by Andrea Hurst
“What the . . .” he said.
She glared at him. “Waiting for you.”
His face was swollen and covered on one side with small cuts and bruises. He touched his eye and winced. “I was at the emergency room. Damn car accident.”
Mitchell pushed past her and walked over to the bar to pour a shot of whiskey.
Jude doubted he needed any more; he reeked of alcohol already. “Why didn’t you call me?” She moved in closer to assess the damage. “Are you all right? What happened?”
He downed the shot and waved her away. “I just want to go to bed.”
“Lindsey’s in our bed. You’ll wake her.”
Mitchell rolled his eyes. “What a surprise.” He slammed down his glass on the bar. “I’ll sleep in the guestroom.”
“No concussion?” she’d called after him.
He answered by slamming the bedroom door in her face. Soon after, he walked out of her life entirely. Without the police paperwork she’d discovered in Mitchell’s desk, Jude would not have had much of a life to turn to back then, and would certainly not be sitting on the deck of her own café and home on Madrona Island now.
She reminded herself that the police report and photos were discreetly stored in her safe deposit box on Madrona Island, and the deed to her building had been in Jude’s name for years. She’d kept her promise to Mitchell and never said a word to their daughter about the incident.
She shook away the memories, calmed herself, and answered Lindsey’s email, assuring her she’d be at the shuttle in town to pick her up. She snapped the lid closed on her iPad and grabbed her empty cappuccino. The once calm, peaceful morning had faded into a grating headache. She blocked her eyes from the stark sunlight and darted back inside. Jude was greeted by the smell of brewing coffee mingling with herby garlic bread baking in the oven.
Ryan was writing down the lunch specials while the two new waitresses they’d hired to keep pace with the summer rush set the tables. Jude watched them place the sprigs of flowering thyme in small glass vases next to the scalloped dishes of thyme and sea salt butter.
“You okay?” Ryan asked. “You’re looking very pretty this morning.”
He was standing in front of her now and she hadn’t even noticed. “Change of plans,” she said. “Lindsey will be here in two days.”
His eyes crinkled with concern. “Should I smile or run?” he asked.
Jude leaned her head on his chest. “I’m not sure. Lindsey’s boyfriend just broke up with her, so her mood was not too pleasant.”
Ryan hugged her. “Don’t worry. I’ll have her so busy in the kitchen she won’t have time to think about that guy or get in any trouble.”
The café door sprung open and Audrey, the librarian, with the local writer’s group in tow, piled noisily in after their morning writing session at the library. Wine corks would be popping all through lunch. Jude hurried over to greet them with her best smile, or at least the best she could manage today.
Chapter Four
Ryan pulled the car into the parking lot by the local library. The streets were so crowded he could barely find a place to put the car. He opened the door for Jude and admired her long, tan legs that were usually hidden under pants all winter. Hot days and shorts made summer even better. He escorted Jude down the hill, waving at neighbors and friends as they went. It looked like the whole town had come out for this meeting the movie people had called. They walked through the double doors of the Grandview Community Center and could barely make their way, much less hear each other over the noisy crowd. They spotted Lily, her baby in her arms, and maneuvered over to join her in the back of the room.
“I’d better go get us some seats,” Ryan said. “You two, I mean three, ladies wait here.” He did not want to leave out baby Gwyn in her pink sundress.
As he started to maneuver his way through the crowd, Lily called something back to him, but he couldn’t hear what she said over the noise. He smiled and made his way toward the seating area, happy to spot Lily’s husband, Ian, standing tall and waving him over to a row of empty seats.
Ryan shook Ian’s hand. “Thanks for the save. Should I go tell the ladies?
Ian shook his head. “Lily knows where we are. They’ll meet us here when Kyla and Luke arrive.”
Ryan took a seat a few down the row, leaving room at the end for the others.
“How’s it going at the café?” Ian asked.
“Super busy. How about you? How’s fatherhood?
Ian yawned. “Sleepy, but happy.”
Ryan could only imagine. Would he ever be lucky enough to be a father, he wondered.
People hustled across the stage at the end of the room setting up microphones and shuffling papers. Probably the movie crew, Ryan mused. He scanned the room, noticing many familiar faces including Dan, the sheriff, and Audrey, the librarian, in the front. But no one visible from his past. Yet. The cast would be behind the scenes. It certainly wouldn’t be Peyton’s style to make an appearance at an event like this.
Lily returned with Kyla and Luke, with Jude following right behind. Ryan and Ian stepped out of the row to let the ladies in first.
“What a crowd,” Jude said, fanning herself. “I think the whole island is here.”
A familiar face hurried over toward them. “Hello,” Shirley said. “Nice to see you all.”
Decked in a turquoise pantsuit and her usual long strand of pearls, Shirley waved over her husband Don. He shook hands with the men and nodded at the ladies.
“My word, this makes me feel like I’m back in the big city,” Don said.
Ian stood to offer Shirley his seat, but she waved him to sit down. “Grandpa John saved us seats in front with my sister, Betty, so we can hear all the details. We’ll see you after this thing is over.”
“See you later,” Jude called after them as they hurried toward the front.
A man who obviously, from the look on his face, took his job very seriously, finally took the stage and flicked on the microphone. He tapped his fingers across it testing for sound. “Attention everyone. We’re about to begin. Please take your seats.
Jude rolled her eyes at Ryan. “I hope this doesn’t take all night.”
“Nothing moves fast in this business,” Ryan said. “We’d better get used to it for a few weeks.”
The man introduced himself as the production coordinator and went on to discuss safety concerns with the power equipment and lights and privacy issues regarding the cast. “Expect delays, but otherwise business as usual,” he said. Then he introduced the location manager who would be handling basic logistics.
“I wonder how these several weeks of shooting will affect business at Tea & Comfort?” Kyla said. “Will people think we’re closed?”
Lily smiled. “They told me the set would only be closed during filming. I think we are all going to be very busy. I have several of the cast staying at the Inn.”
“And we are catering lunch for them,” Jude said, “Marco at the bookstore came up with the brilliant idea of putting a coffee cart outside before any shops open in the morning.”
As the producer droned on, Ryan’s mind wandered. It had been several years since he had last seen Peyton Chandler, and she was an even bigger star now. The media had labeled her a temptress. Maybe to others, but he’d do anything to avoid this unpleasant reunion. He thought of Jude’s heart-shaped face and sweet smile. The way her deep brown hair curled about her shoulders. He would never abandon Jude during such a busy time, despite his discomfort with having to see Peyton again.
A young woman no more than thirty took the mic. “The stores will remain closed during the shooting of the film, and open all other hours. A guard will handle traffic safety and parking as needed.” The assistant director who would be supervising the extras was next. The AD announced which extras, including Grandpa John, would be used almost every day and where they were to report and at what time.
“I hop
e he can handle those long hours,” Jude whispered to Ryan.
Ryan winked. “Between takes, we’ll keep John well fed and rested at the café.”
The talking droned on in the crowded, stuffy room. Ryan shifted around in his seat. The once familiar talk of filming movies grated on his nerves and reminded him too much of the old days with Peyton. He leaned over to Luke. “Let’s get out of here. Get some air.”
A big grin spread across Luke’s face. “Sounds good to me.”
Ryan whispered to Jude that he’d be right outside, then lowered his head and scooted down the row. Luke followed briskly behind him and out the back door.
“Phew, we did it,” Ryan said. He turned toward the water and ran into Marco outside talking to Becca, the new manager for Tea & Comfort. Her bright red hair was unmistakable, and their flushed faces and smiles left no doubt about the chemistry between them. “I see you escaped the crowds too,” Ryan said.
“We got the gist of it,” Marco replied. “Lots of people, lots of hours, and lots of delays.”
“That’s about it,” Luke said. “We’re making our escape. See you guys later.”
They walked down the sidewalk toward the entrance to the pier, past the shady bench nestled under the towering cedar tree. Sunlight spilled like a blaze of fire on the blue waters of the cove. Between the large volume of summer tourists and the movie people, Ryan wondered how much longer Grandview would stay a peaceful small town.
“Pretty fancy yacht they brought for the shoot,” Ian said. He leaned over the railing and took a closer look. “I wouldn’t mind a ride on that myself.”
After all this movie stuff is over, and the old Captain’s Schooner finishes repairs, we should all go out for a sunset cruise.”
“Great idea.” Luke said. “Speaking of the film’s wrap-up, how does next week look for coming by my place? We can finalize the menu for the cast and crew closing night dinner in the vineyard for August.”
“That’ll work,” Ryan said. “Did they turn in the final number of people attending?”
“We capped it at fifty. They moaned and groaned a bit, but that’s all the space and the kitchen can handle. Work for you?”
“Yep,” Ryan said. “In my spare time, I’ve started putting recipes together for a cookbook and was thinking of doing a section on vineyard dinners with wine pairings.”
“Count me in on that,” Luke said.
As Luke talked about possible decorating ideas, Ryan gazed across the water and recalled his last confrontation with Peyton. He had no idea how much time had passed when Luke nudged him with his elbow and said, “Where’d you go, Ryan?
The din of laughter and conversation coming from the community center signaled the end of the meeting and broke the quiet moment.
“We better go find the ladies,” Ryan said.
Jude and Lily were right out front. Ryan waved Jude over.
Even wearing simple jeans and a T-shirt and her dark auburn hair pulled back in a ponytail, when he looked at Jude it took his breath away. “You two playing hooky?” Jude asked. “I don’t blame you a bit.”
“Tell us the truth,” Ryan said, “Did we miss anything?”
“Not much,” Lily said. She handed Ian the baby. “I think she wants her daddy.”
Jude leaned against him with a sigh. “Let’s go home. That was exhausting.”
“Yoo-hoo,” Shirley called as she approached them with Don who was trying to keep up her with her. Betty, in her classic jeans and plaid work shirt, and Grandpa John were in tow behind her.
“So what did you all think about that meeting?” Shirley asked.
“You two had the right idea skipping out,” Betty said. “Darn long meeting with just a lot of hot air.”
Shirley fussed with her pearls. “This is going to put Grandview on the map. Did you see that article in Celebrity magazine about Peyton?”
Everyone turned to hear what Shirley had to say except Ryan, who froze in place.
“No, I didn’t see it,” Jude said.
“Well . . . ,” Shirley drew out the moment in her usual dramatic fashion. “Seems right after Peyton’s fortieth birthday, her husband, that big actor Todd Chase, left her high and dry for some hot young actress.”
“It happens,” Lily said.
Ian squeezed her close. “Not around here it doesn’t.”
Ryan, finding it hard to breathe, broke away from the group. “If you’ll excuse me, it’s getting late and I have a long day ahead tomorrow.”
“I’ll go with you,” Jude said.
The streets were clearing out, so it took only a couple minutes to reach the steps leading upstairs to their apartments above the café. Jude invited him to spend the night in her room.
Ryan looked down at her warm, brown eyes and wanted to say yes, but the pounding at his temples was building.
He forced a smile. “Not tonight,” he said. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Ryan paced the floor of his bedroom trying to calm his racing mind. He should have mentioned something about knowing Peyton to Jude sooner, before the cast arrived. He hated rummaging through his past, but he couldn’t bring himself to do it when things were going so well between them. He was sure Jude would understand, but now, finding out this way it would seem he was trying to hide something. And he was. It would all probably come out now as part of some twisted plan Peyton had conceived. The local paper said Peyton chose Grandview after seeing the setting in Celebrity magazine when they did the special on Luke and Kyla’s love story last February. Had she known he was here as well? He did not look forward to the three weeks of hell ahead, but he could only blame himself for not telling Jude sooner.
Chapter Five
“They’re on their way,” Jude called toward the kitchen. Waitresses scattered as Chef Ryan put the final touches on the buffet against the back wall. The shooting of the film, Murder Most Magic, had been going on in different locales around town, and in a few days they would be ready to shoot a scene at Island Thyme Cafe.
Through the window, Jude could see the cast and crew making their way over to her café for lunch. The front door sprung open and the hungry crowd piled into the dining room. Filtering the cast from the crew was easy to determine because of the makeup and costumes. The actors were more demanding in their needs for gluten free and paleo-friendly food options. The crew was happy with about anything.
With the movie’s schedule so tight, lunch moved fast. A whirlwind of people and activity took over the café, and they all left in a mass exit within one hour. After clearing away the buffet, the dining room was almost empty. Jude took a seat at the bar and sipped a little chilled Chardonnay.
“Hard day already?” Ryan said as he dried his hands on a towel at his waist.
His alluring smile took Jude’s breath away.
“You could say that,” she said. “How many more weeks did they say they’d be here?”
Ryan’s hands moved to her shoulders, massaging away the tension. “It’ll fly by like magic.”
As he kissed her cheek, the front door flew open and in walked the dazzling leading lady, Peyton Chandler, in a linen dress that showed off her curves. How could anyone look that perfect, Jude wondered. Her hands instinctively pushed her dark hair out of her eyes. What a mess she must look.
Peyton slid off her Channel sunglasses. “I hope I’m not too late for lunch.” A coy smile did not disguise the way her eyes darted from Ryan to Jude in his arms.
Ryan let go of Jude and backed against the bar.
“Is that you, Ryan?” Peyton asked, obviously feigning surprise. She brushed back a strand of her raven black hair that flowed long over her shoulders and down her bare back.
He nodded.
“Well, I’ll be.” Peyton rushed over and threw her arms around him. “I’d heard you were somewhere in the Seattle area, but what a surprise to find you cooking out here on this little island.”
Jude turned to Ryan. His eyes were
a black contrast against his pale face as he stood rigidly, enveloped in Peyton’s arms. Finally she stepped back and poised on the barstool beside him.
“You must tell me everything while we’re together these next few weeks,” she all but cooed to Ryan before turning to Jude, displaying a little shark smile that made Jude want to punch her.
The finely polished actress reminded Jude of a pouncing panther. One she needed to detour right now. Jude reached out to shake Peyton’s hand. “I’m Jude, the owner of Island Thyme Café.”
Peyton’s icy blue eyes stared briefly at Jude’s extended hand and then turned back to Ryan. “You must make me that divine chocolate mousse like you used to. The one you used to whip up for midnight snacks.”
Peyton was actually blinking her long, black eyelashes at Ryan, who looked like he was going to be sick. Jude felt a bit sick herself. It was obvious these two had done more than date briefly. They knew each other, probably in every sense of the word. Why hadn’t Ryan told her they’d had a serious relationship? Was that why he had been acting so anxious lately? Her heart dropped into her stomach. Just how much had he been hiding from her?
Ryan stepped away from Peyton. “It is good to see you again,” he said coolly. “Now if you will excuse me, I have work to do in the kitchen.”
Peyton placed a hand on his arm, “Of course, darling,” she said. “I’ll see you real soon.”
Jude gagged on the long, drawn out “darling” as she watched Ryan hurry to the kitchen.
Peyton nodded at her. “What did you say your name was again?” she asked.
“Jude.”
“Please make sure Ryan and the rest of your staff follow my dietary restrictions exactly. You should have received my list of acceptable foods and preparations from my assistant.”
“We have,” Jude said. Perhaps it would get conveniently lost, or better yet, Jude could accidently edit it a bit. She smiled to herself imagining all the butter she would add to Peyton’s fat free dishes.