She looked up, her eyes unfocused. “Sorry. God, I failed on the passenger princess duties.”
“You’re fine.”
“It’s not a huge deal, but my label caught wind of the videos.”
“It wasn’t anything bad.”
“No. They just want to capitalize on everything. I’d hoped to keep under the radar for Christmas this year.”
“You’re entitled to a rest.”
“I know,” she whispered. “I didn’t realize how much I needed it until I was home.”
“Then what’s the problem?”
“I’ve avoided any Christmas specials because I’ve been on tour for the last two years. Now that everyone is talking about me again because of?—”
“The orchard?”
She glanced at me.
“The hair thing?”
“The us thing.”
I frowned. “What do you mean us thing?”
“Ambrose spotted with millionaire hometown boy.” She lifted her voice into a parody of a newscaster. “Will this romance be the one to change her luck with men?”
“First of all, I’m not a boy.”
“On that we definitely can agree.”
“Second, how the hell do they know who I am?”
“Oh, honey, they clocked you the first hour we were seen together. My fans are no fucking joke when it comes to research. Evidently you have aGood Morning Americastory too?”
I groaned. “I knew that was going to bite me in the ass.”
“So your face is already in the social media sphere. I swear TikTok could vie for the federal database when it comes to facial recognition.”
My hands fisted on the steering wheel.
“I’m sorry, Tate.”
“I’m not worried about me. But it feels like a winter romance isn’t enough to get you upset.”
“I knew what I was signing up for when I became Ambrose. I don’t want to hide in my house, dammit.”
“They expect you to?”
She was quiet for a few minutes. “They want me to do a Christmas special in Haven.”
15
amber
The silence was a bomb.
