Page 17 of All Yours

This made Sloane cry even harder.

“Let’s just give her time to process this. Let’s sit down,” I said to Sloane, pulling her arms from around me, and her fingers slid into my hand as we moved to the couch. Sloane curled against me as we sat, and I wrapped an arm around her.

“It has to be dealt with sooner than later,” Lauren said.

“Her new name or location hasn’t come out,” I said. “And maybe it won’t.”

A knock came at the door, and we all stared at each other.

“It’s Camden,” Lauren said, pulling the door open. But there stood a tall, statuesque woman in a gray-brown business suit with a large leather attaché case in hand.

“Hi, Julia.” She burst through as if Lauren had invited her inside and headed straight toward us. “Your gate was open, so I hope you don’t mind. Let me tell you, you’re not the easiest person to find.”

I jumped to my feet and put myself between Sloane and this interloper. “Hey. What do you think you’re doing?”

She stopped dead in her tracks and smiled. “I’m Jen Birdsong, from Westman House PR.” She stuck her hand into her bag and drew out a card, holding it out. “Julia’s parents hired me to deal with this book nonsense.”

“Did they hire a lawyer to put a stop to it?” Lauren asked, closing the door.

I took the card from her and inspected the crisp black type on a white cardstock before handing it to Sloane.

“They’re working on an emergency injunction to stop the book from going on sale until they can review it. The problem is that no one knew beforehand, and it’s releasing in two days. And there’s a chance the judge will deny postponement of the release so the lawyers can review the manuscript.” Jen stepped around me to look at Sloane. “So, we need to prepare your response.”

“There’s no response,” Sloane said. “I’m not Julia anymore.”

I returned to the spot next to her on the couch as Jen Birdsong took a seat in the armchair, depositing the dark brown attaché at her heeled feet.

“An investigator found you in a few hours,” Jen said. “If Sinclair’s book drums up the renewed interest in you, like we suspect, others will find you as well. I understand it’s pretty scandalous.”

“Have you read it?” Sloane asked.

Jen shook her head. “We’re working to obtain an advanced copy. But the publishers keeping a tight lid on it. Which we suspect means it reads more like a tabloid gossip column than a memoir.”

“If it’s that sensationalized, can’t we put a stop to its release?” I asked. Sloane had slid back against me, and I wrapped my arm around her.

Jen leveled me with a sobering gaze. “Free speech is a bitch, Mr…?”

“Barnes,” I said. “Jonah Barnes.” I didn’t offer my hand because Sloane rested her head against my chest. “If what he says are blatant lies, then it’s defamation.”

“We’ll let the lawyers sort the details,” Jen said, removing a notepad from her case. “We need to develop a plan to control this in the court of public opinion.”

“But I’m not in the public eye any longer,” Sloane said.

“Get ready for a comeback,” Jen said. “People will find you. There’s going to be interest. Sebastian has already made the rounds on the morning news shows via satellite. He returns to the states tonight. The midday talk shows are next, and then the afternoon gabbers.”

“Oh my god,” Sloane muttered.

“Yes,” Jen said, checking her phone. “He’s scheduled to be in New York tomorrow and interview with several talk shows.”

“I don’t get how anyone could be interested in me almost seven years after I stopped playing.”

“There’s been a small bit of interest about what happened to Julia Simmons on the internet and Sebastian’s playing career has waned in the last couple of years.”

“How does dragging up the past make him relevant now?” Eden asked.

“People will do anything to grab another fifteen minutes,” Jen answered. “Especially if he’s touting an insider look at the breakdown the public witnessed. Even this many years later, people who remember it happening want to know what went on and those that were too young get introduced to it. Appealing to the lowest common denominator sells.”

“Just when I think it’s all behind me,” Sloane whispered, burying her face in my chest.

---