don’t even know me.”
“That’s not true. And it’s not throwing Byron under the bus if he willingly agrees. The situation is under control,” he said again, as if it was a mantra.
She wasn’t sure she believed that, no matter how many times he said it. “You don’t even
know
me,” she repeated. “Yesterday you wouldn’t have just thrown me under the bus to stay on message—you would have backed the bus over me a few times for good measure.”
“I know you breed award-winning horses, rescue dogs, name your cats after aging pop singers and will do anything for your friends, even if it puts you in the line of fire.” He glanced over at her. “I know you prefer jeans and boots but that you can wear a dress as well as any woman I’ve ever seen. I know that once you were a rock star but now you’re not.”
Her cheeks warmed at the compliments, but then she realized what he’d said. Rock star? She’d played a rock star on television. Most people considered her an actress first—if they considered her a musician at all.
Unless... There was something going on here, something that she had to figure out right now. “You recognized me. Right away.”
He didn’t respond immediately, but she saw him grip the steering wheel even tighter. “Everyone recognizes you. You saw what happened at lunch today.”
“Women recognize me,” she clarified. “Who watched the show when they were kids.”
“I’m sure they do.” Did he sound tense? He did.
She was getting closer to that
something
. “Did you watch my show?”
“Frances did.” He sounded as if he was talking through gritted teeth. “My younger sister.”
“Did you watch it with her?”
The moment stretched long enough that he really didn’t have to answer. He used to watch the show. He used to watch
her
. “Did you see me in concert? Is that why you called me a rock star?”
In response, he honked the horn and jerked the car across two lanes. “Stupid drivers,” he muttered.
Normally, she wouldn’t want to know. She didn’t want people’s version of her past to project onto her present. But she needed to know—was this the reason why he’d run so hot and cold with her?
“Matthew.”
“Yes, okay? I used to watch your show with Frances and Byron. Frances, especially, was a huge fan. We never missed an episode. It was the only time when I could
make
time for them, make sure they didn’t feel forgotten by the family. Our father had already moved on to another wife, another set of new children and another mistress. He never had time for them, for any of us. And I didn’t want my brother and sister to grow up like I had. So I watched the show with them. Every single one of them. And then your concert tour came through Denver the week before their fifteenth birthday, so I got them front-row tickets and took them. Our father had forgotten it was their birthday, but I didn’t.”
She sat there, flabbergasted. Jo had said Hardwick Beaumont was a bastard of a man, but to not even remember your own kids’ birthdays?
“And...and you were amazing, all right? I’d always wondered if you really did the singing and guitar on the show or if it was dubbed. But it was all you up on that stage. You put on a hell of a show.” His voice trailed off, as if he was lost in the memory, impressed with her musical talents all over again. “I’d always...” He sighed heavily.
“What? You’d always
what
?”
“I’d always had a crush on you.” His voice was quiet, as if he couldn’t believe he was saying the words out loud. “Seeing you in person—seeing how talented you really were—only made it worse. But then the show got canceled and you went off the rails and I felt...stupid. Like I’d fallen for a lie. I’d let myself be tricked because you were so pretty and talented. I was in college by then—it really wasn’t cool to crush on a teen star. And the headlines—every time you made headlines, I felt tricked all over
“That’s not true. And it’s not throwing Byron under the bus if he willingly agrees. The situation is under control,” he said again, as if it was a mantra.
She wasn’t sure she believed that, no matter how many times he said it. “You don’t even
know
me,” she repeated. “Yesterday you wouldn’t have just thrown me under the bus to stay on message—you would have backed the bus over me a few times for good measure.”
“I know you breed award-winning horses, rescue dogs, name your cats after aging pop singers and will do anything for your friends, even if it puts you in the line of fire.” He glanced over at her. “I know you prefer jeans and boots but that you can wear a dress as well as any woman I’ve ever seen. I know that once you were a rock star but now you’re not.”
Her cheeks warmed at the compliments, but then she realized what he’d said. Rock star? She’d played a rock star on television. Most people considered her an actress first—if they considered her a musician at all.
Unless... There was something going on here, something that she had to figure out right now. “You recognized me. Right away.”
He didn’t respond immediately, but she saw him grip the steering wheel even tighter. “Everyone recognizes you. You saw what happened at lunch today.”
“Women recognize me,” she clarified. “Who watched the show when they were kids.”
“I’m sure they do.” Did he sound tense? He did.
She was getting closer to that
something
. “Did you watch my show?”
“Frances did.” He sounded as if he was talking through gritted teeth. “My younger sister.”
“Did you watch it with her?”
The moment stretched long enough that he really didn’t have to answer. He used to watch the show. He used to watch
her
. “Did you see me in concert? Is that why you called me a rock star?”
In response, he honked the horn and jerked the car across two lanes. “Stupid drivers,” he muttered.
Normally, she wouldn’t want to know. She didn’t want people’s version of her past to project onto her present. But she needed to know—was this the reason why he’d run so hot and cold with her?
“Matthew.”
“Yes, okay? I used to watch your show with Frances and Byron. Frances, especially, was a huge fan. We never missed an episode. It was the only time when I could
make
time for them, make sure they didn’t feel forgotten by the family. Our father had already moved on to another wife, another set of new children and another mistress. He never had time for them, for any of us. And I didn’t want my brother and sister to grow up like I had. So I watched the show with them. Every single one of them. And then your concert tour came through Denver the week before their fifteenth birthday, so I got them front-row tickets and took them. Our father had forgotten it was their birthday, but I didn’t.”
She sat there, flabbergasted. Jo had said Hardwick Beaumont was a bastard of a man, but to not even remember your own kids’ birthdays?
“And...and you were amazing, all right? I’d always wondered if you really did the singing and guitar on the show or if it was dubbed. But it was all you up on that stage. You put on a hell of a show.” His voice trailed off, as if he was lost in the memory, impressed with her musical talents all over again. “I’d always...” He sighed heavily.
“What? You’d always
what
?”
“I’d always had a crush on you.” His voice was quiet, as if he couldn’t believe he was saying the words out loud. “Seeing you in person—seeing how talented you really were—only made it worse. But then the show got canceled and you went off the rails and I felt...stupid. Like I’d fallen for a lie. I’d let myself be tricked because you were so pretty and talented. I was in college by then—it really wasn’t cool to crush on a teen star. And the headlines—every time you made headlines, I felt tricked all over
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