It Will Always Be You (Starlight Walk Series #1) by L.C. Zingera Read Free Book Online

cold night air against his skin.
Somewhere down below, someone was playing Loretta’s most famous song. It
will always be you . He dragged a hand over the back of his neck, feeling
the tension in the corded muscles. Even a workout wouldn’t help this. He hadn’t
made love in weeks. Maybe that was what he needed, a woman’s touch, but
unfortunately the only woman he wanted was Regan. The song ended and he
realized, it was not just Loretta he’d been listening to, the two women were
actually on the radio together, it had been a duet. Regan was already a
full-fledged wealthy star in her own right, with a brilliant future ahead, and
the right to make her own decisions. And she had a very close friend and mentor
in Loretta Lindstrom. He thought over the few times he’d met the woman and
groaned. She set his teeth on edge.
    He returned to
the studio, he needed to speak with Vance his friend, not Vance his producer.
    Vance showed him
the green room footage of his meeting with Loretta. They kept everything from
each episode of his show, both backstage and in front of the camera. It did
nothing to relieve his tension. It wasn’t as he remembered it at all. He
sighed. He remembered what he’d felt, not what had actually happened.
    He wondered if
Loretta would ever forgive him for his behavior. He watched the entire
interview and realized why no one else had sensed anything wrong but him. His
dislike of the singer had made it impossible for him to connect with her.
Though he could honestly acknowledge it wasn’t one hundred percent his fault,
it was pretty close. She certainly hadn’t helped him out, but then why would
she?
    He realized with
a groan, he’d become the same as some of the celebrities he privately
criticized. He’d made a career for himself, built his own wealth, become
accustomed to his circumstances, and begun to feel entitled. He’d fallen into
the same trap. He wasn’t unpleasant or mean spirited, but people catered to
him. So much so, that he took it all for granted. Had taken it all for
granted, he amended. That was about to change. He knew Vance was a good friend,
and he just wanted him to take some time off to reconnect with who he really
was. To keep the onscreen personality on screen, and the rest of the time,
simply be himself. They were two separate entities, he’d forgotten that. He’d
kicked Regan out of his home like he would dismiss an untrustworthy or
difficult employee at the station. He’d been so busy trying to protect her from
the pitfalls of show business, that he hadn’t realized he’d fallen prey to them
himself.
    But Regan had
fallen in love with him, despite everything, and had even teased him a little
about his ego. Did that mean he still had a chance? Did she still love him?
Both Regan and Vance had told him to take some time. Hard as it would be, he
intended to follow their advice.
    ***
    Two weeks later,
Thorne returned to the studio. Nothing had changed. Nothing that is, except for
him. Everything felt different, new again. And he was determined he was going
to win Regan back.
    “Today’s guest
cancelled,” Vance said, eyeing Thorne warily.
    “Why?”
    Vance shrugged.
“A stomach bug apparently. We were able to get last minute replacements
though.”
    “Who?” Thorne
asked, sensing from Vance’s body language he wasn’t going to like it.
    “Loretta and
Regan.”
    Thorne stared at
him in disbelief, “ Both of them?”
    Vance nodded,
apparently waiting for something more, but Thorne just continued to stare at him,
feeling suddenly overwhelmed and unprepared; he wasn’t sure he was ready for
this on his first day back. He’d planned to call Regan, invite her out to an
intimate dinner, talk to her quietly, privately…
    Vance sighed,
running a hand through his hair, “ I don’t believe it! The Thorndike Lundquist acting like a wounded, lovesick puppy? Anger I could deal
with. But this?” He shook his head. “I tried to warn you, Thorne, in the
beginning…not to