Page 63 of Bryce

“I love you.”

His eyes flared. “Inever get tired of hearing it. I think we’re done here.”

“Are we?”

“Hmm. I wantyou more than my next breath.”

She sucked in air.“In that case, let’s go.”

*****

They made the papers,and the reporters swarmed on the small town en mass. Splashed on thecovers of all the major magazines and the internet, there was nohiding anymore. The inn was inundated by calls and not to mention theones from her mother and his parents.

Some enterprisingreporter had dug up their connections from the past and was callingit ‘a storybook love story’. One of Hollywood’shottest male star had hooked up with a woman from his past, it wasmajor news and people were salivating.

It was even worsethan she had anticipated and in a fit of frustration, Zahra took thephone off the hook.

Bryce watched as shewent from frustrated to angry and then back again. She was not sayinganything to him, but he knew she was seething. On top of all of it,his press secretary, assistant, and agent were pressuring him to makea statement.

“If you don’t,they won’t stop bothering you. And that quaint little town isthe perfect place for it.” Cynthia told him.

His mother hadcalled. “Tell me what they’re saying isn’t true?”She demanded in her usual forthright manner.

“And what arethey saying?” He marveled that for the first time in his life,he could have a conversation with her and not feel as if he wasdrowning.

“You’rewith that - that woman. She’s not your type and she owns alittle inn? Is it just a diversion?”

“You’retalking about my future wife and if you and dad want to be invited tothe wedding, you’d better play nice or we’re eloping tosome obscure chapel in Las Vegas.”

There was a pause,and he assumed she was assimilating the shocking news. He grinned andwished he could see her face. Perhaps he should face time her.

“You cannot beserious.”

“As a heartattack. Get on board, mother, this is happening.”

His good mood fledwhen he faced the stony silence of his fiancée. He hadcommissioned a ring for her and the courier would be here thisafternoon. Things were progressing rapidly. The inn was full, andpeople were curiously staring at them. It did not bother him in theleast, but it bothered her. He could see it.

“She’s ona tear.” Jessica muttered as she hurried past him with therefreshments.

“I can seethat.” He stopped inside the doorway and watched as she slammedthe oven door shut with enough force to tear it off the hinges. Andshe was pounding dough as if she planned on murdering it. Taking adeep breath, he decided it was safer to stay where he was.

“I am busy.”

“I can seethat. Anything I can help with?”

“You can tellyour damn staff to get these people out of my hair. I am sick todeath of reporters asking me how we ended up together.” Herdark eyes flashed. Pulling out drawers, she slammed them shut beforefinding what she was looking for.

“We’regoing to have to make a statement.” He stifled a sigh as sheslid him a look that could melt stone. “Baby, it’s theonly way…”

“You make thedamn statement and tell them anything. I am not leaving this innuntil they get tired and go away.”

He wished he did nothave to tell her the rest.

“My parents arearriving tomorrow.”

That stopped her andfor a few seconds, he wondered if she was going to throw the knifeshe was holding.

“I see.”Putting it down carefully, she coated the dough with honey andcinnamon and slid it into the oven. He did not trust the switch fromfury to calm. But he might as well get everything out at the sametime.

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