Hot Property

Sure enough, the normally low-key staff grouped around the couple, bowing and scraping as if the king and queen of England themselves had arrived. Roper didn’t know if the staff knew who the famous couple was. Harrison and Cassandra probably just looked important enough to warrant extra attention.

Roper finished his drink in one long sip, placed the glass on the bar and rose to greet his mother.

AMY ARRIVED IN THE LOBBY at the same time Cassandra Lee and Harrison Smith made their entrance. Her success at securing an appointment with Sports Illustrated to interview Roper suddenly didn’t feel like such a coup. Instead all she could do was fear that he’d forget the lessons learned at the lodge about putting himself first and revert to the dutiful son who catered to his mother’s every whim.

“Maybe I don’t give him enough credit,” she muttered.

“Give who enough credit?” Roper joined her at the bar entrance.

She hadn’t meant to speak aloud. “No one,” she murmured. “Have they seen you yet?” she asked, tilting her head toward his mother and the director.

He shook his head. “But it’s only a matter of time.”

“John!”

His mother noticed him. “That was quick,” he muttered.

Amy drew in a deep breath and together they headed toward Cassandra, who was waving madly.

Harrison stepped away, having a conversation with the luggage valet.

“Darling!” Cassandra called.

Amy winced at the long-haired fur she wore, which was really noticeable in a day and age it wasn’t considered politically correct.

“It’s so good to see you!” Cassandra came at him with open arms, enveloping him in chinchilla.

“Isn’t this a surprise,” Roper said drolly, once he’d extricated himself and stepped back.

He tried to sound upset with her, but Amy couldn’t help but notice the warmth and affection in his tone despite his mother’s unwanted intrusion.

“You and I have so much to catch up on. I won’t even scold you for dropping off the face of the earth without so much as a word to your own mother.” Cassandra’s pout was actress perfect.

“I think you just did,” Roper said with a grin.

Ignoring the subtle rebuke, Cassandra turned to her companion. “Harrison,” she called. He stepped back toward her. “Be a dear and see to our rooms. Plural, remember? That means two. Preferably on different floors or opposite ends of the hall if I have no other choice.” Without waiting for an answer, she hooked her arm through her son’s. “I want to hear all about your time here,” she said to Roper.

Not a word to Amy, not even a greeting. Amy wasn’t surprised since she was the one who had helped orchestrate the separation between the actress and her beloved son.

“Hello, Cassandra, it’s nice to see you again,” Amy said, unwilling to meet rudeness with rudeness.

Cassandra lifted her chin a notch. “Hello,” she said stiffly.

Amy sensed the hurt behind the cool facade, but she couldn’t apologize. Not without losing her edge in this situation.

“Come, darling, show me where you’ve been hiding out.” Cassandra pivoted and tugged on Roper’s arm, urging him to walk away with her.

Amy glanced at her watch before meeting Roper’s gaze. “You have an appointment with the physical therapist in ten minutes,” she reminded him.

Cassandra let out a frustrated, exaggerated sigh. “You’ve probably been seeing your therapist daily while I haven’t had five minutes with you in the past two weeks. I didn’t even know where to find you. Surely you can skip just one appointment so we can catch up. You can’t imagine what Harrison and that horrible Yank Morgan put me through.”

Amy bit the inside of her cheek to keep from telling the prima donna that she didn’t deserve what Yank and Harrison had done. They’d pushed her into taking a role that would put her back in the public eye, make her a ton of money and give her back her sense of self.

No, Amy thought, watching her manipulate her son, she didn’t deserve such good fortune. It was time for her to grow up. But Amy didn’t expect Cassandra Lee to understand just yet. She did, however, expect Roper to make his mother see the light. Surely he’d experienced enough freedom of thought, mind and body while here to know he needed it to survive. Surely he could see his mother needed to be pushed away from him in order to make her own way in life once more.

He had to set parameters with his family and this was the ultimate test.

“John?” his mother asked.

Yes, John, what will it be? Amy wondered, but she remained silent. She folded her arms across her chest and waited for him to decide-physical therapy and his career or his mother and her whims.

Roper had never felt so torn in his entire life. There hadn’t been a day when he’d ignored his mother’s needs. She’d been the rock in his life after she split with his father and again when Ben and Sabrina’s dad took off for good.

To his surprise now, he resented her intrusion into the progress he’d been making in his rehabilitation, his thought processes and with Amy. But as she pleaded with him now, desperation and fear in her eyes and her voice, he didn’t know how to shut her out.

He’d have to explain it to her, of course, and maybe start slowly with real rules she had to follow. But he couldn’t turn her away cold turkey.

Both women waited. He wanted to please them both. Because he loved them both.

He loved them both.

Which meant he loved Amy.

Holy shit.

His palms began to sweat and his body overheated at the sudden, but not so unexpected realization.

He needed time to process the revelation as much as he needed time to ease his mother into the way things would be between them from now on.

“I’m going to skip this one appointment and talk to my mother,” he said to Amy. He met Amy’s gaze, silently imploring her to understand the choice he’d made.

A flash of pure disappointment crossed her face. “I have some things to do in my room.” She turned and walked away.

His stomach plummeted, but he’d just have to explain later tonight when they were alone.

When she always seemed to understand what he wanted and needed.

And he needed her.

“I AM SO DONE,” AMY SAID as she pulled her suitcase out of the closet and tossed it onto the mattress.

Hannah flipped the top closed. “No, you are not. You can’t walk away from Roper.”

Pausing by the bed, Amy opened the suitcase again. “Watch me.” She headed to the drawers and began pulling her clothes out, packing her items in the large bag. “I called the Hot Zone and Micki agreed. If Roper can’t stick to his schedule within five minutes of his mother’s return, then he can damn well fix his career himself.”

Drawers emptied, Amy turned to the closet and laid her pants, jeans and sweaters neatly inside the suitcase, then wedged her shoes in the sides.

Hannah seated herself on the bed and curled her legs beneath her, watching Amy’s manic packing. “I’m not talking about his career or your role as his publicist. I’m talking about you, Amy, the woman, walking away from John Roper, the man.”

“Have you made any progress getting Mike to forgive you for calling your mother?” Amy asked, moving toward the bathroom for her toiletries.

“No, but he’s a man and he’s stubborn. But you don’t see me leaving him because I don’t like the decisions he’s made,” Hannah said, loud enough for Amy to hear as she pulled her shampoo and conditioner out of the shower.

“Here’s the thing,” Amy said, rejoining Hannah and continuing to pack. “I got involved with Roper while we