Pulling her into his arms, he gave a firm nod. “Deal.”
R
Ava startled awake at the sound of someone knocking on the bedroom door. In sleepy confusion, she whispered in alarm, “Ian?”
He was already rolling away from her to climb from the bed. “Who’s there?”
“It’s Justin,” a voice answered from the other side of the door.
“Seriously?” Ava whispered as she sat up, pulling the sheets to her chest to cover her revealing pajamas. She corralled the messy waves of her hair and watched Ian shrug into a shirt.
He sent her a look that said he couldn’t believe it either before yelling, “Dude, this is not ok. You can’t just walk into my house.”
“I’m trying to help you.” Justin attempted to open the door again. It was locked. A little thrill of victory went through Ava since she was the one who’d insisted they keep the bedroom door locked. It was an old habit from living on her own and being trapped on a ship with only men—except Camille.
“You’re trying to help me by walking into my house unannounced at six-thirty in the morning?”
“Yeah. Open the door. I need to talk to you!”
Ian shook his head in frustration as he stared at the door. “Ava is here.”
Silence filled the air. “Then I definitely need to talk to you. Both of you. Now. I’ll wait downstairs. Hurry up. Oh and stay away from the front windows.”
An odd premonition tingled down Ava’s spine. As Justin’s tread retreated down the stairs, she eased out of bed and tip-toed to the front-facing window. Ian’s half amused, half scolding whisper shot toward her, “Ava.”
She sent him a silencing look and ever-so-carefully peered out the blinds. Paparazzi. Lot’s of them. They lined the front gate of Ian’s house, their only vantage point due to the tall stucco wall that surrounded Ian’s property. Nevertheless, cameras with huge lenses were pointed at the house. She backed away from the window. “Oh, my word.”
“What?”
“Paparazzi.”
“Really?” He didn’t sound alarmed, just curious and maybe a bit trepidatious.
“Yeah.” She bit her lip, censoring herself. “That’s bad. That’s real bad. Justin!”
Ian caught her arm as she tried to rush past him. His gaze raked over her, smoldering when they really didn’t have time for him to smolder. That stopped her in her track more effectively than his hold on her arm. He finally captured her gaze. “You should probably change clothes.”
Unable to tear her gaze from his, she nodded. “Right. You go. I’ll be there in a second.”
“OK.” His chest rose and fell in a bracing breath. Pulling her into his embrace, he pressed a kiss to her temple, then capture her lips. Her hand grasped his shirt as she held onto him for another desperate moment. Finally, he stepped away.
He gave her a small, reassuring smile before walking out the door, calling, “Justin, I want my house key back.”
Closing her eyes, Ava pulled in a deep breath, then rushed to pull on a pair of black jeans and a casual gray blouse. She walked down the stairs to find Ian and Justin cloistered in the kitchen. They were talking in low tones as if the paparazzi outside the front gate might somehow be able to hear them. Justin’s voice sounded slightly desperate. “I promise you, Ian, I had nothing to do with this. Some random fan asked me about it on social media. That’s how I found out about it.”
“Found out about what?” Ava asked.
Ian’s face was grim. “Photos of us are all over the internet and social media.”
“Photos? What kind of photos?”
“Remember the morning after I came back from my press tour? We went out on the balcony…”
Memories rushed over her. Their kisses, her lacy pajamas, the bedroom right behind them. Suddenly, she couldn’t breathe. She forced herself to pull air into her lungs. “Let me see them.”
Ian handed her Justin’s phone. She scrolled through photo after photo of herself in Ian’s arms, kissing him, his hands on her waist. Their intimate connection was obvious. Their state of undress condemning. The location damning.
Questions raced through her brain so quickly she could hardly focus on one thought before another replaced it. She rubbed her temple. Justin took the phone from her shaking hand. Ian’s hand slid up her arms as he pulled her closer.
She braced her hands on his chest and looked up at him. “No one knows we’re married. They think we… That I…”
Alarm filled her. She turned to Justin. “Do they know we’re married?”
“No. They don’t know. You weren’t wearing a ring. That’s been a topic of discussion.”
“I heard you aren’t supposed to wear it to bed or in the shower or the pool.”
Ian tilted his head. “YouTube?”
“Blog.”
He gave her a gentle smile, and somehow that helped a little. He slid an arm around her waist as he turned to face Justin. “We obviously need to do some damage control. Thank you for telling us.”
Justin took a step closer. “Look, those photos must have been taken from the canal side of the house. Once they figure that out, you’ll be trapped in your own home. I brought my boat. I’m getting y’all out of here.”
Ava glanced at Ian who looked as confused as she felt. She asked, “Where would we go?”
Justin said, “The Emily Jane, of course.”
“Our research vessel,” Ian clarified. “We could even stay there overnight if we need to. Get away from all this. It has everything we need to be able communicate with your parents, my manager, anyone we might need to contact.”
Her parents. What they must be thinking. She didn’t even want to check her phone at this point. Yet she knew she had to as soon as possible. Ian was right, though. Their first priority was escaping the paparazzi.
She nodded. “Let’s get out of here.”
Chapter Twenty-Nine
“Welcome aboard the Emily Jane.”
“Thank you.” Ava took Rick Holden’s outstretched hand and stepped onto the lower deck of the research vessel that Ian often called home. She hadn’t realized the entire Holden family would be here. Nor had she expected the Treasure Hunters filming crew. Yet a camera was already pointed in her direction. Another followed Jane, who ducked around the ladder for the upper deck to stand beside Rick. A third cameraman was positioned on the stern of the boat and seemed to be focusing his lens elsewhere. Ava followed his line of sight to see Emily walk around the corner at the bow of the boat.
Emily’s brown eyes widened slightly when they met Ava’s. Her delicate features pulled into a subtle frown. From the carefree style of her windblown, shoulder-length auburn hair to her black workout leggings and oversized Holden’s Marine Construction & Salvage t-shirt, Emily looked like someone entirely comfortable and confident in who she was. Ava wished she could say the same for herself.
Ava glanced down at the deck, before lifting her gaze to focus on the reflection of herself in the camera lens. She hadn’t given anyone from the show permission to film her. She wanted to point that out, but she didn’t want that to be her first statement to Ian’s family or her introduction to the Treasure Hunters fanbase. Instead, she said nothing as Rick watched her in what seemed to be pure curiosity and maybe a hint of amusement. In contrast, worry furrowed Jane’s brow. Someone had to say something.
Ian placed a claiming had on Ava’s waist, drawing her gaze to his. He smiled down at her with a quiet confidence that made her lean into him. Taking her hand in his free one, he finally looked at the Holdens. “Ava, I’d like you to meet Rick, Jane, and Emily. Everyone, I’d like you to meet Ava Emerson…”
Meeting Ian’s inquiring gaze, Ava offered a tiny nod. She’d already texted her parents, scheduling a video call that would take place in ten minutes. The rest of the world would likely find out after that. There was no use hiding it now. She met the Holdens’ gazes, gently offering, “Sinclair. Ava Emerson Sinclair
.”
“My wife,” Ian proclaimed rather proudly.
Shocked silence descended on the boat. All at once, it broke. Rick let out a surprised, “What?”
In confusion, Jane asked, “Your wife?”
Yet, it was Emily’s voice that rang above the others, quiet though it was. “Are you serious?”
Ian met Emily’s gaze. “Yes, Ava and I are married.”
Emily paled. Ava stepped toward her, then stopped herself. She was probably the last person Emily wanted to interact with in this moment. Confirming that, Emily took a step back and offered a faint smile. “Excuse me.”
Emily turned on her heel and walked back in the direction she’d come from. Ava turned to Ian, assuming he would go after her. Instead, he stayed right where he was, his expression inscrutable and guarded. Ava glanced back to Emily retreating form, reminded of just how difficult life had been for her lately.
Ava lightly squeezed Ian’s hand and met his gaze. “Someone should—”
“I’ll go.” Justin said as he straightened from the railing where he stood, seemingly hoping no one would notice he wasn’t surprised by the announcement. He offered Ava a nod of appreciation before following his sister.
Ian eyed the remaining Holdens. “The paparazzi are at my place. Ava and I need to stay here for the next several hours if not overnight.”
“Of course, you’ll stay,” Rick decreed.
“Yes, of course,” Jane agreed. Without further hesitation, she stepped forward with open arms. “Congratulations, you too!”
“Thank you,” Ava gave a laugh of relief that sounded slightly timid and stepped into Jane’s hug.
Rick slapped Ian on the back, then pulled him into a bear hug. “Congratulations.”
Jane released Ava to give Ian a hug as well, asking, “How? When? Where?”
Ava accepted Rick’s hug, but eyed the cameras. “We should probably discuss that later. I can’t promise the paparazzi won’t find us here, so it might be best to get underway if we can.”
Rick nodded. “On it.”
“I’ll help,” Ian offered as Rick rushed away to ready the boat. Lingering, Ian gently caught hold of her arms. “Is there anything you need from me?”
She smiled up at him teasingly. “Besides everything?”
He laughed, that guarded look in his eyes fading completely. “I mean for your talk with your parents. Are you sure you want to break the news alone?”
“I don’t want this to be how y’all meet. They’ll need time to process everything. It will be fine. It has to be.”
“If it isn’t, we’ll work through it.”
She pulled in a bracing breath. “Right.”
“Ok.” He pressed a kiss to her forehead. “I have my cell phone so call or text me if you change your mind about telling them alone. I’ll be praying for you.”
“Thank you.” She thought about stealing a quick kiss, but Jane was watching. Eventually, the rest of the world might be too. However, Ian had no such qualms. He gave her a quick kiss, then released her. She offered him a soft smile before turning to face Jane. “Ian mentioned that I could use his cabin to make a video call.”
“Yes, certainly. I’ll show you where it is.”
Ava moved to follow Jane. A cameraman matched her steps. Ava stopped in her tracks. She turned to peer into the camera, then around it to meet the eyes of the man holding it. “Hello, I’m Ava.”
He blinked, seeming a little startled that she’d addressed him. “Hey, I’m Drake.”
She gave him a genuine smile. “It’s so nice to meet you.”
“You too.”
“Unfortunately, I cannot give you or the rest of the production crew permission to film me at this time. Please let your director know that she can contact my manager if she has any questions. I hope you understand.”
“Yeah… um… Yes.” He swung the camera toward Ian instead. “I’ll let her know.”
“I appreciate that.” Turning to Jane, Ava placed a fleeting hand on her arm. “I’m sorry. Lead on.”
A few moments later, Ava was sequestered in Ian’s cabin. She paced back and forth in the small alcove between his bunk, the chest of drawers, and the built-in wood and leather settee. Any minute now her parents were going to start the video call.
Heart racing, she stilled and pulled in some deep breaths. There was no need to panic. She could do this. She would do this. She had a plan. No beating around the bush. Stick to facts. Let them process it. Clean up the mess.
Her laptop announced an incoming video call.
“God, please help me. Give me the right words.” She bit her lip, then accepted the call as she took a seat on the settee. Her dad’s face filled her screen. Despite the unnerving reason for the call, she couldn’t help but smile. “Hey, Dad!”
His mouth quirked into a grin. “Hey, sweetheart, it’s good to see your face. It’s been too long.”
“Almost six weeks.”
“I’m going to add your mom into this call. Hold on.” His brow furrowed as he squinted at the camera. “It’s hard to see on this phone.”
“Where are your glasses?”
“I’m trying out contacts, but I can’t get used to them. Here she is.”
Her mom popped up on the other half of the screen. “I’m here. What did I miss?”
“Nothing yet,” her dad said. “Ava, I’m on the way to the airport to fly back to Texas, so your mother and I will get straight to the point. We’ve seen the photos of you and Ian Sinclair. We need to know if they are real or if they have been doctored. If they’re real, we’d like an explanation.”
Ava nodded, feeling oddly calm. “The photos are real.”
Disappointment covered her father’s face. Her mother’s brow furrowed. Clara seemed at a loss for words, managing only to say, “Ava…”
“As for an explanation,” Ava continued bravely. “Ian and I are married.”
“What?” Her parents exclaimed, simultaneous.
Her father was the first to form a coherent sentence. “Are you… Is that true?”
She lifted her left hand, which she’d intentionally bedecked with her engagement ring and wedding band. “We were married ten days ago in St. Thomas, USVI on the beach. A local minister performed the ceremony. I have wedding photos to prove it. Our marriage certificate should arrive shortly. I planned to tell you in person as soon as our schedules allowed us all to be together. I’m sorry that you found out this way.”
They seemed too shocked to respond, so she rushed on. “I know that this must all seem to have happened very quickly, but I’ve never been more sure about any decision I’ve ever made in my life—except to give my heart to the Lord. Ian is amazing, incredible, the most caring and loving man I’ve ever known. I can’t imagine him not being in my life.”
More silence. Finally, her dad said, “Thank God! I thought we had a huge scandal on our hands, but a secret marriage is much more manageable. No one has to know that your mother and I weren’t aware of it from the start. Clara, how hard do you think it will be to clean this up?”
“It shouldn’t be too hard. I’ll pull Ava’s manager in on it, but I will personally oversee the issue, James. We’ll send out a press release right away.”
“Good. Ava, I’ll be in Austin this afternoon. We’ll have dinner with you and Ian at Emerson House.”
Clara nodded. “I had another dinner engagement planned, but I can get out it. I’ll have a caterer send over the food.”
“I’m not in Austin, though. I’m in Corpus Christi, visiting Ian.”
Her father glanced down at his wrist watch. “I’ll send a plane over to pick you both up. Y’all will be here in plenty of time. I’m sorry. I’m almost to the airport now. I have to go. I love you, ladies. Ava, we’ll see you and Ian tonight. Bye.”
“Bye, Dad.” She said right before he disappeared.
Her mother’s video went full screen. A mixture of relief and reso
lution filled her voice. “We have a lot of damage to undue. Let’s get started.”
R
Ian hadn’t seen or heard from Ava in over an hour. He was torn between wanted to give her the space she needed to deal with this herself and the need to be by her side to support her. Whatever was going on with her parents, he didn’t want her to have to go through it alone. Maybe he should sneak down to his cabin and check on her.
“You will have to talk to her eventually, you know.”
The sound of Rick’s voice made Ian glance up from his phone. Rick’s gaze was leveled at the screen that showed the live feed of Emily’s first dive post-accident. Emily. Rick was talking about Emily. Conscious of the cameras capturing his every word, Ian frowned. “To be honest, Rick, I’m not entirely sure what else there is to say.”
Rick glanced over at him in exasperation. “Maybe try something other than, ‘Hi, I’m married.’”
“I am married. Pretty sure that says it all.”
“So because you’re married, Emily suddenly means nothing to you?”
“I didn’t say that.”
“No, but you haven’t told her otherwise, either.”
Ian’s phone rang. It was Neil. “I really should take this call. Can you handle both comms?”
Rick gave him a look that said their conversation wasn’t over, but nodded. “Of course.”
Stepping onto the deck, Ian answered the phone. “Hey, Neil. What’s up?”
“I talked with Ava, her mother, and Ava’s manager. Ava is going to put something out on social media announcing that she’s married. Legally, you can’t acknowledge it in any way. At least, not yet. I’m working on that with the network execs along with my firm’s lawyers. We’re also trying to find out who leaked those photos.”
He frowned. “I assumed it was the paparazzi.”
“Looks like it may have been more pedestrian than that. I’ll keep you updated on our progress. As for the rest, Ava will fill you in. I just wanted you to know that we have all our bases covered and that I need you not to make any statements just yet. I’d suggest that you do your best to avoid the press and the public eye. If that somehow becomes impossible, the best response to anyone is that you can’t comment on it at this time. Got it?”
Beyond the Tide Page 34
