Hope looked from the angry face of America’s favorite angel to Dylan. A frown furrowed his brow, and he stood frozen, holding Adam by one arm.
“No, I don’t work for the Enquirer,” she said.
“You were the unnamed source who leaked confidential and privileged information about Dr. Spencer’s patients.” Juliette’s voice rose and she pointed an accusing finger at Hope. “You told them about my goddamn boob job!” Hope was taken aback by the woman’s language. America certainly had never heard foul words pour from her perfect angelic lips. “He told me he couldn’t prove it, but he was certain it was you.”
Under the circumstances, Hope figured Juliette was justified in her anger, but not in front of Adam. “In my own defense,” she began, “Blaine was a pig, and I wanted to hurt him. I didn’t think about who might get hurt, but I’ve always felt really bad that I hurt other people as well. I’m sorry about what happened.”
Dylan finally let go of his son. “You’re a reporter for The National Enquirer?”
“No. About four years ago I was their unnamed source for a few inside stories, and then I did a few freelance articles on fashion blunders. That sort of thing, but I don’t do that now.”
“You write flora-and-fauna articles. Right?”
She didn’t want to tell him. Not like this. “Well, not exactly.”
“What do you write? Exactly.”
But she couldn’t lie anymore, either. Hope took a deep breath and said, “I’m a staff writer for The Weekly News of the Universe. I write Bigfoot and alien stories.”
He leaned his head back and looked at her through a narrowed gaze. “Adam, go to your room,” he ordered without taking his eyes from Hope.
“I don’t wanna go to my room.”
“I didn’t ask if you wanted to. I told you to go.”
As if his feet were made of lead, the boy slowly left the room. No one spoke until the door had shut behind him.
“So,” Dylan began, “the whole flora-and-fauna thing was complete bullshit. You write for a tabloid.”
“I don’t write gossip. I write alien stories,” she said and spread her arms wide. “That’s what I do.”
“And I’m supposed to believe you? After you’ve done nothing but lie about it since you drove into town? Christ! You must have had yourself a good old laugh yesterday when I was showing you all those flowers for your ‘article.’ ”
“I wasn’t laughing.”
“And the whole thing about Hiram Donnelly was bullshit, too, wasn’t it?”
“No, I plan to write that article. I never-”
“How did you find out about Adam?” he interrupted.
She didn’t know what he was asking.
“And how long before I get to read about my son in your paper?”
It took Hope a moment more before she understood exactly what he meant. The secret love child of America’s favorite angel would be big news. Huge. “I would never do that to Adam. I would never do that to you, and as hard as it might be for you to believe, I wouldn’t do that to Juliette, either.”
“You’re right, that’s hard for me to believe,” Juliette said.
Hope looked at the faces before her. Juliette didn’t even bother hiding her anger, and Dylan was becoming more remote as the seconds ticked past. “Who sent you here, Hope?”
“My paper, but not for the reason you’re thinking. They sent me here to take pictures and write articles. Right now I’m writing a series about a town filled with aliens.” She shook her head as her heart squeezed within her chest. “Just last week I used Eden Hansen. Her purple hair and eyeshadow, but I swear I didn’t know Juliette was Adam’s mother until two minutes ago. You have to believe me.”
“I don’t think I even know you.”
Hope covered her heart with her hand, as if she could protect herself from his cold gaze. As if she could protect her breaking heart. “When I first met you, I didn’t tell you what I do for a living because it was none of your business. After I got to know you, I didn’t know how to tell you I’d lied about it, and the time never seemed right.”
“I can think of a few times when you could have said something. Like any time between the Fourth and today would have been good.”