Caz’s hand pulled her back down. “Don’t scream. There’s dust. Your dad wasn’t near us. He’s okay.” He brushed a hand over her arm and pointed toward the crawl space. “Let’s go through.”

“We can’t. The architect told me about that.” Ashley tried to keep the panic out of her voice. “You can’t build permanent things with that metal here in California because it won’t withstand earthquakes. And there could be aftershocks.”

Caz looked ready to argue, but her tense grip and whatever was in her eyes made him agree.

There wasn’t room in their nook for her to stand. The sensation of being trapped and the creaking of the metal around her made her heart pound. “It’s going to fall again. We’re stuck. I can’t see my dad.” She peered through the darkness. “Dad!” she screamed again.

Caz pulled a cell phone from his jacket. “Try him.”

Ashley tapped in his number with shaking fingers. A busy signal beeped on the other end. She hit the end key and typed again. This time she pinged a text and sent an email.

Beep.

The response was immediate. Dad’s response read, “Hold tight. Fire crew on it. All okay here.”

She slumped against Caz. His hand covered hers and he read the text over her shoulder. She buried her face against his neck, trying to stop trembling.

“When you’re an architect you could construct us a better platform.”

Her arms tightened on his shoulders. “Okay.”

Crash. The small tunnel he’d suggested they crawl through collapsed completely, stirring up more dirt and debris. They lowered their faces away from the projectiles and pluming dust.

His arms tightened around her. “Good call.”

“I hope everyone’s okay.”

“Me too.” Caz stroked her hair. He sent a few texts out and shared the replies with her. “Garrett’s gone to the pub. He’ll hold us a seat.”

Ashley melted deeper into him and they clung together a long time, not talking until her jumbled thoughts turned to their fight; not that any of it mattered now, but the thoughts ate at her. She looked into his eyes. “May I ask you something?”

“Anything.”

“How can you be so friendly with people you know used you or tried to, like some of these people from the studio? But when it was Garrett and me, you wrote us off.”

His hand stilled against her face. “I don’t give a toss about the others.”

Ashley toyed with his hand, her fingers trembling.

His hand slid into her hair, and his voice took on a serious tone. “I’ll believe you next time. Always. I swear.”

While they waited for the rescue crew Ashley told him about seeing Olive with the pill bottle and overhearing Olive talk to Petra about pregnancy that first day on set.

Caz didn’t take away what she thought he would from her story. He looked disappointed and said, “So you didn’t fancy me? The box wasn’t an invitation?”

“I was saving you from a lifetime of being someone’s baby-daddy. You should be thankful.”

Caz shook his head. “No. I was hoping you fancied me.”

“I fancy you now.” Ashley brushed at some of the dirt on his sleeve. “Well, I do when you’re not so dirty.” She looked directly into his eyes. “Thanks for saving me from the earthquake.”

He brushed a strand of hair off her cheek. “Maybe your dad will let you date me now.”

“Probably not.”

“Yes.”

“Then I could really show you how to kiss.”

He smiled.

Hands broke through the rubble. “Caspian, give us your hands.”

Caz pushed her forward. “Get my girlfriend out first.”

Ashley tried to stay as still as possible while they pulled her free, worried about knocking more rubble down onto Caz. The metal creaked and dust flew up. Arms lifted her and passed her across the heap to a firefighter on the edge of the rubble. He lowered her down on the pavement. Ashley turned back to wait for Caz.

Another firefighter appeared at her right elbow. She placed an oxygen mask over Ashley’s face and pulled her arm. “You have to get out of their way and let them work.” The firefighter led her over to an ambulance and a paramedic checked her out.

Dad ran through the crowd and grabbed her in a hug.

Ashley pulled the oxygen mask off. “I’m okay.”

He pushed the mask back in place. “We’ll see what the doctor says.” Another firefighter walked up with Caz, pointing at the ambulance.

Caz, covered in dust, coughed and shook his head. “I’m fine.”

Ashley grabbed him in a hug.

“You’re going,” Dad said to Ashley. He looked at Caz. “He can stay if he wants. The press probably wants to talk to him.”

Caz frowned, and coughed into his arm. “I’m going with Ashley.” The paramedic put an oxygen mask over his face and Caz shrugged out of his dirty jacket.

“I can take care of my daughter.” Dad brushed a hand against her hair. “We need to call your mom before she sees this on the news.”

Caz lifted his mask and said, “Yeah, the stress can’t be good for someone that pregnant.”

Ashley shook her head and wiped her hand across her neck, her eyes frantically telling Caz to stop talking.

“What?” Dad said. “Pregnant?”

Ashley kept her mask on and avoided his gaze.

Dad lifted the mask away enough so she could speak. Her words came out fast, between coughs. “Mom’s going to tell you. But she knows you’re busy, and didn’t want to burden you. You know Mom.”

He put the mask back in place. “Burden me?” His voice tensed and all his calm strength left as he said, “She’s pregnant? Why the secrecy?” His tone held a combination of shock, outrage, and concern. “Is your mom okay?”

Ashley held both thumbs up.

Dad looked incredulous. “Why am I the last to know?”

Caz said, “You didn’t bother to see Ashley all summer.”

Ashley shook her head at Caz again and tried to put the oxygen over his mouth.

“That’s one of the reasons it’s stupid to date an actor. Their priorities aren’t straight. That’s why I dumped Bevan.” Dad faced her and put his hands on her arms. “Nothing is more important than my kid.”

Ashley returned his hug.

Dad stiffened when she whispered, “Kids.”

Chapter 28

Ashley stood with her back against the column at Royce Hall. Her UCLA campus classmates hung nearby, too giddy at having completed finals to go through the usual post-exam second-guessing. Her fall freshman semester was complete. She tilted her head back, smiled at the arch above them then at her friends, and powered her phone back on. The indicator flashed four text messages.

Dad: “How’d your English lit final go?”

Click. “Are you done? Spaghetti tonight, love, Mom.”

Click. “You better not be wearing sweats. I don’t care if it is finals, Powder.”

She was, navy ones, and her hair was pulled into a ponytail. Powder would die.

Click. Marissa: “Pastry final done. Aced it. Yay. You?”

“Going out with us to celebrate?” one of the guys asked and stepped closer.

Ashley shook her head.

Another classmate said, “Let me guess, your boyfriend is out of town for work again?”

One of the girls rolled her eyes. “You know she only says she has a boyfriend so you’ll stop hounding her to go out with you.”

A Bentley Continental Supersports convertible pulled up, and her boyfriend got out. Wearing dark Oakley sunglasses and walking with a movie star swagger, Caz headed straight up the path toward them.

Ashley grinned. She missed him when he went on location. Caz’s arm went around her, and he shouldered her backpack before kissing her in a fast hellokiss. Ashley relaxed against him then introduced her friends. After the dropping jaws and greetings, she and Caz walked hand in hand toward his new car.

He said, “I missed you. My assistant on set did not compare.”