Page 74 of Ten Beach Road

“Surely the baby’s father will accept responsibility?” Chase said, not sounding sure at all. He tossed the last granola wrapper in the trash and poured himself another cup of coffee. “If he doesn’t understand how many people it takes to create a child, I’ll be happy to explain it to him.”

Maddie blinked in surprise and saw a similar expression on Avery’s face.

“You all don’t need to be talking about me as if I’m not here,” Kyra said. “I’m here. And I’m sure the father of my child will want to be involved.”

Madeline closed her eyes against Kyra’s childlike certainty. She’d had the same tone in her voice at seven when she’d insisted on staying up all night to catch a glimpse of the tooth fairy. And at thirteen when she’d been convinced that the animated short she’d managed to shoot and cut together, could, in fact, be entered in the Sundance Film Festival. “Kyra, please,” Maddie whispered. “It’s not a good idea to mention that . . .”

Kyra got up from the table and stood where everyone could see her. “What my mother doesn’t want me to tell you—or anyone—is that Daniel Deranian is the father of my child.”

If anyone’s attention had been about to wander, that simple statement brought all eyes and ears back to Kyra. Nicole winced, but didn’t speak.

“Daniel Deranian, the actor?” Avery asked.

Kyra nodded. “My mother’s convinced that because he’s a celebrity I can’t possibly mean anything to him. She believes that I was a . . . convenience . . . on the set and that he has no feelings for me and certainly no honorable intentions.” Her jaw tightened. “That’s how much my mother thinks of me.”

“I never said that,” Madeline protested. “I only . . .”

“I happen to know that Daniel loves me. And I know he’ll want to be a part of our lives.” Kyra’s hand slipped to her rounding stomach.

Madeline stole a look at the now-familiar faces around them and saw everything from surprise to the same doubt she felt. Kyra was just too young to see her situation ending in anything less than a happily ever after.

“Daniel will be on the next plane here. Or sending his private jet to pick me up.” She smiled the confident smile of a foolish child. “Just as soon as I get through to him.”

Madeline could hardly bear to contemplate what would happen when and if Kyra actually got through to Deranian. The man was used to people covering for and taking care of him, and he did, in fact, have a wife regardless of where she’d chosen to live.

“I’d be careful not to get on the wrong side of Tonja Kay,” Nicole said. “That woman has a reputation for being even stronger in person than she is in the roles she plays.”

“Well,” Madeline said, drawing another angry glare from her daughter, “until that plane arrives I think it would be best if we keep this information to ourselves.”

Kyra grabbed her camera and left the kitchen, clearly incensed. Maddie followed her, hoping to smooth things over, but not until she’d gotten a nod of agreement from the others. Though, of course, a nod of silence wasn’t exactly binding.

But then, what was?

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