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“He showed up at the animal shelter where we just adopted a puppy. If our bodyguard hadn’t been with us, I don’t know what David would’ve done. He was high.” She blinked against the sting in her eyes. “Go ahead and start the restraining order. I’ll make an appointment to come sign it as soon as I get home.”
Theresa ended the call and climbed into her car. Just thinking about how David would react to being arrested sent her heart pounding again. She sagged into her seat and closed her eyes.
“Do you want me to drive?” John asked.
“No. I’m … I just need a minute.”
Three years ago, she never could’ve imagined the quiet life she’d led in Oregon would lead to this sorry state of affairs. David had always been a drinker, beer and whiskey mostly, but the drugs, the womanizing, and the rage? She hadn’t seen that coming.
The minute the money from her singing career had started flowing into their bank account, David had gone completely off the rails. Putting a finger on when her husband had started to hate her wasn’t as easy, but it had begun well before they separated. What had she done to deserve all that hostility and resentment?
Her eyes still stung as she started her car. Taking one deep breath after another, Theresa focused on other things, like the sound of Sully whining to get out of his crate. Like getting her boys home safely, and what she’d make for dinner. Pizza. She’d order pizza delivery tonight, and she’d take the rest of the afternoon to spend with her children. They’d get to know the newest member of their family—the not so scary little bundle of fur with huge paws.
“I read somewhere that a dog is the best alarm system available,” she murmured to no one in particular.
John glanced sideways at her, and then he twisted around and looked back toward the cargo area where Sully continued to complain. “I don’t think Sully is quite ready to replace me, Theresa.”
“I wasn’t thinking of replacing you.” She frowned. “Sully can be your assistant.”
“Hmph.” He crossed his arms over his muscled chest. “I gather from your phone call you started the ball rolling?”
“Yes.” She glanced at him, and he gave her single nod of approval.
“What kind of ball is rolling, Mommy?” Jeremy asked.
“John didn’t mean a real ball,” Charlie answered. “He means something has started.”
“Oh.” Jeremy went quiet for a moment. “What has started?”
“Life with a puppy, that’s what. We’re going to hire a trainer to come work with us.”
John glanced at her again. This time his look was sheepish. “Not used to little pitchers with big ears,” he said, barely whispering. “Good save.”
Her heart ached for her sons. She’d told them she and their dad were going through a divorce. She’d also explained their dad’s absence as best she could, saying only that he wasn’t very healthy right now, and he couldn’t be with them much. Putting their father behind bars was not something she’d ever imagined she’d be forced to do, nor was it something she wanted to share with her boys.
Her phone rang again once she drove into her garage. I need a break! She checked the screen. Her publicist, Gina Daniels. “Hey, can I call you back? I need to unload my car and get my kids and our puppy inside.”
“Yes. Call me back ASAP,” she replied and hung up.
With John’s help, Theresa moved all the doggy stuff inside. She filled Sully’s water dish while John set up the crate on the kitchen side of the arched entry to the family room. Then, Elli joined her boys as they waited for John to complete his perimeter check before they and the puppy could go outside.
“I have to make a phone call. I’ll be out in a minute,” she told Elli as the au pair followed Charlie and Jeremy through the patio door.
Theresa hit the call button for her publicist’s number.
“Theresa, thanks for getting back to me so quickly. Guess what’s going viral on all the social media sites?”
“I don’t know.” Theresa stifled a groan. “I deleted the alert function on my phone and my laptop.” Because I really, really don’t want to know what people who do not know me have to say about my life.
“So, you adopted a puppy from a shelter. A photo of you and your sons leaving the shelter with the puppy is showing up everywhere. This is great publicity, Theresa. A celebrity going to a rescue shelter for a dog rather than spending thousands through a breeder definitely has the aww factor. I want to have a story done about why you chose to adopt a dog from a shelter, along with a photo shoot of you, your boys, and the puppy.”
Her jaw tightened, and she wanted to scream, tear her hair, or both. “Gina, you know how I feel about keeping my children out of the public eye. I have no idea who took those pictures. I’m not happy to learn those images of my boys are going viral on all the social media outlets. That puts them at risk.”
Could she do something to force whoever put them up to take them down? No. Once the original was shared, there was no way to control the spread. She suspected not-so-star-struck-Mark from the shelter might’ve been the culprit, or some slimy reporter hiding nearby. Hmm. Why no pictures of David with their sons? He was there. “I don’t want to perpetuate this.”
“Okay, okay. A story at least, and a picture of you with the puppy in front of the shelter. We could probably get People or Woman’s Day to pick it up. That would definitely give the rescue shelter a huge boost in donations. It might even help other shelters.”
“Fine. See what you can arrange, and let me know.” Damn. She couldn’t even get a family pet without it becoming a huge thing. Fame had definitely taken a toll on her life. Was it worth the price?
