11
I went up to my room— alone— and called my girlfriend! She
12
should know I’d never do this. And if I did it sure as hell wouldn’t 13
be on camera. What about my feelings?”
14
“Should she know? You know you have a reputation. You
15
can see these pictures. You’re with an ex in a situation that even
16
to me looks hinky. What about you, Damien? This woman loves
17
you or she wouldn’t have run the way she did. Seems to me this
18
isn’t going to be the only time she sees this stuff. Though this
19
reporter guy is totally trying to fuck you over.” Ezra shrugged.
20
He called Adrian’s place but it was Gillian who answered.
21
“You!”
22
“I take it you’ve spoken to Mary.”
23
“And I’ve seen the pictures of you with a panty model whose
24
hand is on your bum! What have you done? She loves you. She
25
trusted you.”
26
“Trusted? She ran away the minute trouble came up.”
27
“Did you see those pictures? Ask yourself how you’d feel if
S28
the situation were reversed? I can tell you from my perspective,
N29
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Lauren Dane
01
I’m married to a man I know adores me and I see things some-
02
times that make me sick to my stomach. And you, old son, have
03
some nerve to get cheeky with me. I’m on your side. You have
04
no idea what it feels like to be on the other side of the country
05
knowing
what sort of buffet of temptation presents itself to your 06
partner every moment they’re away from you. To have to trust,
07
despite appearances, despite the gossip news, despite perhaps
08
even a many- year- long history of that exact behavior being
09
accused of, with photographic evidence. If you were her, if she
10
had been a hard- drinking, hard- living woman who had men in
11
every city, and you had seen these photographs, how would you
12
feel?”
13
He blew out a breath. A shaky breath, because she was so
14
right and he was sick, all over again, imagining how upset Mary
15
must have been right then.
16
“I didn’t do anything wrong. I wouldn’t. I love her. I want
17
to tell her that but she blocked my number and now she’s not
18
answering her phone when I call from anyone else’s phone.”
19
“If it makes a difference, she loves you. I shouldn’t be telling
20
you any of this. But she’s my friend and she has relentlessly sup-
21
ported me over the years I’ve known her and I want her to be
22
happy. But If I were you, I’d come up. I know you’re making a
23
record right now—”
24
“That doesn’t matter. That can wait. She’s my priority. I’m
25
coming up right now. And Gillian, thank you.”
26
“Don’t bollock this up and make me regret helping you.”
27
“I promise.”
28S
He hung up and looked to his brothers. “I think I need Mom’s
29N
help.”
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• • •
02
Mary looked at her phone and put it back on the nightstand.
03
He sounded clueless. Maybe he had no idea she’d even seen those
04
pictures so he thought his secret was still safe.
05
Damn him for making her miss him so much, even when she
06
knew what he’d done.
07
She tried to go back to sleep and ended up going over and
08
over it again in her head. Starting to doubt. Then getting down
09
on herself for trying to talk herself away from the truth. She
10
couldn’t allow herself to become one of those women who
11
ignored the truth to keep from admitting her man was a cheater.
12
But what if it was something innocent and she had jumped
13
to conclusions?
14
“Damn it.” She looked to her clock. An hour and a half had
15
passed since his call.
16
She rolled from bed and headed into the shower. Avoiding
17
looking at herself in the mirror, she made the water as hot as she
18
could stand and stood in it until it started to go cold before drag-19
ging herself back out.
20
But when she walked out to her kitchen, Daisy stood at her
21
counter, making coffee. “I know I’m not as good at this as you
22
and Jules are. But living with Levi has improved my coffee-
23
making skills. Jules sent along that bag there. Eat or I’m going
24
to tell on you and she’ll have to leave Tart to come over here
25
and browbeat you until you do.”
26
“You’re not nice.” Mary poked the bag open. Lemon tartlets,
27
savory and sweet scones and cinnamon bread.
S28
“I’m very nice.”
N29
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Lauren Dane
01
Mary grunted and pulled out some cinnamon bread and let
02
the scent of brewing coffee wake her up.
03
“You look like you’ve been hit by a truck.”
04
“I drank too much last night. I’ve got a crying headache. My
05
eyes are killing me. I
feel
like I’ve been hit by a truck.”
06
“I brought
Terms of Endearment
over if you want to watch it.”
07
“God, you really do love me.”
Terms of Endearment
was
08
her favorite weeper. But she’d cried enough. “I’m done crying.”
09
“You’re a liar. I heard you crying in the shower.”
10
She sighed. “Okay, so I’m trying to be done crying.”
11
The phone rang with a 206 area code showing. So it wasn’t
12
Damien. She picked it up.
13
“Mary Whaley?”
14
“I’m not interested in buying anything.”
15
“No, this isn’t a sales call. I just wanted to get your comment
16
on the story circulating about your boyfriend Damien Hurley
17
reigniting his old fl ame with Elisa Jovavich?”
18
She slammed the phone down.
19
“What?” Daisy looked shocked.
20
“It was a reporter asking for my comments about Damien
21
and his old fl ame.”
22
“Oh no, he did not! Next time that phone rings
I’m
going to 23
answer it. Assholes! They’re the ones who started this rift
24
between you and Damien and they have the nerve to call you
25
about it?”
26
“I’m losing my sense of humor.”
27
Daisy looked at her, shock on her face, and then they both
28S
started to laugh. For Mary it was more of a hysteria- edged type
29N
of sound, but the situation was so absurd and she’d already cried
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herself into dehydration, so there was nothing left but a killing
01
spree or crazy laughter. So she opted for the one that wouldn’t
02
result in prison time.
03
“All right. So here’s a cup of coffee”—Daisy slid the mug her
04
way—“and we can talk about next steps. What is it you want
05
to do?”
06
“I want to have this coffee while I fantasize about shoving
07
the panty model off a building.”
08
Daisy grinned. “Okay, let’s do that.”
09
And that’s when her mother showed up on her doorstep.
10
“I just got a phone call from some asshole reporter asking
11
me about Damien cheating on you with a model. Mind telling
12
me what is going on and where he is so I can kick his ass?”
13
Her mother barged in, slamming the door behind herself.
14
“Hey, Mom.” Daisy kissed Jeanne’s cheek.
15
“Morning, sweetie.” She turned back to Mary and narrowed
16
her gaze. “You’ve been crying. So it’s true?”
17
Mary got herself some more coffee and a mug for her mother
18
too. “I don’t know. I mean, I thought so yesterday. I saw the
19
pictures. They’re pretty damning. I can’t . . . I don’t know.”
20
Her mother’s anger softened and she frowned, tucking an
21
errant curl behind Mary’s ear. “I hate to see you cry. You barely
22
even cried when you were an infant.”
23
“I can’t seem to stop. Even when I imagine driving a truck
24
over that bitch.”
25
Her mother hugged her. “You’re my daughter, that’s for sure.
26
Do you need me to fl y to New York to do it for you?”
27
Mary laughed and it was a little easier that time.
S28
She sat Mary down at the table. “I’m going to make you some
N29
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Lauren Dane
01
breakfast and you’re going to eat it and drink that coffee and
02
tell me the whole story.”
03
After she heard the story, she sat back down with a sigh and
04
looked at the pictures.
05
“This boy sat at my dinner table and told me he loved you.
06
I believed him. I don’t like being lied to.”
07
“Me either.” Mary traced a pattern on the tabletop.
08
“You’re sure he’s lying? I mean, I’m looking here and it’s
09
pretty damning. But I hate being wrong about people. I have a
10
very good sense for liars. I didn’t get that from him.”
11
She started to cry. “Damn it. I am so sick of crying! I hate him
12
for turning me into this.” She pounded the table with her fi st.
13
“I don’t know. I’m afraid to believe. Afraid he’s lying. Afraid
14
he’s telling the truth. Afraid if I believe him, I’m fooling myself.”
15
“If something is worth having, my sweet Mary Elizabeth, it
16
often comes with some struggle. You’re a brave girl. A smart
17
woman who loves with all her heart. Only you can decide if he’s
18
worth your heart. I’m here to listen. I’ll protect you the best I
19
can. I’ll cut anyone who hurts you. But I can’t protect your heart.
20
I can’t and it hurts me more than you’ll know until the time you
21
sit across a table from your little girl and she’s being torn to
22
shreds and you can’t save her from it.”
23
Her mother took her hands. “I love you so much. I wish I
24
could make this better.”
25
“You are. You did.”
26
“He’s here.” Daisy came into the room.
27
Mary stood and her mother did too. “Damien? Now?”
28S
“He and an older woman just parked.”
29N
“Shit, his mother? I’m not . . . I don’t . . .”
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Her mother pushed her down into her chair. “I’ll handle
01
this.”
02
There was a knock on the door.
03
“No. I’ll deal with it.”
04
“I’ll get it.” Daisy marched out.
05
Mary sighed and followed.
06
She pushed around Daisy and went to the door, opening it
07
up. “Why are you here?”
08
He was so beautiful there she knew the tears would come.
09
Blinked them back hard.
10
“Can I talk to you? Please.”
11
“No. Please, just go. This is hard enough.” Tears came and
12
she hated them. Hated that weakness.
13
Sharon touched her arm. “I know what you think. Can we
14
come in? Please, honey?”
15
“You need to take your boy out of here. He’s done enough
16
damage.”
17
“You must be Mary’s mom. I’m Sharon. I’m sure you want
18
the kids to work this out.”
19
Jeanne did a head whip and Mary knew they were in for
20
trouble. She stepped between the two women.
21
But her mother was made of far sterner stuff and her baby