So much was still unsettled. She and Jack hadn’t had a chance to talk yet. Cooper hadn’t contacted her either, and she was so afraid he would leak the photos and video to the press that she’d hardly been able to eat.
Her mother, however, wouldn’t wait, and it was time to at least deal with her.
“I’m going to take this,” she said holding up her cell. At Jack’s raised eyebrow she shrugged. “It’s my mother.”
She slipped into the study just off the great room and put the cell to her ear.
“Donovan?” Jayleigh James sounded stressed, and that was never a good sign. The woman wasn’t easy to deal with under normal circumstance so this was gonna be a treat.
“I’m here Mom.”
“Are you going to tell me what the hell is going on? I’m your manager and why am I the last to know about you and Jack Simon getting back together? When you told me you were in Canada why didn’t you tell me you were with him? Jesus Christ, Donnie. I had to find out by seeing it on TMZ?”
Typical. All she saw was Jack Simon and publicity. Some things never changed.
“I’m good by the way,” Donovan said, rubbing a hand along her forehead. “Survived an afternoon lost in the bush.” Another headache was coming. She pressed speaker and set her cellphone onto the desk, eyes closed as she leaned against it. “You know, in case you were wondering.”
“According to TMZ, you’re better than ever.”
“Right,” she muttered. Of course her mother didn’t care about Donovan’s misadventure.
“I’ve already talked to your publicist and—“
“So have I Mom, and she’s been instructed not to take anymore calls from you.”
“Well that’s just ridiculous.”
“Not really, considering you’re not my manager anymore. You have no right to talk to anyone on my team. My lawyer and everyone at my label knows not to open a dialogue with you.”
Silence.
Big. Fat. Silence.
Oh this was going to be good. Her mother never gave up without a fight.
“You are a stupid, silly girl.”
Here we go. Was Donovan hurt by her mother’s words? Hard to know since she’d been hearing them her whole life.
“No one is going to look after you the way I do. No one. Blood is blood Donovan Marie, or have you forgotten that?”
“No Mama. How can I? You shove that down my throat every chance you get. God, you would have everyone believe the only reason I made it was because of you.”
“That’s because it’s true. I’m the one who made you who you are. Me! Hell, you would still be playing those third string honkytonks if it wasn’t for me.”
“I would have been perfectly happy playing those honkytonks.”
“Bullshit, girl. That is bullshit.”
Her mother’s twang was coming out, and Donovan knew that Jayleigh was about to lose it.
“Look. I don’t want to get into it with you. I just thought maybe you would like to know that I’m okay.”
“Don’t you hang up on me,” Jayleigh retorted. “We need to talk about a plan of action. We need to discuss how we’re going to capitalize on your situation. With your new record coming out next year—“
“There won’t be a new record, Mama.”
Jayleigh James swore a blue streak that would put a boatload of sailors to shame. In fact, Donovan winced and closed her eyes.