A Perfect Distraction(79)
Her stomach rolled at the thought of dealing with the fallout.
“Jake’s never had to court publicity and he’s never misbehaved to get coverage. Even with that thing in Tampa, he tried to minimize the fuss.” Tracy shook her head. “He’s crazy about you. He wants to show you off and brag about you being an item. Not because it makes him look good but because he’s happy and proud to be with you.”
“But there’s so much at stake. I can’t afford to let my guard down again. I’m scared that if I give in on this I’ll step onto a slippery slope that can only end in disaster.”
Tracy set her glass down. “It’s one evening, Maggie. You’ve told Jake your concerns and he’s promised he’ll make sure everything goes smoothly. If worse comes to the worst and it all goes pear-shaped, you’ll know not to trust him again.”
“True.” A spark of hope lit within her. “Maybe I could give the gala evening a go.”
“You never know—this could be the start of something fabulous.” Tracy’s smile was broken up by a yawn. “You don’t have to make a decision tonight. Sleep on it.”
Maggie replayed both the evening’s conversations while she got ready for bed. Thought about the worst that could happen and how she’d deal with it. Considered the best that could happen, too. Gradually, her mind became clear and she came to a decision.
She was tired of giving up the things she enjoyed, of pushing aside what she wanted, of letting the past rule her present. She was fed up of being cautious all the time because she was scared of what might happen. The gala evening was another step in reclaiming her life. The perfect way to brush away the past and clean the slate for a new future.
Maggie drifted off to sleep with a smile on her face, thinking about what she could wear to knock Jake’s socks off.
Her optimism remained the next morning. Though it was wet and dreary, she felt as if the sun was shining brightly. She couldn’t wait to tell Jake she’d changed her mind.
Hugging her happy secret to herself, she skipped downstairs to the kitchen to make a cup of tea. Then she sat at the kitchen table, scanning department store websites on her iPad to get some ideas for what she might wear.
Maggie was browsing the virtual shoe department at Neiman Marcus when a notification popped up on her screen announcing an email from her solicitor. She clicked through to the message, which said simply to call. Today, if possible.
Her heart sank. What problem had cropped up now? What was Lee up to?
She picked up the phone and dialed Samantha’s number.
After exchanging greetings, her solicitor got to the point. “Lee and Patty are bringing their wedding forward by six months to the week before Christmas. They’ve signed an exclusive deal with Hello! magazine to cover the buildup to the celebrations, as well as the wedding itself.”
“I guess Patty’s not worried about it being ‘the wedding kiss of death.’”
“No matter how many marriages break up following a Hello! feature, every bride thinks it won’t happen to them,” Samantha said wryly.
“Myself included.” Her wedding to Lee had been a Hello! exclusive, too. “I’m guessing you didn’t call to discuss the details of their wedding.”
“Patty wants Emily to be a bridesmaid. Lee is demanding Emily return to England immediately for dress fittings.”
“Which will be photographed for the magazine feature.” Anger churned her stomach. “We’ve been through this. Lee can’t drag Emily back to England on a whim. Especially not when his real motive is to use her for his own PR game.”
“I’ve already made that point to his lawyer. I also said Lee is being a tad disingenuous, given he hasn’t contacted his daughter despite accepting our Skype alternative. There’s been no comeback on that, but I wanted to warn you because the media circus around the wedding has already started.”
“So there’s nothing I can do but stick to the current game plan?”
“I’m afraid not. I’ll keep you posted if things develop.”
Tracy came into the kitchen as Maggie was boiling the kettle for some fresh tea and commiserated with her over Lee’s demands.
“I hope you won’t let this affect your decision about the gala evening.”
Trust her sister to zero in on the problem Maggie had been pondering. “I wonder if it’s sensible to go. The wedding fuss probably won’t make it over here, but can I risk it? Someone might see something, then make the connection and—”
“To hell with being sensible,” Tracy interrupted. “Don’t let this nonsense stop you from doing what’s best for you. Not going would be dancing to Lee’s tune again. Wouldn’t you rather dance with your favorite hockey hunk?”