“I’m just thankful that Brett’s alive.” I glance over to find him watching me with an odd, sad smile.
“Well, I think I can say, on behalf of all Americans, hockey fans, and women everywhere”—she winks playfully at Brett—“thank you for your incredible bravery, and for risking your life. Your daughter has quite the role model to look up to. Brett, when will we see you on the ice again?”
“As soon as my doctor gives the okay.”
“And your fans look forward to that day.” Turning to the camera, Kate ends with “This is Kate Wethers, bringing you an exclusive interview with Catherine Wright and Brett Madden from Balsam, Pennsylvania.”
Catherine and Brett.
“And we’re out.” Rodney cuts a switch and the red light shuts off. “I wouldn’t touch that.”
“I agree. You were both great,” Kate purrs, already out of her chair and collecting her jacket as if in a sudden rush. She reaches out to shake my hand, her grip firm and smooth. “Thank you for giving me the opportunity to meet you. I hope I helped give you some closure.”
“You did. Thank you.”
Her eyes flicker between the two of us, and a secretive smile touches her lips. “People are going to eat this story up.”
“When is it airing?” Brett asks.
“Friday night, eight P.M. eastern.”
“This Friday?” As in, two nights from now? I guess that’s better than waiting idly for weeks. Still . . . Now that the interview is over, my anxiety over being filmed is quickly shifting to the reality of countless strangers watching me on television. I hope I didn’t sound stupid.
The living room studio is dismantled in fifteen minutes, and the team is packed and out the door in twenty.
Meryl, who has been virtually invisible through the entire filming session, now checks her phone and stands. “I’m sorry to rush out the door, but I have a plane to catch.”
“You’re filming a movie in Australia.” I remember Keith mentioning something about that.
“Yes. And now that Brett’s out of the hospital and on the mend, I can’t ask them to hold off production any longer. So, unfortunately, I have to go.” She reaches out to take my good hand in hers, a broad smile filling her lips. “You were wonderful. People are going to love you.” There’s something about her breathless voice that’s completely soothing.
“I don’t know about that. But do you think it will stop them from camping out by my driveway?”
She chuckles, leaning in to give me another warm hug. “With a little bit of time, things will be back to the way you want them.” Her gaze flickers to her son. A long, knowing look passes between the two of them. I wonder if it has anything to do with the whispered conversation they shared in the kitchen while the crew was packing up, too quiet for me to hear, but the air around them seemed charged. “I’ll be waiting in the car for you.”
Simone fills the space Meryl just vacated in front of me. “Here’s my info.” She thrusts a small white business card into my hand. “Lay low until after the interview airs, and don’t answer any question about Brett or the accident without running it by me first. In fact, don’t talk to reporters, period. They have a way of twisting your words to tell their own story. Got it?”
“Yup.”
“What are you not going to do?”
Why do I suddenly feel like my five-year-old child? “Talk to reporters?”
“At all.”
“Right.”
“I’ll issue a public statement that you’ve given The Weekly an exclusive interview and you won’t be giving any more. We’ll see if they listen.” She turns toward the door but then stalls. “Oh, and stay off all social media. No matter how curious you are, do not read comments, do not look for reactions. Nothing. Understand?”
“That will be easy. I’m out of data for the month.”
Finally satisfied, she slings her purse over her shoulder and is on her phone, heading out the door behind Meryl.
I fumble with Simone’s card, tucked between my fingers.
Brett nods toward it. “Put that number into your phone and make sure you use it whenever you think you might need to. Even if it’s really simple. She wants you to call her, trust me. It’s easier than sorting out anything afterward.”
Simone on speed dial. “Can’t wait.”
Brett chuckles. “I know she can be a bit brash, but she’s really good at her job.”
“Seems like it.” I take a deep breath, glancing around my space. I can’t believe it held that many people and didn’t burst at the seams. “It’s so quiet in here now.”
“It’s nice.” He peers down at me with soft eyes. “Breathing better?”
My shoulders lift with exaggeration as I inhale and exhale deeply. I am, actually. “I’m so glad that’s over.”
He smiles. “It gets easier.”
“I’ll take your word for it. That’s the only one I’m ever doing.”
He stares down at me with those intense blue eyes of his, something unreadable passing through his gaze.
“What?”
He hesitates. “I’ll make sure you get your life back, if that’s what you want. But it won’t be overnight.”
“Thank you, for all your help. I’m sure you want to get back to your life now, too.” A life that doesn’t belong anywhere near Balsam, Pennsylvania.
“Right.” He pauses. “My dad and I are hitching a ride to Toronto with my mom on her jet tonight. My grandparents live up there, so we figured we’d hang out with them for a week.”
“So you’ll be home in a week?” A twinge of disappointment stirs in me.
“Actually, I think I’m going back to California with him for the summer. If I can’t travel with my team, I may as well be with my family.”
“Oh, that’s . . .” Toronto, tonight . . . California, for the summer . . . That’s so far away. And so soon. It’s not like he needs to tell me these things, but he didn’t even mention it this morning, when he was arranging the interview. “Did you know you were going before you set this up?”
“No. It was a last-minute decision.” He opens his mouth as if to say more, but halts.
Silence lingers as I search for an answer that won’t show my growing dismay. “I’m sure it’d be good to put some distance between you and all this.” And me.
“Yeah, I guess.” A frown flickers over his brow. “It’ll give me a chance to clear my head. My mom is convinced I haven’t been thinking straight. Maybe I haven’t.”
“I’m not sure I have, either.” I’ve been too busy fantasizing about you. But . . . Brett is going to be gone for the whole summer? That’s three or four months. My spirit sinks doing the math.
“It’ll help things for you, if I stay away. Though I kind of feel like I’m abandoning you.” Tender blue eyes settle on me, and I sense a question behind his words.
I wrap my arms around my body to help shield off the sudden chill I feel. So quickly, so unintentionally, Brett invaded my life. And just as quickly, he’ll be gone, leaving me in turmoil. I can’t be angry with him for it, though. He’s right. The best thing he could do to help my life settle is to get far away. But I wish it weren’t the case. “Don’t worry. Hawk and Vince are great.”