Chapter Twenty-Eight
Jason Blume listened, nodding and taking notes as Ethan guided him around the set.
‘Thanks Ethan,’ he said. ‘I appreciate you sticking to your word.’
Ethan looked down at Jason. He had a look to him that Ethan recognised from the mirror. Hungry and ambitious. The young journo probably had his eye on a network job. Breakfast TV or the news. He was handsome enough for a TV gig, in a not too threatening way. Getting this interview would be a very big deal for the guy. It would get picked up by the international press, Lena would make sure of that. Jason’s face was about to be seen across the world.
‘I’m always true to my word, Jason,’ Ethan said.
‘Understood.’ Jason smiled. ‘Is it okay if the crew get a bit of coverage of you and your dog co-star?’
Ethan looked to Lena, his eyebrows raised in question.
She’d flown up the day before. Lena was a tiny ball of fury, pissed off that he’d thrown his big publicity moment away on the local news. But his worst crime was that he hadn’t told her straight away, and she’d been tearing into him about that at intervals ever since. He’d said sorry more times in the last twenty-four hours than he had in his entire life.
They’d had a tense dinner together, hashing through the next day’s interview. Well, he was tense, she was angry. Dinner with Lena meant Ethan hadn’t been able to see Hazel, adding to the tension he was feeling, both emotionally and physically. It was the one night he wasn’t shooting late, and she’d been planning on trying out a new recipe, something Italian that he couldn’t pronounce, which meant kitchen time, which probably meant kitchen time sex, and he’d really been looking forward to that.
‘I’ve cleared your crew for behind-the-scenes footage of Ethan and the dog working on the beach,’ Lena said. ‘But I’ll need to approve it before you use it. We’re trusting you, Jason.’ She gave Jason a look that would make the bravest of men tremble.
The scenes on the beach went perfectly. Ethan’s wardrobe consisted of boardshorts and a lot of tanned, oiled-up skin. He had to play with the dog, running and chasing a football, and laughing as he lost a game of tug-of-war with a towel. It was the ideal scene for the interview, showing not only how comfortable Ethan was with dogs but also how good he looked physically.
He was nervous about the interview and having to relive the dog attack, but it was easier than he’d thought it would be. He just channelled sitting with Hazel on the deck of the cottage in the mountains, remembering the way she hadn’t judged or pitied him. He didn’t go into detail for Jason, nor did he blame his brother, he simply shared the nuts and bolts of the day. He didn’t mention the pain as the dogs ripped into his flesh, the flash of their teeth and the sounds of their snarls, which still haunted his sweat-drenched nightmares. Nor did he go into detail about the multiple hospital stays and surgeries that followed. He talked about the trauma and how it had continued to haunt him into his thirties, then he turned the interview around to discuss how Sera had helped him overcome the worst of it for Sit, Stay, Love, and the amazing work she was doing at her animal shelter. He explained how he’d adopted Harry, and talked about all the other animals he’d met that needed homes. He turned his past into a tale of victory over adversity and got a plug in for rescue animals at the same time. Lena nodded from behind Jason with a small reassuring smile. Ethan knew it must be going well, because Lena never smiled.
After he was done, he wondered why the hell he’d hung on to it for so long. It was good to get it out, and talking about it had helped him see how far he’d come. He owned a dog, he worked with dogs, and although he’d never be a hundred per cent comfortable around them, he could face a dog without wanting to throw up. A couple of years ago he would never have believed that possible. What happened to him as a child was no longer his story. It was his history.
‘I’m proud of you,’ Lena said. ‘That was a masterclass in how to manage an interview on a difficult topic. I think you might inspire some people going through the same thing. I also think you turbo-charged Jason’s career.’
Ethan was struck by a surge of emotion. ‘Thanks, Lena,’ he croaked out. He cleared his throat. ‘Do you think you could give me a moment?’
She nodded, gave his arm a quick squeeze and left the room, quietly closing the door behind her.
Ethan dropped onto a chair, put his face in his hands and sobbed.