Carolina Breeze

by Denise Hunter

  “It’s all right. I like fresh air.” She filled her lungs with a breath full of pine and the sweet scent of some flower. She’d have to get clothes appropriate for hiking. She was used to being busy and didn’t want to leave too much time to wallow in her misery. Plus, the exercise would keep her fit. It would be refreshing to burn calories on trails rather than at the gym. She glanced at the ridge of mountains rising up over the still lake. Not to mention the grand views.

  The lake was nestled in the mountains like a baby in a cradle. She scanned the panorama, wondering what her mother had thought of it. On the rare occasions Bluebell had come up, her mom had scoffed at it. But Mia thought the little lake town seemed like the ideal place to grow up.

  Levi had no sooner gotten outside of town than he put up the windows and cranked up the air conditioning.

  Mia shifted in her seat, feeling disconnected there in the back. The professional distance wouldn’t help when she tried to explain why she was here alone. Maybe she should just let it go—he was obviously going to. But it would feel like an elephant in the room whenever she saw him, and she’d grown up with enough elephants to know they didn’t belong indoors.

  She cleared her throat and looked at the sliver of his face she could see in the rearview mirror—basically his very blue eyes and the dark slashes of his brows.

  “So, um, listen,” she began, her heart beating ridiculously hard, “you must be wondering why I’m here alone.”

  He kept his eyes on the road. “It’s not really any of my business.”

  “Still . . . I’ll be here a week, and I’d just rather have it out there if it’s all the same to you. My fiancé and I broke off our engagement months ago, and I decided I needed to get away for a while. So here I am.”

  “I’m sorry to hear that.”

  “Thank you, but it was for the best.” It had taken her some time and distance to believe that. When she mourned now it was only for what she’d thought they’d had, not what had actually been. An important distinction.

  “Well, I hope you’ll feel at home at the Bluebell Inn. If you need any suggestions for things to do, let me know. There’s not much by way of nightlife even in the summer, but there’s always Asheville.”

  Mia had no interest in “nightlife.” And she didn’t want to talk about herself anymore. “How long have you owned the inn?”

  He navigated a curve as they started through the mountain pass. “It was actually my childhood home. My sisters and I inherited it almost two years ago when our parents passed.”

  “I’m sorry for your loss.”

  “Thank you. They’d dreamed of making it into an inn and running it in their retirement—it used to be an inn years ago. Are you cool enough? I can turn up the air.”

  “I’m fine, thank you.” She wondered if he was always so attentive. He seemed like a nice guy. But in her experience good-looking men usually came with big egos. Heaven knew she’d worked with enough of them. But Levi seemed refreshingly unaware of his appeal.

  “There are some nice boutiques in Asheville,” Levi said. “Nothing like—well, I’m sure you’ll find some clothes to your liking at one of them.”

  His eyes tightened at the corners, and she realized he’d been avoiding eye contact since she’d come downstairs this morning. She thought of the way he’d ushered her into the back seat like she was some kind of diva. The way he’d assumed she was interested in the area’s nightlife and would prefer boutiques to a department store.

  All of these facts added up to only one thing. He’d recognized her. Her breaths grew shallow at the thought.

  She stared at him in the rearview mirror and decided to face it head on. “You know, don’t you?”

  “Excuse me?” Still no eye contact.

  “You know who I am.”

  He cleared his throat. “Of course I do. I checked you in.”

  She didn’t know if it was his reticence to admit the truth or the fact that she’d been recognized that frustrated her more. If he knew who she was he might also know of the brewing scandal. What must he think of her—a woman who’d been recently jilted and was now trying to steal another woman’s husband?

  Worse than that, what if he outed her to the media? Had she come all this way for nothing? Why had she presumed she’d be safe on the backside of nowhere?

  She wiped her sweaty palms down her yoga pants. “I know you know, so you might as well admit it.”

  Finally he met her gaze in the mirror. Something in his eyes softened in the instant before they turned back to the road. “All right. Yes, I do know who you are.”

  She closed her eyes. “Great. Just great.”

  “I thought you’d feel more comfortable if you were incognito.”

  No wonder he’d been so accommodating. A social media post from a celebrity like her could tank his business. Or put it on the map.

  People only gave to get. You’d think she’d have learned this lesson long ago. Maybe she wasn’t in Hollywood anymore, but even people in quaint little towns had agendas of their own.

  “You don’t have to worry about a thing,” Levi said. “Discretion is a part of my job.”

  So he said. She shook the negative thoughts from her head and tried to be conversational. “So, I guess you saw Into the Deep?”

  “Um . . . only the original version.”

  “From 1974? How did you recognize me then?”

  He paused long enough to let her know he was reluctant to answer.

  Oh no. He knew about the scandal somehow. Why had she thought she could fly under the radar out here? She had to do something to keep him from selling her out.

  “Look, I really don’t want anyone to know I’m here. It’s important that I just lie low for a few days—”

  “I won’t say anything.”

  “—so what’ll it take to keep you quiet?”

  His eyes met hers in the mirror, holding for a long beat. “Excuse me?”

  Her face heated to the tips of her ears. “Sorry to be so crass, but I could tell by the way you hesitated that—”

  “I hesitated because my sister is the one who recognized you.”

  “Your sister knows too?” She couldn’t keep the frustration from her voice.

  His eyes squeezed in a wince. “Both my sisters, actually. But they won’t say anything. You have my word.”

  She barely held back the wry huff. His word. If she had a document with all the “words” people had taken back she’d need a file the size of a dump truck to house them all.

  “You’re our guest, and we take your needs seriously. You have nothing to worry about where we’re concerned. I can’t guarantee someone else won’t recognize you though.”

  She supposed that would be his excuse when he leaked her whereabouts for a hefty finder’s fee. “Actually, people usually don’t recognize me when I’m wearing my disguise. Especially not when I’m so far from California.”

  “Well, that’ll work in your favor then.” He took them through a series of hairpin turns.

  Mia stared out the window at the thick green woods, suddenly feeling even worse than she had this morning when she’d awakened. Should she cut her losses and leave now? But she really did want to explore Bluebell. She wanted to revel a little while in the town and imagine her ancestors living there. Imagine what life might’ve been like if she’d grown up there too.

  Besides, where would she even go? She could be recognized anywhere. At least the innkeeper hadn’t told anyone about the scandal.

  Yet.

  seven

  Levi stowed Mia’s shopping bags in the trunk. He’d been waiting in the car, windows down, for over an hour. Not long considering all the bags she’d emerged with.

  “Did you get everything you need?” he asked, opening the rear door for her. “The boutiques aren’t far from here.”

  “I’m shopped out. But would you mind stopping at Barnes and Noble before we head back?”

  “Of course not.” He got in the car, started
it, and put the windows up. He turned the air conditioning to high and pulled from the parking space.

  She’d been less friendly since he’d admitted he knew who she was. He guessed he couldn’t blame her. Being famous was probably a pain in the butt. A huge invasion of privacy.

  Still, he felt the need to be congenial. He didn’t want her thinking poorly of the inn, after all. When she left he wanted her to recommend it to all her celebrity friends.

  “I don’t know if you had a chance to see it, but we have a fully stocked library at the inn. Feel free to borrow anything you’d like.”

  “Thank you.”

  “What do you like to read?” he asked.

  “Memoirs mostly.”

  “I would’ve thought fiction since you’re in movies.”

  “I like fiction too.”

  He started to mention that Molly’s boyfriend was a famous author, but being a name-dropper probably wasn’t the best way to disarm her.

  “So, why Bluebell?” he asked. “It’s not exactly on anyone’s list of best summer spots.”

  She hesitated for just a moment. “Actually, my grandparents used to own the inn.”

  Levi’s eyes sharpened on hers in the mirror. “The Bluebell Inn?”

  “Yes. My mom grew up there.”

  “Was your grandfather Governor Jennings?”

  “No, he was Paul Livingston.”

  Levi smiled. “Paul and Dorothy. They owned the inn from ’63 till ’86.”

  Mia perked up. “You know of them?”

  “Of course. They’re part of the inn’s history. Wait. I was always under the impression the Livingstons didn’t have children.”

  “My mom was an only child. She left home at eighteen, and she was estranged from her family. My grandparents died before I was born, but I’ve always wanted to visit Bluebell.”

  Estranged. Levi supposed that was why Dorothy had never mentioned her daughter in her journal. Too painful.

  “Did you know your grandmother kept a journal? We have it in our library.”

  She briefly met his gaze in the mirror, a spark of interest in her eyes. “What? Are you serious?”

  It made him feel a little heady to feed that hungry look in her eyes. “Dead serious. I’ll pull it out for you.”

  “I’d love that.”

  A glance in the rearview mirror afforded him his first view of Mia’s smile.

  He stopped at the bookstore, and she returned moments later with a small bag. Once in the car she pulled off her ball cap and ran her fingers through her hair.

  The drive home was quiet. Mia was on her phone, texting someone. There might as well have been a glass partition between them for all the conversation they were having.

  He gave a quiet sigh of relief when he finally pulled up to the inn. He helped her out and began removing the bags from the trunk.

  “I can get those.”

  “It’s no problem.”

  They walked up the steps onto the porch, and Mia held the door open for him. Grace was behind the front desk, wielding a duster, and Molly was watering the peace lily just off the foyer. He happened to know both chores had been done the day before.

  He scowled at his sisters as Mia closed the door.

  “Hello,” Molly greeted Mia, her smile wide, her eyes a little too excited.

  “Hi,” Mia said.

  “Hi. We met earlier. I’m Grace, one of the owners.”

  “I remember. Breakfast was great, thank you.”

  “I’m Molly!”

  Levi recognized that look. Take it down a notch or ten, Molly.

  “Nice to meet you,” Mia said cautiously.

  Molly was biting her lip, making her face twist in a weird way, and her cheeks were slightly flushed.

  He rolled his eyes at his sisters. “She knows we know.”

  Molly slumped. “Oh, thank God.”

  “And even if she hadn’t, she would’ve known now. You two are about as transparent as plastic wrap.”

  “I’m such a fan!” Molly said. “Can I hug you? Man, you don’t even need makeup; you’re so gorgeous.”

  “Um, thank you . . .” Mia graciously accepted Molly’s hug.

  “You were so awesome in Into the Deep! Your hair’s really grown out.” Molly lifted the honey strands that flowed past Mia’s shoulder.

  “Molly,” Levi chided.

  “Hey,” Molly said, staring closely at Mia’s face. “You have green eyes, not blue like you did in the movie.”

  “Contacts,” Mia said.

  “Pardon my sister,” Grace said. “She means well.”

  Levi cleared his throat. “So listen, Mia would like to maintain her privacy while here, so of course I assured her we’ll be very discreet.”

  “Of course!” Molly said. “That’s part of our job. We won’t tell a soul, will we, Grace?”

  “Not a single word,” Grace agreed.

  “And really,” Molly said, “you look so different from the way you looked in the movie. Grace actually recognized your voice before your face.”

  Mia’s eyes toggled between the three of them. “Um, thank you. I appreciate your discretion.”

  For an actress she had a transparent face, and right now she seemed overwhelmed and not a little wary.

  “Why don’t we get these bags upstairs?” Levi ushered Mia toward the steps.

  “It was nice to meet you,” Mia said as she headed up.

  “Our pleasure!” Molly said. “Really, it was great meeting you. And if there’s anything we can do to make your stay more enjoyable, just let us know!”

  On the turn to the second floor Levi gave Molly a look. Chill out.

  What? her look said.

  He followed Mia up the stairs, hoping his overenthusiastic sister hadn’t completely scared her off. But he forgot about Molly soon enough as he got caught in the sweet waft of Mia’s perfume. He dragged in a breath. Man, she smelled like heaven. And those jeans . . .

  He directed his gaze to the stairs. The plastic bags crinkled as they continued upward.

  “Your sisters seem . . . nice,” Mia said as they reached the top.

  “You really don’t have anything to worry about. I know Molly seemed a little excited to meet you, but she’s the soul of discretion.”

  “Good to know.”

  It was a throwaway statement. But he’d done everything he could to assure her. He got it. Actions spoke louder than words.

  Mia glanced around the hallway. “Is this a slow time of year for you or something?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I haven’t seen any other guests. Not that I’m complaining.”

  Levi studied her as they neared her door. She didn’t know? “Um, you booked the whole inn.”

  She stopped so suddenly he almost ran into her. “I what?”

  Levi flinched. Her turd of a fiancé had obviously handled all the arrangements. He tried for diplomacy. “You have the inn all to yourself this week.”

  Hurt flashed in her eyes as if she just remembered the broken engagement. But she quickly blinked it away and gave a wry laugh.

  It sounded so jaded he had the absurd notion to pull her into his arms and comfort her. What kind of a jerk asked a girl to marry him, planned a honeymoon and a wedding, then dumped her?

  “Well, I guess that works in my favor now, doesn’t it?” She unlocked the door and slipped inside, letting him pass. “Roses, champagne, flower petals, room service, chauffeur, and a rented-out inn. Any other little surprises I don’t know about?”

  He gave her a dry grin. “I think that about covers it.”

  “Thank you for your help. And the ride.”

  “That’s my job. Let me know if you need anything. I can recommend some places for dinner if you’d like.”

  “Thanks, but . . . I think I’d better just order takeout—assuming you have that here.”

  “Of course. And I can intercept it at the front desk for you.”

  “That would be great. Thank you. A
nd if you wouldn’t mind, I think I’d rather come down in the mornings for breakfast.”

  “No problem. I’ll let the others know.”

  Somehow even after he left her room he couldn’t forget that flash of pain or the mocking tone she’d used to mask it. Mia Emerson was much more than a pretty face. She was a woman who’d been hurt. A woman with her guard up. He felt a sudden desire to tear down all those walls.

  Then he gave his head a hard shake. He had quite enough people to take care of at the moment, thank you very much.

  When he reached the main floor, Molly silently took his arm and dragged him through the living room into the dining room.

  “Don’t you have something productive to do?” Levi asked. “Like helping Adam with his research?”

  Once inside the dining room, Grace pushed the French doors closed.

  “What is it now?” Levi asked.

  “Shhhh!” Molly hissed.

  Levi rolled his eyes. “Can we just handle this like mature adults, please?”

  Grace lifted her index finger. “I’d just like to point out that the youngest one here is not the one who lost her cool with our celebrity guest.” She fixed Molly with a superior look.

  “Duly noted.” Levi’s gaze drifted to Molly. “You’d never know you’re dating a famous author.”

  “Hey, I really liked that movie!”

  Grave waved off her words. “Back to the subject at hand . . . I have the lowdown on Mia, and I think you’re going to want to hear this.”

  Molly glared at her sister. “She wouldn’t tell me until you got here.”

  Levi gave Grace a tolerant look. “Please tell me you didn’t Google our guest again.”

  “There’s a scandal, Levi. You know Jax Jordan from the spy series you like?”

  He had the absurd urge to cover his ears. “I don’t want to hear any more.”

  “You don’t want to hear why she came on her honeymoon alone? Why she had no luggage? Why she’s hiding out in Bluebell, North Carolina, where she literally knows not a single soul?”

  “Those sites are just a bunch of gossip.” And yet, he couldn’t make himself simply turn and walk out of the room.

  “There are pictures.” Grace withdrew her phone. “I have to say it’s pretty convincing.”