Page 91 of Rowdy Hearts

She looked so damn serious when she said that, but I saw the humor lurking in her eyes.

“True, but I’ve got a pair of overalls I can wear if that’s what you’re into.”

I tugged her down for a kiss as her quiet laughter and the look in her eyes activated something so raw in me, I was worried I’d say the wrong thing. Her heated response gave me goosebumps. This was what had been missing from my life up until now.

She pulled back slowly, her eyes opening to look into mine. “I guess we can stay another day.”

I barely restrained myself from doing a victory dance. Would’ve been hella awkward, but then again, she would’ve laughed, and I loved to make this lady laugh.

“But, Rowdy…” her gaze got somber, “we can’t stay forever.”

“Then I’ll take what I can get for now.”

And I’d figure out how to make her see that this is where she belonged.

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

Tressy

“Hello,again, Ms. Meyers. This is Dana Yeh from Viewpoint Media. I just wanted you to know that we are running the article on Denee Henning this week. When I called you last week, I mentioned there were rumors we wanted to clear up. And since they deal directly with you, I really wanted to speak with you before we run the piece.”

The reporter paused and my stomach rolled. The rushing in my ears was nearly drowned out by the noise of the busy farm, where hundreds of people picked pumpkins, petted goats, ran through a corn maze and loaded into a wagon filled with actual hay. When Rowdy had parked his truck in the lot, I’d actually looked for signs that this was a film set. I mean, seriously, it looked like it’d fit perfectly in a TV romcom.

Then my phone had buzzed with a call, but Krista was bouncing in her seat, ready to be let loose with all the other kids, and I’d let the call go to voice mail. When I’d recognized thenumber as being from New York, Rowdy had offered to take Krista over to the petting zoo so I could listen to the message.

Now, I wish I hadn’t, because anxiety had me gripped by the throat.

“Look,” Dana Yeh continued, “I didn’t get into this business to be the paparazzi. I honestly don’t want to ruin your life, but these rumors have the potential to be…painful for your family. Please. Give me a call back.”

Looking out the front window as I erased the message, I watched Rowdy grin at Krista as she held food out to a tiny goat, who nuzzled at her hand. Krista turned to Rowdy and took his hand as if she’d been doing it forever, and they walked over to another pen with bunnies.

Panic lodged like a rock in my throat, making it hard to breathe.

She couldn’t know. How would she know?

There’d never been so much as a hint of a whisper before this.

Breathe. Just breathe.

First, I had to call back the reporter and find out if she knew anything definitive, or if she was still just fishing. And I needed to do it now while Rowdy had Krista entertained.

I tapped the redial button before I could second guess my decision.

“Ms. Yeh, this is Teresa Meyers.”

I heard her sigh through the line. “Thank you so much for calling me back.”

“You made it sound like I didn’t have much of a choice.” I made sure my tone held a hard edge. “What exactly do you need to talk to me about?”

“I really don’t want to do this over the phone but seeing as you’re not in the city at the moment, and there really is a time-sensitive aspect to this, I thought we should speak. The rumor I was referring to has to do with your daughter.”

The reporter continued to speak, laying out the story as sheknew it. And she had most of it right. Of course, she was completely wrong about one piece. Denee had taken a few secrets to her grave, but she’d assured me before her death that a lawyer had taken care of everything regarding that one aspect. And that it would never be a problem.

“Do you have any comment you want to make on the record, Ms. Meyers?”

The reporter finally stopped talking, and I took a moment to think about my response.

“My only comment,” I finally said, “is that, if your organization chooses to run this rumor, you’ll be sued, and not just by me. You’re erroneously dragging one of the most influential men in Hollywood into a pissing match because your publisher is trying to make a name for himself. And Ms. Yeh? I really hope you think twice before allowing your name to be associated with a story built on the back of a six-year-old child.”

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