Heart Is Where the Home Is Ch. 01

“It’s fine, Ryan. When I go home, I’ll have my sister send a package of signed photos and some movie memorabilia things for Melanie and her friends.”

“She’ll love that, thank you. So, you live in California?”

“For now, yes. Once my promotional obligations for the new movie are done, I’m moving back here.”

Ryan smiled and nodded. I guess he was worried that I would use his daughter and toss her away. That just wasn’t my style.

“That’s great. Make sure you look me up at the bank if you ever need anything.”

“I will, Ryan. Thank you. I just bought the Miller farm. I plan to set up my new home out there.”

I was excited about the change. The old farmhouse was like something out of a movie. It had five bedrooms, a wrap-around porch, a large kitchen, and was two stories with a full walkout basement.

I saw Ryan frown and I was about to ask what was wrong when he broke the horrible news.

“Shame what happened to the Miller’s,” he said. “We held their note at the bank and I kept foreclosure off the table as long as I could. I felt really bad about them struggling.”

I stiffened and became angry. I looked at him intently and asked, “Wait! Are you telling me that was a foreclosure sale? I told my manager I didn’t want to buy a foreclosure. I didn’t want to put anyone out of a home.”

I was getting pissed.

“Technically, it was what we call a pre-foreclosure sale. They were losing the house but were able to sell it before the bank took it from them. The Miller’s still got some money out of it because of the equity they had.”

I was pissed, I had to do something. I stood and said, “Excuse me for a minute.” I stormed out into the backyard to make a call.

I hit Jen’s number and waited for her to answer.

“Shouldn’t you be on your date?” She asked without saying hello.

“Forget that,” I said. “Listen, the Miller’s were losing their farm when we bought it. I want you to get the guru on the phone and have the deed transferred back into their names. I’m not taking someone’s home from them.”

“Ken, I don’t think they can reverse the deal now. The bank surely won’t give the money back.”

“Screw the bank. Just give the Miller’s their home back. I’m not moving back home and taking someone’s house away from them. It’s not right.”

“You’re just going to give them the house? No money changes hands?” She asked.

Jesus was I not being clear, I was getting mad at her as well.

“Not a dime, Jen. I have to go—wait! Jen, I don’t want this getting out in the media as some kind of good deed or something. No one knows about this, got it?”

“Got it, little brother.”

“Jen, make sure the Miller’s know tonight. I don’t want them packing anymore or worrying anymore about it.”

“Consider it done, little brother, and Ken?”

“Yeah?”

“You can be a pretty good guy when you want to be.”

I ended the call and walked around the yard to calm myself down.

*** Lainey

I was trying on the fifth dress in a row that didn’t like when I heard Ken outside my window yelling at someone on the phone. I looked out my window and saw him animated and pacing wildly.

“Mom, turn the radio off, quick.”

I stood silently and listened to Ken go off about his new house. My mom put her arm around me as we listened to what he was saying. I couldn’t believe he was giving his house back for no money. We both shed a tear for what he was doing for that family.

My mom kissed my cheek and said, “That’s the best kind of man down there, Lainey. If his beautiful face was splashed with acid, he’d still be a better catch than anyone I know. He’s got people’s best interests in his heart and for a rich celebrity, that’s pretty rare.”

“I know, Mom.”

I turned and smiled at her, “I’m gonna marry that man someday.”

We laughed.

“Come on, Baby. Don’t keep him waiting any longer. I’ve got to make sure your sister is ready next door too.”

“You didn’t have to help me, Mom. I’m a twenty-two-year-old woman. I can pick out a dress for a date.”

She laughed and said, “I know. I just wanted to be here for you. I think it’s a pretty big deal.”

“Yeah, I know it is, Mom.”

I touched up my makeup and decided to wear the dress I had on.

We walked downstairs and into the kitchen. Dad and Ken were in the middle of a conversation and didn’t notice me come in.

Mom grunted and both men looked up. Ken’s eyes lit up seeing me and his hunger for me was evident.

“You look amazing, Lainey,” he said.

“Thank you, kind Sir.”

“Have her home by midnight, movie star,” Ryan said with a smile as Mom hit his shoulder.

“Don’t mind him, you guys have fun tonight,” Mom said before rushing off to make sure Melanie was ready next door.

I hugged his arm as we walked to the car. I said, “Sorry to make you wait for so long. I couldn’t decide what to wear and you were early. My dad can get pretty rough on our dates.”

“No, your dad was fine. He actually helped me out and saved me from making a big mistake. I owe him for that.”

I laughed and said, “Buy him a car. He’s been wanting a Mustang for years.”

“Okay,” Ken said as I wondered what he was agreeing to. I hoped he didn’t think I was serious.

“Where are we going tonight?” I asked.

“We’re driving into Schaumburg if that’s okay? I wanted to take you for some hibachi.”

“What’s hibachi?” I hoped it wasn’t gross.

“You sit around a flattop grill and the chef cooks your meal right in front of you.”

I knew what that was. I got a little too excited and gushed, “Oh! Is that where the Japanese chef tosses food in your mouth and does the volcano thing? I saw that on TV.”

“Yep. It’s far but I figure being stuck in the car for an hour with me won’t be that bad.”

“I’m sure I’ll manage,” I said. I’d sit in a ring of fire to be with him.

After few minutes of easy conversation later, I asked, “Will you be staying in California now?”

He looked over and asked, “What do you mean? I do go back on Sunday because I have some commitments.”

“No, well, I heard you give your house back. I guess that means you won’t be moving here anymore.” I hoped I didn’t look as sad as I felt.

He laughed and said, “No, I’m still coming home. I just don’t have anywhere to live now. I’ll just have to find a new house to buy. I’m sorry you had to hear that. I was angry. I’m not usually like that.”

“Okay, good. I was kinda worried you were just using me as a diversion while you were in town. I’m sure there are all kinds of starlets in California that want you who are prettier than I am.”

He frowned! “Oh crap!” I thought. I worried that I said something stupid and was blowing it with him.

“Lainey, I’m not going to lie to you now or ever. Have I dated beautiful actresses? Yes. I’m sure you read all about my exploits in magazines and stuff, but there is one thing that you have that none of those ‘starlets’ have?”

“What could I possibly have that Kate Ferrell doesn’t have?”

It was as honest a question as I could ask. I hoped he would give me an honest answer.

“My interest. I’m interested in you and want to get to know you better. If you don’t think you can handle the stress of my celebrity status, let me know, but I’d sure like to see where we go from here.”

“Okay. Since we’re about an hour into our first date, I’ll give you a chance for a second date. Just don’t blow it.”

We laughed and he said, “So, tell me about yourself. My life is already an open book, as you know.”

“Well, I graduated a few months ago and I’m still trying to decide what to do.”

“Oh yeah?” He asked. “What is your degree in?”

“Interior Design,” I said, all of a sudden feeling silly with my choice. I don’t know why I felt he would look down on me for it.

“Oh! That sounds fun.” He said. “You have a lot of options don’t you? From designing rooms to office buildings, even fashion right?”

I savored his approval and said, “Yeah, that’s what’s making it so hard. I know I’ll have to go to Chicago for a bigger chance at a lucrative career and more opportunities but I don’t want to leave my family.”

“Well, it’s not like Chicago is the other side of the country. It’s only an hour and a half away.”

“I know, I’ve never...I don’t know. I’m just struggling with it.”

I was embarrassed by my fear of moving out. I hoped he didn’t press me on it, I couldn’t tell him I was afraid of my future.

He took my hand and said, “You lived at home during college, didn’t you?”

“Yes.”

“What your feeling is perfectly normal. There are two kinds of people: those who can’t wait to leave home and those who are afraid of the unknown. This is exactly what you would’ve felt four years ago if you’d have gone away to school.”

I’d never thought of it like that. I was afraid to be on my own, so I chose a local college. He was right, I was just kicking the can down the road. I had to move on eventually.

***

We were sitting at the bar waiting for a table when Ken was recognized.

A young man said, “Hey, you’re Kinsey Greer. Holy shit! You shaved.”

The bar wasn’t crowded, but we had everyone’s attention now. Pictures and video were being taken and I could tell Ken felt the social media knives in his back.

Mercifully, after his signing a few autographs and posing for a few pictures, we were ushered to a table. I could tell Ken wasn’t happy about having to do all of that stuff in the middle of our evening, but he was polite about it.

“Believe it or not, Lainey, in LA there would be less attention and I didn’t think it would be as bad as it was in there.”

I was enjoying myself, sure I would’ve preferred to not have my date interrupted, but it wasn’t that bad.

“It’s okay, Ken. Let’s just enjoy the night.”

He smiled and kissed my hand.

When we sat down I got the whole treatment, starting with sake being squirted into my mouth and shrimp being tossed at me. I clapped like a little kid when the onion volcano was set ablaze and I even fed Ken pieces of my chicken to prove I’d learned how to use chopsticks correctly.

It was an amazing night.

The three other couples that were at the table pretended to not recognize Ken and left him alone during dinner. I could tell they knew who he was, there was a lot of staring and whispering.

When the table was cleared and we were finishing the last of our drinks, Ken said to the table, “Thank you for giving us the respect of privacy during dinner. I know you recognized me and It means a lot to me that you let us eat in peace since this is our first date. I’m going to pick up the tab for the table.”

I was surprised, then a girl my age asked, “Now that dinner is over, can we get a picture?”

Ken laughed and said, “Sure.”

Once that was all settled, Ken ushered us out to the car with several cell phone cameras grabbing our every move.

“Sorry about all of that,” he said. I didn’t expect to be recognized, I guess.”

“What? I had a great time. That was so much fun when he squirted that stuff in my mouth. I didn’t miss a drop.”

“You didn’t see all of the photos and videos being taken from the other tables? You’re going to be all over social media tomorrow.”

“No, I was too busy enjoying your company to notice anyone else,” I said with a bit of snark.

He frowned and said, “You’re right. We did have fun didn’t we?”

I nodded vigorously and he kissed my cheek after opening my door.

“You’d think I would be used to it, but you handled it like a pro. Good job!”

When he got into the car, I leaned over and kissed his cheek.

“Thank you for dinner, it was perfect.”

He pulled out of the parking lot and headed home.

***

At my front door, He kissed me softly goodnight. I was struck by the softness of his lips. They were like two pillows welcoming me in and I wanted to kiss them forever.

He parted his lips slightly and allowed my tongue to touch his. I let out a soft moan as our tongues danced. He wasn’t like the amateurs I’d kissed before who jammed their tongues into my mouth. He was like a professional kisser.

I tried not to let jealousy creep in. He was going to be mine if I had anything to say about it. No one else would ever taste his lips again.

He touched my cheek and slowly broke our kiss. It took a few moments longer for me to open my eyes. He was smiling at me when I did finally open them.

“I enjoyed tonight, may I see you again?” He asked.

“I don’t know. Can you handle a small-town girl, whose life moves at a slower pace, Mr. Superhero?”

“I want to try,” he said earnestly. The look in his eyes sold me.

I wanted to do a happy dance right there on my front porch but tried to play it cool. I was as nervous as a hen in a fox house.

“How about you take me to breakfast tomorrow? Seven sharp,” I asked.

“I’ll be here with bells on, as my mom says. Good night, Lainey.”

“Good night, Ken.”

He kissed my cheek and did a backflip down my steps as I laughed at him. Did he do his own stunts? Wow!

I walked into the house on cloud nine. My parents were sitting in the living room staring at me. Mel ran down the stairs and shrieked, “Well? Tell us everything!”

I looked at their curious faces and said, “It was just dinner, but it was the best date I’ve ever had.”

*** Ken

I was shaken awake by Jen five minutes before my alarm was set to go off. Groggily, I looked at her and reached for my glasses.

“Damn it, don’t you sleep?” I asked.

“Not when you go on dates with unknown ladies. The calls have been coming in all night. I guess TMZ and their ilk don’t sleep.”

“Is it bad?”

I hoped not. I didn’t want Lainey to suffer too badly, especially when within a year I’d have nothing to do with Hollywood any longer.

“Not really. They haven’t been able to ID her yet. It won’t take long though. I just checked out her sister’s Instagram account. She’s posted several pictures with you.”

I grabbed my phone and texted Lainey.

“Good morning. Have your sister take down the pics if you guys want any privacy.”

“OK.”

“See you soon.”

I set down my phone and Jen asked, “What do you want to tell them, Ken.”

“Nothing. Lainey stays in the dark until she’s outed. They get nothing from us okay? No comment at all.”

“You’re the star. Did you ask her to the premiere yet?”

Ugh! Not that again.

“I told you I wasn’t going to ask her.”

“Ken, you can’t show up alone.”

I knew someone that would piss Jen off.

“Fine. I’ll take Cindy.”

“My Cindy?” Jen asked laughing. “No way, bro. She won’t go near you on a red carpet.”

“I’ll figure something out. I’ll let you know.”

I had no idea what I was going to do. It shouldn’t matter to the studio. Not having a date won’t impact ticket sales. Hell, it might have even hyped up some ladies because I was an eligible bachelor.

“Oh, Jen?”

“Yeah?”

“Could you find me a local dealer that sells classic Mustangs?”

***

Lainey and I were eating at the restaurant where she worked. We were having pancakes when I was pulled up and into a hug by a large woman. She must’ve weighed 250 pounds and was barely five feet tall.

“Wait! Stop!” I demanded, but I was ignored.

All of a sudden she broke the hug and planted a sloppy wet kiss on my lips.

“Mr. Greer, we can’t thank you enough. Words just can’t...” she grabbed me into a hug again and sobbed into my chest.

I saw an older man standing behind her with his John Deere cap in his hands. His dirty overalls had fresh dust on them.

Two little girls were holding onto his pant legs for dear life. They couldn’t have been more than three-years-old.

“Ma’am, please let me go.”

She backed off and stood next to her husband as the crowded restaurant looked on. I had no idea who they were or what was going on.

“Some city lawyer showed up at our house last night with a deed giving us our farm back. He said we don’t have to give the money back and there’s no mortgage.”

Ah! The Millers. I nodded and asked, “Mr. Miller, I’m Ken and this is my friend, Lainey. Please join us.”

We slid another table together with ours and waved for two booster seats to be brought over.

I looked over the elderly couple. They had the earmarks of a hard life lived.

“Mr. Miller, I’m sorry for the whole thing. I didn’t know until Mr. Evans from the bank told me what was happening with your farm and it was after we closed. I assure you I never meant to take your home away from you.”

“Don’t worry about that. We knew your daddy and we know he was a good man. It’s not your fault that we were in trouble. You see, our son was killed in Afghanistan last year and we had to take on the girls. Their momma ran off and no one knows what happened. We think she got into the drugs and something bad happened because one day she just didn’t come home.”

I was shocked. I didn’t know what to say, but I said, “I’m sorry, Sir, truly.”

He nodded and said, “We spent most our savings tryin’ to find her, and then we had to pay a lawyer so the girls weren’t taken from us by the state. We just got too far behind.”

I felt horrible for them. I had no idea what their story was before. They seemed like good people who got a bad shake. Losing their hero son and then their daughter-in-law is hard enough on its own without having to go through a custody battle.

“Mr. Miller, you don’t have to explain anything to me. I’m glad to be able to help you a little.”

Mrs. Miller shrieked, “A little?” Then she grabbed me into another hug and sobbed some more. Lainey watched with a tear in her eye.

“You’ve changed our lives!” she shouted. “We were gonna have to rent a small trailer and try to find jobs. You have no idea what you’ve done for us.”

“Son, let us buy your breakfast. It’s the least we can do to thank you.”

“No, Mr. Miller. Honestly, you don’t have to do anything for me but take care of those little pancake eaters.”

The girls giggled and Mrs. Miller hugged me again. I knew I’d have to ask Jen to get me, someone, to help find those little girls’ mother. I’d hoped it wasn’t too late.

***

After breakfast, we were sitting on Lainey’s deck drinking iced tea when her sister ran out.

“Ken, is your phone off?” Melanie asked.

“Yeah, why?”

“Your sister called the house and said to turn it on or she will call Kate. What does that mean?”

I laughed and said, “My ex-girlfriend is Kate. My sister keeps threatening to ask Kate to escort me to the premiere on Wednesday.”

“What premiere?” The girls said in unison.

“The premiere for my new movie, I said as if it were nothing special.

I turned on my phone and started reading texts from Jen.

“Damn it!” I shouted. I couldn’t believe what I was reading. I wanted the Miller situation to be completely under the radar.

“What’s the matter, Ken?” Lainey asked.

“Someone got cell phone video of what happened at breakfast this morning and put it on Twitter. Some news outlet picked it up and it’s viral now. Damn!”

“That fast?” Lainey asked.

I nodded.

“You’d be shocked how quickly they work, Lainey. Jen says there are news crews on the way. Shit, I’m sorry, Lainey. I wanted to avoid this kind of thing for you. I was so close to getting out of all of that, it’s not fair to you.”

“Don’t be sorry, I chose to go out with you, remember?”

I called Jen. She picked up on the first ring and said, “Lainey’s outed. Whoever posted the video, disclosed her name.”

“Damn,” I said looking at Lainey. “You’re name’s been outed. It’s only a matter of time before they show up here.”

“I’ll tell mom and dad!” Melanie said as she darted off into the house.

Lainey took my hands and said, “I knew this would happen if we dated. It’s not scaring me off.” Her bright smile made me feel better. I made a quick decision.

“Okay, well since you’re already viral, have you ever been to a movie premiere?”

Her smile soothed my soul.

*** Lainey

When we walked into the house, the phone was ringing.