What I Did for Love (Wynette, Texas #5)(90)

“Don’t say that. You’re a brilliant performer.”

“Spoken like a true agent.” She knew what she had to do. Bram, of all people, had shown her. “I don’t think people should live their lives just going through the motions. I want more from myself.”

“I understand that, but—”

“I want to play Helene in Tree House.”

Laura blinked. “Wow. I didn’t see that coming. That’s…quite a different part for you. Bram has…agreed to this?”

“He owes me an audition. I know I can do it. It’s a role that excites me, and I’m going to put everything I have into landing it.”

“Of course you have my support, but…”

“We’d better get inside.” She squeezed Laura’s wrist, a gesture of regret, and led her across the veranda.

The police were at the gate, and Bram met Georgie in the foyer to see everyone off. Aaron appeared with a notepad and asked Lance and Jade for their autographs. “Would you sign these to Chaz?” He passed the notepad and a pen to Jade. “Maybe something about liking her food. She’s too embarrassed to ask for herself.”

Jade looked blank.

“Our housekeeper,” Georgie said. “The girl who’s been making our meals all weekend.”

“Oh, yes…”

Bram snorted.

Jade signed, then tapped her foot, impatient to go. Lance hung back, still waiting for Georgie’s forgiveness. The wounds he’d inflicted on her began ticking through her head. But she’d played the filmstrip too many times, and watching it had grown boring. She thought of all the things she could say to hurt him, but that proved to be boring, too.

She narrowed her eyes at him. “You’re absolved, Lancelot. Go and sin no more.”

Bram’s hand settled in the small of her back and rubbed.

“Do you mean it?” Lance said. “You’ve forgiven me?”

“Why not? It’s hard to hold on to a grudge when you don’t care anymore. Besides, you have enough trouble on your hands.”

“What do you mean by that?”

She meant that Jade never looked at Lance the way Lance looked at Jade, with such single-minded adoration. Jade probably loved him in her own way, but not as much as he loved her, and that didn’t bode well for a man with such massive insecurities.

Revenge came in strange forms, but she only said, “Changing the world isn’t easy, and the two of you have your work cut out for you.”

She’d given him what he wanted, but she saw that it didn’t make him entirely happy. Some part of him had liked her suffering—just a little bit—and he wasn’t quite ready to let it go. She smiled and looped her arm through Bram’s. Lance scowled, and Jade glanced at her watch, oblivious to it all.

As they finally left, Bram chuckled softly in her ear, “Impressive. Since when did you grow up?”

“Your influence, I’m sure,” she said dryly. But in a way it was true. Life was moving too fast for her to waste time gnawing over wounds that had healed when she wasn’t paying attention.

Meg announced that she was moving back home for a while. “Now that I know Bram’s not beating you, I’ll leave you alone.” She shot Bram her version of her father’s Bird Dog Caliber squint. “But don’t think I won’t be checking up on you.”

Finally, only Paul remained. “I’ve drafted a statement to the media that I suggest you release as soon as possible.”

Georgie automatically bristled, but Bram stepped in. “What do we have to say in this statement?”

“Exactly what you’d expect.” Paul passed over the paper he was holding. “How grateful you both are that the two women in the hospital are feeling better…The past is the past…You both couldn’t be more supportive of the good work Jade and Lance are doing. Et cetera. Et cetera.”

“Who knew we were so civilized?” Georgie said.

Bram nodded. “Sounds good to me. Aaron can take care of it.” He handed the paper off to Georgie, then headed for his office with the jaunty step of a man who’d just won the lottery.

“What are you doing this afternoon?” Paul asked.

She dreaded telling him she’d canceled the Greenberg meeting. “I have a ton of paperwork to catch up on.”

“Do it later. The helicopters have flown off. What do you say the two of us go for a swim?”

“A swim?”

“I saw some extra trunks in the guesthouse. I’ll meet you at the pool.” He set off without waiting for her agreement, which was so typical. She stomped upstairs and took her time pulling on a lemon-yellow bikini, then wrapping a beach towel around her waist. She’d been through enough these past few days, and she wasn’t ready to plunge into what was guaranteed to be an ugly scene.

He waited for her in the pool, standing awkwardly in the middle of the water. He swam for exercise, not for enjoyment, and he looked odd just standing there. She dropped the towel, sat on the edge of the pool near the steps, and took her time dipping her toes in the water. “I need to talk to you about the meeting tomorrow. I spoke to Laura, and—”

“Let’s swim.”

He loved career talks, especially when they involved upcoming meetings with producers and directors. He could go on forever about the attitude she should project and what she should say. She looked at him curiously, trying to figure out why he was being so weird.