Zoey pulled away, a shocked expression on her face. “You did that on purpose,” she said playfully.
Harry shrugged, his grin wide on his face. “Maybe.”
She smacked him on the chest. “There are children at this park, Mr. Beckford. I expect better behavior out of you.”
He only laughed. “I’ll get the kids, you get your stuff?”
“Uh-uh,” Zoey said, taking his hand. “You’re coming over and saying hello. After that public display, I’m not facing them by myself.”
She tugged Harry toward the group of moms. She reached down and gathered up her stuff before tossing out a brief introduction. “Everyone, this is Harrison Beckford. Harry, this is everyone.”
Harry shifted into performance mode—something Zoey still found fascinating—and greeted the women. He smiled for pictures, said hello to babies, and even offered a sincere opinion when one of the women asked him a remodeling question about her house. He was charming—so charming—an observation that filled Zoey with an emotion she hadn’t expected.
She was jealous.
But jealous of who? His fans? The public? This wasn’t the first time she’d seen him in Harrison Beckford mode. But the red carpet had felt different. The photographers and reporters had felt a little more removed, and he’d had his hand wrapped tightly around hers the entire night. But now, watching the moms fawn over her boyfriend, finding reasons to touch his arm or his shoulder, she realized how weird it was knowing that all the time, women all over the country were likely having entire conversations about how sexy he was, about how great it would be to meet him.
On the one hand, it was thrilling. He was hers, after all. And Charlotte had been right when she’d called Harry transparent. She didn’t doubt his feelings for her at all. But on the other hand, would they ever be able to go anywhere when his fame wasn’t competing for his attention? How would that play into regular life? Would they even be able to have a regular life?
Harry pulled a baseball cap onto his head and wore dark sunglasses when they took the kids to the zoo, but it still didn’t completely curb the attention from strangers. At one point, while they stood outside the gorilla habitat, she noticed three different people standing off to the side, taking pictures of him.
Zoey stepped up beside him, slipping her hand into his. “Do you ever get used to that?” she whispered, motioning with her head toward the would-be paparazzi.
He squeezed her fingers briefly before dropping her hand so he could pick Oliver up. He shrugged. “You learn to ignore it.” He pointed into the habitat. “Look, Ollie, do you see the baby gorilla? Right there with her mom?”
He made ignoring it seem easy, but the entire day left Zoey feeling shaken. She’d worried she’d be wooed by the glamour in Harry’s life. And thinking about the benefit and the red-carpet attention, she couldn’t deny that was still a real possibility. But now she’d been forced to think about the downside to his fame, to experience it firsthand. It only made her more confused.
That evening after dinner, Zoey got a follow-up email from Channel 4. Hi, Zoey. Just checking to make sure you got our email. We’d love to meet with you. Next Wednesday? Let me know ASAP. The email was signed by the producer she’d worked with a few years prior.
Now she really did have to make a choice. She found Nana in the kitchen, wiping down the counters. A month ago, Zoey never would have let Nana stay on her feet long enough to do the simple task. But she’d made so much progress. Her walking was steady, her hand-eye coordination was so much better, and her speech was back to normal.
Zoey sat down at the kitchen table, setting her phone face down in front of her.
Nana turned around. “Hey. What’s got you looking so glum?”
“I talked to Cassandra this afternoon before she left.”
Nana dropped into the chair across from her. “Okay.”
“She said your insurance is only paying for one more week of home-care?”
Nana nodded. “That’s right. After that, I’m on my own.”
“How do you feel about that?”
“Oh, I’m more concerned about being lonely than anything else. Cassandra has spoiled me with her easy company. But I feel fit as a fiddle these days. It’s time for her to move on and help someone else.”
Zoey bit her bottom lip, hesitant to meet her grandmother’s eye. “What about me?”
Nana raised an eyebrow. “Are you ready to move on too?”
“I don’t know.” Zoey’s shoulders fell. “I don’t want to leave you. I love being here, and . . .”
“And Harry is here.”
“Yeah.” Zoey sighed. “Harry is here.”
“But?” Nana prompted. “I can tell you’re working up to tell me something. Just spit it out.”
“Channel 4 in Chicago wants me to come in for an interview,” Zoey said. She looked up. “Next Wednesday.”
“Is that a big deal?”
“The biggest. It’s the job I’ve wanted since I first started working. It’s only an interview. They might have me guest anchor a night or two to see how I test with viewers. I don’t have to go though. Not if you aren’t ready to be on your own.”
Nana rolled her eyes, a sight that nearly made Zoey giggle. For a split second, Nana looked fifty years younger, her sassy younger self shining through the wrinkles. “Don’t even begin to pretend like I’m the reason you aren’t sure if you should go. I’m fine, Zoey. You’ve seen that the last two weeks. We always knew you staying with me was temporary. Besides, your mother is coming in next week. Has she not told you that? She’ll be here through Thursday so you can go to your interview no problem, supposing you work something out for Hannah and Oliver.”
“Mom is coming here?”
Nana nodded. “Sunday night. Why didn’t she tell you, I wonder?”
Zoey had been ignoring her mother since the benefit when photos of her and Harrison had hit the internet. She’d finally responded to her text with something vague and equally brief and then declined the dozen or so call attempts she had made. “She probably knew I’d find a reason to disappear if she did.”
Nana frowned. “You’ve always gotten along with your mother. Why are you ignoring her now?”
Zoey sighed. She hadn’t been fair to her mom and she knew it, but it still stung to have Nana call her out. “She hasn’t done anything wrong. I guess I’m just feeling like I’m at a crossroads right now, and her advice is not the kind of advice I need. I don’t think she likes that I’m working. You know how she feels, Nana. She wants me to have what she had. And now there’s an actual man in my life and she’s determined to make sure I get my hooks all the way in. That way, I can quit my job and let Harrison take care of me just like Dad did her.”
“Zoey,” Nana said, censure in her tone. “That’s a bit harsh. Your mother was a good mother to you. There’s nothing wrong with choosing to stay at home to raise your children. She gave you everything for years. That’s no small sacrifice. She just doesn’t want you to miss out on what brought her the most joy.”
“I don’t want to miss out on it either. But why can’t I have a career too? Why does it have to be one or the other?”
“Has your mother ever said that to you? That it has to be one or the other?”
Zoey huffed. “No, but I can tell that’s what she thinks.”
Nana shook her head. “I don’t think you give her enough credit, Zoey. She’s proud of you. She wants you to get married; of course she does. Because she wants you to be happy. And her family is what made her the happiest. You can’t hold that against her.”
Nana was probably right. But there were too many things her mother had said over the years, too much history for Zoey to forget. Her mother would never value Zoey’s career as much as Zoey did.
“I get it. I’m sorry. I love that Mom was with us when we were kids. I’ve always thought I would do the same thing someday. But she doesn’t understand why my career is also important, maybe even more important right now.”
“More important than what? Are we talking about relationships in general, or are we talking about one man, specifically?”
Zoey’s shoulders fell. “Of course we’re talking about Harry. I can’t stop thinking about him.”
“I thought that’s what this conversation was about,” Nana said. She reached across the table and took Zoey’s hand, giving it a quick squeeze.
“Honestly, I don’t even know if I can talk about it anymore. I’ve thought myself in circles all week long. But now the station has emailed again and needs me to confirm an interview ASAP and I think I have to do it. Even if I end up turning down the job and staying in L.A., I think I have to at least go and see how I feel about it.”
“Have you told Harry?”
Zoey shook her head. “Not yet. He’s not . . . he doesn’t even know I’ve been looking for jobs.”
“Oh, Zoey, call that man. Tell him what’s going on. He’ll understand.”
He would. Zoey knew he would, though a part of her almost wished he wouldn’t just to make leaving a little easier. But no matter how much she loved being with Harry, she couldn’t shake the feeling that if she turned her back on Chicago, she’d always regret it.
Chapter 14
Harry pulled out his phone as soon as the plane hit the tarmac. He’d had to take an impromptu trip up to Portland to meet a family his show was featuring in a special on-location episode of Right-On Renovations. With two special needs kids, the family had been trying to make life work living in a house with too many stairs, and doorways and hallways that were too narrow for the wheelchairs the children used. Harry didn’t often agree to filming away from home; this was a detailed project that would require him to be gone for several weeks. But after meeting the family, any doubts he’d harbored had disappeared. They needed help, and he was happy to be involved.
He wasn’t sure what he’d do with the kids. Bring them along, probably. His show would help him find someone to watch them while he was filming. A sudden desire to ask Zoey swelled inside him. What if she came with him to Portland? She could keep the kids while he was working, then they’d all be together during his downtime. Like a family.
Zoey had mentioned that Ms. Emily’s home healthcare nurse was only staying through the following week. That had to mean she was good to be on her own. Would Zoey be willing to leave her? Filming in Portland didn’t start for another couple of weeks. Surely she would at least feel ready by then.
With his phone out of airplane mode, it dinged with the messages and texts he’d missed during the flight.
The kids were fine. His mom had been with them in the hours Zoey hadn’t covered the past couple of days.
There had been a minor emergency during demo of Right-On’s current project—the young couple remodeling grandma’s house—but Jason had handled it while Harry was still in the air and all was under control.
Zoey had texted, asking him to let her know when he landed, and could she come over to see him later?
He quickly responded to Zoey’s message. Just landed. I’ll be home by ten. I’d love to see you. He pushed his phone back into his pocket and stood, retrieving his bag from the overhead bin, a burst of sudden energy in his step. After a long day, time with Zoey was exactly what he needed.
Later, after checking on his sleeping kids and thanking his Mom for basically moving in for the past two days before sending her on her way, he waited anxiously for Zoey to arrive. As soon as her car pulled into the drive, he moved to the front door, opening it when she was only halfway up the walk.
He hurried out to meet her, wrapping her up in an enormous hug before pressing his lips to hers. “I missed you,” he said, his hands still around her waist.
She smiled. “I missed you too.”
“Come on.” He led her inside. “How are you? How have things been?”
“Your mom is great,” Zoey said. “It was fun hanging out with her a little bit.”
“Yeah, she loves being with the kids.” They moved into the living room and settled onto the couch. “Do you want anything? Something to drink?”
Zoey shook her head. “I’m good. Have you ever thought about asking your mom to keep the kids full time?”
“Thought about it, yes. But she doesn’t have the endurance for it, I don’t think. Plus, Charlotte needs her too. If she were with my kids all the time, she’d have less time to be with Charlotte’s kids.” Harry leaned back onto the couch and extended an arm to Zoey. She nestled in, wrapping an arm around his waist and resting her head on his shoulder. “How are you, though?” he asked again. “You never answered my question.”
She lifted her head, raising a hand to guide his face down to hers. Her kiss felt urgent, almost pleading, and when she took a breath, it caught in her throat, stuttering out like she was close to tears. “Harry, I have to tell you something,” she finally said.
Harry tensed, but willed his heart to settle. There was no reason to panic yet. “Okay. You know you can tell me anything.”
She sat up, pulling her hands into her lap and took a deep breath. “I have a job interview on Wednesday. In Chicago.”
“Okay,” Harry said slowly. “I, um, I didn’t know you were already looking.”
Zoey shrugged. “But, we did know this was temporary.”
“We knew you taking care of the kids was temporary. I didn’t think we were.”
“That’s not what I’m saying either. I don’t want things to end between us. But I feel like I have to do this. A colleague gave me a heads-up weeks ago, right before you and I started seeing each other. I sent over my resume and honestly didn’t give it much thought after that.” She nudged him with her knee. “I was kind of preoccupied with you, and the kids. But then they asked me to come in for an interview, and . . . I can’t say no, Harry.”
She couldn’t? Or she just didn’t want to? “Will you take it if they offer you the job?”
She only hesitated a moment. “It’s a good job. My dream job, really. Evening news in one of the biggest media markets in the country? It’s a once-in-a-lifetime offer. Nobody gets these jobs before they’re thirty. Nobody.”
Harry leaned forward, propping his elbows up on his knees. “What about us?”
Zoey took a long time to respond. “Like I said. I don’t want things to change between us.”
And yet, she wanted to move a thousand miles away. Things would change whether she wanted them to or not.
“Have you thought about looking for a job here in L.A.? I get that this is your decision, but would you even consider it?” He’d posed the question before and she’d dodged around actually providing an answer.
“Do you know how competitive the industry is in L.A.? There is no city as full of beautiful people hoping to be on television, hoping to make it onto a national broadcast. I could get a job here, for sure, but it probably wouldn’t be more than doing four a.m. traffic updates or something as equally ridiculous. It would be nothing compared to what this job in Chicago would be.”
“But you have to start somewhere, right? And you’re good at what you do. It wouldn’t take you long.”
“But I already did start somewhere. In Chicago. It’s my home. People know my name there, and they’re willing to give me this chance. I feel like walking away would be turning my back on everything I’ve worked so hard to build.”
It’s not that Harry didn’t get what she was saying. He understood what it felt like to work to make a name for yourself, to build a career. But Zoey was acting like there wasn’t any crossover between markets. That news stations in Los Angeles wouldn’t consider the experience she’d gained working in Chicago.
“I should have told you sooner,” Zoey said. “I’m sorry to leave you hanging with the kids. I know Charlotte isn’t in a position to help out with them right now.”
“It doesn’t matter,” Harry said. “Hannah starts school soon and Oliver will be in preschool. I’ll figure something out until then.”
“Will you take th
em to Portland with you?” Zoey asked.
He’d texted her about the reason for his trip and the possibility of doing an on-location shoot. He almost laughed at her question. To think that he’d hoped they might all go to Portland together. “I think so, yeah. They might have to miss the first week of school, but I don’t want to leave them at home.” He looked up and caught her eye. “I was going to ask you if you wanted to go, too. But I guess that isn’t likely now, huh?”
Her shoulders fell. “It’s not that easy. I would love to be in Portland with you and the kids. But—” She pushed her face into her hands. “I don’t know how to explain this without sounding like a terrible person.”
“How about you just say it?” Harry said, an edge to his voice. “I’m a grown up, Zoey. I can take it.”
“I’ve been living your life, Harry. Working in your house, hanging out with your kids, attending events for your work. And it’s been amazing. But it almost feels like I’ve forgotten who I am. When we went to the zoo last week, everyone knew who you were. I know you said I’d get used to ignoring the fans, and I’m sure I would, but . . . Harry, I didn’t matter. I was faceless. Nameless—”
“Not to me,” he said, interrupting her. “Is that what this is about? The attention? The fans?”
“No. That’s not what I’m saying. It just made me realize how much I miss my job. I miss the intensity and the pace and the opportunity to use my voice in a way that matters. I want to be more than just the person that happens to be with you.”
Harry sensed there was something Zoey wasn’t saying. It was as if her words on the surface made sense, but there was a layer of emotion underneath that was bigger than the words. No matter how hard she tried to keep her voice controlled—and she was trying, he could tell—he could still hear the emotion spilling over, breaking through the cracks.
“I still don’t understand why you couldn’t find work here. L.A. stations will consider the experience you gained in Chicago. You wouldn’t be starting over. Or what if you started something new? I could easily get you a job on my show. I could even get you a screentest with the network for hosting something. There are always new shows popping up.”
Hooking a Handyman Page 12