She was nearly drawn to tears when Siena walked over and hugged her. “You have one lucky little sister, and shame on your father. I think Andrea and I should have a talk with him.”
“You are a resourceful woman, aren’t you,” Andrea said. “Why on earth would that embarrass you?”
Lizzie blinked up at them, trying to swallow past the lump in her throat. “Did I not mention that I wear an apron and heels and act seductive?” She was sure she’d mentioned every detail, but now she wondered if she’d only said it in her head.
“Sure you did,” Andrea answered. “But you also said that the viewers can’t see your private parts, so what’s the harm in that?”
“I do lingerie ads,” Siena said with a smile. “It’s all the same. I seduce the camera no matter what ad I’m in, and Cash had a heck of a time with that at first. Hey, it’s all part of the job. How did Blue react?”
With his mother’s eyes on her, Lizzie answered honestly. “He was a little hurt that I didn’t tell him before we became close, and he doesn’t love the idea of men watching me, but he came around pretty quickly. I don’t blame him, though. I should have told him before we got too close, and I know it’s a lot for a guy to accept.”
“All guys are like that,” Siena said, lowering her voice. “Cash hid the magazines I was in from the guys at the firehouse when we first started dating.” She smiled. “He was so cute.”
“Lizzie, I’m sorry about your father’s reaction. Have you tried talking to him one-on-one?”
Lizzie couldn’t believe that Andrea was more concerned over her father’s reaction than the videos themselves. “He won’t speak to me.”
“That’s a shame, that he’d let something like this come between himself and someone he loves. I can’t imagine how hurt you must be.” She embraced Lizzie, and then a smile formed on her lips. “Don’t you worry, honey. Love is stronger than pride. Of that I am one hundred percent certain. Your father is probably having a little crisis of his own over this that has very little to do with you. Once your father realizes that this isn’t about him, he’ll come around.”
“I’m not sure I understand.”
“As parents, it’s very difficult not to evaluate everything your children do and wonder what other people will think or how it will reflect on you as the parent. That could be what your father is experiencing.”
“My father had a hard time with me doing scantily clad ads at first,” Siena said. “He’s ex-military, so talk about changing expectations. He came around, though, so I’m sure yours will, too.”
“Really? That makes me feel a little better.”
“Give him time, honey,” Andrea said. “Stripping ourselves of our egos is a difficult thing to do.”
“Who’s stripping what?” Blue asked as he stepped out on the porch with his father and brothers in tow.
As Blue reached for Lizzie’s hand, she felt even more accepted and loved. No one would ever fill the space her father held, but between Blue’s love and the support of the others, she didn’t feel nearly as devastated as she had when she’d left her parents’ house.
“Miss me?” Blue whispered against her ear.
“How could I?” She already felt like part of his family’s inner circle. “I love you so much, even when you’re not here, you’re still with me.”
Chapter Thirty-One
LATER THAT EVENING, in Blue’s childhood bedroom, Lizzie lay across the bed in a pair of lacy panties and one of Blue’s tank tops, which hung off her shoulder, with her laptop open, moonlight streaming through the curtains.
“Aren’t you tired?” Blue lay beside her in his boxer briefs and rubbed his hand over her thigh.
“Yeah, but the show airs tomorrow. I have to finish editing it.”
He wrapped his arm around her and kissed her shoulder. “How about if you do it in the morning before we head back to the Cape?”
“I can’t take a chance of not getting it done.” She tilted her head, looking way too sexy for her own good. “That meeting with the network just drove home the reality that I have to keep doing this—only I am going to show them. I’ll find a way to make the ratings even better.”
“I know you will. I’m sorry that the meeting didn’t turn out the way we’d hoped, but, Lizzie, I’m not going anywhere. I’m here to stay.”
“I know. I just didn’t realize how much I was counting on having more time with you and having a more normal life. I had visions of us spending nights out at your cottage and not worrying about taping, editing, and tracking views to a show that has already sucked up so many hours of my life.”