“I would adopt. Even if I were single. I wouldn’t let my circumstances get in the way of my desire to be a mother.”
“I need to show you one of the rooms that I don’t want redone.” I grab her hand, take her upstairs, and show her the playroom. “I’d like this room to stay the way it is.”
“This room looks nothing like the rest of the house,” she says, studying the decor.
“Maybe that’s why I like it.”
“Are you thinking about adopting, Vanessa?”
I nod. Now that I’ve told Dawson about not being able to have children, I’m able to tell her, too. “After my miscarriage, the doctor told me that I couldn’t have children.”
Peyton gives me a hug, her large baby bump crashing into me. “Oh, Vanessa, why didn’t you tell us? That’s such a devastating blow on top of losing your baby.”
“Yeah, it was. It wasn’t just Bam’s infidelity that sent me on my downward spiral.”
“I’m glad you’re back at the top.”
“Me too.”
“You seem really happy.”
“I am. You and Dawson’s wife, Whitney, were close, right?”
“Yeah, she was my best friend for most of high school. I saw in The Keatyn Chronicles movies how Keatyn sort of revolted against you. I did the same thing to Whitney. But, really, I was revolting against myself.”
“I saw the movie. Um, did you stay in touch with her after all that? I get the feeling there’s something surrounding her death that Dawson isn’t telling me.”
“I went to her funeral even though we didn’t stay friends. I felt bad for Dawson and his girls. All I really know is that she sent the girls to stay at his parents’ house the night she did it, and Dawson was the one to find her. But, other than the fact she took her own life, I don’t really know any other details. I’m still good friends with his older brother, Camden. He hated her, but after she died, he hated her more for what she did to Dawson.”
“Right, but what did she do to him?”
“Isn’t killing herself and leaving him with two small children to care for on his own enough?”
“Yes, of course, but there’s more to the story. Last night, Ava said their mom spent all of their dad’s money and that’s why they moved in with their grandma.”
“Now that you mention it, I did think it a little odd that Dawson moved in with his parents right after it happened. You’d think for the girls’ stability he would have wanted them to stay in their home. But I assumed he moved because he needed the emotional support of his family.”
“But if he didn’t have money, why didn’t he work for two years?”
“I know he quit to take care of the girls, but I assumed it was because he had the money to do so.”
“Keatyn knows the whole story, but she won’t tell me. She says it’s his story to tell.”
“Well, then, you should ask him,” Peyton says, moving out of the playroom and peeking into each bedroom as we talk. “When we redo the bedrooms, would you like something more suited to younger guests?”
“Yes, and Ava is almost a teenager, so let’s do this room in something she would think is way cool. And Harlow loves horses, so maybe something equestrian but still girly?”
“Got it. How soon do you want this all done?”
I raise an eyebrow at her.
She laughs. “Yesterday, right?”
“Yeah. Pretty much.”
“Why don’t you get out of my hair, while I go spend some time in each room and think about what I want to do. Tomorrow, I’ll do some shopping and have workers empty everything out, so we can start with a clean slate. We’ll move everything out to the garages, and I’ll bring some pieces back in to use in different ways. It’s going to be a bit of a disaster for a few days. Can you handle that?”
“I can.”
“Seriously, Vanessa, is there anything in this house that you love?”
I sigh. “I love my closet a lot, and I think all the oriental rugs are beautiful, particularly the golden one in the area off the billiards room.”
“What do you like about your closet?”
“It’s the one room that I decorated only to my tastes.”
She squints her eyes and says, “Then that’s where I need to start.”
Captive Films - Santa Monica
RILEY
I got up early this morning, finally giving up on trying to get a restful night’s sleep. Even though Ariela seemed to take the news well, I could hear the stress in her voice.
As Tyler brings me coffee and a pastry, I absentmindedly pat my midsection, feeling guilty for skipping my usual morning workout with my trainer.
“Raul said you bailed on him today. You feeling okay, boss?” Raul is Tyler’s life partner and my personal trainer. “Still recovering from the big homecoming weekend?”
“I guess so,” I say, not wanting to talk about it. “What do we need to discuss before I start my day?”
He studies me for a beat before looking down at the iPad he uses to keep track of everything. “Well, I took the liberty of ordering a gift for Dallas and RiAnne’s baby. It will be delivered tomorrow morning.”