Anywhere You Are (23 page)

Grace's farmhouse was alive with the sounds of life and laughter. Toby was out in the yard, playing fetch with Big Blue, while Axel twanged away on his semi-acoustic guitar in her great room. Her dad kept wandering in and out of her kitchen, searching for some munchies—“I'm peckish,” he kept saying—as she and her mom sat at the kitchen table talking.

Talking…while being filmed.

“I thought you only stopped by to do a couple of test shots,” Grace said, trying to ignore the dozen cameramen, staff, and the ever-present Francine. “Don't we have enough footage?”

It had been only a few days since Grace had told her parents that she was thinking about doing a guest spot on
The Evergood Life
to raise awareness for her environmental cause. Of course, Sophie had jumped the gun, simply showing up to Grace's place this morning with the entire family and crew in tow.

“Only a little bit more,” Sophie whispered, though of course her mike picked up every word she said. “After this, Francine would love another shot of you and your brothers, too.” Grace gave her a look and Sophie squeezed her hand. “You're doing beautifully, and I swear that we won't use any of this footage until you're absolutely certain this is what you want. In the meantime, just relax and enjoy.”

Grace sighed. “Okay.” She couldn't relax, but at least she could enjoy the craziness, because it was
her
craziness.

“I can't wait for your gallery showing next, month, darling,” her mom said, angling her body to ensure that her best side was shown to full advantage. Not that it mattered. With her gorgeous features amplified by artfully applied makeup and her stunning figure encased in a pair of skintight leather leggings and a loose tunic top, it was safe to say that the cameras loved Sophie Whalley.

But Grace had forgotten how much they seemed to love her, too.

She was a little embarrassed at how easily she'd slipped right back into the role of reality show babe. Reality television wasn't really real, so she'd assented to makeup, wardrobe—the works.

And when she'd seen the first couple of test shots, saw how she shimmered onscreen, her gentle curves a perfect foil to her mom's angles, her face made up just enough to enhance her eyes and lips, she had to admit she looked good.

It could have been overwhelming—all the lights and the people shouting directions and her space being invaded in a way she really wasn't used to anymore—but Carolyn's words about using her platform resonated in Grace's head.

And yes, what she was doing was all an act, a game, but it was for the greater good.

So as long as she kept telling herself that, everything would be fine.

Plus, she had her family with her. And for now, that mattered just as much.

Grace turned to her mom, emulating her stance. “Maybe after my gallery showing in Eastbridge, you'll consider having one for me at your gallery in New York?” she asked. “I can't think of anything more amazing than teaming up with you to showcase my paintings.” Then she deliberately took a sip of tea to let everyone watching know that she was a normal woman who did normal things like have tea with her mom in her kitchen.

Except her mom was famous. And though she'd tried to deny it, she guessed she was, too.

“Of course, darling,” Sophie said smoothly. “I've been wanting to get your art into my SoHo space for
years.
” It was all Grace could do to keep a straight face and not spit out her tea.

Forget modeling. Sophie would have made it big as an actress.

She managed to swallow it and gave her mom a sweet smile. “That'd be so great,” Grace said enthusiastically. “I'm so glad we both have the same passion for conservation.”

See? She could do this acting thing, too.

And she'd be sure to get her mom to agree to the plan later. Having her work shown at Sophie Whalley's gallery—with all the publicity that would inevitably surround it—would be yet another way for Grace to raise awareness about endangered species in Connecticut…and maybe beyond, if she were going to be really ambitious. Couple that with the reach that being on a popular reality show would bring, and she was sure that in no time, she'd have many more supporters for her cause.

Per her agent's advice, she'd revamped her social media presence and already she was getting tons of hits. Well, that was mostly because she'd started up a new account last week that showcased her in carefully composed outfits as she painted. If all of those dumb photographs meant more eyes on her, and in turn, more eyes on the animals that were actually at risk, all the better.

Grace and her mom riffed for a while longer before Francine gave the signal for a wrap.

“Okay, people,” Francine said, when the scene seemed to be at a natural break point. “Take five and we'll be back here to do another test shot with the boys and Grace.”

As soon as the cameras stopped rolling, Grace's mom relaxed slightly. She was never really “off”—that wasn't her style—but she did soften up a bit when she wasn't being filmed.

“How do you feel?”

“Fine,” Grace said, surprised her mom was even asking, given that Sophie hadn't seemed to truly care before. “Easy. Like riding a bike.”

Sophie studied her face for a few long moments. “I just want to make sure that this is what you want.”

“I asked to be a guest on the show, didn't I?”

“No. You told me you were
thinking
about it.” Sophie pressed her lips together. “I won't deny that I was thrilled when you finally reached out to me. For too long, the public has been clamoring for more of Gracie Davingham, and your presence would do wonders for our ratings. But I'm your mother first. And the real reason I showed up here today to do these test shots was to give you a taste of what you'd be getting. Make sure this is what you truly want.” She paused. “Because darling, you didn't answer the question. Is this what you want? And if so, why?”

“Why? Because I realized all the good I could do as me. The real me.” Grace took a breath, wanting to speak as much for herself as to explain to her mom. “Look, I'm under no delusions as to why I'm getting all of this attention, but I know how few people have opportunities like this. I'm passionate about conservation, and the best way to make people aware of the issues surrounding endangered species in Connecticut is to use my powers to get the word out. It's sad that people will listen to celebrities rather than to regular people who might be much more knowledgeable, but it's the world we live in. So I'm going to partner up with some noted naturalists in the area, just to make sure my message is clear, and I'm going to use my power for good.”

“But your privacy…”

“Isn't as important as saving these animals. I'll have to give up a little privacy to get my message across, but I'll try to manage it better this time. I think I will, now that I have a purpose. Don't get me wrong. I have mixed feelings about putting myself out there again,” Grace said truthfully. “But I feel lucky that people still care about me. I'm making no pretense as to why I'm here. Painting under my real name and coming back on
The Evergood Life
would allow me to use my fame for something positive. And I think I should take advantage of it while people are still interested in hearing what I have to say.”

Sophie reached out and smoothed a stray strand of hair away from Grace's face. “Oh, darling,” she said on a sigh. “You are so beautiful when you're calculating.”

“You're just saying that because I'm thinking about coming back on the show,” she said jokingly.

Sophie gave her a level look. “No, darling. I'm saying it because it's true. Except your beauty is so much more than skin deep.”

Grace's chest got tight. How many years had she longed to hear her mom acknowledge who she was on the inside, rather than just be fixated on her appearance?

But before she could answer, there was movement to her right. It was Francine, who sensed camera-worthy moments like a shark scented blood in the water. She had snared one of the cameramen and had started to film them not so surreptitiously. Grace expected her mom to keep on going, but to her surprise, she turned to Francine and gave her a look.

“Camera off, please. This is a private conversation between me and my daughter.”

Francine immediately signaled to the cameraman to stop filming, and the two of them disappeared, most likely to find her brothers.

Only then did Sophie continue. “You may not believe me, but I'm very proud of you for what you chose to do. It took a lot of guts to walk away from the life you'd built. And it's taking even more guts to come back on your own terms.”

“I wasn't happy with the way things were, Mom,” Grace whispered. “And you pushed me so hard.”

“I know,” Sophie said, pain in her voice. “And I'm sorry. I was blind not to see it for so long. You're not like me. I get that now. I grew up in a cornfield, dreaming about a world beyond Iowa. I knew I'd leave and never look back. But you're different from me. You always have been.” She tilted her head to regard Grace from a different angle. “You always had such empathy, such emotion and creativity. And the only thing you needed to escape from was the life we gave you.”

“It wasn't like that,” Grace said, shaking her head. “I didn't want to escape from you. I love you. I just hated feeling like I was being used.”

“I know all about Zig, Grace. How he sold those pictures behind your back. If we hadn't cultivated that environment of consumption, where you were the commodity and the world was the buyer, it wouldn't have happened.”

“It wasn't your fault he did those things.”

“But it was my fault that I didn't understand why you were upset,” Sophie said. “I didn't realize how strongly you'd internalized it until you were gone, and even then I wasn't quite convinced. Honestly, the thing that made me sit up and take notice of your real mental state was your stipulations for a potential guest spot on
The Evergood Life.
”

Grace gave her a confused look. “What about that helped you understand?”

“There was one particular provision…”

Oh.
That.
Grace had asked her agent to carve out a provision that stated that under no circumstances was Marc to be filmed or recorded for the show. No exceptions. Period.

“I get now how much you value your privacy, as well as the privacy of those you love. And if you choose to do the show, I will do my utmost to ensure that you get what you need without giving away more of yourself than you want to give.”

Grace's chest swelled and her throat seemed to close up. She swallowed and blinked. “Thank you so much.”

“I underestimated you, Grace. I didn't understand how smart you really were. You know what matters to you and you're not afraid to fight for it. I won't make that mistake again.”

Grace blinked, just once. And then she reached out and wrapped her arms around her mom.

“I love you.”

“I love you, too. I told you before that I only ever wanted what was best for you,” Sophie said, giving Grace a tight squeeze. “And I have the utmost faith you know what that is better than I do.”

Grace didn't want to cry. Her makeup had taken over an hour to perfect, so she blinked the tears away fast before they spilled down her cheeks and ruined her mascara. “Thanks, Mom,” she said with a sniff.

“I'd like to meet your man again. Perhaps this time it'll be under nicer circumstances. Dinner, maybe?”

“Sure. He's traveling now, but I'll ask him when he gets back.”

Her mother nodded. “What does he say about you potentially coming back on the show?”

But before she could answer, Francine chose that moment to come back and ask if they were ready to start filming again. Two stylists immediately converged on her mother, which was good, because she didn't have an answer.

Marc had been in India for the past week, and the truth was, she didn't yet know because she hadn't had the chance to ask him. They'd spoken numerous times over the phone, but this was a conversation best done in person, one that she intended to have as soon as he got back from his trip tomorrow.

Grace glanced over at her mom, who was having her makeup touched up. It was strange to have her mom's approval again. Unconsciously, it must have been something she'd craved, because she felt closer to her than she had in years. She'd cursed
The Evergood Life
for her unwanted fame, but it was partly because of this stupid reality show that she'd be able to push her message and, more important, that she had her mom back in her life.

And as the stylists came to dab some more lipstick on her already shiny lips, and rearrange her hair so that it cascaded perfectly down her back—which in the past would have annoyed her to no end—her mom smiled at her, and she smiled back.

Grace gave a nod to the stylists to signify she was done being prodded, and went to stand by the sink for her next test shot.

Her dad rambled in again, scratching his head.

“What have you got to eat around here?” he said.

Grace fought the urge to smile at one of his catch phrases. Though thin as a rail, Jer was always looking for something to nosh on.

“Check the fridge,” Grace said. “I have some fresh veggies all cut up and ready to go.”

“Aw, no, Gracie. Not you, too!”

Grace laughed. Jer was notorious for eating utter crap, and Sophie was forever trying to get him to eat healthy.

“Sorry, Dad,” she said, giving her mom a wink. “No junk in this house.”

They were about to segue into a discussion of Evergood playing at a big charity event in a couple of weeks, when Francine let out a shriek.

“Cut! Stop the cameras!”

“What?” Grace said, swiveling her head to Francine. “Why?”