A Father For The Twins
A Father For The Twins
Callie Endicott
He’s falling for his clients’ legal guardian…But can business and love ever mix?Signing a young sister and brother to his new talent agency could be a great move for Adam Wilding, especially when he meets their legal guardian. Cassie Bryant’s first priority is her niece and nephew’s welfare. But she herself remains a mystery. Can Adam convince this prickly, stubborn, utterly appealing woman they’re not as different as she thinks?
He’s falling for his clients’ legal guardian...
But can business and love ever mix?
Signing a young sister and brother to his new talent agency could be a great move for Adam Wilding, especially when he meets their legal guardian. Cassie Bryant’s first priority is her niece’s and nephew’s welfare. But she herself remains a mystery. Can Adam convince this prickly, stubborn, utterly appealing woman they’re not as different as she thinks?
As a kid, CALLIE ENDICOTT had her nose stuck in a book so often it frequently got her in trouble. The trouble hasn’t stopped—she keeps having to buy new bookshelves. Luckily ebooks don’t take up much space. Writing has been another help, since she’s usually on the computer creating stories instead of buying them. Callie loves bringing characters to life and never knows what will prompt an idea. So she still travels, hikes, explores and pursues her other passions, knowing a novel may be just around the corner.
Also By Callie Endicott (#u75b96caf-2f2d-596e-ab67-b8887b1ae83d)
Emerald City Stories
Moonlight Over Seattle
Montana Skies
The Rancher’s Prospect
At Wild Rose Cottage
Kayla’s Cowboy
That Summer at the Shore
Until She Met Daniel
Discover more at millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)
A Father for the Twins
Callie Endicott
www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)
ISBN: 978-1-474-08502-1
A FATHER FOR THE TWINS
© 2018 Callie Endicott
Published in Great Britain 2018
by Mills & Boon, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF
All rights reserved including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form. This edition is published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, locations and incidents are purely fictional and bear no relationship to any real life individuals, living or dead, or to any actual places, business establishments, locations, events or incidents. Any resemblance is entirely coincidental.
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www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)
“I want the twins to dream whatever they want to dream.” Cassie truly meant those words.
“You’d probably make a good talent agent for kids,” said Adam.
“Me?” Cassie snickered. “Hardly. I like my orderly career in web programming. It makes the rest of life’s messiness easier to face.”
“You’re great with computers, but you also have solid instincts for people.”
The compliment was sincere, but it was the look in his eyes that made her pulse jump. When Adam leaned closer and kissed her, it was everything it should have been. His lips were firm, his arms strong and gentle. But the moment was so brief, it left her aching for more.
Dear Reader (#u75b96caf-2f2d-596e-ab67-b8887b1ae83d),
I’m so excited to have my next Emerald City story published with Harlequin Heartwarming.
My hero, Adam Wilding, is a special guy who became a famous model more or less by accident. Now he’s embarked on a second career as a talent agent, and he has his hands full with Cassie Bryant, the aunt and guardian of his two newest clients. Cassie can be a little prickly, but she’s fiercely protective of her niece and nephew.
The two cats in my household have an odd relationship—the female dislikes all other felines, and the male just wants to play. There’s a great deal of spitting, but not the all-out war that we expected. Over time it’s become clear that a certain amount of affection has grown between the two.
Relationships aren’t easy, but the fun part of writing is that I don’t have to just wait and watch. Adam and Cassie have a number of hurdles to overcome before they find their way together...but I enjoyed showing how they got there.
I love hearing from readers and can be contacted at: c/o Harlequin Books, 22 Adelaide Street West, 40th Floor, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5H 4E3. Please also check out my Facebook page at Facebook.com/callie.endicott.author (http://Facebook.com/callie.endicott.author).
Best wishes,
Callie
To Ruby and Albert
Contents
Cover (#u2fe57c49-469e-586e-bc0d-c6fc35fd5c41)
Back Cover Text (#u5574daa6-bcca-58ad-937f-8ae68b400e88)
About the Author (#u162f7988-3aef-54c4-87be-4876bf9891da)
Booklist (#u77e6296f-4f85-5f3d-9cd0-19ced2b146e3)
Title Page (#u2033ac2d-7836-5f22-b236-211c38c2b8b6)
Copyright (#u5f0e1a1b-9e0a-5417-944e-7fcabeb0c4d4)
Introduction (#u5e49394d-8768-5f8f-b6ce-9e08f022b21c)
Dear Reader (#uf9d09c37-f8ac-5375-b75f-c1eb56448ee2)
Dedication (#u137eae47-fe14-5cce-985e-8aba746c5f7f)
PROLOGUE (#ueeb73338-a62e-5f94-826e-d9c2dba74812)
CHAPTER ONE (#uf2fcbc03-4617-5dec-8d22-a3e9851ade84)
CHAPTER TWO (#u766020aa-89e9-59a6-9865-ffe60e7ecb8d)
CHAPTER THREE (#u19d321ad-e060-5138-8b36-b3d22394abcf)
CHAPTER FOUR (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER FIVE (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER SIX (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER SEVEN (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER EIGHT (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER NINE (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER TEN (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER ELEVEN (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER TWELVE (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER THIRTEEN (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER FOURTEEN (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER FIFTEEN (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER SIXTEEN (#litres_trial_promo)
Extract (#litres_trial_promo)
About the Publisher (#litres_trial_promo)
PROLOGUE (#u75b96caf-2f2d-596e-ab67-b8887b1ae83d)
ADAM WILDING WANTED to turn the car around and drive away from his parents’ house, but that didn’t seem very mature for a college student. He had to face telling them the truth.
The golden late afternoon light played on the Sandia Mountains in the background. Dried red chile ristras hung on the porches and thousands of luminarias lined the yards and walkways of homes, ready to be lit once it was dark.
He’d grown up in New Mexico and the sights and scents of Albuquerque brought back an avalanche of memories. Especially at Christmastime.
His nerves tightened even more as he turned into the driveway. Three months had passed since his mother’s emergency heart surgery, but it was never far from his thoughts.
Elizabeth Wilding must have been watching, because she met him at the door. He looked at her closely. She seemed healthy. There was good color in her cheeks and her eyes were bright and lively.
“Hey, Mom.” Adam stepped inside and kissed her cheek. “Merry Christmas.”
“Merry Christmas, dear. Are you well?” she asked anxiously. That was his mom—always concerned about everyone else’s health.
“I’m great.”
Dermott Wilding appeared from the back of the house. He was thinner than when Adam had seen him a couple of months earlier. “Merry Christmas, son. Did you have a good trip?”
“Not too bad. There was snow in Flagstaff, but I got through it okay.” When time wasn’t an issue, he preferred driving over flying when traveling from Los Angeles to Albuquerque.
“Are your classes for next term lined up?” Dermott asked. “You can’t take anything frivolous, you know, it might look bad on your application to law school,” he added without waiting for an answer.
Adam managed a tight nod. Ever since he could remember, his parents had expected him to grow up and become an attorney. It had been the same with Sophie. How often had they heard their father say, “My children are going to be respected lawyers instead of working stiffs like me”? Along with, “Before you know it, Adam and Sophie will be on the Supreme Court.” To Dermott Wilding, being appointed to the US Supreme Court was the ultimate success.
“Is Sophie here?” Adam asked.
“Right behind you.”
He turned and gave her a hug. “Hey, sis, where’s the ponytail?”
“Gave it up, along with my tricycle.”
“Sophie is such wonderful help around the house,” Elizabeth declared, yet sounded anxious again. “But she hasn’t been able to enjoy her new school.”
“It’s okay, Mom,” Sophie told her quickly.
Adam had wanted to take the fall term off at UCLA to help take care of his mother, but the idea of him interrupting his life had upset his parents so much, he’d decided it would do more harm than good. As a result, too much responsibility had dropped onto his sister’s shoulders.
“I hope you’re hungry,” Elizabeth said.
“Starved.”
They went into the kitchen for pozole, a traditional Christmas Eve soup in New Mexico made of hominy and meat and seasoned with various toppings.
“Fantastic as always,” he said after the first spoonful. “It wouldn’t be Christmas without your pozole, Mom.”
“Thank you, but Sophie made it.”
“Great job, kiddo.”
Sophie just shrugged.
An awkward silence fell and Adam decided to give his parents his news. “Mom, Dad, you know how much I’ve wanted to do something to help out?”
They nodded.
“Well, I saw a notice about this company wanting new faces for a marketing campaign. I sent my picture in, and after a several interviews and stuff, they picked me to act in their commercial. And now I’ve got a bunch of other modeling work scheduled. The money is really good, so I’ll be able to contribute toward paying the bills. I have a check for you.”
Dermott’s face grew tight. “You’re a pre-law junior. You have to focus on grades, not add another job. Especially modeling. It’s vain and superficial.”
Adam let out a breath. “There’s nothing wrong with modeling and it earns a heck of a lot more than minimum wage, which is what my other job at the college paid.”
“Paid?” his father repeated. “That means you’ve quit.”
“Yeah. Like I said, modeling pays more.” Actually, Adam had been shocked at the fees his new talent agent had negotiated for him. If it kept up, he’d be able to cover the rest of his mother’s medical bills and all of his college expenses.
“How will you be taken seriously as an attorney if people know you’ve paraded around, selling some product?” Dermott demanded. “I want my children to have respect, not be laughed at.”
“I’m not parading, I’m modeling, and nobody is laughing.”
Adam decided not to add that he’d switched from pre-law to another major. Being a lawyer was his parents’ goal for him, but he’d become convinced over the past year that he wasn’t cut out for a legal career.
In all honesty, he’d never been that interested. As for modeling? It was fun and there was a lot of money that could be made. If he hit it really big, he could save enough to retire early and start a whole new career. He wasn’t sure what that career might be, but he knew it would be something he wanted, rather than a dream of his parents’.
“No,” Dermott barked. “That isn’t—”
“Would you quit it? You’re upsetting Mom,” Sophie suddenly yelled.
Shocked, they all looked at Elizabeth, who was pale and had her hand to her throat.
“I’m...okay,” she gasped. Yet her face lost even more color and Adam saw beads of perspiration dotting her forehead.
He barely managed to catch her as she pitched forward in the chair.
* * *
TWO HOURS LATER at the hospital, Elizabeth Wilding’s heart specialist glared at Adam and his father equally.
“Mrs. Wilding is going to be all right. She hyperventilated due to anxiety and passed out. But how many times have I said that she requires rest and calm? She worries far too much, and I’m convinced she feels guilty for getting sick in the first place. Regardless, having the two most important men in her life squabbling like boys in a school yard is unacceptable.”
“How can she feel guilty for needing heart surgery?” Adam asked, bewildered.
“Because that’s how patients with a major illness often feel. It’s human nature.”
“It isn’t logical.”
“Agreed, but the emotions are real. I’ve seen it over and over again. Now, as to the argument between you and your father, that’s the last thing she needs to hear at this point in her recovery.” Dr. Chu crossed her arms over her chest and her glare became even more severe, except this time it was specifically directed at Adam’s father. “So your son is modeling to help pay the bills and you don’t approve. Deal with it. One of Elizabeth’s concerns is about money.”
Dermott, who was at least ten inches taller than the surgeon, flushed and looked abashed. “I’m sorry, ma’am. It’s just that Adam won’t be respected in the legal—”
“Frankly, I don’t care how you feel about it,” Dr. Chu interrupted. “My concern is Mrs. Wilding. She has a full, happy life ahead if her family resists putting undue stress on her. Now, I’ve said a whole lot more than I’d intended, but I don’t appreciate a patient’s recovery being hindered this way. I trust that I won’t have to say any of this again in the future?”
“No, Doctor,” Dermott and Adam declared in unison.
“Good.”
Dr. Chu gave Sophie a reassuring smile, then turned and marched down the hallway.
Adam and his father glanced at each other.
“Are you going to keep modeling?” Dermott asked.
“Who cares?” Sophie hissed. “Adam can do whatever he wants. Just give his check to the hospital. I have to keep hiding the bills from Mom because she gets upset and I’m sick of it.” With that, she burst into tears.
Feeling awful, Adam fished the certified check from his wallet and handed it to his dad before putting an arm around Sophie’s shoulders. At twelve, she’d had too much put on her the past few months.
“Fine. For now,” Dermott muttered. He turned and headed down the hallway. Clearly he hadn’t given up, just temporarily retreated.
Adam ground his teeth, knowing a part of him blamed his father for Mom’s illness. Okay, maybe that wasn’t fair. But Dermott was her husband and he’d been there, every day. Why hadn’t he noticed his wife losing energy and the other slow, insidious signs of declining health? She might have gotten treatment earlier, before it came to a crisis.
Adam squirmed at the thought, knowing he could have returned to Albuquerque for the summer and gotten a construction job. Then he would have been at home, too. Instead he’d stayed in Los Angeles, helping build swimming pools for the Hollywood elite and hanging out with his friends.
So if he wanted to blame anyone, he didn’t need to look any further than his own mirror.
CHAPTER ONE (#u75b96caf-2f2d-596e-ab67-b8887b1ae83d)
Fourteen years later...
A KNOCK SOUNDED on Adam’s office door and he looked up to see Nicole George, one of his three business partners.
“Hey, Nicole, you seem excited.”
She grinned. “I just learned that a new TV movie is going to be shot here in the Seattle area. They’re hoping the network will like it enough to turn it into a series. The casting director saw Doria Atchison in the clip we posted online and was impressed enough that he’s emailing a list of what they’re looking for. Auditions won’t be for a little while, but it sounds promising.”
“Excellent.”
When he and his friends had bought the Moonlight Ventures talent agency, one of their concerns had been that Seattle wasn’t at the heart of the fashion or entertainment industry. Local business was fine, but they also wanted broader exposure for their clients.
Their concerns had proved unfounded, though. Several of their models had already gotten television ads for national campaigns and they’d placed actors with two movies being filmed locally, as well as guest and extras spots with a network series based in the region.
“I’ll forward the list as soon as I get it,” Nicole assured. She was an exceptionally beautiful woman, but ever since she’d gotten engaged, her face possessed a special glow. If she hadn’t quit modeling, it would be easy to pick up the phone and get her a dozen top contracts.
Adam almost chuckled at the thought; after just a few weeks on the job, he was already thinking more like an agent than a model. Nicole had run Moonlight Ventures by herself for months, though he and their other partners, Logan Kensington and Rachel Clarion, had flown in regularly and teleconferenced with her. Now that his own modeling contracts had been satisfied, he’d started working at the agency full time.
“How is the writing going?” he asked. The previous owner of the agency had put out a quarterly trade newsletter, but they were working toward converting it to a general circulation publication. For the launch issue Adam wanted a feature piece by Nicole about “lessons learned” from her years as a supermodel.
She scrunched her nose at him. “Slowly.”
“Anything I can do to help?” he asked.
“You can tell me you’ve changed your mind about having me write it.”
“Afraid I can’t.”
Actually, Adam felt bad that they’d asked her to be “the story” again, as Nicole put it. Ironically, it was when PostModern magazine had asked to do a series of articles about her transition from supermodel to agent that she’d met her fiancé.
Technically she’d simply met Jordan again, having known him as a kid. Jordan had still written the articles, telling readers that while he was now engaged to the subject of his interviews, he’d tried to be unbiased—but might have failed. In response, the articles had been well received, which had been good for the agency.
In turn, Nicole had penned a piece for the agency’s blog about Jordan and the process of being interviewed. The popularity of the blog site had convinced them it was worth giving their own magazine a shot.
“I had to try,” she said. With another grin and a flip of her hand, she rushed out again.
Adam rubbed the back of his neck, thinking about the years he’d known Nicole. He’d watched her go from being hopeful about falling in love to being convinced it could never happen for her. Now she’d come full circle, deeply in love and full of plans for a future with Jordan.
He was glad she was happy.
He’d like to find that kind of happiness himself again, but it wasn’t easy. He’d been engaged for a brief, wonderful time to a woman he’d met while still at UCLA and wouldn’t settle for second best.
Isabelle had charged at life with enthusiasm and laughter, unconcerned by his growing success as a model. He’d always known where he was with her—first when they were just friends, and later when they were falling in love and deciding to get married. But a brain aneurism had changed everything in the blink of an eye.
Renewed grief went through Adam at the memory. One minute Isabelle had been there, the next she was gone.
It had taken a long time to be ready for another serious relationship, and then the frequent travel and the less-than-kind scrutiny of the press had played havoc with his dating life—lots of first and second dates, few beyond that. Maybe it would be different now. He’d like to find someone confident and outgoing, who shared his interests and could be a real partner.
Not like his parents.
Adam sighed, knowing he was being unfair. His parents had a good marriage, but it had always seemed as if his mother’s needs came second, at least until her heart problems developed. As for shared interests? Hardly. Dad was interested in construction, period. Mom was a science fiction and fantasy buff. She loved to write and had wanted to earn a place among authors like Arthur C. Clarke and J.R.R. Tolkien. Instead she’d slogged away at a dull teleservice job because it was secure and helped earn money for her children’s educations.
Adam got up and moved restlessly around his office, pausing to look out the window at the trees that softened his view of the street.
He felt bad that his parents hadn’t pursued their own dreams instead of ones for their children. It wasn’t just his mother—his father’s plan to become a contractor had been deemed too great a risk to the family’s financial security, so Dermott had done construction for someone else and taken jobs as a handyman in his spare hours.
Just then Adam’s personal line rang, breaking into his musings. The caller ID displayed his sister’s number.
“Hey, Sophie.” He could hear his nephew and niece in the background, shrieking and giggling. Bobby and Lila were great, but like most kids they could be loud. “What’s up?”
“The twins had friends over this weekend and now I want to speak with someone closer to my own age.”
He grinned. “How bad was it?”
“We had a serious outbreak of video games, Star Wars battles and The Lone Ranger.”
“The Lone Ranger?”
“I made the mistake of bringing out my classic TV DVDs and the next thing I knew they were all running around with pretend six-shooters, trying to catch pretend bank robbers and cattle rustlers. Mom retreated to my bedroom along with the cat.”
Adam sat back in his chair. He was proud of his kid sister for making a tough situation work. She’d gotten pregnant at seventeen and married her boyfriend, only to have him leave before the twins were born.
Now Sophie had a brisk mail-order business selling New Mexico–themed Christmas ornaments and decorations she made herself. That way she’d avoided childcare costs for the twins—which would have outstripped any income from a minimum-wage job—and was still able to make a decent living using her artistic talents. To Adam’s frustration, she’d even insisted on repaying the checks he’d sent after her brief marriage fell apart, though they’d been a gift.
“How is Mom adjusting to them both being retired?” he asked.
“Pretty good. But I should warn you, I think the folks are planning a trip to Seattle this summer to see you.”
Gripping the phone, Adam counted to ten. “Any special reason? I was home two months ago and expect to come for Christmas as usual.”
“I don’t think so.”
“Surely they don’t think I’m going to change my mind about becoming a lawyer. They must know it isn’t in the cards.” Even when he and his friends were buying Moonlight Ventures, his father had suggested it wasn’t too late for graduate school, unable to resist trying to resurrect the remnants of his old ambition.
“I think they’re getting resigned to your new career, especially since it means you won’t be gazing back at them from magazine covers in the grocery checkout line. You know how stuffy Dad can be. Seeing you in those swimsuit editions used to really get him going.”
Adam rubbed the back of his neck. He was sorry it bothered his parents that he didn’t have the career they’d chosen for him, but he had the right to live as he saw fit. Nevertheless, maybe the agency’s success would alleviate their vague sense of failure since “our son is a businessman” must sound more respectable to them. While he didn’t crave their approval, he wanted them to be happy.
“But get this,” Sophie added, “remember when Dad cut his hand and Lila kept helping change the bandage?”
“Yeah.”
“Now he thinks she should become a doctor.”
Adam instinctively tensed. “But she’s only eight years old.” He understood where his worry came from. It had taken him long enough to shake off family expectations.
“I know.” A crash reverberated through the phone and she sighed. “Sorry, I’d better go see what happened.”
“Tell the little terrors ‘hi’ for me.”
They said goodbye and Adam started going through the seemingly bottomless stack of photographs and videos received each day at Moonlight Ventures. Few of the submissions possessed the special something they wanted as a signature aspect of the agency, but occasionally they found someone in the pile who stood out.
A couple of the pictures were interesting and he put them aside to ask Nicole’s opinion. It might have been useful to have his other partners take a look as well, but it wasn’t practical. Rachel wouldn’t be on board for several weeks, and Logan still had a few months left on his photography contracts. They didn’t have time to agree on every decision.
At length, Adam turned to the picture of the prospective client he was meeting with at 1:00 p.m. Her aunt would be there as well. Tiffany Bryant was thirteen, with an engaging smile and energy that seemed to leap out of her photograph.
Standing, he decided to go for a walk to clear his head. He had been thinking a lot about the past, probably because he’d made another big change in his life. It wasn’t that he had to work any longer—with his savings and investments he could have a life of leisure, doing whatever suited his fancy. That might be fine for some people, but he wanted to accomplish something, not just play. A talent agency had seemed the right place to use his experience and find a new way to succeed.
* * *
CASSIE BRYANT DROVE toward the Moonlight Ventures talent agency with her niece and nephew, still filled with doubts. She wasn’t convinced that a modeling career was the right thing for her niece, but it also didn’t seem fair to discourage Tiffany’s dreams.
Hopefully this agency wasn’t like the one where a friend of hers had first gone. They’d required Phoebe to take expensive modeling and acting classes conducted by the agency and then charged costly fees to create a formal portfolio. But they never called her for a job and she’d learned they made most of their income from such practices. After a while, Phoebe had tried other agencies, who’d said that they didn’t think it would be worthwhile for her to pursue modeling.
Cassie figured genuine talent agencies were the most common, but she still wanted to be wary.
Sighing, she pushed the thought away.
From what she’d been able to determine, Moonlight Ventures operated on the straight and level. So the immediate concern was not wanting Tiffany to get her hopes too high only to have them dashed.
Glancing in the rearview mirror, Cassie saw her nephew, Glen, playing a video game. In the front passenger seat, Tiffany finished the milk Cassie had insisted she drink. Nervous about the interview and worried about her weight, she hadn’t wanted to eat anything, but Cassie couldn’t let her niece abandon proper nutrition to reach a size zero. She’d also argued that being hungry wouldn’t help her make a good impression, so Tiffany had agreed on low-fat milk. Now she was anxiously tidying her hair again.
“Don’t you think I should wear makeup?” she asked. “Just a little?”
“The instructions said everyday clothes and no makeup.”
“I want them to see me at my best.”
“Then they’ll have to wait, like, years or something,” Glen told her with typical brotherly boredom. He’d eaten his sister’s chicken sandwich and french fries, along with his own, and was probably wondering what came after the hors d’oeuvres. He was an insatiable eating machine...called a teenager.
Twisting around, Tiffany stuck out her tongue at him.
“Yeah, nice look,” he told her. “That’s the face they want on a magazine.”
Deciding not to intervene in the minor dispute, Cassie pulled into the talent agency lot and parked the car. “We’re here,” she announced.
Glen unbuckled his seat belt, but Tiffany sat frozen.
“Come on, Tiff,” Cassie urged.
“I—I can’t.”
Cassie understood her fear, the sense that when it came down to it, you’d almost rather not try than fail. But she didn’t want her niece’s life to be full of regrets about what she’d missed because she hadn’t been willing to take a risk.
“Sure you can,” Cassie urged. “You’re just nervous. That’s natural. You’ll get over it.”
“Good grief, Tiff-Niff,” Glen muttered, “you dragged us here, at least you can go inside.”
“Will you go with me?”
He rolled his eyes but slid from the car.
Swallowing a lump of emotion in her throat, Cassie opened her door. For all the sniping between her niece and nephew, they shared a special bond, born from the struggle to survive once their mother had become an alcoholic.
The previous summer, Marie had been declared unfit. With her parents unable to take the twins due to her father’s health problems, Cassie had filed for custody. Even after nearly a year, she still felt like a novice when it came to parenting. It was possible anyone raising teens felt that way when they encountered a new challenge—and with the twins, there always seemed to be something new. On the other hand, most parents had all the years between babyhood and adolescence to figure things out—she’d started right in the middle.
The question about Tiffany modeling was a first-class parental conundrum. Tiff had an interest in the sciences, and the same as her brother, she was getting top marks in her classes. She also wanted to be accepted at school, so the modeling interest might be an attempt to prove to her fellow students that she wasn’t a nerd. At the same time, Tiffany enjoyed clothes and performing, so maybe she truly wanted to be a model.
Moonlight Ventures was located in an interesting building—probably converted industrial space—with several shops and other businesses in the center atrium section. The agency fronted on the parking lot.
Inside they were greeted by a receptionist who seemed close to Cassie’s age. “Hello, I’m Chelsea Masters. May I help you?”
“We have an appointment with Adam Wilding,” Cassie explained. “I’m Cassie Bryant and this is my niece, Tiffany, along with her brother, Glen.”
“It’s nice to meet you. I’ll let Mr. Wilding know you’re here.”
Cassie sat in one of the comfortable chairs with Tiffany perched edgily at her side. A few feet away, Glen slumped in a seat and started playing his video game again. He was a brilliant kid who already had big plans for the future, though most of the time he did his best to fly under the radar, disliking attention.
“Hello,” a low-timbre voice greeted them after a couple of minutes.
It was Adam Wilding. Cassie had seen him in dozens of magazines and TV ads. She’d always thought he was good-looking, but had figured it was partly airbrushing, hype and makeup.
It wasn’t. No wonder he’d been one of the hottest male models in the business. With his black hair, blue eyes and commanding presence, he was alarmingly handsome and possessed a magnetism that practically took her breath away.
“Good afternoon, Mr. Wilding,” she answered.
“Please call me Adam.”
“Hi,” Tiffany said in a shy voice.
“Hi,” he replied. “I’ve seen your picture, so I know you’re Tiffany. It’s great to meet you.”
“Me, um, too. That is, I’m glad to meet you, too. I really, really want to be a model and maybe an actress.”
“Then let’s go back to the small set we have. With your aunt, of course. We’ll take pictures and see how it goes. The nice part is that whether or not you become our client, you get to keep the photos at no charge. We give them to you on a flash drive.”
Cassie had been prepared to question if there was a fee for the photography, but his promise of no charge sounded different from what her friend had encountered.
Tiffany hesitated when Adam gestured to the hallway, and looked back at Glen. “Can my brother come? His name is Glen.”
Adam seemed to be assessing Glen, then he nodded. “Of course. Come along, Glen.”
In a small room, there was an area with sand and an ocean backdrop and on the other side was a city street scene.
Another man was there, working with a camera. “Hey,” he said. “I’m Logan Kensington and I’ll be taking the pictures. Sorry we’re cramped in here, but this is the only space we have.”
“Logan is one of my partners and was able to be here for a few days,” Adam explained. “He’s done photo shoots for some of the best-known models in the world, so you’re in great hands.”
The two men conferred quietly in a corner and Cassie did her best not to listen.
The world of fashion and advertising was completely outside her experience. She was a website designer and manager, for heaven’s sake. At home, she had a high-tech office with three computers, each with dual monitors. That was the world where she was comfortable. Taking responsibility for her niece and nephew had forced her out of that world to some extent; now she was being pushed into more unfamiliar territory.
For the next hour, she simply stayed out of the way. It wasn’t hard, though Adam wouldn’t let Glen remain buried in his video game, instead pulling him onto the set for “action” shots with his sister.
“That’s great, Tiffany,” Logan announced finally. “We have a small lounge stocked with snacks. Would you and your brother like something to eat while Adam talks to your aunt?”
“Sure,” Glen said enthusiastically, though Tiffany looked instantly worried.
Cassie gave her niece a hug. It would be tough if she had to explain Moonlight Ventures wasn’t interested, but they could always send her pictures to other agencies. After all, it was encouraging that the first one had asked to interview her... Cassie had already rehearsed several supportive speeches. In fact, she’d spent a sleepless night trying to find the right words.
The spacious office that Adam Wilding showed her to was quietly elegant, with a mahogany desk, comfortable chairs and a large flat-screen television on one wall.
“Please be seated,” he urged.
She sank into a padded leather seat. “If it’s bad news for Tiffany, please say it straight out, Mr. Wilding. You don’t have to let me down easily.”
His eyebrows lifted. “What makes you think it’s bad news?”
“I love Tiff with all my heart, but I don’t know what advertisers are looking for. She doesn’t seem to fit the pictures I’ve seen in magazines.”
“No,” he agreed, and Cassie’s heart sank. Though she might not be entirely comfortable with Tiffany’s desire to become a model, her niece had experienced enough hard knocks and disappointments. The practical side of Cassie’s brain said that was real life, but it didn’t keep her from wanting to keep real life from intruding again for a while.
Adam had been punching buttons on his computer, then gestured at the TV where photos of Tiffany began appearing.
“Tiffany wouldn’t be a typical teen model,” Adam said, “but that’s okay. She has something special, a uniqueness that we like and these confirm what we saw in the picture you submitted. She’s also cooperative, is highly photogenic and able to follow directions, which was the main reason we wanted to do a practice photo shoot. Once Logan is in Seattle full time, we plan to do this with all prospective clients.”
“R-really?” Cassie managed to choke out. Having prepared herself for bad news, she wasn’t sure how to react to the opposite.
“Absolutely. Naturally Tiffany’s bio didn’t contain much information, so now I need to ask a few questions. Who is her legal guardian?”
“I am. My sister has, uh...problems. I’ve had custody of the kids since last August.”
“What kind of problems?”
Cassie gave him a narrow look. She had a passion for privacy and it wasn’t easy to talk about Marie being an alcoholic at the best of times. “Why do you want to know?”
“You don’t have to answer, but all sorts of things affect a model’s career and his or her agent can function best by knowing the gritty details. I’m sorry if it seems intrusive. Frankly, I already know something is going on. While Tiffany is young in many ways, there’s a look in her face that suggests she’s been through quite a bit.”
“I guess I understand.” Becoming a model was so important to her niece, Cassie knew she would have to explain. “Marie, my sister, started drinking after the twins were born and it became progressively worse.”
“They’re twins?”
“Yes.”
Adam smiled a high wattage smile that practically knocked the sandals off Cassie’s feet.
“My niece and nephew are twins, too. Is your sister likely to sue to regain custody if control of income becomes an issue?”
Nausea threatened at the idea. Cassie honestly couldn’t say what Marie might do. The court had declared her unfit, but she could be very convincing when she wanted to be.
“I’m sorry,” he said quietly. “I can see it’s upsetting to talk about, but for Tiffany’s sake, it needs to be considered.”
* * *
ADAM HAD SEEN Cassie Bryant’s face turn pale and wondered if he should consider not moving forward. Presumably Tiffany had a decent home with her aunt since she appeared to be a well-adjusted kid. Having a career as a model wasn’t worth taking a chance on upsetting her stability.
Still, if she was determined, they would simply find another agency. At least Cassie didn’t seem to have stage-mother instincts. He hadn’t told her, but the practice photo shoot had also served in finding out if she would try to interfere or coach Tiffany.
“My sister would have the fight of her life if she tried to get her daughter’s money, but regardless, I’d want it put in a trust so it couldn’t be touched until Tiff is eighteen or older. With a third-party trustee or something.”
The comment told Adam that Cassie wasn’t interested in having access to the money herself.
“The contract can specify how the fees will be paid,” he said. “You should have a lawyer set the account up.”
“My godfather is an attorney and he helped with the custody arrangements, so I’m sure he’ll be able to protect any earnings Tiffany might have until she’s no longer a minor.”
Adam nodded. “Good.”
“Then this means you want Tiff as a client?”
“Yes, but there’s something else I want to discuss.” He clicked forward to the close-up shots of Glen that Logan had taken as unobtrusively as possible. “I believe your nephew would also make an excellent model.”
Cassie sat up straight as an arrow. “He isn’t interested.”
“You haven’t asked him yet.”
“He’s going to medical school.”
At her adamant statement, Adam’s gut tightened. No kid should have his or her life laid out by the adults in their lives, no matter how well-intentioned the plan. He’d been through it with his father, and just that morning, his sister had mentioned how Dermott was encouraging his eight-year-old granddaughter to become a doctor.
Perhaps this was Cassie Bryant’s attempt to salvage Glen’s future after life with a difficult mother, but he was only thirteen and should grow up to make his own choices.
“I see.” Adam controlled the impulse to say she shouldn’t put such rigid expectations on any kid; it wasn’t his place, even if he disagreed with her. Besides, he knew little about the situation. “College and medical school cost a great deal.”
His comment may have hit home since Cassie began digging her fingernails into the palm of her hand. He realized she was pretty in an understated way, though she’d made no attempt to jazz herself up. To him, a huge part of a woman’s beauty came from attitude—an inner something that made him sit up and take notice. He didn’t know about Cassie—it was as if she was concealing herself behind a carefully constructed mask.
“I know it’s expensive,” she said at length. “I’ve started a savings account for both their educations.”
“They might not need it if they become successful as models. By the time Tiffany and Glen graduate high school, they could have enough in their trust funds to pursue a career of their choosing.” Adam hadn’t been able to keep the emphasis off their, but Cassie didn’t seem to notice. “And this is one of the few options they have at this age to work,” he added.
“I don’t know if he’ll be interested,” she said, “but I’ll discuss it with him.”
At least that was more than Adam’s parents would have been willing to consider.
“Why don’t you talk to Glen right now?” he suggested.
Cassie’s mouth tightened and he wondered how she’d present the idea to her nephew. Positively or in a way that would make it appear unattractive? Glen was an engaging adolescent who might have an opportunity to make a decent amount of money; Adam hoped his aunt would play fair.
Half an hour later, she returned. “Tiffany is excited, which is no surprise, and Glen wants to think about it.”
Adam had an impulse to speak with Glen himself, to ensure the youngster had been adequately informed about the possibilities. But that was a knee-jerk reaction to his parents’ plan for his life. Having this particular problem with objectivity wasn’t something he’d anticipated in his decision to become an agent. He and his partners had weekly bull sessions where they discussed issues, so he should bring it up at the next one.
Adam continued questioning Cassie on various details, including the kids’ health and whether their father might prove an issue in the future.
Cassie shook her head at the last question about Tiffany and Glen’s father. “He’s married and doesn’t know about the twins. I hate to admit it, but Marie was one of those women who thought he was going to leave his wife for her, when he simply wanted fun on the side.”
“You sound cynical,” Adam observed.
Cassie stuck out her chin, seeming defiant. “Maybe I am, about love and relationships, at least.”
“Then you aren’t planning to marry in the near future.”
Her eyes opened wide. “Do you need to know that to represent my niece and nephew?”
“I’m sorry, of course not,” he apologized. “Frankly, I’m still working out exactly how being an agent is supposed to go. You know that I’m fairly new to this side of talent representation?”
“Yes,” she acknowledged, relaxing slightly into her chair. “I’ve done research on Moonlight Ventures. You and your partners might not have a huge amount of experience as agents right now, but you have contacts and name recognition. I imagine it will more than compensate.”
“I’m glad you feel that way.”
* * *
CASSIE HAD ALMOST told Adam Wilding he could take his personal questions and eat them for lunch. His apology and disarming explanation had eased the moment and she was glad she hadn’t given in to the temptation.
As much checking as she’d done, she wasn’t sure whether a talent agent needed to know a lot about clients and their family. An employer couldn’t ask certain details, but an agent obviously needed to have a different connection with a client. And she had to be careful because it was best for Tiffany and Glen if she wasn’t antagonistic toward the man who could play a significant role in their immediate future.
However, she shouldn’t be overly trusting. Adam Wilding and his partners hoped to make money on Glen and Tiffany. That didn’t make them bad people, but money wasn’t the only thing that was important; she wanted her niece and nephew to have full, balanced lives.
“From my research, I understand you don’t have a family,” she ventured.
Adam glanced up from the computer where he’d been entering information. “No. Why?”
“It just means you may also lack experience dealing with kids, but I suppose you don’t necessarily need it to be an effective agent.”
He gave her another one of the smiles that must have won him plenty of modeling contracts in the past. “I don’t believe so. In any case, experience with your own children is completely different than dealing with them in the business world.”
“True.”
She wondered what Adam’s views were on marriage. The research she’d done on Moonlight Ventures and its partners suggested he’d been linked with a number of beautiful women, though no one serious since his fiancée’s death years earlier. Her hidden romantic side wanted to speculate that he was still nursing a broken heart, but logic said the truth was probably much more prosaic...not to mention it was none of her business. Did all women turn into hopeless daydreamers when they met Adam Wilding?
“No one is going to release information about us, are they?” she asked, forcing her mind into the moment. “Such as where we live and other details?”
“The agency has strict confidentiality rules. We have security procedures in place to be sure that only legitimate employers can look at photos of our underage clients. Even then, we just post name and age. No other personal data is placed on a computer connected to the internet, so you don’t need to be concerned about hackers. Nonetheless, I can’t guarantee that someone in the media won’t get curious about you as the twins’ guardian or want to know more about them beyond their official biography. Especially if they become well known.”
Cassie winced involuntarily.
Her carefully cultivated privacy might be at an end. Of course, she could torpedo the whole project, but that didn’t seem fair to her niece and nephew. Any money they earned would be a big help toward college expenses.
Glen had become a demon researching which universities to attend and had been talking about top schools in different parts of the country. Out-of-state tuition was high and there were no guarantees he’d get a scholarship. Though Tiffany’s ambitions were less established, having a nest egg would help, whether she stayed in modeling or decided to do something else.
Adam leaned forward in his chair. “How soon do you think Glen will decide if he’s interested?”
“Probably by tonight. If so, I’ll call the agency in the morning. He doesn’t procrastinate, but he’s mature for his age and wants to weigh the pros and cons.”
“And Tiffany?”
Cassie shrugged. “She already knows what she wants. Tiff is a love. She’s also smart and has a good sense of humor. While she was nervous before coming in today, she’s over that.”
“Then I’ll draw up a representation agreement for her and one for Glen, in case he says yes. They should be ready in a few days.”
“I’ll have my godfather check them over. I don’t mean to sound suspicious—”
“You sound careful,” Adam returned. “It’s nice that you aren’t tearing into this like a stereotypical stage, er, aunt.”
She questioned whether he was telling the truth. Something about his manner made her think he saw her negatively, though it might be her imagination, of which she had plenty. A vivid imagination was how she stayed sane in the midst of complex computer programming issues.
She shook Adam’s hand and went back to where the kids were waiting.
Her palm tingled from contact with the dynamic former model and she reminded herself that men like Adam didn’t go for geeks like her, which is what she preferred. After all, she’d already tried to be the proverbial square peg in a round hole and she was much happier with her life the way it was now.
CHAPTER TWO (#u75b96caf-2f2d-596e-ab67-b8887b1ae83d)
TIFFANY CHATTERED EXCITEDLY all the way back to the small Victorian house that Cassie had bought years ago. It was tight living there with two teenage kids, but they got by. Glen and Tiffany used the bedrooms, converted family room and bath upstairs, while she’d moved down to the ground floor.
Someday she hoped to live in the mountains, but for now she was afraid she’d be ineffective as a website designer if she became too much of a hermit. Her clients wanted someone in touch with modern culture. Yet it was also a question of economics—the kind of mountain home she wanted cost money, her business was relatively new and now she was raising Glen and Tiffany. Her niece and nephew were more important than saving for another house.
Glen was quiet, no doubt processing the Moonlight Ventures offer to represent him, but Tiffany jumped and let out a little squeal of excitement.
“Hey, Aunt Cassie,” she declared, “when I make lots of money, we can buy a bigger place.”
“Nope,” Cassie replied serenely. “Anything you make will go directly into a trust fund. No matter how successful you are, there won’t be any sports cars at sixteen and no buying of houses.”
“It isn’t about me, I want you to have a bigger place and an awesome car like the one you had to get rid of when we moved in here.”
Cassie had traded her sporty convertible for a larger sedan before the kids arrived, wanting something safer and more solid. The kids had noticed the change, but she hadn’t realized they blamed themselves for the switch to a different model.
“That’s really sweet of you, but I prefer the car I have now. It’s newer and gets much better gas mileage than the other one.”
“Then what do you want?”
Cassie cupped her niece’s chin in the palm of her hand. “I don’t need anything, except to protect your income so that it’s ready to help your dreams come true.”
“She wants to make sure Mom can’t get her fingers on any dough we make,” Glen observed.
Cassie’s stomach dropped. She didn’t want the kids to feel their mother was a terrible person, though accepting Marie for what she was might be helpful to them.
Tiffany’s mouth turned down. “Is that the problem? Because Mom might take our money for booze?”
“I simply want anything you earn to be there for your future,” Cassie explained carefully. “This way, nothing can happen that we don’t expect.”
“Uh, okay.” Like Glen, Tiffany internalized and usually didn’t say much until she’d thought it through, such as her comment about the car.
* * *
LATER THAT EVENING, Glen came in as Cassie finished cleaning the kitchen.
“I’m gonna do that modeling thing,” he told her.
“You thought the guys at school might give you a hard time. How will you feel about that?”
He made a face. “Not so hot. But money for medical school sounds terrific, and it might be the best way to earn it. Besides, I hate mowing lawns and yanking weeds and that’s the only other kind of job I’m gonna get for a while.”
Something Adam had said came back to Cassie...that at the twins’ age, they didn’t have many work opportunities. It was true. Unless they had a video go viral on social media or came up with a brilliant entrepreneurial scheme, their income-earning potential was limited. In Glen’s case, it was largely offering his services as a general garden helper. Even when he turned sixteen, it would mostly be minimum wage.
“We can’t know how much you’d earn at modeling,” she warned, wanting him to be realistic. “It’s probable that only a few people make the huge bucks.”
“Maybe, but I’ve been thinking about what Tiff said earlier. If we make some money, it shouldn’t all go into a trust fund. We should help around here.”
His eyes were serious and Cassie hated knowing he’d needed to grow up faster than other kids.
“That isn’t your job. You’re thirteen and—”
“Almost fourteen.”
“In a few months. But it doesn’t make any difference. You’re a kid and it isn’t your responsibility to provide for yourself.”
“That isn’t fair to you.”
“Right, it isn’t fair that I get the pleasure of having my niece and nephew living with me the past year because my sister has a problem. And it isn’t fair that you don’t get to have the mom and dad you deserve. But if you’re worried about houses and cars, don’t. The bedrooms aren’t large and you and Tiff have to share a bathroom, but that’s no different than any family that has to make do with the space available. Do you dislike this house? I know it’s a quiet neighborhood, but there are families with kids your age on the street.”
Glen shook his head. “Your place is loads better than our tiny apartment in San Diego, and we really like Seattle. It was so amazing when you told the judge that you wanted us to live with you. I’d figured they’d split us up, and like, you know, all the bad stuff you see on TV about foster homes.”
“I’m sure most foster homes are fine, but I thought this would be best and I love having the two of you with me. Okay, in a few days I’ll meet with Adam Wilding and get the representation agreements. Uncle Orville will take a look at them and who knows? Next week, you might be posing in front of a camera.”
“Uh, yeah.”
Cassie studied his expression; he still seemed uncertain. “Are you sure this is what you want?” She didn’t want to push him one way or another.
“I’m sure.” Glen gave a crooked grin. “I’ve been looking at how much medical school costs and it could choke a pig, the way Uncle Orville says.”
Orville Calloway, her godfather, had become the twins’ honorary uncle. “Okay. But if you or Tiff change your minds in the future, we’ll deal with it.”
“Thanks.” Glen reached over and gave her an awkward, boyish hug.
* * *
ELIZABETH WILDING FINISHED the dishes and looked at her husband reading a newspaper at the kitchen table. Ever since he’d retired, she could hardly get him out of the house. Part of the time he fussed around “fixing” things that weren’t broken, the rest of the time he was just sitting, usually in the room where she was trying to get something done.
She wanted him to enjoy his retirement but not to slow down completely.
“Dear, why don’t you call Mr. Villareal and see if he needs help with that clogged drain he mentioned?” Elizabeth suggested.
Mr. Villareal was their neighbor on the corner and he was quite elderly, though he still managed to put out dozens of luminarias every Christmas in memory of his wife and only child who’d died in a car accident.
“Took care of it yesterday,” Dermott said without looking up from the newspaper. “Don’t you remember?”
She recalled him being gone for fifteen minutes or so, which hardly seemed long enough to unplug a sink. But Dermott was awfully talented with a pipe wrench.
“I’m sure he would have appreciated having you stay and talk.”
“You talk to Hector almost every day.”
Oh my, her husband could be dense.
“The women in the neighborhood check on him and bring food, but he enjoys having male company, too.”
“I’ll go over later. I don’t get it, Lizzie. We finally have time to spend together and you keep trying to send me away.”
Together?
Elizabeth glared at his bent head—they weren’t spending time together, they just happened to be in the same room most of the day. Well, enough was enough. She’d been pushing him to visit Seattle, hoping they could find a way to mend fences with their son. Dermott had agreed to take a trip “sometime,” so now she’d have to find the right way to make that happen. It shouldn’t take too much...he wanted to go; he just needed the right prodding.
“Why do they have to keep calling Adam a former model and printing a picture of him in a swimsuit?” Dermott said out of the blue, slapping his hand on the table. “Can’t they just say he’s a businessman?”
Elizabeth tensed. He must be reading one of the Seattle newspapers that Adam had sent. She knew her husband didn’t mean to make her feel bad about the direction their son’s life had taken, but she did; if it hadn’t been for her getting sick, Adam would be a lawyer now.
Or would he?
Thinking back, she couldn’t honestly say Adam had been enthusiastic about studying law—not opposed, just unexcited by a legal career. And he’d used his fame as a model in good ways, including helping environmental and wildlife causes...though the videos he’d done interacting with wolves and bears had made her gulp in worry for his safety. Still, who wouldn’t take the chance of being that close to such amazing animals?
“No matter how we feel, Adam is famous,” she said finally. “I’m sure the agency gets more business when the public is reminded of who owns it.”
“Yeah, so we can see more models in bathing suits and other nonsense,” Dermott muttered.
Maybe he would have accepted Adam’s modeling better if his coworkers at the construction company hadn’t kidded him so often about his son, “the swimsuit guy.”
Sighing, Elizabeth took an aspirin for the pain starting to throb in her temples. It wasn’t just Adam she felt guilty about, it was Sophie, too. She’d been so young when her mother needed major surgery. It was as if Sophie had lost a big chunk of her childhood, taking on responsibilities and worries that a child shouldn’t have to face. No wonder she’d turned wild for a period and ended up pregnant at seventeen.
Elizabeth couldn’t regret her grandchildren, but her daughter’s teen marriage had quickly fallen apart and raising two kids alone was hard. In her own way, Sophie was just as stubborn and proud as her dad and wouldn’t accept much help from the family.
“Are you all right, Lizzie?” Dermott asked. “You took something. Is your blood pressure up?”
“It’s a headache, that’s all.”
Her husband’s concerned expression eased slightly, but Elizabeth’s own tension rose even higher. Sometimes she wanted to scream that she wasn’t going to break and for everyone to stop worrying. Okay, the doctor didn’t want her getting too stressed and the family knew it, but that didn’t mean she was fragile. Her health was pretty good for a woman her age.
She cleared her throat. “Have you thought about when you want to leave for Seattle? We’ll get a better price on plane tickets if we don’t buy them at the last minute.”
“I thought we’d drive. That way we’ll have the truck and won’t be locked in to a specific time.”
Pleasure went through Elizabeth. They’d never traveled outside of New Mexico. Their short vacations had been spent visiting Dermott’s grandparents or taking camping trips in the Sandia Mountains or around the Bosque del Apache wildlife preserve, south of Albuquerque. A road trip meant traveling through some of the most beautiful country in the United States.
“I’d love that,” she exclaimed. “And maybe we could get a little apartment and spend some real time up there.”
“Why not stay with Adam? He mentioned his place has an extra bed.”
Elizabeth winced; she couldn’t deal with her son and husband in the same enclosed space for more than a few days. Even when they weren’t arguing, their colliding expectations were hard to take. “It would be best to get an apartment,” she urged. “Not in the city—I’m sure that’s too expensive—but in one of the smaller towns.”
Dermott brightened. “That way I might be able to pick up odd jobs as a handyman.”
Elizabeth almost protested that he didn’t need to work, but maybe it wasn’t such a bad idea. They could see Adam when he was available—really get to know him again—but Dermott would also have a distraction from driving his wife and son crazy.
“I suppose. I wish we could go right away,” she said wistfully. “Summer sounds lovely in Washington.”
“Maybe next month.”
“How about tomorrow?” she asked firmly. “Packing wouldn’t take much time and Sophie can check on the house while we’re gone. Please, dear. Adam says it’s mostly been cool and pleasant there and I’d love to experience the long days they have farther north in the summer. And what’s the good of us both being retired if we can’t do what we want?”
Dermott gave her an exasperated look, but he folded the newspaper and got up. “Oh, very well. You pack and I’ll do an oil change on the truck. Call Adam and tell him we’re coming.”
“Maybe it could be a surprise,” she suggested. “We’ll find a furnished apartment, get settled and then go visit him. Besides, we can’t be sure when we’ll arrive if we do any sightseeing along the way.”
“I suppose.” Dermott headed out the door and she knew he’d probably been looking for a reason to agree to her plan.
Elizabeth happily started a batch of cookies to bring on the trip. Packing was easy, even though they’d also need to bring the basics like bedding, towels and kitchen supplies for an apartment.
She could use her phone to search rental listings on the trip north. They loved Albuquerque, but doing something completely different would be good for them both.
* * *
ADAM GLANCED AT the messages Chelsea had given him and satisfaction went through him. Cassie Bryant was coming in at 11:00 a.m. to pick up the representation agreements for both Tiffany and Glen. At least she’d recognized the opportunities available to the twins. He already had several places in mind to send their pictures—photographers and advertisers looking for fresh teen images. He had a feeling both of them would be in demand.
A few hours later, Chelsea escorted Cassie to his office. This morning she wore jeans and a green T-shirt. Nice, he couldn’t help thinking, noting that she also moved gracefully, a quality he’d always found particularly attractive.
Yet Adam frowned. Her eyes were striking, but he could have sworn they were a different color.
“Is something wrong?” Cassie asked.
“No, but when we met, I thought your eyes were golden brown, now they’re almost green. You must have colored contacts.”
“I don’t wear contacts, but my eye color appears to change depending on what I wear. My old boyf—someone I used to know complained that it was confusing.”
Adam noted the cut-off reference to what must be a previous relationship, and her reluctance to refer to him that way. Perhaps while she was caring for her niece and nephew, she’d chosen to put off the idea of romance or had found the man in question wasn’t interested in sharing her responsibilities.
Not that it made any difference to Adam, but they had to establish an effective working relationship. While he and his partners didn’t want to perpetuate the way the prior owner had dealt with his clients—Kevin McClaskey had held their hands through everything—they did want to help clients learn professionalism. It was one of the reasons they’d shifted the focus of their careers to talent management; each of them had benefited from someone helping them in the past, and now they could do the same for other people in a field they understood.
“Sorry for the detour,” Adam apologized. “But I notice eye color and details relating to appearance. It’s a professional hazard.”
“I suppose it’s useful in your work.”
Unlike some women upon realizing how closely he recalled details of their appearance, Cassie didn’t seem uncomfortable under his scrutiny.
“Here are the agreements.” He handed her the two manila envelopes from his desk. “I know you’re taking them to your godfather for review. Space has been left to enter information for a trust fund account and data such as social security numbers. I’ve also included pamphlets for Tiffany and Glen, explaining the basics of how this works. It might be beneficial for the two of us to meet and discuss the details after you’ve read everything.”
“Wouldn’t you prefer the kids to be here as well?”
“With clients who are minors, I think it’s best to meet first with the parents or guardians. That way you can ask questions or raise concerns that aren’t appropriate in front of them.”
A faint smile crossed her lips. “You talk as if you were a seasoned professional, but you said yourself that you haven’t been a talent agent for long.”
“True,” he acknowledged. “But I was in the modeling business for over fourteen years and it grounded me in what I believe are sound business practices. When I became interested in buying an agency with my friends, I started questioning every agent I met to help learn the ropes. Beyond that, the previous owner of Moonlight Ventures has remained available as a consultant.”
“I see.”
She pursed her mouth and he didn’t think she realized that it came off as provocative. Curiously, she was an increasing mystery to him. Even when she seemed to be revealing something personal, he had trouble interpreting anything in her face. He was accustomed to that in Nicole, who’d learned to conceal her feelings from the paparazzi and had trouble breaking the habit with friends and family. But what had led Cassie to being so reserved?
“Is something wrong?” he asked her.
“No, but to be frank, I’m worried about what I’m doing here.”
A weary sensation settled over Adam. The opposite of overanxious parents were the ones who couldn’t commit to letting their child try. Neither was a boon to an agent. He hadn’t encountered it himself, but Nicole and Kevin McClaskey had told him stories.
In this case, Cassie Bryant’s stumbling block might be her vision of how Glen’s future should be shaped.
A stray thought crossed Adam’s mind. Why only Glen? Why was the boy in the family destined for medical school, while apparently it was fine for the girl to consider modeling? Of course, it seemed clear from Tiffany’s enthusiasm that modeling was her idea, so that could be the explanation. And a measure of self-honesty also made him acknowledge that he’d done some pushing himself when it came to Glen becoming a model.
“I’m not pressuring you to sign,” Adam said, “but I’d appreciate a timely decision. That way the agency doesn’t expend hours on something that isn’t going anywhere.”
Cassie frowned. “You make awfully fast assumptions, don’t you?”
“I beg your pardon?”
“The kids want to do this, so that’s what we’re doing. I’m the one in the dark. I’m not Tiffany and Glen’s mother. You mentioned parents and guardians asking questions their kids shouldn’t hear, but I don’t even know which questions I should ask.”
“I spoke without thinking,” Adam apologized hastily.
Another blunder due to his knee-jerk reactions. Maybe he wouldn’t be having as much trouble if Sophie hadn’t mentioned their father was now telling his granddaughter she should become a doctor. She was only a little girl. Encouraging her to have dreams was important, but she needed her own dream, not someone else’s.
The evening before, he’d had dinner with Nicole and Jordan and suggested she handle the Bryants’ representation. She’d just laughed and reminded him that she’d gotten shoved out of her comfort zone when doing the interviews for PostModern magazine, so now it was his turn. Knowing she was right hadn’t made it easier.
“I should have asked your concerns before jumping to conclusions,” he added.
Cassie took a deep breath. “So, what type of questions do experienced parents ask?”
“Especially with girls and young women, they generally want to know how suggestively or appropriately they’ll be portrayed.”
Her face brightened. “Yes, that’s a good one. How do you handle that?”
“At Moonlight Ventures, we aren’t interested in putting kids into adult roles before it’s suitable. But admittedly, child models tend to be portrayed at least a year or two ahead of their chronological age.”
“Will I have veto power if I believe something isn’t right?”
Adam nodded. “Absolutely. And I’ll tell you immediately if I discover any issues. We’re serious about protecting our clients.”
“Can I be there while they’re working?”
“It’s required. No minor can go to a go-see or a booking alone.” He knew this part was a turnoff for some parents, and exciting for others.
“I’m glad,” Cassie said simply, though her face didn’t reveal any sense of how she felt about it.
She really was a puzzle. He couldn’t tell whether she wanted to be connected to the modeling world, or if she simply wanted to protect the kids and give them opportunities, even if it meant escorting her niece and nephew to various bookings.
“What’s a go-see?” she asked.
“With models, a photographer or advertiser often wants to see them in person before making a commitment. For actors, it would be an audition. Clients don’t get paid for either one.”
“So basically it’s a job interview.”
“Exactly.”
“I’ll research the process some more,” she murmured.
“Being well-informed is good protection for a kid in both modeling or acting.”
“About the acting... I know Tiff is interested, but is there any real chance?”
“We’ve placed clients in movies and a television series, and there’s always the possibility of others.” Adam deliberately didn’t mention the new TV movie to be filmed in Seattle or the casting director’s offer to audition some of the agency’s talent. If Tiffany or Glen seemed right for a role, that would be the time to discuss it with Cassie.
She seemed restless and stood to go look out the window he’d left open to catch the summer breeze. Her long chestnut hair was fiery in the sunlight. A flash of attraction went through Adam. This was hardly the time or the place for that sort of thought. Even if she wasn’t Glen and Tiffany’s guardian, he couldn’t imagine dating someone who seemed to have so many edges.
“Is this the usual way an agency is run?” Cassie turned to ask. “I checked a number of websites and it’s hard to tell what ‘business as usual’ might be.”
“Every agency is different and we’ve also made changes to the way Moonlight Ventures previously operated. Aside from everything else, the prior owner functioned as a one-man show.”
“He must have been busy.”
“Very, though part of his income came from renting out sections of this building. Changing the subject, will there be any problem getting the kids to go-sees, auditions or bookings? That is, will your work allow for that?”
“It shouldn’t be a problem most of the time. I’m self-employed doing website design and maintenance, as well as computer programming, so I have a flexible schedule.”
Adam’s concentration sharpened. While their current website was functional, they weren’t satisfied with it. Their webmaster simply couldn’t grasp their vision, despite numerous tweaks. So far, they’d put up with it because other priorities came first, but priority on the website was moving up fast.
“What sites have you created?” he asked. “We may be overhauling our online presence in the near future and I’d like to see the kind of work you’ve done.”
Cassie dug in her pocket and handed him a card. “I have a site that showcases some of my designs.”
“Thanks.” Yet he wondered if he should have spoken so impulsively.
Adam recalled the flash of attraction he’d experienced earlier. He didn’t think it had influenced him, but it was something he would have to watch in the future to ensure it didn’t impact his decisions.
* * *
CASSIE SAT DOWN AGAIN. She didn’t care for the intense scrutiny Adam Wilding sometimes focused upon her, though it couldn’t be unusual. And while his sharp reactions and assumptions when expressing her uncertainty had been disconcerting, his job was to represent the kids, not hand-hold her through parenting issues.
As for his questions about her website designs? Lots of people asked about her work and she handed out dozens of cards for every business that hired her.
“How soon would the kids start getting called for go-sees?” she asked.
“That can’t be predicted. We’ll put their pictures on our website and send promotional information to a range of approved sources. We also make personal contacts as appropriate.”
“So it’s possible no one would ever show interest in Glen and Tiff?”
“Possible, but not likely. We’re careful about who we represent and to date, our clients have been in demand. Are you disappointed to think they’ll be called for work?”
Her lack of enthusiasm must be obvious to him and Cassie warned herself to be careful. She might not be thrilled about the kids going into modeling, but she didn’t want them to lose opportunities because of her.
She shrugged. “No, but this is new to me. It was only a few weeks ago that Tiff told me how much she wanted to be a model or actress. Your website said professional studio photos weren’t necessary, so I took a bunch of pictures and let her pick the one she liked best. We sent it in and I didn’t know what to expect. Now I have a niece and a nephew about to become models. I think I’m dizzy.”
Adam smiled. “I can relate. I made some big life changes of my own recently.”
“Yeah, I read your profile on the website.” She didn’t say she had been disappointed to get an appointment with him, rather than with one of the female partners in the agency. It might have been easier to talk with another woman.
Of course, maybe she wouldn’t have found common ground with Rachel Clarion or Nicole George, either. The partners in Moonlight Ventures were famous. They had reputations for being stylish, larger-than-life individuals who’d traveled widely and brushed elbows with the elite of the modeling and acting world. They were accustomed to a more glamorous atmosphere than somebody who plunged her shower on a regular basis and fixed spaghetti or baked chicken for dinner at least once a week.
Thinking of which...
Cassie leaned forward. “Will the kids have to eat differently? I mean...well, I don’t want Tiff, for example, to half starve herself to be a size zero or something. She’s already tried to lose weight the last month and it worries me.”
“I won’t deny that weight can be an issue in modeling,” Adam acknowledged. “There are terrific plus-size models with solid careers, but generally the demand isn’t as high for them.”
Cassie made a face. “Sometimes it seems as if you can’t pick up a magazine or get on the internet without hearing a scandal about airbrushing, or whether teenaged girls are learning an unrealistic standard of womanhood, or someone slamming an actress or model who’s gained a few pounds. Or for being too thin, for that matter.”
Adam leaned forward. “Moonlight Ventures is concerned about those issues and we’ve discussed some of them in our quarterly newsletter, Beneath the Surface.”
“Should I read back editions to catch up on the information in them?”
“You’re welcome to copies, but we haven’t been in charge of it for very long and it isn’t a modeling handbook. We’re looking at converting it to a general circulation publication. Naturally the material will involve fashion and the entertainment world, but we want to do thoughtful work on image and how people look at themselves. Also to give opportunities to young writers.”
Cassie decided she’d reserve judgment until she read their material. How often had she heard people say the right things when their actions showed they believed the opposite?
Good grief, she was getting cynical. It was important to keep an eye on that so Tiffany and Glen didn’t get the wrong attitude; raising them was requiring her to do an awful lot of self-examination.
“It sounds as if it could be interesting,” she said diplomatically.
“We hope so. Anyhow, about Tiffany, I won’t talk to her about weight and I don’t approve of extremes. If anyone else says something to her, I want you to let me know. She’s fine the way she is at the present time. I agree with one of my partners who tells aspiring models that they should strive first to be healthy and happy. She also says they shouldn’t try to be anything except themselves.”
“Good advice.”
“For everyone, I suppose, not just models.”
He had her there. For three years, Cassie had tried to change herself to conform to her boyfriend’s world. Michael’s requirements had included being attractive without outshining any other woman in the company, being confident and self-effacing at the same time, being well dressed and stylish but not too stylish and agreeing with anything management said or wanted.
She’d done it until she couldn’t take it any longer, realizing that if Michael had really loved her, he’d have loved the woman she was, not the woman he wanted her to become.
“Is there anything else that we need to talk about today?” she asked.
“No, unless you have more questions.”
“Not right now.”
“If you come up with any, feel free to call. We can talk on the phone or as I mentioned we can meet again. I want the process to be as transparent as possible.”
“Thanks. I talked to my godfather and told him I’d bring the representation agreements over today, but I don’t know how long he’ll need to review them.”
“Take the time you need. I don’t want to rush you beyond your comfort level.”
“I appreciate that.” She walked out of the office, smiling politely at the office manager in the reception area.
It was a relief to know the agency’s policies seemed to be so positive. Time would tell if Adam Wilding had been telling her the truth or just saying politically correct words. He was extraordinarily handsome and had spent most of his adult life fitting into a limited standard of what the world saw as attractive and successful. So she couldn’t help feeling skeptical about both the agency and the man in question.
CHAPTER THREE (#u75b96caf-2f2d-596e-ab67-b8887b1ae83d)
GLEN READ A copy of the long agency agreement. At first, he hadn’t thought he needed to look at it since Aunt Cassie and Orville were studying the papers and making sure everything was on the level. Then he’d decided if he was going to be a doctor someday, he couldn’t leave that kind of stuff to other people.
“What do you think?” he asked his sister, who had avidly studied every word.
She made a face. “Some of it seems weird, but I guess it’s okay, only it has all those legal words. The pamphlet thingy is easier because it talked about how stuff actually happens when you’re modeling.”
“Yeah. I’m just not sure this is fair to Aunt Cassie. She has to go with us to everything.”
Tiff nodded. “I didn’t think she’d have to do that. She ought to get paid, too.”
“That isn’t how it works.”
“Let’s go talk to her.”
He followed his sister downstairs to the small room Aunt Cassie used as her office. Glancing up from her computer screen, she turned off her music and grinned at them.
“Hey, guys. What do you need?”
“We were just... I mean...” Tiffany stopped and wrinkled her nose. “We were just thinking how hard it would be for you to go with us all the time to everything.”
“That’s the rule, Tiff. I’m okay with it.”
“It doesn’t seem fair,” Glen said. “You aren’t going to get paid.”
“Hey, kiddo, I don’t want to be paid. There might be some modeling jobs you can’t take when I have a conflict or if both of you are offered jobs at the same time, but we can work it out. I can even bring my laptop along and stay busy that way.”
“But what if someone’s website crashes and you aren’t available to fix it?”
“No problem. I never promised instant response time anyhow, but in April I hired a friend from college to do backup web maintenance. She works from her house, just like me, so Giselle handles issues that come up when I’m out.”
“You’re sure?” he asked, remembering how many times his mother had said she couldn’t handle what was happening. It had always felt as if she was blaming him and Tiffany for her drinking.
“Absolutely. If there are any problems, the three of us will sit down and decide how to deal with them.”
He was still bugged, but he didn’t know what to do about it.
Back upstairs again, Tiffany sighed blissfully. “Do you think I might become as famous as Nicole George?”
“Who knows?”
“I want to act, too.”
“You wouldn’t be bad at that.”
She wouldn’t, either; Tiff had been acting her entire life. If she banged her knee or felt sad or angry, she’d just pretend everything was okay—anything to keep from upsetting Mom. Tiff was really naive, in a way. She always thought she could fix things for people, including fixing their mother. But Mom didn’t want to be fixed; she wanted to keep drinking and that was that.
Suddenly angry, Glen flopped down on his bed and stared at the ceiling where Aunt Cassie had let him put stars that glowed in the dark.
Living with Aunt Cassie was great, much better than with his mom in San Diego, though sometimes he felt bad thinking that. She was his mom. Shouldn’t he want to live with her, no matter what? But he couldn’t forget the smell of booze that had always been in the apartment, and the sour stink in the morning when she got sick from being hungover.
It had gotten even worse when her boyfriends started coming home with her, and then he’d seen one of them looking at Tiffany in a way that hadn’t seemed right. His sister was way better off in Seattle, but Tiff might get upset if she knew he’d called the child welfare office and made an anonymous report about Mom’s drinking and the other things.
Sometimes he felt like slime for doing it, and other times he knew it was okay. But now that Aunt Cassie’s life was going to get messed up even more...well, he wasn’t exactly sure what he should feel.
* * *
A WEEK AFTER Adam met with Cassie Bryant, he began wondering if he’d ever hear from her again. Of course, her godfather could still be looking at the representation agreements, but she might be dragging her feet, hoping her nephew would change his mind.
Stop, Adam ordered as he ran on a treadmill at the gym over his lunch hour.
He’d explained the opportunities to Cassie. The rest was up to her. Yet he was discovering it was one thing to understand his job as an agent and another to separate personal feelings from the process. That might help explain why the previous owner of Moonlight Ventures had treated his clients as family for whom he needed to take responsibility and protect.
Adam slowed the treadmill to a cool-off pace, still thinking about Cassie. Getting information from her had been like prying an oyster open. Admittedly, he shouldn’t have made that remark about her marriage plans. What he could have asked was something like, “Are you expecting any significant changes that could impact Tiffany’s and Glen’s ability to work?” It would have been far more appropriate.
Pushing the thought away, Adam showered and returned to the agency, endorphins from the exercise still coursing through his system. It would be great if they didn’t have to drive somewhere to work out and he wondered if they could convert part of their building into a fitness center or get a professional gym to set up a business there.
He mentally reviewed the layout of the building they’d purchased along with the agency. Several businesses were longtime leasers—apparently Kevin had given his tenants the same intense, personal attention that he had given his clients. Some of them missed the hand-holding, though Kevin probably visited often enough to tide them over.
Adam shook himself. Things were going well for now and while Moonlight Ventures was cramped, they weren’t ready to expand quite yet. A fitness center, either private or commercial, could wait.
“Your parents are here, waiting for you,” Chelsea said as he came into the reception area.
He stared. His mom and dad had come without letting him know? They’d only mentioned it to his sister in the last couple of weeks.
“What does your ‘deer caught in the headlights’ expression mean?” Chelsea asked.
Adam forced himself to concentrate. They’d had trouble finding a good office manager, so it had been a stroke of luck when Chelsea had applied and proven excellent at the job. And now that she’d recovered from a bad relationship in Los Angeles, she was even more valuable, and she had a good sense of humor that helped keep the office balanced.
“Nothing. I’m just surprised they didn’t let me know they were on the way.”
Sophie must have assumed they’d told him, or she would have warned him.
“Parents, what would we do without them?” Chelsea’s tone was ironic and Adam recalled that Nicole had mentioned various problems with Jordan’s parents, who were also Chelsea’s parents since she was Jordan’s sister. They’d known each other growing up and their respective families didn’t get along with each other.
“Right,” he agreed.
Chelsea looked at her computer. “By the way, Cassie Bryant called for an appointment. Your 1:00 p.m. had just cancelled, so I told her to come then. I hope that’s okay.”
“It’s fine. Can you ask Nicole if she has time to help answer Ms. Bryant’s questions about teen modeling? I’d like to say hi to my parents before she gets here.”
“Sure. They’re in the lounge. I offered refreshments to them, but they didn’t seem interested.”
Of course. His mom and dad had never happily accepted anything seen as the fruits of his success, because it came from a career they didn’t appreciate. It was time they recognized that he was fine with his life. Even if he had chosen to be a construction worker like his dad, what difference would it make, so long as he was happy and satisfied?
Adam sighed. It would be easier on them if his career path hadn’t changed because of Mom’s illness; they might have made peace with him becoming a model otherwise. So their visit might turn out to be helpful. They would see that the agency was a solid business, with the potential to become even more.
“Let me know when Cassie arrives,” he said.
Putting a smile on his face with the practice of years, he strode down the hallway to the lounge. The door was ajar and he saw his mother and father sitting on one of the couches.
“Hi,” he greeted them. “Sophie mentioned you were thinking about a visit.”
Elizabeth stood and gave him a hug. “Hello, darling.”
His dad had also come to his feet and they shook hands. “Good to see you, son.”
“Good to see you both, too. Why didn’t you let me know when you were coming? I could have met you at the airport.”
“We didn’t fly, we drove. We wanted it to be a surprise.”
Though surprises weren’t his father’s long suit, Adam hung on to his smile. “Terrific. The spare room isn’t fancy, but the bed should be comfortable.”
“That won’t be necessary,” Elizabeth said quickly. “We’re renting a furnished apartment. It sounded like a nice idea to spend some time up here now that your father has retired.”
“Adam?” It was Chelsea. “Sorry to interrupt. Your one o’clock appointment is here. Oh, and Nicole said she’ll be free shortly.”
“Thanks.” He turned to his parents. “Can you wait awhile? I have to see a client.”
“Business comes first,” his father said.
Adam took the back route to his office, encountering Glen Bryant on the way.
“Hey, Glen, are you meeting with us?”
“No, and Tiff isn’t, either. She’s got a stomach bug. She’s better, but Aunt Cassie said it would be rotten to take a chance of exposing you. We’re safe because we got over it already. I thought I’d get something to eat, if that’s okay.”
“Sure.” Privately Adam was uncomfortable at the thought of Glen in the same room as his parents. He preferred keeping his private and professional lives separate, but it couldn’t be helped. Besides, when he’d been that age, he wouldn’t have talked to a stranger over twenty if his life depended on it. Perhaps Glen was the same.
In the office, he found Cassie standing at the window again, the sunlight burnishing her hair the way it had on her last visit. He could see the family resemblance between her and the twins, but the biggest contrast was their outgoing nature and her reserve.
She turned and gestured toward the desk where he saw two large envelopes. “Hello. I brought the signed agreements back. Sorry it took so long.”
This time, the black T-shirt she wore made her eyes appear brown again.
“I hear you’ve been ill.”
Cassie made a diffident gesture. “We had the stomach virus that’s going around. Glen and I got sick, then poor Tiff came down with it a day and a half later. She still doesn’t have much energy and I couldn’t be sure she’s no longer contagious. But she’s so anxious about getting things going on the modeling that I thought it would make her feel better if I called for an appointment.”
“It was thoughtful not to share the bug with us.”
“I hate exposing someone when I could have stayed home...though since I work out of my house, I suppose it’s easier for me than for other people.”
“Do you have any questions on the representation agreements?”
Cassie shook her head. “No, but the kids aren’t happy because I have to be there for their jobs and go-sees. It especially bothers Glen, so I thought I’d let you know. He doesn’t have to worry.” She wrinkled her nose. “Though with this added, the kids aren’t going to have the normal high school experience I’d hoped for them.”
“Normal is highly overrated.”
“But it’s nice to know what it is, at least.”
“Granted. Now, let me show you the promotional materials I’ve been putting together.”
When she sat next to him to look at the large screen, Adam smelled the faint aroma of roses. It reminded him of the time he’d done a commercial for an international florist company in Paris, having to hold an extra large bouquet under the Eiffel Tower for hours, waiting for his “girlfriend.”
He made an effort to clear his head, annoyed that he would associate a romantic image with the guardian of his newest clients.
* * *
CASSIE TRIED NOT to be aware of Adam as he clicked through pictures of her niece and nephew. They were the ones taken the first day they’d come to the agency, but cropped to look like the kind of photos she’d seen in magazines. As far as she could tell, nothing had been airbrushed or photoshopped and both Glen and Tiffany were portrayed as wholesome, healthy young teens.
“Satisfied?” he asked finally.
“Yes. It’s reassuring to see how they’ll be presented.”
“We don’t want to promote anyone in a way that makes them uncomfortable and that goes double for kids.”
“Did you start modeling as a youngster?”
“Nope. I was a junior at UCLA and saw an ad for models, so I gave it a shot. I needed the money. My mom had just gone through major surgery and I wanted to do something to help out.”
It was hard for Cassie to picture the sophisticated Adam Wilding as an anxious college student who’d fallen into modeling by accident. Still, it was an engaging image.
“Is your mother all right now?”
His expression seemed guarded. “She’s fine. In fact, my parents just arrived from New Mexico for a surprise visit.”
At a guess, there was some tension in the relationship with his folks.
“That’s nice. They must be proud of your success.”
“Actually, they wanted me to be a lawyer, so it’s complicated.”
Cassie cast another quick, sideways glance at Adam. “I can’t picture you in a three-piece suit, arguing a case in front of a judge.”
“Me, either,” he admitted. “It’s hard on kids when grown-ups try to plan their lives for them.”
His tone had grown even more intense and Cassie suspected that heavy pressure had been put on him to take a particular route. She couldn’t recall whether her own parents had encouraged specific career aspirations in their children beyond wanting them to attend college.
“Instead you happened into modeling and the rest is history,” she said to lighten the mood.
Adam’s expression changed from intense to cool detachment. “I got lucky. The photographer on that first job sent my picture around to various advertisers he worked with. Before I knew it, I was in demand. But it usually doesn’t happen that way. Albeit part of this business is luck and timing.”
“I understand. I’ve told the kids not to think they’ll suddenly become rich and famous. Glen doesn’t care, but Tiffany has stars in her eyes.”
“It’s good that you want to keep her grounded. The people who hire models seem to prefer them that way. Just don’t try coaching the kids. Let them be natural.”
“Of course. I don’t want this changing Tiff and Glen.”
“You mentioned taking responsibility once your sister was unable to care for them?”
That was a charitable way of describing Marie’s condition. She hadn’t even been sober for her meeting with the judge, and had refused an alcohol abuse treatment program as a chance of retaining custody.
Cassie cleared her throat. Sometimes she was so furious with her sister, she could hardly stand it. Raising Tiff and Glen was a privilege, but Marie had thrown it away. They had their share of problems, but they were great kids, even after everything their mother had put them through. “Yes. I didn’t want them in foster care.”
“Your parents couldn’t take them? I’m only asking because I’d like to know if a change in custody arrangements might occur.”
“It won’t. My dad has health issues and my brother’s work doesn’t lend itself to parenting. Please don’t bring this up with Tiff and Glen. They’ve dealt with enough,” Cassie added quickly. “I’d hate for them to get the idea they’re unwanted.”
“Of course.” Adam’s expression was hard to read. “Getting back to practicalities, I’ll try to drop in on the first booking to see how things are going.”
“Is that usual?”
“Every agent is different, but at Moonlight Ventures we want to pass on what we’ve learned and help our clients to be professional. That way they’re more in demand and we all do better. Of course, we’re still working out the best way to accomplish that.”
Cassie cocked her head. “So you’re practicing on your clients?”
“True. Does that bother you?”
“No. I told you that I’ve done some checking and Moonlight Ventures is earning a good reputation.”
“That’s good to know.” Adam opened the envelopes and glanced through the contents. “What led you here? There are other excellent talent agencies in Seattle and we’d like to know what makes people choose us. By the way, it’s all right to say that we were simply the first one that responded.”
“Tiffany was researching talent representatives on the internet and was excited when she saw you and Nicole George were involved with Moonlight Ventures. Basically, this is the first place we tried. Now she follows you both on Facebook and Twitter.”
He nodded. “Social media is one of our tools. We’ll need to discuss the best, safest way for her and Glen to utilize it themselves.”
There was a knock at the door and Nicole George came into the office. She smiled at Cassie. “Hi. You must be the aunt of our two newest clients. Adam thought that since I did teen modeling, it might be helpful if I came by to answer any questions.”
“Thank you,” Cassie said, feeling out of place to be sandwiched between two such glamorous individuals.
* * *
ELIZABETH WILDING FELT almost desperate as she looked at her husband. They’d had a pleasant drive north, but the closer they had gotten to Seattle, the more uncommunicative Dermott had become. Her hope of repairing the bond with Adam couldn’t happen if either of them refused to really talk.
Good heavens, Dermott was stubborn. Adam took after his father that way, though he was like her in others. Or at least he used to be. Because of everything that had happened through the years, she couldn’t honestly say she knew her son any longer. Surely the world of fashion and appearance wouldn’t have changed him too much?
“This is such a pleasant building, don’t you think?” she asked her husband.
“A whole lot of flash and dash if you ask me. It’s good they didn’t tear it down, but the place is nothing but an old factory dressed up to look fancy.”
Small steps, she reminded herself. It wasn’t going to happen quickly. Standing, she went to get a bottle of water from the small refrigerator with a glass door.
The teenager who’d come into the room seemed polite. He’d explained he was waiting for his aunt and hoped they didn’t mind him being there. He was a handsome youngster and Elizabeth had wondered if he was a model.
Since Dermott had determinedly buried himself in another newspaper, she decided to get acquainted with the boy.
“I’m Elizabeth Wilding,” she said, moving to the table where he was sitting.
“I’m Glen Bryant. Uh, Aunt Cassie is meeting with a guy named Wilding.”
“Adam is my son. Are you a model?”
Glen laughed. “Mr. Wilding thinks I am.”
In the background, her husband snorted and Elizabeth couldn’t be sure if it was from something in the news or because of what Glen had said.
“You don’t want to do it?” she asked.
“I guess I don’t mind. I’m going to be a doctor and it’ll help earn money for college.”
“Good luck in getting there now,” Dermott muttered.
Elizabeth glared at his bent head. It wasn’t his business to criticize, especially a kid that he didn’t even know.
“Never mind him,” she whispered to Glen with a conspiratorial air. “We need all the doctors we can get and I’m sure you’ll be wonderful at it.”
Glen’s brow had creased at Dermott’s statement, but now he relaxed and smiled back.
“Do you live in Seattle?” the boy asked.
“We’re visiting from Albuquerque, but we’ve rented an apartment so we can stay and...and see the area.”
“Wow, that’s great. We moved here last summer and Aunt Cassie has taken us all over the place. In May, we went to the Gingko Petrified Forest and we’ve gone to British Columbia twice. We go to baseball games, Mount Rainier and the Seattle Center, along with Mount St. Helens. It’s like...sad, but also rad seeing what happened when the volcano blasted everything.”
What a nice boy, Elizabeth thought. His enthusiasm was endearing.
“Those are good suggestions. I remember when the volcano erupted. It seemed terrible that such a beautiful place got destroyed, but I suppose that’s how it formed in the first place.”
“That’s what Aunt Cassie says. Scientists have done all kinds of studies on how the land is recovering, which is a bunch faster than anyone figured. Some of the eruptions were crazy, mostly just super-heated air and rocks that flattened huge trees like toothpicks.” He made a gesture with his hands that was probably intended to represent the trees being knocked over.
“I hope the park rangers know as much as you.”
“Aunt Cassie tells me a lot and we look things up on the internet and read books. The park rangers are great, too. My uncle works at Mount Rainier. But he’s a backcountry ranger, so we don’t see him much.”
“Your aunt sounds nice.”
“She’s awesome. On Saturday, she’s taking us to a science fiction convention. Aunt Cassie likes that stuff just as much as we do.”
“It sounds interesting.”
“I can’t wait, though we aren’t dressing up in costumes the way the science nerds do in the Big Bang Theory.”
Elizabeth’s lips twitched. She enjoyed the television comedy, though Dermott wasn’t crazy about it. He preferred home improvement shows.
“You probably think I’m too old to appreciate sci-fi, but I love the Star Wars and Star Trek films along with other science fiction or fantasy,” she told Glen.
Once her secret hope had been to get published in science fiction, but while she had written several stories, it had never gone further. She’d been writing since she was a child, but there had never seemed to be enough time or energy to get them ready for submission to a publisher. Now? Well, her stories were probably too dated.
Yet part of her wondered...was there still a chance she could get published? She’d even brought one of her novels with her, thinking she might work on it some more.
“Do you want to go to the convention?” Glen asked. “Aunt Cassie got a bunch of free passes and I think she has some left.”
The friendly invitation was appealing and she looked at Dermott. “What do you think, dear? It sounds fun and it’s different than the things we usually do.”
He let out a small grunt. “Whatever you want, but I thought we came up here to see Adam, not people dressed as Klingons.”
Elizabeth was mildly startled that her husband knew about Klingons, which came from the Star Trek
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Callie Endicott
He’s falling for his clients’ legal guardian…But can business and love ever mix?Signing a young sister and brother to his new talent agency could be a great move for Adam Wilding, especially when he meets their legal guardian. Cassie Bryant’s first priority is her niece and nephew’s welfare. But she herself remains a mystery. Can Adam convince this prickly, stubborn, utterly appealing woman they’re not as different as she thinks?
He’s falling for his clients’ legal guardian...
But can business and love ever mix?
Signing a young sister and brother to his new talent agency could be a great move for Adam Wilding, especially when he meets their legal guardian. Cassie Bryant’s first priority is her niece’s and nephew’s welfare. But she herself remains a mystery. Can Adam convince this prickly, stubborn, utterly appealing woman they’re not as different as she thinks?
As a kid, CALLIE ENDICOTT had her nose stuck in a book so often it frequently got her in trouble. The trouble hasn’t stopped—she keeps having to buy new bookshelves. Luckily ebooks don’t take up much space. Writing has been another help, since she’s usually on the computer creating stories instead of buying them. Callie loves bringing characters to life and never knows what will prompt an idea. So she still travels, hikes, explores and pursues her other passions, knowing a novel may be just around the corner.
Also By Callie Endicott (#u75b96caf-2f2d-596e-ab67-b8887b1ae83d)
Emerald City Stories
Moonlight Over Seattle
Montana Skies
The Rancher’s Prospect
At Wild Rose Cottage
Kayla’s Cowboy
That Summer at the Shore
Until She Met Daniel
Discover more at millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)
A Father for the Twins
Callie Endicott
www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)
ISBN: 978-1-474-08502-1
A FATHER FOR THE TWINS
© 2018 Callie Endicott
Published in Great Britain 2018
by Mills & Boon, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF
All rights reserved including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form. This edition is published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, locations and incidents are purely fictional and bear no relationship to any real life individuals, living or dead, or to any actual places, business establishments, locations, events or incidents. Any resemblance is entirely coincidental.
By payment of the required fees, you are granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right and licence to download and install this e-book on your personal computer, tablet computer, smart phone or other electronic reading device only (each a “Licensed Device”) and to access, display and read the text of this e-book on-screen on your Licensed Device. Except to the extent any of these acts shall be permitted pursuant to any mandatory provision of applicable law but no further, no part of this e-book or its text or images may be reproduced, transmitted, distributed, translated, converted or adapted for use on another file format, communicated to the public, downloaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of publisher.
® and ™ are trademarks owned and used by the trademark owner and/or its licensee. Trademarks marked with ® are registered with the United Kingdom Patent Office and/or the Office for Harmonisation in the Internal Market and in other countries.
www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)
“I want the twins to dream whatever they want to dream.” Cassie truly meant those words.
“You’d probably make a good talent agent for kids,” said Adam.
“Me?” Cassie snickered. “Hardly. I like my orderly career in web programming. It makes the rest of life’s messiness easier to face.”
“You’re great with computers, but you also have solid instincts for people.”
The compliment was sincere, but it was the look in his eyes that made her pulse jump. When Adam leaned closer and kissed her, it was everything it should have been. His lips were firm, his arms strong and gentle. But the moment was so brief, it left her aching for more.
Dear Reader (#u75b96caf-2f2d-596e-ab67-b8887b1ae83d),
I’m so excited to have my next Emerald City story published with Harlequin Heartwarming.
My hero, Adam Wilding, is a special guy who became a famous model more or less by accident. Now he’s embarked on a second career as a talent agent, and he has his hands full with Cassie Bryant, the aunt and guardian of his two newest clients. Cassie can be a little prickly, but she’s fiercely protective of her niece and nephew.
The two cats in my household have an odd relationship—the female dislikes all other felines, and the male just wants to play. There’s a great deal of spitting, but not the all-out war that we expected. Over time it’s become clear that a certain amount of affection has grown between the two.
Relationships aren’t easy, but the fun part of writing is that I don’t have to just wait and watch. Adam and Cassie have a number of hurdles to overcome before they find their way together...but I enjoyed showing how they got there.
I love hearing from readers and can be contacted at: c/o Harlequin Books, 22 Adelaide Street West, 40th Floor, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5H 4E3. Please also check out my Facebook page at Facebook.com/callie.endicott.author (http://Facebook.com/callie.endicott.author).
Best wishes,
Callie
To Ruby and Albert
Contents
Cover (#u2fe57c49-469e-586e-bc0d-c6fc35fd5c41)
Back Cover Text (#u5574daa6-bcca-58ad-937f-8ae68b400e88)
About the Author (#u162f7988-3aef-54c4-87be-4876bf9891da)
Booklist (#u77e6296f-4f85-5f3d-9cd0-19ced2b146e3)
Title Page (#u2033ac2d-7836-5f22-b236-211c38c2b8b6)
Copyright (#u5f0e1a1b-9e0a-5417-944e-7fcabeb0c4d4)
Introduction (#u5e49394d-8768-5f8f-b6ce-9e08f022b21c)
Dear Reader (#uf9d09c37-f8ac-5375-b75f-c1eb56448ee2)
Dedication (#u137eae47-fe14-5cce-985e-8aba746c5f7f)
PROLOGUE (#ueeb73338-a62e-5f94-826e-d9c2dba74812)
CHAPTER ONE (#uf2fcbc03-4617-5dec-8d22-a3e9851ade84)
CHAPTER TWO (#u766020aa-89e9-59a6-9865-ffe60e7ecb8d)
CHAPTER THREE (#u19d321ad-e060-5138-8b36-b3d22394abcf)
CHAPTER FOUR (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER FIVE (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER SIX (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER SEVEN (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER EIGHT (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER NINE (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER TEN (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER ELEVEN (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER TWELVE (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER THIRTEEN (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER FOURTEEN (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER FIFTEEN (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER SIXTEEN (#litres_trial_promo)
Extract (#litres_trial_promo)
About the Publisher (#litres_trial_promo)
PROLOGUE (#u75b96caf-2f2d-596e-ab67-b8887b1ae83d)
ADAM WILDING WANTED to turn the car around and drive away from his parents’ house, but that didn’t seem very mature for a college student. He had to face telling them the truth.
The golden late afternoon light played on the Sandia Mountains in the background. Dried red chile ristras hung on the porches and thousands of luminarias lined the yards and walkways of homes, ready to be lit once it was dark.
He’d grown up in New Mexico and the sights and scents of Albuquerque brought back an avalanche of memories. Especially at Christmastime.
His nerves tightened even more as he turned into the driveway. Three months had passed since his mother’s emergency heart surgery, but it was never far from his thoughts.
Elizabeth Wilding must have been watching, because she met him at the door. He looked at her closely. She seemed healthy. There was good color in her cheeks and her eyes were bright and lively.
“Hey, Mom.” Adam stepped inside and kissed her cheek. “Merry Christmas.”
“Merry Christmas, dear. Are you well?” she asked anxiously. That was his mom—always concerned about everyone else’s health.
“I’m great.”
Dermott Wilding appeared from the back of the house. He was thinner than when Adam had seen him a couple of months earlier. “Merry Christmas, son. Did you have a good trip?”
“Not too bad. There was snow in Flagstaff, but I got through it okay.” When time wasn’t an issue, he preferred driving over flying when traveling from Los Angeles to Albuquerque.
“Are your classes for next term lined up?” Dermott asked. “You can’t take anything frivolous, you know, it might look bad on your application to law school,” he added without waiting for an answer.
Adam managed a tight nod. Ever since he could remember, his parents had expected him to grow up and become an attorney. It had been the same with Sophie. How often had they heard their father say, “My children are going to be respected lawyers instead of working stiffs like me”? Along with, “Before you know it, Adam and Sophie will be on the Supreme Court.” To Dermott Wilding, being appointed to the US Supreme Court was the ultimate success.
“Is Sophie here?” Adam asked.
“Right behind you.”
He turned and gave her a hug. “Hey, sis, where’s the ponytail?”
“Gave it up, along with my tricycle.”
“Sophie is such wonderful help around the house,” Elizabeth declared, yet sounded anxious again. “But she hasn’t been able to enjoy her new school.”
“It’s okay, Mom,” Sophie told her quickly.
Adam had wanted to take the fall term off at UCLA to help take care of his mother, but the idea of him interrupting his life had upset his parents so much, he’d decided it would do more harm than good. As a result, too much responsibility had dropped onto his sister’s shoulders.
“I hope you’re hungry,” Elizabeth said.
“Starved.”
They went into the kitchen for pozole, a traditional Christmas Eve soup in New Mexico made of hominy and meat and seasoned with various toppings.
“Fantastic as always,” he said after the first spoonful. “It wouldn’t be Christmas without your pozole, Mom.”
“Thank you, but Sophie made it.”
“Great job, kiddo.”
Sophie just shrugged.
An awkward silence fell and Adam decided to give his parents his news. “Mom, Dad, you know how much I’ve wanted to do something to help out?”
They nodded.
“Well, I saw a notice about this company wanting new faces for a marketing campaign. I sent my picture in, and after a several interviews and stuff, they picked me to act in their commercial. And now I’ve got a bunch of other modeling work scheduled. The money is really good, so I’ll be able to contribute toward paying the bills. I have a check for you.”
Dermott’s face grew tight. “You’re a pre-law junior. You have to focus on grades, not add another job. Especially modeling. It’s vain and superficial.”
Adam let out a breath. “There’s nothing wrong with modeling and it earns a heck of a lot more than minimum wage, which is what my other job at the college paid.”
“Paid?” his father repeated. “That means you’ve quit.”
“Yeah. Like I said, modeling pays more.” Actually, Adam had been shocked at the fees his new talent agent had negotiated for him. If it kept up, he’d be able to cover the rest of his mother’s medical bills and all of his college expenses.
“How will you be taken seriously as an attorney if people know you’ve paraded around, selling some product?” Dermott demanded. “I want my children to have respect, not be laughed at.”
“I’m not parading, I’m modeling, and nobody is laughing.”
Adam decided not to add that he’d switched from pre-law to another major. Being a lawyer was his parents’ goal for him, but he’d become convinced over the past year that he wasn’t cut out for a legal career.
In all honesty, he’d never been that interested. As for modeling? It was fun and there was a lot of money that could be made. If he hit it really big, he could save enough to retire early and start a whole new career. He wasn’t sure what that career might be, but he knew it would be something he wanted, rather than a dream of his parents’.
“No,” Dermott barked. “That isn’t—”
“Would you quit it? You’re upsetting Mom,” Sophie suddenly yelled.
Shocked, they all looked at Elizabeth, who was pale and had her hand to her throat.
“I’m...okay,” she gasped. Yet her face lost even more color and Adam saw beads of perspiration dotting her forehead.
He barely managed to catch her as she pitched forward in the chair.
* * *
TWO HOURS LATER at the hospital, Elizabeth Wilding’s heart specialist glared at Adam and his father equally.
“Mrs. Wilding is going to be all right. She hyperventilated due to anxiety and passed out. But how many times have I said that she requires rest and calm? She worries far too much, and I’m convinced she feels guilty for getting sick in the first place. Regardless, having the two most important men in her life squabbling like boys in a school yard is unacceptable.”
“How can she feel guilty for needing heart surgery?” Adam asked, bewildered.
“Because that’s how patients with a major illness often feel. It’s human nature.”
“It isn’t logical.”
“Agreed, but the emotions are real. I’ve seen it over and over again. Now, as to the argument between you and your father, that’s the last thing she needs to hear at this point in her recovery.” Dr. Chu crossed her arms over her chest and her glare became even more severe, except this time it was specifically directed at Adam’s father. “So your son is modeling to help pay the bills and you don’t approve. Deal with it. One of Elizabeth’s concerns is about money.”
Dermott, who was at least ten inches taller than the surgeon, flushed and looked abashed. “I’m sorry, ma’am. It’s just that Adam won’t be respected in the legal—”
“Frankly, I don’t care how you feel about it,” Dr. Chu interrupted. “My concern is Mrs. Wilding. She has a full, happy life ahead if her family resists putting undue stress on her. Now, I’ve said a whole lot more than I’d intended, but I don’t appreciate a patient’s recovery being hindered this way. I trust that I won’t have to say any of this again in the future?”
“No, Doctor,” Dermott and Adam declared in unison.
“Good.”
Dr. Chu gave Sophie a reassuring smile, then turned and marched down the hallway.
Adam and his father glanced at each other.
“Are you going to keep modeling?” Dermott asked.
“Who cares?” Sophie hissed. “Adam can do whatever he wants. Just give his check to the hospital. I have to keep hiding the bills from Mom because she gets upset and I’m sick of it.” With that, she burst into tears.
Feeling awful, Adam fished the certified check from his wallet and handed it to his dad before putting an arm around Sophie’s shoulders. At twelve, she’d had too much put on her the past few months.
“Fine. For now,” Dermott muttered. He turned and headed down the hallway. Clearly he hadn’t given up, just temporarily retreated.
Adam ground his teeth, knowing a part of him blamed his father for Mom’s illness. Okay, maybe that wasn’t fair. But Dermott was her husband and he’d been there, every day. Why hadn’t he noticed his wife losing energy and the other slow, insidious signs of declining health? She might have gotten treatment earlier, before it came to a crisis.
Adam squirmed at the thought, knowing he could have returned to Albuquerque for the summer and gotten a construction job. Then he would have been at home, too. Instead he’d stayed in Los Angeles, helping build swimming pools for the Hollywood elite and hanging out with his friends.
So if he wanted to blame anyone, he didn’t need to look any further than his own mirror.
CHAPTER ONE (#u75b96caf-2f2d-596e-ab67-b8887b1ae83d)
Fourteen years later...
A KNOCK SOUNDED on Adam’s office door and he looked up to see Nicole George, one of his three business partners.
“Hey, Nicole, you seem excited.”
She grinned. “I just learned that a new TV movie is going to be shot here in the Seattle area. They’re hoping the network will like it enough to turn it into a series. The casting director saw Doria Atchison in the clip we posted online and was impressed enough that he’s emailing a list of what they’re looking for. Auditions won’t be for a little while, but it sounds promising.”
“Excellent.”
When he and his friends had bought the Moonlight Ventures talent agency, one of their concerns had been that Seattle wasn’t at the heart of the fashion or entertainment industry. Local business was fine, but they also wanted broader exposure for their clients.
Their concerns had proved unfounded, though. Several of their models had already gotten television ads for national campaigns and they’d placed actors with two movies being filmed locally, as well as guest and extras spots with a network series based in the region.
“I’ll forward the list as soon as I get it,” Nicole assured. She was an exceptionally beautiful woman, but ever since she’d gotten engaged, her face possessed a special glow. If she hadn’t quit modeling, it would be easy to pick up the phone and get her a dozen top contracts.
Adam almost chuckled at the thought; after just a few weeks on the job, he was already thinking more like an agent than a model. Nicole had run Moonlight Ventures by herself for months, though he and their other partners, Logan Kensington and Rachel Clarion, had flown in regularly and teleconferenced with her. Now that his own modeling contracts had been satisfied, he’d started working at the agency full time.
“How is the writing going?” he asked. The previous owner of the agency had put out a quarterly trade newsletter, but they were working toward converting it to a general circulation publication. For the launch issue Adam wanted a feature piece by Nicole about “lessons learned” from her years as a supermodel.
She scrunched her nose at him. “Slowly.”
“Anything I can do to help?” he asked.
“You can tell me you’ve changed your mind about having me write it.”
“Afraid I can’t.”
Actually, Adam felt bad that they’d asked her to be “the story” again, as Nicole put it. Ironically, it was when PostModern magazine had asked to do a series of articles about her transition from supermodel to agent that she’d met her fiancé.
Technically she’d simply met Jordan again, having known him as a kid. Jordan had still written the articles, telling readers that while he was now engaged to the subject of his interviews, he’d tried to be unbiased—but might have failed. In response, the articles had been well received, which had been good for the agency.
In turn, Nicole had penned a piece for the agency’s blog about Jordan and the process of being interviewed. The popularity of the blog site had convinced them it was worth giving their own magazine a shot.
“I had to try,” she said. With another grin and a flip of her hand, she rushed out again.
Adam rubbed the back of his neck, thinking about the years he’d known Nicole. He’d watched her go from being hopeful about falling in love to being convinced it could never happen for her. Now she’d come full circle, deeply in love and full of plans for a future with Jordan.
He was glad she was happy.
He’d like to find that kind of happiness himself again, but it wasn’t easy. He’d been engaged for a brief, wonderful time to a woman he’d met while still at UCLA and wouldn’t settle for second best.
Isabelle had charged at life with enthusiasm and laughter, unconcerned by his growing success as a model. He’d always known where he was with her—first when they were just friends, and later when they were falling in love and deciding to get married. But a brain aneurism had changed everything in the blink of an eye.
Renewed grief went through Adam at the memory. One minute Isabelle had been there, the next she was gone.
It had taken a long time to be ready for another serious relationship, and then the frequent travel and the less-than-kind scrutiny of the press had played havoc with his dating life—lots of first and second dates, few beyond that. Maybe it would be different now. He’d like to find someone confident and outgoing, who shared his interests and could be a real partner.
Not like his parents.
Adam sighed, knowing he was being unfair. His parents had a good marriage, but it had always seemed as if his mother’s needs came second, at least until her heart problems developed. As for shared interests? Hardly. Dad was interested in construction, period. Mom was a science fiction and fantasy buff. She loved to write and had wanted to earn a place among authors like Arthur C. Clarke and J.R.R. Tolkien. Instead she’d slogged away at a dull teleservice job because it was secure and helped earn money for her children’s educations.
Adam got up and moved restlessly around his office, pausing to look out the window at the trees that softened his view of the street.
He felt bad that his parents hadn’t pursued their own dreams instead of ones for their children. It wasn’t just his mother—his father’s plan to become a contractor had been deemed too great a risk to the family’s financial security, so Dermott had done construction for someone else and taken jobs as a handyman in his spare hours.
Just then Adam’s personal line rang, breaking into his musings. The caller ID displayed his sister’s number.
“Hey, Sophie.” He could hear his nephew and niece in the background, shrieking and giggling. Bobby and Lila were great, but like most kids they could be loud. “What’s up?”
“The twins had friends over this weekend and now I want to speak with someone closer to my own age.”
He grinned. “How bad was it?”
“We had a serious outbreak of video games, Star Wars battles and The Lone Ranger.”
“The Lone Ranger?”
“I made the mistake of bringing out my classic TV DVDs and the next thing I knew they were all running around with pretend six-shooters, trying to catch pretend bank robbers and cattle rustlers. Mom retreated to my bedroom along with the cat.”
Adam sat back in his chair. He was proud of his kid sister for making a tough situation work. She’d gotten pregnant at seventeen and married her boyfriend, only to have him leave before the twins were born.
Now Sophie had a brisk mail-order business selling New Mexico–themed Christmas ornaments and decorations she made herself. That way she’d avoided childcare costs for the twins—which would have outstripped any income from a minimum-wage job—and was still able to make a decent living using her artistic talents. To Adam’s frustration, she’d even insisted on repaying the checks he’d sent after her brief marriage fell apart, though they’d been a gift.
“How is Mom adjusting to them both being retired?” he asked.
“Pretty good. But I should warn you, I think the folks are planning a trip to Seattle this summer to see you.”
Gripping the phone, Adam counted to ten. “Any special reason? I was home two months ago and expect to come for Christmas as usual.”
“I don’t think so.”
“Surely they don’t think I’m going to change my mind about becoming a lawyer. They must know it isn’t in the cards.” Even when he and his friends were buying Moonlight Ventures, his father had suggested it wasn’t too late for graduate school, unable to resist trying to resurrect the remnants of his old ambition.
“I think they’re getting resigned to your new career, especially since it means you won’t be gazing back at them from magazine covers in the grocery checkout line. You know how stuffy Dad can be. Seeing you in those swimsuit editions used to really get him going.”
Adam rubbed the back of his neck. He was sorry it bothered his parents that he didn’t have the career they’d chosen for him, but he had the right to live as he saw fit. Nevertheless, maybe the agency’s success would alleviate their vague sense of failure since “our son is a businessman” must sound more respectable to them. While he didn’t crave their approval, he wanted them to be happy.
“But get this,” Sophie added, “remember when Dad cut his hand and Lila kept helping change the bandage?”
“Yeah.”
“Now he thinks she should become a doctor.”
Adam instinctively tensed. “But she’s only eight years old.” He understood where his worry came from. It had taken him long enough to shake off family expectations.
“I know.” A crash reverberated through the phone and she sighed. “Sorry, I’d better go see what happened.”
“Tell the little terrors ‘hi’ for me.”
They said goodbye and Adam started going through the seemingly bottomless stack of photographs and videos received each day at Moonlight Ventures. Few of the submissions possessed the special something they wanted as a signature aspect of the agency, but occasionally they found someone in the pile who stood out.
A couple of the pictures were interesting and he put them aside to ask Nicole’s opinion. It might have been useful to have his other partners take a look as well, but it wasn’t practical. Rachel wouldn’t be on board for several weeks, and Logan still had a few months left on his photography contracts. They didn’t have time to agree on every decision.
At length, Adam turned to the picture of the prospective client he was meeting with at 1:00 p.m. Her aunt would be there as well. Tiffany Bryant was thirteen, with an engaging smile and energy that seemed to leap out of her photograph.
Standing, he decided to go for a walk to clear his head. He had been thinking a lot about the past, probably because he’d made another big change in his life. It wasn’t that he had to work any longer—with his savings and investments he could have a life of leisure, doing whatever suited his fancy. That might be fine for some people, but he wanted to accomplish something, not just play. A talent agency had seemed the right place to use his experience and find a new way to succeed.
* * *
CASSIE BRYANT DROVE toward the Moonlight Ventures talent agency with her niece and nephew, still filled with doubts. She wasn’t convinced that a modeling career was the right thing for her niece, but it also didn’t seem fair to discourage Tiffany’s dreams.
Hopefully this agency wasn’t like the one where a friend of hers had first gone. They’d required Phoebe to take expensive modeling and acting classes conducted by the agency and then charged costly fees to create a formal portfolio. But they never called her for a job and she’d learned they made most of their income from such practices. After a while, Phoebe had tried other agencies, who’d said that they didn’t think it would be worthwhile for her to pursue modeling.
Cassie figured genuine talent agencies were the most common, but she still wanted to be wary.
Sighing, she pushed the thought away.
From what she’d been able to determine, Moonlight Ventures operated on the straight and level. So the immediate concern was not wanting Tiffany to get her hopes too high only to have them dashed.
Glancing in the rearview mirror, Cassie saw her nephew, Glen, playing a video game. In the front passenger seat, Tiffany finished the milk Cassie had insisted she drink. Nervous about the interview and worried about her weight, she hadn’t wanted to eat anything, but Cassie couldn’t let her niece abandon proper nutrition to reach a size zero. She’d also argued that being hungry wouldn’t help her make a good impression, so Tiffany had agreed on low-fat milk. Now she was anxiously tidying her hair again.
“Don’t you think I should wear makeup?” she asked. “Just a little?”
“The instructions said everyday clothes and no makeup.”
“I want them to see me at my best.”
“Then they’ll have to wait, like, years or something,” Glen told her with typical brotherly boredom. He’d eaten his sister’s chicken sandwich and french fries, along with his own, and was probably wondering what came after the hors d’oeuvres. He was an insatiable eating machine...called a teenager.
Twisting around, Tiffany stuck out her tongue at him.
“Yeah, nice look,” he told her. “That’s the face they want on a magazine.”
Deciding not to intervene in the minor dispute, Cassie pulled into the talent agency lot and parked the car. “We’re here,” she announced.
Glen unbuckled his seat belt, but Tiffany sat frozen.
“Come on, Tiff,” Cassie urged.
“I—I can’t.”
Cassie understood her fear, the sense that when it came down to it, you’d almost rather not try than fail. But she didn’t want her niece’s life to be full of regrets about what she’d missed because she hadn’t been willing to take a risk.
“Sure you can,” Cassie urged. “You’re just nervous. That’s natural. You’ll get over it.”
“Good grief, Tiff-Niff,” Glen muttered, “you dragged us here, at least you can go inside.”
“Will you go with me?”
He rolled his eyes but slid from the car.
Swallowing a lump of emotion in her throat, Cassie opened her door. For all the sniping between her niece and nephew, they shared a special bond, born from the struggle to survive once their mother had become an alcoholic.
The previous summer, Marie had been declared unfit. With her parents unable to take the twins due to her father’s health problems, Cassie had filed for custody. Even after nearly a year, she still felt like a novice when it came to parenting. It was possible anyone raising teens felt that way when they encountered a new challenge—and with the twins, there always seemed to be something new. On the other hand, most parents had all the years between babyhood and adolescence to figure things out—she’d started right in the middle.
The question about Tiffany modeling was a first-class parental conundrum. Tiff had an interest in the sciences, and the same as her brother, she was getting top marks in her classes. She also wanted to be accepted at school, so the modeling interest might be an attempt to prove to her fellow students that she wasn’t a nerd. At the same time, Tiffany enjoyed clothes and performing, so maybe she truly wanted to be a model.
Moonlight Ventures was located in an interesting building—probably converted industrial space—with several shops and other businesses in the center atrium section. The agency fronted on the parking lot.
Inside they were greeted by a receptionist who seemed close to Cassie’s age. “Hello, I’m Chelsea Masters. May I help you?”
“We have an appointment with Adam Wilding,” Cassie explained. “I’m Cassie Bryant and this is my niece, Tiffany, along with her brother, Glen.”
“It’s nice to meet you. I’ll let Mr. Wilding know you’re here.”
Cassie sat in one of the comfortable chairs with Tiffany perched edgily at her side. A few feet away, Glen slumped in a seat and started playing his video game again. He was a brilliant kid who already had big plans for the future, though most of the time he did his best to fly under the radar, disliking attention.
“Hello,” a low-timbre voice greeted them after a couple of minutes.
It was Adam Wilding. Cassie had seen him in dozens of magazines and TV ads. She’d always thought he was good-looking, but had figured it was partly airbrushing, hype and makeup.
It wasn’t. No wonder he’d been one of the hottest male models in the business. With his black hair, blue eyes and commanding presence, he was alarmingly handsome and possessed a magnetism that practically took her breath away.
“Good afternoon, Mr. Wilding,” she answered.
“Please call me Adam.”
“Hi,” Tiffany said in a shy voice.
“Hi,” he replied. “I’ve seen your picture, so I know you’re Tiffany. It’s great to meet you.”
“Me, um, too. That is, I’m glad to meet you, too. I really, really want to be a model and maybe an actress.”
“Then let’s go back to the small set we have. With your aunt, of course. We’ll take pictures and see how it goes. The nice part is that whether or not you become our client, you get to keep the photos at no charge. We give them to you on a flash drive.”
Cassie had been prepared to question if there was a fee for the photography, but his promise of no charge sounded different from what her friend had encountered.
Tiffany hesitated when Adam gestured to the hallway, and looked back at Glen. “Can my brother come? His name is Glen.”
Adam seemed to be assessing Glen, then he nodded. “Of course. Come along, Glen.”
In a small room, there was an area with sand and an ocean backdrop and on the other side was a city street scene.
Another man was there, working with a camera. “Hey,” he said. “I’m Logan Kensington and I’ll be taking the pictures. Sorry we’re cramped in here, but this is the only space we have.”
“Logan is one of my partners and was able to be here for a few days,” Adam explained. “He’s done photo shoots for some of the best-known models in the world, so you’re in great hands.”
The two men conferred quietly in a corner and Cassie did her best not to listen.
The world of fashion and advertising was completely outside her experience. She was a website designer and manager, for heaven’s sake. At home, she had a high-tech office with three computers, each with dual monitors. That was the world where she was comfortable. Taking responsibility for her niece and nephew had forced her out of that world to some extent; now she was being pushed into more unfamiliar territory.
For the next hour, she simply stayed out of the way. It wasn’t hard, though Adam wouldn’t let Glen remain buried in his video game, instead pulling him onto the set for “action” shots with his sister.
“That’s great, Tiffany,” Logan announced finally. “We have a small lounge stocked with snacks. Would you and your brother like something to eat while Adam talks to your aunt?”
“Sure,” Glen said enthusiastically, though Tiffany looked instantly worried.
Cassie gave her niece a hug. It would be tough if she had to explain Moonlight Ventures wasn’t interested, but they could always send her pictures to other agencies. After all, it was encouraging that the first one had asked to interview her... Cassie had already rehearsed several supportive speeches. In fact, she’d spent a sleepless night trying to find the right words.
The spacious office that Adam Wilding showed her to was quietly elegant, with a mahogany desk, comfortable chairs and a large flat-screen television on one wall.
“Please be seated,” he urged.
She sank into a padded leather seat. “If it’s bad news for Tiffany, please say it straight out, Mr. Wilding. You don’t have to let me down easily.”
His eyebrows lifted. “What makes you think it’s bad news?”
“I love Tiff with all my heart, but I don’t know what advertisers are looking for. She doesn’t seem to fit the pictures I’ve seen in magazines.”
“No,” he agreed, and Cassie’s heart sank. Though she might not be entirely comfortable with Tiffany’s desire to become a model, her niece had experienced enough hard knocks and disappointments. The practical side of Cassie’s brain said that was real life, but it didn’t keep her from wanting to keep real life from intruding again for a while.
Adam had been punching buttons on his computer, then gestured at the TV where photos of Tiffany began appearing.
“Tiffany wouldn’t be a typical teen model,” Adam said, “but that’s okay. She has something special, a uniqueness that we like and these confirm what we saw in the picture you submitted. She’s also cooperative, is highly photogenic and able to follow directions, which was the main reason we wanted to do a practice photo shoot. Once Logan is in Seattle full time, we plan to do this with all prospective clients.”
“R-really?” Cassie managed to choke out. Having prepared herself for bad news, she wasn’t sure how to react to the opposite.
“Absolutely. Naturally Tiffany’s bio didn’t contain much information, so now I need to ask a few questions. Who is her legal guardian?”
“I am. My sister has, uh...problems. I’ve had custody of the kids since last August.”
“What kind of problems?”
Cassie gave him a narrow look. She had a passion for privacy and it wasn’t easy to talk about Marie being an alcoholic at the best of times. “Why do you want to know?”
“You don’t have to answer, but all sorts of things affect a model’s career and his or her agent can function best by knowing the gritty details. I’m sorry if it seems intrusive. Frankly, I already know something is going on. While Tiffany is young in many ways, there’s a look in her face that suggests she’s been through quite a bit.”
“I guess I understand.” Becoming a model was so important to her niece, Cassie knew she would have to explain. “Marie, my sister, started drinking after the twins were born and it became progressively worse.”
“They’re twins?”
“Yes.”
Adam smiled a high wattage smile that practically knocked the sandals off Cassie’s feet.
“My niece and nephew are twins, too. Is your sister likely to sue to regain custody if control of income becomes an issue?”
Nausea threatened at the idea. Cassie honestly couldn’t say what Marie might do. The court had declared her unfit, but she could be very convincing when she wanted to be.
“I’m sorry,” he said quietly. “I can see it’s upsetting to talk about, but for Tiffany’s sake, it needs to be considered.”
* * *
ADAM HAD SEEN Cassie Bryant’s face turn pale and wondered if he should consider not moving forward. Presumably Tiffany had a decent home with her aunt since she appeared to be a well-adjusted kid. Having a career as a model wasn’t worth taking a chance on upsetting her stability.
Still, if she was determined, they would simply find another agency. At least Cassie didn’t seem to have stage-mother instincts. He hadn’t told her, but the practice photo shoot had also served in finding out if she would try to interfere or coach Tiffany.
“My sister would have the fight of her life if she tried to get her daughter’s money, but regardless, I’d want it put in a trust so it couldn’t be touched until Tiff is eighteen or older. With a third-party trustee or something.”
The comment told Adam that Cassie wasn’t interested in having access to the money herself.
“The contract can specify how the fees will be paid,” he said. “You should have a lawyer set the account up.”
“My godfather is an attorney and he helped with the custody arrangements, so I’m sure he’ll be able to protect any earnings Tiffany might have until she’s no longer a minor.”
Adam nodded. “Good.”
“Then this means you want Tiff as a client?”
“Yes, but there’s something else I want to discuss.” He clicked forward to the close-up shots of Glen that Logan had taken as unobtrusively as possible. “I believe your nephew would also make an excellent model.”
Cassie sat up straight as an arrow. “He isn’t interested.”
“You haven’t asked him yet.”
“He’s going to medical school.”
At her adamant statement, Adam’s gut tightened. No kid should have his or her life laid out by the adults in their lives, no matter how well-intentioned the plan. He’d been through it with his father, and just that morning, his sister had mentioned how Dermott was encouraging his eight-year-old granddaughter to become a doctor.
Perhaps this was Cassie Bryant’s attempt to salvage Glen’s future after life with a difficult mother, but he was only thirteen and should grow up to make his own choices.
“I see.” Adam controlled the impulse to say she shouldn’t put such rigid expectations on any kid; it wasn’t his place, even if he disagreed with her. Besides, he knew little about the situation. “College and medical school cost a great deal.”
His comment may have hit home since Cassie began digging her fingernails into the palm of her hand. He realized she was pretty in an understated way, though she’d made no attempt to jazz herself up. To him, a huge part of a woman’s beauty came from attitude—an inner something that made him sit up and take notice. He didn’t know about Cassie—it was as if she was concealing herself behind a carefully constructed mask.
“I know it’s expensive,” she said at length. “I’ve started a savings account for both their educations.”
“They might not need it if they become successful as models. By the time Tiffany and Glen graduate high school, they could have enough in their trust funds to pursue a career of their choosing.” Adam hadn’t been able to keep the emphasis off their, but Cassie didn’t seem to notice. “And this is one of the few options they have at this age to work,” he added.
“I don’t know if he’ll be interested,” she said, “but I’ll discuss it with him.”
At least that was more than Adam’s parents would have been willing to consider.
“Why don’t you talk to Glen right now?” he suggested.
Cassie’s mouth tightened and he wondered how she’d present the idea to her nephew. Positively or in a way that would make it appear unattractive? Glen was an engaging adolescent who might have an opportunity to make a decent amount of money; Adam hoped his aunt would play fair.
Half an hour later, she returned. “Tiffany is excited, which is no surprise, and Glen wants to think about it.”
Adam had an impulse to speak with Glen himself, to ensure the youngster had been adequately informed about the possibilities. But that was a knee-jerk reaction to his parents’ plan for his life. Having this particular problem with objectivity wasn’t something he’d anticipated in his decision to become an agent. He and his partners had weekly bull sessions where they discussed issues, so he should bring it up at the next one.
Adam continued questioning Cassie on various details, including the kids’ health and whether their father might prove an issue in the future.
Cassie shook her head at the last question about Tiffany and Glen’s father. “He’s married and doesn’t know about the twins. I hate to admit it, but Marie was one of those women who thought he was going to leave his wife for her, when he simply wanted fun on the side.”
“You sound cynical,” Adam observed.
Cassie stuck out her chin, seeming defiant. “Maybe I am, about love and relationships, at least.”
“Then you aren’t planning to marry in the near future.”
Her eyes opened wide. “Do you need to know that to represent my niece and nephew?”
“I’m sorry, of course not,” he apologized. “Frankly, I’m still working out exactly how being an agent is supposed to go. You know that I’m fairly new to this side of talent representation?”
“Yes,” she acknowledged, relaxing slightly into her chair. “I’ve done research on Moonlight Ventures. You and your partners might not have a huge amount of experience as agents right now, but you have contacts and name recognition. I imagine it will more than compensate.”
“I’m glad you feel that way.”
* * *
CASSIE HAD ALMOST told Adam Wilding he could take his personal questions and eat them for lunch. His apology and disarming explanation had eased the moment and she was glad she hadn’t given in to the temptation.
As much checking as she’d done, she wasn’t sure whether a talent agent needed to know a lot about clients and their family. An employer couldn’t ask certain details, but an agent obviously needed to have a different connection with a client. And she had to be careful because it was best for Tiffany and Glen if she wasn’t antagonistic toward the man who could play a significant role in their immediate future.
However, she shouldn’t be overly trusting. Adam Wilding and his partners hoped to make money on Glen and Tiffany. That didn’t make them bad people, but money wasn’t the only thing that was important; she wanted her niece and nephew to have full, balanced lives.
“From my research, I understand you don’t have a family,” she ventured.
Adam glanced up from the computer where he’d been entering information. “No. Why?”
“It just means you may also lack experience dealing with kids, but I suppose you don’t necessarily need it to be an effective agent.”
He gave her another one of the smiles that must have won him plenty of modeling contracts in the past. “I don’t believe so. In any case, experience with your own children is completely different than dealing with them in the business world.”
“True.”
She wondered what Adam’s views were on marriage. The research she’d done on Moonlight Ventures and its partners suggested he’d been linked with a number of beautiful women, though no one serious since his fiancée’s death years earlier. Her hidden romantic side wanted to speculate that he was still nursing a broken heart, but logic said the truth was probably much more prosaic...not to mention it was none of her business. Did all women turn into hopeless daydreamers when they met Adam Wilding?
“No one is going to release information about us, are they?” she asked, forcing her mind into the moment. “Such as where we live and other details?”
“The agency has strict confidentiality rules. We have security procedures in place to be sure that only legitimate employers can look at photos of our underage clients. Even then, we just post name and age. No other personal data is placed on a computer connected to the internet, so you don’t need to be concerned about hackers. Nonetheless, I can’t guarantee that someone in the media won’t get curious about you as the twins’ guardian or want to know more about them beyond their official biography. Especially if they become well known.”
Cassie winced involuntarily.
Her carefully cultivated privacy might be at an end. Of course, she could torpedo the whole project, but that didn’t seem fair to her niece and nephew. Any money they earned would be a big help toward college expenses.
Glen had become a demon researching which universities to attend and had been talking about top schools in different parts of the country. Out-of-state tuition was high and there were no guarantees he’d get a scholarship. Though Tiffany’s ambitions were less established, having a nest egg would help, whether she stayed in modeling or decided to do something else.
Adam leaned forward in his chair. “How soon do you think Glen will decide if he’s interested?”
“Probably by tonight. If so, I’ll call the agency in the morning. He doesn’t procrastinate, but he’s mature for his age and wants to weigh the pros and cons.”
“And Tiffany?”
Cassie shrugged. “She already knows what she wants. Tiff is a love. She’s also smart and has a good sense of humor. While she was nervous before coming in today, she’s over that.”
“Then I’ll draw up a representation agreement for her and one for Glen, in case he says yes. They should be ready in a few days.”
“I’ll have my godfather check them over. I don’t mean to sound suspicious—”
“You sound careful,” Adam returned. “It’s nice that you aren’t tearing into this like a stereotypical stage, er, aunt.”
She questioned whether he was telling the truth. Something about his manner made her think he saw her negatively, though it might be her imagination, of which she had plenty. A vivid imagination was how she stayed sane in the midst of complex computer programming issues.
She shook Adam’s hand and went back to where the kids were waiting.
Her palm tingled from contact with the dynamic former model and she reminded herself that men like Adam didn’t go for geeks like her, which is what she preferred. After all, she’d already tried to be the proverbial square peg in a round hole and she was much happier with her life the way it was now.
CHAPTER TWO (#u75b96caf-2f2d-596e-ab67-b8887b1ae83d)
TIFFANY CHATTERED EXCITEDLY all the way back to the small Victorian house that Cassie had bought years ago. It was tight living there with two teenage kids, but they got by. Glen and Tiffany used the bedrooms, converted family room and bath upstairs, while she’d moved down to the ground floor.
Someday she hoped to live in the mountains, but for now she was afraid she’d be ineffective as a website designer if she became too much of a hermit. Her clients wanted someone in touch with modern culture. Yet it was also a question of economics—the kind of mountain home she wanted cost money, her business was relatively new and now she was raising Glen and Tiffany. Her niece and nephew were more important than saving for another house.
Glen was quiet, no doubt processing the Moonlight Ventures offer to represent him, but Tiffany jumped and let out a little squeal of excitement.
“Hey, Aunt Cassie,” she declared, “when I make lots of money, we can buy a bigger place.”
“Nope,” Cassie replied serenely. “Anything you make will go directly into a trust fund. No matter how successful you are, there won’t be any sports cars at sixteen and no buying of houses.”
“It isn’t about me, I want you to have a bigger place and an awesome car like the one you had to get rid of when we moved in here.”
Cassie had traded her sporty convertible for a larger sedan before the kids arrived, wanting something safer and more solid. The kids had noticed the change, but she hadn’t realized they blamed themselves for the switch to a different model.
“That’s really sweet of you, but I prefer the car I have now. It’s newer and gets much better gas mileage than the other one.”
“Then what do you want?”
Cassie cupped her niece’s chin in the palm of her hand. “I don’t need anything, except to protect your income so that it’s ready to help your dreams come true.”
“She wants to make sure Mom can’t get her fingers on any dough we make,” Glen observed.
Cassie’s stomach dropped. She didn’t want the kids to feel their mother was a terrible person, though accepting Marie for what she was might be helpful to them.
Tiffany’s mouth turned down. “Is that the problem? Because Mom might take our money for booze?”
“I simply want anything you earn to be there for your future,” Cassie explained carefully. “This way, nothing can happen that we don’t expect.”
“Uh, okay.” Like Glen, Tiffany internalized and usually didn’t say much until she’d thought it through, such as her comment about the car.
* * *
LATER THAT EVENING, Glen came in as Cassie finished cleaning the kitchen.
“I’m gonna do that modeling thing,” he told her.
“You thought the guys at school might give you a hard time. How will you feel about that?”
He made a face. “Not so hot. But money for medical school sounds terrific, and it might be the best way to earn it. Besides, I hate mowing lawns and yanking weeds and that’s the only other kind of job I’m gonna get for a while.”
Something Adam had said came back to Cassie...that at the twins’ age, they didn’t have many work opportunities. It was true. Unless they had a video go viral on social media or came up with a brilliant entrepreneurial scheme, their income-earning potential was limited. In Glen’s case, it was largely offering his services as a general garden helper. Even when he turned sixteen, it would mostly be minimum wage.
“We can’t know how much you’d earn at modeling,” she warned, wanting him to be realistic. “It’s probable that only a few people make the huge bucks.”
“Maybe, but I’ve been thinking about what Tiff said earlier. If we make some money, it shouldn’t all go into a trust fund. We should help around here.”
His eyes were serious and Cassie hated knowing he’d needed to grow up faster than other kids.
“That isn’t your job. You’re thirteen and—”
“Almost fourteen.”
“In a few months. But it doesn’t make any difference. You’re a kid and it isn’t your responsibility to provide for yourself.”
“That isn’t fair to you.”
“Right, it isn’t fair that I get the pleasure of having my niece and nephew living with me the past year because my sister has a problem. And it isn’t fair that you don’t get to have the mom and dad you deserve. But if you’re worried about houses and cars, don’t. The bedrooms aren’t large and you and Tiff have to share a bathroom, but that’s no different than any family that has to make do with the space available. Do you dislike this house? I know it’s a quiet neighborhood, but there are families with kids your age on the street.”
Glen shook his head. “Your place is loads better than our tiny apartment in San Diego, and we really like Seattle. It was so amazing when you told the judge that you wanted us to live with you. I’d figured they’d split us up, and like, you know, all the bad stuff you see on TV about foster homes.”
“I’m sure most foster homes are fine, but I thought this would be best and I love having the two of you with me. Okay, in a few days I’ll meet with Adam Wilding and get the representation agreements. Uncle Orville will take a look at them and who knows? Next week, you might be posing in front of a camera.”
“Uh, yeah.”
Cassie studied his expression; he still seemed uncertain. “Are you sure this is what you want?” She didn’t want to push him one way or another.
“I’m sure.” Glen gave a crooked grin. “I’ve been looking at how much medical school costs and it could choke a pig, the way Uncle Orville says.”
Orville Calloway, her godfather, had become the twins’ honorary uncle. “Okay. But if you or Tiff change your minds in the future, we’ll deal with it.”
“Thanks.” Glen reached over and gave her an awkward, boyish hug.
* * *
ELIZABETH WILDING FINISHED the dishes and looked at her husband reading a newspaper at the kitchen table. Ever since he’d retired, she could hardly get him out of the house. Part of the time he fussed around “fixing” things that weren’t broken, the rest of the time he was just sitting, usually in the room where she was trying to get something done.
She wanted him to enjoy his retirement but not to slow down completely.
“Dear, why don’t you call Mr. Villareal and see if he needs help with that clogged drain he mentioned?” Elizabeth suggested.
Mr. Villareal was their neighbor on the corner and he was quite elderly, though he still managed to put out dozens of luminarias every Christmas in memory of his wife and only child who’d died in a car accident.
“Took care of it yesterday,” Dermott said without looking up from the newspaper. “Don’t you remember?”
She recalled him being gone for fifteen minutes or so, which hardly seemed long enough to unplug a sink. But Dermott was awfully talented with a pipe wrench.
“I’m sure he would have appreciated having you stay and talk.”
“You talk to Hector almost every day.”
Oh my, her husband could be dense.
“The women in the neighborhood check on him and bring food, but he enjoys having male company, too.”
“I’ll go over later. I don’t get it, Lizzie. We finally have time to spend together and you keep trying to send me away.”
Together?
Elizabeth glared at his bent head—they weren’t spending time together, they just happened to be in the same room most of the day. Well, enough was enough. She’d been pushing him to visit Seattle, hoping they could find a way to mend fences with their son. Dermott had agreed to take a trip “sometime,” so now she’d have to find the right way to make that happen. It shouldn’t take too much...he wanted to go; he just needed the right prodding.
“Why do they have to keep calling Adam a former model and printing a picture of him in a swimsuit?” Dermott said out of the blue, slapping his hand on the table. “Can’t they just say he’s a businessman?”
Elizabeth tensed. He must be reading one of the Seattle newspapers that Adam had sent. She knew her husband didn’t mean to make her feel bad about the direction their son’s life had taken, but she did; if it hadn’t been for her getting sick, Adam would be a lawyer now.
Or would he?
Thinking back, she couldn’t honestly say Adam had been enthusiastic about studying law—not opposed, just unexcited by a legal career. And he’d used his fame as a model in good ways, including helping environmental and wildlife causes...though the videos he’d done interacting with wolves and bears had made her gulp in worry for his safety. Still, who wouldn’t take the chance of being that close to such amazing animals?
“No matter how we feel, Adam is famous,” she said finally. “I’m sure the agency gets more business when the public is reminded of who owns it.”
“Yeah, so we can see more models in bathing suits and other nonsense,” Dermott muttered.
Maybe he would have accepted Adam’s modeling better if his coworkers at the construction company hadn’t kidded him so often about his son, “the swimsuit guy.”
Sighing, Elizabeth took an aspirin for the pain starting to throb in her temples. It wasn’t just Adam she felt guilty about, it was Sophie, too. She’d been so young when her mother needed major surgery. It was as if Sophie had lost a big chunk of her childhood, taking on responsibilities and worries that a child shouldn’t have to face. No wonder she’d turned wild for a period and ended up pregnant at seventeen.
Elizabeth couldn’t regret her grandchildren, but her daughter’s teen marriage had quickly fallen apart and raising two kids alone was hard. In her own way, Sophie was just as stubborn and proud as her dad and wouldn’t accept much help from the family.
“Are you all right, Lizzie?” Dermott asked. “You took something. Is your blood pressure up?”
“It’s a headache, that’s all.”
Her husband’s concerned expression eased slightly, but Elizabeth’s own tension rose even higher. Sometimes she wanted to scream that she wasn’t going to break and for everyone to stop worrying. Okay, the doctor didn’t want her getting too stressed and the family knew it, but that didn’t mean she was fragile. Her health was pretty good for a woman her age.
She cleared her throat. “Have you thought about when you want to leave for Seattle? We’ll get a better price on plane tickets if we don’t buy them at the last minute.”
“I thought we’d drive. That way we’ll have the truck and won’t be locked in to a specific time.”
Pleasure went through Elizabeth. They’d never traveled outside of New Mexico. Their short vacations had been spent visiting Dermott’s grandparents or taking camping trips in the Sandia Mountains or around the Bosque del Apache wildlife preserve, south of Albuquerque. A road trip meant traveling through some of the most beautiful country in the United States.
“I’d love that,” she exclaimed. “And maybe we could get a little apartment and spend some real time up there.”
“Why not stay with Adam? He mentioned his place has an extra bed.”
Elizabeth winced; she couldn’t deal with her son and husband in the same enclosed space for more than a few days. Even when they weren’t arguing, their colliding expectations were hard to take. “It would be best to get an apartment,” she urged. “Not in the city—I’m sure that’s too expensive—but in one of the smaller towns.”
Dermott brightened. “That way I might be able to pick up odd jobs as a handyman.”
Elizabeth almost protested that he didn’t need to work, but maybe it wasn’t such a bad idea. They could see Adam when he was available—really get to know him again—but Dermott would also have a distraction from driving his wife and son crazy.
“I suppose. I wish we could go right away,” she said wistfully. “Summer sounds lovely in Washington.”
“Maybe next month.”
“How about tomorrow?” she asked firmly. “Packing wouldn’t take much time and Sophie can check on the house while we’re gone. Please, dear. Adam says it’s mostly been cool and pleasant there and I’d love to experience the long days they have farther north in the summer. And what’s the good of us both being retired if we can’t do what we want?”
Dermott gave her an exasperated look, but he folded the newspaper and got up. “Oh, very well. You pack and I’ll do an oil change on the truck. Call Adam and tell him we’re coming.”
“Maybe it could be a surprise,” she suggested. “We’ll find a furnished apartment, get settled and then go visit him. Besides, we can’t be sure when we’ll arrive if we do any sightseeing along the way.”
“I suppose.” Dermott headed out the door and she knew he’d probably been looking for a reason to agree to her plan.
Elizabeth happily started a batch of cookies to bring on the trip. Packing was easy, even though they’d also need to bring the basics like bedding, towels and kitchen supplies for an apartment.
She could use her phone to search rental listings on the trip north. They loved Albuquerque, but doing something completely different would be good for them both.
* * *
ADAM GLANCED AT the messages Chelsea had given him and satisfaction went through him. Cassie Bryant was coming in at 11:00 a.m. to pick up the representation agreements for both Tiffany and Glen. At least she’d recognized the opportunities available to the twins. He already had several places in mind to send their pictures—photographers and advertisers looking for fresh teen images. He had a feeling both of them would be in demand.
A few hours later, Chelsea escorted Cassie to his office. This morning she wore jeans and a green T-shirt. Nice, he couldn’t help thinking, noting that she also moved gracefully, a quality he’d always found particularly attractive.
Yet Adam frowned. Her eyes were striking, but he could have sworn they were a different color.
“Is something wrong?” Cassie asked.
“No, but when we met, I thought your eyes were golden brown, now they’re almost green. You must have colored contacts.”
“I don’t wear contacts, but my eye color appears to change depending on what I wear. My old boyf—someone I used to know complained that it was confusing.”
Adam noted the cut-off reference to what must be a previous relationship, and her reluctance to refer to him that way. Perhaps while she was caring for her niece and nephew, she’d chosen to put off the idea of romance or had found the man in question wasn’t interested in sharing her responsibilities.
Not that it made any difference to Adam, but they had to establish an effective working relationship. While he and his partners didn’t want to perpetuate the way the prior owner had dealt with his clients—Kevin McClaskey had held their hands through everything—they did want to help clients learn professionalism. It was one of the reasons they’d shifted the focus of their careers to talent management; each of them had benefited from someone helping them in the past, and now they could do the same for other people in a field they understood.
“Sorry for the detour,” Adam apologized. “But I notice eye color and details relating to appearance. It’s a professional hazard.”
“I suppose it’s useful in your work.”
Unlike some women upon realizing how closely he recalled details of their appearance, Cassie didn’t seem uncomfortable under his scrutiny.
“Here are the agreements.” He handed her the two manila envelopes from his desk. “I know you’re taking them to your godfather for review. Space has been left to enter information for a trust fund account and data such as social security numbers. I’ve also included pamphlets for Tiffany and Glen, explaining the basics of how this works. It might be beneficial for the two of us to meet and discuss the details after you’ve read everything.”
“Wouldn’t you prefer the kids to be here as well?”
“With clients who are minors, I think it’s best to meet first with the parents or guardians. That way you can ask questions or raise concerns that aren’t appropriate in front of them.”
A faint smile crossed her lips. “You talk as if you were a seasoned professional, but you said yourself that you haven’t been a talent agent for long.”
“True,” he acknowledged. “But I was in the modeling business for over fourteen years and it grounded me in what I believe are sound business practices. When I became interested in buying an agency with my friends, I started questioning every agent I met to help learn the ropes. Beyond that, the previous owner of Moonlight Ventures has remained available as a consultant.”
“I see.”
She pursed her mouth and he didn’t think she realized that it came off as provocative. Curiously, she was an increasing mystery to him. Even when she seemed to be revealing something personal, he had trouble interpreting anything in her face. He was accustomed to that in Nicole, who’d learned to conceal her feelings from the paparazzi and had trouble breaking the habit with friends and family. But what had led Cassie to being so reserved?
“Is something wrong?” he asked her.
“No, but to be frank, I’m worried about what I’m doing here.”
A weary sensation settled over Adam. The opposite of overanxious parents were the ones who couldn’t commit to letting their child try. Neither was a boon to an agent. He hadn’t encountered it himself, but Nicole and Kevin McClaskey had told him stories.
In this case, Cassie Bryant’s stumbling block might be her vision of how Glen’s future should be shaped.
A stray thought crossed Adam’s mind. Why only Glen? Why was the boy in the family destined for medical school, while apparently it was fine for the girl to consider modeling? Of course, it seemed clear from Tiffany’s enthusiasm that modeling was her idea, so that could be the explanation. And a measure of self-honesty also made him acknowledge that he’d done some pushing himself when it came to Glen becoming a model.
“I’m not pressuring you to sign,” Adam said, “but I’d appreciate a timely decision. That way the agency doesn’t expend hours on something that isn’t going anywhere.”
Cassie frowned. “You make awfully fast assumptions, don’t you?”
“I beg your pardon?”
“The kids want to do this, so that’s what we’re doing. I’m the one in the dark. I’m not Tiffany and Glen’s mother. You mentioned parents and guardians asking questions their kids shouldn’t hear, but I don’t even know which questions I should ask.”
“I spoke without thinking,” Adam apologized hastily.
Another blunder due to his knee-jerk reactions. Maybe he wouldn’t be having as much trouble if Sophie hadn’t mentioned their father was now telling his granddaughter she should become a doctor. She was only a little girl. Encouraging her to have dreams was important, but she needed her own dream, not someone else’s.
The evening before, he’d had dinner with Nicole and Jordan and suggested she handle the Bryants’ representation. She’d just laughed and reminded him that she’d gotten shoved out of her comfort zone when doing the interviews for PostModern magazine, so now it was his turn. Knowing she was right hadn’t made it easier.
“I should have asked your concerns before jumping to conclusions,” he added.
Cassie took a deep breath. “So, what type of questions do experienced parents ask?”
“Especially with girls and young women, they generally want to know how suggestively or appropriately they’ll be portrayed.”
Her face brightened. “Yes, that’s a good one. How do you handle that?”
“At Moonlight Ventures, we aren’t interested in putting kids into adult roles before it’s suitable. But admittedly, child models tend to be portrayed at least a year or two ahead of their chronological age.”
“Will I have veto power if I believe something isn’t right?”
Adam nodded. “Absolutely. And I’ll tell you immediately if I discover any issues. We’re serious about protecting our clients.”
“Can I be there while they’re working?”
“It’s required. No minor can go to a go-see or a booking alone.” He knew this part was a turnoff for some parents, and exciting for others.
“I’m glad,” Cassie said simply, though her face didn’t reveal any sense of how she felt about it.
She really was a puzzle. He couldn’t tell whether she wanted to be connected to the modeling world, or if she simply wanted to protect the kids and give them opportunities, even if it meant escorting her niece and nephew to various bookings.
“What’s a go-see?” she asked.
“With models, a photographer or advertiser often wants to see them in person before making a commitment. For actors, it would be an audition. Clients don’t get paid for either one.”
“So basically it’s a job interview.”
“Exactly.”
“I’ll research the process some more,” she murmured.
“Being well-informed is good protection for a kid in both modeling or acting.”
“About the acting... I know Tiff is interested, but is there any real chance?”
“We’ve placed clients in movies and a television series, and there’s always the possibility of others.” Adam deliberately didn’t mention the new TV movie to be filmed in Seattle or the casting director’s offer to audition some of the agency’s talent. If Tiffany or Glen seemed right for a role, that would be the time to discuss it with Cassie.
She seemed restless and stood to go look out the window he’d left open to catch the summer breeze. Her long chestnut hair was fiery in the sunlight. A flash of attraction went through Adam. This was hardly the time or the place for that sort of thought. Even if she wasn’t Glen and Tiffany’s guardian, he couldn’t imagine dating someone who seemed to have so many edges.
“Is this the usual way an agency is run?” Cassie turned to ask. “I checked a number of websites and it’s hard to tell what ‘business as usual’ might be.”
“Every agency is different and we’ve also made changes to the way Moonlight Ventures previously operated. Aside from everything else, the prior owner functioned as a one-man show.”
“He must have been busy.”
“Very, though part of his income came from renting out sections of this building. Changing the subject, will there be any problem getting the kids to go-sees, auditions or bookings? That is, will your work allow for that?”
“It shouldn’t be a problem most of the time. I’m self-employed doing website design and maintenance, as well as computer programming, so I have a flexible schedule.”
Adam’s concentration sharpened. While their current website was functional, they weren’t satisfied with it. Their webmaster simply couldn’t grasp their vision, despite numerous tweaks. So far, they’d put up with it because other priorities came first, but priority on the website was moving up fast.
“What sites have you created?” he asked. “We may be overhauling our online presence in the near future and I’d like to see the kind of work you’ve done.”
Cassie dug in her pocket and handed him a card. “I have a site that showcases some of my designs.”
“Thanks.” Yet he wondered if he should have spoken so impulsively.
Adam recalled the flash of attraction he’d experienced earlier. He didn’t think it had influenced him, but it was something he would have to watch in the future to ensure it didn’t impact his decisions.
* * *
CASSIE SAT DOWN AGAIN. She didn’t care for the intense scrutiny Adam Wilding sometimes focused upon her, though it couldn’t be unusual. And while his sharp reactions and assumptions when expressing her uncertainty had been disconcerting, his job was to represent the kids, not hand-hold her through parenting issues.
As for his questions about her website designs? Lots of people asked about her work and she handed out dozens of cards for every business that hired her.
“How soon would the kids start getting called for go-sees?” she asked.
“That can’t be predicted. We’ll put their pictures on our website and send promotional information to a range of approved sources. We also make personal contacts as appropriate.”
“So it’s possible no one would ever show interest in Glen and Tiff?”
“Possible, but not likely. We’re careful about who we represent and to date, our clients have been in demand. Are you disappointed to think they’ll be called for work?”
Her lack of enthusiasm must be obvious to him and Cassie warned herself to be careful. She might not be thrilled about the kids going into modeling, but she didn’t want them to lose opportunities because of her.
She shrugged. “No, but this is new to me. It was only a few weeks ago that Tiff told me how much she wanted to be a model or actress. Your website said professional studio photos weren’t necessary, so I took a bunch of pictures and let her pick the one she liked best. We sent it in and I didn’t know what to expect. Now I have a niece and a nephew about to become models. I think I’m dizzy.”
Adam smiled. “I can relate. I made some big life changes of my own recently.”
“Yeah, I read your profile on the website.” She didn’t say she had been disappointed to get an appointment with him, rather than with one of the female partners in the agency. It might have been easier to talk with another woman.
Of course, maybe she wouldn’t have found common ground with Rachel Clarion or Nicole George, either. The partners in Moonlight Ventures were famous. They had reputations for being stylish, larger-than-life individuals who’d traveled widely and brushed elbows with the elite of the modeling and acting world. They were accustomed to a more glamorous atmosphere than somebody who plunged her shower on a regular basis and fixed spaghetti or baked chicken for dinner at least once a week.
Thinking of which...
Cassie leaned forward. “Will the kids have to eat differently? I mean...well, I don’t want Tiff, for example, to half starve herself to be a size zero or something. She’s already tried to lose weight the last month and it worries me.”
“I won’t deny that weight can be an issue in modeling,” Adam acknowledged. “There are terrific plus-size models with solid careers, but generally the demand isn’t as high for them.”
Cassie made a face. “Sometimes it seems as if you can’t pick up a magazine or get on the internet without hearing a scandal about airbrushing, or whether teenaged girls are learning an unrealistic standard of womanhood, or someone slamming an actress or model who’s gained a few pounds. Or for being too thin, for that matter.”
Adam leaned forward. “Moonlight Ventures is concerned about those issues and we’ve discussed some of them in our quarterly newsletter, Beneath the Surface.”
“Should I read back editions to catch up on the information in them?”
“You’re welcome to copies, but we haven’t been in charge of it for very long and it isn’t a modeling handbook. We’re looking at converting it to a general circulation publication. Naturally the material will involve fashion and the entertainment world, but we want to do thoughtful work on image and how people look at themselves. Also to give opportunities to young writers.”
Cassie decided she’d reserve judgment until she read their material. How often had she heard people say the right things when their actions showed they believed the opposite?
Good grief, she was getting cynical. It was important to keep an eye on that so Tiffany and Glen didn’t get the wrong attitude; raising them was requiring her to do an awful lot of self-examination.
“It sounds as if it could be interesting,” she said diplomatically.
“We hope so. Anyhow, about Tiffany, I won’t talk to her about weight and I don’t approve of extremes. If anyone else says something to her, I want you to let me know. She’s fine the way she is at the present time. I agree with one of my partners who tells aspiring models that they should strive first to be healthy and happy. She also says they shouldn’t try to be anything except themselves.”
“Good advice.”
“For everyone, I suppose, not just models.”
He had her there. For three years, Cassie had tried to change herself to conform to her boyfriend’s world. Michael’s requirements had included being attractive without outshining any other woman in the company, being confident and self-effacing at the same time, being well dressed and stylish but not too stylish and agreeing with anything management said or wanted.
She’d done it until she couldn’t take it any longer, realizing that if Michael had really loved her, he’d have loved the woman she was, not the woman he wanted her to become.
“Is there anything else that we need to talk about today?” she asked.
“No, unless you have more questions.”
“Not right now.”
“If you come up with any, feel free to call. We can talk on the phone or as I mentioned we can meet again. I want the process to be as transparent as possible.”
“Thanks. I talked to my godfather and told him I’d bring the representation agreements over today, but I don’t know how long he’ll need to review them.”
“Take the time you need. I don’t want to rush you beyond your comfort level.”
“I appreciate that.” She walked out of the office, smiling politely at the office manager in the reception area.
It was a relief to know the agency’s policies seemed to be so positive. Time would tell if Adam Wilding had been telling her the truth or just saying politically correct words. He was extraordinarily handsome and had spent most of his adult life fitting into a limited standard of what the world saw as attractive and successful. So she couldn’t help feeling skeptical about both the agency and the man in question.
CHAPTER THREE (#u75b96caf-2f2d-596e-ab67-b8887b1ae83d)
GLEN READ A copy of the long agency agreement. At first, he hadn’t thought he needed to look at it since Aunt Cassie and Orville were studying the papers and making sure everything was on the level. Then he’d decided if he was going to be a doctor someday, he couldn’t leave that kind of stuff to other people.
“What do you think?” he asked his sister, who had avidly studied every word.
She made a face. “Some of it seems weird, but I guess it’s okay, only it has all those legal words. The pamphlet thingy is easier because it talked about how stuff actually happens when you’re modeling.”
“Yeah. I’m just not sure this is fair to Aunt Cassie. She has to go with us to everything.”
Tiff nodded. “I didn’t think she’d have to do that. She ought to get paid, too.”
“That isn’t how it works.”
“Let’s go talk to her.”
He followed his sister downstairs to the small room Aunt Cassie used as her office. Glancing up from her computer screen, she turned off her music and grinned at them.
“Hey, guys. What do you need?”
“We were just... I mean...” Tiffany stopped and wrinkled her nose. “We were just thinking how hard it would be for you to go with us all the time to everything.”
“That’s the rule, Tiff. I’m okay with it.”
“It doesn’t seem fair,” Glen said. “You aren’t going to get paid.”
“Hey, kiddo, I don’t want to be paid. There might be some modeling jobs you can’t take when I have a conflict or if both of you are offered jobs at the same time, but we can work it out. I can even bring my laptop along and stay busy that way.”
“But what if someone’s website crashes and you aren’t available to fix it?”
“No problem. I never promised instant response time anyhow, but in April I hired a friend from college to do backup web maintenance. She works from her house, just like me, so Giselle handles issues that come up when I’m out.”
“You’re sure?” he asked, remembering how many times his mother had said she couldn’t handle what was happening. It had always felt as if she was blaming him and Tiffany for her drinking.
“Absolutely. If there are any problems, the three of us will sit down and decide how to deal with them.”
He was still bugged, but he didn’t know what to do about it.
Back upstairs again, Tiffany sighed blissfully. “Do you think I might become as famous as Nicole George?”
“Who knows?”
“I want to act, too.”
“You wouldn’t be bad at that.”
She wouldn’t, either; Tiff had been acting her entire life. If she banged her knee or felt sad or angry, she’d just pretend everything was okay—anything to keep from upsetting Mom. Tiff was really naive, in a way. She always thought she could fix things for people, including fixing their mother. But Mom didn’t want to be fixed; she wanted to keep drinking and that was that.
Suddenly angry, Glen flopped down on his bed and stared at the ceiling where Aunt Cassie had let him put stars that glowed in the dark.
Living with Aunt Cassie was great, much better than with his mom in San Diego, though sometimes he felt bad thinking that. She was his mom. Shouldn’t he want to live with her, no matter what? But he couldn’t forget the smell of booze that had always been in the apartment, and the sour stink in the morning when she got sick from being hungover.
It had gotten even worse when her boyfriends started coming home with her, and then he’d seen one of them looking at Tiffany in a way that hadn’t seemed right. His sister was way better off in Seattle, but Tiff might get upset if she knew he’d called the child welfare office and made an anonymous report about Mom’s drinking and the other things.
Sometimes he felt like slime for doing it, and other times he knew it was okay. But now that Aunt Cassie’s life was going to get messed up even more...well, he wasn’t exactly sure what he should feel.
* * *
A WEEK AFTER Adam met with Cassie Bryant, he began wondering if he’d ever hear from her again. Of course, her godfather could still be looking at the representation agreements, but she might be dragging her feet, hoping her nephew would change his mind.
Stop, Adam ordered as he ran on a treadmill at the gym over his lunch hour.
He’d explained the opportunities to Cassie. The rest was up to her. Yet he was discovering it was one thing to understand his job as an agent and another to separate personal feelings from the process. That might help explain why the previous owner of Moonlight Ventures had treated his clients as family for whom he needed to take responsibility and protect.
Adam slowed the treadmill to a cool-off pace, still thinking about Cassie. Getting information from her had been like prying an oyster open. Admittedly, he shouldn’t have made that remark about her marriage plans. What he could have asked was something like, “Are you expecting any significant changes that could impact Tiffany’s and Glen’s ability to work?” It would have been far more appropriate.
Pushing the thought away, Adam showered and returned to the agency, endorphins from the exercise still coursing through his system. It would be great if they didn’t have to drive somewhere to work out and he wondered if they could convert part of their building into a fitness center or get a professional gym to set up a business there.
He mentally reviewed the layout of the building they’d purchased along with the agency. Several businesses were longtime leasers—apparently Kevin had given his tenants the same intense, personal attention that he had given his clients. Some of them missed the hand-holding, though Kevin probably visited often enough to tide them over.
Adam shook himself. Things were going well for now and while Moonlight Ventures was cramped, they weren’t ready to expand quite yet. A fitness center, either private or commercial, could wait.
“Your parents are here, waiting for you,” Chelsea said as he came into the reception area.
He stared. His mom and dad had come without letting him know? They’d only mentioned it to his sister in the last couple of weeks.
“What does your ‘deer caught in the headlights’ expression mean?” Chelsea asked.
Adam forced himself to concentrate. They’d had trouble finding a good office manager, so it had been a stroke of luck when Chelsea had applied and proven excellent at the job. And now that she’d recovered from a bad relationship in Los Angeles, she was even more valuable, and she had a good sense of humor that helped keep the office balanced.
“Nothing. I’m just surprised they didn’t let me know they were on the way.”
Sophie must have assumed they’d told him, or she would have warned him.
“Parents, what would we do without them?” Chelsea’s tone was ironic and Adam recalled that Nicole had mentioned various problems with Jordan’s parents, who were also Chelsea’s parents since she was Jordan’s sister. They’d known each other growing up and their respective families didn’t get along with each other.
“Right,” he agreed.
Chelsea looked at her computer. “By the way, Cassie Bryant called for an appointment. Your 1:00 p.m. had just cancelled, so I told her to come then. I hope that’s okay.”
“It’s fine. Can you ask Nicole if she has time to help answer Ms. Bryant’s questions about teen modeling? I’d like to say hi to my parents before she gets here.”
“Sure. They’re in the lounge. I offered refreshments to them, but they didn’t seem interested.”
Of course. His mom and dad had never happily accepted anything seen as the fruits of his success, because it came from a career they didn’t appreciate. It was time they recognized that he was fine with his life. Even if he had chosen to be a construction worker like his dad, what difference would it make, so long as he was happy and satisfied?
Adam sighed. It would be easier on them if his career path hadn’t changed because of Mom’s illness; they might have made peace with him becoming a model otherwise. So their visit might turn out to be helpful. They would see that the agency was a solid business, with the potential to become even more.
“Let me know when Cassie arrives,” he said.
Putting a smile on his face with the practice of years, he strode down the hallway to the lounge. The door was ajar and he saw his mother and father sitting on one of the couches.
“Hi,” he greeted them. “Sophie mentioned you were thinking about a visit.”
Elizabeth stood and gave him a hug. “Hello, darling.”
His dad had also come to his feet and they shook hands. “Good to see you, son.”
“Good to see you both, too. Why didn’t you let me know when you were coming? I could have met you at the airport.”
“We didn’t fly, we drove. We wanted it to be a surprise.”
Though surprises weren’t his father’s long suit, Adam hung on to his smile. “Terrific. The spare room isn’t fancy, but the bed should be comfortable.”
“That won’t be necessary,” Elizabeth said quickly. “We’re renting a furnished apartment. It sounded like a nice idea to spend some time up here now that your father has retired.”
“Adam?” It was Chelsea. “Sorry to interrupt. Your one o’clock appointment is here. Oh, and Nicole said she’ll be free shortly.”
“Thanks.” He turned to his parents. “Can you wait awhile? I have to see a client.”
“Business comes first,” his father said.
Adam took the back route to his office, encountering Glen Bryant on the way.
“Hey, Glen, are you meeting with us?”
“No, and Tiff isn’t, either. She’s got a stomach bug. She’s better, but Aunt Cassie said it would be rotten to take a chance of exposing you. We’re safe because we got over it already. I thought I’d get something to eat, if that’s okay.”
“Sure.” Privately Adam was uncomfortable at the thought of Glen in the same room as his parents. He preferred keeping his private and professional lives separate, but it couldn’t be helped. Besides, when he’d been that age, he wouldn’t have talked to a stranger over twenty if his life depended on it. Perhaps Glen was the same.
In the office, he found Cassie standing at the window again, the sunlight burnishing her hair the way it had on her last visit. He could see the family resemblance between her and the twins, but the biggest contrast was their outgoing nature and her reserve.
She turned and gestured toward the desk where he saw two large envelopes. “Hello. I brought the signed agreements back. Sorry it took so long.”
This time, the black T-shirt she wore made her eyes appear brown again.
“I hear you’ve been ill.”
Cassie made a diffident gesture. “We had the stomach virus that’s going around. Glen and I got sick, then poor Tiff came down with it a day and a half later. She still doesn’t have much energy and I couldn’t be sure she’s no longer contagious. But she’s so anxious about getting things going on the modeling that I thought it would make her feel better if I called for an appointment.”
“It was thoughtful not to share the bug with us.”
“I hate exposing someone when I could have stayed home...though since I work out of my house, I suppose it’s easier for me than for other people.”
“Do you have any questions on the representation agreements?”
Cassie shook her head. “No, but the kids aren’t happy because I have to be there for their jobs and go-sees. It especially bothers Glen, so I thought I’d let you know. He doesn’t have to worry.” She wrinkled her nose. “Though with this added, the kids aren’t going to have the normal high school experience I’d hoped for them.”
“Normal is highly overrated.”
“But it’s nice to know what it is, at least.”
“Granted. Now, let me show you the promotional materials I’ve been putting together.”
When she sat next to him to look at the large screen, Adam smelled the faint aroma of roses. It reminded him of the time he’d done a commercial for an international florist company in Paris, having to hold an extra large bouquet under the Eiffel Tower for hours, waiting for his “girlfriend.”
He made an effort to clear his head, annoyed that he would associate a romantic image with the guardian of his newest clients.
* * *
CASSIE TRIED NOT to be aware of Adam as he clicked through pictures of her niece and nephew. They were the ones taken the first day they’d come to the agency, but cropped to look like the kind of photos she’d seen in magazines. As far as she could tell, nothing had been airbrushed or photoshopped and both Glen and Tiffany were portrayed as wholesome, healthy young teens.
“Satisfied?” he asked finally.
“Yes. It’s reassuring to see how they’ll be presented.”
“We don’t want to promote anyone in a way that makes them uncomfortable and that goes double for kids.”
“Did you start modeling as a youngster?”
“Nope. I was a junior at UCLA and saw an ad for models, so I gave it a shot. I needed the money. My mom had just gone through major surgery and I wanted to do something to help out.”
It was hard for Cassie to picture the sophisticated Adam Wilding as an anxious college student who’d fallen into modeling by accident. Still, it was an engaging image.
“Is your mother all right now?”
His expression seemed guarded. “She’s fine. In fact, my parents just arrived from New Mexico for a surprise visit.”
At a guess, there was some tension in the relationship with his folks.
“That’s nice. They must be proud of your success.”
“Actually, they wanted me to be a lawyer, so it’s complicated.”
Cassie cast another quick, sideways glance at Adam. “I can’t picture you in a three-piece suit, arguing a case in front of a judge.”
“Me, either,” he admitted. “It’s hard on kids when grown-ups try to plan their lives for them.”
His tone had grown even more intense and Cassie suspected that heavy pressure had been put on him to take a particular route. She couldn’t recall whether her own parents had encouraged specific career aspirations in their children beyond wanting them to attend college.
“Instead you happened into modeling and the rest is history,” she said to lighten the mood.
Adam’s expression changed from intense to cool detachment. “I got lucky. The photographer on that first job sent my picture around to various advertisers he worked with. Before I knew it, I was in demand. But it usually doesn’t happen that way. Albeit part of this business is luck and timing.”
“I understand. I’ve told the kids not to think they’ll suddenly become rich and famous. Glen doesn’t care, but Tiffany has stars in her eyes.”
“It’s good that you want to keep her grounded. The people who hire models seem to prefer them that way. Just don’t try coaching the kids. Let them be natural.”
“Of course. I don’t want this changing Tiff and Glen.”
“You mentioned taking responsibility once your sister was unable to care for them?”
That was a charitable way of describing Marie’s condition. She hadn’t even been sober for her meeting with the judge, and had refused an alcohol abuse treatment program as a chance of retaining custody.
Cassie cleared her throat. Sometimes she was so furious with her sister, she could hardly stand it. Raising Tiff and Glen was a privilege, but Marie had thrown it away. They had their share of problems, but they were great kids, even after everything their mother had put them through. “Yes. I didn’t want them in foster care.”
“Your parents couldn’t take them? I’m only asking because I’d like to know if a change in custody arrangements might occur.”
“It won’t. My dad has health issues and my brother’s work doesn’t lend itself to parenting. Please don’t bring this up with Tiff and Glen. They’ve dealt with enough,” Cassie added quickly. “I’d hate for them to get the idea they’re unwanted.”
“Of course.” Adam’s expression was hard to read. “Getting back to practicalities, I’ll try to drop in on the first booking to see how things are going.”
“Is that usual?”
“Every agent is different, but at Moonlight Ventures we want to pass on what we’ve learned and help our clients to be professional. That way they’re more in demand and we all do better. Of course, we’re still working out the best way to accomplish that.”
Cassie cocked her head. “So you’re practicing on your clients?”
“True. Does that bother you?”
“No. I told you that I’ve done some checking and Moonlight Ventures is earning a good reputation.”
“That’s good to know.” Adam opened the envelopes and glanced through the contents. “What led you here? There are other excellent talent agencies in Seattle and we’d like to know what makes people choose us. By the way, it’s all right to say that we were simply the first one that responded.”
“Tiffany was researching talent representatives on the internet and was excited when she saw you and Nicole George were involved with Moonlight Ventures. Basically, this is the first place we tried. Now she follows you both on Facebook and Twitter.”
He nodded. “Social media is one of our tools. We’ll need to discuss the best, safest way for her and Glen to utilize it themselves.”
There was a knock at the door and Nicole George came into the office. She smiled at Cassie. “Hi. You must be the aunt of our two newest clients. Adam thought that since I did teen modeling, it might be helpful if I came by to answer any questions.”
“Thank you,” Cassie said, feeling out of place to be sandwiched between two such glamorous individuals.
* * *
ELIZABETH WILDING FELT almost desperate as she looked at her husband. They’d had a pleasant drive north, but the closer they had gotten to Seattle, the more uncommunicative Dermott had become. Her hope of repairing the bond with Adam couldn’t happen if either of them refused to really talk.
Good heavens, Dermott was stubborn. Adam took after his father that way, though he was like her in others. Or at least he used to be. Because of everything that had happened through the years, she couldn’t honestly say she knew her son any longer. Surely the world of fashion and appearance wouldn’t have changed him too much?
“This is such a pleasant building, don’t you think?” she asked her husband.
“A whole lot of flash and dash if you ask me. It’s good they didn’t tear it down, but the place is nothing but an old factory dressed up to look fancy.”
Small steps, she reminded herself. It wasn’t going to happen quickly. Standing, she went to get a bottle of water from the small refrigerator with a glass door.
The teenager who’d come into the room seemed polite. He’d explained he was waiting for his aunt and hoped they didn’t mind him being there. He was a handsome youngster and Elizabeth had wondered if he was a model.
Since Dermott had determinedly buried himself in another newspaper, she decided to get acquainted with the boy.
“I’m Elizabeth Wilding,” she said, moving to the table where he was sitting.
“I’m Glen Bryant. Uh, Aunt Cassie is meeting with a guy named Wilding.”
“Adam is my son. Are you a model?”
Glen laughed. “Mr. Wilding thinks I am.”
In the background, her husband snorted and Elizabeth couldn’t be sure if it was from something in the news or because of what Glen had said.
“You don’t want to do it?” she asked.
“I guess I don’t mind. I’m going to be a doctor and it’ll help earn money for college.”
“Good luck in getting there now,” Dermott muttered.
Elizabeth glared at his bent head. It wasn’t his business to criticize, especially a kid that he didn’t even know.
“Never mind him,” she whispered to Glen with a conspiratorial air. “We need all the doctors we can get and I’m sure you’ll be wonderful at it.”
Glen’s brow had creased at Dermott’s statement, but now he relaxed and smiled back.
“Do you live in Seattle?” the boy asked.
“We’re visiting from Albuquerque, but we’ve rented an apartment so we can stay and...and see the area.”
“Wow, that’s great. We moved here last summer and Aunt Cassie has taken us all over the place. In May, we went to the Gingko Petrified Forest and we’ve gone to British Columbia twice. We go to baseball games, Mount Rainier and the Seattle Center, along with Mount St. Helens. It’s like...sad, but also rad seeing what happened when the volcano blasted everything.”
What a nice boy, Elizabeth thought. His enthusiasm was endearing.
“Those are good suggestions. I remember when the volcano erupted. It seemed terrible that such a beautiful place got destroyed, but I suppose that’s how it formed in the first place.”
“That’s what Aunt Cassie says. Scientists have done all kinds of studies on how the land is recovering, which is a bunch faster than anyone figured. Some of the eruptions were crazy, mostly just super-heated air and rocks that flattened huge trees like toothpicks.” He made a gesture with his hands that was probably intended to represent the trees being knocked over.
“I hope the park rangers know as much as you.”
“Aunt Cassie tells me a lot and we look things up on the internet and read books. The park rangers are great, too. My uncle works at Mount Rainier. But he’s a backcountry ranger, so we don’t see him much.”
“Your aunt sounds nice.”
“She’s awesome. On Saturday, she’s taking us to a science fiction convention. Aunt Cassie likes that stuff just as much as we do.”
“It sounds interesting.”
“I can’t wait, though we aren’t dressing up in costumes the way the science nerds do in the Big Bang Theory.”
Elizabeth’s lips twitched. She enjoyed the television comedy, though Dermott wasn’t crazy about it. He preferred home improvement shows.
“You probably think I’m too old to appreciate sci-fi, but I love the Star Wars and Star Trek films along with other science fiction or fantasy,” she told Glen.
Once her secret hope had been to get published in science fiction, but while she had written several stories, it had never gone further. She’d been writing since she was a child, but there had never seemed to be enough time or energy to get them ready for submission to a publisher. Now? Well, her stories were probably too dated.
Yet part of her wondered...was there still a chance she could get published? She’d even brought one of her novels with her, thinking she might work on it some more.
“Do you want to go to the convention?” Glen asked. “Aunt Cassie got a bunch of free passes and I think she has some left.”
The friendly invitation was appealing and she looked at Dermott. “What do you think, dear? It sounds fun and it’s different than the things we usually do.”
He let out a small grunt. “Whatever you want, but I thought we came up here to see Adam, not people dressed as Klingons.”
Elizabeth was mildly startled that her husband knew about Klingons, which came from the Star Trek
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Callie Endicott
Тип: электронная книга
Жанр: Современные любовные романы
Язык: на английском языке
Издательство: HarperCollins
Дата публикации: 16.04.2024
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О книге: He’s falling for his clients’ legal guardian…But can business and love ever mix?Signing a young sister and brother to his new talent agency could be a great move for Adam Wilding, especially when he meets their legal guardian. Cassie Bryant’s first priority is her niece and nephew’s welfare. But she herself remains a mystery. Can Adam convince this prickly, stubborn, utterly appealing woman they’re not as different as she thinks?