Page 72 of Last Summer

His gaze meets hers over their heads. A sheen of sweat shines his forehead. Ella would expect that a celebrity with his degree of popularity would be used to this level of exposure and have the charisma to step away from the crowd graciously. She’d seen Steve Young do it on numerous occasions while shopping at Stanford Shopping Center when she was growing up. But Nathan is backed into a corner, trapped between the coatrack and sock bin. He looks like he’s about to panic.

“Excuse me.” Ella pushes between a heavyset woman and an adolescent boy and wraps an arm around Nathan’s waist. “Nathan, darling. We’re going to be late.”

“Sorry, peeps. Gotta bounce.” Nathan’s arm drops around her shoulders. Phones click in their faces. He looks at her with relief.

Threading her fingers through his and keeping his arm tight around her, she maneuvers them through racks of clothes and out the emergency exit in back. An alarm blares when Nathan shoves open the door. They don’t stop until they reach her car in the parking lot. Releasing his hand and her breath, she searches for her keys.

“That was so bizarre,” she says on a laugh, and the laugh builds. She can’t stop herself and sags against the car.

Nathan just smiles, waiting for the moment to pass.

“All right, you’ve had your fun,” he says when Ella settles down.

“Whew, I needed that.” She exhales, holding her ribs, then grins up at him. “Admit it, I was totally your bodyguard.”

He chuckles, shaking his head. “Cutest bodyguard ever.” They share a smile, then Ella sobers.

“Is it always like that for you?” His fans had even made her feel claustrophobic.

“When I get caught out in public, yes,” he says, his pale face slowly returning to its normal shade of winter tan. He shoves his hands into his pockets. “Thanks for that.”

“You’re welcome. Why didn’t you tell them you had to leave or something?”

“I tried following you to the checkout counter, but...Confession?” Nathan lifts his cap and tunnels his fingers into his hair. His hand shakes. “I get anxious in a crowd. It’s why I left New York.”

“Oh. I’m sorry.” She shouldn’t have left him. “Did I know that about you?” He might have told her before. She might have witnessed it before.

He shakes his head. “I’ve never mentioned it to anyone. It’s only bad when people get into my space and I don’t have a way out.”

Nathan’s expression is strained. He sounds perturbed, and for the first time, Ella catches a glimpse of what his life has been like. No wonder he plays the part of a hermit and grew a beard so that he could move about town incognito.

“I shouldn’t have left you. I’m sorry it got out of control in there.”

“It wasn’t too bad. I should be used to it by now, but...” He shrugs. “The outdoors, that’s my game. Best forewarn you, though: don’t be surprised if those shots show up on social media.”

Ella swears, thinking of how they must have looked leaving, arms wrapped around each other, and the way Nathan had looked at her when she came to his rescue. The photos his fans took will go viral.

Nathan slides on his Oakleys. He glances back at the store’s entrance. “I’ll come back later when it’s less crowded.” Only then does she realize he dropped his basket of items somewhere in the store.

“Where are you headed now?” she asks.

“The kennel. You?”

“I got what I needed. I guess I’ll find a coffee shop somewhere and organize my notes from yesterday until you’re ready to head back to your place.”

Nathan removes a key from his key chain. “Here. You can work at the house.”

“Thanks.” She takes the key.

“The guest room is on the main level, across from the bathroom. It’s ready for you. Towels are out. I’ll pick up something for dinner and meet you at home later.”

He briefly touches her shoulder, then heads for his truck. As she settles into the driver’s seat, it dawns on Ella that he doesn’t seem at all fazed that their faces could be plastered across social media, where the photos can be picked up byAccess Hollywoodand ETonline.Gah!Or TMZ, the worst of the bunch. Grocery store tabloid on television.

Hugging the steering wheel, Ella drops her head and groans. Why did she call him “darling”? Nathan was panicking. She acted on impulse. She can imagine TMZ’s headline:Grieving Celebrity Adventurer Dumps Mother of His Deceased Son for Lifestyle Journalist.

She’s such a moron. But in her defense, she did for him what anyone with a conscience would have done to get him out of an alarming situation. She did what she would have done for her husband.

Damien.

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