someone else’s things and use them without their permission?”
She shook her head. Her big blue-gray eyes filled with tears.
“Okay then. I think we can consider this a learning experience and keep it between us girls. You get a warning the first time you make a mistake. That’s how we learn not to make them again. Fair enough?”
A tear fell as Katie nodded. Jasmine felt like a horrible human being.
Reaching over and gently wiping the tear away, she said, “How about the next time you’re curious about something, you ask me about it? We can have fun with makeup that’s appropriate for you.”
Katie nodded again.
“Okay, sweetie. I’ve got to run my phone out to Ryan in the kitchen. Stay right here for a minute. We need to get that washed off you before your dad sees.”
Katie sniffled and gave yet another nod.
Will was back in the family room when she hurried out with her phone. He looked up and met her gaze.
“Is everything okay?” he asked.
“Yep. Just had to get my phone.”
“Is Katie coming?”
“In a minute. I’m helping her with something.”
“Do you need my help since you’re busy in the kitchen?”
“No,” she said too quickly. “It’s a girl thing,” she finished weakly when he gave her a strange look. Turning to Ryan with her phone, she pulled up the recipe she intended to use for the veggie mac ‘n cheese and handed it to him. “Give me five minutes,” she muttered under her breath.
“Roger that.”
He looked amused.
If only he knew.
Thank God she had some makeup removal wipes in her bag. After a few minutes of scrubbing Katie’s face over the bathroom sink, she once again had her makeup-free. Maybe her skin looked a little pinker than usual and the area around her mouth was still tinged the slightest shade of plum, but hopefully it was good enough that Will wouldn’t notice.
The rest of the evening went according to plan. Frank arrived in time to eat with them. Everyone raved about the meal, which pleased Jasmine. She especially enjoyed that Katie ate everything on her plate.
Both Ryan and Frank left after eating their dessert. An Ordinem specialist would be monitoring the house overnight, as usual. Jasmine, Will, and Katie played a few games until it was her bedtime. Then Jasmine entertained herself on her phone as Will got Katie through her bedtime routine.
When he finally returned, she rose from the sofa and held her arms out. He walked over and accepted the hug, pulling her against him in a tight embrace. The strength of it told her he needed her support.
“You ready to talk?” she asked.
“Yeah. Let’s go upstairs.”
“Is alcohol required?”
“It probably wouldn’t hurt.”
After stopping by the kitchen to grab a beer for Will and a glass of wine for her, they headed up to his bedroom’s seating area, each taking one of the two scoop chairs angled toward each other. Jasmine took a fortifying sip of her wine as she waited for him to speak.
“Carol Ann called this morning,” he began.
Her heart sank. She had hoped she was wrong in thinking the other woman was somehow involved in his mood.
“I didn’t answer the first time,” he said. “I told her before I didn’t think we should stay in touch and I meant it.” He drank some of his beer before continuing. “She left a voicemail the second time. She said she was concerned about Katie’s safety with the paparazzi around the house. She did some research after having to dodge them when she came here and discovered the video of Katie and Archer.”
“That has to be bullshit,” she argued. “There’s no way she didn’t know about the video before she came here.”
“That’s what I thought too. But she never mentioned it when she was here, so maybe…anyway, I guess it’s irrelevant. I called her back to keep the peace. I told her I had it under control and that we have private security dedicated to Katie’s safety until this all blows over.
“Then she started saying how she felt I had put Katie in unnecessary danger. She said I should have used better judgment than to let the video go out on social media. She asked how I thought Katie could ever have a normal life if she’s in the public eye due to my high-profile career. She wanted to know how Katie would be able to attend school and socialize with her friends like typical kids.”
Dread made Jasmine’s lungs feel leaden. “She’s going to try and modify Katie’s custody order, isn’t