Free Dreaming With A Broken Heart (Hollywood Legends Book 1) by Mary J. Williams Page A

you
    tell?”
    “You have a very expressive voice. I suppose growing up
    with a gifted actress as a mother, some of it was bound to rub off.”
    The opening he was looking for. Family was a safe subject.
    An entertaining one. Garrett launched into a series of stories. Light. Funny.
    There was no need for Jade to answer. For the next hour, he segued from one
    anecdote to another, not waiting for Jade to respond. He wanted her to relax.
    Or rather, he wanted her to find the sound of his voice relaxing. When she
    needed to let go for a little while, she would think of him and call.
    “Your brother did not fill a room at the London Savoy
    with ping pong balls.”
    “He did,” Garrett said. He grinned. There was more
    life in her voice. He could almost picture her smiling.
    “An entire room?”
    “I swear. It was a closet—”
    “Ah.” Jade jumped on that little detail.
    “Colt was only ten. Admittedly, he had some help. A few
    bucks to the maid’s brother and he had a co-conspirator. Still. The mastermind
    was a ten-year-old boy. You aren’t impressed?”
    “Maybe,” Jade conceded. “Were your parents
    angry?”
    “No, but the hotel manager who opened the closet door
    was. The man had no sense of humor.”
    “Why have I never heard this story before? Colton
    Landis is the biggest movie star in the world. People would eat that up.”
    “The hotel managed to keep it under wraps. They didn’t
    want it to get around how easily it was to pull off a stunt like that.”
    Garrett laughed when he remembered the pride on his father’s face. Ten years
    old . “My parents were happy to avoid any publicity. Now it’s a family
    story we roll out from time to time . ”
    “Still—”
    “Jade! Where the hell are you? Dr. Phillips is
    waiting.”
    “I need to go.”
    Garrett hated the fear he heard in Jade’s voice. Fear and
    resignation.
    “Jade? Can I call you again tomorrow?”
    “Do you want to?”
    “Very much.”
    “ Jade!”
    Anson Marlow’s voice was closer that time.
    “Yes. Please,” Jade whispered. The phone went
    dead.
    Garrett’s first instinct was to rush over to the Marlow
    house. He wouldn’t let her father get away with bullying Jade. She needed
    gentleness. Kindness. Two things Anson Marlow didn’t appear capable of giving
    her.
    He sat back in his chair. He wasn’t going anywhere. Unless
    he thought someone was physically abusing her again, he would bide his time.
    Jade needed a slow build. Phone calls to start. Soon he would ask to meet. Not
    for long. Wherever she was comfortable. She would set the pace and the rules.
    His assistant stuck her head through the office door,
    reminding him he had a production meeting in ten minutes. His life went on. It
    was a busy life. Jam-packed with work, family, and the occasional short-term
    relationship. Garrett liked it that way. He wasn’t happy when he had extra time
    on his hands.
    He didn’t have time for Jade. Not really. What he started
    today was not a casual thing. Garrett was committing himself to helping a woman
    without knowing how deep he needed to go. Pull away now , a voice told
    him. She isn’t lover material. Not now. She is fragile. Damaged. Even if you
    weren’t so busy, what makes you think you’re qualified?
    None of that mattered. He was determined to help Jade Marlow
    even though he wasn’t certain why. For now, all that mattered was Jade. The
    rest he would figure out as he went along.
    They spoke every day. Garrett called at the same time. Jade
    answered after the first ring. He wanted to believe she was anxious to hear his
    voice. That might be part of it. When she asked if she could start calling him,
    he knew she was worried about being discovered. She didn’t want to be
    overheard. A ring, or even a vibration, might be intercepted. Garrett was her
    secret and it seemed she wanted to keep it that way.
    “I missed breakfast,” Wyatt strolled into his
    office mid-week. It was five minutes to ten. Five minutes until