Page 86 of Second Act
“I mean, she didn’t even bother to tell you about Pete, right?” Aidan continued. “So it obviously wasn’t a big deal. You know Jess. She’s all about integrity and honesty and honor.”
Hugh knew that, but he wished Aidan had kept his nose out of Jess’s love life. And he didn’t like Aidan’s flippant tone when referring to his sister. “Those are rare qualities. They’re part of what makes Jess such an extraordinary person.”
The young man flushed. “Hey, I know. She’s my sister. It’s just that sometimes her standards are hard to live up to.”
That was one of the many things Hugh loved about her. “You’re fortunate to have a sister who cares about you so much that she offers you standards.”
“Don’t get me wrong, Jess is great,” Aidan said. “She’s always been really good to me, too. So I want to get this job to be worthy of her.”
Aidan’s lofty sentiments were conveniently in line with his own self-interest, but Hugh quashed his cynical response. The kid was a solid person. He just had some more growing up to do.
“She was pretty awesome in that TV interview with you.” Aidan clearly wanted to change the focus of the conversation. “I told her how great she looked, but she said it was all because of the stylist. You know my sister—she’d rather wear scrubs than some designer gown any day.” Aidan looked over again. “Is that piece of paper not coming off?”
Hugh looked at the dangling green-and-orange-swirled paper with the attached chunk of plaster that he wanted to bash Pete on the side of the head with, or maybe ram down his throat. “I need to put more solvent on, that’s all.”
“Here you go.” Aidan handed him the roller. “You know, I’m glad Jess gave you a second chance. I mean, how many movie stars wouldstrip their girlfriend’s wallpaper?” Aidan stopped with a grimace. “Ugh, that sounds wrong.”
Hugh ran the roller over the wall with more pressure than necessary and passed it back to Aidan, trying to banish the vision of a strapping Iowan farmer turned CFO with his muscular arms wrapped around Jess. “I’m glad to have your seal of approval.”
“Jess needs someone like you, someone who can bring a little excitement into her life. She’s gotten kind of, I dunno, too serious.”
Hugh thought of the late-night trip to the clinic to resuture Zora’s ripped-out stitches. “She’s got more excitement than she really needs at work.”
“Not all that blood and guts. The glamorous kind. Look how she did in the interview. It turns out she’s a pretty great actress when she tries.”
“She was spectacular, but it was because she relaxed and was herself.” When Hugh had watched the show later in the hotel suite, just to see the effect, Jessica’s genuineness and passion had radiated right through the camera lens.
“Ha! She fooled you, too,” Aidan said as he eased a section of paper off the wall. “She was terrified about being on national television, but she didn’t let it show at all.”
“It’s always hard the first time, but you get used to it.” Hugh cringed inwardly at being the cause of such anxiety for Jess.
“Oh, I don’t think she’ll do it again. She kept saying it was just this once to keep the paps away from her patients.” Aidan threw Hugh a look. “And for you. I think that’s really why she was so afraid she’d screw it up. She didn’t want to reflect badly on you.”
Hugh knew enough to give up the painstaking task of separating the paper from the plaster. He stood with his hands shoved in his pockets, staring at the half-peeled strip. “I told her nothing she could do would bother me.”
Aidan snorted. “She doesn’t believe in failing. She gives everything she does everything she’s got every single time.” He glanced at Hugh. “You should know that.”
He did. He just didn’t want it to apply to something as inconsequential as a television talk show interview. To him, it was a mild irritation to be suffered and forgotten. To Jess, it was an alien, terrifying experience—and he’d forced her to go through it. Even worse, she’d twisted herself into knots just for him.
“She was perfect,” Hugh said. And it ripped his guts out.
Jessica was stomping the salt and slush off her sneakers on her front stoop when the door opened and Hugh grabbed her wrist to pull her inside and spin her up against him. Delight rippled through her, turning to something much hotter when he kissed her long and deeply.
“Now that’s what I like to come home to after a hard day’s work,” she said, grinning up at him when they finally leaned away from each other.
Her desire was reflected in the blaze of his turquoise eyes. “Something evenharderthan your work?”
“Get a room,” Aidan called from the living room.
“What are you doing here?” Jessica asked Hugh as he helped her remove her coat. “Not that I’m complaining.” She loved seeing him in her front hall, dressed in jeans and a T-shirt like a normal person.
“Finishing the job he started this morning,” Aidan yelled.
“The running commentary is not necessary,” Hugh responded. He wound his arm around Jessica’s waist and escorted her into the living room, where Aidan stood on a step stool, peeling paper off a high section of wall. “I had a break in the shooting schedule this morning and came by to help Aidan for a couple of hours.”
“Except he hit a troublesome patch and bailed on me,” her brother said.
Hugh’s arm twitched against her waist. “Ungrateful punk,” he said. “I had to go back to work.”
