Matt stifled a sigh. He truly regretted telling Ashley that Eve had to leave without saying goodbye because she was embroiled in a contract dispute. Ashley immediately jumped on his case about “abandoning Eve in her hour of need.”
“What does scissors have to do with Eve’s job?” he asked, knowing he would probably regret it.
Ashley lifted her chin in a worldly manner. “Eve went into battle naked.” Her dramatic delivery made Matt wince. “She’s fighting for her dream, but she doesn’t have any armor, no backup. Her parents are in Australia. Her friends live on the West Coast. Her real mom’s in Florida. And you—the man she loves—is flying away like some kind of chicken.”
Matt frowned.
With a sigh, Ashley added, “I would have gone with her, but I’m already in trouble so I didn’t figure that would be much help.”
Matt fought back a chuckle. “You got that part right.”
They were both silent a minute then Matt asked, “What did you say about Eve’s real mother?”
Ashley’s cheeks changed color. “I…um…last night when we were talking, I ran across a piece of paper that had her birth mother’s name and address on it. She lives in Florida.”
Florida. The voice on the answering machine lives in Florida. Matt couldn’t say why that idea intrigued him, but it did. Maybe because it offered some humanity to a disembodied voice that he’d deemed threatening. He’d assumed the caller was a stalker. He’d been wrong. Was he also wrong to assume Ashley would feel threatened by his feelings for Eve?
He turned his chin to look at his daughter. “Am I hearing this right? You’re encouraging me to stay here? To help Eve?”
“Uh-huh, although I think it would be best if I stayed, too.”
Her innocence was so obviously feigned Matt burst out laughing. “You’d do anything to avoid facing your mother, wouldn’t you?”
Ashley had the grace to shrug sheepishly. “It was worth a try.”
Matt snickered softly. Then asked, “Why do you care about what happens to Eve?”
Ashley rolled her eyes. “Daddy. I’m not blind. You love each other. If it weren’t for me screwing things up—like usual—you’d—”
Matt pulled her to him. It was awkward given the airport seating, but he comforted her just the same. “You didn’t mess up anything, honey. Eve and I did that all on our own. Mostly, it was my fault. I decided Eve’s life was too complicated for me. I couldn’t picture myself fitting into a celebrity lifestyle. And I sure as heck didn’t want you to be influenced by it.”
She lifted her head. “You mean like maybe I’d want to be on TV? Jeesch, Dad, that’s crazy. I want to train horses or be a veterinarian. Besides, everybody knows what you see on television isn’t real.”
His daughter’s words floored him. He had to sit back a moment to digest them. Then he rose and told her, “Wait here, hon. I need to make a couple of calls. I’ll be right back.”
Matt knew he could have used his cell phone, but the possibility he wanted to discuss required privacy. He was about to make a quantum leap, and if he fell flat on his face, the fewer witnesses the better.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
EVE HAD TO DIG deep for the patience to sit through another minute of legalese. She owed Ren big time for her lawyer. In the four and a half hours since she’d walked out of her apartment that morning, everything in her life had changed. Matt and Ashley had left for New York. She’d engaged in battle with the big boys and won—or lost, depending on your point of view. Communitex had agreed to admit that Eve hadn’t intentionally reneged on her contract, but the victory was moot given the fact the entire company had been bought out by a Christian network that didn’t want Eve or any “name” newscasters working for them.
Tuning out the drone of voices, Eve absently perused the draft of her original contract. It had represented the door to her dream, and now it was being slammed in her face. Financially, she would walk away with enough money to tide her over quite nicely. But that wasn’t the same as a job. And Eve was afraid she might have lost her chance to be more than a face. She wanted so much more than that. She wanted it all, including a husband and family.
I wonder if Matt and Ashley arrived home safely?
No sooner had the thought crossed her mind than Dag LaPointer’s secretary opened the door of the conference room and hurried to his side. Eve’s pulse jumped. Oh dear, what now?
The man, an older, more commanding version of Barry, looked at Eve. Throughout the negotiations he’d treated her with respect, even compassion. Now his eyes narrowed.
He gave his secretary softly murmured instructions then said, “I believe we’ll use this opportunity to break for lunch. Ms. Masterson’s doctor is outside, and he’s concerned that given her recent illness she not overdo.”
Doctor? Did he say doctor?
Eve looked at her lawyer, who gave her a confident nod. “We’ll iron out the severance details after lunch, then.” He rose and politely pulled back Eve’s chair as she stumbled to her feet.
Certainly the secretary had made a mistake. Regardless, a break was a good idea. Her head felt a little woozy. For a second, she even imagined she heard Matt’s voice in the anteroom.
With her lawyer leading the way, Eve hurried through the doorway, hoping to avoid any face-to-face exchange with Barry, who’d spent the entire morning staring daggers at her.
Stealing a glance over her shoulder, Eve bumped into a man wearing a leather flight jacket. Surprise turned to shock when she heard Matt say, “There you are. What did my nurse tell you about eating regular meals and getting plenty of rest?”
“Matt? What are you doing here?” Eve croaked.
“Checking up on you. I can’t afford to lose a single patient,” he said, his tone teasing.
Eve started to smile, but Barry’s voice cut into her pleasure. “That man’s no doctor. He’s a private investigator. He’s the one who viciously attacked me.”
Matt’s predatory smile stopped Barry in his tracks. Without a word, he helped Eve into her calf-length leather trench coat then escorted her from the office to the elevator.
“I can’t believe this,” she exclaimed. “Where’s Ashley? What’s going on?”
He squeezed her arm. “I’ll explain as soon as we get some food in you. You look faint. Did you drink any water?”
“I can’t remember.”
“I leave you alone for one morning and you’re already ignoring nurse’s orders,” Matt scolded.
The warm, caring quality of his voice took away any hint of criticism. “You’re a very strange man. I don’t understand—”
“You will,” he predicted. “Can we hold the conversation till we get to the restaurant? You know it’s hard for a gimp like me to walk and talk at the same time.”
Baloney. But she kept her mouth shut. Suddenly, she was ravenous.
A few minutes later, they were seated across from each other in a quiet, family-style Italian restaurant three blocks from the Communitex building.
Matt held out a glass of water for her. “Drink first, then talk.”
She obliged, but only because she felt like a parched camel.
“Okay,” she said, dabbing her lips with her cloth napkin, “tell me what’s going on.”
“Simple. Nobody calls me a coward and gets away with it.”
Baffled, Eve shook her head. “Did I call you a coward?”
“No, my daughter did. We were at the airport and she said that abandoning you in your hour of need was tantamount to cowardice of the worst order.” He grinned. “Not in those exact words, but there were chicken sounds involved.”
Eve shook her head. “I don’t believe you.”
“It’s true. It hurt. I wasn’t thrilled to realize my daughter could see the holes in my rusty armor quite so clearly. So I did what any smart man would do. I called my ex-wife and told her to meet Ashley’s plane, then I came here.”
“But what about all that stuff you told me this morning?”
Eve looked down and focused on the checkered pattern of the tablecloth. “You know how I feel, Matt. One big emotional goodbye is tough enough. You aren’t going to make me do that again, are you?”
Matt reached across the table and covered her hand with his. “I hope not. Because I screwed up badly this morning, Eve. Only a fool would walk away from the chance to love you.”
Eve’s heart crimped in her chest. “But you said—”
“I said we’d never last. But now I realize time doesn’t matter. Ten minutes, ten days, ten decades. I’ll take whatever I can get.”
“I’m not sure I believe this is happening,” she said, her throat squeezed with emotion.
He lifted her hand to his lips and nuzzled it softly. “I know the feeling. I left the airport in a daze. Got lost twice on my way here.”
“Was Ashley okay about going home alone?”
“She wanted to stay with me, but her mother vetoed that idea in a hurry.” He glanced at his watch then dug his cellular phone out of his jacket pocket and set it on the table. “I told Ashley to call the minute she got home.”
He sent her home alone. Why? Does this mean he’s staying for good? That we have a chance to be together?
Before Eve could ask any of her questions, a waiter arrived to take their order and deliver the two glasses of wine Matt had requested when they sat down. “Pasta primavera,” she ordered, not even glancing at the menu. My life is teetering on a precipice, she thought. Who cares about food?
Matt ordered the special—whatever that was—then picked up his wine goblet and toasted her. “To fame.”
Eve blinked. “I beg your pardon?”
Matt gave her a smug grin. “A lady at the airport recognized me. She said, ‘Aren’t you that gigolo who took off with Eve Masterson?”’
Knowing how much Matt had hated their encounter with a fan in Mexico, Eve shuddered. “I’m sorry.”
He shook his head. “Don’t be. It was a hoot. I made up this story about being a CIA operative, and you were helping us with a big telecommunications sting operation.”
Too baffled by this completely new Matt to know how to respond, she downed a gulp of wine. “I couldn’t be more confused. I thought you hated everything about my life—the fame, the fans, the media…”
He nodded and munched down on a bread stick. “That’s true. That’s what I said, but then I asked myself why that had to be such a big deal. And do you know what I decided?” Eve shook her head, afraid to even breathe wrong and ruin the moment. “I decided that I’m too serious. I don’t laugh enough…except when I’m with you. I work too much…unless I’m with you. And I only feel alive inside when I’m with you.”
Eve’s heart sped up to an uneven beat that made her giddy. “Really?”
He put down his glass and took her hand. “I love you, Eve, and I apologize for letting you think for even one minute that you weren’t worth the effort it’s going to take to combine our lives. This isn’t going to be easy, but we can do it.” He drew her hand to his lips. “If you want to.”
Want? Like I want air to breathe.
Before she could answer, the phone trilled.
Matt would gladly have picked up the phone and dropped it in the nearest glass of water if he weren’t a hundred percent certain it was his daughter. He’d threatened her with bodily harm if she didn’t call the minute she arrived in New York.
“Sorry,” he muttered, snatching up the phone. “Ashley?”
“No, it’s me. Bo.”
Matt groaned. “Hang up. I’m busy and I’m expecting a call from Ashley.”
“Well, excuuuse me,” Bo snarled. “I just called to give you that information you asked for this morning. Jeesch. Do a guy a favor and—”
Matt smacked the heel of his hand to his forehead. “I’m sorry. I forgot. Give it to me then I’ll call you back later.” He patted his breast pocket looking for a pen.
“Ahem,” Eve said, passing both pen and paper his way.
He mouthed, “Thanks,” then started scribbling the information Bo read off to him. “Perfect. I owe you, cuz,” he said. He started to reach for the end button, but heard Bo add something else. He listened, a smile growing on his lips.
“Yeah, I guess so. Tell Claudie I said hi. She’s too good for you, you know.” Grinning, he heard Bo reply, “Same goes for Eve!” Matt couldn’t argue. Eve is too good for me, but that doesn’t mean I want to live the rest of my life without her.
Eve was looking at him expectantly. Matt wasn’t ready to share all of Bo’s information. He carefully tucked the note in his pocket and returned Eve’s pen to her. “Bo’s asked me to be his best man at their wedding in June. Ren and I are sharing the duties.” Before Eve could say anything, their lunch arrived.
Matt was chewing on his first bite when Ashley called. Her bubbling cheer eased his nervousness.
“Can I talk to Eve a minute, Daddy?” Ashley asked.
Matt hesitated. Nothing had been decided. They were still in the early stages of negotiations at this point. “How ’bout we call you later? When we know what’s going on?”
“You haven’t asked her?” Ashley squealed.
“We’re eating, Ashley. And I keep getting phone calls. Now, go home and be a good girl so your mother doesn’t keep you grounded until you’re forty.” Apparently his stern tone didn’t hold much authority because she was laughing when she hung up.
Matt turned off the phone and dropped it in his jacket pocket. “There. Now we’re alone.”
“Excuse me,” a voice said. “I truly hate to interrupt. I promise you I never do this, but I have to ask. Are you Eve Masterson? The lady from the morning news?”
Matt stifled a groan and turned to look at a tiny, silver-haired woman in a thick winter coat. She wore a hand-knitted muffler that nearly touched the floor. At her side was a red-faced man Matt’s age.
“Yes, I am,” Eve said pleasantly after touching her napkin to her lips. “Can I help you?”
“No, dear, you already have, and I just wanted to say thank you. My son says it’s gauche to approach famous people when they’re eating, but at my age it doesn’t pay to wait for anything or anybody.”
Eve smiled warmly. “It’s not a problem.”
The woman gave her son a “so-there” look, then said, “I just wanted to tell you how much that story you did on teen suicide helped our family. It may have saved my granddaughter’s life. When you listed those warning signs of teen depression, a bell went off in my head, and I called my daughter-in-law at work and told her she needed to get Amy into counseling right away.”
Eve reached out and clasped the woman’s gloved hand. “I’m so glad it helped.”
“No, dear, you helped. It was plain to see how much that other girl’s death affected you. That’s what made me stop what I was doing and listen. It was you, as much as your words, that made a difference. I just wanted you to know.”
Matt sensed Eve fighting to maintain her composure. She rose and gracefully embraced the woman. “You have no idea how much this has meant to me. Thank you for stopping, for sharing that with me. I hope your granddaughter lives a long, happy life.”
When the two departed, Eve returned to her seat with a long, deep sigh. “Life works in amazing ways. An hour ago I was ready to chuck everything. Hide out at my parents’ home for a few months licking my wounds, then maybe—” she stressed the word “—start looking for a new job.”
Matt stopped chewing. “Does that mean Communitex fired you?”
“Not exactly. A Christian network looking for a way into the Internet market bought out Communitex. The building, the equipment, stock, everything. They even agreed to keep all the staff in place—except for a couple of us,” she added with a rueful grin.
“According to the new owners, I’m emblematic of what’s wrong with broadc
asting in general.”
Matt sat back in shock. “How do you feel about that?”
“Relieved, I think. I was prepared to live up to my obligations but, in truth, I’m not sure I could handle an eight-to-five day yet. And turning Communitex around would have taken superhuman commitment. My heart just wasn’t in it.”
“What’s going to happen to Barry?”
She frowned. “Other than that his father has threatened to disown him, I haven’t a clue.” She sighed. “In all honesty, after this morning I think I can see how come Barry’s so screwed up. Having a rich, powerful parent doesn’t necessarily ensure you’re going to be happy and well adjusted.
“Barry was so determined to make his father acknowledge him, he became blind to everything else.”
“At your expense,” Matt added with feeling.
She shrugged. “I was a problem he didn’t count on. A very costly problem, since Communitex is giving me back wages and a substantial severance package.” She snickered. “I heard his father tell Barry he’s selling the Rolls to pay for it. Poor Barry. He loved that car.”
Matt didn’t want to talk about Barry. Instead, he said, “I think it’s great. About your job. That means you’re footloose and fancy free.”
She blinked. “Losing my job is a good thing? Are you crazy? You heard that lady—I do good work, Matt. I help people. I’m not just a pretty face.”
The last was said with such passion that nearby diners stopped mid-bite to look at them. There was a groundswell of murmuring. Matt thought he heard someone mention Eve’s name.
He rose, dropped three twenties on the table and put out his hand to Eve. “Let’s walk.”
A warm spell had cleared away any trace of winter, but the breeze still held a bite. Matt turned the corner out of the wind, and pulled Eve into his arms. He kissed her, hard and fast—something he’d been dying to do from the moment she walked out of that boardroom. So much for my honorable intentions.
“Thanks,” he whispered, brushing her bottom lip with his thumb. “I needed that.”
She smiled, her eyes slightly out of focus. “No problem. It was the perfect dessert.”
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