Becoming Mrs. Lockwood Read online

  “This is why I’m here. Wren needs clothes. No ball gowns, just everyday wear for now. Whole new wardrobe.”

  Sophie’s head tilted to the side, then to the other, as she observed me. “Who is this?”

  “Remember those chains Julia asked you to bring?”

  “Yeeesss.” Sophie drew out the word, caution lacing her tone.

  Weston grabbed my left arm, bringing my hand, and my ring, up to her view.

  “Oh my God!” she cried.

  Weston shushed her, while Sophie’s face was almost a mask of horror. “Sophie, calm down and meet Wren, my wife.”

  Her movements stopped, eyes bulging. “Your what? Weston, please tell me you didn’t do what I think you did.”

  “Long story, and I have a meeting. Wren will tell you all about it. Free reign,” he said, kissing me lightly before heading out.

  “Yeah, I see why now,” she said, looking to me before turning to watch Weston scurry out the door.

  “Love the new color!” He waved.

  “Suck-up!”

  Then he was gone. My safety net. The only person in the state who I knew, besides Julia. And they were the only two that accepted me and the predicament that landed me in front of a gorgeous, chic woman.

  I swallowed thickly while Sophie scanned over me. She circled me, making little noises, her brow scrunching more than once before she grabbed my hand and dragged me off.

  “So, what the hell happened here?” she asked.

  I gave a nervous laugh. “What happens in Vegas doesn’t always stay there.”

  She put her hand on her hip, the other on the table next to her. “Oh, this I have to hear.”

  I heaved a sigh before going into our sordid story, starting at the Mirage Starbucks. Sophie simply stared at me when I was done, before stepping away and between some of the clothing racks.

  She was silent, but the slamming of hangers against each other said everything I needed to know. Pushing her way out of the clothes jungle a few minutes later, her arms were stuffed with different articles.

  “You’re still very young, so we will need a youthful sophistication. That way, people won’t suspect you are quite as young as you actually are.”

  “That’s it?” I asked, staring at her skeptically.

  “Honestly, I’m still processing it all,” she said, then slammed a hanger down on the counter. “Damn him!”

  “Sophie?” Her outburst confused me.

  “Did he even think about how hard all of this would be on you before he wrangled you into his life? Or on me, having to now find you a gown for the Oscars?”

  I had to blink, her two questions so vastly different. I felt like my head was spinning. “I . . . I won’t be going to the Oscars.”

  “Of course you will.” It was blunt and not open for debate.

  “But we’re keeping our marriage secret for a while,” I said in protest.

  “You can still go as his date,” she said as she held various articles up in front of me. It was interesting to watch the different expressions pass over her face before she threw a piece to one side or the other. She let out a huff before delving back into the racks. “Don’t get me wrong, Wren. I’m happy he’s met someone that makes him feel something he has never felt before, but couldn’t he have dated you first?” Another load of clothing was dumped out onto the table, Sophie resuming her search. “I mean, you’re still in high school! What the hell was he thinking?”

  “He wasn’t.”

  “No, he wasn’t.” She popped her head out and nodded. “That’s exactly it. He was living in that fantasy of his.” Frustration laced every word, along with a little growl. “I’m sorry, Wren, it’s not you. I’m just kind of shocked. Weston’s like a brother to me and this is very much an unexpected development in his life. And what’s worse is I can only hope he did it for the right reasons. The last thing I want is for him to hurt you because he wasn’t thinking.”

  “He’s had the best intentions since we met, so I believe he did do it for the right reasons.”

  She blinked at me. “You do?”

  “Yes, because every fiber of my being answers his call. Do you believe in love at first sight? Soul mates?” I asked. Sophie nodded. “So do I.” I couldn’t keep the smile from my face.

  She smiled and pulled me into a hug. “Then I’m happy for you both.” Releasing me, she looked me over again. “So, you really didn’t recognize him?”

  I let out a laugh, my cheeks heating. “I don’t think I’m ever going to live that down.”

  She shook her head. “Not when we’re talking about Weston Lockwood.”

  After over two hours, I was equipped with enough clothes to fill the walk-in closet in the room where the rest of my possessions resided. I convinced her I was a casual girl, and eventually she relented, but still added some of her favorite dresses. She also included undergarments and swimwear. It was still a few hours until Weston was due to return, so Sophie asked me to lunch.

  We were sitting at an outside seating area after ordering when Sophie began to tell me about Weston.

  “I want to tell you about my best friend,” she started. “But I’m also hesitant. After being burned, we all kinda protect each other, and especially Weston. He . . . didn’t have it easy growing up after his first movie.”

  “You knew Weston then?”

  “He was my next door neighbor. He, Carson, Lance, and I were thick as thieves growing up. Miles, Weston’s brother, is three years older than Weston, and six years older than me, thus was too old to play with ‘babies’ like us.”

  Drinks arrived, and I downed half the glass of tea in a few gulps.

  “Carson? Lance?” I already had learned so many names, and those were just his assistants. Now Sophie had named off three more names. I was going to need some of those “Hello, my name is” tags.

  A huge smile broke out on her face. “Carson is my husband. We’ve been married for eight years now. We were those high school sweethearts that were voted most likely to get married, even though people didn’t think we’d last past college. Well, we did. It helped that we grew up in love and knew that there wouldn’t be anyone else, so we got married after my first year in college.”

  “Oh, wow. That’s sweet.”

  She smiled at me. “Thank you. Carson and Weston do a lot of work together, producing and such. He used to be a talent scout, but when Weston left acting, Carson decided to join him in his new venture. Lance is Carson’s younger brother . . . well, stepbrother actually. He’s a stunt performer and provides action services. He just opened up his own stunt company. It’s still small, but growing, and he’s still the leading man.”

  “Wow, that’s amazing that he’s had your support for so long. You and Julia both speak so reverently of him.”

  The loyalty they showed was envy worthy.

  “He’s a really great guy, Wren,” Sophie said.

  I smiled at her. “I can tell already.”

  She took a sip of her drink, seeming to stall. “In a way, he’s still a thirteen-year-old boy. Fame ripped him from his childhood innocence,” she said, sadness in her eyes. “While you were playing around, carefree, in your backyard, Weston was being hounded by paparazzi. He would have given anything to have that again. To have people see him as just a boy, just a guy, and not as Weston Lockwood, hottest teen on the big screen. It was very rough on him.”

  The waiter arrived, setting our salads in front of us. Very different than what I would be eating at school.

  “I can’t even imagine. This is already so much bigger than I ever expected out of my life, and it’s only day two.” My mind whirled around our day on the strip. “I was just a girl who saw a handsome man. I still feel like I’m in some sort of dream and I’ll wake up any second.”

  She looked at me and set her fork down. “Please don’t think you not recognizing him was the only reason he married you. Weston is used to women falling at his feet to get a taste of his fame, to use it for their own agenda, b
ut not really caring about him. It hardened him a lot, causing him to lock himself away. I can see your appeal, why he couldn’t let you go.”

  “Why is that?” I asked as I took a bite of what was probably the best salad I’d ever had in my life.

  “You’re not Hollywood. He always said he wanted the girl next door. Natural beauty with a brain. That’s you. You also seem to have some aversion to material goods.”

  “It’s just . . . weird to accept things from an essential stranger. Especially with the price tags he’s talking about.”

  “Well, it’s something you’re just going to have to get used to. He’ll spoil the hell out of you, because he believes you’re his chance.”

  “His chance?”

  “Of finding meaningful happiness. It was the biggest reason he stopped acting and moved to the other side of the camera. To get away from the spotlight and find a real love. Which is a shame, because he loved acting. He just hated the price.”

  Everything Sophie told me gave me the aching need to hug Weston. To reassure him I was there for him, that I didn’t want anything but him. It was a long two hours, and when he did finally arrive I jumped into his arms, holding him tight. He was surprised for a short moment before his arms wrapped around my waist and his head came to rest at the crook of my neck, breathing me in.

  “What was that for?” he asked softly, brushing my hair back, his eyes sparkling.

  “For being so highly regarded by everyone around you. It just shows how wonderful of a man my husband is,” I said as I stretched my neck to kiss him on the cheek.

  He smiled down at me. “You had doubts?”

  I pursed my lips. “Not really, but confirmation from outside parties just solidifies it.”

  He squeezed me tight. “Ready to go home?”

  “Oh, Wren, wait!” Sophie called, halting me in my tracks. Taking my hand, she placed the chain I had chosen into my palm. “I didn’t want to put it with everything else.” She grabbed my hand and ran her thumb over the diamond. “It really is a beautiful ring. I’ll deliver everything tomorrow and help you get it all situated. Okay?”

  I nodded and wrapped her into a hug.

  “Thank you, Sophie. For everything.”

  We headed home, Julia in the back seat again. He didn’t say anything about his meetings, but I was certain in time I would learn more about his world. The phone rang, and my attention turned to the scenery that was flying by.

  Upon arrival, Weston introduced me to Kelly, his personal cook. She was a friendly woman, in her mid-thirties, with a husband and two kids. The three of us went over the meal for the evening, and that was when I learned Miles, Weston’s brother, was coming over for dinner.

  We moved to his office, and he took a seat at the desk while I perched on the edge, my mouth still salivating over the wonderful menu planned for the evening.

  “So, what did you think of Sophie?” he asked, curiosity written all over his face, letting me know he’d been dying to ask.

  I thought about it for a moment, laughing a little as I remembered her running around with her arms full. “A bit clothes crazy, and at first she was very friendly but very curt at the same time. So, for a while I couldn’t tell if we were okay or if she couldn’t stand me.”

  That made Weston laugh out loud. “Sophie is very friendly, but I’m afraid after all the drama with my ex, she’s a bit more reserved with that now when it comes to new people.”

  I didn’t get to tell him it was because of him, because of her love for him, but one small word caught my attention. “Ex?”

  “I was in an on-and-off relationship with a woman who hated Sophie,” he admitted.

  “For how long?” I asked. It was the first time I’d heard about the previous women in his life. Then again, I really knew little about him.

  “For about six years.”

  “Wow,” I whispered, stunned. “That’s a long time. You never got married?”

  He smirked. “Nope, just you,” he answered, placing a kiss on the back of my hand.

  “Why not?”

  He squirmed, and I could tell he wasn’t all that comfortable. “Well, I guess the best answer is that I never felt one inkling of the feeling with her that I have felt with you in the past few days.”

  “And yet you stayed with her? Why?”

  He sighed and shook his head. “I don’t know. Because we knew each other and were comfortable? Because I had never met anyone that really grabbed me? Because me being taken kept some women away? Because I was waiting for you?”

  I smiled. “How do you know you were waiting for me?”

  “You are quite inquisitive today,” he said with a chuckle.

  I shrugged my shoulders. “Just trying to get to know my husband.”

  “As you have every right to.” He took a deep breath, his hand caressing mine. “To answer your question, I couldn’t stop myself from asking you to dinner that night, even if I’d wanted to. Because I asked you to marry me.”

  I leaned forward and pressed my lips to his.

  “So, we have a lofty goal, don’t we?”

  He smirked up at me. “How about we start with that on our way to forever, Mrs. Lockwood?”

  “I think I like that a lot, Mr. Lockwood.”

  A name. Something so small, but so definitive. It wasn’t just mine now—it was ours.

  And I loved our name.

  Weston had some work he needed to do, so I decided to explore some more of our beautiful home. I wandered outside, an area I hadn’t gotten to yet. I’d only admired it from the inside. There was a shaded deck area overlooking the pool with lounge chairs, ceiling fans, and slate flooring. Between the fabrics and the lights, it was sheer elegance.

  Sitting down on one of the two-person loungers, I looked over the beautiful grounds. It was paradise, pure and simple. I could see myself spending many hours out here reading, or swimming in the pool. Sophie said she set me up with about ten swimsuits, but I never did get to see one. Maybe in the morning I could take a swim.

  While dreaming, my phone rang from the pocket of my jeans. Pulling it out, I saw “Mom” flashing on the screen.

  “Hi, Mom,” I said after hitting accept.

  “Wren! Oh, honey, I miss you so much! How is California? How’s Weston?”

  After seeing the movie posters, I was certain my mother knew who Weston was when she first met him.

  “California is great so far, and Weston is wonderful. Did you know he used to be a movie star?” I asked, trying to sound as innocent as possible.

  “Oh, really? I knew he looked familiar,” she said, but I could tell by her tone she knew.

  I let out a sigh. “Mom, why didn’t you tell me?”

  “What good would it have done? You two were already married.”

  I threw my arms up in the air. “Is that why you were so adamant about me going with him? Because he was a movie star? Because he has money?” I accused and immediately felt bad. I knew my mother wasn’t that kind of person.

  “No! God, Wren, no! Of course not. You know me better than that. I did it because, well, you couldn’t see it, but I could.”

  “See what?”

  “The way you two looked at each other. I pushed you to go because I didn’t want you to lose what I thought was something beautiful. His intentions were sincere, and I saw his adoration for you. He was so sad at the thought of losing you, and I don’t think you saw that, because I don’t think you wanted to believe it. But, Wren, I saw a chance for you to have a wonderful life with a great man.”

  “He is pretty great.”

  “So, tell me, what’s happened? Have you lost your virginity?”

  “Mom!” I cried out in embarrassment.

  “Well, it’s better you did it now instead of waiting. You’ll probably want to get on birth control, so I’d make an appointment as soon as possible.”

  Crap. How had I forgotten about something so important? That would just be the icing on our complicated cake for me to have
become pregnant on our first night together.

  “I’ll talk to Weston about it.” For the first time ever, I hoped my period arrived ahead of schedule.

  “So, what have you two done since you arrived?”

  I blew out a breath. “Well, as soon as we walked into the house, one of Weston’s assistants was here waiting for us. Her name is Julia, and she is very nice and soon to be Weston’s sister-in-law.”

  “Have you met his brother yet?”

  “No, he’s coming over for dinner tonight, and I’m a bit anxious.” I glanced down at my watch to check the time. “I overheard Weston talking to him on the phone last night, and I think Miles has the wrong idea about me.”

  “When he meets you, I’m sure it’ll be okay. He’s probably just being overprotective. Don’t worry about it.”

  Don’t worry about it . . .

  How could I not worry about it? With each new person I met, I braced myself for their reaction. Everyone in his life seemed protective of him, and being who he was, I could understand. So me, a wife he suddenly brought home, who’s thirteen years younger than him, probably put the hackles up. Unfortunately, that left me on the receiving end of the negativity.

  “I also met one of Weston’s friends today, Sophie. She’s his personal shopper. I’m now stocked with clothes. Which reminds me . . . when do you think you’ll get my stuff sent out?”

  “Mike and I are working on it. Probably by the end of next week it should reach you.”

  “Good. I need my stuff. Weston keeps trying to spend loads of money on me. I don’t even want to think about today’s total.” I was pretty sure the total was easily more than all of the money I’d made over the last few years at my part-time job.

  “I know it’s not what you’re used to, but having money is something you’re going to have to adapt to. Oh, by the way, Daniel called looking for you. I didn’t say anything. I thought you would want to talk to him and explain things yourself.”

  Fuck. Daniel.

  I’d ignored his texts the last few days because I was so overwhelmed that I just couldn’t handle him. We were going to graduate high school and go to USC together. How was I going to tell him I wasn’t coming back to him? How was I going to explain that I was now living in California with my husband?