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Alex
Once we’re on the road again, Summer talks my ears off, dishing advice about winning over her family.
“Sebastian and Logan will play their eldest brothers’ card. No doubt about that. Don’t let them scare you.”
“I won’t.”
“Oh, and pay special attention to Blake. He’s the youngest of my brothers and likes to pretend he’s laid-back. Actually, he might genuinely think he’s laid-back. He’s not.”
“At least Daniel will have my back,” I reason.
“Nope, he most definitely will not. You might have been his client, but I’m his sister.”
She fiddles with the hem of her shirt, and I reach out to clasp both her hands in one of mine. “Summer, why are you nervous?”
She shifts in her seat but doesn’t answer. I wrack my mind for the best way to coax her out of her shell, because I want to know. I don’t want her to feel like she needs to hide her fears from me.
“I’ll tickle you until you tell me.”
“You’re driving!”
“We already established I’m great at multitasking.”
She chuckles. “No, you claimed that. Out of respect for your man pride, I didn’t contradict you.”
“You just stamped all over my pride,” I inform her. “And you’re trying to distract me. Something is eating at you. Tell me.”
“I... well, my family is important to me... but we can be a bit overwhelming when we’re all together.”
“I’m not going to run away, sweet girl.”
She’s silent for a beat, then leans in to place a quick kiss on my cheek.
“What was that for?”
“Pfft, I don’t need a reason to kiss you.” Even though her tone is playful, I don’t miss the hint of emotion, and I bring one of her hands to my mouth, kissing it. We spend the rest of the drive in companionable silence, and I can’t help replaying the scene with the fans in my head.
After the episode, I half expected her to ask me to pull over so she could go about finding herself a date who doesn’t ask her to hide under a seat. But she keeps surprising me, with her quiet strength and fierce determination. Still, I know exactly how crazy my life can get, how fast it can become too much. I silence the voice at the back of my head that reminds me Hollywood craziness has a way of wearing out people’s patience, driving them away.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Alex
Within five minutes of arriving at the Bennett house, I realize Summer wasn’t exaggerating when she said her family is huge. Eight siblings sounded like a lot, but nothing I couldn’t handle—or so I thought. Once you factor in everyone’s spouses, and the kids... the numbers escalate quickly. Her parents’ home is a two-story house on a vast property, but everyone’s gathered around the white gazebo in the front yard. Even though I train my memory extensively by learning lines, I forget about a third of the names after the introduction round. The kids, who seem to range between toddlers and primary school, mob me right away.
“Can we get an autograph?”
“Can you really fly?”
“Of course he can. He’s a superhero. Can you teach me how to fly?”
“No, me first.”
They sputter questions faster than I can answer them.
“Kids, settle down,” Jenna Bennett says. “Pizza’s ready, why don’t you eat before the flying lessons?”
Seeing their little faces all scrunched up as they weigh in pizza against flying lessons is hilarious. Pizza wins.
