Page 35 of Cougar

The walls are a dark gray, and there are three large silver-framed black-and-white photos centered over the cream-colored silk headboard with its matching bed linen. Silver accents complement the room, adding a little flair.

Jay turns toward the bed, and I notice she’s wearing sunglasses.

My brows pinched, I’m curious as to why she’s wearing them in the house.

“Your mom has never been much of a girly girl,” my mother tells her, shrugging a shoulder.

It’s true. I wasn’t all that girly as a kid, but I wasn’t exactly a tomboy either. I cheered competitively. I liked being outdoors, especially on the beach. I didn’t care for neon colors or even pastels like most girls my age, unless they were part of the sunset. I still hate neon colors, but pink eventually grew on me. It’s not like I had a choice, considering I had a daughter and pink was her favorite color until she was ten years old.

Jay swings open the closet doors. “Are you sure about that, Mimi?” she calls out with a chuckle as she steps inside the massive walk-in closet filled with clothing, shoes, and accessories from world-famous designers. I literally broke out in a nervous sweat when I shipped everything to my mother last month, hoping they wouldn’t be lost or stolen. Some of the items hold sentimental value, while others are irreplaceable.

My love of fashion came later in life, after I’d married Marcus. When you’re married to one of the biggest rock stars in the world and living in the fishbowl capital, you have to be prepared to have your picture snapped at any time. I have my cousin Lilly to thank for my fashion sense. She’d grown up in Los Angeles, so she took me under her wing and taught me all about how to blend in with the rich and famous. Even a nice handbag could complement a pair of sweatpants and a T-shirt. Marcus couldn’t care less what I wore, but the paparazzi weren’t so forgiving. He saw how I struggled with what to wear for big events, so he hired Lilly as my personal stylist and when I got my degree in PR, Lilly took on a bigger role as my assistant. Actually, she’s better at my job than I am at the moment.

“Why is she wearing sunglasses?” I ask my mother.

She shrugs. “Maybe she’s also having trouble adjusting.” She tosses out my words from earlier and I shake my head as Jay walks out of the closet.

“Jay, why are you wearing sunglasses inside?”

“My eyes hurt,” she replies. “I read Daddy’s note.”

My mother looks over at me with a horrified expression on her face. I hadn’t filled her in on Marcus’s decision to leave notes for Jay.

“Do you want to talk about it?” I pat the bed beside me.

She shakes her head. “No. I’m fine. Did you get one?”

“No.”

“Cole invited me to a party this afternoon.” She abruptly changes the subject.

“Oh?” I shoot my mother a pleading look. She responds with a short, subtle nod, silently telling me Jay will be fine.

“Yeah. It’s at his friend Brad’s house on the beach. He has one every year.”

I paste a smile on my face. “That sounds like fun.”

“I should probably go get ready,” she states as she turns to leave.

“No drinking,” I call out, and she responds with an automatic “I know” as she walks out of the room.

I reach for my phone to call Bass. I trust Cole to look out for Jay, but we’ve been here less than twenty-four hours and I need reassurance that she’ll be fine.

“Brad is Cece Manning’s youngest son,” my mother tells me. “He’s a really sweet boy.”

I set my phone back down. Cece Manning is an old friend of the family who used to babysit Max and me when we were kids.

“She has a son Jayla’s age? How many kids does she have now?” When I left Heritage Bay for California, Cece was already pregnant with her third child.

“Five,” she replies. “Her two youngest, Brad and Brooklyn, are only a year apart.”

“Would it be too much to ask Brad to watch out for her?”

“I’ll take care of it.” She winks. “So, what are your plans today?”

“First, I need to pick up my car.” My gaze darts over to the open bedroom door, then back to my mother. “Then I’m meeting with Jay’s new security guards. And later, Max is bringing the family over to hang out by the pool.”

“Why does she need more security? She’s safe here, and she has Bass.”

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