Page 108 of Love is a Harmony
Stella sighed, her body relaxing into his in the trusting way of hers that told him she truly believed he’d never hurt her.
“I want Melanie,” she whispered.
He kissed the top of her head. “We can’t have her. It’s just you and me, kid.” The words hurt to say, but he hid the pain for her benefit. She had enough pain in her life. She didn’t need his.
30
Melanie
Melanie got off her third phone call of the morning, feeling like she hadn’t accomplished a single thing. She could tell her clients what to say and do, but it was their decision if they wanted to listen to her.
And many of them did not.
Publicity was all about appearances rather than reality. She spun stories, so they told the world what she wanted to tell them.
And it was time to help Devlin with the one story that wouldn’t go away. The label needed this dealt with, and Noah was out of the country, so it fell to her.
Her dad entered her office without knocking. “Thanks for doing this. You’re the only person at this entire label I trust to get the media focusing on something else.”
Melanie stood and straightened the papers on her desk. “It’s not like I had a choice.” This was for Noah. She had to keep reminding herself that. He hadn’t answered any calls or texts from label execs, so it came down to this.
Her.
Melanie’s gut clenched as she sucked in a breath. “Dad, if you and Noah hadn’t removed him from my client list, this never would have happened.” She’d never have told the world about his marriage.
“That is past, Mel. Right now, we have to stem the damage. The media is out for blood on this one. They want quotes for their stories, or they’ll continue to make things up.”
She grimaced. “Then, we will give them quotes. Tell me again why Devlin can’t handle this?”
He met her gaze, holding it for a long moment. “Because you are the only person here who truly knows Noah Clarke. You’re the only one who cares about him enough to protect him.”
“Aw, Dad, don’t tell me you’re starting to actually care about the label’s artists now.”
“Sarcasm does not suit you. I have always cared, but publicists sometimes have different priorities than the artists themselves. You never have. You’ve always wanted what’s best for them personally, not only career-wise.”
She stepped around her desk. “Sounds to me like you’re saying I’m in the wrong career.”
He smiled. “Not the wrong career, Mel, but maybe the wrong job.”
“Are you firing me?”
“Never.” He gripped her arm to make her face him. “But you have changed. This job, churning through artists and playing a nurse maid of sorts, it was good for my closed-off daughter who’d lost too much. Then, I watched as you created a family with these same rock stars we gave you, and I started to wonder if my daughter was coming back to me after all these years. You used to be the most joyful person I knew. But still, you even kept this new family at arm’s length.”
“It’s my job, Dad. I had to.”
He shook his head. “No, you wanted to. Because if you didn’t let anyone close, they couldn’t hurt you like Justin did.”
“He didn’t hurt me, he died.”
“And that wasn’t pain?” He shook his head. “But lately… I’ve seen you, Melanie, every part of you. The woman I raised, the one Justin knew, has been here in glimpses. And I realized that girl didn’t deserve to be beaten down by this job.”
“Dad—”
He looked at his watch. “You’re going to be late. Get to the courtyard. I’ll be there after I stop by my office.”
Melanie nodded, giving her dad one more long look before stepping out into the busy hall. Reporters and their cameras rushed toward the courtyard. Employees from the label stepped out of their offices to watch.
Press conferences weren’t new at the office. They used them to announce tours and new records, but there was a different buzz in the air.
