Chapter 23
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
T ressy
“Hello, again, Ms. Meyers. This is Dana Yeh from Viewpoint Media. I just wanted you to know that we are running the article on Denee Henning this week. When I called you last week, I mentioned there were rumors we wanted to clear up. And since they deal directly with you, I really wanted to speak with you before we run the piece.”
The reporter paused and my stomach rolled. The rushing in my ears was nearly drowned out by the noise of the busy farm, where hundreds of people picked pumpkins, petted goats, ran through a corn maze and loaded into a wagon filled with actual hay. When Rowdy had parked his truck in the lot, I’d actually looked for signs that this was a film set. I mean, seriously, it looked like it’d fit perfectly in a TV romcom.
Then my phone had buzzed with a call, but Krista was bouncing in her seat, ready to be let loose with all the other kids, and I’d let the call go to voice mail. When I’d recognized the number as being from New York, Rowdy had offered to take Krista over to the petting zoo so I could listen to the message.
Now, I wish I hadn’t, because anxiety had me gripped by the throat.
“Look,” Dana Yeh continued, “I didn’t get into this business to be the paparazzi. I honestly don’t want to ruin your life, but these rumors have the potential to be…painful for your family. Please. Give me a call back.”
Looking out the front window as I erased the message, I watched Rowdy grin at Krista as she held food out to a tiny goat, who nuzzled at her hand. Krista turned to Rowdy and took his hand as if she’d been doing it forever, and they walked over to another pen with bunnies.
Panic lodged like a rock in my throat, making it hard to breathe.
She couldn’t know. How would she know?
There’d never been so much as a hint of a whisper before this.
Breathe. Just breathe.
First, I had to call back the reporter and find out if she knew anything definitive, or if she was still just fishing. And I needed to do it now while Rowdy had Krista entertained.
I tapped the redial button before I could second guess my decision.
“Ms. Yeh, this is Teresa Meyers.”
I heard her sigh through the line. “Thank you so much for calling me back.”
“You made it sound like I didn’t have much of a choice.” I made sure my tone held a hard edge. “What exactly do you need to talk to me about?”
“I really don’t want to do this over the phone but seeing as you’re not in the city at the moment, and there really is a time-sensitive aspect to this, I thought we should speak. The rumor I was referring to has to do with your daughter.”
The reporter continued to speak, laying out the story as she knew it. And she had most of it right. Of course, she was completely wrong about one piece. Denee had taken a few secrets to her grave, but she’d assured me before her death that a lawyer had taken care of everything regarding that one aspect. And that it would never be a problem.
“Do you have any comment you want to make on the record, Ms. Meyers?”
The reporter finally stopped talking, and I took a moment to think about my response.
“My only comment,” I finally said, “is that, if your organization chooses to run this rumor, you’ll be sued, and not just by me. You’re erroneously dragging one of the most influential men in Hollywood into a pissing match because your publisher is trying to make a name for himself. And Ms. Yeh? I really hope you think twice before allowing your name to be associated with a story built on the back of a six-year-old child.”
The reporter fell silent again, but I knew she was still there.
“I’ll be sure to tell my editor what you said, Ms. Meyers.” Dana released another audible sigh. “Off the record… and if you repeat this, I will deny it… I think you could make this go away if you approach the publisher yourself. With a lawyer. His name is Rodney Feeney. He seems to have a hard on for this story, and he’s planning to run it this week, so the sooner you get here the better. Like, tomorrow.”
I said thank you and cut off the call. There really was nothing else to say. I knew what I had to do.
Through the window, I saw Rowdy bend down to speak to Krista, his smile for my daughter nearly bringing tears to my eyes.
Not fair. So not fair.
I didn’t want to leave. Not yet. But now I couldn’t even leave on my own terms because some sleazeball thought he had a scoop. I wanted to cry and throw things, and I’m pretty sure I wanted to rip Rodney Feeney a new asshole .
And I knew exactly how to do it, because I knew him. Former actor turned entertainment blogger, he’d turned a B-list career into a profession by mining his so-called friends for gossip. Most of his posts were clickbait, with not much substance to them, but every now and then he managed a scoop.
I refused to let him have this one. All because, years ago, Denee had turned him down. He’d pursued her pretty hard, but Denee had never been interested. She’d barely even acknowledged the guy. She’d already met the love of her life. But, like every good tragedy, she couldn’t have him. And then she’d died.
How about that for a Hollywood ending?
Familiar grief swamped my heart, which just made the sadness already there more intense.
I didn’t want to leave Rowdy, but my daughter came first.
Taking a deep breath, and then another, I got out of the truck, plastered a smile on my face and headed toward Rowdy and Krista.