Scarlett’s fingers found his, giving Wynn a deep sense of satisfaction.
“You can come see me tomorrow,” Rhett promised.
“Do you hurt, Daddy?” Cadence asked. “Your head looks funny with that big bandage.”
“I do, sweetheart, but the doctors helped fixed my boo-boos. I’m going to have to work really hard to get strong again.”
“You mean exercise, Daddy,” Cadence prompted. “I can help you.”
“I know you can, love.”
Cassie spoke up. “It’s time for you two and Daddy to get some sleep.”
“Mr. Wynn’s gonna read me American Girl,” Cadence said happily.
“Oh, he is? One chapter, Cadence. Then bed.”
“Okay, Mommy.”
“Thanks again for taking the kids,” Cassie said. “See you tomorrow.” She and Rhett blew kisses at the screen and then ended the connection.
Wynn read Cadence her chapter while Scarlett went off to read one to Kyle. After they tucked both children in for the night, he and Scarlett returned downstairs.
“You’re really good with kids,” she told him.
“I don’t know the first thing about them. Other than I was once a kid.”
She smiled. “They liked you. Kids don’t tolerate phoniness. You were yourself with them. That’s all you need to be.”
He slipped his arms around her. “You’re a great aunt to them.” He touched his mouth to hers for a slow, sweet kiss. “I don’t know about you but I’m exhausted. It’s been quite a day.”
“You can leave now,” she said.
“I don’t want to.” Wynn kissed her again. “All I want is to curl up with you next to me and fall asleep.”
Scarlett took his hand and led him back upstairs to a guest room.
“This is where I usually stay.”
They removed the throw pillows and turned back the covers.
“Normally, I’d strip off my clothes,” she said, “but if one of the kids has a nightmare, I want to be able to reach them as quickly as possible.”
“Clothes are fine with me,” Wynn said, pulling off his shoes and collapsing onto the bed.
Scarlett removed her shoes and turned out the light, leaving the door open and a dim light shining in the hallway. She climbed next to him and allowed Wynn to pull her close, her cheek resting against his chest.
“We should set a phone alarm,” she murmured. “I need to get the kids to school. You’ll need to go home and change in order to get to your meeting at Rylon. You can meet Henry there. Henry Lymon.”
“Why Henry Lymon?” he asked, wondering what went into her choice of a substitute in tomorrow’s legal proceedings.
“He’s not only the managing partner at Lymon McGraw but the brightest guy in the office. He’s quick, ruthless, and the person I’d want representing me—especially if Rylon tries to turn things south.”
“You anticipate they will?”
“No. In fact, Rylon only made one slight change to the contracts I wrote. Still, it gives me peace of mind to know Henry will have perused them before you go in together and that he’ll be at the signing in case they try to throw any last-minute curve balls.”
He yawned. “Okay. I’m fine with Henry for tomorrow as long as you’re my attorney of record for everything else,” Wynn told her sleepily, drifting off.
CHAPTER 17
Once Scarlett fed Kyle and Cadence breakfast and helped them dress, Wynn dropped the children at school and returned to the Corrigan house. The past month had been one the happiest he’d experienced as he’d become deeply enmeshed in the Corrigans’ lives. He hadn’t felt as full of energy or carefree since when he’d first discovered acting back in college.
Or so giddy. That wild, free, exciting feeling of falling in love. Spending a good portion of every day with the woman who’d come to mean everything to him.
Scarlett had done exactly as she said and cashed in on her plethora of vacation days from Lymon McGraw. She’d tag teamed with Wynn the first two weeks, helping Rhett and Cassie in multiple ways while he finished his hospital stay. The couple decided taking Rhett to rehab twice a day, as the physical therapist at the hospital suggested, would only be a distraction to other patients’ recoveries. Instead, they’d hired a professional to come to their home. Rhett had a full gym at his disposal and privacy in which to rehab his injured knee. He said he could concentrate better and work harder without having to worry about cell phones recording his every move or facing the paparazzi coming and going multiple times a day. He also saw a trauma therapist who came to the house twice a week. Though he found it hard to talk about the incident, he indicated he was making progress.
Once Rhett settled into a routine, Cassie did, as well. She’d attacked the Carbon Man screenplay with enthusiasm and had already knocked out the first draft, placing it in Breck’s hands. Now, she tinkered with the untitled Mark Brockwell project until Breck made his additions and deletions to the Carbon Man script and returned it for her final approval.
That meant Scarlett had begun working again, as she remained in the guest bedroom she’d taken over. She didn’t return to the office but handled things from Rhett’s house, with her main focus getting the Monroes’ company up and running. She tried to accomplish what she needed to do during the hours Kyle and Cadence were in school and then she and Wynn spent time with the kids. Since Dash and Sydney’s children were often present, Wynn had gotten to know Drew and Harper, as well. Being around the four bright, inquisitive children only cemented the fact that he would enjoy fatherhood.
With his future settled, thanks to Henry Lymon accompanying Wynn to the Rylon Pictures meeting and efficiently handling the signing of the contracts that Scarlett had written and approved of, Wynn began to hang around Dash DeLauria quite a bit, gleaning every tidbit he could about RCDS and how the production company was run. Wynn had many ideas
