Page 32 of Rushing Into Love

Only one person came to mind: Shayna.

She was probably out of rehab by now. Funds could be running low, so she was working her asset chain, trying to get more money out of me. We had an ironclad settlement, but that could all change if she somehow managed to get her parental rights back. She could try to get time with Charlie and claim she needed child support. I put nothing past that woman.

Having avoided Main Street, I instead jogged through several interconnecting neighborhoods on the north side of town, not too far from the town square. I realized this was the neighborhood where Bree’s sister lived. Without overthinking it, I scrolled through my phone, finding her address on the team roster, and jogged to her door.

The house was a whitewashed brick Colonial, with black shutters and window boxes of blooming perennials. Bree’s rental car was in the driveway, so she was probably there.

Ringing the doorbell, I shifted from foot to foot, glancing at my watch.Shit, it was only 8:45 AM on a Sunday. Maybe too early for a house call.

After a few minutes, a woman came to the door. Taller than Bree by an inch or two, she had darker hair and brown eyes, but there was definitely a similarity between the two.

“Uh, hey, is Bree here?” I tried not to sound nervous.

“Yes. I’m her sister, Brooklyn. We’ve never formally met.” She extended her hand to me politely.

“Good to meet you. I’m Ryder. McCauliffe.” I offered my hand and she shook it.

“Nice to officially meet you, Ryder. Come in.” She stepped aside so I could enter, closed the door behind us. The house was as tidy on the inside as it was on the outside. I noticed a lot of expensive-looking furniture and a whole lot of white. Not exactly cozy, but beautifully decorated.

“Let me grab her. Would you like something to drink, a glass of water?” she offered, leading me down a hallway into the kitchen.

“No, I’m good, thanks,” I said, giving her a polite smile.

“Okay, make yourself comfortable. I’ll go get Bree.” She motioned to the bar stools to my left, then walked out, leaving me alone in the kitchen.

I stood there awkwardly, wishing I’d taken her up on that glass of water. My throat was suddenly scratchy and dry, partly from the run and partly from nerves. I still had my hood on, which would explain the sweating. Unzipping my jacket, I fidgeted with the zipper, not sure what I was going to say.Why was I even here?

“Hey.” I glanced up to see Bree standing in the doorway, wearing yoga pants with her hair pulled back in a neat ponytail. Even though I was pissed at her, she still looked damn good.

“Uh, hey,” I said, thrusting my hands into my pockets. “Can we talk somewhere?”

“Sure.” She pivoted and walked back the same way she’d come and I followed. Brooklyn had vanished, which was really considerate of her. My family would have been hanging around, eavesdropping to figure out what was going on.

I trailed Bree down a hallway lined with family photos, following her into a blush and gold bedroom. She quietly closed the door behind me. We stood in the middle of the room, a foot apart from each other, squaring off like boxers. Sitting wasn’t really an option, since seating was limited to either the bed or a fancy armchair, which looked to be mostly decorative.

Bree remained standing and cut right to the chase. “I’m assuming you’ve seen the article in theGazettethen.”

“Yeah, I’ve seen it.” I clenched my fists in the pockets of my sweatshirt, even though the room was too warm for it, and made steely eye contact.

“I want you to know I didn’t have anything to do with that article,” she said, shaking her head. “I don’t even understand how anyone got photos. Pax probably doesn’t even know where I am.” She looked away, clearly upset. Her hands fiddled with the hem of her T-shirt.

“You told me you cleared up the complications,” I said in a low voice, almost a growl.

“I did.” She bit her lower lip, wringing her hands. “Look…” Her voice broke and she paused. She glanced away again, taking a second to compose herself, before meeting my eyes. “The truth is, I found out he was cheating on me. He was supposed to be on location, filming, but I’m pretty sure he was somewhere else, hooking up with his co-star. I came here to lay low until he moved on with someone else, and then I met you. I broke up with him, officially, before I left LA, but the media didn’t fact-check that, I guess. And now I look horrible, my image is a disaster…”

Anger welled up inside me and I cut her off. “Your image? That’s what you’re worried about right now?” I stabbed a finger at the air in her direction. “Bree, this has seriously screwed up my life. I’ve spent the last four years hiding from the media, keeping a low profile, to protect my family. Now all of a sudden, I’m back in the spotlight—and surprise!—I’m being portrayed as a cheater on top of it all. Or at least complicit in cheating. Which doesn’t exactly look good for me, either, especially as a single parent.”

“I know it looks bad and your privacy has been compromised and I’m sorry. I feel awful.” She dropped her gaze to the carpet, tears shimmering in her eyes.

Even though I was still pissed, seeing her this upset made my chest tighten and I softened towards her.

“For what it’s worth, Pax and Iarebroken up.” Her emerald eyes met mine and my resolve began slipping.

“Well, that’s great,” I said, rubbing a hand over my jaw. I hadn’t had a chance to shave yet today, and the stubble scraped my skin. I was still knotted up with anger, but deep down, I understood this wasn’t really Bree’s fault.

“What do you want me to do, Ryder?” she asked. “Go back to LA, pretend we never met, deny it all? You tell me, you have way more experience with this than I do.”

A tear spilled onto her cheek, blazing a trail past her nose, down her sun-kissed face. I moved closer to her, wiping the tear away with my thumb.

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