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“Then maybe it’s time to learn something new,” he said quietly. “Have you thought about the fact that you worked during the time in your life when you should have been exploring the world and figuring out what you want? When other kids were being kids, you were earning a living. Maybe it’s time for you to be a dumb kid for a while.”
She didn’t see how that could happen. “I’ve already agreed to a new project, and I think Mom’s got a few ideas for the one after that. She wants me to do at least four projects this year. You have to strike while the iron’s hot, you know.”
“Yes, I’ve heard that expression myself.” He sat back. “But what I’m hearing is what your mother wants. Not what you want. I’m worried that you’ve been listening to her for so long, you don’t know how to listen to yourself. I don’t think you ever learned how to.”
She didn’t like the sound of that. “I’m not a doormat, Gavin.”
“I didn’t say you were. You’ve always been able to stand up for yourself. Even when you were a kid.”
“Well, I had a couple of good role models.”
“It helps that you worked with the same people for long periods of time. You know, I was the one who convinced your mother to let you do Janie’s World.”
That was something she hadn’t heard. “Why wouldn’t she have wanted me to do a TV show?”
“Because you’d recently come off a long-running show where you weren’t the lead, and obviously you weren’t going to be the lead in Janie’s World, either. I convinced her to let you do the pilot by telling her it probably wouldn’t get picked up. I lied. It’s the only time I’ve ever lied to your mom.”
“Why would you do that?”
He sighed. “For selfish reasons. And unselfish ones. The selfish reason was I viewed you as a daughter. We spent six years playing father and daughter, and we spent a lot of our off time together as well because your mother and I were friendly. I enjoyed being part of your family since I had none of my own.”
She’d always known that was why he would show up around dinnertime with the excuse that he wanted to talk some point of business with her mom and would stay to help clean up and have a glass of wine. Gavin’s parents had cut him loose as a teen, and he hadn’t heard from them except when they asked for money. He’d never married and didn’t seem to want to. But he’d still wanted a family. He’d still wanted people he belonged with. “And the unselfish reason?”
He seemed to think about what to say for a moment. “You were fourteen and I thought you needed a stable environment where you could make the money you needed to make without the pressure of having a whole show on your shoulders. Your mom wanted to try to make you a teenage sitcom princess, but I’ve known how hard that was on some of those girls. I thought Janie’s World was a better fit. Your character was in every episode, but the pressure wasn’t on you to carry the show. I knew it would get picked up and I suspected it would have a long run. I didn’t want you constantly auditioning and making pilots and getting disappointed. I wanted you to be able to finish school and have as normal a childhood as you could.”
It struck her suddenly how much of an impact he’d had on her upbringing. “Did I ever thank you for that?”
His arm came around her shoulders and his head leaned against hers. “You don’t have to. I know your mom and I fight a lot, but you and your mom and Ally have been the closest thing I have to a family, and I’m a better man for it.”
“Yes, I think you’re the brother Mom never thought she would have.” They bickered like siblings and then leaned on each other when they needed to.
“I suppose that’s one way to describe us.” He hugged her tight. “In the spirit of me thinking of you as a daughter, I wanted to talk to you about taking some time off. I know you’re worried about what your mother will think and that it’s going to set your career back, but I promise if you decide this is what you want, I’ll make sure you get back on track with your career.”
“You can’t promise that.”
“I can,” he said with a level of surety. “I’ve got good connections, and I’ll make it work. Brynn, I’ve got some friends in the art world, and one of them teaches at the Sorbonne in Paris. I sent him an informal portfolio, and he thinks he can get you into a summer program that could lead to being admitted on a full-time basis.”
