by Cara Dee
She wasn’t far off. Sophie would certainly miss her friends, but her schedule was out-of-this-world crazy.
*
Brisbane
Sophie was dead on her feet when she parked outside of her temporary home. She felt like crying, too. Her body hurt, the ongoing stunt training was painful, and she hadn't left the set in three days.
"Hey." She dropped the keys in the bowl on the hallway table and joined Tennyson and Max in the living room. "Kayden asleep?"
Tennyson looked up from a book about climbing and inclined his head. "He went out like a light a couple hours ago." He patted the spot next to him on the couch, and Sophie plopped down without any grace whatsoever. "I'm beginning to despise this project. Three months in, and you're a zombie."
"It's a challenge." She yawned and closed her eyes. "I like the experience, though. The lasso scene was today. It was fun." The film was set in the 1800s, and merely going through the pre-production work had been dizzying. "But my shoulder's killing me." Maybe she'd get a massage soon. "Anyway, what happened here today?"
Tennyson sighed. "Nothing much. After I picked him up from day care, we went to the beach for a while."
That was almost a surprise. Perhaps he hadn't turned into some wild daredevil, but there were plenty of adventures. Kayden was a big fan of going to the zoo, and when he was in day care to spend some quality time with kids his own age, Tennyson went climbing, diving, and hiking.
Sophie was pretty sure she hadn't seen the man watch TV even once. She was also pretty sure Tennyson loved Australia a whole lot more than she did.
It was beautiful here, but she didn’t get to see much, and…and it wasn’t home.
*
Brisbane
"Hey!" Sophie beamed at Tennyson and Kayden as they approached. She was stuck in a chair with a makeup artist working on her, so she couldn’t get up. "How's Mommy's boy?"
"Hi, hi!" Kayden waved madly, having learned early that movie sets were places one couldn’t run around. He stayed close to his father, hugging his thigh.
"We brought dinner." Tennyson smiled politely and held up a takeout bag.
"Thank you." Sophie returned the smile, feeling awkward.
Over the past few weeks, they'd been arguing. A lot. They put on a good show for Kayden, but reality wasn’t as picturesque.
Tennyson claimed Sophie was overworked, stressed out, and wasn’t taking care of herself properly. She didn’t necessarily disagree with him, but the way he'd come down on her had pissed her off. He'd acted like a damn father as opposed to a concerned friend.
"Are you working over this weekend?" he asked.
She threw him a look before she had to close her eyes so the makeup artist could touch up her eyeliner.
"No, I've already told you. I'm off on Saturday." Which sucked because this weekend—of all of them—Tennyson was meeting up with his parents in Sydney, and of course he was bringing Kayden.
She'd have next weekend off too, though. Tennyson would fly back to LA for a few days to go to his premiere, but he'd be back later. And Sophie could, for once, plan something fun for just her and their son.
"Make sure you eat." Tennyson had that parental tone that irritated Sophie, but she didn’t comment. He set down the bag near her chair. "Kayden wants to see the horses. Mind if I give him a tour?"
"Of course not," Sophie said.
That was that.
*
Brisbane
The night Tennyson and Kayden returned from Sydney, Sophie and Tennyson had another huge fight, and it ended with two adults slamming their bedroom doors shut.
It was a miracle Kayden hadn't woken up.
Sophie lay in her bed for hours, unable to sleep. She was sick of defending herself all the time, especially when she feared Tennyson was right. She wasn’t happy. She loved her job, even when it got so demanding and overwhelming, but it had gone too far. She wasn’t living. She was just…existing. She worked so much, and whatever spare time she had left, she spent with Kayden.
Being independent was one thing, but it wasn’t right if she only did it to prove a point. And being independent didn’t mean she had to shut everybody out. Hell, she was shutting herself out, too!
She made a face and sighed as she left her bed and yanked on a pair of pajama pants. Then she padded across the hall and gave Tennyson's door a quiet knock.
He opened it a few seconds later. He was dressed for bed, his hair disheveled, but she could tell she hadn't roused him from sleep.
"You're right," she admitted softly. "I haven't been taking care of myself. I've lost weight. I push myself too hard."
Tennyson's stance gentled in some way. "I apologize for acting like your caregiver. I've been so fucking worried about you, but I could've handled it differently."
It was a relief to hear that, and Sophie smiled sadly. "I hate fighting with you."
"Oh, come here, sweetie." He pulled her in for a tight hug. "No more than I hate it, I can tell you that." He kissed the top of her head. "I know all about the schedules actors get sometimes. But forgetting to eat? Being in so much pain that you can barely sleep? I can't watch you go through that again." He gripped her chin gently and made her look up. "I've already spent one night in the ER because you neglected yourself. Please don’t make me relive Vancouver again."
Her smile became wobbly as her eyes welled up, and to hide her emotions, she dropped her forehead to his sternum. "Thanks for being here for me, Tennyson."
In that moment, she realized he was her best friend. But something weighed heavy on her. She wanted to let go, she wanted help, she wanted comfort. But that would make her weak, wouldn’t it? She hadn't learned everything yet. Giving up wasn’t an option, and relying on others wasn’t right.
"Always." He planted another kiss in her hair and gave her a squeeze.
Chapter 10
Tennyson was making sure Sophie kept her promise.
She'd landed at LAX two hours ago after spending almost ten months in Australia, and it was time for her to focus on herself a bit. Because he was done watching her work herself into an early grave.
During the seven months Tennyson had lived with her and Kayden outside of Brisbane, he'd seen how far she'd come as an actress. She was amazing, strong, innovative, fearless, and confident. But off the clock, she was a shell of a person.
Now it had been nearly two months since Tennyson had seen Kayden—the longest ever, which he wouldn’t be able to go through again. Skype and hours on the phone and countless photos and video clips hadn't been enough.
Meeting up with them at LAX was out of the question because of the paparazzi. But Sophie had a photo shoot right after, so Tennyson got into his car and drove over to the hotel where the shoot was taking place. There was no way he could wait another minute.
Daniel had texted to say he was dropping off Max at home, and it had been Tennyson's cue to get moving. His bags were packed, a pile of scripts sorted, and he'd bought a few things Kayden would need in Mendocino.
They were hitting the road first thing in the morning, and Tennyson was itching to get there. It had been too fucking long.
Stuck in traffic, he checked his phone and saw a message from Asher.
At the house now. Mom and Dad will be here tomorrow morning.
Tennyson responded.
And the pup?
The traffic eased a bit, and he took the next exit before he could hit another backup. By the time he reached the hotel, Asher had replied, and Tennyson had learned that his new rescue pup was in Mendocino, too.
It had been on his list for ages, and now he finally had the time. This next week, he'd also help Asher expand Fight for Fighters.
There was no line for the valet, so Tennyson pulled up outside the hotel, shaking his head at the group of photographers just off the hotel's property. He guessed they knew Sophie was here, and that was another thing he wanted to bring up with her.
He was sick of hiding. Paps didn’t chase him as much, so he coul
d move around pretty freely with Kayden, but Sophie never tagged along unless their privacy could be guaranteed.
It made it impossible for them to do things with Kayden together.
Australia had been an exception. Less media interference, but Sophie's work schedule had been in the way there instead.
Pulling his ball cap a bit lower, he got out of the car and handed over his keys. Then he got clearance and took the elevator up to the penthouse where the crew from a magazine was milling about.
When he saw Sophie, he froze.
Holy fuck.
She was standing by the massive window that offered a view over downtown LA, and he cursed internally at his reaction.
She had gained back the weight she'd lost while he'd been living with her in Australia, and she looked…drop-fucking-dead gorgeous.
She was becoming an extraordinary woman. There was more wisdom in her blue-green eyes, she looked comfortable in her own skin, she absolutely rocked her subtle curves, and she had this smile. One that made it impossible not to smile back.
She only had to overcome her fears about the media and stop worrying about what others thought of her.
Today's shoot was…bold. She was fully dressed in a gown worthy of any red carpet, but the set was undeniably oozing with sex. The red fabric of her dress hugged her perfect body and matched the color of her lipstick. Her hair was darker than before, messy and provocative, almost as provocative as the look she was giving the camera.
Difficult to think she'd just gotten off a flight from Australia.
Staying in the background, Tennyson averted his gaze from her and distracted himself by looking around for Kayden and his nanny.
"Daddy!"
Tennyson whipped around and saw Kayden running out of an adjacent room.
"Daddy, Daddy, Daddy!"
"There's my bug!" He grinned widely, and he couldn’t help but get a little misty-eyed. Two months without being able to hold his son—pure hell. "God, I missed you, Kayden." Kayden jumped into his arms, and Tennyson hugged him tightly. "Give Daddy a smooch."
Kayden smiled crookedly, placed his chubby hands on Tennyson's cheeks, and gave him a smacking kiss. "Pway?"
"We'll play later," he promised. "I'll be stepping on your LEGOs in no time." One might think the larger LEGO blocks for toddlers didn’t hurt as much to step on, but fuck that. "You excited to see Grandma and Pop tomorrow?"
"Yeah, Pop-Pop," Kayden laughed. Yes, Pop was the favorite. "Unca Ash?"
"He'll be there, too." Tennyson blew a raspberry on Kayden's cheek. "Let's go see what Mommy's up to, yeah?" He carried Kayden back to the set where they'd taken a break to touch up Sophie's hair and makeup.
"Mommy pwetty," Kayden said. "Mommy!"
Tennyson kissed the side of his head. "She's a whole lot more than pretty."
He hadn't been prepared for his own reaction, but when he thought about it, maybe it had made sense. Something had built up inside him while they'd shared a house for seven months. He just wasn’t quite sure what it was.
"Hey!" Sophie beamed and asked for five minutes. Then she walked over in heels that added five inches to her height. "Did you just get here?"
"I did." Tennyson knew the importance of not fucking with the makeup, so he only pressed a quick kiss to her forehead. Heels or not, she was a shortie. "Are you hopped up on caffeine, or do you not get jet-lagged anymore?"
"I'm on my third Red Bull," she confessed with a soft laugh. "I think I'm gonna sleep for two days after today."
That was up to her, of course. As long as she didn’t spend the entire week alone. "Have you made any plans?"
"I have, actually." She looked smug. "You'll be proud to learn I've invited a bunch of people over for a party this Friday."
"At your loft," he stated.
"Well, yeah."
"All right. Allow me to rephrase." He went on patiently—somewhat. He had to remember not to repeat his mistake of sounding like her father. "Have you made any plans to leave the rock you're hiding under?"
"Oh my God, Tennyson!" Sophie looked exasperated. "Yes. I will go out. Satisfied? I've even agreed to do a more personal interview. That’s what this shoot is for."
That was certainly news to him. "How personal?"
She bit her soft lip, perfect white sinking into dark red. "Sage told me Women's National is doing a piece on body issues, and I agreed to speak about my past—how I obsessed over counting calories and how I ended up in the hospital. So I've sorta been prepping myself since you left Brisbane. Back on a diet plan, personal trainer… It's supposedly gonna be a series of articles, and I'm crazy nervous."
Tennyson was at a loss for words. He'd been there for some of it, witnessed more than enough of how she'd starved herself, so that she was willing to speak up about it now was incredibly strong.
"That’s…" He smiled in wonder and touched her cheek. "That’s amazing, Sophie. It'll send a great message to girls who are going through what you went through."
It wasn’t often she blushed anymore, but a faint flush of pink spread across her cheeks now, and it was as lovely as ever.
"You don’t give yourself enough credit," he murmured. "You're a woman people would look up to if you'd only let them see you more."
"Okay, okay." She smiled and ducked her head for a moment. "I'm working on it. And I'll even have a few drinks this week. Otherwise, I won't survive being away from Kayden."
"If I can do it, so can you." Tennyson laughed through his nose. He did feel slightly bad for her, but what was a week when he'd just survived two months? "We'll talk every day, and it'll be my turn to blow up your phone with photos."
"Promise?" She grinned up at him.
He was about to say he was definitely promising, but a PA walked up with Sophie's phone.
"Oh, thanks." She unlocked her phone and read some message, only to roll her eyes when she was done. "Fucking Brooklyn."
"Something wrong?" Tennyson gave a bored Kayden his attention, and the two made funny faces at each other.
"She broke up with that guy she was seeing," she said.
"Uh-huh." He vaguely remembered Brooklyn was dating a soccer player. Asher hadn't been thrilled to hear about it, but this from the man who was still working up the courage to ask her out. Three years after they met in Vancouver.
Asher was usually a suave bastard with women, and he hadn't exactly been celibate all this time, but something about Brooklyn—and the fact that she had a daughter—intimidated him.
"Yeah, so she wants us to go out and be each other's wingwoman," Sophie said with a sigh. "She should know by now there's only one man in my life. Ain't that right, baby?" She smirked and popped a kiss to Kayden's nose. "Oh damn, that lipstick's good. It doesn’t smear. Maybe Mommy needs to go shopping."
Her words had packed a punch, another thing Tennyson hadn't foreseen. He didn’t understand it; he was over her, wasn’t he? Attraction and desire were one thing, but it didn’t go beyond that. So why the fuck did he feel jealous toward the bastard she'd eventually date?
Asher had asked him why he wasn’t getting back in the game. Tennyson had been honest. Mainly, it was because he was focused on all the things he'd stopped caring about when he'd become an antisocial loner all those years ago. And partly, it was because it seemed disrespectful. He couldn’t imagine going out on dates while Sophie needed all the free time she could get. But maybe she was ready for more now. To see what was out there.
Or who.
"By the way, what's this I hear about my dad getting fired?" Sophie asked.
"What?" He frowned.
"Daniel told me." She nodded. "Apparently, Dad was escorted out, and he hit one of the security guards."
"Huh." He didn’t really know what to say. He definitely hadn't heard anything about it. "I can ask Ash tomorrow. He knows more about studio big shots than I do."
"Unca Ash!" Kayden exclaimed.
"Yeah, you're gonna see Uncle Ash tomorrow, baby," Sophie cooed. "But you'll miss Mo
mmy, right?"
"Mith-mith." Kayden tried to mimic.
"Okay, I gotta get back to work." She gave Kayden another smooch and squeezed Tennyson's hand. "Dinner tonight?"
"I'll pick something up." He nodded.
*
Tennyson got on the road early the next morning with Kayden and Max and managed to beat the traffic. Bad enough to be on the road for some ten hours with a two-year-old, but it had been a long time since he'd driven his Impala, so he'd said no to flying. He didn’t drive it in the city because people in LA had no fucking respect for vintage cars, so his Escalade was destined to take the scratches and the dents from assholes who didn’t know how to park.
The road trip wouldn’t have worked if Kayden didn’t like to travel, but he did. He went nuts over everything that involved machinery. Airplanes, cars, trains, buses—all of it.
The naps were the most peaceful, of course. Big Sur offered scenery no one could tire of, and it felt great to drive outside of LA. Then when Kayden was up…well, that was another story. He didn’t get cranky unless he needed his diaper changed or was hungry, but the constant "Wroom, wroom, Daddy! Wroom, wroom!" got old after a few hours.
The traffic they hit outside of San Francisco irritated Tennyson, whereas Kayden thought it was hilarious. He giggled like mad and pointed at all the cars.
It was nearing nine PM when they reached his house in Mendocino, and Kayden was immediately whisked away by Mom and Dad.
"You look like you need this." Asher handed him a beer.
"I'll need a second and a third, too."
After unpacking the car, the two brothers made their way through the two-story house and ended up on the patio. Last year, they'd gated the property because the house sat on a cliff. The view of the ocean was still spectacular—as long as you were over four feet tall.
Tennyson sat down with a contented sigh on one of the couches that framed the patio. The backyard was slightly elevated from the patio, the lawn beginning where the back of the couches ended. The yard wasn’t very big either, but there was enough space for an aboveground Jacuzzi, a sandbox for Kayden, and the trees and bushes Mom had planted.
