“I got a two-hour special show out of it,” he interrupted.
“Wow.” Now it was her turn for silence.
“I’m in Acapulco taping it right now.”
“You went to Acapulco anyway?”
“Yeah. The beach is awesome.”
Seriously? She’d been in Sandspit and he’d been soaking up the sun?
“I’m on camera more than in Gettin’ Hitched. So, that’s cool.”
“What kind of show are you taping?”
“I think they’re going to call it Hitchin’ Heartbreak. I walk around looking sad and meet single women who try and comfort me.” He laughed. “This time I picked the women in the cast so I could make sure they’re all hot.”
“Well . . .” She couldn’t absorb it all. “I just called to apologize.”
“It worked out, I guess.”
“So . . . you’re not hurt?”
“I’m still a little pissed off that you ran out on me, but I guess you saved us from divorce. We don’t love each other.”
He was going to marry her even though he didn’t love her, but she wasn’t in a position to judge.
“It turned out okay in the end.”
For him. He was in Acapulco, lounging on the beach and being served umbrella drinks by women fighting over him. She was stuck in her parents’ house.
“I’m surrounded by only hot women. No corn teeth this time.”
No matter her feelings for Summer at the moment, the girl had fallen for Pete and deserved better than to be called “corn teeth.” That was just mean. A mean side of Pete Lexie’d never experienced, and she was relieved beyond measure that she hadn’t gone through with the wedding. “So . . . are we cool?”
Another long silence and then, “Yeah. We’re cool.”
When Lexie disconnected, her heart felt lighter and she headed for her parents’ bathroom. The worst was out of the way. She’d probably have to talk to the producers at some point, but she’d dreaded the conversation with Pete the most.
Yum Yum followed at her heels, then curled up on Sean Brown’s shirt as Lexie quickly undressed and jumped into the big shower. She washed the smell of the Sandspit ocean from her hair and skin. Twelve jets of warm water worked tired knots from her back and she felt like she finally let out the tight breath she’d been holding since she’d run from the Fairmont.
Pete didn’t seem upset or even mad now. Well, maybe a little mad, but that had more to do with ego than Hitchin’ Heartbreak.
When she was through, she wrapped a towel around her wet hair and pulled on her own clothes. She felt squeaky clean and headed for the kitchen. Her mother was a gourmet cook and at one time had a catering business with Aunt Mae. She’d taught all her children how to cook everything from beef Wellington to Crock-Pot stew. Lexie sometimes liked to make complicated meals, but her all-time favorite comfort food was chicken quesadillas.
From the Sub-Zero refrigerator, she pulled out everything she needed. Yum Yum sat at her bare feet as she heated oil and grated cheese. She’d cooked more in the past three days than she had in the past three months. Sean had seemed to enjoy her cooking. Geraldine had given modest approval while cleaning her plate. As she sliced baked chicken, she thought about Sean and how little she actually knew of him:
He lived in Seattle.
His mother lived in Sandspit.
He had a secret job. a. Probably with the government.
Handsome.
Smiled and she’d thought “holy crap.”
Teasing, soul kisses.