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“Don’t worry. I’ve finally learned my lesson. Even though it hurt like hell to see the kids so upset,” I answer, my voice cracking.
“Oh, sweetie, I know. Just promise me you’ll stay strong though, okay? In the end, it’s going to be so much better for the kids.”
“I know,” I whisper before letting out a shaky breath. “It’s just so hard. I feel like I’m tearing their whole world apart.”
“Hey, you’re not the one who made the mess. You’re the one cleaning it up,” Prisha tells me. “Now, do you want to know why he’s really there?”
My heart pounds in my chest. “There’s another motive?” I should have known.
“The whole town is abuzz with the gossip that Galaxy is rethinking bringing Brett back as Helioman. He’s fulfilled his three-picture deal, and with all his bad press lately, there’s talk about having Jeremy Dillard take over.”
“Oh, my God, that asshole! I should have known he wasn’t coming back for us.” Fury replaces the pain I was feeling just seconds ago. “He’s just trying to negate his bad press, so he doesn’t lose out on a role.”
“You know Brett. Always looking out for number one.” Prisha hates Brett with a burning hot passion. Every time he cheated, and I took him back, she threatened to unleash the velvet mafia on him. She claims no one knows how to dish out revenge quite like the gay community.
“I can’t even right now,” I tell her. “I’m so angry, I could choke him.”
“Anger is good. It means you’re not in danger of letting him worm his way back into your life.”
“Don’t worry about me. Brett has made me look like a fool for the last time.”
“Good, but just in case, Ethan and I are flying out in the morning. We should be there by five tomorrow night.”
“You’re coming here?” I’m more excited than I should be. It hasn’t been that long since I saw them both.
“We need to sit down and work out your strategy. Ethan thinks you need to file for divorce stat, before Brett can try to fix his image. And then we need to hammer out the details of how to present you in the press.”
“Are you staying in the same lodge I am?”
“Everything is booked, so we thought we’d bunk in with you.”
“Wow, um, okay. While I’d love that, it’s pretty tight quarters here. But we can certainly make do until the kids come back.” For the first time all day, I feel happy. “I can’t wait to see you, Prish. I’m so lucky to have you in my life.”
“We’re lucky to have each other,” she says. “Now go relax because we’re about to kick into high gear and your life isn’t going to feel like your own for a while.”
“Love you. See you tomorrow.” I sign off, wondering what to do with the night ahead of me. I want to see Digger, but I know that would be sending the wrong message. I can’t let anything happen between us now. Not only would it not be fair to him, but the last thing I need is for the press to cast aspersions on the nature of our relationship.
I suddenly know what I want to do. Grabbing a can of bear spray out of the cabinet, I leave the cabin and walk back up to the lodge. Grandpa Jack is sitting on the porch swing with an elderly woman who is sporting the kind of bright red hair not normally seen outside of the circus set.
“Hello,” I call out.
“Hello, yourself,” he answers. “What can I do you for?”
“I was wondering if I could borrow the pickup truck?”
He nods his head. “Keys are under the mat.”
“Thank you!” I wave before turning around. I’m going to go into town to see Moira. She said we should get together for a girls’ night, and I can’t think of a better way to spend my evening. While I’m not going to find out anything more about Digger, I can’t help but feel a wave of hope that she might talk about him a little.
I’d love to know if there’s a reason, other than his mother’s betrayal, that he’s so dead set against settling down.
Chapter24
Digger
“There you are,” Jack says, walking down the dock where I’m hosing off the Cessna. “I’ve been looking all over for you.”
“You found me,” I tell him, shutting off the nozzle. It’s a beautiful, calm summer evening, which is exactly the opposite of how I feel. I’m as agitated as a wolf with one foot caught in a trap. I can’t seem to think about anything but Harper. Seeing her walk back to her cabin with Brett really did a number on me. I’ve spent the last few hours staying as busy as possible to keep from knocking on her door to check on her.
