Acting Up Read Online Free PDF Page B

almost too beautiful to be real.
    She stopped in front of him, and Ethan stopped breathing. Thinking.
    â€œ House of Fashion ,” she said. “I’m the mean lady.”
    The what? He shook his head in confusion.
    â€œI’m Addison Covington.”
    â€œAddison…” What was a TV star doing here?
    Her smile grew, a teasing grin threatening to short-circuit Ethan’s brain again. “I’m Ruth’s niece.”
    Ethan shook his head as a picture flashed through his head. A memory of a gangly, brown-haired mouse of a girl. His jaw dropped open. “Good grief. Alice?”
    â€œIt’s Addison now,” she said, her patrician nose wrinkling.
    â€œRight,” he said, still trying to match the shy girl he remembered with the woman facing him now.
    â€œI’m surprised you didn’t know I was in town,” she said. “Even the old geezer at the gas station knew about my homecoming.”
    â€œI knew you were coming back, but I didn’t know you were who you were,” Ethan said, unable to hide a wince at his own inanity.
    Addison laughed. “I guess I look a little different than I did when I lived here.”
    â€œNo kidding.” Ethan couldn’t help letting his eyes travel from her tousled blond hair to her feet. Her toenails were painted fire-engine red. The engine revving kicked up again, this time shifting into turbo drive. He swallowed and turned to his sons. “Go grab your stuff from Grandma’s. We need to get home.”
    The twins opened their mouths to protest, but one stern look from him and they thought better of it.
    â€œBye, TV lady,” Jason called, as they took off.
    â€œWe’ll be back tomorrow!” Carson said.
    Addison watched the boys until they’d disappeared around the corner. The brief respite gave him a chance to get his head together.
    He hoped.
    â€œHow do you tell them apart?” she said, finally shifting her gaze back to him.
    â€œIt’s not hard once you get to know them.”
    Silence reigned while he and Addison both seemed to be searching for something to say. He didn’t have a clue how to start a conversation with a famous actress.
    â€œEthan Thomas, right?” she said finally.
    His eyes widened in surprise.
    â€œYou left an impression on a teenage girl,” Addison said with a smile. “The football star thing. The dimples.”
    Yes, he remembered Alice had spied on him and his brothers constantly, usually from her bedroom window. He wondered what might have happened if he’d paid more attention to her obvious crush.
    â€œYou okay, Ethan?”
    â€œYou must think I’m a complete idiot,” he said, laughing in obvious embarrassment. “I can’t believe I’m standing here with you. Except you’re different. I keep trying to picture the little girl who lived here, but you don’t look—”
    â€œAnything like the frumpy mouse I used to be?”
    Ethan swiped a hand over his face. He obviously had no idea how to talk to females over the voting age anymore. “There I go being an idiot again.”
    It was her turn to laugh. “No, the truth is I have a hard time believing how my life turned out.”
    â€œDon’t we all?”
    Her head tilted. “Yours didn’t work out the way you wanted?”
    A long time ago he’d wanted to play college football and then maybe even the pros. Fate and God had had other plans. Everything he’d worked for his whole life had shattered, along with his leg, in his senior year. Those dreams seemed so far away now.
    â€œI always imagined playing in the NFL,” Ethan said.
    â€œAnd instead you’re what?”
    â€œI’m the principal of Covington Falls High.”
    Her eyes widened in almost comical surprise. “How did that happen?”
    â€œI have no idea,” he said, in wry amusement. “My wife used to ask the same question all the