Page 101 of Rescued Heart

She blinked away tears. Backed up. One step. Two. Maybe her family had been right all along. She only ever caused head- and heartaches. “Thanks, Eddie, for everything…The people of Last Chance County are lucky to have you watching over them. You’re a great man.”

He opened his mouth, but she’d seen the mask he’d placed over his heart with his simple nod. “I’ll explain things to the team, and I’ll have Zack help with the tourney.”

She wasn’t only leaving Eddie but the team too.

When he’d left, Bianca slipped between one of the nearby storage barns and the side of a parked trailer. She closed her eyes.

Alone. Again.

God, why can’t those I care about see the real me and stay?

“Uh, Ms. Pearl?”

Bianca opened her eyes and blinked away the tears.

Thad, the security guard, stared at her. His brows pulled even lower. “You all right?”

Bianca sniffed and painted on her Bia smile.

His mouth formed a circle. “Oh, I see. You were only practicing emotions. Wow, you’re such a talented actress. Those looked like real-life tears.”

One of those very real tears slipped down her cheek. “You’re a great security guard, Thad. Thanks for checking up on me.”

Why couldn’t she just admit to him the truth? That she was having a horrible day. But people too often only wanted to go surface level. Not get in the mud and help shoulder the heartache.

The man beamed back at her. “Wait until I tell my granddaughter about how one of her grandma’s favorite actresses paid this old man a compliment.”

Bianca tilted her head. “What’s your granddaughter’s name? I can sign an autograph for her and your wife. That is, if you’d think they’d like one. I can leave them at the security office for you.”

The man chuckled. “They’d like it all right, but”—he held up his hand—“I’m not supposed to ask for?—”

“You didn’t ask. I offered.” Bianca pulled out her phone. “What if you gave me their mailing address? That wayifshe so happened to get an autograph sent to her house, then you wouldn’t get in trouble with your job.”

“Bella would be tickled pink.” Thad rattled off the address, and Bianca made a memo in her phone.

His radio buzzed on his hip, and someone asked if he’d completed his rounds. He answered and gave Bianca a salute. “Thank, Ms. Pearl. You’ve mightily proved that I can’t believe everything I read online about you.”

Her smile slipped. What had the reporters come up with this time? Did it have to do with Carter, Eddie’s mother, or something else?

The shoes on her feet still pinched her toes, but she’d rather escape to her trailer for a quiet moment than get any questioning looks about her possibly runny mascara. She sent off a text to Grace.

Bianca

Want to share a pizza tonight?

Grace sent back a text.

Grace

I wish! I’m talking to Leo about your meeting. Plus, got a couple hiccups in the upcoming scene location.

Bianca dialed Frances and held the phone to her ear as she walked up the steps to her trailer. Frances’s voice came over the speaker, but it was only her voicemail. Bianca ended the call and sank onto her couch.

Lord, now what am I supposed to do?

She kicked out of her shoes, and her stomach chose that moment to growl. Except pizza no longer sounded good.

Her phone vibrated in her hand. The ID that flashed onto the screen hadn’t called her in months.

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