To the Moon and Back Read online

  To the Moon and Back

  Synopsis

  Lauren Prescott had dreamed of being an actress since she was cast as Wendy in her middle school production of Peter Pan. Yes, her nightgown snagged and brought the set tumbling down, but she was hooked. After years of unsuccessful auditions, performing just wasn’t in the cards. Instead, Lauren established herself as a successful stage manager at the esteemed McAllister Theater. Unfortunately, the resident director has cast celebrity Carly Daniel: headstrong, entitled, and always late. So why is their chemistry turning her the hell on?

  After partying her way through her twenties and ruining a successful film career, Carly Daniel has to take whatever she can get. If schlepping it onstage will raise her star again, she’ll listen to her pesky agent. Added bonus: the uptight stage manager is a sexy distraction.

  When Carly’s costar is sidelined, Lauren must decide whether renewing a long-forgotten dream will jeopardize what she has percolating with Carly. Is the limelight big enough for two?

  Reviewers Love Melissa Brayden

  “Melissa Brayden has become one of the most popular novelists of the genre, writing hit after hit of funny, relatable, and very sexy stories for women who love women.”—Afterellen.com

  Love Like This

  “I really have to commend Melissa Brayden in her exceptional writing and especially in the way she writes not only the romance but the friendships between the group of women.”—Les Rêveur

  “Brayden upped her game. The characters are remarkably distinct from one another. The secondary characters are rich and wonderfully integrated into the story. The dialogue is crisp and witty.”—Frivolous Reviews

  Sparks Like Ours

  “Brayden sets up a flirtatious tit-for-tat that’s honest, relatable, and passionate. The women’s fears are real, but the loving support from the supporting cast helps them find their way to a happy future. This enjoyable romance is sure to interest readers in the other stories from Seven Shores.”—Publishers Weekly

  “Sparks Like Ours is made up of myriad bits of truth that make for a cozy, lovely summer read.”—Queerly Reads

  Hearts Like Hers

  “Hearts Like Hers has all the ingredients that readers can expect from Ms. Brayden: witty dialogue, heartfelt relationships, hot chemistry and passionate romance.”—Lez Review Books

  “Once again Melissa Brayden stands at the top. She unequivocally is the queen of romance.”—Front Porch Romance

  “Hearts Like Hers has a breezy style that makes it a perfect beach read. The romance is paced well, the sex is super hot, and the conflict made perfect sense and honored Autumn and Kate’s journeys.”—The Lesbian Review

  Eyes Like Those

  “Brayden’s story of blossoming love behind the Hollywood scenes provides the right amount of warmth, camaraderie, and drama.”—RT Book Reviews

  “Brayden’s writing is just getting better and better. The story is well done, full of well-honed wit and humour, and the characters are complex and interesting.”—Lesbian Reading Room

  “Melissa Brayden knocks it out of the park once again with this fantastic and beautifully written novel.”—Les Reveur

  “Pure Melissa Brayden at her best…Another great read that won’t disappoint Brayden’s fans. Can’t wait for the rest of the series.”—Lez Review Books

  Strawberry Summer

  “This small-town second-chance romance is full of tenderness and heart. The 10 Best Romance Books of 2017.”—Vulture

  “Strawberry Summer is a tribute to first love and soulmates and growing into the person you’re meant to be. I feel like I say this each time I read a new Melissa Brayden offering, but I loved this book so much that I cannot wait to see what she delivers next.”—Smart Bitches, Trashy Books

  “Strawberry Summer will suck you in, rip out your heart, and put all the pieces back together by the end, maybe even a little better than they were before.”—The Lesbian Review

  “[A] sweet and charming small-town lesbian romance.”—Pretty Little Book Reviews

  First Position

  “Brayden aptly develops the growing relationship between Ana and Natalie, making the emotional payoff that much sweeter. This ably plotted, moving offering will earn its place deep in readers’ hearts.”—Publishers Weekly

  Praise for the Soho Loft Series

  “The trilogy was enjoyable and definitely worth a read if you’re looking for solid romance or interconnected stories about a group of friends.”—The Lesbrary

  Kiss the Girl

  “There are romances and there are romances…Melissa Brayden can be relied on to write consistently very sweet, pure romances and delivers again with her newest book Kiss the Girl…There are scenes suffused with the sweetest love, some with great sadness or even anger—a whole gamut of emotions that take readers on a gentle roller coaster with a consistent upbeat tone. And at the heart of this book is a hymn to true friendship and human decency.”—C-Spot Reviews

  “Read it. Embrace it. Do yourself a favor and provide it to yourself as a reward for being awesome. There is nothing about this novel that won’t delight any reader, I can guarantee this.”—FarNerdy Book Blog

  Just Three Words

  “Another winner from Melissa Brayden. I really connected with Hunter and Sam, and enjoyed watching their relationship develop. The friendship between the four women was heart-warming and real. The dialogue in general was fun and contemporary. I look forward to reading the next book in the series, hope it will be about Mallory!”—Melina Bickard, Librarian, Waterloo Library (London)

  “A beautiful and downright hilarious tale about two very relatable women looking for love.”—Sharing Is Caring Book Reviews

  Ready or Not

  “The chemistry is off the charts. The swoon factor is high. I promise you this book will make you smile. I had such high hopes for this book, and Melissa Brayden leapt right over them.”—The Romantic Reader Blog

  To the Moon and Back

  Brought to you by

  eBooks from Bold Strokes Books, Inc.

  http://www.boldstrokesbooks.com

  eBooks are not transferable. They cannot be sold, shared or given away as it is an infringement on the copyright of this work.

  Please respect the rights of the author and do not file share.

  By the Author

  Waiting in the Wings

  Heart Block

  How Sweet It Is

  First Position

  Strawberry Summer

  Beautiful Dreamer

  Back to September

  To the Moon and Back

  Soho Loft Romances:

  Kiss the Girl

  Just Three Words

  Ready or Not

  Seven Shores Romances:

  Eyes Like Those

  Hearts Like Hers

  Sparks Like Ours

  Love Like This

  To the Moon and Back

  © 2020 By Melissa Brayden. All Rights Reserved.

  ISBN 13: 978-1-63555-619-3

  This Electronic Original Is Published By

  Bold Strokes Books, Inc.

  P.O. Box 249

  Valley Falls, NY 12185

  First Edition: March 2020

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  This book, or parts thereof, may not be reproduced in any form without permission.

  Credits

  Editor: Ruth Sternglantz

  Production Design: Stacia Seaman

  Cover Design by Jeanine Henning

  Acknowledgment
s

  You may not know this, but in my past life (and sometimes my current one), I was a theatre professional. There’s something extraordinary about that mechanism of storytelling, and perhaps that is why I’ve come to write about it a second time. I fully believe that the exchange of energy between a performer and a live audience is a unique experience, never again to be repeated. Magic in a bottle. I never tire of it and hope you take away a little bit of that magic in the reading of this tale.

  Now for the thank-yous. This is my fifteenth novel with Bold Strokes Books, and I fully believe we have many more stories to tell together. I want to thank my editor, Ruth Sternglantz, for confidence along the way and helpful direction, not to mention her friendship. I feel strongly that Sandra Lowe needs more credit for the immense amount of strategic work she does, so I shout out to her for her wisdom, insight, and savvy business sense. Radclyffe, as you can imagine, is a fantastic mentor, boss, and visionary all in one and I’m eternally humbled to be in the BSB stable of authors.

  To my friends in the writing community, especially Georgia, Rachel, Nikki, Carsen, Kris, Paula, Barbara, Fiona, Jenn, and Elle, I’ve never felt your friendship more than this past year. My heart is full and I cherish each and every word of support and act of friendship you’ve showed me when I needed it. The pep talks, the work sessions, and the dinners and drinks all go such a long way. To many more!

  Alan, Everett, Mom, Dad, Becki, Krissy, Sean, Danielle, Shauna, James, Emma, and Weston, and of course, Apple and Ryder, you guys are my steady ship and anchor. I realize it humbly on a daily basis.

  To my readership, I have to extend both cartwheels of gratitude and warm hugs. The messages and emails keep me going and my imagination firing. I’m excited to get to work each day because of our give and take and look forward to our social media interactions. I hope you enjoy this book and the next!

  For anyone who thought it was too late to shine.

  Chapter One

  “No one died today,” Lauren Prescott said out loud to herself. It was a glorious statement, and she proclaimed it proudly. She hadn’t killed anyone, and no one had keeled over on their own. She punched the air a few times in a Rocky-like victory dance. That accomplishment was a pretty big deal for a Saturday night sold-out show with a cast who had a penchant for drama, hijinks, and tantrums. As she began her final stage managerial duties for the night, she longed to include that sentence on the performance report she would momentarily email to her entire production team, as well as the designers, director, and front office staff for The McAllister Theater. She decided, instead, to add that knowledge to the celebratory wine column. In other words, all the reasons she’d earned a great big gulping of a glass once she returned home to peace, quiet, and serenity. God, she longed for that wine. She might even chair dance like a boss once it was in her hand. After all, celebratory wine time was her most favorite of all the times, which was why she reserved it as her daily after-show reward. Lauren dreamed about it now, lustily. She could be in the living room she very much missed in under an hour if she played her cards right and was expeditious with her daily paperwork.

  Thank God the tumultuous night was finally winding down, and only two people had cried. Well, two and a half, if you count misting up and fanning your face like it was on fire. Most of the actors were already out of costume and makeup and out the door following the performance, likely signing Playbills for the patrons who’d lingered for photos and a chat with their favorites. Lauren’s two assistant stage managers were busy tending to their nightly housekeeping responsibilities. Janie, who decked the show at the stage level, was busy organizing the props and giving Milky White, the cow puppet they used in the musical, Sondheim’s Into the Woods, a good brushing to get the makeup stains off her shoulder. At the same time, Trip Hooper, her right-hand man and the closest friend she had, swept the stage in that very methodical way Trip was known for. When he spotted Lauren watching him, he offered a playful salute along with a jovial dance.

  “You’re totally Bert right now,” she told him and began to hum a few bars of “Chim Chim Cher-ee.”

  He spun in a circle with his broom.

  “You need soot though, or you’re just the poor man’s version, and who wants that?”

  He kicked his heels together in full chimney sweep mode and grinned. “I’ll work on that for ya, Mary,” he said in his best Cockney.

  “Brilliant.” Lauren adored her staff. She was lucky, because this was not the kind of job you waded through alone. That’s actually how she and Trip had become so close. In stage management, you needed soldiers to help you crawl through the battlefield of high maintenance performers and irate designers. Later, you had a cocktail together and toasted days like today when nobody died and said all the things you could never say in the actual rehearsal room, even though you desperately wanted to. She and Trip had been through many such battles and were closer than ever because of it. They always had each other’s backs and always would.

  “Night, Lauren,” Jesi, their wig mistress, said as she headed home. “Almost to the end of this one, and I don’t know about you, but I’m ready. This group is a handful.”

  “They’re definitely on their own journey. I pray for them,” she said with a wink. “One more to go, and we’re out. Oh, hey,” Lauren said, pausing Jesi’s exit. “Did Cinderella’s act two wig sit far back tonight, or was that just me?”

  “It did.” Jesi shook her head ruefully. “All because Alicia keeps tugging on it when she’s gabbing with the princes in the wings. It’s how she flirts. I’ve talked to her, but I can’t hold her hand all night. She’s a man-crazy lady.”

  Lauren nodded, knowing how much Alicia hated being wigged. She was a kind person, but the brand of actress who didn’t understand why everything wasn’t simpler for her specifically. When she’d asked Lauren to run lines with her, part of her gig as stage manager, Alicia actually asked if she could rewrite a few of them. Sondheim and Lapine would be so pleased. Alicia had also argued to use her own hair for the show but lost that fight to the design team when it was pointed out quietly in a production meeting that she didn’t have a ton of hair to work with, as it had thinned out considerably once she’d entered her thirties. The costume designer had made the right call, in Lauren’s opinion, and Alicia was much more glamorous in the wig. Now, if they could keep the princes, who happened to be gay anyway, away from her for one more day.

  They were so close, Lauren could taste it. Into the Woods was in its final weekend of performances at The McAllister Theater in Minneapolis, where Lauren was one of two resident production stage managers. Her job was varied and intense, but she wouldn’t trade it for any other. It fell to her to oversee the assistant stage managers and keep everything about the production moving forward in a timely, healthy, and organized manner, and that came with a long list of responsibilities. Lauren called each cue of the show personally on the headset from the stage manager’s booth. She worked with actors on any problems, both personal or performance based, arranged for their understudies to step in when they were sick, and made sure the production team was informed about nearly every detail of each performance. She filled out electronic paperwork on every performance. She coordinated with the house manager. She made sure the director’s vision remained intact once the show opened. She booked doctor’s appointments, arranged for rides, and acted as therapist and counselor. In short, there was nothing Lauren Prescott didn’t do in the scope of her job to make each and every performance better, and she did it calmly with a smile.

  And while she loved her gig as stage manager, she loved The McAllister even more. With a season of six productions annually, every one had to be top-notch. Lauren generally stage managed three or four of them, making the pace of her life incredibly busy. Sure, she’d love to date, socialize, or maybe make it to the gym on occasion. Hell, she’d settle for time to drink her coffee before it got cold. Yet she didn’t have time.

  “And send,” she said, striking the key on her silv
er Mac with the rose-gold casing that would blast the performance report to everyone who worked behind the scenes in any position of status. They’d run three minutes longer than the night before, which meant that The Baker was milking his dramatic moments again. She’d pass on the note, knowing the director’s wish for him to keep the pace of those emotional moments in act 2 aloft.

  Most of the forty-eight performances of Into the Woods had been sold out, and the reviews had been relatively positive. Yet the production had devolved into a backstage circus because of the dramatic nature of a few choice actors. Nothing new, but not Lauren’s favorite type of ensemble. Her goal was to get them to the end of the run the following evening without The Baker’s Wife killing The Baker, without Little Red Riding Hood wandering away to Instagram her face eighty times a show to the world while missing her act 1 entrance, and without The Narrator, a functioning alcoholic, performing so soused that audience members noticed. She could do it! She saw the homestretch in front of her with a glass of wine blinking like a 7-Eleven sign on a lonely highway at midnight.