Page 67 of Work It Out
Bitter jealousy clawed at his gut. Before tonight, every time he’d mentioned her former career, she blew him off, and he’d avoided doing an internet search because he didn’t want to know anything she didn’t choose to tell him. He was glad she’d been more open with Vicky, but it made him wonder why she’d held back with him.
“I’m worried about her, Jake. Almost as worried as I am about you. If you don’t want it to be over before it begins, you need to figure out what happened. She understands me too well.”
I know the kind of hell she’s been through.
Her hatred for lawsuits.
The way she understood what vultures the media could be.
“I think it’s time for me to go,” Vicky said softly, breaking him out of his thoughts.
“You can’t go now. The lottery’s just starting. Trust me, you don’t want to miss that show. There’s inevitably at least one fight. The last time I was here for this, Granny’s friend, Georgia, nearly came to blows with Ethel Woods. Ethel had been paired with Georgia’s husband. Apparently, she’s had the hots for John for fifty years. I don’t know what she thought they’d get up to in the mountains with a couple hundred other people around, but she wasn’t having it.”
Vicky didn’t laugh. “I mean, it’s time for me to go back to L.A.”
“Why? Filming doesn’t start back up until January.”
“Don’t play dumb. You aren’t that good an actor,” she sassed, sounding like a bratty little sister again. “You don’t need me hanging around, getting in the way.”
“You could never be in the way. You’re family.”
Her smile was part aching sadness, part self-deprecation. “I don’t want you hiding your happiness from me, but I don’t want a front row seat, either. Why do you think I’ve been staying at the gym half the night since I got here?”
“That obvious, huh?”
“You’re kidding, right?”
“Fair enough,” he conceded. “But why does that mean you have to leave town? I’d be happy to put you up in a hotel. Sedona’s gorgeous, and it’s a short drive.”
“I make more than you, dork. I can pay for my own hotel.”
He pulled her in for another hug, and she rested in his arms for a moment. Time had gotten away from him somehow. One minute she’d been his pipsqueak co-star. He’d blinked, and suddenly she was all grown up and trying to run his love life. “Stay.” He squeezed her tight. “If you think you can be happy here, stay through Christmas. Nobody does Christmas like Bigbone.”
She laughed. “I bet.” Backing up, she stared at his face. “I probably should hang around for a while, at least until after the Hunt. I wouldn’t want to let my partner down. Plus, somebody needs to make sure you don’t screw things up with Rayah.”
“Gee, thanks for the vote of confidence.” He threw an arm around her shoulders and started back toward the church. “Come on, squirt. If we hurry, we might catch a catfight. It’s always the ladies who wind up throwing hands. They take that love legend very seriously.”
She groaned. “No. No more talk of love.” She glared at him. “And don’t call me squirt.”
For the first time in weeks, his world felt right again, bright and hopeful. He had a burger to get him through the lottery, and if he was really, really lucky, he might have a cupcake for dessert.
They’d nearly reached the door when it flew open and Samuel stormed out. Jake wasn’t sure what to make of the look on his face. His long legs ate up the distance as he all but sprinted to his car.
“You all right, man?” Jake called out.
Samuel jumped. Green eyes snapped in his direction, then narrowed as they went to where his arm rested over Vicky’s shoulder. He blinked and continued toward his car without a word.
“Sammy.” Vicky pulled away from Jake to plant herself in Samuel’s path. “What’s wrong? What happened?”
Sammy?Jake bounced a look from Vicky to Samuel and back again.
“It’s seven o’clock,” Samuel replied. Jake waited for him to explain, but Samuel continued to stare over Vicky’s shoulder as if his meaning had been perfectly obvious.
“Good.” Vicky walked around to the passenger side of Samuel’s perfectly sensible Subaru Forester. “You can give me a ride back to the cabin. I need to pack my stuff up and get my car. Rayah drove us here.”
Samuel’s eyebrows scrunched down. “You’re leaving?”
She opened the door. “Get in, Sammy. I’m cold. I’ll explain on the way. Jake can tell us who our partners are.” With that pronouncement, she climbed in and shut the door.
