Come A Little Bit Closer (The Sullivans #7)(81)

It made her chest hurt thinking about not seeing her sister every single day, even though she knew it was the right thing for both of them.

She needed to give her sister her wings. And, Valentina thought as she caught sight of Smith walking toward her smiling that devastatingly sexy smile she could never get enough of, she finally admitted to herself that she needed to give herself room to let her wings unfurl all the way, too.

Only, she hadn’t expected to see her mother beaming at her a moment later from beside Smith. Nor had she thought to still see her mother’s boyfriend, Dave, with them. Not when he was several weeks past her mother’s usual sell-by date for actor boyfriends.

“Oh honey, wasn’t it so sweet of Smith to invite us to the final day of filming?”

It was. So sweet that Valentina immediately felt ashamed for not thinking of it herself. Smith slid his fingers through hers and pulled her against him to give her a kiss, one that lingered far longer than Valentina’s previous rules of PDA dictated, but was completely irresistible all the same, even though anyone around them could snap a picture and send it off to a tabloid.

The strange truth was, however, that a part of her was glad that they’d been through the wringer with the paparazzi and the press right out of the gate when their relationship was brand new. Because even though it hadn’t been fun to watch the tabloids run pictures of her and Smith, or the way they’d tried—and failed—to make Smith look like a bad guy, she’d survived it. And knowing that she could survive it again made her bound and determined not to worry about whether one of their kisses ended up in the press.

She knew her skin was flushed, not from embarrassment but pleasure, when he finally pulled his mouth from hers.

“Can I get either of you anything?”

He had asked both her and her mother the question, but she knew from the way he squeezed her hand that he was making sure she was okay being left alone with her mother. When they told him they were fine, he lifted her hand to his mouth for one more kiss before steering Dave away with him.

Valentina and her mother watched the two men go, until they turned a corner and were out of sight.

“My friends can’t stop talking about how one of my daughters caught a movie star,” Ava Landon said on a happy little sigh. “I still can’t believe you’re dating Smith Sullivan. “

Normally, Valentina would have tried not to feel hurt by her mother’s disbelief. She would have told herself that it was better to just let it roll off. But she knew why Smith had asked her mother to come to the set today. It wasn’t just so that Ava could cheer Tatiana on the last day of filming, but because family meant the world to him.

And he loved her so much he wanted her family to be whole again.

“Why?” Valentina’s voice was quiet, but her question was still firm. And riddled with the hurt she could no longer hide. “Why can’t you believe it?”

Her mother blinked up at her with the big blue eyes that had captivated young actors throughout Hollywood for the past decade...and her husband for two decades before that.

“Not because you aren’t beautiful, Val.” Her mother put her hand on her arm. “Your looks have always been far more exotic than mine or your sister’s. I’m not surprised he can’t take his eyes off you. It’s just that I know how much you disliked actors, and the fact that I’ve always dated them.”

“You knew that?”

“You have a very expressive face, honey,” her mother told her.

“I don’t get it.” If there was something to be said, it had to be said now. After all, once upon a time, she and her mother had been so close. Not just mother and daughter, but friends. “After Daddy died, why—” She pushed aside the image of her father to get through her question. “Why have you always dated actors since him?”

“I could never replace your father, and I never even wanted to try.” Her mother’s voice was full of the sadness that Valentina herself felt whenever she talked about him. “Early on I realized the nice thing about dating an actor is that even if they don’t really think I’m young and beautiful and desirable, they know how to fake it. Well enough that I can believe them for a while.”

This time Valentina was the one reaching for her mother. “You don’t need anyone to pretend that you’re beautiful, Mom. You are.”

Her mother’s eyes glimmered with tears. “I know I haven’t told you often enough, but I’m so proud of you, honey.”

Valentina knew it would be easiest just to take her mother’s compliment at face value, and to smooth over years of hurt, but even though Smith had taught her just how easy love could be once you had it...she’d also learned just how much hard work had to go into getting it sometimes.

Smith hadn’t given up on her. He hadn’t underestimated her strength, her convictions...or the love she had to give. Maybe, Valentina found herself thinking, it was time for her to stop giving up on her mother. Which meant no more dancing around each other, no more talking without saying anything.

“We used to be so close. Before Daddy died.” She’d started her relationship with Smith with a “Why?” when she’d needed to understand his reasons for pursuing her. Now she would try to restart her relationship with her mother with one. And after all these years, Valentina couldn’t stand not knowing anymore.