Again it was like everyone stared at her. Ashley had goosebumps but said, “I’ll go to her house.”
“I’ll go with you.” Matt massaged her back.
Ashley was in the center of a field where everyone saw everything she did and it made her uncomfortable. She hugged her waist. “You need to work.”
He shrugged and wrapped his arm around her shoulders to guide her back toward the door. “We can’t do much without her.” Her thumping pulse slowed once they stepped outside.
Away from everyone’s stares, she could almost breathe again when he said, “And besides, you didn’t want to go and see her baby. I understand.”
It was like he’d twisted a knife into her heart just as she wasabout to calm down. Cosimo. She swallowed as they headed back to the parking lot and said, “True. I’m happy you’re with me to go see what is wrong.”
They waved to the guard as they left and walked toward the motorcycle. “No worries. Does it make you feel better if I tell you Peter and Belle are delighted to be parents? You made two people very much in love extremely happy.”
She stoppedmidstride and her shoulders were a little lighter as she nodded and said, “Actually… yeah. I hear a lot how I ruined Jennifer’s life. It’s nice to know the baby is in a loving family and where he belongs.”
He handed her the helmet. “Why is Jennifer so extremely obsessed with my brother? I honestly don’t get it. Peter’s good-looking I guess, but he’s not the only one. And he’s kind of stuffy,like my father.”
Now that was a loaded question. Dollar signs weren’t the only thing Jennifer missed about Peter, as she had her own means of making a fabulous living.
Being queen was always Jennifer’s dream. She chewed her lip for a second and then stopped. No need to hurt herself over this, but she glanced down as she said, “I think she’s in love with the idea of the past and whatmight have been.”
He hopped on his motorcycle expecting her to get behind him as he said, “From what I understand, they broke up before he even met Belle.”
Ashley was never exactly good at explaining her cousin. Mostly because she didn’t understand Jennifer, which was probably why she’d been banned from talking about her as family for most of her life. She adjusted the helmet strapand chose her words carefully. “Jennifer is an amazing actress, but part of her… well part of her never quite grew up. She said she’s happy being a mother though so maybe that changed her too.”
“Maybe.” Matt drove off.
They headed back to his neighborhood.
She hadn’t realized how close Jennifer must live to him out here, but it made sense. This was the nice part of town andJennifer hated the smell of middle-class anything.
As they neared a mansion with a Romeo and Juliet style balcony on the second floor, she knew she was at Jennifer’s without asking.
They parked in the driveway. Matt took off his helmet and stole her breath away.
The most handsome man she’d ever met was now… hers.
She ignored the quickening in her pulse and took offher own helmet as she asked, “What do you know about Anthony?”
Matt put the helmets under the seat and met her gaze. For a moment she thought he wouldn’t tell her but then he said, “My half-brother’s in love with her. I’m not supposed to talk to any of my family about Jennifer or anything related to the movie. I probably shouldn’t go in with you. The family lawyers and her agent have strictcontracts.”
Right. Jennifer would have legal contracts galore with the mess she’d created, just to protect herself and her baby.
Ashley’s stomach twisted just thinking about the drama; however, she wasn’t her cousin. And she’d avoided every baby encounter since giving birth to an infant that wasn’t hers—last year seemed so surreal. “Your brothers aren’t here and you’ve come thisfar. I need you here, with me.”
He took her hand and nodded. “Okay. I’ll go to be with you.”
Good. At least they’d face this together. Hopefully nothing was wrong. Jennifer was a lot of different things but she wasn’t evil. Not always anyhow.
Ashley rang the doorbell and expected her cousin to throw open the door, but instead an older, rounder woman in a black maid’s outfitfrom last century answered.
The poor woman.
Jennifer would have dressed her like the hired help on purpose to show her elite status off, so she offered to shake her hand and said, “Hi. I’m Ashley-”
“Romero?” The woman clasped her hands together like she was the answer to her prayers, not accepting her greeting.
Strange. No one thought that about her, well ever. Ashleynodded and gingerly took a step inside, beside Matt, as she said, “Si.Yes.”