Page 48 of Doc Hollywood

Taylor nodded, answering wryly, “Yes, she lives in my house.”

“Why doesn’t she sell her house?”

“Because then she would really live with me. She currently maintains she’s just on holiday,” Taylor drawled, waving his hand in the air.

“And I’m guessing she acts like she’s on holiday?” Clara giggled.

“Oh yes. Mom swans around the house in her mumu’s, having a wonderful time.” His waving got bigger as he conveyed a woman wafting around in a long dress.

“What’s a mumu?” Clara queried, “And you don’t mind?” she added.

“It’s one of those floaty dress things that you can put over anything or wear as pyjamas, and no one will notice,” Taylor explained. He took a sip of his drink, then grabbed his phone off the table, opened up the photo app, scrolled through until he found the one he wanted and showed it to her. “This is my mum, Gloria. And this is her favourite mumu.”

Clara laughed when she saw the picture of a well-put-together lady in her sixties wearing a beautiful, expensive-looking, flowing dress. She had a perfectly highlighted blonde bob and eyes identical to her son. In one hand, she clutched a glass of champagne as she relaxed in front of a pool.

“Is that your pool? It looks fabulous.”

“Yeah. That’s Mom’s favourite chair. You can just about see in the background the pool house that she’s taken over. And I don’t mind her relaxing now and living off me. We weren’t a rich family when I was growing up; she worked hard after Dad left.”

“I’m sorry,” Clara murmured, reaching out and putting her hand on his arm.

“I’m not. I didn’t really know him. I was only four when he left, and he died when I was ten.” His eyes took on a far-off look as he remembered his past.

“I’m so sorry.” She squeezed his hand.

“He wasn’t a nice man.” Taylor hesitated, shaking his head before saying, “Mom protected me from him. He used to come to the house drunk and shouting that it was his right to see his son. She never let him; she spent a fortune on lawyers, money she didn’t have, to keep him away from me. And for that, I will forever be grateful.”

“Shit,” Clara swore, leaning toward him.

“I—I—“ he stuttered. “No one knows that. Please don’t—”

Clara jumped in, “You know I won’t.”

“I know,” he said, staring into her eyes.

Holding his gaze, the background noise faded until they could have been the only ones in the pub. “She sounds amazing.” Clara couldn’t look away from him or take her hand off his arm, where electricity rippled up her fingers.

“She did her absolute best for me. She made sure I got to do all the things I wanted. Sports and acting classes when I showed interest and talent. She’s been my biggest supporter, so now I’m just paying her back.” A soft smile crossed his face.

“That’s nice,” Clara murmured, and she felt herself getting breathless the longer their eyes were locked.

“Yeah. And by the time I get home, she’ll have spent every day entertaining the mothers of the movie stars at my house and drunk all my good wine,” Taylor sighed in exasperation, but his lips quirked up into a smile.

“The what now?” Clara sputtered, her laughter breaking the tension.

Did he feel that too? Or was it just her? She leaned away, gently pulling her hand back and giving her attention to her plate as she picked up a chip to eat.

“She’s started a club. Every time we go to a premiere, which, by the way, she always has to come to. She finds out if any other parents are there and gets their phone numbers. She now has a club of women she meets with multiple times a week, where theycompare stories about their famous children,” Taylor groaned, then picked his burger up off his plate and took a huge bite.

“And drink your good wine?”

He chewed for a minute before he answered, “And drink my good wine and empty my fridge of all the nice food I ever buy.”

“I thought you didn’t get to eat nice food?” she teased, keeping her tone light, even as she internally tried to slow her racing heart.

He was too close to her; she couldn’t think. She needed to put some space between them but couldn’t bring herself to move.

“I don’t, but I’d like to have the option,” he grumbled, taking another bite of the burger with great relish.

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