damage was done and it would take a long time to heal.
Of course, none of this even began to fix the immediate problem of her and Zach not being able to work together. And their job was still on the line, if they didn’t come to a better truce than they had now.
Hearing the door slide open behind her, Deb stood still, clenching her jacket together at the neck. She wasn’t ready to confront Zach yet.
“Sweetheart?” her mother asked.
She spun around, relieved. Since their arrival, she and her mother had very little time to talk. Even when they’d gone shopping earlier, several of the houseguests had gone along, monopolizing her mother’s attention.
“Hey!” Deb put on her happiest face.
“Cut the crap.” Her mother waved a hand in dismissal. “I know when something’s bugging you.”
So much for her acting skills.
Deb smiled. “I was just enjoying the beautiful snow. We don’t see much of it around LA.”
“I don’t suppose you would. Want to tell me about what’s on your mind?”
“Not really.” To tell her would mean admitting the director’s ultimatum and her impromptu marriage.
“Tell me anyway. Is it about Brad?”
Deb rolled her eyes. “I got to see the real Brad today. I won’t be missing him any time soon.”
“Good. He was bad for you. Your father and I thought he was perfect until we saw how he strung you along. His mother and I might be good friends, but I don’t want him being part of my family.”
“Yeah, but, I let him. I thought his love was unconditional and he was just confused, but I started feeling like something was up when he told me if I quit acting he would marry me. I was a fool to waste six years on him.”
Her mother nodded, stepping up to stand next to her against the railing. “I like Zach.”
Deb looked out over the beautiful backyard and thought she might have seen a deer grazing near the edge of the property. She squinted, but when she blinked, it was gone. Grudgingly, she admitted, “I do too.”
“I can see he’s crazy about you.”
Heaving in a deep breath, she decided it was time. “He’s an actor, Mom,” she warned. Might as well prepare her for their demise now than let her get attached. “You can’t trust anything that seems obvious from people like us.”
Deb glanced at her mother when she didn’t say anything right away. “That’s just it. It’s not obvious. It’s like he’s trying to hide it, which I don’t get, since you’re here together. He watches you the same way your father watches me. And when he thinks no one is around, he seems a little lost. Are we overwhelming him?”
Staring into her mother’s blue eyes, Deb wasn’t sure what to believe anymore. “No. I think I am.”
“What do you mean?”
She studied her mother’s lovely features for a moment before bowing her head. Her parents had been married for more than thirty years. Who was she kidding? They were going to be disappointed in her no matter what she did. “We got married in Vegas, Mom.”
When she didn’t immediately answer, Deb raised her eyes.
“I know,” she said quietly, leaning against the deck railing.
“You know?”
“I don’t typically read the tabloids about you, but when I saw those pictures of you two at the altar, I couldn’t help but wonder. His wedding ring clued me in too. I knew you wouldn’t bring home a married man to meet us unless he was married to you.”
“I’m sorry.” Tears thickened her voice and an edge of helplessness overwhelmed her. “I know you’re disappointed in me, but I was drunk. I never drink, and I wake up and—”
Her mother held up a hand, effectively silencing her. “Drunk or not, you married him, Deb. I’m not disappointed in you. The only way I could be disappointed is if you divorce him before you give it a chance. Marriage isn’t all about a certain feeling or lack thereof. It’s a lot of hard work. There have been times I’ve wanted to kill your father and other days I couldn’t
Of course, none of this even began to fix the immediate problem of her and Zach not being able to work together. And their job was still on the line, if they didn’t come to a better truce than they had now.
Hearing the door slide open behind her, Deb stood still, clenching her jacket together at the neck. She wasn’t ready to confront Zach yet.
“Sweetheart?” her mother asked.
She spun around, relieved. Since their arrival, she and her mother had very little time to talk. Even when they’d gone shopping earlier, several of the houseguests had gone along, monopolizing her mother’s attention.
“Hey!” Deb put on her happiest face.
“Cut the crap.” Her mother waved a hand in dismissal. “I know when something’s bugging you.”
So much for her acting skills.
Deb smiled. “I was just enjoying the beautiful snow. We don’t see much of it around LA.”
“I don’t suppose you would. Want to tell me about what’s on your mind?”
“Not really.” To tell her would mean admitting the director’s ultimatum and her impromptu marriage.
“Tell me anyway. Is it about Brad?”
Deb rolled her eyes. “I got to see the real Brad today. I won’t be missing him any time soon.”
“Good. He was bad for you. Your father and I thought he was perfect until we saw how he strung you along. His mother and I might be good friends, but I don’t want him being part of my family.”
“Yeah, but, I let him. I thought his love was unconditional and he was just confused, but I started feeling like something was up when he told me if I quit acting he would marry me. I was a fool to waste six years on him.”
Her mother nodded, stepping up to stand next to her against the railing. “I like Zach.”
Deb looked out over the beautiful backyard and thought she might have seen a deer grazing near the edge of the property. She squinted, but when she blinked, it was gone. Grudgingly, she admitted, “I do too.”
“I can see he’s crazy about you.”
Heaving in a deep breath, she decided it was time. “He’s an actor, Mom,” she warned. Might as well prepare her for their demise now than let her get attached. “You can’t trust anything that seems obvious from people like us.”
Deb glanced at her mother when she didn’t say anything right away. “That’s just it. It’s not obvious. It’s like he’s trying to hide it, which I don’t get, since you’re here together. He watches you the same way your father watches me. And when he thinks no one is around, he seems a little lost. Are we overwhelming him?”
Staring into her mother’s blue eyes, Deb wasn’t sure what to believe anymore. “No. I think I am.”
“What do you mean?”
She studied her mother’s lovely features for a moment before bowing her head. Her parents had been married for more than thirty years. Who was she kidding? They were going to be disappointed in her no matter what she did. “We got married in Vegas, Mom.”
When she didn’t immediately answer, Deb raised her eyes.
“I know,” she said quietly, leaning against the deck railing.
“You know?”
“I don’t typically read the tabloids about you, but when I saw those pictures of you two at the altar, I couldn’t help but wonder. His wedding ring clued me in too. I knew you wouldn’t bring home a married man to meet us unless he was married to you.”
“I’m sorry.” Tears thickened her voice and an edge of helplessness overwhelmed her. “I know you’re disappointed in me, but I was drunk. I never drink, and I wake up and—”
Her mother held up a hand, effectively silencing her. “Drunk or not, you married him, Deb. I’m not disappointed in you. The only way I could be disappointed is if you divorce him before you give it a chance. Marriage isn’t all about a certain feeling or lack thereof. It’s a lot of hard work. There have been times I’ve wanted to kill your father and other days I couldn’t
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