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“She’s more than her job. I do know that.”
“Then as was so eloquently stated in a show that earned every actor a lot of money, you know nothing, Deputy Major.” Diane’s smile was tight as she looked out over the yard. “She is her job. This is what you don’t understand. Maybe you’ve never been passionate about something, but when you have a calling, there’s nothing more important. We eat, breathe, and sleep our jobs.”
She was right about that. He’d never felt like pouring his whole soul into something.
Except, he was starting to feel that way about Brynn. An ache opened in his chest. Was this how his father felt about his mother? She’d been passionate about her work, but his father had viewed his job as nothing more than a way to take care of his family. His father’s real passion had always been his marriage and family.
How much did his dad miss his mother? Was that why he was so insistent about continuing the new medication? He didn’t want to lose his memories of his wife?
“Are you all right?” Diane’s tone had gone softer than before. “I’m sorry. I’ve had a morning. I fell asleep last night waiting for Brynn to come and get her dog, and when I woke up and realized she hadn’t, I was worried. But I shouldn’t take it out on you. I’m pushing you when I should be kinder. Did something happen with your father last night?”
That came from out of left field. She’d been needling him one moment, and now she was looking at him like he was something fragile. “Why would you ask that?”
“Because you did a full one-eighty. From what I understood, you and Brynn had decided not to pursue a relationship, and for a solid week you’ve stayed away from each other. So something happened. You seem to be a stand-up guy. I doubt you simply changed your mind or needed a little sex.”
“It wasn’t like that.”
“Yes, that was what I was saying,” Diane agreed. “A man like you only changes course if something shakes you up. Right now, your whole world revolves around your father’s health, so it’s a good bet. Is he all right? I know that’s a foolish question, and I mean it only in the sense of his current health. He’s not all right. Nothing feels all right.”
If she hadn’t been so eloquent in her description of how his world felt, he might have shaken her off. Instead he found himself answering her. “His medication is working.”
Diane was silent, as though she knew there was more coming.
“It’s also damaging his liver and kidneys.”
She sighed, a weary sound. “Yes, I’ve been there. Though my mother’s medications only kept her calm. Her descent was gradual, and she never got back a step she lost.”
“The medication is new, and it’s helped him enormously.”
“But it’s not a cure,” she said quietly. She put a hand on his arm. “I’m very sorry to hear that. I hope spending time with Brynn is helping you, but you have to understand that she’s in a delicate place in her career. I know I’m coming on strong. I do know you have no interest in becoming an actor. It’s a habit because if I show even a moment’s weakness in this business, there’s trouble. I have to be a ball buster because that’s often all the men in this industry understand. You feel like a threat.”
He wasn’t sure why she would look at him that way. “How?”
Diane seemed to think about the question for a moment. “Brynn is always focused. Always. She has been since she was a child. The only person I know who is more responsible about her work is Allyson, and for some reason she hasn’t connected the way Brynn has. But that’s not your problem. I think you are a real threat to Brynn’s concentration. This movie is important. It’s her first real lead dramatic role, and I don’t want her focus split.”
“I’m not trying to be a threat. I’m not asking her to stay here with me and give up her career,” Major pointed out. “I’m spending time with her while we have it. I know she’s going to be working long hours, but she’s got to sleep. She’s got to eat. She’s got to shower and change clothes. I’ll take what I can get while I can get it. I promise you, I want what’s best for her.”
She stepped back. “All right, then. I’ll back off.” She glanced around. “Well, it was somewhere around here.”
The door that connected the pool and outdoor dining area to the kitchen came open and Gavin walked out with a mug in his hand. He stopped and stared for a moment before his expression cleared and he gave them the vibrant smile Major was used to seeing on the man’s face. “Good morning, Deputy. Diane.” He frowned. “What’s wrong? Where’s your phone?” He set down his mug and rushed over to her. “Are you all right?”
