Total pages in book: 79
Estimated words: 74125 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 371(@200wpm)___ 297(@250wpm)___ 247(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 74125 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 371(@200wpm)___ 297(@250wpm)___ 247(@300wpm)
“Sounds delicious,” Rachel agrees lightheartedly. “Then Bebe and I have to get packed.”
“Packed?” Joslyn asks as she moves around the island to where Rachel is standing. She brushes by her to reach into the cup cabinet so she can fix her coffee. “Where are you two going?”
“Back to Vegas,” I answer on their behalf. “Rachel has to get back to running the office there, and I’m going to have Bebe go there until we get the Pittsburgh office up and running.”
What I don’t say out loud is I’ve arranged for Bebe’s mother and son to meet her in Vegas for a reunion next week. I know she’s been in phone contact with them, but since she’s jumped right into this case with Joslyn, it’s sort of put her family on the back burner. I want her to get reintegrated into society and family life as quickly as possible. That’s going to go a long way toward her healing.
“Well, I’ll send you off with your bellies full at least,” Joslyn quips as she turns for the refrigerator. “It’s the least I can do for everything you’ve done for me.”
Both Rachel and Bebe smile at Joslyn with a natural fondness that’s developed quite quickly between the women. I wonder when this is all over and done, will Joslyn remain friends with them?
With me?
I mean, surely there’s at least that when we eliminate the threat.
Right?
I don’t know the answer to that. Even if the answer were yes—that we could still be friends—it bothers me more than I care to admit I’m wholly unsatisfied with that.
CHAPTER 16
Joslyn
Harry walks into my bedroom with Lynn following along behind him. He’s got three large wardrobe boxes in his arms, which he gently sits on the end of my bed. “There… all three of these outfits are stunning, but my recommendation is to go with the Alexis Mabille. The blue will make your eyes pop on camera.”
Harry and Lynn have come over today to do preparation for my appearance on Cara Peterson tomorrow. I’ve been a little out of sorts since Bebe and Rachel left about an hour ago, and I’ve been hiding in my bedroom ever since. Kynan set up a temporary office in my kitchen. I feel like I’m intruding if I go in there, or even the great room into which the kitchen naturally bleeds. I didn’t realize how much of a buffer Bebe and Rachel were between Kynan and me until they were gone. But the minute we watched their Uber pull away to take them to LAX and Kynan reset the alarm to lock us securely inside, I felt completely vulnerable without them.
Not that I’m in danger with Kynan or he would hurt me, but that we might have to actually talk about the issues between us. After we left my mom’s last night and flew back from Cunningham Falls, Kynan has admittedly been a lot easier to get along with. He’s tried to make small talk with me, and he hasn’t even glared once. He seems to be over his anger about me not trusting him more twelve years ago, and I also feel the slap I gave him was really all the retaliation I needed.
Still… it makes things confusing now, especially because if I’ve learned one thing since Kynan has come back into my life it’s that I remember just how easy it is to love a man like that. I simply can’t afford to let my heart get broken again, ergo… I’m hiding in my room.
“You try those on,” Harry instructs me. “I’m going to go make some calls from your office and work on the finishing touches of the press release that’s going out after Cara’s show goes live.”
Cara tapes in front of a national audience, and our interview won’t go live until tomorrow morning. The news outlets will pick up the story I’m now “engaged,” and Harry has several more interviews for me throughout the week—both on camera and via phone. There’s a large part of me that hates this ruse I’m perpetrating on my fans, and I can only hope they will forgive me once we catch this stalker and they know the reasons why I’m doing what I’m doing.
“I’d have rather gone out shopping,” I mutter as I put my phone down on the nightstand and pull my legs up. Wrapping my arms around my shins, I tell Harry pointedly, “Thank you for doing this for me.”
“It was no big deal,” he says airily, and then breezes out of my room.
Normally, I would relish the chance to go shopping with Harry and Lynn. We’d hit a few boutique stores on Melrose before going out for lunch. It’s one of the best things about living in this area and I actually don’t do it often, so it’s a great treat.