with his brother while Robert was in New York. They picked up the Oscoda bunch and then flew to Augusta and retrieved Brent, before flying into New York City. There was a winter storm over New York and they were forced to fly in a holding pattern for an extra hour before being given clearance to land. Damn, we'll be late, Leah thought. She hadn't wanted to miss a single moment of his performance tonight. The excitement in Leah was building as they approached downtown. She was eager to see Robert again. It had been months since that day he flew in for just a few minutes. She closed her eyes and could remember the feel of his body next to hers, as he spoke to her in the kitchen, and how his scent lingered in her nostrils as he walked out to the limo. Why had she waited so long? Why couldn't she have seen months ago what Madison had seen so clearly. She had wasted too much time already. The theater was dark and an usher with a flashlight had to escort them to their front row seats. The usher shooed out some people who thought that they could have better seats, since no one had shown up to use them. Almost immediately after they were seated, Robert stepped out on stage. Seeing him took her breath away. Lord, was he handsome! Madison was seated next to her, and she had to grasp her friend's hand for support. Whenever Robert had a chance he strained to see past the bright lights to see if she was there yet. Finally, he caught sight of her. She felt a jolt go through her body, just from the look of love in his eyes. Once he had seen her there in the front row, he was able to put all his energy into the role. His performance was stronger and more focused, confident that she was there for him. Since they arrived so late, it wasn't long before intermission, and everyone else left to go out into the lobby. Leah stayed in her seat, unsure if she should go backstage or not. She didn't have to wait long. Robert peeked from behind the curtain on the left side of the stage, smiled broadly, and waved at her to come back. She quickly climbed the stairs on the side of the stage and slipped behind the curtain where she'd seen him. Suddenly she was enveloped in the heavy curtain. It was dark but she wasn't alone. He kept closing the curtain around them until their bodies were almost one. His arms were the only things holding her up as he

kissed her intensely, sending shock waves through her body. He finally let her get some air and slowly unwound the curtain from around them. A large group of cast and crew were standing there as the couple emerged from the curtain. The gathering broke out into spontaneous applause. "Get a room," one of them taunted and Leah blushed leaning into Robert. "We'll do just that," he said and he escorted her through the laughing group and into his dressing room. "I was scared you weren't coming. When the curtain went up and the seats were empty...well..." He didn't give her time to explain as he kissed her again with an intensity matched only by Leah's desires. "Robert," she said looking into his eyes once they parted. "I'm sorry it took me so long to come back to you. It took Madison hitting me over the head to make me realize that I still felt guilty about how I handled things, how I turned to Garrett." She looked down unable to look him in the eyes when she spoke Garrett's name. "I had forgiven you long before I'd forgiven myself. Can you forgive me?" " Sweetie, there's nothing to forgive you for. Everything that happened stemmed from me. I take full responsibility. You have no reason to feel guilty." He sat her on the couch, holding her close, kissing her hair, her face, her neck and her lips. "But, I broke our marriage vows," she said, unable to enjoy his attentions until she had purged herself. "You weren't the only one," he said quietly as he continued to kiss every inch of her exposed skin. "And, I can't tell you how sorry I am for that." He really wasn't interested in talking. He only had minutes before he had to be out on stage again and other things interested him more at the moment. "No, Robert. You didn't!" she blurted out. She couldn't let him go on thinking that he was guilty when it was only her that had been unfaithful. She just wished someone could tell her that her time with Garrett had never really happened. He held her back at arms length and looked at her gravely. "What are you talking about?" "I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner." She lowered her head unable to look at him. "About a month before you came back from Zach's, the woman who I found in bed with you came to see me. She showed me checks from the tabloids. They had paid her to tell her story. She thought they would print the truth and when they didn't she couldn't even cash the checks because she felt so guilty." "What was the truth, Leah?" His voice was filled with anger and demanding.

"That she just flopped down on the bed next to you. You were already asleep. Nothing happened." Leah was so ashamed she laid her head down on the couch, away from Robert, tears flowing freely. "I'm sorry, I should have told you sooner." "Five minutes, Mr. Stetson!" came a yell, and a knock, from the hallway. "Thank you," he yelled back gruffly. He went to his makeup table, leaving Leah on the couch in her misery. He sat there, freshening up his stage makeup in silence. Then without a word, he got up and left. Oh God, please don't leave me, Leah wept silently. She should have told him the truth that first time she saw him, when he came back from Zach's. She should have told him, every night on the phone since she dropped the divorce. He had the right to know. She had punished him for her own guilt. How could she profess to love this man when she had let him continue to think he'd been unfaithful? Twenty minutes later there was a soft knock at the door. Leah ignored it, hoping whoever it was would go away. "Leah," she heard her mother's voice as the door opened. Josephine immediately went to the couch and held her daughter who was obviously distraught. "Oh Leah, honey what's wrong?" Sitting on the couch next to Leah she softly rocked her in her arms. "Mom, I've lost him. I waited too long. I should have told him that he hadn't cheated on me. Oh, Mom! I love him and I blew it." Leah's sobs were audible now. She had her mother to lean on and she could let it all out. As Leah started to catch her breath, she looked to her mother, pleading, "Can we go now, please?" "Sure baby," Josephine whispered, pushing the hair from Leah's face. "Let me leave a message for the others that we'll be across the street in the hotel, okay?" "Sure Mom, but don't take long. I don't want to be here when he comes back." Josephine stroked Leah's hair. "I'm so sorry honey, I thought you two were going to make it." She got up and left for a couple of minutes, which seemed like hours to Leah. She really just wanted to be somewhere else, anywhere other than there. When Josephine returned, she had an usher with her that would deliver the message to Madison and the men to meet them in the hotel. But for now, he was going to

show them how to get out of the theater unseen. Josephine stayed with Leah for an hour in her room, until Leah had fallen asleep. Then she retreated to her own room. When Leah woke up hours later in the dark room, she could feel someone sitting up in the bed next to her. Mom, I love you so much. I'm so glad you're still with me. She sat up in bed and thought, Oh Lord, I can still smell him. She'd never be able to get him out of her system. She turned and in the dim light coming from where the curtains were slightly parted she could see that it wasn't her mother next to her, but... "Robert?" she asked softly, hopefully. "I hope I didn't scare you," he said as he reached over and turned on the bedside lamp. It took Leah a moment to adjust her eyes to the bright light. They were puffy and sensitive from all the crying she'd been doing. When she could finally see his face, she could she that his face was streaked with tears. "Robert, I'm so sorry!" She reached up and tried to wipe a tear from his cheek. He grabbed her hand in mid air and forced it away from his face. Oh, he's so mad at me, he doesn't even want me to touch him. God, what have I done? How could I hurt this man that I love so much? He turned, dropping his legs over the side of the bed, so his back was facing her. She started crying again. He can't even look at me! She knelt on the bed, facing his back, wanting so badly to reach out to him, to make him understand. "Leah," his voice was low and deliberate. "I don't want your sympathy. I don't want you to pity my pain. My pain is of my own making. Your pain is of my making." She didn't understand. Was he keeping her from wiping a tear and turning his back on her, because he felt guilty? She's the one who kept the truth from him. "Robert, I know I should have told you the truth a long time ago. I'm so sorry." He turned abruptly and knelt on the bed facing her. "Don't ever say you're sorry for anything that's happened in the past year. Do you understand me?" He sounded so angry with her. Listen to me Leah. Listen closely." He held onto her shoulders, shaking her gently to make sure he had her attention. "When I met you, I was ready to start drinking again. I had a bottle of vodka in my pocket for God's sake! I saw you, I saw your strength and I told myself I needed your strength. With your love, I could stay sober. I was wrong. I needed my own strength, and I didn't have it. I didn't know it at the time. But, spending those months at Zach's taught me more than any rehab. I often spent weeks at a time in the guesthouse, not seeing

or talking to anyone. When you do that, you only have yourself to talk to. It's pretty easy to lie to yourself at first. Eventually you start seeing the truth and you see things for how they really are. Do you understand what I'm trying to say?" "No," she admitted weakly through a slow but steady stream of tears. "I used you. I used you as a crutch. You were the strength holding me up. And, Leah, when you weren't strong enough to hold up all my pain, I blamed you. I hope God can forgive me." He let go of her and turned back around and sat on the edge of the bed again, his head in his hands. "I hope you can forgive me." "Robert, I told you. You didn't sleep with that woman." "No, but I could have. If you hadn't left me when you did, I could have done anything. I would have drowned in the bottle and taken you down with me." "But, you didn't. I'm proud of you for what you've been able to do." Still kneeling on the bed behind him, she put her hands on his shoulders and he shrugged them off. "You still don't get it. It's all my fault. I thought that I was being strong and staying sober. I wasn't. You were being strong and I was staying sober. Until you weren't strong enough to hold me up anymore and you needed my strength. I wasn't fair to you, Leah. I put it all on you and then I blamed you when you couldn't carry the load for both of us." "So what do we do now?" she asked scared of the answer. "I want you to know I don't need you anymore, Leah." Oh Lord, he's leaving me! "Please, Robert. Don't say that." "Leah, I don't need you anymore to stay sober. But, I do want you next to me for the rest of my life." He paused as his words sank in. "What do you want to do?" "I want to make it work," she said softly hoping it hadn't gone too far. "I'll do whatever it takes to have you back in my life. Please, Robert, give me another chance." Tears were still streaking down her face. "I love you so much it hurts." He stood up and turned so he was facing the bed and she scooted on her knees to the edge of the bed, looking up to him. Looking for forgiveness. Begging for forgiveness. He cradled her face in his hands. "Have you been listening to me?" he teased with a wry smile. "You don't have to do anything to get me back. I'm the one who has to grovel at your feet and beg for forgiveness." He got down on one knee next to the bed, "Leah, will you please forgive me all my sins and take me as your husband,

once again?" She couldn't believe her eyes and ears. He wasn't angry with her? He didn't think she'd done anything to forgive? She took him by the hand and pulled him back up to his feet so he was standing tall in front of her. "I love you Robert, please, let's get back together. We can sort all this out later. Please. I need you now. I can't stand this pain. My whole body and soul feel like I'm being stabbed over and over again with a thousand knives. I can't take it anymore. I need you in my life and I'm tired of feeling bad. Please..." He silenced her with an urgent kiss, then stepped back slightly looking over her face intently. "You're so beautiful!" he said, stroking her hair. "How did I ever let things get so out of control?" She pulled him back to her, matching the urgency of his kiss with one of her own. Robert pulled her wedding band from his pocket and slipped it back on her finger. "I'm so tired," she said as she lay down on the bed, pulling him down to her and settling comfortably into that familiar place in his side. "I'll let you sleep," he said, gently kissing her cheek. Then he turned off the light and settled in, holding her tight so she could fall asleep. She lay there thinking of how lucky she was to have him back. There was time to work out all the problems they had created. How different he was now than when he was drinking. He was once again the man she had fallen in love with. He was the man who would wait for her to be comfortable before fulfilling his own needs. So unlike the man she had known six months ago who took what he wanted not caring if she cried or was in pain. This was her Robert, and she was back in his arms. She pulled him down so they were face-to-face, and strained to make out his features. "I don't care how we got so messed up," she said, softly stroking his face. "I just care that we are here now, together." "I love you Babe, more than you could ever know. I'm so sorry for everything." "You know," she teased, "I said I was tired. I didn't say I wanted to sleep." "Finally, something we can agree on," Robert said mischievously, pulling her closer. ~The End~

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