Free Stargazing (The Walker Family Book 2) by Bernadette Marie Page A

you.”
    She finally turned to walk away, but he reached for her arm. “This might seem silly, but would you be interested in going out for some ice cream? I saw a little place not too far from here. I know we just ate a huge meal. I could drop you home after that. I mean, I know you don’t know me, but…”
    Bethany held up her finger. “Hold on, okay?”
    His eyes were wide and he nodded. She hurried toward Susan who waited for her.
    “I’m going to go with Kent.”
    Susan’s mouth turned up into a wide smile. “You said he rambles.”
    “Horribly. But he just invited me out for ice cream.”
    That warranted a chuckle. “He’s a nice guy.”
    “He is.”
    Eric walked back to them. “You’re going to go with him?”
    “Yes.”
    “We’ll come too,” he said tucking the keys in his pocket.
    Susan rested a hand on his chest. “No, I don’t think that’s the plan,” she said.
    “We don’t know him. I’m not letting anything happen to you.”
    “Nothing is going to happen. I’m okay,” Bethany argued. “Ice cream and then he’ll bring me home. I think I’m okay with this one.”
    She felt as though she were fifteen years old convincing her parents to let her go on a date. Or at least she assumed this was what that would feel like. There had never been any of those kinds of parameters in her life. At fifteen she’d already seen and done more on the Hollywood streets than most would in their entire life. Ice cream with a stranger actually sounded normal to her.
    Eric’s steely eyed glare made her uneasy, but Susan somehow managed to get him turned around and headed back to the car. “Call us if you need us.”
    Bethany agreed with a nod and walked back to Kent who waited patiently.
    “Everything okay? He’s very protective isn’t he? We don’t have to do this.”
    Bethany walked and Kent followed so they were headed in the opposite direction. “He’s fine. He’s worried about me and that’s very nice.”
    “I’m not a weirdo or anything.”
    Bethany pushed her hair back over her shoulder. “You’re not, but there are some out there. We had some drama a few months ago. He’s just taken it upon himself to be my protector.”
    “He’s a good guy.”
    “Yes he is,” she said as they turned the corner and she realized she was hoping that Kent Black was a good guy too.
     
     

Chapter Ten
     
    Kent kept his hands in his pockets as they walked the six blocks to the ice cream store he’d seen. He was having a bit of a surreal moment. He was walking down the street with Bethany Waterbury—on a date.
    That might be a little too optimistic to think it was a date. Yesterday she’d run off on him—on everyone. There was nothing that would hold her back tonight either, he imagined.
    When he got nervous he had a tendency to ramble, so he was concentrating very hard to not do just that.
    Bethany had clasped her hands behind her back, pushed her shoulders back, and seemed to walk with a childish skip. Perhaps he had freed her a bit by taking her away for the moment. Whatever drama they must have had as a family, which she’d mentioned, kept them all a little on edge. Pearl’s constant glances at Bethany hadn’t gone unnoticed. Neither had Eric’s protective stance.
    The drama must have centered around her.
    A lump formed in his throat. What could possibly have happened to her that kept everyone so on edge?
    It was probably some fame thing. There were crazy people everywhere. Hadn’t his own mother stumbled across the movie Misery and called him in a panic? She was afraid some fan of his books was going to kidnap him.
    He’d tread lightly. There was no way in hell he was ever going to mention the horror movie marathon from the other night just so he could watch her. That certainly would put him in stalker status—especially with her family.
    The shop was busier than he’d have liked at nearly nine o’clock at night. A warm spring evening must have put that in everyone’s mind.
    “We