Page 23 of Clear Blue Sky

“I thought Tiki was breastfeeding and she would let you sleep unless the little cutie pie couldn’t go back to sleep.”

“The moment Maddie cries, my eyes open. I ended up reading and making notes the last two nights.” Lake shrugged. “How far have you gotten?”

“Halfway,” she admitted. “And I’m slightly losing interest. The mission is exciting, but the POV (point-of-view) shifts are jarring. I get he’s trying to pull the camera back because a lot is happening, but I think this story needs to be tighter. I’m not sure he’s telling the right story.”

“Your instincts are spot-on, as usual.” He set the manuscript aside. “Before we get into my thoughts, what did he do that has you sitting in my living room in a sour mood? Don’t you want to go say goodbye to Nelson before you head home to the city this afternoon?”

“He’s working lunch to close at the restaurant today and I don’t think he wants people gossiping about us. And with our parents coming up next weekend, that’s just something he doesn’t need.”

“You talked to him about that?”

“Not exactly.” Brandi fingered her thick wavy hair. She stared at the fireplace, which had a couple of logs and two candles for decorations. “We might have talked about being exclusive, but we didn’t say anything about going out in public. He’s so private, even with me. Besides, he’s made it clear as the sky is blue, this won’t last.”

“How do you feel about that?”

“Honestly, right now I’m okay with it. I like that I can come here, kick back, read some manuscripts, and let loose a little. It’s a stress-free relationship. I don’t have all the craziness of having to totally answer to someone else, but all the benefits of being exclusive.”

“Are you sure about that? Because I believe the only reason you went back to Ethan was to try to prove to yourself that Nelson meant nothing to you and now you’re trying to act as if Nelson is still a passing fling.” Lake lifted his arm and rested it on the back of the couch. They hadn’t talked about it since she’d mentioned it the other day, except that things had gone well and she planned on coming up more often. She wanted to spend time with her niece, but she also wanted to be with Nelson. To see where things could go. But every time she allowed her mind to go down that road, she was reminded of who she was and how her personal life often played out in public.

Ethan had political aspirations. He thrived in the environment, which always bothered her because she hated being in the spotlight. The only one in the family who actually enjoyed that was her mother.

“You were miserable all winter. Any time I tried to talk to you about it, you shut me down. You told me that I was meddling. I’ve never done that.” Lake didn’t often express his opinions about her personal life, even when asked.

She appreciated that about her brother. If she wanted him to insert himself, she’d tell him, and he’d let her know exactly what he thought. However, he never made her feel that if she made a different decision, it would be the wrong one.

Until now.

Except he didn’t believe she should be with either man. Not really.

“I will admit I was conflicted, but I needed to be sure I was done with Ethan because every time he came back to town, we hooked up. That’s not healthy.”

“You’re right, it’s not. But neither is being in a relationship with a man who’s emotionally unavailable, which isn’t much different than what you were doing with Ethan.” Lake had a valid point, one she’d been thinking long and hard on.

Only, it brought her to one conclusion.

“I don’t know that I am either,” she said.

“What do you mean? You went through all the trouble to have a conversation with him about moving things to a different level and you just told me that you’re enjoying the perks of being in an exclusive relationship. Why are you backpedaling?”

“Mom’s movie premieres in three weeks. We both know our lives are going to be in the spotlight more than usual. And that movie is going to be a hit. The experts are already talking Oscars.” She tilted her head. “Between Nelson not being the kind of man who is going to stand on the red carpet with me, I don’t want my love life in the public eye. We can date in secret, enjoy each other until it’s run its course, and then move on. No one will be the wiser.”

“You’re living in fantasyland if you think the last part of that statement is true.” Lake raised his hands and laughed. “Trust me. I know all about not wanting to have your love life plastered all over the tabloids. I avoided having one because of it. But you can’t avoid it. We’re the children of Chandler and Phoebe Grant. We’re always going to be in the public eye. Look at what happened to me and Tiki two months ago when someone decided to snap a picture of us buying stuff for our baby. It became headline news what we spent. It’s ridiculous, but it’s our life and truthfully, if you want privacy, you should have waited until after the Oscars at the end of the year to start anything up with Nelson. You’re going to get caught. Some photographer is going to see you coming and going.” Lake reached out and covered her mouth with his palm. “Now that I’ve heard your excuse, I call bullshit. You’re afraid because you’re falling for this guy so now you’re talking yourself out of it.”

“Now you’re talking out of your ass.” She swallowed her pulse. “I like him. A lot. But Dad is putting more pressure on me. I’m finally head of acquisitions. I make all the decisions on what we publish, with very few exceptions. I need to focus on our family company.”

Lake squeezed her shoulder. “Do you hear yourself? You’ve flipped and flopped in one weekend.”

“I have not. I never said I wanted to jump into discussions about marriage and kids. I’m not ready for that. With anyone, but especially not someone like Nelson.” She leaned over and snagged the manuscript. “Can we talk about something else now?”

“Sure.” Lake nodded. “But I’m always here to lend an ear if you want. Oh.” He raised his finger. “Am I supposed to play dumb around Nelson?”

“Nah. You’re my brother. Besides, I get the feeling his brothers know about us. Just don’t be an asshole.”

“Who? Me?” He tapped his chest. “Never.”

She laughed. “Moving on. Give me your insights on Marcus’ manuscript and what wasn’t executed right.”

“After you tell me what he did that upset you.” Lake took the papers from her hands and lifted the top sheet.

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