Secret Gifts (Steamy Version) by Elena Aitken Page A

through their dinner and into his second beer. Megan gave him a sidelong glance when he ordered another, but she didn’t say anything, and Gage figured as long as he didn’t get carried away, everything would be fine. Besides, he was hanging out with his babysitter, or his PR rep, he corrected himself mentally. He should probably stop referring to her as a babysitter, especially since he wanted nothing more than to kiss her.
    Bo and Morgan turned out to be great company, and there was no weirdness between them like he sometimes found with people who didn’t know how to talk to a celebrity. It was refreshing to be able to talk about regular things again and just be a normal person instead of a mega-star with expectations bearing down on him.
    “How about another beer?” Bo asked him when the waitress appeared at their table.
    His instinct was to order two, but he was also very aware of Megan sitting next to him. He didn’t have to look at her to know she was watching him, waiting for his answer. He wanted another one, and he also knew that three beers was not too many for him and in no way was he intoxicated or going to make any stupid decisions. But he also knew Megan wanted him to say no. And that would be the responsible decision.
    He sighed and without looking at Megan, said, “I think I—“
    The ringing of his cell phone split the air. Taking the opportunity, he pulled it from his pocket and glanced at the number on the screen.
    “Shit,” Gage mumbled under his breath.
    Megan’s hand was on his arm. “Is everything okay?”
    He shrugged off her touch and pushed up from the table. “Sorry,” he said to no one in particular. “I have to take this.”
    Gage left the others staring after him and pushed the button to answer the call as he walked out of the restaurant and into the cool evening air. “Hannah,” he said into the phone. “What is it?”
    “Nice to hear your voice, too, brother.” Despite the fact that his sister’s voice was cold and angry, Gage still felt a spread of warmth in his belly at the sound of it. He could count on one hand the number of times he’d spoken to her in the last two years. Since he’d left.
    “Sorry,” he said. “It’s just…well…is everything okay? How’s Mom? Do you need more money?”
    “No,” she spat. “The last thing we need is your money.”
    They both knew that was a lie, but Gage knew better than to say anything. “Is she okay?” he asked. He kept his voice low and out of habit, looked around him to see if anyone was listening. “Is she feeling okay?”
    Hannah’s sigh came through the line. “That’s why I’m calling, Gage. She wasn’t feeling great again and so last week she went for more tests.”
    “What do you mean she wasn’t feeling well again?” Gage paced on the pathway, kicking at pinecones. “How long was she feeling bad? Why did you wait?”
    “Look, big shot,” his sister cut him off and he was glad they were thousand miles apart because he was positive she’d try to hit him if she could. “I’m doing my best here. You know, if you came home once in a while and—“
    “What did the doctors say?” He didn’t have time for a lecture. He needed the facts.
    “The cancer’s back.”
    “No.”
    Hannah didn’t say anything for a moment and when she did speak again, her voice had lost its edge. “You need to come home, Gage. You need to see her.”
    “I—“
    “Gage.” She headed off his protests. “It’s been years. You need to let go of the past. This movie star, larger than life, train wreck you’re pretending to be—it’s not you. No one remembers what—“
    “No. I can’t come home.”
    “Lana would have want—“
    “Don’t, Hannah.”
    “You know it’s true, Gage. You can’t stay away forever.”
    “I can and I will, Hannah,” Gage growled into the phone. “It was my fault she got in that car and…it’s my fault, Hannah. You and I both know it. I cannot set foot in that town again.” He