“My mother had to have a full hysterectomy, and my father had to get an operation on his hemorrhoids,” he replied matter-of-factly.
She covered her mouth. “I’m sure your father wouldn’t want you telling people about that!”
“Let it be a lesson to you. Eat more fruits and vegetables or suffer the consequences. Anyway, Sloane’s design business is so new I didn’t want her to leave it.”
“So you stepped up. That was very good of you.”
“I have my moments.”
She dropped her tank top on the floor before yanking the pool dress over her head. “I’m decent.”
He turned around. “Nice. Now you just need to wash your face and comb your hair.”
Fresh tears filled her eyes—out of nowhere—but these tears weren’t for Cliff. “I’ve missed you,” she admitted, somehow feeling as if she’d suddenly come across an important part of herself she’d lost along the way.
His smile softened. “Yeah, well, you might think of me more as a pain in the ass before this is over.”
Impulsively, she walked into his arms—and her bruised ego and broken heart felt just a little better as he hugged her. “You’re going to be okay,” he murmured in her ear. “Let’s go.”
chapter 2
“So how is this going to work again?” Charlotte asked, glancing around. She wasn’t so famous that everyone she passed would be able to identify her—especially without her husband at her side, towering over her—but there were a lot of Lakers fans in the area who would know who she was.Someonewas bound to notice her.
Julian clasped her hand more tightly, steadying her. He’d driven her over to Westwood, one of the most popular neighborhoods in Los Angeles. It was a fun place to hang out, with trendy shops and eateries, movie theaters, the Hammer Museum and UCLA—and there was usually a crowd of people milling about the streets, especially on a warm spring evening like this one.
Tonight proved no different.
“I texted my friend, told him where we’ll be. He’ll snap a few pics and email them to various online sites.”
She smoothed her dress with her free hand. “How do I look? Okay?” She’d decided she couldn’t go out without washing her hair, so she’d ended up showering, and he’d visited with her mother while she put on makeup.
“Much better,” he said. “Relax.”
She slid her sunglasses higher on her nose. There hadn’t been anything she could do, even with makeup, to hide her swollen eyes, so she had to cover them. “Where are we going?”
He scanned the crowd. Now that he’d dragged her out among the wolves, he seemed determined to make sure she didn’t get eaten, and his protectiveness helped. “To a little French bistro.”
“Is the food good there? Because I’m suddenly famished.”
“I’m not surprised. Your mother said you haven’t eaten for a week.”
“I’ve eaten,” she argued, but when he challenged that statement with a pointed look, she broke eye contact. “Just... not a lot,” she admitted.
As they reached the restaurant, a man stepped out of the shadow of the building and started taking pictures of them. Julian feigned outrage at the invasion of their privacy and yelled for him to go away—all while making sure he angled aside so the lens could catch her face well enough to make her recognizable—and the attention made others turn to look. Soon, several people were murmuring about them and lifting their phones for photos.
Charlotte forced a smile as she clung to Julian. “You’re sure this is a good idea, right?” For a second, she was afraid this would mean Cliff would never take her back. She knew she probably shouldn’t want that, not after what he’d done, but she did.
“You’ve got this,” he responded.
“Charlotte! Charlotte Jackson! Over here! Is that your new man?” someone yelled from not too far down the street.
Charlotte struggled to broaden her smile as she turned. “Just a friend I went to high school with!” she called back.
“Perfect. You’re doing great,” Julian told her and led her inside.
While they waited for the hostess, the door opened behindthem and a group of teenagers who’d seen the commotion on the street poked their heads in. “Do you think that’s her?”... “No, dude. She’s not that tall.”... “You’re just used to seeing her with Clifford Jackson, who’s, like, six-nine!”... “I heard someone call her name.” One of them tried to get a snapshot of her and might have succeeded had the manager not shooed them out.
“This isn’t going to be as bad as I thought,” she told Julian after the hostess had seated them. She probably couldn’t have braved going out on her own, but she felt safe with him.
