Feisty Red (Three Chicks Brewery 2)

The last thing Sullivan wanted to do was lie, but Clara was in no state of mind to see Mason right now. Truth be told, either was Sullivan. The article shook him. The paparazzi had always been cruel, but never like this. They’d taken their story and made it look far worse than the truth of Sullivan’s past.

More rustling then Hayes came back to the phone, laughing. “He appears done with you. We’ve got this. Don’t worry.” A pause. “How’s Clara?”

“Rattled,” Sullivan said.

“Anyone would be,” Hayes commented. “All right, we’ll keep the little dude busy until you guys call.”

“I owe you, thanks, Hayes.”

“You don’t owe me shit.” Hayes ended the call before Sullivan could say anything more.

With a sigh, he tucked his phone into his pocket and scanned the property one final time, but didn’t see a reporter in sight. Though he did see the police cruiser sitting at the end of the driveway. For years, he’d wanted the fame, the recognition. Now he’d hand it over in a second to avoid the way it hurt Clara. Determined to fix this, he went inside, locking the door behind him, and headed up the staircase. Every step of the way and creak of the wooden floorboard beneath his feet, he swore he’d done the right thing, but he realized his misstep now. He’d brought the reporters right to Clara’s doorstep when he gave the press conference to publicize the brewery. And the baseball game only confirmed she meant something to him. He should have known better—should have anticipated they would dig into his connection to her. He’d let his guard down, and he shouldn’t have. He’d done this to her by coming back, and he’d hurt her…again.

When he reached the bathroom door, he knocked softly. “Clara?”

“Come in.”

He opened the door then wished he hadn’t. She was in the claw-foot bathtub set against the left wall, full of bubbles. Makeup streaked her cheeks, and he could see the heartbreak written all over her face. Betrayal, her eyes screamed at him. “Clara, anything I said in that interview was to protect you and is not how I feel,” he told her, closing the distance between them.

Her gaze held his. “I know.”

She didn’t believe him, and his gut twisted. He knelt by the tub. He explained further, “If they think there is nothing going on here, they’ll leave you alone.” However, he could tell his words weren’t enough and that any headway they’d made was gone. She was guarded again. Not that he could blame her. He knew without even asking what truly scared her. “You’re worried about Mason.”

She shut her eyes, tension radiating from her. “I’ve spent his whole life trying to keep him in a safe, happy bubble.” Her voice cracked. “They’ve twisted our story. Took the worst parts of it. Told lies. I don’t want Mason hearing any of that. All I wanted to do was protect him, and I’ve failed at that.”

Sullivan breathed past the constricting of his chest. “There is one way to stop them, but you’re not going to like it.”

She froze, a cold worry filling her eyes. “You have to leave.”

Of course, she had already considered this. “It’s the only way to stop this.” He knew the impact his words would have and saw them ricochet off her face. “To stay here would only have the reporters digging deeper. Hell, they will start loitering around Mason’s school. They’re vultures. Writing more stories. Let them write that I left you and Mason again, and this will end it. I’ll return to Boston and let this die down.” He paused to consider, thinking this through from every angle. “I can get a PR company that can help smooth all this out for us.”

Clara’s brows pinched. “But if you leave now, it’s only going to make you look worse.”

The bubbles began popping as he stroked her warm cheek. “I’m used to looking bad, Clara. I can handle the media’s negative attention.” He leaned closer, needing no distance between them. “But what I can’t

handle is how this hurt you and Mason. I’m sorry this happened. I never expected the shit that happened in Boston to follow me here.”

“Who could have expected it?” Clara asked, tugging at her damp hair. “I just hate how they twisted our story.”

“It’s part of the deal, and sadly, I’m on their radar right now.” Heady emotion filled her eyes before she shut them and leaned her head back against the tub. He couldn’t take the silence. “Please tell me what you’re thinking.”

“I hate how they portrayed everything.” She opened her red eyes, tears rimming them. “They only took the bad, without any of the important parts…the stuff that makes our story…ours.”

Desperate to take this all away so the pain didn’t touch her, he stroked her cheek again. “That’s what they do. They create a narrative and roll with it. People, sadly, enjoy hearing about the bad.”

“I don’t know why,” she said, a single tear sliding down her cheek. “It’s awful, and it’s our past, and no one has any right telling it.” She shut her eyes again and took in a shuddering breath. “I’m very worried about Mason.”

Sullivan felt the pain ripple through his body. He’d done this. He reached into the bath and took her hand, squeezing tight. “I won’t let them get to Mason again. Clara, look at me.” She opened her eyes again, and he added, “They won’t get to him. I swear it.”

“You can’t stop them, Sullivan. They’ve already twisted the story enough that the kids at school are going to torment him. He was so proud you played baseball. Now, they’re going to tell him you never wanted him.” Her voice broke. “It’s so cruel.”

It occurred to him then that her greatest fear had come true, and so had his. His involvement in her and Mason’s life had fucked everything up. “I’ll make this better,” he said, unsure how at the moment. “I’ll do whatever I have to do to distract them, to get them off your back. And then I’ll come back to Mason…to you, and we’ll put this all behind him.”

She cocked her head, gave him a measured look. “Don’t do anything stupid that will get you another suspension.”

He’d come here to get over his suspension. To get back into the game. To fix his life. He cupped Clara’s face. “The last thing I’m going to do is stir up more trouble. I’m going to get them off your back, nothing more.”

Her chin quivered. “When are you leaving?”