by Kat Mizera
“I’m going to try,” Brock spoke for the first time. “I was thinking we’d get to know each other first, see if you even want me to be your dad.”
“That’s fair,” Bella said slowly. “I already know I want Ashleigh to be my mom, though. If she likes you enough to be her husband, you’ll probably be an okay dad. Don’t you think, Ashleigh?”
Ashleigh could only smile through tear-filled eyes as she hugged her, grateful she was okay and even more grateful they’d been able to get her back without involving the police.
“I think it’s late,” Brock said, “and we should table this discussion until morning.”
Brock laid down next to Ashleigh once she’d finally gotten Bella to bed, the fingers of one hand linking with hers. “You’re not alone in this,” he said softly. “I’ll be with you every step of the way.”
She closed her eyes as a stray tear leaked down her cheek.
“What can I do?” he asked softly, leaning over to look at her and gently brush her tears away.
She looked down at where their hands were still linked and then up to his bright blue eyes. “Why are you doing this? We barely know each other and I’ve already pulled you into twenty different cluster-fucks. Most guys would cut and run.”
He brought her hand up to his lips and softly kissed it. “I’m not most guys,” he replied. “But I couldn’t live with myself if I walked away. You and Bella need me, and like it or not, I’m involved now.”
“You don’t have to do this.”
“I already told you I do.”
“Are you sure?” was all she could think to say.
“Absolutely.” His gaze never wavered.
She leaned over, resting against his shoulder.
“We should go to sleep,” he said finally.
“Together?” she asked, looking up nervously.
“Yes, together,” he chuckled. “We have to get used to it, because people will notice if we have separate bedrooms. But don’t worry—there’s no way in hell we’re doing any of that with Bella in the house.”
She arched a brow. “You do realize married people have sex while their kids are in the house all the time.”
He groaned. “Well, I never have, so I have to wrap my head around all that first.”
She grimaced. “You and me both.”
Ashleigh was up before anyone else, even though it was after noon, making coffee and trying to decide what to make for breakfast when her cell phone rang. The name on the screen, Sonya Horvitz, surprised her. Sonya had been a successful movie director for years but had been out of the spotlight for a while now, supposedly taking a break from the insanity of Hollywood. Ashleigh had met her a few times and they’d had dinner once, but it had been just before Sonya had dropped out of sight, so she wasn’t sure what she could be calling about.
“Hello? Sonya?”
“Ashleigh! It’s good to hear your voice.”
“Likewise. How are things? Are you back in L.A.?”
“Yes and no.”
Ashleigh chuckled. “Should I even ask?”
“Of course—why else would I have called?”
“Okay, don’t keep me in suspense.”
“I’ve got a project, a movie, and I have a co-starring role for you.”
Ashleigh was shocked. “Really?”
Sonya blew out a breath. “Don’t take this the wrong way, but my lead actress is pregnant and there’s no way to write it into the script or hide it. She’s already four months along, and if I wait for her to give birth, my male lead has other commitments.”
“So you want…me?” Ashleigh hadn’t been expecting this.
“It’s probably not going to be a big box office smash—we’re not talking about Titanic here—but I’ve got backing and it could be a big deal. Jet Connor’s got the lead.”
“That’s your project?” Ashleigh’s eyes widened. “The one with Jet Connor? He’s…he’s…”
“Hot?” Sonya supplied with a chuckle.
Ashleigh wasn’t sure what to say. Jet was one of those actors that burst on the scene a few years ago and became an instant sensation. To date, everything he’d touched turned to gold. Co-starring with him could change everything for her professionally.
“Yeah, I know. He’s a household name, so it’s exciting.”
“It is. How long are we talking?”
“Ten weeks. Might go twelve, but I’d prefer to stay at ten. My budget is tight, but being on location in Atlanta is a lot less expensive than here and if there are minimal delays, we can get it done.”
“It’s a nice chunk of change for me either way,” Ashleigh murmured.
“If you can do it, you have my word I’ll get you as much publicity as I possibly can.”
“Why would Jet agree to something kind of low-budget for him?” Ashleigh asked curiously.
“He and I go way back,” she said quietly. “I knew him as a kid—he’s from Syracuse, like me. My sister was his high school drama teacher and we met when I went in to talk to the class about life in Hollywood. He was one of those kids that you knew was going to be a hunk when he grew into himself, and he was also witty and smart. When he came to L.A. to go to film school at UCLA, we met for dinner a few times. I helped him get some auditions, then things took off. He’d promised me a long time ago—and it was kind of a joke—that if he ever made it big, he’d star in a movie for me.”
“So you called in the favor?”
“Actually, no,” Sonya chuckled. “I ran into him in Syracuse at Christmas and he’s the one who talked me into coming out of retirement. He asked what I’d been up to and I told him about this script I’d written. He loved it, said he’d star in it. The codicil was that his girlfriend be in it with him.”
“And now she’s pregnant?”
“Pregnancy was supposedly accidental and the three of us spent an entire day trying to find a way to fix it, but when it was all said and done, she didn’t want the pressure of trying to get back into shape that fast or worry about leaving the baby. It was her decision and he told me to do what I needed to do.”
“Nice.” Ashleigh smirked. “There better be some scenes with kissing!”
Sonya laughed heartily. “Oh yes, sweetheart—you’ll get to fondle several shirtless men.”
“I will?” She laughed, too. “Sounds like fun.”
Sonya paused. “Did you really marry some hockey player over the weekend?”
“I did.”
“Interesting.” Sonya sounded surprised but it didn’t sound like a question. “Okay, well, here’s the tentative schedule. I’m working out the details now…”
They talked for another half hour and Ashleigh disconnected after telling her she needed to talk to Brock and her agent. A movie starting now and taking her into the summer could be great or terrible. She’d told Sonya about Bella, and that hadn’t been a problem. She could be on set with Jolinda; several of the actors would have their families in town with them during the filming and Sonya promised it was a good, easygoing crew.
Ashleigh had had two previous movie roles, small parts with just a couple of lines, but it had been fun. Starring in a movie was a dream-come-true for most actresses, so she was excited and itched to tell Brock about it. He might not be happy about it, though, because filming was going to start soon, which meant they couldn’t spend any time together. Hockey season wasn’t even close to over, and even if the Sidewinders lost in the first round, they would be on opposite sides of the country for at least a month. If the Sidewinders went all the way to the championships, depending on who they played and the inevitable schedule glitches so the games were televised, he might not be done until mid-June. How could they pull off this marriage/stability stuff if they weren’t even in the same state for more than two months?
12
She was still ruminating what to do when Brock’s deep voice startled her and she whirled around, eyes wide. “Brock!”
“Sorry.” He chuckled, reaching out to kiss her cheek.
“You’re up early considering we didn’t get to bed until morning.”
“Nervous, I guess.” She handed him a mug. “Coffee?”
“Thanks.” He poured himself a cup. “I’ve got to get back to Vegas tonight because the team leaves on a road trip in the morning, so tell me what I can do to make things easier for you.”
She met his eyes. “I don’t know. Spend a little time with Bella so—” She was cut off as Bella came bounding into the room.
“You’re still here,” she cried happily, skipping into the room and giving him a broad grin.
Brock glanced at Ashleigh for guidance as he reached out to ruffle the little girl’s hair. “I’m leaving in a few hours, but—”
“Leaving?” Bella’s face filled with alarm. “But you just got here. You can’t leave.”
“I have to work,” he said gently, putting one of his hands on her head. “And the team is leaving to go to—”
“The team? What team? Where do you work? You don’t live here? Are we moving?” The questions came out in a rush and Ashleigh swiftly stepped in.
“Okay, we all just woke up after a late night so how about you go brush your teeth while I make breakfast, and then we’ll sit down and talk?”
Bella opened her mouth to protest but when Ashleigh raised her eyebrows she seemed to reconsider, nodding and running back in the direction she’d come.
“Holy crap,” Brock whispered. “Does she always talk that fast?”
“When she’s nervous,” Ashleigh nodded, pulling eggs out of the refrigerator.
“How come I’m the only one here who’s not nervous?” he asked, gently taking the eggs from her, placing them on the counter and turning her to face him, his hands resting on her shoulders.
“You’re leaving,” she said simply. “You have to focus on hockey for the next two months or so, which is an understandable priority. I’ve got to deal with the lawyers, Angel, Bella, and all the backlash that’s coming. You don’t deal with the press except at game time, but I can run into them anytime, anywhere, and I won’t have my publicist with me when I do. Short of hibernating here in my condo, I’ll be bombarded.”
He grimaced. “Can you hire a bodyguard or something for a few weeks, until this blows over?”
“I can, but normally I fly under the radar in L.A. Hiring a bodyguard will just draw attention to myself. I don’t know.” She moved out of his reach and put a frying pan on the stove.
“You cook?” he asked after a slight hesitation
She smiled. “Like I told you before, I’ve only been brave enough to try breakfast and dessert recipes. I’m not big on dinners. I order pre-made meals from a service that I just have to bake or warm up in a pan. When I’m working they’re a lifesaver, and now that I have Bella, it’s still working out well. Thank goodness she’s not a fussy eater.”
He made a face. “I usually can eat three or four of those for one meal. It didn’t work out for me.”
She grinned. “If we get to a point where we’re eating dinners together, I’ll just buy big steaks and you can grill one up in addition to whatever else we’re eating.”
He nodded. “That sounds like a plan. So, what can I do to help with breakfast?”
They worked in tandem as she made frittatas and he toasted bagels and cut up fruit. It was incredibly domestic and as she glanced at him from under her lashes, she envisioned them building a life together. She’d grown up with a single mother and had never lived with any of her boyfriends. The addition of a husband and child to her normally solitary life filled something in her soul she’d never even realized was empty. This felt normal, and she loved it, which scared the crap out of her. She’d always wanted a family but had never met a guy she liked enough to even consider it. She liked Brock more than she should after such a short time, and something deep inside of her was screaming she was going to get hurt. Maybe the best thing to do would be to take the movie role and use it as an excuse to keep her distance. The relationship would die on its own, without any heartache or hard feelings, and Bella wouldn’t have time to get attached, either.
She wouldn’t say anything about the movie until her lawyer and agent looked at the contract Sonya was sending over. Then she would make a decision. It might already be too late, because every time she looked into his blue eyes she wanted him to kiss her, but he wasn’t pushing it. Maybe that meant her instincts were correct and he wasn’t into her.
“Is breakfast ready?” Bella came skidding into the room and Ashleigh didn’t have time to think about anything else.
Brock got back to the hotel late after a game a few nights later. He dropped his duffel bag by the bed and kicked off his shoes. Pulling off his suit, his thoughts drifted to Ashleigh as he hung it up and found a pair of shorts. It was after midnight, so chances were she was asleep already. He’d only heard from her once this week, a brief text earlier today wishing him luck in the game and that she and Bella would be watching. He was a little confused—maybe even a tiny bit hurt—because things had been good when he’d left them on Sunday. To be fair, she’d been dealing with a lot all week and had a kid to take care of, too. He’d never been the kind of guy who was needy, but after the scary incident picking up Bella, he’d expected a little more from Ashleigh. He was positive they’d bonded while they’d been together, but now she was giving him a weird vibe.
He didn’t know why he cared so much, but it annoyed him that she’d gone cold on him. They’d talked about the big issues and he’d assumed everything was okay. Was it too much to ask for her to check in every day? Maybe. It occurred to him he could have called, too, but he was traveling and busting his ass on the ice. It didn’t feel unreasonable to expect her to put forth a little effort. He’d bent over backward to make the situation as comfortable as possible for her. He’d respected her boundaries and hadn’t attempted anything sexual, he’d bonded with Bella and was making plans to be with them as much as he could. So what had changed since Sunday?
He lay on the bed and put his hands behind his head. He hadn’t slept well the last few nights. After leaving Ashleigh and Bella in L.A., there was a distinct emptiness in his life. Some of that was worry; he didn’t like the thought that Angel or Tito could be lurking around the building, ready to pounce. It had been less than a week since they’d eloped, but it felt longer and he wasn’t sure how to handle his strangely disparate feelings. On one hand, he was relieved she was keeping her distance; it made his life so much easier. On the other, what had he done to make her back off like this? Had she changed her mind? It was driving him crazy and he grabbed his phone to send her a text.
Are you awake?
He was surprised when a reply came almost immediately. Yes.
Can I call you?
Sure.
He dialed her number and waited until she answered.
“Hi.” She sounded tired…and maybe a little sad?
“How come you’re not asleep? Don’t you get up early?”
“I don’t have anywhere to be tomorrow,” she yawned. “And I couldn’t sleep.”
“How come?”
She was quiet for a few moments before saying, “A lot on my mind, I guess.”
“I haven’t heard from you all week, except for that text earlier today. Is something wrong?”
“No…” Her voice trailed off. “Not wrong, really. Just something new came up that we need to talk about and I wasn’t sure how to tell you.”
“Okay.” There was a strange tightening in his chest. She’d changed her mind and was afraid to talk to him about it. He should’ve been relieved but he wasn’t and he steeled himself for what she was about to say.
“I got offered a leading role in a movie.”
He paused, trying to figure out why this was a bad thing. “That’s…good, isn’t it?”
“Yes, it’s wonderful but…”
“But what?”
“It starts filming next week and I’ll be on location for ten to twelve weeks.”
“I’m not
sure what this means. I might be playing until the first or second week of June anyway, and now you’ll be working for most of that time. The timing works well.”
“Yes and no.”
“Which part is no?”
“We have to be together, at least some of the time, and with you not knowing where you’ll be during the playoffs and me in Atlanta—”
“Atlanta?” He sat up, frowning.
“It’s a lot less expensive in places like Atlanta, so a lot of movies and TV shows are filming there now.”
“What about Bella?”
“She’ll be with me, with Jolinda full-time as both her nanny and tutor. Because of all the school she missed before I got her back, we’re home schooling the rest of the year to hopefully catch her up to her grade level so she can start again in the fall.”
“Why didn’t we talk about this? What happened to communication? You waited until I texted you to tell me about this, which means you were trying to avoid me.”
“I wasn’t sure what to say. This is going to complicate things.”
“We’re working,” he protested. “But whichever of us finishes first will go to the other. If the team loses early in the playoffs, I’ll come to Atlanta. It’s not that complicated.”
There was silence on the other end before she said, “You will?”
“What difference does it make if we’re in L.A. or Atlanta or Timbuktu? The goal is to be a family, isn’t it?”
“Yes, but… It won’t be any fun for you. I’d be working almost every day and if you’re there, you’ll be forced to spend a lot of time with Bella—everyone will be watching. That’s how it works, especially if I’m on location.”
“You don’t trust me to do that?”
“It’s not about trust. Why would you want to—”
“Getting married was package deal that included you and Bella and I told you I was on board. You’re making excuses, and I deserve to know why. I haven’t done anything but try to be accommodating and you’re running hot and cold.”