“I wasn’t alone,” she said.
“Who is he?”
Sadie reached for a mug, her mind racing through what to tell her publicist. Just enough to quell Anne-Marie’s interest, but not too much to provide a story.
“Someone I met up here,” Sadie said. “A soldier on leave.”
“They’ll run that picture,” she said, her tone matter-of-fact.
“I know. I need you to stop them.” Sadie poured a cup of coffee. “His picture can’t appear in print or online.”
She didn’t have a clue how long the reporter had been camped outside her window or what he’d seen. It didn’t matter. One shot of the woman believed to be MJ Lane in bed with a mystery man and reporters would start digging.
“I want this, Anne-Marie. The publicity, the morning shows, the movie deal—all of it. But dragging someone else into it when he didn’t have a choice—that feels wrong.”
“I’ll see what I can do.”
“Thank you.”
“But it might be too late. You should think long and hard about how much you’re willing to give up to keep him out of it,” her publicist said.
“I will.”
“Can you give me more information to help track them down?”
Sadie told her every detail she could recall about the man Logan had chased away.
“And the soldier?” her publicist asked.
“Let’s keep him out of this. Just focus on finding those pictures, please.”
Sadie set her phone down on the counter and carried her coffee over to her laptop. Her twin’s husband was off work today and Sadie wanted to give them some space. And she needed to write. The pictures, the reporter—that was beyond her control. It did not change the deadline looming for the third book in her series.
Work. It was always waiting for her. The one thing in her life she didn’t screw up. For the past few days, she’d lived in a dream world, balancing her writing with her commitments to Laurel, and her desire to spend time with Logan. But like after any good dream, she had to wake up sometime.
It was as if she was watching her life pass by on repeat. Work trounced personal life. Again. Always.
A small, mirthless laugh escaped. They had that in common, she and Logan. Job first, love life second. He’d been clear on his stance from the beginning. And she’d thought it made them a perfect fit.
It didn’t. It just meant that what they had together wasn’t worth the risk. Lust wasn’t worth it.
But love might be.
Sadie looked out the window at the clear Vermont sky. Either way, it didn’t matter. He’d been here before. Logan had faced this situation: career or the woman in his life. In the end, the choice had been made for him. Still, she had a feeling he would have walked away from his job for his wife. But then, he’d loved the woman he’d married. And Sadie didn’t doubt that Jane had loved Logan. How could she not? Any sane woman would fall head over heels for him.
Sadie closed her eyes. Right now, she wished she were head-to-toe crazy.
18
HER PHONE VIBRATED on the coffee table. Sadie opened one eye and reached for it, trying hard not to hope it was Logan. It was probably Anne-Marie.
Sadie glanced at the name on the screen. Her sister. She answered with a quick hello.
“You need to get over here right now,” Laurel said.
“Is everything okay?” Sadie blinked and looked at the clock. Five. She didn’t know when she’d fallen asleep, but now it was nearly dinnertime. “I thought Greg was home today.”
“Everything’s fine. And Greg’s here. He’s sleeping,” Laurel said. “I need you. Now.”