Chapter 19
Fresh from the shower and dressed in a pair of loose-fitting chocolate-colored sweats, Keir headed through the house to his entertainment room. Faced with the prospect of a solitary evening, he picked up the remote and switched on the high-definition television, listening to CNBC as he wandered aimlessly around the room. Unable to concentrate on the woes of the world, Keir channel surfed until he found a music station to fit his mood. B.B. King, Lucille, and the blues fit the bill.
Groaning in frustration, he rotated his head from side to side, working out the tension building in his shoulders. Today had been a bitch. Glo had blown everything to hell by opening her big mouth and talking to Ryan about their deal.
Antsy, Keir paced the length of the floor before changing course and heading for the bar. He opened the liquor cabinet and selected a bottle of scotch, splashing a large portion in his glass. Keir swallowed a third of the drink and then refilled it before heading to the sofa.
He needed to concentrate on Ryan, work out a plan to fix things between them.
What could he do to appease her? His head on a platter might make her do the “happy dance.” In the short time they had been together, he'd never seen her this way. Ryan's emotions jumped from calm to hurt and then to betrayal and a few more, which were so fleeting, he didn't get a chance to name them.
There had to be a way. If he begged for forgiveness and promised to never interfere again, would that help? Would Ryan believe him? Keir didn't believe so. Could he do it? He wasn't sure.
Somewhere in the house, the cordless phone rang. He rose from the sofa and followed the sound to the great room. Absently, he picked up the receiver and depressed the ON button. Anchoring the telephone between his ear and shoulder, Keir took a good swallow of scotch, rolling the expensive liquor around his tongue, and returned to the entertainment room. “Southhall.”
“Well, you're finally home. I've been calling all afternoon.”
Blood pumping through his veins, Keir stood straighter. Had something happened? “Shannon, are Adam and Emily okay? If the kids need me in a hurry, why didn't you call on my cell phone?”
“I wanted to talk to you away from the studio.”
“Shannon, are Adam and Emily okay?” he repeated.
“They're fine.”
Relaxing, he flopped onto the soft cushions of a chair and picked up his drink, sipping the scotch as he contemplated the reason for her call. Keir and his ex-wife weren't on the best of terms. Although their separation had been a mutual agreement, the divorce had changed them both. Out-and-out warfare wouldn't be a true assessment of their current relationship. Shannon never missed an opportunity to land a punch or a TKO at Keir's expense. His ex-wife enjoyed making him bleed. Today had been brutal, and he didn't feel up to a verbal game of “let's see who can score the most punches.”
Exasperated, Keir sighed, scratching the side of his neck with his finger. No point in pussyfooting around. He might as well find out what she wanted and get rid of her as quickly as possible. “What do you need?”
Loudly laughing into the receiver, Shannon quipped, “Wonderful greeting. No âhow are you?' or âare you doing okay?' You automatically assume I want something.”
“Normally, you want something. Tell me how this time is any different?”
“Maybe I wanted to chat. See how you're doing. Or spend a little time talking about old times.”
His tone turned rock hard. “Don't jerk me around tonight. I've had one hell of a day. I'm not in the mood.”
“I'm pretty sure this talk won't improve your mood,” she answered smugly.
“I don't have time for this, woman. Spit it out, or I'm hanging up.” His eyes squeezed shut.
Damn!
After the day he'd had, a verbal sparring with his ex-wife rated lower than a California mud slide.
“Fine. The kids are both good. But I do want to talk with you about them.”
Cradling the telephone between his chin and ear, Keir rose from the chair and returned to the liquor cabinet, adding a generous helping of scotch to his glass before returning to the chair. “So what's on your mind?”
“Your new lady friend.”
Confused, he shook his head. “What?”
“Don't play coy. I know you're seeing someone. The kids don't lie. Although I must admit, they try to keep quiet about what's going on at your place.”
What business was it of hers? Shannon had friends.
He cracked his fingers as he realized the kids must have mentioned Ryan to their mother. After all, they had been to Ryan's house and received gifts from their trip to Hawaii.
Ready to take the smug tone out of her voice, he asked, “And how is my relationship your problem?”
“Relationship.” She laughed. “That's an interesting name for it.”
Instantly, his temper was roused. Generally, he'd jump in with both feet and let the argument take them both to a very ugly place. Tonight, the gentler side of him refrained from traveling down a road that was far too familiar and unpleasant. “Shannon, let's not play games. What do you want?”
“Keep my kids away from that woman.”
“What kind of shit are you stirring up now, woman?”
“This is not about me. But I am concerned for my children. I don't know anything about
your
friend. Who is this woman?”
“It's none of your business.”
Shannon continued as if he hadn't spoken. “What she does is a mystery to me. She may be a serial killer, for all we knowâ”
Keir cut in. “That's ridiculous.”
“Don't even go there. Until I find out more about her, I don't want your lady friend around my kids.”
“They're my kids, too. Ryan would never hurt them. She believes in family and putting children first. My turn to rant. What about the boy toy slipping in and out of your bed? I don't want Emily and Adam seeing that. Handle your own business before you start making demands on mine.”
Jumping to his feet, Keir began to pace. He hated when his ex-wife brought him to this level. This verbal raping of each other caused more animosity between them.
“Don't go into my bedroom,” growled Shannon.
“Then don't go into mine,” Keir shot back.
“Whenever there are people in my house, I'm right there with the kids. Can you say the same? Where are you?”
“Standing next to Adam and Emily. We do everything together. There's nothing for you to worry about.”
“Are you sure?”
With a return of calmness, Keir stated confidently, “Positive.”
Voice sharp with agitation, Shannon added, “I mean it. Keep her away from Adam and Emily.”
“Why? What do you have against her? You've never met her. She means nothing to you. Or does she? Jealousy maybe?”
“Don't be ridiculous. What if she wants you all to herself and she doesn't want the burden of kids from a former marriage? They're kids. Children are the most trusting souls, and anything can happen.”
Keir couldn't keep the surprise out of his voice. “Are you trying to tell me you believe Ryan would hurt the kids to keep me away from them?”
“I don't know what she's capable of. So I can't say. But, it is my responsibility as a parent to watch over them. And that's what I plan to do.”
“What makes you think that I would let anyone come between me and my kids? If I saw the slightest problem, I'd nip it.”
“I think something else is being nipped, and the kids might just come in a poor second. You might be ignoring the signs.”
Keir opened his mouth to deny her claims, but Shannon rushed on.
“You don't know her that well. The kids told me that you two went to Hawaii together, and that she's been around maybe a month or so. I say, until you're completely sure of her, don't have her around my children.”
He didn't need this. His day had been difficult enough without adding his ex-wife to the mix. Besides, he didn't want her to know that Ryan might never be near the kids again if he didn't fix the problem plaguing them.
“Look, I appreciate your concern,” said Keir. “First, I would never take my kids around anyone that I didn't feel was safe. Second, Ryan is the most gentle, caring woman I know. She'd never do anything to hurt anyone, including Adam and Emily. When I wanted to introduce her to them, she didn't want to cause any confusion, so she kept suggesting we wait and get on a better footing. Don't worry about her. She's a good woman.”
Shannon laughed. “You? With a good woman? I don't think so. Your taste in women runs to bimbos and starlets. When did you get some taste?”
For a moment, he wanted to laugh. Ryan was so far from being a starlet that the description was hilarious. “Bite me.”
“No thanks. Been there, done that. Don't want to do it again.”
Same old Shannon. She had to have the last word. That was fine with him.
“Well. I've said what I set out to say,” Shannon continued. “I'll talk to you again. I know you don't like what I've suggested, but I need you to at least give it a little consideration. Yes, you can do whatever you want when the kids are with you. But please keep their safety in mind. Bye.”
Before he came back with a retort, Shannon hung up. He punched the button to disconnect and finished his drink. Crap kept coming from all angles tonight. First Ryan, and now Shannon, had twisted his gut into knots that refused to untangle. Shannon could be ignored. What he planned to do about Ryan was still a mystery. One thing he knew for sure, he wasn't giving up on her or their relationship. It had become far too important to him.
Chapter 20
Ryan made the final check mark on her clipboard and then headed to set three. Determined to stay one step ahead of her cantankerous boss, Ryan intended to stop at each set and run down her checklist before leaving the studio. Standing on the edge of the set, Ryan compared the floor plans in her hands against the finished products.
Minus the blazing lights and sets crammed with actors, directors, and camera, sound, and technical people, the studio seemed quiet and still. Shivering, she pulled the edges of her navy knit cardigan around her shoulders and secured the top button. With the close of business, the harsh, hot floodlights had been switched off, leaving the soft, muted overhead lights. There was an eerie quality to the deserted set.
On her way to set three, she glanced in the direction of the Eiffel Tower, noting the darkened office. With a sense of relief, she sighed.
Good.
An unlit, empty room meant Keir had probably left for the day.
For the past week, Ryan had sidestepped discussions with Keir regarding the Glo fiasco. At one point, he'd demanded Ryan sit down with him and resolve their issues. She'd refused politely, while maintaining the appropriate level of respect for the head of the studio. As she moved along the corridor, a lone figure detached itself from the shadows and followed her.
“Hey.”
Startled, Ryan let out a little yelp and whipped around, clutching the clipboard to her chest. “Hell! You scared the crap out of me.”
Smiling gently, Keir apologized. “Sorry.”
Eyeing him suspiciously, Ryan sighed heavily before asking, “What are you doing here? I thought you had gone for the day.”
Keir hunched his shoulders and then tapped the coffee brown leather briefcase with his free hand. “Had to come back. I forgot some stuff I needed to work on. What about you?”
“Checking the sets before I call it a night.” She turned the clipboard so he could see it. “I want to make sure everything is in order for tomorrow's early morning shooting schedule. I'm almost done. Sets four and five need to be reviewed, and then I'm out the door.”
He gave the clipboard a cursory examination before returning it to Ryan. “Mind if I tag along?”
“It's your studio,” she tossed over her shoulder as she strolled down the corridor.
Grimacing at Ryan's comment, Keir slid into step beside her. “How has work been going?”
“Good.”
“Any problems?”
Here we go again,
she thought. He never knew when to leave things alone. Ryan halted and whirled around to face her boss, demanding, “Why?”
Hands raised in an act of surrender, Keir took a step away from the woman. “Whoa! I'm not trying to cause any trouble. It was a simple question.”
Yeah, right
. Ryan eyed the man.
A simple question you'd probably turn into a big problem. No, thank you.
“I'm fine.”
“If there was a problem, you wouldn't tell me, would you?”
“No,” she answered curtly.
“Thanks. Glad to hear it,” he muttered sarcastically.
They resumed their trek to set four. After several silent moments, Keir said, “You know, I have a hard time letting go of control over things. It's that whole âdirector in charge' thing.”
“Mm-hmm.” Where was he heading with this? Ryan wondered, watching Keir out of the corner of her eye as she proceeded to check the set.
“I believe it's my job to watch over the people I care about. To keep them safe.”
“I can take care of myself,” she assured him.
“There's no doubt in my mind that you can. But, part of me wants to be the one to protect you. Take care of you. Be the one you turn to when things go haywire. Can you understand that?”
“So that's why you lied to me? Made my boss and the studio revamp the entire shooting schedule so that you could make life easier for me? Am I getting this correct?”
“No. That's not why.”
“Please explain it to me. Help me to understand why you did it after you promised you'd never interfere with my job.”
“I made those changes for us. Can't you see that?”
“Yes, I can. But you lied.”
“If I had let you handle the situation, you would have rolled over and played dead. Let Glo run over you.”
“Glo's my supervisor, Keir. Believe it or not, I take directions from her.”
Ryan turned away, heading to the next set. Keir caught her arm, holding it loosely. “Don't leave.” After a pause, he added, “Please.”
“We don't have anything else to say.” She shook off his arm.
“That's where you're wrong. There's a lot of unfinished business between you and me. Let's talk about us. Can you at least consider listening to me?”
“Give me one good reason why I should,” Ryan demanded.
“Because we're better together than apart.”
“What?”
“You heard me. I believe you understand what I'm saying.”
Ryan waved a dismissing hand in Keir's direction and turned away. “I don't understand you.”
“You know exactly what I'm saying. Together we're whole. Complete. Separately, we flounder like fish washed up on the beach.”
“Sex. You're talking about sex. Of course, we're better together. I don't have a lot of fun alone when it comes to sex.”
“That's part of it. But there's more. In bed, out of bed. You and I function great together. We complete each other. I felt it almost immediately after we met. Didn't you?”
Yes, she did. Honestly, those feelings had been so strong that they'd frightened her, made her shy away from them. But Ryan didn't intend to tell him that.
Using her fingers to create quote marks, she said, “You're trying to play on the âwe belong together crap.' Let me tell you, it's not going to work.”
Ryan was lying. She understood exactly what he was saying. There was a special something about them. They fit perfectly together, in a way she'd never felt with any man, including her husband.
Folding her arms around the clipboard, Ryan stood, with a sour expression on her face, hoping he couldn't see the hope in her eyes. “I think you're trying to sell me a boatload of used goods. But, I'm going to give you a chance to convince me. Make me understand,” she challenged. “You're not God, Keir. It's not your job to make decisions for the people you care about.”
“That wasn't my intention. I want to protect you.” Unconsciously, he placed his hands on her shoulders. After a week of no contact, it felt heavenly to feel the warmth of his touch. “I wanted to cut through the bull and do something special for you. What good is being the head of a studio if I can't help and protect the people I care about?”
“You can't control everything.”
“That wasn't my plan. All I wanted to do was go on vacation with you. Spend time with you and enjoy your company. I repeat, what's the point in being the head of a company if you can't offer the people you care about a few perks?”
“Keir, why are you so intent on running things?” Ryan touched his arm. “You can't make our lives perfect. It just isn't possible. We're human beings, who make mistakes. What's really going on in your head?”
He rubbed fingers back and forth across his forehead and then admitted in a soft tone, “I don't want us to end up like Shannon and me.”
Confused, Ryan opened her mouth to ask for more info but instantly shut it.
Keir continued. “When I married my wife, I planned to be with her until one of us died.”
Ryan moved closer, sensing Keir wanted to reveal the truth. “Why aren't you together?”
“Most people believe we split because of some issues with infidelity. That's the last problem we had. I never cheated on my wife, and I never would. What really happened is I got so wrapped up in my work that I forgot to take time out and be with my family. I let them slip away.”
She gnawed on her bottom lip before asking, “When you finally realized what was going on, did you try to change things?”
“It was too late.” Shaking his head, Keir let out a shaky breath. “Shannon couldn't handle the stress of the Hollywood lifestyle. We'd get dressed up like dolls and attended premieres of movies she didn't know anything about. It was all too much for her. Stand here; smile pretty. Shannon hated it. Once the fighting started, it seemed as if we couldn't stop.”
“What did you do?”
“Nothing. Worked more hours. Stayed at the office longer so that I didn't have to hear her mouth.”
Ryan gently stroked Keir's arm. “It's not your fault. There were two people in your marriage.”
“It was. I should have been more aware of what was happening in my household. We should have talked more. I should have been more available so Shannon wouldn't feel so isolated or alone. That's what really broke up our marriage.”
“So you want to make sure we don't end up the same way? Am I correct?”
Keir nodded. “It's difficult to have this kind of career and maintain a family life. So much of my time is spent looking for production dollars, promoting a new idea or movie. I don't want you to think you are a second-class citizen in this relationship. We should be happy and spend time together. That's why I tried to smooth the way. Make things come out right for us.”
“Honey”âshe held his handâ“you can't control every aspect of our lives. You've got to go with the flow. There's only one way to do that. Talk to me. Offer your help honestly. Don't go behind my back. I've worked too hard to maintain a clean reputation. It's pretty much shot now.”
“I was only trying to help.”
“I know. But, Keir, you can't run my life or make choices for me. I won't live that way.”
Frowning down at Ryan, he asked, “What are you saying?”
“Unless I come to you, don't step in. Let me sort things out for myself.”
Keir removed the clipboard from her grasp and tossed it on a sofa, taking her hands between his. “Let's try again. I promise you won't be disappointed.”
“I don't know. You put my career in jeopardy. Ignored my wishes. How can I trust you?”
“That's a good question. I think the only way you'll know for sure is to let me prove it to you. I admit, it's hard to let things happen without my guiding hand. But I'm willing to try, if you are.”
Keir kissed her lips, touching her gently before stepping back. When she didn't protest, he moved closer, wrapping his arms around her waist and drawing her against him. Ryan let out a contented sigh. She loved being near him, taking in his cologne and unique scent.
Should she give them a second try? She'd already risked so much to be in this relationship. Did they deserve a little more time to see if it would work between them? Ryan wanted to. She missed him deeply.
Stepping away from the warmth of his body, she wagged a finger at him, threatening, “No more going behind my back. If you do, I swear, I'll end it with you, quit, and find myself another job.”
He pulled her close and muttered into her hair, “We'll make it work. I promise.”