by Emerson Rose
Grace: Thank you, I’ll do anything to make it up to you. I’m so sorry.
Me: Can you find out how the information got back to Caroline?
Grace: I’ll try.
Me: Thanks. Watch your drinking, please.
Grace: I will.
I drop the phone into my drawer and shut it. No more interruptions today, unless they’re from Ridge about a tropical getaway.
Later, after David’s wrestling meet when we approach our apartment building, there is a group of people hanging around outside the front doors. In our neighborhood, people congregating in doorways is always a bad thing that should be avoided, but it’s chilly out, and we don’t have anywhere else to go.
“What’s with all those people?” David asks slowing his pace.
“I don’t know, but they don’t look like gangbangers.”
“Nah, they’re dressed too nice.”
“Okay, just stay close and hurry.” I take his hand, and when we step up to the doors, a man turns around and says something to the rest of the group. That’s when it hits me. They’re paparazzi. Shit, news travels fast. “David, it’s the press, keep your head down and don’t say anything.”
We move through the journalists huddling together with cameras flashing in our eyes. There are questions flying at us from every direction. How long have you been dating Ridge Noble? Is he abusive? Why has he been in hiding for so long? Did he tell you the truth about what he did to Livi Fox?
We are almost clear of them when that last question stops me in my tracks. I push David inside and turn to face them in the doorway. They quiet a bit waiting to hear what I’m going to say, and without thinking, I shoot my mouth off and defend Ridge. “Mr. Noble was acquitted of all charges against him in that case. And if you’ve forgotten what the definition of acquittal is, it means he did not do what Ms. Fox accused him of doing. That’s how the justice system works. And it was five years ago, he’s innocent, leave it be.”
I pull the door shut and race up the five flights of stairs with them on my heels. When I get to our apartment, David has the door unlocked. I push him in and slam the door before locking all four locks and sliding the chain in place. “Damn, Ally, did they follow you upstairs?”
“Yeah, they’ll probably sit there all night. Shit, what have I done?”
I drop my bag and pace the floor. “What do you mean?”
“I lied to my boss today. I told her I didn’t know Ridge, and then I went and defended him out there just now.” My phone rings in my bag, and I drop it on the table so I can dig it out. Ridge’s handsome face appears on the screen, and I answer right away.
“Ridge, the paparazzi are here. They just ambushed David and me at our apartment.”
“I was afraid of that. They’re here, too, outside the gate two miles from the house, but they’re here.”
“Oh my God. I’m so sorry.”
“Are you okay? They didn’t touch you, did they?”
“No but…”
“But what?”
“I think I screwed up. I may have defended you. And I told my boss I didn’t know you this afternoon so...”
“What exactly did you say?”
“That you were acquitted of all charges, and they should leave you alone.”
“That’s good. You didn’t say anything an employee of the magazine wouldn’t know. You can just say you followed the story when it happened.”
“But they’re at your place, too. They know where you are, what are we going to do?”
“Nothing. They can’t get to me here. We have too much security. I want you and David to come here for a while. Take your vacation time that you said you have saved up. Tell them you have a family emergency or something. I need you here where I can keep you safe.”
“But what about David?”
“He’s almost finished with school for the summer, isn’t he?”
“Yes, this is his last week.”
“Perfect. I’ll send the jet to get you in the morning, and a car will be at your door to take you to the airport. Can you get out of the building safely?”
“Yeah, I mean they’re outside my door, but we can push through if there’s a car at the curb.”
“I’ll send someone up to your apartment. Give me your address.”
I rattle off my address without thinking and open the door to our storage closet to get our suitcases out while we talk.
“Allison.”
“What?”
“Please tell me you gave me the wrong address. This is a terrible part of Brooklyn.”
Could this day get any worse? I never told Ridge we live in one of the most dangerous areas of New York. I didn’t want him to worry, but now he knows.
“No, that’s where we live.”
I hear him sigh heavily into the phone. “We’re going to talk about this when you get here.”
“There’s nothing to talk about. This is where we live, and until I get a promotion at work, this is where we will continue to live.”
“Not if I can help it,” he murmurs under his breath.
“What?”
“Nothing. Pack your things, call your boss, and be ready to go at seven in the morning.”
“Okay, and Ridge.”
“Yes.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Stop saying that.”
“But I am sorry. If you never met me, your life would still be private and quiet. You wouldn’t be dealing with all this shit.”
“Angel, if I had never met you, I would be a lonely, bitter man hiding from life. Baby, you lit my heart on fire when I met you. You showed me how to love again. I wouldn’t change that for anything in the world. So stop apologizing for being the best thing that’s ever happened to me, dammit.”
I’m stunned into silence, but I manage to whisper, “Okay.”
“I’ll see you tomorrow. I love you, don’t you ever forget that.”
He says that every time he says I love you—don’t you ever forget that. Like it would even be possible to forget a love as big as his?
“I won’t. I love you, too. I’ll love you for a million years and forever.”
I swear I can hear him smile through the phone when he repeats, “For a million years and forever. Goodbye, angel.”
“Goodbye, Ridge.”
15
Ridge
Fun In The Sun
Fucking reporters. From my office, I can monitor any part of Silversage’s 250,000 acres, but right now I’m focused on one area—the front gate. Fifty or more reporters and photographers are milling around on the road two miles from the main house. What they think they’re going to see from out there I have no idea. There isn’t a telephoto lens long enough to see that far and even if they could, it would be the front of a house, nothing else, nothing to do with me.
And that’s why they’re there—to snap a picture of me and slap it on the front of one of their magazines to go along with a scandalous story about me hiding out for five years because I felt guilty for being acquitted of all charges filed by Livi Fox.
Well, they’re going to be very disappointed to learn I’ve left out a secret entrance to go to the airport. I wonder how long they’ll sit there before they get tired and go home. Will it be days? Weeks? I hope it’s soon, so Ash and Stella don’t have to deal with them. I feel like I’ve brought the black plague to their home, and now I’m leaving them to clean up my mess.
But, they have a security system here, and the ranch is huge and secluded. Allison and David have no one in New York to protect them from the madness of the press. They need me more, and since it’s my shitty past that has brought the paparazzi to their door, it’s my responsibility to keep them safe.
I call Ash to make sure it’s okay with him if I send the jet to New York, and I ask about staying in his new house in Malibu. I feel guilty asking to use the house he recently bought, and it’s going to be a surprise for Stella when he is done renovating it. But Ash is gracious and generous as always. “
Oh, go ahead, please. It’s just sitting out there empty. Somebody may as well be getting some use out of it.”
When the arrangements are made, I lie down in bed fully dressed and close my eyes to think about seeing Allison again tomorrow. I figured the long-distance thing would be hard, but I never imagined it would be this hard.
The second she’s out of my sight, I mourn the loss of her warm hand in mine, her kind eyes on me, and her curvy body pressed against mine. There’s an emptiness inside me when we are apart, a void that only she can fill. I not only want her by my side, but I also need her there.
Twenty minutes later, I receive a frantic call from Allison. She’s worried about meeting in Montana and rightly so after she defended me to the reporters outside her apartment. We decided it best to meet somewhere neither of us has been before, and that’s when Ash’s new California vacation home came to mind. No one will look for us there, and we could all use a real vacation.
In the morning, I consider calling Allison to make sure plans are on schedule, but I’m sure she has a million other things on her mind. A call from me would just slow her down. I packed the night before, so I head down to make sure no one needs anything from me before I go.
Ash is in his office sitting behind his computer, but he’s dressed to be on the land today. “I think you may have confused your attire today, looks like you’re supposed to be on a horse and not at your desk,” I say strolling in and taking a seat opposite him.
“Nope, I forgot I had some reports to send out this morning. I’m only here for a few minutes. Are you all ready for your trip?”
“Yes, but I’m concerned about the gathering of reporters out front. I don’t feel right leaving you to deal with all that when it’s my fault they’re here.”
“Well, don’t. I don’t have a lot of places I need to go for a while. Lord knows there’s enough work around here to keep me busy. Not to mention Stella is back to studying while she takes care of Lydia and Cannon, so she’s not going anywhere either. They could sit out there for weeks and not disturb any of us.”
“Okay, as long as you’re sure.”
“I am. Go take care of your lady and check out my new investment.” Ash is going to try to pay me for taking a vacation in his new house. He claims I will be surveying the property and providing upkeep while we are there. But he’s crazy if he thinks I’ll accept a dime more than my vacation pay. He’s given me enough.”
I stop to say goodbye to Stella in her office, kiss little Lydia on the forehead, and side hug Cannon before leaving for the airport. I’ve always felt at ease with Stella, but now that I’ve delivered her baby, I feel like a big brother, and Lydia is my niece. The Pride family is just as much family to me as my own, maybe more.
Outside, I take a deep cleansing breath before getting behind the wheel. It’s time to get my girl and spend some serious time in the sun with her and her brother.
16
Allison
Pack Up, We’re Going To So Cal
I turn to David who is perched on the edge of the couch waiting to hear what we are doing and why I have our suitcases out. “We’re going to Montana for a while until this all blows over. You’re going to have to miss the last two days of school.”
“That’s cool, but Montana? Sounds boring.” One side of his lip lifts like it does when I cook Brussels sprouts for dinner.
“It won’t be boring, I promise. Ridge lives in a mansion on a ranch. It’s not a log cabin in the wilderness, David.”
“Still, what am I supposed to do all the time while you two are doing… whatever you guys do?”
“Oh, I don’t know, maybe swim in the Olympic-size pool, ride horses, drive a tractor, play video games with Cannon, watch movies in their home theater… do I need to go on?”
“No, no, you had me at drive a tractor,” he says smiling. That smile brings my stress level down and joy to my heart, it always has. Everything I’ve done since our father died was for David. If I screwed up his life by falling in love with the wrong man, I’d never forgive myself.
“We need to pack. I have some phone calls to make. He said to be ready at seven tomorrow morning, and I’d pack for two weeks.”
“Two weeks!” he says jumping up from the couch.
“We might not be gone that long but just in case. And we might not stay in Montana the whole time either so pack some summer clothes, too.”
“Where else are we going?”
“He mentioned a tropical vacation, but nothing’s set in stone yet.”
“Tropical like Jamaica or Hawaii?”
“Those are very expensive places, don’t get your hopes up.”
“Okay, anywhere is cool considering I’ve never been out of New York.”
That stings a little. I’ve never been able to afford a real family vacation. It’s been a struggle enough to keep food on the table and a roof over our heads.
“Sorry, I wasn’t trying to make you feel bad.” He puts his arm around my shoulders for a squeeze. “This will be cool, and I finally get to meet this guy you’re always flying off to see.”
I snuggle against him for a moment and pat his chest. “I think you’ll like him. He’s a good guy.”
“Cool. I’m gonna shower and pack. What’s for dinner?” I roll my eyes. This kid eats more than a small village.
“I don’t know yet. I’ll see what we have.”
I go into my bedroom and shut the door to call my boss. I make up a lie about needing time off. She wasn’t happy, in fact, she was downright rude, but she gave me the rest of the week off so I can’t complain. Now I’m calling Grace to see if she knows anything about the damn reporters outside Ridge’s and my door.
“Hey, what’s up?” she says.
“Well, thirty plus reporters were outside my door when I got home for starters. Have you heard anything around the office about Caroline digging into Ridge’s past?”
“You have paparazzi outside your apartment? What the hell?”
“My words precisely.”
“What do they want?”
“Information about Ridge. They still act like he was found guilty. It’s ridiculous. I didn’t think anybody would care after all this time, but apparently, they’re still siding with Livi.”
“I haven’t heard anything at work today, but it’s too big of a coincidence that Caroline asked you about Ridge today and now your apartment’s swarming with reporters.”
“They’re at Ridge’s in Montana, too.”
“No, shit? Is his boss pissed?”
“I don’t think so. The house is set a couple of miles from the main road, so they aren’t near the house, and Ash knows about Ridge’s past. He’s very understanding.”
“Well, that’s good anyway. So what are you going to do?”
“I just called in at work and told them I had a family emergency and wouldn’t be in the rest of the week. Can you back me up on that in case anyone asks?”
“Sure, but are you going to stay holed up in your apartment until they go away? Because I know a couple of reporters, and they can be stubborn… they’ll wait forever.”
“No, we’re going to Ridge’s in the morning.”
“Won’t that look suspicious if the reporters see you leaving with suitcases? Oh, and showing up at Ridge’s will make it even worse. I’m pretty sure Caroline will know you were lying about your boyfriend by the end of the day tomorrow.”
“Maybe sooner. I defended him to the reporters tonight. I didn’t say anything about our relationship, but I reminded them that he was found not guilty. I might not have a job to come back to next week.”
“I told you she can’t fire you for that. It doesn’t even make sense to. She’d be losing a great connection to a story it sounds like she wants to tell. She needs you.”
“But I lied to her face, and I just lied to my boss about a family emergency. I don’t even have family in Montana, but my aunt just fell ill and is on her deathbed there.”
“They let you off f
or two days for a dying aunt? I couldn’t even get one day when my grandpa died to go to his funeral. Something about that smells fishy. Maybe Caroline wants you to go to Montana so she can prove you’re Ridge’s girlfriend and pump you for information when you get back?”
“You could be right, and that’s why Melissa was so rude to me. She’s being forced to give me the time off when we have a million things on the schedule this week.”
“Yep, you’re screwed. You guys should meet somewhere instead of going to the ranch.”
“That’s a good idea. We were thinking about going on vacation anyway. I need to call Ridge.”
“Okay, honey. Be safe wherever you go, and call to let me know you’re all right tomorrow.”
“I will, thanks, Grace.”
“No problem. Bye.”
“Bye.” I hang up and dial Ridge’s number.
“What’s wrong?” he says again when he answers.
“You know you can say hello before you go asking me that, don’t you?”
“Hello, what’s wrong?”
“Hi, and nothing, well sort of. I was just talking to Grace, and she made a couple of good points.”
“I’m listening.”
“First of all, it’s hard to get time off at work, and they gave me two days off with no questions asked. Grace thinks my boss might be trying to set a trap with the reporters to prove we are dating. If they see me leave here and arrive there, well you know, one and one make two.”
“Why do you think your boss cares if we’re dating?”
“The article… she wants to open things back up just like you thought. If she proves we’re dating, she can lean on me hard about getting an interview.”
“That does make sense. You made a couple of good points. What’s the other one?”
“She suggested we meet somewhere instead of going to the ranch. It’ll throw the reporters off.”
“I was thinking about that myself. Ash has a vacation home in California. I’ve already made the arrangements, but you’ll still need to be ready at seven, okay?”