Suddenly Maeve felt her whole body run icy cold. “My parents are going to read this.”
“So?”
Her vision went a little blurred at the idea. Her heart was in overdrive. She sat forward, hands at her temples again trying to rationalize, trying to steady her breathing.
Brodie leaned forward, too, arms crossed, elbows on the table. “They kicked you out, Maeve. You don’t owe them anything. Remember, it’s just pride stopping them admitting they were wrong.”
“Oh, I only said that to make you feel better.” Maeve waved a hand in dismissal. “I don’t actually think that. They don’t think they’re wrong, not for one millisecond.”
Brodie seemed surprised, hurt even, but then he smiled and said, “Well, I thought it made sense.”
She picked up her phone and looked at the picture again then she tipped her head back in despair. More messages flooded in. She put it on silent.
“Maeve,” Brodie said, firm but gentle. “This is going to happen. I can’t help what I am, but it won’t happen much. Not like it would have done eight years ago. I’m old news. So, I’ve got a daughter, who cares? It’s only there ’cause it’s a slow news day. You’ve got to shake it off. It’s just a photo.”
He didn’t understand. “I don’t want to be in the news with you,” she said. “I don’t want Zoey in the news! I don’t want this attention for either of us.”
Brodie narrowed his eyes. “Are you ashamed of me?” He sat back in the chair and studied her.
She spluttered. “What?”
He tipped his head, eyes still assessing. “I think you are. You’re this top doctor and you fell for me.”
“Don’t be stupid.” She brushed it off. She’d literally just been yearning after him!
But Brodie seemed to be warming to the idea. “I’m not who you want to be the father of your child. That’s the failing, isn’t it?” he raised his chin as he said it, as if he’d clocked now exactly how she worked. “At least, that’s what you don’t want your parents to know.”
She looked away, couldn’t reply. Felt her cheeks flame with the possible truth. Her parents would be appalled.
“I’m not as clever as you, we know that, but you don’t have to be ashamed, Maeve. I can work hard. I worked hard when I was in that band and afterward. I just choose not to now.”
“Yeah, and look at you, you’re bored out your mind!” she replied, before she could stop herself, knowing she was attacking him as a defense mechanism. Yes, she was ashamed of her parents finding out, but she was moreashamed of him finding out that every time she saw him she was secretly fantasizing about him leaning over and kissing her. Declaring that he’d love nothing more than to ditch his glamorous life and settle in Autumn Falls with her and Zoey.
“I’m not bored!”
“Brodie, you just hosted the Redemption River Summer Fair! You’re bored!”
He rolled his shoulders, uncomfortable with the comment. Neither of them said anything. She could hear the noise of the second hand making its way round the clock.
She was being unfair, juvenile. She was better than that.
She looked down at the table, at her rapidly cooling coffee. “Maybe I am embarrassed by it,” she admitted. “I had a one-night stand with pop star. It’s embarrassing!” She looked up at him, all beautiful and perfect. “I look like one of your screaming fans. I’m not embarrassed ofyou, Brodie—I mean whocouldbe embarrassed of you? I’m the Plain darn Jane!”
That made Brodie smirk despite himself.
She sighed, reaching forward to take a sip of the coffee just for a breather.
Then, as if feeling he owed her equal honesty, he said, “Maybe I am a bit bored. I’ve never really thought about it too much before.”
Maeve looked into his guileless blue eyes and said, “That’s what I’m afraid of, Brodie. That boredom is why we’re so interesting to you. We’re a novelty.” She glanced pointedly at her phone. “We get you in the news.”
“That’s unfair!” He sat back, arms folded, and blew out an incredulous breath. Even annoyed, he was handsome. It wassounfair. But then, in a way, it was good—reminded her who he was, how different they were.
“Maybe.” She shrugged but wasn’t so sure. “I worry about what you’re going to do when the novelty wears off.” She looked him in the eye, uncertain what she wanted him to say.
He narrowed his eyes. “Nowthat’sunfair.”
“What?”
