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“Well, they don’t always distribute the smaller films as widely …” Juliet began, but then she shook her head. “This isn’t about film distribution. If Ryan wanted to make it work, he could. And so could you.”
I didn’t have an answer for that. I might be willing to put in the effort, but Ryan had too much going for him in California. Why would he go to the trouble?
“Just don’t close the door on it,” Juliet said. “I want to see you happy.”
“Because it’s about you?” My feelings were still raw, sensitive. My words might have come out a little sharp.
Sadness filled her eyes then, and she dropped her head low, staring into her mug. “It’s not,” she said. “I’m sorry if I’ve ever made you feel that way.”
I felt immediately guilty. I was confused and hurt, and I was taking it out on her. “I’m sorry too,” I said. “It’s not your fault, Jules. What did Mom used to say? The only person who could make you feel something was you?”
She tilted her head and shot me a half-grin then. “But I bet Ryan could make you feel something if you gave him a chance.” She waggled her eyebrows suggestively.
God, she was right about that. He made me feel all kinds of things, and just thinking about it set off little signal fires in my bloodstream. “Who says I haven’t let him already?” My body still warmed when I thought about his touch, and something inside my chest had changed, too. He’d gotten inside me in more ways than I wanted to admit.
Juliet gasped. “Good girl,” she laughed. “More of that!”
I shook my head. If only things were that simple. “Not today. Today’s Granny’s party. And your friends from the magazine will be back. Today Ryan’syourboyfriend, remember?”
She actually looked upset for a second before recovering herself. “Right.” She shook her head and pushed her hands into her hair on either side, “I’m sorry,” she said. “I’m sorry I brought my mess out here and made it your mess.”
“It’s okay, Jules,” I said, and I meant it. My sister really had been through a lot lately, and I vowed to remember that today as I watched her pretend to love the man I thought I might actually be falling for. “It’s okay.” I stood and walked around the table to kiss the top of her head before heading back upstairs. It was going to be a long day, and I needed to get ready.
Chapter Seventeen
Ryan
When I got downstairs, Tess was nowhere in sight. Juliet stood near the kitchen sink, and I stepped up beside her, hoping not to startle her.
“Hey,” I said, my voice soft. I wasn’t sure where I stood with Juliet at this point—I kind of felt like my time with Tess had invalidated our agreement, but then again, that was the entire reason I was here in the first place. And the contract did not have any clauses I remembered about hot younger sisters.
Juliet jumped at the sound of my voice, her hands jolting upward and sloshing coffee into the air and down the front of her shirt. “Oh!”
“Sorry,” I said, reaching for a paper towel and handing it to her. “I didn’t mean to scare you.”
She shook her head. “No, it’s not your fault. I was … I was just a million miles away.”
“Everything okay?”
“Yeah,” she said, the trademark smile failing to light her green eyes. “Yeah, it’s fine.”
I didn’t quite believe her, but she didn’t seem eager to share, so I let it go. “What time is the crew getting here today?”
“Not sure,” she said, sounding as unenthusiastic as I felt. “Sometime this afternoon, I think.”
“So if I were to disappear for a few hours, that would be okay?” I asked.
“With Tess?” Juliet asked, and I was surprised at the little jolt of pleasure I got at just having her name mentioned around me. Plus, hearing the suggestion so easily from Juliet that Tess and I might be spending time together was a nice change from being yelled at over the dining room table.
“No,” I said, maybe too quickly. “I have a couple things I need to take care of.”
“In Maryland?” Her tone was skeptical.
“Um,” my brain spun, looking for some kind of appropriate cover. “Just need to get out for a bit,” I said finally. “Look around. See some of the country.”
“Sure,” she said, a half smile making it clear she didn’t think I was going out to sightsee. It didn’t really matter, though. Juliet didn’t need to know my plans. I wasn’t even sure about my plans. “Just be back by two or three, okay? I think the crew is due by five for sure.”
“Definitely.” I hoped I’d be able to get things handled by then. I slurped down some coffee, grabbed a muffin from the basket on the counter, and headed for the front porch, watching a car pull up just as I stepped out.
