hot tub.
‘Look who I’ve just found outside, admiring the view,’ he said to the back of a very blond head.
Nancy Kyle looked up from the hot tub and let out a scream, which shocked even the jazz band playing in the shadows into temporary silence.
‘Cate – babe! I don’t believe it!’
Ignoring her earlier pronouncement, the supermodel stood up, showing off her long, lean body which was encased in a silver snakeskin bikini. She pulled Cate into a very wet and foamy hug.
‘What are you doing here? I got your text, babe, but I didn’t know you knew Johnny James. You are a dark horse!’
‘I don’t,’ Cate said quickly. ‘Not really. But this is Ritchie, his nephew. He’s a friend of a friend and invited me out here.’
She changed the subject quickly. If she had to go into details it might get tricky. ‘How’s the fashion show going, Nancy? I must say you’re looking pretty relaxed considering
there’s less than two weeks to go. I would have thought that you would have been up to your eyes in phone calls and emails and whatever it is you need to do to put together something like
that.’
Lucas smiled. ‘Cate, do you honestly think that Nancy is actually organising the show herself? Right now she’s got about fourteen assistants running their little legs off
twenty-four/seven to make sure that everything is ship-shape and perfect for the big night. Nancy just has to rock up a week on Saturday looking absolutely gorgeous and collect all the plaudits for
her hard work. Isn’t that right, darling?’
‘Delegation, Cate,’ said Nancy, nodding solemnly. ‘That’s the key to success.’
‘And she does delegate everything ,’ Lucas said dryly. ‘Including writing her books, designing her children’s clothes range, and coming up with recipes for her
cookbook. Not to mention the childcare, the shopping, the school run, the cooking, the gardening . . .’ He grinned at Nancy affectionately, taking the sting out of his words.
‘Babe!’ Nancy pretended to be shocked. ‘Never the shopping!’ She kissed Lucas on the cheek as she grabbed Cate by the hand, leading her away to a quiet spot on the
balcony.
‘I didn’t want to say anything in front of Ritchie, but what’s happened to the gorgeous Michel? Ritchie looks pretty comfortable around you. I didn’t have you down as a
two-timer.’
Cate blushed furiously. ‘Nancy!’
‘OK, OK, just asking.’ Nancy grinned.
Cate shook her head, exasperated. Perhaps this was what it was like to have a big sister teasing you. ‘We’ve split up, if you must know.’ Cate tried not to sound too sad.
‘Michel dumped me. And no, Ritchie is definitely not his replacement. In fact, I only met him today.’
‘Oh babe!’ Nancy was clearly shocked. ‘You’ve been dumped? What’s it like?’
Cate laughed out loud then. ‘Thanks, Nancy. You’ve really cheered me up.’
‘I have?’ Nancy looked bewildered. ‘Well, whatever. Glad to help. What are you doing in LA, anyway?’
‘I’m here to visit Mum. I haven’t seen her for ages. I’m so looking forward to being with her.’
‘Sweet,’ said Nancy. ‘Tell you what. Why don’t you invite your mum out with us tomorrow night for dinner? Bring Ritchie too if you like.’
‘Nancy, that would be fantastic. But if you don’t mind I think I’ll leave Ritchie out of it. I don’t want you getting the wrong idea again. Or him for that matter. Can I
check with Mum and get back to you tomorrow? She’s got a new man and, knowing my mum, he might just take precedence over the daughter she hasn’t seen for over a year! Where were you
planning on going by the way?’
‘Not sure,’ said Nancy, carelessly. ‘Probably won’t decide until about five o’clock. Text me, babe. You know what I’m like, I might forget. Busy delegating,
you see,’
C HAPTER 6
Four people were sitting around the table in Johnny’s office in the basement of the house. It was windowless and, with its spartan
‘Look who I’ve just found outside, admiring the view,’ he said to the back of a very blond head.
Nancy Kyle looked up from the hot tub and let out a scream, which shocked even the jazz band playing in the shadows into temporary silence.
‘Cate – babe! I don’t believe it!’
Ignoring her earlier pronouncement, the supermodel stood up, showing off her long, lean body which was encased in a silver snakeskin bikini. She pulled Cate into a very wet and foamy hug.
‘What are you doing here? I got your text, babe, but I didn’t know you knew Johnny James. You are a dark horse!’
‘I don’t,’ Cate said quickly. ‘Not really. But this is Ritchie, his nephew. He’s a friend of a friend and invited me out here.’
She changed the subject quickly. If she had to go into details it might get tricky. ‘How’s the fashion show going, Nancy? I must say you’re looking pretty relaxed considering
there’s less than two weeks to go. I would have thought that you would have been up to your eyes in phone calls and emails and whatever it is you need to do to put together something like
that.’
Lucas smiled. ‘Cate, do you honestly think that Nancy is actually organising the show herself? Right now she’s got about fourteen assistants running their little legs off
twenty-four/seven to make sure that everything is ship-shape and perfect for the big night. Nancy just has to rock up a week on Saturday looking absolutely gorgeous and collect all the plaudits for
her hard work. Isn’t that right, darling?’
‘Delegation, Cate,’ said Nancy, nodding solemnly. ‘That’s the key to success.’
‘And she does delegate everything ,’ Lucas said dryly. ‘Including writing her books, designing her children’s clothes range, and coming up with recipes for her
cookbook. Not to mention the childcare, the shopping, the school run, the cooking, the gardening . . .’ He grinned at Nancy affectionately, taking the sting out of his words.
‘Babe!’ Nancy pretended to be shocked. ‘Never the shopping!’ She kissed Lucas on the cheek as she grabbed Cate by the hand, leading her away to a quiet spot on the
balcony.
‘I didn’t want to say anything in front of Ritchie, but what’s happened to the gorgeous Michel? Ritchie looks pretty comfortable around you. I didn’t have you down as a
two-timer.’
Cate blushed furiously. ‘Nancy!’
‘OK, OK, just asking.’ Nancy grinned.
Cate shook her head, exasperated. Perhaps this was what it was like to have a big sister teasing you. ‘We’ve split up, if you must know.’ Cate tried not to sound too sad.
‘Michel dumped me. And no, Ritchie is definitely not his replacement. In fact, I only met him today.’
‘Oh babe!’ Nancy was clearly shocked. ‘You’ve been dumped? What’s it like?’
Cate laughed out loud then. ‘Thanks, Nancy. You’ve really cheered me up.’
‘I have?’ Nancy looked bewildered. ‘Well, whatever. Glad to help. What are you doing in LA, anyway?’
‘I’m here to visit Mum. I haven’t seen her for ages. I’m so looking forward to being with her.’
‘Sweet,’ said Nancy. ‘Tell you what. Why don’t you invite your mum out with us tomorrow night for dinner? Bring Ritchie too if you like.’
‘Nancy, that would be fantastic. But if you don’t mind I think I’ll leave Ritchie out of it. I don’t want you getting the wrong idea again. Or him for that matter. Can I
check with Mum and get back to you tomorrow? She’s got a new man and, knowing my mum, he might just take precedence over the daughter she hasn’t seen for over a year! Where were you
planning on going by the way?’
‘Not sure,’ said Nancy, carelessly. ‘Probably won’t decide until about five o’clock. Text me, babe. You know what I’m like, I might forget. Busy delegating,
you see,’
C HAPTER 6
Four people were sitting around the table in Johnny’s office in the basement of the house. It was windowless and, with its spartan
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