“Are you okay? You seem like you’re a million miles away today,” Ember asked.
“I’m just a little tired.” Chelsea stretched her legs out, resting the heels of her sandals on the deck of the coffee shop. It was just after eleven in the morning and the sun was already shining brightly. She and Ember had arranged to meet at Déjà Brew with Luna and Arthur. Chelsea because she was exhausted and needing to get out of the house, and Ember because she and her husband, Lucas, had apparently had a huge argument and she needed somebody to talk to.
“Is Luna still having night terrors?” Ember asked sympathetically. Her voice was low, but Luna wouldn’t be able to hear anyway. She and Arthur were playing on the sand in front of the deck. It made Chelsea feel warm to see just how patient Luna was with the little boy. He was trying to make a sandcastle, but was too impatient to fill the whole bucket up, so every time he turned it over the sand spilled everywhere.
Luna consoled him with a pat on the back then held the bucket while he filled it again, and though Chelsea couldn’t quite hear what she was saying to him, Arthur was nodding and concentrating so hard it looked like he was frowning.
“She hasn’t had night terrors for a few days now,” Chelsea told her. “I just couldn’t sleep for some reason.”
Actually, she knew the reason. But she wasn’t going to tell her sister. She couldn’t face her judgment. Not now. These nights with Chris were special to her.
But they were also risky. And stupid. And opened them both up to issues further down the line. Not least with the agency. If they found out she and Chris had what Lois Marx would deem an ‘inappropriate relationship’, they would take her off the books for good.
And they’d have every right to. Lois had stood by her after the Silbers and she was so grateful for that. If she could just ignore this pull between her and her boss everything would be okay.
The only problem was, she was already missing him. When he held her in his arms she felt safer than she’d ever felt before. He knew her. Knew what she’d been through.
She knew him, too. Every time they were together he exposed a little more of his past to her, she fell for him further. She was walking on a tightrope and one misstep could lead to her tumbling over the edge.
“Enough about me.” Chelsea waved her hand as though to bat off her big sister’s concern. “What’s happening with you and Lucas?”
Ember grimaced and took a sip of her coffee. “Arthur, listen to Luna,” she called out, when he tried to grab the bucket from her. “She’s really good at making castles.” Then she lowered her voice and looked back at Chelsea. “He’s angry because he thinks I only want him for his body.”
Chelsea almost spat out her coffee. “What? Surely that’s every guy’s dream.”
Ember shrugged. “I haven’t told anybody else, but we’re trying for another baby. We’ve been trying for a while, actually, but it hasn’t happened. I went to the doctor who suggested we try natural family planning methods. Basically the opposite of what you’d do if you were trying to avoid getting pregnant.”
“What, like monitoring your rhythms and stuff?” Chelsea asked. The thought of it sent a shiver down her spine. She always made sure she was protected from pregnancy. She loved children so much, but she wasn’t ready for her own yet.
“Yeah. I have to take my temperature every day, and this is kind of gross, but I also have to monitor the consistency of my…” She took a deep breath. “Mucus.”
Chelsea went to laugh, but Ember looked deadly serious. “Like your…” she gestured at her lap.
“Yeah. It changes through the month apparently. When you’re fertile it’s kind of stretchy.”
“This is way too much information for me.” Chelsea grimaced. Yes, she was excited that she might have another niece or nephew soon, but she didn’t need to know the intimate ins and outs of Ember’s cycle. “And anyway, why’s Lucas annoyed about that. It sounds like you’re using your body more than his.”
“Um…” Ember pressed her lips together. “I might have called him at two o’clock yesterday and demanded that he come home right away and do his manly deeds.”
“He was working?” Chelsea asked, trying not to laugh. Poor Lucas, she could just imagine him taking that call in the firehouse.
“Yeah. In a meeting. He refused to come home and I threw a fit.” Ember shook her head. “I know I’m a pain in the ass, but I really want another baby. I don’t want Arthur to be an only child.” She reached across the table and grabbed Chelsea’s hand. “I want him to have somebody always on his side, like you and me. Somebody he can talk to openly and honestly.”
A wave of guilt washed over Chelsea, but she batted it away. “He will. It just takes time sometimes.” She squeezed Ember’s hand back. “So what happened then?”
“He came home.” Ember lifted a brow. “But he was furious. He pretty much stripped me naked, pushed me on the bed, and um… yeah.”
“Sounds kind of hot.”
Ember sighed. “Honestly, it was. He’s such a caring guy. We barely ever have angry sex. And sometimes that’s what you need. Anyway, then he went back to work, and when he came home later he told me he felt used.” She shook her head. “No, objectified was the word. He feels objectified.”
“I guess he kind of was,” Chelsea said. “But it’s for a good cause, right? I mean he wants a baby, too.”
“Yeah, he does. But now I feel bad and I don’t know what to do. I don’t want him to feel used. I don’t want any baby we have to be made in anger. I want us to be a team like we always are.”
“Have you told him that?” Chelsea asked her.
“We haven’t had much time to talk about anything else.”
“Maybe you should,” Chelsea suggested gently. “You two are always so great at talking things through. Why don’t you call mom and ask her to babysit Arthur? You could go out and have a good time. Talk it through. Remember exactly why you want this man to be the father of your babies.”
“She already babysat for me yesterday,” Ember said. “For the angry sex.”
Chelsea’s mouth dropped open. “Did she know that?”
“No.” Ember shook her head quickly. “I told her we were looking at curtains for the living room.”
Chelsea started to laugh, but when she saw Ember’s expression she stopped. “Is everything else okay between you guys?” she asked.
“Yeah. It really is. He’s such a great husband. And the best father, too. Everybody at work loves him, and he loves being the Chief. It’s just that having sex for a specific reason, other than the fact that we love each other, it makes things hard.”
“I bet.” Chelsea wiggled her eyebrows. Ember bit down a smile. “Look,” Chelsea said, “I’m not an expert on relationships, but I know you and I know Lucas and you two are couple goals. You got your shit sorted. You two just work. And yeah, there’ll be bumps along the road, there always are. But if you keep talking and keep loving each other, you’ll work it out.”
“How did you get so wise?” Ember asked her. “And so grown up?”
“I had a good role model in my big sister.” Chelsea winked at her.
“I wish you had somebody, too.” Ember sounded wistful. “You deserve that kind of happiness.”
“I’m okay as I am.” Chelsea shifted in her seat. “I’m too busy for relationships.”
This was the problem with secrets. They tied you up in knots. Thick, guilty knots that twisted and turned in your gut.
“Maybe when you finish this job you could spend a few weeks here with us,” Ember suggested. “Before you go back to L.A. There are a lot of single guys at Lucas’ station.”
“Hot firefighters. Now we’re talking.” Chelsea forced a smile on her face. “But let’s get through the next few weeks first.”
“Okay.” Ember drained her coffee. “Should we go join the budding architects?” she suggested, angling her head toward Luna and Arthur. There was still only one sandcastle, surrounded by at least six piles of sand.
“Sure.” Chelsea nodded. “Let’s go.”
“Want to grab some ice cream before we head to the food market?” Chelsea asked Luna after Arthur and Ember had left. In the end they’d managed to make some passable sandcastles, before Arthur had a tantrum and kicked them all over, and Ember had to lift him up in her arms and told him it was naptime. She’d kissed Chelsea and muttered, “Remind me again why I want another one of these?” before stomping off as he screamed and kicked in her arms.
It must have been a rhetorical question, because she didn’t wait for an answer.
Luna’s face lit up. “Yes, please. Can I have the marshmallow flavor?”
“If you promise to brush your teeth extra well tonight,” Chelsea said, as the little girl grabbed her hand, swinging their arms together as they walked along the concrete path. It was busy today – the bright sunshine had brought out all the locals along with the tourists and sunseekers who always lined up on the beach. Every table in the Heavenly Ice Cream Parlor was full, so Chelsea suggested they get their ice cream to go and eat them on their way back to the car.
“Hey!” Meghan smiled from behind the counter as they walked into the parlor. “How are you doing?” She tipped her head at the door behind her. “Isla is in the back if you want to go say hi,” she suggested to Luna.
“Go ahead.” Chelsea nodded. “But we can’t stay long. We need to hit the market before they sell out of the good stuff.”
“I still get my ice cream, right?” Luna asked, hesitating.
Chelsea smiled. The kid had priorities. “Yep, I’ll order it and you can come out when it’s ready.”
Meghan opened the door at the end of the counter, ushering Luna through. When she walked through the door of the backroom there were squeals and excited chatter.
“Isla hasn’t stopped talking about Luna all week. She had such a good time at your house. She’s kind of jealous that you have a private pool where we have to share ours with the rest of the apartment building.”
“I think Luna would like the opposite,” Chelsea said, smiling. It was so nice to have a friend with a daughter to chat with. “She gets lonely, so it was lovely to have Isla come play.”
“Actually, I wanted to ask you something, while the girls aren’t here.” Meghan checked with her staff that they were okay to serve, then walked with Chelsea to a quieter corner. “It’s Isla’s weekend with her dad and he’s talking about taking her to Disneyland. She’s desperate for Luna to come with. They’d have to stay with him, but he’s got security all locked down. They’d be safe and comfortable and I’m pretty sure they’d have a good time.”
Chelsea blinked. “I don’t think Chris will go for it.” It was one thing making him comfortable enough for her to take Luna out in Angel Sands. Another for his daughter to spend the weekend with some famous drummer he’d never met.
“Yeah, I thought the same. But Isla keeps begging.” Meghan wrinkled her nose. “How about we arrange a playdate here once she’s back from his place instead? That’ll stop her begging.”
“That sounds good. I’ll try and warm him up to the idea of a playdate at your house. He’s doing better but he’s still kind of protective, you know?”
“I think that’s sweet,” Meghan said. “The man has it all, doesn’t he? The fame, the looks…” She sighed. “And the perfect father thing.”
Chelsea smiled. “That’s why he’s America’s favorite actor.”
“Right?” Meghan nodded. “Okay, let me get your order. What would you like?”
“Luna would like two scoops of marshmallow ice cream in a bowl to go. And I’ll have a lemon ice in a waffle cone.”
“Coming up.” Meghan winked. “And good luck with the sugar rush from that marshmallow ice cream.”
“Thanks. I think I might need it.”
“So, as you know I’m an entertainment lawyer, not a family lawyer. Or a business lawyer for that matter. But I do understand contracts and I can tell you this one is solid.” Liv grimaced. “I hate to say it,” she added, shifting in her seat uncomfortably. “But as your lawyer and your friend – not to mention one of the producers of the movie – the last thing you need is any more scandal. Your best option is to end her contract and give her some severance pay.”
“I’m not doing that.” He shook his head. “I made a promise that her past didn’t matter.”
Liv looked at him carefully. He could tell she was trying to find the right words. “But it does, Chris. You only just got the money together for this production thanks to your past. If something goes wrong, your reputation…” she trailed off again. “And hers, too. There’ll be more scrutiny on her because she’s working for you. If it comes out that she was fired by her last job, that’s going to look bad. You already said her career is on the line here. Let her go quietly, give her a good reference, and make her somebody else’s problem.”
“If it comes out can’t she just break the NDA she signed and tell the truth about what happened?”
Liv let out a long breath. “She could, but it would leave her liable to be sued by the Silbers. And you said yourself that she wouldn’t talk about it anyway. She felt too much responsibility toward the young man in question. She’s in a bad situation, and I get that it’s not of her making, but working for you could potentially make things worse all around.”
“But she could win a lawsuit, right? If the details were already out in the public?”
She shrugged. “She could. But by then she’d probably be bankrupt from paying her lawyers. And whatever happened she’d never get a job again. I hate to say it, but if Anya’s digging around then you’re better off cutting your losses. We both know what a bloodhound your ex-wife is.”
He leaned back in his chair, blowing out a mouthful of air. What a fucking mess this was. On the plus side, Anya had gone quiet. She’d probably gotten distracted by something much more lucrative. And both the Silbers and Chelsea were determined to keep quiet about the whole thing.
This desire he felt for Chelsea was making things worse for her. He should stay away from her.
But he couldn’t. Every time he saw her he wanted to touch her. Kiss her. Feel her body against his.
“What if we approach the Silbers and request an amendment to the NDA? That they provide her with a basic reference?” he asked Liv.
She blinked. “Why would you do that? This isn’t your problem.”
Because he fucking hated injustice. Especially when it made people he cared about suffer. And damn it, he cared about Chelsea.
Way too much.
“She’s a good nanny. I may want to use her in the future.”
Liv leaned forward. “Whoever negotiated that NDA on her behalf made a huge mistake by not including a requirement for a reference,” she said, agreeing with him. “But asking for an amendment could potentially make things worse. It’ll rile them up, and they have all the power here. You’re better off letting sleeping dogs lie.”
“Do it anyway.”
She lifted a brow. “You’re sure?”
“Yeah. She deserves some justice. Life’s dealt her a shitty hand, and while she plays it well, she needs someone to push an ace or two her way.”
“Okay. But let me do it carefully. Not rock any boats. In fact…” She ran her fingertip along her jaw. “How would you feel if I asked Adrian to do it? He’s an excellent lawyer. And he’s one step removed from you. Whatever happens, we need to protect your reputation. All these peoples’ jobs depend on it.” She inclined her head at the window of his trailer, and the set beyond. “If you give me the go-ahead to talk with Adrian, we won’t only get that separation that we need, we’ll also get his point of view on this. I can guarantee his discretion.”
“Do it.” Chris nodded. He liked Adrian a lot. He’d gone to law school with Liv and apparently they’d hated each other from first sight. It was only when she came back here six months ago to scout for locations that they reconnected. And fell in love.
“Don’t you want to discuss this with your nanny first?”
“I will. But I don’t want to waste any time either. Let’s get to work on it and see where it goes.”
Liv opened her mouth to answer, but there was a rap at the door.
“Come in,” Chris called out.
“Hey,” Neil walked in, holding a phone. “Do you know Dylan Nash of Everyday Feels Like Sunday?”
“The drummer?” Chris frowned. “I’ve probably seen him at a party or something. Why?”
“He’s on the line. Or rather his PA is. He wants to talk to you if you’re free.”
“I think we’re done here,” he said, glancing at Liv who nodded. “Okay then, pass it over.”
“He’s here now,” Neil said into the phone. “Sure, go ahead.” He looked at Chris. “They’re just patching Dylan through.”