Carolina Breeze

by Denise Hunter

“Then we don’t need any help.”

  “All right then.” She gave Levi a knowing smirk before she turned. “Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.”

  “That leaves a very broad gap,” he called after her.

  Mia gave him a questioning look. “What was that about?”

  “Sibling stuff.” He grabbed the rug. “Why don’t we haul this into the bathroom.”

  Mia grabbed her end, and they carried the rug into the bathroom, his face heated.

  What was he doing, rolling around on the floor with a guest? With Mia Emerson, no less? If he’d caught Molly doing that when Adam was a guest he would’ve sat her down and given her a nice long lecture about boundaries. Of course, he’d apologized to her for that, but he never dreamed he’d find himself on Molly’s side of this equation.

  What had gotten into him? His gaze drifted to Mia with her pert little nose, creamy skin, and melodic laughter. Mia had gotten into him, that’s what. She’d gotten under his skin and right into his heart.

  Oh, for crying out loud, he was even sounding like Molly.

  They set down the rug and went back into the bedroom.

  “I’ll start over on that side,” Mia said, “and you can start over there.”

  “Sounds like a plan.” Probably best they stay on opposite sides of the room, since he couldn’t seem to keep his hands to himself.

  twenty-nine

  Mia worked on her lines the next day in the shady backyard of the inn, her feet propped on the footrest, her script opened on her lap. The dialogue for Lesser Days was terrific. She couldn’t wait to read lines with the other actors. Couldn’t wait to bring the part of Fiona to life.

  Out on the lake a lone boat drifted by, its white sail billowing on a breeze. The leaves shimmied overhead, and the smell of freshly cut grass hung in the air. It was so relaxing here. A nice break from the hustle and bustle of LA, though she was starting to get twitchy. She missed her work.

  A text came in from Brooke, who was fretting about a job. Mia texted her back, assuring her it would all work out. Brooke was a pro, but she had a lot of self-doubt.

  A sound at the back of the inn made her turn around.

  Molly, wearing a white top and khaki shorts, was rolling out the garden hose.

  “Hi, Molly.”

  “Oh, hey! I didn’t see you there. Will it disturb you if I water the flowers? Mother Nature’s slacking.”

  “Not at all. I’m just memorizing lines.”

  “For your next movie?”

  “Yeah, we start filming soon.”

  The faucet handle squeaked as Molly turned on the water. She pulled the hose along with her as she began watering the flowers that lined the walkway heading down to the lake.

  “No luck finding the necklace?” Molly asked.

  “Not yet. We’re going to look again tonight. I’m afraid Levi might be right. It probably got sold in the estate auction.”

  “Oh, don’t let Levi burst your bubble. There’s nothing wrong with dreaming. I’m sure that necklace meant a lot to Dorothy. I can’t imagine she’d just let it go in some random auction.”

  “That’s what I thought, but we’re running out of places to look.”

  Molly gave her a commiserating smile, then continued a few paces along the walk. “So, I have to ask . . . Those pictures of you and Levi . . .”

  Mia wondered if Molly was upset about them, but she wasn’t giving off that vibe. “Yeah, they seem to have had the desired effect. It’s definitely taken the focus off my supposed crush on Jax Jordan.”

  “I’ll say. Everybody’s talking about you and Levi and your ‘incredible chemistry.’” She made air quotes around the words.

  Mia’s face heated at the memory of his kiss. Talking to his sister about it was a little awkward. “Levi’s amazing. And he’s movie star handsome—in case you weren’t aware. The camera loves him.”

  Molly gave a rueful grin. “If you say so.”

  “He’s very special. So competent.”

  “I’ll give you that one.”

  Mia searched for a new topic. “And your guy—Adam? He seems pretty terrific.” Mia had met him at church on Sunday. She’d met a lot of people.

  “Yeah.” Molly’s eyes seemed to dim, and her smile drooped. “Yeah. He’s great.”

  Mia thought she’d continue, but she seemed lost in thought now. Molly continued watering the same flowers until the soil around them was nearly flooded. One thing about Molly—her every thought was right out there for everyone to see. And coming from Hollywood, Mia appreciated that trait more than most.

  She closed her script. “You all right, Molly?”

  Molly studied Mia for a long moment. “You’ve had a lot of boyfriends, right?”

  Mia smiled. “Well, I don’t know about a lot . . .”

  “Right, I just mean, you know, serious relationships. After all, you were engaged—and I probably shouldn’t have brought that up. You know what? I shouldn’t have brought any of this up. You’re a guest and I’m your host. Sorry, just forget I opened my big mouth.”

  Mia’s lips twitched. “Are you having boy trouble?”

  Molly dropped the sprayer and rushed over to Mia. “Yes! And I’m about to burst.”

  Mia held back a smile. “Have a seat. Tell me what’s wrong.”

  Molly plopped down on Mia’s footrest. “I usually talk to my friend Skye about this stuff, but she’s away at some conference, and I don’t want to bug her.”

  “What is it? Something happen with Adam?”

  “Something didn’t happen with Adam. We had this anniversary of sorts on Friday, and I found out he’d made reservations at the Crow’s Nest, and then last week a call came in on his phone from Tiffany jewelers and—”

  “Tiffany!”

  “I know! The little blue box! I was so excited for our date Friday. I wore my favorite dress and took so much time with my hair and makeup, and I got a manicure—I never get a manicure!—but dinner came and went, and then he brought me straight home and said good night on the porch.”

  “Oh no.”

  “I was so disappointed I cried a little after he left. Maybe a lot. And okay, the next day too, but now I’m just confused. I must’ve done something wrong, but I can’t for the life of me figure out what it was.”

  “I’m sure that’s not it. Maybe he’s planning to ask you another time.”

  “But Friday was the anniversary of our first kiss, and the Crow’s Nest is the special occasion place in Bluebell. I was just so sure he was going to ask me. And ever since then things have been weird.”

  “How do you mean?”

  “I don’t know, there’s just this . . . strangeness between us that wasn’t there before. It’s probably me. But he seems distracted when we’re together, and he never seemed that way before. And maybe I’ve been a little quiet, too, since I’m trying to figure out what happened. He keeps asking if I’m all right, but I don’t know what to say.”

  “Maybe you should talk to him about it.”

  “Tell him I thought he was going to propose and I’m heartbroken that he didn’t?”

  “You could . . .”

  “But then if he really is planning to propose, I’ll ruin it. And he knows I love surprises. I can’t do that to him.”

  “Then maybe you should just be patient a while longer and see what happens. I mean, if he bought a ring, he must be planning to propose, right?”

  Molly’s face broke out into a smile. “You’re right. Of course. I should just be patient—not exactly my strong suit, but if I know it’s coming I can tolerate the wait.” She squeezed Mia’s hand. “Thanks, Mia. I’m glad we talked. I feel so much better.”

  Mia really liked Molly, liked her authenticity. She was so different from Levi, practically his opposite, although they both shared that particular trait.

  Mia smiled. “Glad I could help.”

  thirty

  Levi couldn’t sleep. He turned to his other side, bunching his pillow under his head.
It was almost midnight, and he had to be up at six. He kept thinking about Mia. They’d rooted through the main attic tonight, and even though they hadn’t found anything old or interesting, he’d had a great time with her.

  He loved hearing her laughter so much he found himself dropping lines he knew would amuse her. He’d poked her in the side once or twice just to see that stern look come over her face. That elegant finger point at his chest.

  And then when he ran out of new imagery, he recalled that kiss on the boat. Would he ever tire of remembering the way her skin had felt beneath his hand? So soft. Or the way her hair had sifted like silk strands through his fingers?

  Never mind that she’d only been playing a part. She’d played it so convincingly his heart had been about to pound right out of his chest. He’d only seen the resulting photos in passing when Molly had shoved her phone into his face.

  Now he found himself tempted to take another peek. It was him in the photo too, after all. Who wouldn’t want to see what the rest of the world was viewing? He’d pushed aside the temptation for five days, but now his laptop seemed to beckon him from the desk.

  He heaved a sigh. May as well give into it. He wasn’t sleeping anyway. He got out of bed and sank into the desk chair. The bright screen made him squint in the darkness, but his eyes adjusted quickly. He flipped on the desk lamp so he could see the keyboard and typed in both their names. He clicked on the first website that appeared.

  There they were, Mia and him, making out in the boat. The photographer had zoomed in close, capturing the moment just after she’d set her hand on his leg. Mia was leaning into him, her eyes closed. She didn’t look like a woman pretending for the camera.

  But then, she was an actress. She’d probably kissed for the camera many times. There was a thought that rankled.

  He clicked on another link and read the article printed along with the photo. The article speculated about their relationship and mentioned their “obvious chemistry.” It was a sentence deep into the article that made him frown.

  Mia’s date, Levi Bennett, has been identified as the innkeeper at the Bluebell Inn in Bluebell, North Carolina, where Mia has been staying since the Jax Jordan scandal broke.

  He didn’t like that the general public knew where she was. That couldn’t be safe. And yet, this article had been published five days ago, and other than fielding calls from media and fans it hadn’t been an issue.

  They’d had a marked increase in reservations though. That was good.

  What wasn’t good was that the thought of business had come second to his concern for Mia. Still, that didn’t stop him from doing another search. This time he just Googled Mia’s name. Holy cow, there were a lot of articles and photos of her. He started with Us Weekly, smirking as he remembered his mistake.

  There were older articles about Mia, and he found himself skimming those, along with the photos. Lots of stills from Into the Deep. Photos from events: Mia at the Oscars with that guy from Arrow; on the arm of a guy who’d played in some Nicholas Sparks movie, according to the caption; at a movie premier with her ex-fiancé, Wesley Hughes.

  He looked closely at that one. It wasn’t hard to see what she saw in him. His golden-blond hair made him look like a quintessential California surfer dude. He wondered if Mia still loved him.

  He poked around more sites, finding many photos of Mia and Wesley, eventually landing on a message board. It was filled with lewd comments that made him want to hunt the creeps down, one by one, and lay them flat. For his own sanity he left the page and continued reading about Mia on the celebrity sites.

  He heard a sound at his door and whipped around.

  Molly leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed, brow quirked. “Stalking our guest, brother dear?”

  He scowled and closed out the internet, his face heating. “You shouldn’t sneak up on people like that.”

  “I came down for tea and saw your light on. You have the morning shift, you know.”

  He closed the laptop. “I’m well aware.”

  “So . . . learn anything new? She’s nice, don’t you think?”

  He gave her a look.

  “What? She is nice. It’s kind of surprising the way she fits in around here. And I think she likes you.”

  The bubble of hope that expanded inside him was pathetic. Just pathetic. “Butt out, Molly.”

  She came into the room and plopped down on his bed with her mug of tea.

  “Or come in and make yourself comfortable.”

  “So defensive. One might think I’ve hit a sore spot.”

  “There’s nothing going on between Mia and me. We’re playing roles for the media, that’s all.”

  She blinked, all innocence. “And all that rolling around on the floor I interrupted yesterday?”

  He’d known that was going to come back to haunt him. He opened his mouth to defend himself.

  “Not that I’m complaining, mind you. You could do worse than Mia Emerson, you know.”

  He rolled his eyes. “Life isn’t a fairy tale, Molly. She’s a celebrity. And she’s going back to LA in a matter of days.”

  “Sounds as if you’ve thought this through.”

  He gave her a dark look.

  “All right, all right. If you don’t want to talk about it, fine. Far be it from me to force an issue. I just wanted to say, in case it matters, I think she’s interested in you too. We had a nice little talk out back today.” She stood and turned for the door. “But if you don’t want to hear what she said I totally respect that.”

  He knew when he was being toyed with. Even so he couldn’t help himself. “All right. Fine. What’d she say?”

  Molly turned, took a slow sip of her tea. “Oh, you want to talk about it now, do you?”

  He gave a low growl.

  Molly chuckled. “You’re so easy, Levi. All right, I’ll be nice. She said you’re amazing. She said you’re movie star handsome, and she said that you’re ‘very special.’”

  His pulse fluttered as heat rushed through him. “Is that all?”

  Her brows popped up. “Isn’t that enough?”

  Actually, it was. Those were some nice compliments in there. Good kisser would’ve been nice, but he’d take what he could get.

  Molly shook her head and headed toward the door. “Good night, Levi.”

  “Night,” he said. Then because she’d pretty much made his night he added, “Thanks, Molly.”

  She gave him a knowing smile. “You’re welcome, brother dear.”

  thirty-one

  Mia pulled a handful of books from the shelves and added them to the stack on the floor. She and Levi had already looked behind every wall hanging in the inn, and now they were in the library, clearing the shelves. The scent of lemon wood polish mingled with the musty smell of old books.

  She glanced at Levi, who was working on an adjacent shelf. “I always thought it would be cool to find one of those secret library walls.”

  “Well, I hate to be a dream crusher. But this is a corner room, bordered by a hallway and lobby, so I don’t think it’s going to happen today.”

  “I’d settle for a secret safe containing that necklace.”

  “Wouldn’t we all.”

  They were running out of places to look. He’d mentioned a crawl space under the house, but neither of them could imagine Dorothy putting the Carolina Breeze in that damp, dark space.

  Mia pulled a stack of Lee Child books from the next shelf. “Somebody likes the Jack Reacher series. There must be twenty of them here.”

  “Those were my dad’s. He liked to read as much as Molly.”

  He hadn’t talked much about his parents. It must be a painful subject. “What was he like, your dad?”

  “He was an attorney here in town. He really liked helping people, though that’s not something he ever would’ve admitted to. He was a congenial guy, but he was quiet about it. He had this great dry sense of humor—I didn’t really appreciate that until I was in my late teens. I guess most o
f it went over my head before then. He sure loved my mom though. I used to moan and groan about the way they were always touching each other. But man . . . That’s pretty great to be so in love after all those years.”

  “He sounds terrific. I can’t imagine what it would be like to even have a dad. I mean, some of my friends did, of course, but—” She shook her head.

  “You were five when he took off?”

  It warmed her that he’d remembered. “Yeah. That’s pretty young, huh?”

  “What happened between your parents? Did your mom ever say?”

  “She said he couldn’t deal with the realities of the business. He was jealous of the men she was with on-screen and jealous of the attention she got in public.”

  Levi paused in his task. “And you never heard from him again?”

  Mia shrugged. “Nope.”

  She didn’t want to talk about her dad anymore. Maybe she’d come to grips with the abandonment, but it still wasn’t a pleasant topic.

  “What about your mom?” Mia asked. “What was she like?”

  “She was pretty great too. She was more free-spirited than Dad. She was the outgoing one—everyone liked her. We couldn’t go anywhere without her running into someone she had to chat with.”

  “Sounds like Molly.”

  “Yeah, Molly takes after her a lot. And I guess Grace got our dad’s dry sense of humor.”

  “What did you get?”

  He paused, a thoughtful look on his face. “They were very different, my mom and dad. I guess I got my mom’s conscience and my dad’s pragmatism—and his height.”

  They’d both moved toward the bookshelf corner, bringing them closer together.

  She gave him a look from the corner of her eyes. “I think you got your dad’s looks too. I saw the photo hanging in the lobby. He was very handsome.” Almost as handsome as Levi, with that dark hair and those sky-blue eyes.

  Levi turned those eyes on her now, his lips quirking. His arm brushed hers as he pulled books from the shelf.

  His touch made a strange energy hum through her. Made her mouth go dry.

  “So . . . you think I’m handsome, huh?” Levi said, his tone teasing.