Serving dinner to the large number of guests had its challenges. Liza and Claire decided on a buffet and set up tables in the downstairs rooms with enough seating for all the guests. It was a lot like catering a wedding or other type of large party, Liza thought. There just wasn’t any music. And there certainly wasn’t a festive mood. Charlotte’s near-drowning experience had cast a somber, tense mood on the entire crew.
Dinner ended with a spread of Claire’s delectable desserts. There wasn’t a crumb left, Liza noticed as she cleared away the platters. Luckily, she had saved some of the dinner and a few slices of the chocolate cake and peach pie for Charlotte.
As the executive group got ready to leave, it became apparent that they intended to wake Charlotte and take her back to Newburyport with them. “Did you knock on her door?” Mike asked Judy.
“Of course I did, but she didn’t answer,” Judy told him. “I hate to just barge in there.”
“I think you have to. It’s getting late.” He looked at his watch. “She’s slept long enough, hasn’t she?”
Liza glanced at Claire. They were standing nearby and couldn’t help but overhear. Claire looked upset. Not that she ever lost her temper, but now she seemed as close to it as Liza had ever seen.
“No, she hasn’t slept long enough.” Claire stepped into the circle and answered the producer’s question. “She’s suffering from exposure. She nearly drowned today. She’s exhausted, dehydrated, and probably still has the chills. She’s perfectly comfortable right now, snug as a bug. She should stay here with us. We’ll take good care of her,” Claire promised. “Won’t we, Liza?”
“Absolutely. My room is right next door. I’ll hear her if she needs anything during the night.”
“My room is upstairs but I’ll check on her, too. And she can get a few more minutes of sleep in the morning if she doesn’t have to travel down from Newburyport.”
Liza could see that the producer didn’t enjoy being overruled by the inn’s housekeeper and cook, but he valiantly held his tongue. Perhaps because Claire was a dignified older woman and he wanted to be polite and respectful. Or maybe because he knew she was right.
With a little more conversation, they finally deferred to Claire and decided Charlotte should stay. A few minutes later, the trio was gone, along with the others who were not staying at the inn.
Meredith decided she should stay, too. She clearly considered herself the star’s shadow though, from what Liza had observed, Charlotte didn’t seem to feel the same close connection. Liza found a room for Meredith across the hall from Charlotte’s, which seemed to satisfy her.
THE inn emptied out and the movie crew scattered, most going off to their own rooms, some staying downstairs and using the common areas to watch TV or play cards and chess.
It was about nine o’clock when Liza heard someone at the front door. She was in the kitchen with Claire, going over menu plans for the next day. “Who could that be in this rain?” Claire asked. “Is Daniel dropping by tonight?”
“I don’t think so. It’s his night to work at the clinic.” Liza went to answer the door, expecting to see one of the movie people, coming back for a forgotten cell phone or iPad. Or even, for Charlotte.
When she pulled open the door, she found Colin Doyle. He looked a little wet, especially his hair, which was combed back from his forehead. Otherwise, he was hardly recognizable from the man who rescued Charlotte earlier that day. Dressed in jeans and a dark blue sweater with a white polo shirt underneath, his scruffy beard was gone and he was cleaned up from head to toe.
He carried a bouquet of flowers close to his chest, trying to shield them from the rain with his large hand.
“Hello, Colin. Come on in,” Liza welcomed him.
“Hey, Liza. I just wanted to see how Charlotte is doing. Is she around?”
He looked around the inn, seeming self-conscious. Liza felt for him. Wow, he had some crush. Who could blame him?
“Charlotte’s been sleeping for hours. She’s exhausted but otherwise seems fine.”
“Oh, that’s too bad. I mean, it’s good that she’s getting some rest.”
“She’s coming along.” Claire had come out of the kitchen and was walking toward the door to meet him. “Charlotte asked me if you lived on the island. I think she wants to get in touch—to thank you for helping her.”
Colin shook his head. “I just did what anyone would do in those circumstances. I don’t deserve any medals.”
“Well, she seems to think you do,” Claire countered with a twinkle in her eye.
Colin looked pleased to hear Charlotte had talked about him, Liza noticed. But he was trying to hide it.
“I’m glad she’s okay. Just tell her I stopped by. And you can give her these, I guess. If they have any petals left.” He started to hand over the wet, drooping bouquet, then gave it some consideration.
Liza heard someone coming down the staircase and turned to see who it was. “I guess you can give them to Charlotte yourself,” she said, turning back to him. “Here she comes.”
They all turned to look at Charlotte making her way down the stairs, a disheveled but gorgeous mess, wearing a pair of gray yoga pants and a sweatshirt Liza had left in her room that read: “Save a Chicken’s Life … Eat a Lobster.”
Charlotte’s thick reddish-gold hair hung in long, wild curls. She brushed them back from her cheek with a graceful motion then lifted her head and saw Colin in the foyer. She stopped and stared at him, her eyes opening wide.
“How do you feel, dear?” Claire called out to her.
“Better, thanks.” Charlotte smiled but had not spared Claire a glance. Her gaze was fixed on her surprise visitor.
Liza thought she actually heard Colin sigh. He definitely cleared his throat but didn’t say anything.
“You have a visitor,” Claire said, though it was perfectly obvious. “Why don’t you two go in the sitting room? I’ll fix you something to eat, Charlotte. Would you like some more soup?”
“That would be perfect.” Charlotte turned to Claire a moment, then looked back at Colin. “Good to see you. Are those for me?”
He nodded and stepped forward, handing her the flowers. “They got a little wet.”
“Seems about right, considering the occasion.” She bent her head to smell the bouquet. “They’re beautiful. Thank you. I’ll put them up in my room.”
“Oh, I’ll do that,” Liza offered. She took the bouquet and headed for the kitchen with Claire while Charlotte and Colin walked into the sitting room.
Charlotte was glad to see that the room was empty. She didn’t want to feel as if the entire crew was listening in. She sat on a small love seat near the hearth, and Colin chose an armchair. She was surprised to see him. And secretly thrilled. She had planned to get in touch with him somehow, if only just to thank him again. But this was even better. She had been thinking about him so much, she felt as if her wishes had summoned him here.
“I won’t stay long, but I came to see how you’re doing,” Colin said.
“I’m much better now,” Charlotte told him. “A hot bath and a nap can work wonders.”
Colin nodded. “I’m glad you feel better. Do you have to go back to work tomorrow?”
“I do, if I can walk and talk—or anything close. Time is money in this business. You’d be surprised what some actors have endured while filming. Marilyn Monroe worked when she had appendicitis. She had a doctor freeze her appendix so she could finish a film before getting an operation.”
“I had no idea Marilyn was so tough. So fighting for your life out in the ocean for an hour or so is no big deal for a beautiful actress, I guess.” He shrugged, his eyes sparkling. He was teasing her, of course.
“It was at the time,” she countered, feeling herself blush at his compliment. She was used to having men tell her she was beautiful. At times she was even bored by it. Why did she feel so giddy with this guy? Like a teenager with her first big crush.
Settle down, Charlotte, she chided he
rself. Say what you have to say and try to sound like a grown-up.
“I don’t know how I can ever thank you for saving my life. Honestly. I know I said it before, on the boat, but I feel as if I can’t say it enough.”
He met her gaze for a moment then quickly looked away. “I happened to be nearby and heard you cry out. It was … a fluke. No pun intended,” he added, turning the serious moment into a lighter one. “Anyone would have done the same. It was really just luck.”
Charlotte nodded. “Lucky for me.”
“Oh, lucky for me, too, I have to say. How else would I ever have gotten to meet you?” he countered.
Charlotte had no answer to that, at least none that she would dare voice aloud. A small voice inside her insisted that some way, some day, their paths would have crossed. It wasn’t just chance or luck that had brought Colin into her life. She suddenly felt deep inside she was meant to come to this place and meet this man.
Her brush with death had shaken her to her soul and made her think about so many things. Some of it may have been silly—like believing in fate and destiny. But her life was a case study in being in the right place at the right time, in being very, very lucky. Coming out of Nowhere, Ohio, with no connections and no real knowledge of the movie business and ending up one of the most famous faces in the world—that was enough to make anyone believe there was something more going on in the universe than meets the eye.
And this wild, dangerous, amazing day had had the same effect on her. She just didn’t know what it all meant yet.
All I know right now is that Colin is the most attractive guy I’ve met in a long time. He looks so handsome tonight, he could easily take a place on the other side of the camera with me.
But she didn’t dare tell him that.
“So … I guess you like lobster,” he said suddenly.
She was puzzled, then realized he was looking at her sweatshirt. “Oh, the shirt …” She laughed. “I borrowed this from Liza. I didn’t have any warm clothes with me. But I do love lobster, now that you mention it. I grew up in the Midwest, and fresh fish was not part of our diet. I was about sixteen before I realized fish didn’t swim around in little rectangles with breading on top. All we ever got at home was fish sticks.”
Colin laughed. “You’re kidding, right?”
“No, really. It’s true,” she insisted. “Now I can’t get enough lobster.”
“The Midwest is a big territory. Where did you live?”
“In Ohio, Greenwood, a small town, not far from Toledo.”
“I’ve never been to Ohio. I hear it’s very—”
“Flat?” she asked with a laugh.
“That wasn’t what I was going to say. But I’ve heard that, too,” he admitted. “I hear it’s a very friendly place. A lot of presidents come from Ohio.”
“Yes, I know. We heard all about them in school. I think that’s the only thing I can remember from my history classes.”
“Do you have sisters and brothers?” he asked curiously.
“Two sisters and one brother. I’m the oldest. How about you?”
“Me? Two sisters. Both older. I’m the baby of the family, couldn’t you tell?” He smiled at her again, and she noticed a deep dimple in his chin.
“Yes, come to think of it. I was just about to say that,” she teased. “But I didn’t want to offend you.”
“No offense taken.” He laughed again, seeming pleased that she kept up with his verbal sparring.
Charlotte was pleased, too. He had a quick wit, which she liked about him. And she enjoyed talking to him. She didn’t feel obliged to impress him in any way. She could just be herself.
Now it was her turn to ask some questions. “Were you raised around here, Colin?”
She recalled that Claire said he’d been on the island a few years. She was curious about where he grew up.
“Not too far away. In Concord. It’s about an hour or so inland. My folks used to take us camping on the island when I was growing up. That’s how I learned about this place.”
He sounded as if he had a happy childhood, a happy family life. She was glad for him, though she couldn’t help but feel a bit envious for anyone who sounded like that. She wondered how he decided to become a fisherman, but didn’t feel comfortable enough yet to ask.
There were a lot of questions she wanted to ask him. She wanted to know everything about him. As if she were the one giving some movie star an in-depth, super-personal interview. She sure knew the questions by heart by now.
But what was the point? It didn’t seem logical to get too involved, no matter how attracted she felt or how much she wished they could get to know each other better.
He was probably thinking the same thing about her, she guessed.
He leaned back in his chair and gazed at her. She was used to people looking at her every day, filming her every move. But his appraising look somehow made her self-conscious. She wanted him to like her, she realized. For some mysterious reason, it was important that this man she barely knew like her. Maybe it was because she already liked him.
“How long will the movie crew be in Cape Light?” he asked.
“Oh, about two weeks, I think. It depends on how well we can keep to the schedule. We lost a whole day of work today, but maybe we can make it up somehow, shooting extra hours on one or two days. When we get back to California, we’ll shoot a few more interior scenes on a movie set.”
“You must travel a lot, going from place to place to make all these films.”
“I do,” she said. “I just filmed a movie in Japan and last year, let’s see … I was in London, Cairo, Budapest, and New Zealand.”
“Wow, that’s quite an itinerary.”
She suddenly felt bad, as if she had been bragging. He probably didn’t get to travel much beyond his fishing routes. “I’m usually working most of the time and don’t get to see much,” she explained. “I’d love to take a long trip sometime as an anonymous tourist. A long train ride through Europe, or a cruise around the Greek Islands in a private little boat.”
“The Greek Islands are breathtaking. I crewed on a private yacht for a while. We sailed the Mediterranean for a year. You should do that, in between your movies sometime.”
Charlotte was impressed. “Sounds like a real adventure. If you find a boat and crew, maybe I will.”
Had she just said that? Wow, she was never that forward. He was really getting to her, wasn’t he?
“Anytime, just let me know. Even some parts of the Caribbean are beautiful. Or the islands off the coast of Venezuela, like Bonaire.”
“Did you sail around those places, too?” she asked curiously.
“I crewed sometimes, and other times I just took odd jobs in the cities and worked my way around, mostly in Europe and South America. I took two years off after college and just bummed around with a backpack and no reservations, as the expression goes.”
“No schedules, no itinerary, no one telling you where you had to be?”
“That’s right. That’s it exactly.”
She suddenly pictured him sailing in the Caribbean. He was very suntanned and had on a billowing white shirt. There was also a woman with him. Charlotte didn’t like that part of her fantasy, but she couldn’t imagine him alone on such a romantic trip. She wished she could be the one to visit places like that with him.
“That’s the kind of trip I’d like to go on. Someday,” she added wistfully.
“I hope you do.” He smiled softly at her and she smiled back.
She suddenly wondered if he believed her. After all, why would she ever travel in such a rough, basic fashion? She was accustomed to the very best—the most luxurious hotels and spas, the most exclusive restaurants. But that level of luxury was, in a way, like a thick, soft wall that blocked her from the real world. It was a wall that sometimes felt like a prison.
Colin experienced the real world, head-on. She could already tell that much about him. Whether out on his boat in the middle of the sea, or
hitchhiking through the French countryside.
She suddenly envied him and anyone who could do those things with him. The truth was, their lifestyles were so different, they might as well be living on separate planets. Charlotte hated to face that fact, but there was no getting around it. It was the truth.
She looked up and met his deep blue gaze. Every rational thought about how different their lives were vanished. Maybe she shouldn’t dismiss this attraction so quickly. Maybe this could work—in some improbable, unimaginable way?
Meredith walked into the sitting room, carrying her laptop. She didn’t seem to even notice Colin and made a beeline for Charlotte. “There you are. Liza told me you were up. How do you feel?”
“Better. I got a good rest. I think that’s what I really needed.”
“Great. Judy’s been texting me all night. Now I can finally report some good news. Do you think you can work tomorrow?”
Charlotte nodded. “No problem. I’ll be out there.”
“Great. I’ll let her know.” Meredith opened up her laptop and started to type.
Charlotte glanced at Colin, trying to send an apologetic look. She was sorry they’d been interrupted. She hoped Meredith would go do her work someplace else so that they could talk more.
“Meredith, this is Colin Doyle, the man who pulled me out of the water. Colin, this is my assistant, Meredith Pope.”
Meredith looked up and blinked at him. “Oh, hello. I thought I recognized you.”
Colin just nodded at her, but he suddenly seemed uneasy. He looked as if he were getting ready to leave, but Charlotte didn’t want him to go. Not yet.
Meredith glanced up from her screen. “Oh, Charlotte, there’s something I have to show you. I don’t know how it got out, but somebody already reported on the incident. They got it all wrong, of course, and said we were filming on a boat and you fell overboard … I bookmarked it. Just give me a second.” Meredith tapped away on the keyboard.
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