Hannah stopped in her tracks, debating whether or not to read it now or wait ’til after the event. She hadn’t heard from Ed for a while, and was concerned he might’ve heard some of the ruckus with Rob that night and been annoyed by the noise. Despite the thaw, he was still a cranky old man who could turn from hot to cold in a heartbeat.

No, she didn’t need any more distractions. With all that had happened lately, her emotions were fragile enough and tonight she really needed to be on top of her game.

Whatever this was, it could wait.

Chapter 58

WARD

Ward waited for the limo to stop before he jumped out to open the door for Shelley. Waving goodbye to her mom and her cute-as-a-button five-year-old, she exited her place in the Bronx looking nervous – a first for her, he noted chuckling.

She fidgeted with the bodice of the dress a little before moving her hand to her shining tresses, tapping her hair gently to check whether everything was staying in place.

‘Do I look OK?’ she asked him tentatively, and Ward gave her a lopsided grin, totally unfamiliar with this side of her.

‘You look incredible.’

This had all turned into something that they hadn’t planned, but he was glad to have her by his side. There was never any denying that Shelley was a showstopper – and it wouldn’t be hard for her to play the role of pro athlete girlfriend tonight – she fit the mould, for real or otherwise.

The driver pulled away and headed back towards Manhattan to the Hudson Yards venue where Hannah was waiting for them.

He glanced out the window at the city streets, thinking about the night ahead. He wasn’t entirely sure yet how he and Shelley were going to backtrack when all was said and done, especially after appearing in front of the press together, but he would think about that later.

He chuckled inwardly. But he was really interested in what Johnny would have to say about it once his buddy saw the pictures show up.

Shelley interrupted his musing.

‘So this red carpet thing …’ she began. ‘I’m not gonna lie, I’m nervous. All those cameras flashing – people shouting, this is not exactly my wheelhouse. What should I do? How do I stand? I’ve only ever seen celebrities on TV. I never thought I would be the one doing this stuff – especially since I’m not a celebrity.’

‘Red carpets are bullshit,’ Ward grunted.

‘Wow. Thanks for calming my nerves.’

‘No, I mean, yeah, they are actual bullshit. Nothing but a circus, and award ceremonies are fake and scripted too. I’ll be with you all the time though, so all you have to do is smile, take a step, look at the cameras, smile and then repeat that about a thousand times. That’s all there is to it.’