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Now the public learned how shed been disappointed and abandoned. They saw beyond the journalist to the woman within, and they couldnt stop talking about her. The phrase heard most often was, just like me.
Before the documentary, the public respected Tully Hart. Afterward, they adored her. She graced the cover of People and Us in the same week. The documentary—and segments from it—were played and replayed on entertainment news shows. America, it seemed, couldnt get enough of Tully Hart.
But while everyone was watching Tully and the sad encounter with her estranged mother, Kate saw something else entirely on that tape, and she watched it just as obsessively.
She couldnt help noticing the way Johnny looked at Tully at the end, when Clouds disappearance was revealed, the way hed gone to her and taken her in his arms.
And then there was the quiet talk Tully and Johnny had had out at Sunshine Farms. Theyd edited out whatever words had been exchanged and gone to an establishing shot of the commune, but Kate couldnt help wondering what theyd said to each other.
She studied their body language like a primatologist, but in the end she had only what shed had in the beginning: two old friends working together on an emotional documentary and a wife whod worried for a long time about them.
That should have been the end of it. If nothing else had happened, Kate would have boxed up her old jealousies and put them away again, just as shed done dozens of times over the years.
But something had happened.
Syndiworld, the second largest syndication company in the world, had seen the documentary and offered Tully her own one-hour show, of which she would be a majority interest owner.
The idea had rocked Tullys world, offered her a way to be herself on camera, to show the world who she really was and how she really felt. No more three A. M. start times, either. The minute she heard the idea, she said it was exactly what she needed, but even so, shed put down two conditions: first, they had to shoot in Seattle; second, John Ryan had to be her producer. Neither of these had she bothered to clear with her friends.
Kate and Johnny had been on the back porch, talking over drinks after a long day, when the first phone call had come in.
Johnny had laughed at Tullys offer, told her to find a producer who specialized in prima donnas.
Then Tully mentioned a salary in the millions.
Now, two days later, Kate sure as hell wasnt laughing. She and Johnny were in the living room, trying to keep their voices down because the kids were in bed. Tully was back in New York, no doubt sitting by the phone, waiting to see if once again shed get her way.
"I dont know why youre fighting me on this, Katie," Johnny said, pacing in front of the window. "It will change our lives. "
"Whats wrong with our life now?"
"Do you understand how much money theyre offering us? We could pay off this house and send the kids to Harvard for medical degrees. And I could do a few shows that mattered. Tully said I could spotlight places in the world that are in trouble. Do you know what that would mean to me?"
"Is that how you want your career to be from now on—starting everything with, Tully said?"
"Are you asking if I can work for her? The answer is hell, yes. Ive worked for a lot worse people than Tully Hart. "
"Maybe Im asking if you should be working for her," Kate said softly.
He stopped in his tracks and turned to look at her. "Youve got to be kidding me. Is that what this is about? One night a million years ago?"
"Shes an incredibly beautiful woman. I just think . . . " She couldnt finish, couldnt put her old fears and insecurities into words.
The look he gave her was so hot she felt herself melting, disappearing. "I dont deserve that. "
She watched him storm up the stairs, heard the bedroom door slam shut.
She sat there a long time, staring down at her wedding ring. Why was it that some memories could never be erased? Slowly, she turned off all the lights, locked all the doors, and went upstairs.
At their closed door she paused, taking a deep breath. She knew what she had to do now, what she had to say. Shed hurt his feelings and insulted him. They both knew this was the opportunity of a lifetime. Her insecurities and jealousy couldnt stand in the way of that.
She had to go to him, say she was sorry, and tell him she was foolish to be afraid, that she believed in his love like she believed in sunshine and rain. It was true, too. She did.
Because of all that, she should be proud of Johnny and happy for this chance and what it meant to him. That was what marriage was, a team sport, and this was her time to be cheerleader. But even knowing all that, she couldnt quite be happy.
Instead, she was afraid.
Yes, theyd be rich. Maybe even powerful.
