Her eyes misted over and she nodded. "I will," she said softly, and Grady felt a surge of relief. For now, her quiet promise would have to be enough.
CHAPTER TWELVE
I CAN SEE CLEARLY NOW
Arabella picked up her ringing cell phone, cringing when she spotted the caller ID. After a deep breath, she answered. "Hello, Maxine."
"Well, it's about time you picked up the phone."
"Maxine, I'm so sorry I've missed your calls. I've been busy working with Heartbeat for their reunion concert," Arabella said. "So, what can I do for you?"
"Other than finally picking up the phone?" Maxine asked tartly.
"Um . . . yes."
"Well, we have a lot to discuss," Maxine said, which meant Arabella would have to endure Maxine's endless chatter. After a few moments of Maxine's droning, Arabella zoned out.
///
"I have to tell you that I don't want any tawdry gossip about you and that boy band."
"Excuse me?" Arabella sat up straight and went on full alert.
"Word, of course, is out that you're working with your ex-boyfriend." She said boyfriend like it was a dirty word. "Grady Heart has quite the reputation. And I don't mean a good one."
"Maxine, I've been rather secluded in a small seaside town for the past few weeks. I've only spoken to my staff and my mother. There isn't any fodder for gossip. The concert is for the Susan Heart Lupus Foundation, raising money for awareness and to help find a cure. I'm proud to be associated with the event."
"I'm merely issuing a warning. I won't tolerate anything that will tarnish my sterling reputation. Keep your nose clean or the deal is off," Maxine said in a snippy tone.
"You don't have to worry about that." Arabella had hardly been out anywhere, other than to the studio and the beach house or on an occasional sugar cookie run. If there was anything in the tabloids or on social media, she wasn't aware of it, but then again, there must have been something, or Maxine wouldn't have made the call. God, she hoped that paparazzi didn't come swooping into sleepy little Sea Breeze and cause a ruckus.
"Well, I must maintain my clean-living persona. And I'm sorely disappointed you haven't responded to my emails. Is there a reason?"
The reason was that her emails were full of bullshit changes that Arabella didn't want to implement. "As I said, I've been swamped with the Heartbeat reunion rehearsals."
"My patience is wearing paper-thin. I had to do extra deep meditation to avoid an unpleasant conversation with you today," she said in a clipped tone.
This conversation is unpleasant. But Arabella still needed Maxine, and so she counted to ten while Maxine droned on and on, until Arabella nearly fell asleep in the chair on the back deck. The squawk of a seagull startled her upright, and she realized she hadn't heard the last few minutes of the conversation.
"So, in closing, you'll need to choose between your association with Grady Heart and my involvement with Hope, Healing, Health."
"You mean Hip, Hop, Health," Arabella said between gritted teeth.
"Dear, if you'd been reading through my emails, you'd know that we need to change the name. We discussed this from the beginning of our relationship. I do fear that you have issues with your memory. I'll send you a list of suggestions for memory improvement. All natural supplements, of course. So, when can you come to LA to sign all the paperwork?"
Paperwork? Her stomach lurched at the thought. She needed to give Jenna Clark a call.
"We need to get things solidified," Maxine said.
"I'll get back to you on that," Arabella said tartly. She ended the call and glared at the phone. Sitting back in the lounge chair, she stared out over the ocean, trying to keep calm, hoping the answer would come to her. She knew she could go to Grady for a loan, but that thought still didn't appeal to her. She'd been making her own way since her late teens, and that was the way she liked it. She might be Grady's princess but she sure as hell didn't want rescuing.
It's okay to need someone. Grady's statement echoed through her brain, but she pushed the notion aside.
"No, I'll figure this out, somehow," she whispered to herself, but she knew that her time for saving her fitness studios was running out. Selling remained an option. "Not a good one," she grumbled, brushing her hair from her face. She looked out over the sand dunes and watched the sea oats sway in the afternoon breeze, then closed her eyes, letting the warmth of the sunshine caress her skin. Trying to untwist the tangled thoughts in her head, she inhaled the scent of the sea, wishing the weather was warm enough for a swim.