Read Stargazing (The Walker Family Book 2) for Free Online Page B

him? Why? Why would you do that?”
    “He came by the house. I can’t hate him entirely. He saved me.”
    “You saved yourself. He just had the power to arrest the ass who hurt you.”
    “Either way. He wanted a signed book and I told him to just stop by. Look,” she said as she pointed. “He already has the book. He’ll be in and out.”
    Lydia growled. “If he even so much as talks to me…”
    “I told him not to ask you out.”
    Lydia winced. “I hate him.”
    “I know you do.”
    Lydia walked off as Kent finished his talk.
    “You might owe her for that one,” Susan said standing up and retrieving a tray as the crowd began to move about. “Maybe a girls’ night out.”
    “Just for telling an officer of the law to drop by and get a book signed?”
    Bethany watched as Kent sat at the table in the front of the garden, books piled high around him, and a line forming. Lydia moved to Smyth and escorted him to the front of the line.
    Kent stood and shook his hand. Bethany had never seen Smyth smile a genuine smile. Maybe he did have some kind of heart in there.
    Kent signed his book and Smyth turned to leave. He caught sight of her watching, gave her a wave of gratitude, and left.
    Lydia moved back to her. “Fine. Done and done.”
    “Wasn’t so bad was it? Look how happy he was.”
    “Don’t care,” she huffed and ran her hands down over her skirt. “Listen, I have to supervise. Do you think you could sit up there with him and help?”
    “Me?” Bethany placed her hand on her chest. “I have a job to do.”
    “Right. He just needs books opened. Anyone who preordered or paid at the door has a slip.”
    Susan walked up behind her. “Go. You’re too preoccupied today to be of much help.”
    Bethany let out a hurtful moan. “I’m here.”
    Susan’s smile said more, though. “Go. Mingle a bit.”
    “Why? So someone can make a comment about me being Byron Walker’s daughter and what a shame that is? Or they’re sorry to hear about what happened to us and what a loser Douglas Brant is?”
    “Or maybe you could just smile and help a nice guy out,” Susan said with a gentle shove.
     
    Kent worked the group as they came along. Each one had something to say about the book. Usually it was gracious praise, but there was always one in the crowd that wanted to know what he was thinking when he wrote a certain part.
    Each question was met with a genuine smile. Everyone was a critic, but none as bad as he was on himself.
    Bethany was walking toward the table now, no doubt working. However, she’d pulled out a chair.
    “I’ve been sent to help you,” she said as she sat down next to him and picked up a book from the pile.
    He didn’t have words. Just having her that close had rendered him nearly speechless. All he could do was nod and talk to the next person waving a book at him.
    The next woman in line handed him a slip that said she’d purchased a book from the club. He turned to reach for one as Bethany turned to hand it to him. Their fingers grazed and there was a sudden spike in his blood pressure.
    “Is that the right page?” Bethany asked, but he didn’t even understand the question. “Is that the page you want them open to?”
    He looked down at the title page of the book. “Oh, yes. Thank you.”
    She let go of the book and reached for another.
    The woman began to talk to him and asked for a photo. He was on auto pilot now, which was good, since he’d suddenly gone numb in the brain.
    This wasn’t just being star struck with some Hollywood starlet either. He’d met his share of Hollywood elite. Four of his books had been made into movies. He had had a cameo in one of them, though once it had been cut to pieces, all anyone could see was the top of his head in a spaceship.
    “Would you like me to take the picture?” Bethany asked as the woman contorted her body to take a selfie, which no doubt would give him a double chin and be posted on Facebook in the next ten minutes.
    “Oh, that