“Oh? Who’s coming?” She waited for him behind the studio.
He held her tight while they headed to the parking lot. “Some of my family.”
“Who?” Her skin grew in awareness of him.
The contract had been altered so she could be near a Morgan now, but Peter and Belle had argued with each other about the contract so she’d avoided them.
They passedthe security guard and walked to the motorcycle as he said, “Peter, Belle, Luke, Caro, Elizabeth and Rafe.”
Wow. She’d given Belle and Peter their son and left them alone, as ordered. She’d worked with Caro for years, and Elizabeth a year. And she’d grown up knowing Rafe, first as Caro’s brother, then as Jennifer’s high school boyfriend, and later as her boss and Elizabeth’s husband. Thebest part of that job was their son Brandon, who had the same name as Matt’s current producer. They neared the motorcycle. “And their children? I bought a truck for Brandon, Elizabeth’s son”
“Yes.” Matt handed her the helmet.
She strapped it around her head. “Then we need to stop at the mall. I want to get Brandon a toy motorcycle for his car collection.”
“He does like cars.”Matt helped her get on the back.
Matt drove them to an upscale arts and crafts toy store on North Beverly Drive. She took off her helmet as he handed the keys to the valet.
“You have no idea how hard it was to clean sometimes with that boy playing with his cars.”
Matt took her hand. “Before we go inside, I wanted to say that you are allowed to invite your mother over too,if you want?”
Was he worried about his family and hers not mixing? Her face heated. She’d studied the Morgan family for years and was completely comfortable with Caro and Rafe as they’d practically been neighbors growing up. “Sure. I mean maybe if we’re planning a wedding or something in the future, but there is no need to subject you to that.”
He kissed her forehead. “Meeting yourmother won’t be a hardship.”
Shedidn’t want to see her mother, but how to say that in a way he’d understand? Ashley reached for the door to go inside. Matt stayed right behind her so she tried to explain., “My mother… I don’t talk to her much. If it’s life-changing where people might expect to see her with us, then I’ll call.”
“I know she works for Jennifer.”
“I honestlydon’t know what either her or my aunt do these days.”
She searched the aisles and couldn’t see a motorcycle, but a red fire truck was right up Brandon’s alley. She grabbed it and they headed to the register as Matt asked, “Did something happen when you were a girl?”
She handed over her credit card and shrugged as she signed. Too much had happened. “Other than I was expected to takecare of myself while she fawned over her niece?”
They waved goodbye to the cashier and Matt held the door for her. “That’s not specific.”
As they waited for the valet, she said, “She helped pay for Jennifer’s auditions to the extent that she couldn’t drive me to school, so I had to take the bus.”
The valet handed him his keys and Matt directed her toward the back of the motorcycle.“I always wanted to take a school bus. It seemed so… normal.”
Ha. At least then she’d have been on time. She fixed her helmet, put the small bag under the seat and said, “I wasn’t on the school bus. It was the regular bus for me.”
He motioned for her to get on. “Well, you never have to take the bus again.”
“True. The movie’s almost done filming and then I start working onmy own instead of an apprentice which will be fun. And buses aren’t really anything to miss.” She hugged him as he took off.
They were quiet on the ride home and she enjoyed the warm night air as it brushed against her skin.
Matt parked his motorcycle in the full driveway, she saw that people were already inside as the lights were on.
Time for his family. She straightenedher t-shirt and hoped the pins and needle sensation dissipated. As they headed up the steps, arm-in-arm, she decided to fight her nerves and be more confident in nicer clothes. She’d run up the stairs and change quickly into a dress.
Matt opened the door, but before she could bee-line for the staircase, Matt tugged her hand to stay with him.
She stopped short to explain what shewanted, but then Matt bent down to one knee.
