Dreaming of Home

DREAMING OF HOME CAROL WYATT All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form or by any means, including scanning, photocopying, or otherwise without prior written permission of the copyright holder. Copyright © 2023 ALSO BY CAROL WYATT Wildest Dreams Wanderlust Starting Over Winter Magic Serendipity Daring To Dream Paradise Silver Bells Hollywood Dreams Summer Days Waiting For Her Autumn Bliss Hollywood Secrets Box Sets The Carol Wyatt Box Set: Volume 1 The Carol Wyatt Box Set: Volume 2 From May To December: Volume 1 From May To December: Volume 2 From May To December: Volume 3 From May To December: Volume 4 Just Famous CONTENTS Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 12 Chapter 13 Chapter 14 Chapter 15 Chapter 16 Chapter 17 Chapter 18 Chapter 19 Chapter 20 Chapter 21 Chapter 22 Chapter 23 Chapter 24 Chapter 25 Chapter 26 Chapter 27 Chapter 28 Chapter 29 Chapter 30 Chapter 31 Chapter 32 Chapter 33 Chapter 34 Chapter 35 Chapter 36 Thank You Also by Carol Wyatt 1 The bright blue sky had faded into vibrant shades of reds and purples as the sun disappeared into the horizon, the skyline of Los Angeles dark against the brilliant sunset. Kerri Talbert lifted another bottle of beer from the nearly empty ice bucket before she got comfortable on Ada’s white outdoor sofa, glad to see that most of the people Ada had invited had left. Kerri leaned forward, resting her arms on her thighs as she took in the fiery sky, her thumb absently picking at the damp label on the beer bottle. “I’m sorry,” Ada said with a sigh as she flopped down on the couch next to her, throwing a glance behind her towards the house. Kerri followed her gaze. Sydney had been in charge of the barbecue all evening, and now she was taking any left overs back inside. “I had kept the invite list down to about ten for weeks, but then,” Ada shook her head as she spoke, “I don’t know what happened. I kept meeting people who I knew would feel left out if they weren’t invited. But I shouldn’t have let it get so big.” “It’s okay.” Kerri had been blown away when she strolled into Ada’s house that afternoon. She’d been expecting about a dozen people. Just close friends and people she’d recently worked with like Jaqueline Steele. She’d bring her partner, Henley Hughes. Charlotte Dixon, of course. Although Kerri had never had her as a client, they’d been in the same social circles for years, and after working with Ada on a movie in England a few years ago, Charlotte had ended up becoming a good friend to her too. Kerri knew her friend and fellow agent, Jerry, and his boyfriend, Noah, were coming. But Ada’s massive backyard and pool area had been full of people. A real who’s who of Hollywood. Well, maybe a Hollywood of old. Then again, it was Kerri’s fiftieth birthday party. Sydney and Henley Hughes were really the only people there in their thirties, and even though Kerri knew she was getting older, it was hard sometimes to really grasp that fact, because other than suffering from a little burn out now and again, she felt great. She thought she looked pretty good too. Ada gave her forearm a gentle squeeze. “It’s not. The only thing is, thankfully, they all left after they got a bit of food.” Kerri gave her a smile as she turned to meet her eyes. “Honestly, it’s fine.” “We’re finally down to the original guest list,” Ada said as Charlotte came back outside, with Jerry and Noah not far behind. Sydney and Henley carried out a few split logs, working on getting the fire pit going. Charlotte took a seat beside her, clinking her glass of wine off Kerri’s beer bottle as Ada got up to talk to Jerry. “It’s hard to believe, isn’t it?” Charlotte asked. “What’s that?” “That we’re all getting older. That so much time has passed. I turned fifty last year, although I didn’t tell anyone,” she said with a hint of a smile. “Ada’s next. Jaqueline too. Jerry’s coming up to sixty, but he doesn’t seem to care in the slightest. Maybe that’s why they’re all dating people so much younger than them.” Kerri shook her head as she laughed softly. She didn’t want to make tonight depressing, but she was just grateful to be alive. She thought of her friend, Brandon, Ada’s ex-husband. One mistake. One drunken mistake, driving home over the limit, and that was the end of his life. His boyfriend’s too. Kerri thought about him often, about what his life might be like if he was still here, what movies he would have starred in. If he would have married his boyfriend eventually. If Ada would have come out sooner, if they might have come out together. Kerri knew there wasn’t much use in thinking about all that, but she couldn’t stop herself. Usually, she could think back on the memories she had of Brandon with a smile. And it always made her appreciate her life more. The fact that she was still here. That she’d finally gotten the opportunity to see her screenplay be made into a movie. That Sydney and Jaqueline had brought it to life and made it the success that it was. Charlotte’s voice brought her back to the present. “I actually thought Jackie was having some kind of midlife crisis when I heard about her and Henley. I kind of thought she might be gay, but when they came out together… I don’t know, I was just shocked. I remember thinking, what could they possibly have in common? Jackie’s in her forties, and Henley was so young. But clearly, I was wrong.” They both looked up at the same time to see Jackie coming up behind Henley,