Page 33 of At the Heart of It (The Can’t Have Hearts Club #4)

Amy looked at her for a few beats, then leaned closer. “I wasn’t asking you about Jonah as he relates to the show,” Amy added. “I just wondered how you’re doing. If you’re feeling weird about things.”

“I’m a professional,” Kate said. “I’m here to do a job, and it doesn’t matter if?—”

“You’re also a human.” Amy put a hand on Kate’s arm. “And my friend. And I’m asking how you’re feeling.”

The kindness in Amy’s eyes made Kate take a deep breath before responding. “Yeah. I’m fine. I mean—you tell me. Do you think I’m acting unusual?”

“You’ve avoided eye contact with Jonah, but you’ve been doing that from the start,” Amy said. “I doubt Viv has noticed.”

“I’m glad. And I’m glad tomorrow’s filming schedule has them in different places. I just—” She stopped herself, not entirely sure what she’d been ready to say. How much she wanted to admit. “I don’t want to mess things up.”

“And you haven’t. Everything’s fine. If you want to know the truth, I’m glad you did it.”

Kate frowned. “Why? So we can drag my skeletons out of the closet if there’s a ratings slump?”

“No, hon. Because you needed to get laid.”

She sighed and glanced at the closed door. Shaking her head, she looked back at Amy. “Could I have possibly chosen a worse person to scratch that particular itch?”

“You tell me,” Amy said. “From the look on your face this morning, I’m guessing he wasn’t that bad.”

Kate felt heat creep into her cheeks, but she couldn’t resist smiling a little. “That isn’t what I meant.”

“I know.” Amy flashed her a smile. “Look, it’s not like they have any claim on each other. Even if she found out?—”

“She can never find out!” Kate felt the blood drain from her face. “Can you imagine how unprofessional that would look?”

“Relax, Kate. I’m just saying, they’re divorced. They’ve been divorced for a year. That means neither of them has any say in who the other sleeps with.”

“I know that. In theory.” She sighed, trying to think of how to explain this. “It’s just—she’s been this constant presence in my life, getting me through all the toughest stuff. And now I’m repaying her by sleeping with her ex-husband?”

“She’s a professional colleague, Kate. Not your girlfriend. Not even your shrink.”

“Well, you’re my professional colleague, too.”

Amy laughed. “A professional colleague who loaned you a dress to get laid in. And if I had an ex-husband, you could borrow him, too.”

“You’re a good friend, Amy.”

Amy grinned and gave her another squeeze. Then she glanced down at the buzzing two-way radio on her hip. “Looks like they’re about to break for the day.”

As if on cue, the door pushed open and Kate and Amy sprung apart like two teenagers caught kissing.

Viv floated into the hallway with her shimmery orange silk top billowing behind her.

She wore black velvet pants that fit like a second skin, and dainty red boots that laced up the back.

The second she spotted Kate and Amy, she beamed.

“We did it!” She clasped each of them by a shoulder, practically radiating joy. “We had a major breakthrough in there just now.”

“That’s wonderful!” Kate kicked herself for missing it, but at least it was on tape. She’d see it later. “So they decided to save the marriage?”

“It was beautiful,” Viv gushed. “Sam confessed to Elena that his greatest fear is losing her, so he’s been pushing her away to test her.

And Elena explained how that was bringing up all these memories of her father leaving when she was six, and the way her mother used to—well, you’ll see it all when you watch the tape. ”

“Congratulations,” Amy said. “Sounds like a job well done.”

“Thanks.” Viv closed her eyes and tilted her face toward the ceiling.

The gesture would have seemed weird from anyone else, but from Viv, it looked like a prayer.

“It feels so incredible to be part of something like that. To know I played a role in someone deciding to fight for a marriage instead of throwing in the towel.”

The wistfulness in Viv’s voice left Kate wondering how many clients she’d had just throw in the towel.

It had to feel good to get the hard-earned happily-ever-after.

Kate studied Viv, hoping the cameras had done their job capturing this exact look from the doctor.

If they had, viewers were going to eat it up.

Viv opened her eyes again and sighed. “Do you think you got the footage we needed?”

“We had four cameras in there,” Kate said. “I was looking over Pete’s shoulder and saw some of the shots he was getting. It’s safe to say you nailed it.”

“The network guys are happy so far,” Amy said. “They love the rough clips we sent yesterday.”

“Good,” Viv said. “I’m so glad. It’s wonderful when all the pieces fall together like this. It’s like it was meant to be.”

The parlor door pushed open again, and Jonah stepped into the hall.

He blinked, looking startled to see them, and Kate felt her heart lodge in her throat.

The two exes locked eyes for an instant, and Kate wondered what separated a couple who threw in the towel from one who decided to stay and fight.

“Hey, Jonah,” Amy said. “Nice work in there.”

“Thanks.” He cleared his throat. “You were great, too, Viv.”

He said nothing to Kate, but he gave her a friendly nod of acknowledgement. There, they could do this. They could play it cool, pretend nothing had happened.

“How was last night, Jonah?” Viv asked.

He frowned. “What?”

“You said you had plans at the bookstore,” she said. “I assumed you had an event or something.”

“Oh.” He cleared his throat again. “Right. It was great. Everything was great.”

“Wonderful! I haven’t been in there for so long. I’d love to come by sometime and see what you’ve done with the place. Is your manager running things while you’re on set?”

“Yeah. Beth’s great,” he said. “Everything’s great.”

Kate looked away, worried her gaze was making him nervous. She focused on Amy instead, whose eyes held a hint of sympathy.

“We’re actually going to do some filming at the bookstore next week,” Amy said. “Some B-roll backstory stuff with Jonah working out, shelving books, filling cat bowls—that sort of thing.”

“Sure,” Jonah said, and Kate turned to see him nodding along with Amy. “Did you have a chance to talk with the execs about doing some stuff at my sister’s animal shelter?”

“I ran it by Chase on the phone,” Amy said. “He gave it the green light. Kate can give you a call tonight to work out the schedule for those segments.”

Kate nodded and tried not to look alarmed. This is how they’d normally split up the work. There was nothing suspicious about her being the one to work directly with Jonah. So why was she having trouble looking at Viv?

“I can also shoot you an email with some times,” Kate offered. “If you’re too busy to chat.”

“Let’s play it by ear,” Jonah said.

“Let’s.”

Silence stretched out for a few beats, and Kate glanced at Viv. Was she noticing anything? Or was the awkwardness all in Kate’s head?

Viv beamed at Jonah, still riding the wave of pride in their on-screen victory with Sam and Elena. “Thanks again for being here, Jonah,” she said. “I’m excited about what we’re doing here. What we’re accomplishing together. This is important work.”

He nodded once. “Sure thing. Beats baling hay or cleaning sewers for a paycheck.”

Viv laughed, and touched his arm. It was probably meant to be a playful swat, but coming from Viv’s delicate hand, it looked like a caress. Kate breathed deeply, trying to ignore the sensation of someone grabbing her by the throat.

She turned back to Amy, needing to get her eyes off the friendly exes. “You want to go grab some coffee? We can go over the figures for?—”

“Actually, ladies,” Viv interrupted, “I was hoping to talk with you quickly before you leave.”

Kate swung her gaze back to Viv, who had blessedly removed her hand from Jonah’s arm. “Any chance you have a few moments?”

Kate’s pulse thrummed in her ears, but she found herself nodding. “Of course.”

“Excellent.” Viv reached up and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “There’s something private I’d like to discuss. I’d really rather do this in my office if you don’t mind.”

The words hung there in the air for a moment, and Kate felt her mouth go dry. Did Viv know something? Had she read it in Kate’s face, or had Jonah given it away somehow?

She avoided looking at him, but heard him mumble a farewell. Conscious of his footsteps retreating down the hall, she managed a faint wave, then turned to follow Viv the opposite direction. Amy fell into step beside Kate and gave her a discreet elbow-nudge.

“What the hell?” she asked with her eyes.

Kate pressed her lips together, not daring to shrug as she watched Viv’s back moving down the hall ahead of them. Did Viv know something? Kate’s mind raced with excuses, with justifications for what happened between her and Jonah.

It was just one time.

There’s nothing serious going on.

I would never do anything to compromise the show.

Viv used a key to open a room at the end of the hallway.

Pushing open the door, she waved them inside.

Kate looked around, feeling like a terrified fangirl in Viv’s office.

The desk was huge and uncluttered, and the bookshelves held an eclectic assortment of art and reference books.

An unlit candle on the corner of an end table filled the room with the scent of sage and cedar.

A cozy-looking red loveseat occupied one wall, but Kate sensed that wasn’t where she should sit.

She turned and chose one of the padded leather chairs in front of the desk.

Amy did likewise, folding her hands in her lap as they both watched Viv lock the door.

Then she turned and moved behind her desk in solemn silence.

She seated herself in a tall leather chair, her posture unusually straight.

Kate watched, on alert as Viv took a deep breath and laced her fingers together on the polished mahogany surface.