Page 45 of She's the Star

“You’re the cutest,” she says to Maddy. “But you got me wet.” Her eyes dart to me. “I’m going to have to change. Can you take Maddy and get her out of her swimsuit?”

“Sure. Should I give her a quick bath?” I ask.

“That would be amazing.” She nods and passes Maddy to me.

Teddy huffs loudly. “I just remembered…I’ve got…a thing.” He pats Maddy on the back, turns on his heel, and practically sprints for the door. He’s still dripping as he enters the house wearing nothing but his swim trunks. He doesn’t even have shoes on.

“Teddy. You don’t have your clothes,” Amber calls after him, but he doesn’t respond.

“Does he have his keys?” I ask.

“They’re probably in his car.” She waits a beat and then adds, “I guess he’s more upset than I thought he’d be.”

“Was that his version of a temper tantrum?” Teddy might be ridiculously talented musically, but otherwise he’s kind of a mess. I vacillate between feeling sorry for him, wanting to help him, and wanting to kick him.

She sighs. “Before you got here, he told me I broke his heart.”

“You broke his heart?” What rubbish. I’m offended for her.

She rubs her forehead. “His agent told Brian that he’s been reading accidental pregnancy romance novels.”

That is wildly unexpected and probably not at all helpful. “Let me guess, in those novels, the accidental parents fall in love?”

“Apparently. I guess it’s feeding his hope that we’ll reconcile.” She reaches out and adjusts the towel so Maddy can get her arm that is trapped free. “Brian suggested they slip in some single parent romances.”

Is Teddy’s mood really swayed by fictional love stories? “Single moms that hook up with their daughter’s nanny?”

She sighs. “Right. I’m undecided if that would be helpful or harmful.” She pauses like she’s thinking about it and then pats her wet shirt. “But since I’m still wet and Maddy needs changed, let’s head inside. I’m hungry and since Teddy stormed out, I can save figuring out how to manage him for another day.”

She moves toward the house, and I follow her, taking Maddy to her room to get washed off and dressed while Amber goes to change. When we’re done in the bath, we find Amber opening one of the dresser drawers. She pulls out a one-piece romper and after I grab a diaper, she gets Maddy dressed.

The entire interaction is completely natural and devoid of any lingering tension. Later that night, I acknowledge to myself that I’m grateful that Teddy didn’t stay for dinner.

SEVENTEEN

AMBER

We leave for San Francisco early on Wednesday morning. Somehow the paparazzi catch wind of my travel plans, so we’re mobbed when we get to the airport. As is often the case, a crowd of fans appear seemingly out of nowhere. I stop to greet them and sign autographs while Nolan and part of my security team sneak Maddy through the crowd and onto the private charter.

The flight is insanely short. We’ve barely taken off before we’ve landed again. We run into larger crowds in San Francisco than we left in Los Angeles. Once again, Nolan keeps Maddy out of the spotlight while I distract the fans. There are little girls, teenage girls, grown women, and a handful of men who want selfies or autographs or simply to say hi. Their adulation feeds me and exhausts me at the same time. Not that I’d ever complain about the latter.

“Everything okay?” I ask Nolan when I finally climb into the SUV to find Maddy asleep in her car seat.

“We’re good,” Nolan says, studying me carefully. “You signed a lot of autographs and posed for a ton of selfies. Are you okay?”

For a second, I don’t have an answer. It’s rare for anyone to ask me how I am. They see the image I’ve created, and they don’t question it. In truth, I don’t even usually ask myself how I’m doing. “Of course. I’m great.”

His brow quirks. “Are the crowds going to be the same at the hotel?”

“Probably. There’s a good chance someone at the label is leaking my location to drum up publicity. Unless I specifically tell them not to, they can’t seem to help themselves.”

He turns his gaze out the window. “Seems exhausting.”

“It’s part of the job. I know how much I can take,” I reassure him.

His attention shifts back to me. “You make it seem effortless.”

“Oh. Well. It isn’t. And it is.” I pause and consider how to explain. “I’m not Amber Hope without the fans, so I try to pay them back for what they’ve given me. Don’t get me wrong, it’s work, but it isn’t a burden.”

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