Page 71 of Pretty Wild

“You don’t know?” There’s no masking the shock on his face.

“No.”

“She’s never talked about it?” Gabe asks, shifting his daughter to his shoulder so he can burp her. When he sees myeyes narrow, he adds, “I’m just surprised is all. It’s all anyone was talking about. The nurses and office staff at the clinic were discussing it the next day.”

When no one responds fast enough for my liking, I reply, “Tell me.”

“Why don’t you just watch the show?” Gavin asks, sensing the discomfort suddenly surrounding all of us. It’s as if no one wants to be the one to tell me what happened, and I’m not sure how I feel about that.

“Come on,” Logan says, standing up. “I want to change Mak’s diaper and put her down. We’ll watch it together.”

I groan. “Or you could just tell me.”

He laughs. “Come on.”

Gabe stands too. “I need to change this one’s diaper too.” He places a kiss on Wrenlee’s forehead as she dozes soundly in his arms, having filled her belly.

And judging by the stench hitting me, I’d say she filled her pants too.

We all file inside the cabin like cattle, and while Gabe changes his daughter’s diaper, Logan cues up the TV with her reality show. I don’t know how he does it, since the show isn’t currently airing, but he manages. I’m guessing Hallie has some sort of on-demand on the TV, even the ones at the cabin.

The program starts, and I’m instantly drawn in. Her smile fills the screen, and even though I see a hint of the woman I’ve come to know, I can’t help but notice the differences too. I enjoy the laid-back, casual Ryan, and the woman on screen now is anything but, with her designer clothes and her perfect makeup. Her hair is even styled with big curls a man could get his hands lost in, but I realize quickly I’d rather have her windblown and with a ball cap on her head.

We all watch the show, all five of us guys. When she’s at work, discussing her product line and planning the marketingcampaign for this fall, I can feel her passion pouring from the screen. This is what she was born to do, and you can tell she loves it. Her team appears competent, courteous, and works diligently, at least on camera.

Her friends, however, are…stuck up. When they all meet up for lunch, there’s this vibe of spoiled, arrogant, and being self-absorbed. It’s Ryan’s show, but everyone seems to talk over her, not to her. I can’t help but sense she’s just there, doing what she’s asked to do.

But then they start talking about parties hosted by some of the biggest names in the industry. They refer to Ryan as the Wild Child, and it blows my mind. Ryan? Wild? I mean, she gets a little wild in bed, but I have yet to see this uninhibited partier they keep referring to, laughing about whatever antic she did the weekend before. Worse, she seems even more uncomfortable than before, the brightness in her brown eyes dulling. Her posture changes. It’s as if she’s trying to hide under the table, all while wearing a smile on her pink lips.

Suddenly, a man walks up to the table flashing a blinding smile. He’s wearing a tailored suit and screams douchebag. He’s handsome in that Hollywood way, and his demeanor as he approaches instantly puts me on edge. He waves to nearby tables, stopping to shake hands with some big man in another fancy suit two tables away. When he finally reaches the table where Ryan and her friends are sitting, he leans down and presses a light kiss to her cheek. My blood boils in my veins.

It’s Vaughn Cramer.

I’d recognize him anywhere.

There were photographs of him and Ryan together online, and now I’m seeing him on her show. I’m not a fan, but the world seems to be obsessed with him and his movies. He’s good-looking and appears to be an all-right actor, but I can’t get over his arrogance. Even in his movies, his manner just sets me onedge. When I was scrolling through photos of Ryan that first night she told me who she really was, I stumbled upon several of them together. Most of them were at premieres or other red-carpet events, since they were both dressed to the nines.

Now, seeing them together, makes me a little…ragey.

I’m jealous.

One-hundred-percent green with envy.

“You know, I’m having a hard time seeing those two together,” Gavin says as we watch Vaughn as he appears to flirt with Ryan’s friends.

“I mean, I get it. He’s a huge actor, and she’s a producer’s daughter who was raised in the industry. It makes sense,” TD replies. “But that kiss seemed like the kind you give your sister.”

“Agreed,” Gabe announces. “I suppose it could be for the cameras. You know, not wanting to slip her the tongue while grandma and the rest of the world is watching,” he adds.

“The man’s an actor. He’s made out with women in every movie he’s ever done,” Logan replies.

“True,” Gavin concedes. “Did you see that movie he did with Daphne Sparks? He has his tongue down her throat half the movie.”

I listen to their conversation, but my eyes remain glued to the television. They’re all laughing and carrying on, like friends do, but I just can’t get past how fake everything feels.

“We could probably just fast forward through all this stuff,” Logan suggests, but I shake my head no. I want to see it all.

The episode is only thirty minutes, so it doesn’t take long to near the end. Ryan is visiting her parents’ house, her mom coming into frame. I can see where Ryan gets her beauty from. Jade Holmes is every bit the sophisticated, stunning woman I recall from when I was a boy. She’s a former beauty queen and model, and from what Ryan said, she’s a dedicated philanthropist now.

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