Stargazing (The Walker Family Book 2) by Bernadette Marie Read Free Book Online

would be lovely,” the woman said with a smile. “Would you mind if I took one with you too? You’re Bethany Waterbury, aren’t you? I’m a big fan of yours too. You’re just as beautiful in person as you are in the movies. Oh, and your mother was beautiful too. I’m sorry to hear of her passing.” The woman handed the camera to Bethany. “I was hoping you’d be here. I heard you were working for the caterer that is marrying the Walker boy. He’s an odd one. Always so quiet.”
    Kent watched as Bethany smiled, just as he had at the woman. The strain showed in her eyes, but he figured he was the only one that saw it, since he was doing it too.
    Bethany took the camera and snapped the picture of him and the woman. He then proceeded to take the camera and reciprocate the favor.
    “Oh, thank you,” the woman beamed and she clenched her book to her body. “You two make a lovely couple. It’s kind of exciting to have a famous couple living here. I hope you’ll be at more of these book club events. Lydia doesn’t always invite the good authors. I don’t always come. But if you two are there, I’ll be here,” she said on a giggle as she waved and walked away.
    He heard Bethany let out a breath. “I’m going to get Lydia. She should be helping you. This isn’t where I should be.”
    He reached for her hand as she stood to walk away. “You don’t have to go.”
    “Oh, yes I do. Good luck with your signing and your book. It’s very good.”
    In a moment she was gone and out of sight. He’d lost her again, but now he knew who she was and perhaps where to find her.
    He smiled at the next person in line and signed the book, all while he thought of seeing Bethany again.
    They had a spark of electricity—or static—between them. He couldn’t leave Georgia without knowing what it really was. Homelessness now had its perk. He had nowhere to be but there—wherever Bethany Waterbury was.
     
    Bethany nearly ran over Susan as she began to pack up totes and stack them by the door.
    “Are you in a hurry?” Susan stopped her before she began to load the next tub.
    “I just want to get out of here.”
    “What happened?”
    She felt everything inside of her begin to unravel. “I don’t belong here. People want to take my picture. I don’t want to be that person anymore. I just want to hide here.”
    Susan’s eyes widened and she gripped Bethany’s shoulders. “Bethany, what’s going on?”
    Her skin was growing hotter. “I just want to go home. I’ll help you finish packing up and then I want to go home.”
    “I’ve got this. Why don’t you head back to the house? Eric should be there soon. Do you want me to send someone with you? Did something happen?”
    “No. I just don’t want to be around all these people.”
    Susan nodded. “Okay. Go home. You call me when you get there. I’ll be awhile, but when I get home I’ll make you some tea and we can talk.”
    She nodded in agreement, but she didn’t want to talk. She just wanted to get away from people who called out her name and took pictures and…
    Bethany held her breath and fought back her fear. No one was going to hurt her again. She was among family now. This was what she wanted.
    “I’ll meet you at home,” she said as she picked up her purse and hurried out of the building.
     
    An hour later Bethany sat in her car, parked outside of her sister’s bridal shop. It wasn’t her first choice for stops. She’d actually called her therapist first, but he was out of the office.
    Maybe talking to a man wasn’t what she needed either.
    This was the first time in her life she was risking emotional failure on needing one of her siblings. Never in her life had she reached out to them for anything.
    Pearl had been gracious to her. She’d made it a point over the past few months to include her as much as she could. This was new territory for her sisters and brothers too. They hadn’t been included in each other’s lives. She knew why now. That