Page 2 of Her Movie Star's Secret Plan

Alexis’s expression softened a bit at his words.

“Here are those roses for you.” Layla handed him the flowers for his mom, and he paid for them.

“It was good to see you again, Alexis.”

She finally turned back to him with a smile that looked forced. “You too, Owen.”

He couldn’t figure that girl out. One minute she seemed like the typical fangirl, and the next, she’d turned distant. Was it because he’d tried to put on the charm?

He left the flower shop and drove around the corner to his new restaurant. He parked behind the building and came in through the employee entrance. The smell of fresh-baked farmhouse bread hit his nose, and he sighed. This was exactly why he wanted a farm-fresh restaurant.

When he was growing up, his mom used to bake bread. The smell took him back to the best days of his childhood. They’d been poor, and as a working, single mom, his mother was usually too exhausted to cook dinner most nights. But, occasionally, she made him fresh-baked bread.

She’d worked herself to the bone. He knew she’d done it for him, to give him the best life she could. And that was why she was the guest of honor tonight. His mom had a good life now. Since he’d left for Hollywood, she’d gotten remarried to a nice guy, and they’d had two daughters together. It gave him a lot of peace of mind to know his mom was happy.

He set the vase of roses for his mom in the manager’s office, and Owen walked through the kitchen, tasting various dishes as he went. Dave, the general manager of the store, had done a fantastic job putting everything together for him.

Vincent, the pastry chef, presented him with a thick slice of buttered bread. “For you, sir.”

“Thank you, Vincent.” His teeth sunk into the soft, warm bread. He was transported back to his childhood immediately. That feeling of joy while baking with his mom on a Sunday afternoon washed over him. “This is perfect.”

“Thank you, sir.”

He didn’t like the pastry chef as a person, but his bread was phenomenal. It was exactly what he was looking for. Vincent had already caused problems with some of the other employees. But he produced a good product, so Owen put his personal feelings aside. He walked through the kitchen, tasting the various dishes, giving small suggestions along the way.

“This roasted chicken is fantastic.” He’d contracted with a local farmer who provided free-range chickens and eggs. He was pleased with the way Dave had carried out his vision for the restaurant. They’d worked well together over the past six months. He’d taken a break from filming and had flown back to Maple Creek frequently to ensure everything was going smoothly as they put together recipes and contacted various local farmers. Since they were using local produce, the menu changed according to the seasons. He’d put a lot of work into the menu, and he’d enjoyed every minute of it. He loved working with the locals. He’d missed Maple Creek over the past several years, and now he remembered how simple life could be.

A blonde server approached him. “Your mother is here, sir.”

Was it that late already? “Thank you for letting me know.” He went back to the office and grabbed the roses, then walked out into the dining area and scanned the room. Light-brown, wooden tables lined the room, and bright-green potted plants grew overhead.

He spotted his mom seated with her husband and his two sisters. Lucy was ten, and Janie was six. He came back to Maple Creek to visit them often. Since he’d never had the opportunity to have siblings growing up, he didn’t want to miss out now.

“Owen!” the girls cheered when they saw him approaching. They bounded from their seats and hugged him. He laughed and wrapped his free arm around them.

“This is for the guest of honor tonight.” He presented the vase to his mother. “Thank you for always being there for me as a kid and teaching me to believe in my dreams.”

“Oh, Owen.” His mom dabbed at her eyes with the edge of her white linen napkin. “This is so thoughtful of you.”

“Thank you for being here tonight. It means so much to have you here.”

“You’ve dreamed of this since you were a little boy,” his mom said.

“It’s true. Remember when I used to tell you that I’d open my own restaurant one day?”

His mom’s eyes misted over. “I do.”

“I used to make the biggest messes in the kitchen playing restaurant, but you never got after me for it. You always had so much patience for me, even when you came home bone tired. I didn’t realize it at the time, but I’m sure you had a big job of cleaning up after me.”

His mom laughed. “That’s true.”

“It’s taken watching my own younger sisters on occasion to begin to understand how much work you put into raising me. And even then, I know I only see a small glimpse of how much work it takes to care for a child.”

His mom wiped away tears.

“Mom, I know this is sappy, but you truly are my hero. You made sure I had a happy childhood, and you always put my needs before your own. I didn’t realize how much you’d sacrificed for me until I was an adult. But looking back, I realized how much you’d given up to be my mom.” She was young when she’d had him. His dad had gotten her pregnant just after they’d graduated from high school.

“Thank you, son. That means so much.”

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