No more canceled trips, she thought. She could take an actual vacation. Go somewhere interesting. Not that a two-week trip was the same as really immersing yourself a place, but it was a start.
Her cell phone rang. Phoebe’s face appeared on the screen.
Maya smiled as she answered. “What’s up?” she said when she pushed the green button. “Wedding crisis?”
Phoebe laughed. “Okay, so you’re not watching Eddie and Gladys’s show.”
Maya held in a groan. She reached for the remote and turned on her TV. “What are they doing now? Tell me it’s not frontal nudity.”
“It’s not. You’ll see. And then you’ll have some explaining to do. How come I didn’t know?”
“Know what?”
The TV came on. Maya flipped to the Fool’s Gold cable access channel. Eddie filled the screen.
“I know,” the old woman was saying. “You want to see it again. Here goes.”
As Maya watched, a video came on. It was blurry at first, then came into focus.
Her mouth dropped open as she saw Del and herself standing in a meadow. The meadow. Where they’d done the intro shoot. Where they’d kissed. Where she’d accidentally left the camera on and hadn’t bothered to erase the footage.
“No,” she moaned. “No, no, no.”
“Yup,” Phoebe said cheerfully. “First you tell each other you were in love and then you kiss. It’s very hot.”
Sure enough, that was exactly what happened.
She watched her videoed self say, “I did love you.”
“I loved you, too. Talk about a lot of confessions for an early-morning shoot.”
And then it happened. In front of God and the entire town. Del leaned in and kissed her.
Maya dropped her head to her free hand. “Kill me now,” she murmured.
“I think it’s too late for that. At least it’s not frontal nudity. That has to be something, right?”
Maya curled up in a ball and wondered if it was possible for the earth to swallow her whole. “You think anyone else has seen this?”
“Just, you know, the entire town.”
CHAPTER SEVEN
MAYA TOLD HERSELF that having a private moment of her life go viral was a good thing. It distracted her from worrying about Elaine.
The waiting area of the surgery center was pleasant enough. Lots of comfortable chairs, a huge aquarium filled with serene fish, free Wi-Fi and a big television currently tuned to Good Morning America. The hosts had already teased the clip of the video that apparently had exploded on social media overnight.
Maya had been fielding text messages and was also getting calls, although not taking them. She didn’t want to leave the surgery center until she knew Elaine was okay and she wasn’t about to talk on the phone in front of other people.
She glanced up at the screen just in time to see the video being played. On a personal level the whole thing was cringeworthy. She didn’t like having a private moment exposed to the world. She felt vulnerable and exposed—not that anyone was paying attention to the show or her. No doubt they were as worried about their loved ones as she was about Elaine.
But professionally, she had to admit that the shot was framed perfectly. The wildflowers, the trees—it was beautiful. It was also her kissing Del.
For a second, she could feel his mouth on hers. The tender pressure, the heat. Yearning filled her. In part for who they had been back then and in part for what could never be now. Whatever friendship they’d found, the romance had been lost. All heat and tingles aside, they weren’t going back. There was only forward, and that path seemed to be leading directly to friendship land. Despite those sweet kisses.
She hadn’t heard from him yet, so wasn’t sure if he knew. Although it wasn’t as if she’d reached out to him, either. She knew he wouldn’t be thrilled, but she also wondered how much he would care.
“Maya?” The nurse smiled at her. “You can come back now.”
Maya followed her to the recovery area and found Elaine sitting up. Her friend was pale, but otherwise looked okay.
Maya took her free hand and squeezed. “Hey. How are you feeling?”
“Not too bad.” Elaine smiled. “The doctor says the tumor was very localized. So we can stick with the original plan. A few days to recover, then six weeks of radiation.”
Maya squeezed her fingers, thinking a hug right now wasn’t going to be the best thing. “That’s exactly what we wanted to hear.”
“I know. I’m so grateful.”
The nurse turned to Maya. “Elaine tells me you’ll be taking care of her tonight.”
“Yes. She’s staying with me.”
“Good. The postsurgical instructions are pretty simple. I’ll go over them with you. I gave them to Elaine before her procedure, but it’s always good to have someone else following along. Plus, we’ll send her home with written instructions.”
“I’ll make sure she does everything she’s told.”
* * *
BY NOON, ELAINE was settled in Maya’s guest room. She’d had some soup and crackers and taken her pain medication. Sophie jumped up onto the bed, then curled up next to Elaine, as if understanding this was a time to be quiet.
“I’m fine,” Elaine said firmly as she stroked her dog. “Exhausted, but fine. I didn’t sleep at all last night. In fact, I haven’t slept for a couple of nights. So I’m going to stay right here and rest. I want you to leave.”
They’d been having the same conversation for about fifteen minutes. Elaine wanted her to go to work for a few hours, and Maya didn’t want to leave her friend.
“It’s a small incision,” Elaine continued. “I don’t even have a drain. There’s nothing to do. I can shower in the morning and resume my normal life. No strenuous exercise for a week and then I’m healed.”
Except for the fact that she still had to deal with radiation and having cancer, Maya thought.
“I’m here to take care of you,” Maya insisted.
“You’re making me nervous. You hover. Go and let me sleep. Come back in two hours and let Sophie out. That’s all I ask.”
“I’ll wait an hour, then walk Sophie. If you’re still okay, then I’ll go.”
“You’re very stubborn,” Elaine murmured, her eyes already closing.
“It’s one of my best qualities.”
Elaine had fallen asleep almost immediately. She’d barely stirred when Maya had taken Sophie out for a quick walk. The dog had immediately done her business, as if wanting to get back to her human’s side. Elaine didn’t even notice when Maya had touched her forehead and cheek to see if she was too warm.
After writing a note to say where she was and making sure fresh water and Elaine’s cell phone were on the nightstand, Maya had let herself out and walked to her office.
Now she set the alarm on her phone so she didn’t get caught up in work. She would head home in ninety minutes to look in on her friend.
Maya circled by the editing room on her way to her office. The editing room door stood open and Eddie Carberry sat in front of the computer. Even more surprising was the fact that the older woman was looking at Maya’s footage from a previous shoot.
“Oh, my God. It was you.”
Eddie looked up, her expression more triumphant than repentant. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
The interview played in the background. Considering the clip had been on Eddie’s show, her being the one to find it shouldn’t have been a surprise, but it kind of was.
“You’ve been going through my footage.”
Eddie glanced back at the screen. “It’s good stuff. You have a real eye. That kiss was a find.”
“You stole it.”
“Copied. You still have it yourself. So it wasn’t sto
len. Besides, now you’re famous.”
For kissing Del. Something that would have rocked her world a little more if she hadn’t been dealing with Elaine’s cancer surgery.
“Don’t do that again,” she said firmly.
“Why not? You should thank me.”
How could this little old lady with her short curls and bright eyes be so confident? Was it an age thing? Personality?
“I’m not thanking you for stealing my stuff.”
“I got you on national TV. That’s a trick. And it was good publicity for the town, which is actually your job. Yup, I think some flowers are in order. Maybe a box of chocolates. See’s are my favorites. Gladys likes them, too.”
Maya felt as if she’d stepped through the looking glass. “I’m not sending you flowers or chocolates.”
Eddie sniffed, then stood. “If you’re going to be like that.”
“I am.”
“You should be more appreciative of what people do for you.”
Maya watched her leave, then went over to her computer and activated the security program. As soon as it was up, she put a password on her files, then walked to her office.
She was still trying to make sense of everything that had happened in the past eighteen hours when Del walked in. The second she saw him, she had an overwhelming urge to step right into his arms and have him hold her until she knew everything was going to be okay. On the heels of that came the need to tell him that his mom was fine. That he shouldn’t worry. Only he didn’t know anything was wrong with her and Maya couldn’t tell him.
“Okay, that’s not a happy face,” he said, leaning against the doorframe. “You’re upset.” He moved toward her. “It’s not what I would have chosen, either, but it’s no big deal. In a way, it’s funny.”
“The kiss,” she whispered, knowing he couldn’t be talking about the cancer, even though that was what she was thinking about.
He moved into her office and shut the door. “Is someone going to get angry?”
“Someone? Like a guy?”
The corner of his mouth turned up. “If it’s not a guy, can I watch?”
She started to laugh, then had to fight unexpected tears. The latter were because of his mom, she thought. The surgery, the fact that the doctor was optimistic. Once again she wanted to walk into Del’s arms and be held. She also wanted him to know what was going on. But she’d promised. A promise that sat like a rock in her stomach—and on her conscience.
“There’s no girl or guy,” she said, hoping her tone was light enough. “I was surprised by the clip. I’m sure you were, too.”
“Completely. I’ve been getting a lot of jokes from my friends.”
“I can imagine. You’ll also be getting a lot of fan mail. You looked good on-screen.”
“So did you.”
Kissing. They’d been kissing.
“It was Eddie Carberry,” she said to distract herself. “I found her going through my material.”
“Not a surprise. She’s impressive.”
“I put a password on the files.”
He laughed. “Good for you. Make her work for it.”
“My plan is that she won’t have access to it anymore.”
Maya moved to her desk. Del took the visitor’s chair. He studied her.
“You sure you’re okay?”
“Just tired. I was in shock last night. I couldn’t believe it. How did you find out?”
“Ryder Stevens saw it online and emailed me. Did you know Eddie and Gladys’s show has an internet following?”
Maya rubbed her temples. “No, and I didn’t need to. At least the internet is an open system and we don’t have to worry about the FCC there.”
“You’re not mad at them, are you?”
“No. Surprised. Flummoxed by them.”
“They’re uncontrollable.”
“You don’t mind about the kiss going viral?”
His gaze shifted. For a second she would have sworn he was staring at her mouth. She felt a flash of heat followed by longing.
They could do it again, she thought. A real kiss this time. With bodies pressing and tongues... Well, she could use a little tongue in her life.
But that wasn’t going to happen. She and Del were friends. They worked together. He liked her, they got along, but she was pretty sure he had no sexual interest in her. As for her feelings, they were, ah, nostalgic. That was all. She was reacting to the past.
“At first I was a little uncomfortable, but what the hell. Stuff happens.”
She smiled. “You like the attention.”
“Some. While you like being behind the scenes.”
“I do,” she said slowly, immediately thinking about her network dreams.
“What are you thinking?”
“That I put so much energy into getting a network job. I wanted to be on camera. To be the star. But you’re right. Looking at the video, I didn’t like the attention, but I did appreciate how good the shot was.”
That couldn’t be right, could it? Had she been chasing the wrong dream all this time?
“Regretting your decision to come here?” he asked.
“No. I was so tired of the gossip show. I couldn’t have done it anymore. This is nice.”
But maybe not permanent, a little voice in her head whispered.
“It’s good to be happy in your work,” he said.
“It is. What are you doing this weekend?”
“Hanging out. You? Oh, that’s right. You have your girls’ weekend with my mom. What does that entail? Mani-pedis?”
“I’m impressed you know what a mani-pedi is,” she said, dodging the question. Because her girls’ weekend would consist of making sure her friend was recovering.
“I’m well traveled,” he told her, coming to his feet. “You sure you’re okay?”
“Yes. We are now world famous kissers. I’m sure we can both use that to our advantage.”
He grinned. “I know I will.”
* * *
DEL LEFT THE studio offices and headed for The Man Cave to see Nick. Maybe a little one-on-one time with his middle brother would give him some answers as to why Nick felt he had to hide what he was doing. Because Del sure didn’t get it. Ceallach might not approve of the medium, but he would be happy to see the art being produced. So why not let the old man know?
He crossed the street and turned at the corner. Everyone had their reasons, he supposed. Very few actions were random. Like his coming home. It had been a deliberate choice and he had a feeling he’d made it for reasons that were not the ones he’d first thought.
He walked into the bar and saw Nick wasn’t alone. Aidan was with him. Two for the price of one, Del thought as he approached them, wondering if Aidan would walk out the second he saw him. Their last conversation hadn’t ended well.
“It’s TV’s newest reality star,” Nick said from behind the bar. “Back only a couple of weeks and already making time with Maya. Everything old is new again.”
Del accepted the ribbing. “It wasn’t like that.”
“It looked like that,” Aidan said, grabbing a handful of peanuts from the bowl on the counter. “It looked a lot like that.”
It had been a nice kiss, Del thought. When he’d first seen the video, he’d been shocked and a little embarrassed. But even though it was a personal moment, he wasn’t ashamed. Hell, he and Maya looked good together. His only regret was that they hadn’t done more. Not on camera, of course. But later. Privately. One on one. Naked.
She’d always looked good naked and he had a feeling time had been especially kind to her. They both had some years on them, which meant experience. Making love with her had been fantastic before. He would guess it would be even better now.
“What c
an I get you?” Nick asked.
Del pointed to Aidan’s bottle and sat down at the bar. “What he’s having.”
Aidan glanced at him. “Did you figure out what happened with the video? How it got online?”
“Eddie Carberry got into Maya’s files.”
Aidan shook his head. “You’ve got to admire her and Gladys. They move with the times.”
“That’s what I said. We should all be so determined when we’re their age.” Del found himself watching Nick, thinking about his brother’s secret. Not that he was going to ask. Instead, he turned back to Aidan. “How’s business?”
Aidan’s expression immediately went tight. He put down his beer. “Go to hell,” he said, and walked out.
Del stared after him, then turned to Nick. “What did I say?”
“You have to ask?”
“Yeah, I do. I know he’s pissed. So let’s talk about it. Walking away doesn’t accomplish anything.”
“So speaks the man who ran.”
Not how Del would have characterized his leaving town, but he could see how it would have looked that way. “Maybe I learned from my mistakes.”
“I’m not the one you’re fighting with. No point in telling me.”
Del stared at Aidan’s abandoned beer, not sure how to handle the situation. “I don’t suppose he’s like this with everyone.”
“Nope. Just you.”
“Great. I guess I’m going to have to talk to him.”
“You just tried that. It didn’t go well.”
“What do you suggest?”
“Not a clue.” Nick leaned against the bar. “Regretting coming home?”
“Sometimes. There’s a big world out there that’s a whole lot easier to deal with than family.” He took a drink of his beer. “You know, if Aidan’s so unhappy, why doesn’t he just sell the business and leave? Dad’s not drinking anymore, so he’s not going to go on a bender and destroy a year’s worth of work. No one needs the income to put food on the table.”
Nick straightened. “It’s even easier than that. Aidan bought out Mom a few years back. The business is just his now.”
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