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On? It was already building.
“Brynn, I’m not trying to be mean.”
“And yet you manage beautifully.” She continued down the road. Up ahead there was a park. It was pretty and green. She’d eaten lunch out here a few days before, watching the squirrels and enjoying the sunny day. She’d pretended she lived here, tried to put herself in this place and in the mindset of her character.
Except she hadn’t thought about the script. She’d thought about what it would be like to do what she wanted. To paint and read and build something without all the expectations that came with being Bria Knight.
She’d thought about how cool it was that almost everyone here called her Brynn.
She’d daydreamed about what it would mean to be Major Blanchard’s girlfriend.
“I know you’re going through some fatigue right now. You’ve been working constantly for months, and you’ve got the press junket for the comedy coming up.” Her mom kept a steady pace beside her. “It’s a lot, and it’s normal to feel emotional. Many people your age seem to have a quarter-life crisis, but you can’t afford it, honey.”
Brynn stopped. “I’m not emotional. I’m tired. I’ve been working this way for most of my life. Don’t try to tell me I’m in some childhood-to-work transition. I went through that at five.”
“Are you saying you’re going through some sort of childhood regression? Should we call a therapist? Gavin has one on speed dial. You know he’s very sensitive.”
He was definitely more sensitive than her mother. Gavin would have realized she needed some alone time. Gavin had likely been the one to come up with the plan to waylay the reporter so she could get away. Her mom would have told her to smile and give the man what he wanted.
She knew deep down that wasn’t fair. Her mom didn’t throw her to the wolves or anything, but it didn’t matter in that moment.
She wasn’t even sure where she was going. She could go to the station house and try to avoid Major. She could wait for a ride to take her back to the B and B, where she would have to listen to her mother make phone call after phone call checking on her other clients and negotiating deals most people would die for while Ally practiced for her auditions and made bratty remarks.
She could sit here for a while.
“I’m sorry, sweetie.” Her mom didn’t seem to be reading the room. Or the park. She simply followed her as she started for an empty bench near the gazebo. “I know you’re tired and I’ve been pushing you. I promise, when you get through the next couple of projects, I’ll make sure we all go to Hawaii or something.”
Brynn turned on her mom, and there must have been something about the look on her face, because her mother actually took a step back.
“Or you can go wherever you like all by yourself as long as it’s safe.” Her mom gave her what Brynn had come to think of as her manager smile. It was upbeat and sympathetic and promised the world as long as every single thing went exactly right. “You can paint and play the artist for a week. Or two.”
Brynn ignored her and made her way to the bench. She needed to think about what she wanted to do. “Go away, Mom. I want to be alone.”
The smile left her mom’s face. “You’re never alone, sweetie. I’ll sit on that bench over there, but I can’t leave you out here without a ride. Gavin won’t be able to keep Mickey occupied forever, and I don’t want him to catch you alone. I don’t trust him. I’ll be quiet. I’ll do email. You know I’m here so you can do your thinking thing.”
“Hey, should you be walking around? Are you okay?” a familiar voice asked.
She turned and Major was standing there dressed in his khaki uniform and looking good enough to eat. He wasn’t alone. There was a man with a big net by his side. He had on a set of utility overalls that did nothing to lessen the fact that he was also a gorgeous man. Still, he had nothing on Major. “I’m fine. I was coming out here to sit for a while. I thought I could catch that sky.”
“I’m afraid it’s changed. Storm’s coming in.” Major gestured to where the gray clouds had started to overtake the sky she’d seen earlier.
Wasn’t that the way her life worked? She saw something she wanted to hold on to and it slipped through her fingers because she was chasing someone else’s dream.
Had she just thought that?
“Hey, it’s okay.” Major held out a hand as thunder rumbled. “Come here.” He led her up the steps to the cover of the gazebo. “It’s only light rain. I checked the weather while I was helping Zep track down our trash panda army.”
