“I’d love it!” said Jax, flashing her million megawatt smile and turning her whole body to face Elise. “High Society is my favorite movie of all time, so obvi I love The Philadelphia Story…when I bought the rights to re-make a modern version and sold them to Warner, it was under the condition that all shooting would take place on-site at my family’s estate in Pennsylvania. You know, my little way of memorializing my childhood home.”
“Wow,” said Elise, realizing that despite this woman’s apparent youth, she was a mover and shaker. “I love it…but, the rest of your family doesn’t mind? Filming on location can be…intrusive.”
Jax shrugged. “We don’t actually live there anymore. My oldest brother recently relocated to New York. My twin sister and I have a condo in Philly. My other brother lives with his fiancé, but they’re getting married at Chateau Nouvelle this winter, which is why we need to start filming right away. I promised étienne and Kate we’d be finished by October at the latest.”
“Chateau Nouvelle?”
“The name of the estate,” explained Jax. “They all have names in Haverford.”
Elise had been smiling in a friendly, encouraging sort of way, but at the mention of Haverford, she felt her breath hitch and her face fall. Her voice cracked as she repeated, “Ha-Haverford?”
Preston’s home town.
Jax nodded. “You know it?”
“No,” she whispered, looking down at her lap and trying unsuccessfully to compose herself.
She should have known Haverford. She should have known Haverford very well, but she’d left before she’d given Pres the chance to introduce her to his brothers and family home in Haverford.
“Here’s the scoop…well, wait. First, can you be ready to go east in two weeks?” asked Jax, breaking into her thoughts.
“She can and she…will?” asked Gene, raising his eyebrows and giving Elise a cajoling smile.
“Two weeks?” asked Elise weakly.
Only two weeks to figure out how to win back the love of my life after two years apart.
“Yes! Let me explain why…the daughter of our neighbors is getting married in September but they’re having this massive Main Line-style engagement party on July thirtieth. I mean, this is some serious Great Gatsby-style shit—er, uh, stuff. Anyway, I thought you could attend as my guest, Elise. It’ll be perfect for research! And then you can stay at Chateau Nouvelle until filming begins…you know, become familiar with the house and neighborhood so you can really embody Tracy when we start filming on August tenth!”
“It’s a great idea, of course, and I’d love the chance to settle into my surroundings, but won’t your friends mind my barging in on their family celebration?”
“The Winslows?” asked Jax, shaking her head. “No way. We’ve lived next door to them for decades. Friends forever. They won’t mind a bit.”
Elise. Stopped. Breathing.
The Winslows.
Good God, it couldn’t be a coincidence. Her hand fluttered up to her chest and covered her heart which was racing like crazy.
“The Winslows.”
Jax nodded. “Yes! Maybe you’ve heard of Brooks Winslow? The Olympian?”
Brooks Winslow. Preston’s brother. She’d heard of him, all right.
Elise could barely breathe now, and she stared back at Jax in shock. You’re an actress, bellowed a voice in her head. Act!
She wasn’t sure how she managed it, but she offered Jax a confident, beaming smile. “The Olympian. Of course.”
“And he has a gaggle of gorgeous brothers.”
Yes, he does, thought Elise, sitting up a little straighter. And one of them, technically, belongs to me.
“And as far as I know? They’re still single,” said Jax, winking at Elise. “I swear you’ll have a blast and it’ll be the perfect opportunity to do research!”
And get reacquainted with my husband, she thought, shock giving way to excitement.
Elise had kept that smile frozen on her face as Gene and Jax had finalized the details, but her mind raced with questions and possibilities and ignored warnings, her heart thundering with hope, hope, blessed hope.
***
A week later, she’d signed the contract attaching her to The Philly Story, packed up her bungalow, broken her lease, and shipped all of her belongings to a storage facility outside of Philadelphia. Returning to L.A. wasn’t part of the plan.
She only had one plan, and reviewed it in her head as she looked out the window as the plane taxied to the waiting gate at the Philadelphia International Airport: Say you’re sorry.
Ask for forgiveness.
Talk.
Be honest.
Love.
Make room.
Make it work.
Eight steps. Eight steps that she would follow no matter what. Eight steps that would filet open her heart for Preston to take or turn away. Eight steps that would either restore her marriage or end in divorce.
Eight steps that suddenly held the balance of her entire life’s happiness.
Chapter 14
Say You’re Sorry