Page 73 of And Then There Was Us
His compassion tugged her heart in a different direction.
Jean and Kat’s faces were solemn.
“That was a really sweet thing to do,” Jean said to Hugh.
“I think Layla enjoyed it. Thanks again for helping. And, Kat, you were awesome. Thanks.”
Hugh pushed the glass door open and held it for the women to pass through. The second he walked out the door, flashbulbs blasted his eyes. Women called his name. He held a hand up. “What the—”
“Oh my goodness,” Jean said. She grabbed hold of Brianna’s and Kat’s arm.
Hugh pushed through the crowd, one hand shielding Layla, the other protecting Brianna, Kat, and Jean. “Stay with me,” he said to them.
“Hugh! Can I get your autograph?” a heavyset woman yelled.
“How long are you in town?” a man with a television camera hollered.
Hugh didn’t answer. He continued moving toward the car and pulled Brianna closer, situating himself in front of her mother and Kat.
A beautiful blond woman with enormous breasts and a tighter-than-tight short dress pushed in front of Hugh and Brianna and shoved a pen at Hugh.
“Hugh, can you sign my cleavage?” She somehow managed to sound seductive even with the chaos.
“I don’t think so,” Kat yelled and yanked her away from them. “Told you,” she said to Brianna with a smile.
Hugh unlocked the car and settled Layla into her booster seat. He opened the passenger door while watching Kat and Jean hurry to their cars. The cameramen and fans stuck by Hugh, making an arc around him, shoving papers and taking pictures.
Brianna started to climb in.
“Wait.” He put his arm around her and whispered, “Please do this with me.”
Her mind wasn’t functioning. She wanted to run. Running seemed like a great idea. Only it didn’t. Running away from Hugh seemed like a really stupid idea. Her head nodded, though she didn’t tell it to, and then he faced the cameras with Brianna pressed against his side. She clung to him with one hand on his abs—in her favorite spot, and he felt so good—and the other hand clinging to the back of his slacks. The bright flashbulbs left her seeing spots.
Hugh held up one hand, and Brianna’s eyes adjusted, allowing her to see the group more clearly. There were a handful of women and men, all with hopeful eyes and their arms stretched out toward Hugh. Two men with cameras were either filming or taking pictures; she couldn’t tell which, as the lights were now trained on them. A black van with television station call letters emblazoned across the side was parked at the curb.
Brianna sucked in a breath.Filming?She stood up straighter, feeling totally out of sync with her body, and she looked over Hugh’s shoulder, relieved to see that Hugh had placed himself in front of Layla’s window.
“I’ll answer three questions, and I’ll sign autographs if you don’t approach the car.”
“How long are you in town?” a short man yelled.
“Two more days,” he answered.
“Why did you rent out the theater?” the buxom blonde asked.
Hugh tightened his grip on Brianna, and she watched his dimples appear as he gazed lovingly into her eyes. “To do something special for my girlfriend and her daughter.”
The women in the crowdawwed.
My girlfriend.He’d claimed her. In front of the television camera and strangers, and he’d done it while looking at her in a way that no one could misinterpret—not even Brianna.
“Will you marry me?” a woman yelled from the back of the crowd.
“That’s number three, and I’m already spoken for,” Hugh answered.
The crowd moved forward, and Hugh held up a hand. He opened the door for Brianna. “Thank you,” he whispered, and pressed a kiss to her lips. She climbed into the car and watched him work—and control—the crowd like he’d been doing it his whole life.
Pride swelled in her chest, and the twisting ache that had pierced her gut began to ease. He’d taken care of Layla and he’d watched out for her, Jean, and Kat, and he’d done it all on instinct, it seemed.
