Page 77 of Worth the Try
I lean back and study him, pushing his silky hair back from his face, his eyes glimmering with mirth behind his glasses. “Let me help.”
His eyes seem to shutter. “I can’t ask that of you.”
“I’m already helping, Ansel,” I remind him, forcing him to look at me. “In caseyouhaven’t noticed.”
He doesn’t respond at first. Then he says, “My lawyer is working on things. To keep her away from us. From Rosalie,” he corrects quickly, seeming to realize what he said. “And…itwasbecause of her that you and Rosie were followed. I’m not sure how many times it’s happened, either.”
Fear streaks through me. “And now?”
“Now, I’ve put a restraining order on her. Or tried to, at least. But I don’t know if it’ll make a difference. Something tells me…” He sighs. “I have a bad feeling about everything. That’s all.”
I bite my lip, letting it all sink in.
His eyes dart between mine. “There’s one more thing.”
I wait.
“Lauren showed up here last night.”
“Shewhat?” I growl the words, a protective anger rising so quickly in me it’s dizzying.
He nods grimly. “That’s why I left—I was so angry, and I didn’t want you or Rosie to see me like that. I’m sorry I left. But I just—I was furious. I didn’t trust myself to go inside.”
I grip his hand and squeeze. “Thank you for telling me.”
“She threatened to go to the media about us.”
I start. “Why? But why would anyone care about us?”
He grins wryly. “I keep telling you we’re famous, Elodie.”
“I know.”
He smiles. “I…don’t think you really do. You’ve not had to see anything since it’s the off-season, but…” He trails off and shrugs.
“No one bothered us on that one date, so you’re not Travis-Kelce-level famous.”
“No,” he admits with a chuckle. “I most certainly am not. It’s not so much that it’s intrusive, per se, but if Lauren says something to the media?—”
“Let her,” I declare, squaring my shoulders.
Ansel studies me. “I’m not sure you’re ready for that.”
A flare of indignation courses through me. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Easy, tiger,” he says, rubbing his hands along my thighs. “I only mean that I want you to carefully consider the ramifications of something like this happening. It’s not easy, being in the public eye.”
I think back to conversations I’ve had with Kari. The nightmare PR scenarios she’s dealt with over the course of her time with the Granite and other companies. “I’m ready.”
His eyes flare with surprise.
“Nice Girl Elodie is gone, remember?” I say with a smile. “I can handle it. I can handleLauren.”
“Of that, I have no doubt,” he says. Then he pulls me to him for a kiss. When we break apart, he says, “One more thing.”
I worry my bottom lip, knowing what’s coming.
“Tell me. Earlier. When you said?—”
