Ashley’s head spun. When Jennifer had been queen of the Morgan manor she’d never noticed Ashley’sneed for cash and hadn’t cared that Ashley had accumulated numerous student loans in interior design, like there were jobs to be had, when the truth was the opposite. Her years of being on her own screamed in her memory as she raised her voice. “Need? Family is something that you have no problem using to get what you want.”
Jennifer reached out and hugged her, like that fixed anything,and said, “I promised to make it up to you. That means helping you win Matt’s heart. I already booked us spa appointments. Tell Matt I agreed to part-time help but that includes tomorrow morning at 8 AM. We’ll use our time to strategize.”
And get Jennifer’s coffee and whatever else she needed. Ashley let go fast but at the same time prayed that Jennifer told the truth. “He doesn’t wanta blonde.”
Jennifer picked up her script and checked her hair in her mirror. “I’ve never seen him without one.” She then headed to the door. “I have to go to the green room. Go tell your Romeo you’ll take his job.”
She flung it open and Ashley followed her. “Jennifer…”
Her cousin stopped in her tracks and turned on her blue heels. “Yeah?”
Her cousin wasn’t the problemin her life. Jennifer had let her on set, and while Ashley had been ignored growing up, she wouldn’t have wanted the pressure their mothers had heaped on Jennifer. She took her cousin’s hand. “Thanks for helping. I half expected you to be like our mothers.”
Her brown eyes were expressive and the storm inside was clear before she turned away. “Oh goodness. Never bring her up to me again.”
Right. Neither one of them wanted one more minute of the past. “Fair enough.”
They walked to the door and Ashley said, “Jennifer?”
“Yeah,” Jennifer replied in a low voice.
Ashley hoped no one heard her but she said fast, “You’re not a bad cousin. You don’t have to make up anything to me.”
Jennifer turned on her heels. “I want to help you—it’s like helping myself.My son, Cosimo, is pretty special. Once you meet him you’ll understand why I named you his guardian if something happened to me.”
She hadn’t met Cosimo yet because Ashley hadn’t wanted to see another baby after giving birth to one that wasn’t hers. And nothing was going to happen to Jennifer. Her cousin was always over-dramatic.
Avoidance of children meant Ashley didn’t think orfeel anything about her time as a surrogate; Jennifer’s pregnancy had made everything stranger.
Ashley couldn’t avoid the lightning strikes in her mind like she’d given away her own child which wasn’t logical as she hadn’t, but she smiled like she was happy as she asked, “When do I get to meet him?”
Jennifer held her script and headed into the set area. “Tomorrow. He makes me wantto be a better person all around.”
Her cousin motioned for Ashley to stay in the hall. No problem. With a bit of a lie on her tongue she said, “I’m looking forward to it.”
Her heart screamed that no, she didn’t want to see any child. Especially Jennifer’s. But she lifted her hand and waved.
She had to get over this phobia. One day maybe she’d be ready to have kids of her ownbut she wasn’t in a hurry.
Her entire body was fired up and she turned to go, crashing into a wall of muscles. She glanced up—today was too amazing, she thought, as she brushed against the man of her dreams. She stepped back and massaged her nape. “Matt.”
He stared down his nose, holding his script in his hand. “Ashley, I thought you were running away from me.”
The opposite.She’d flown three thousand miles to see him. “Why?”
“I‘m spoiled, I guess. Women usually line up to talk to me.”
“I said an hour.”
“You did.”
She went up on her tiptoes in her tennis shoes and asked, “Do you have a minute?”
He motioned with his head toward a room with a star on the door and his name. “For you, yes. Come into my dressing room.”
Right. Lastyear she’d been in the same room with him, at his sister’s house, and he’d never seen her there. She hugged her waist as she crossed the threshold and immediately noticed the blonde comic book style character on the white walls. Jennifer’s room had makeup and props, but Matthew’s room was empty minus a couch and some books. She pointed toward the huge picture. “That’s an interesting piece.”
He closed the door behind her. “I like pop art. It makes me stop and think, plus I love bold colors and characters.”
