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“You’re going to have to be clear about how you want this handled.” Not that it would change what he did, but he’d learned that letting people talk out their fears and anxieties often deescalated the situation. Anger was usually about fear or anxiety.
She stopped, obviously surprised by that request. “Well, you should capture the creature and rehabilitate it. Isn’t that what you do?”
“That would be a separate department, ma’am. How about for now I try to get your phone back and we’ll worry about future crimes later.” He started up the slight hill that led back to the main house.
He heard Diane sigh behind him and then she caught up to him, matching his stride. “I don’t always know when you’re being sarcastic, Deputy. You’ve got the stoic thing going on most of the time. It’s very confusing.”
“I’ll try to be more one-dimensional for you.”
“See. There. Now, I know that was sarcasm. I was out by the pool. It’s a good place to get some steps in,” Diane said. “Well, it seemed to be. I would like very much to know what your intentions are with my daughter.”
Major stopped because this seemed like a conversation that might take up all of his attention. “Brynn and I are seeing each other.”
Diane’s deep brown hair was cut in a chic bob, accentuating the angles of her face. It was easy to see the model she’d been all those years ago. There was a classic beauty that would likely cling to her well into her old age. That beauty came with a wealth of judgment as well. “It seems like you’re seeing a lot of each other.”
He wasn’t going into the specifics with her. “I care about your daughter. We’ve decided to be together for the duration of her time here in Papillon.”
“That won’t be long. And then what happens?”
“Then she’s going to be somewhere else and I’ll be here.” He didn’t want to think about that. He’d told himself he wouldn’t think about the inevitable end of their relationship until he had to.
Was it inevitable? Did it have to be? There were phones and planes. There were ways to make long distance work. He couldn’t leave Papillon for any real amount of time while his father was alive. Even if he could, what would he do? He couldn’t follow her around from set to set. He wasn’t sure where he would fit into her world, and he definitely didn’t see her staying in his.
“So you’re having an affair? Or as you youngsters would say, you’re just hooking up.” Diane’s brow had risen, challenging him.
“I think there’s more to it. Like I said. I care about Brynn.”
“And she clearly cares about you,” Diane allowed. “I’ve known that since she met you. It was obvious because she’s started ignoring my calls.”
“I think that was more about needing some time to herself,” Major said. From what he could tell, Brynn didn’t get much time alone at all.
“Well, she never needed it before.”
“Or she couldn’t ask you for it,” Major countered.
“She can always ask me for anything. I’m not merely her mother. I’m her manager. I work for her,” Diane said. “And I know her very well, which is precisely why I worry. She hasn’t dated much. She can be a bit naive when it comes to men. I have to watch out for her. If you want to use her to make a career for yourself, you should think again. I can make any jobs you get offered go away. I can make sure you never work in the industry, so anything you gained by hurting her will be taken away.”
He started walking again. He should have expected this. Brynn had practically told him this conversation would likely happen. “Then it’s a good thing I already have a job. Which I’m going to do now to the best of my ability, despite the insult.”
“I wasn’t trying to insult you.” Diane was like a dog with a bone. “I was trying to protect my daughter. I will continue to try to protect my daughter. Brynn has a history with troublesome dating relationships. When she was sixteen she fell for a young guest star on the show she and Gavin were on. He was her first real boyfriend. I think she loved him. So it was devastating when she found out he was using her to try to get ahead in the business and had another girlfriend.”
“I’m sorry to hear that.” Brynn hadn’t told him that story. He could only imagine how hard that had been on her. “I’m truly not interested in breaking into show business. I don’t act and I don’t want that kind of attention. I’m only interested in Brynn and what’s best for her.”
“And that is my point. You can’t possibly know what’s best for her because you don’t know the business.”
