She clicked off the television. She’d catch up with her people tonight. God bless the man who invented the VCR.
“Sorry about the fake jogging story,” she said.
“You almost had me.” He opened the front door. “But sweat doesn’t usually gather in a single spot in the middle of your chest. Or only theendsof your hair.”
“So you’re a sweat expert? There’s no end to your talents.” She walked out with Matt, closing the door behind him.
The connection they had on the set ofTalk to Me Sweetlyhad not faded. Even after everything wrapped, and she was in love with Xander, they sent each other funny cards and talked on the phone about once a month.
Matt started down the sidewalk. “I love Sea Blue Beach in the spring.”
“Do you have a house here?” she said.
“I’m not home enough to warrant my own place so I just bunk in with my dad. But I’ll be here awhile in order to save the Starlight. Hey, you should help us out. We need three hundred and fifty signatures to get a referendum to put the town’s development plans to a vote.”
“How can I help? I just got here.” But she warmed at the idea of belonging to this town. Herowntown. She’d never really had anything that was just hers before.
“You’re a property owner. You can register to vote, sign the petition, ask others to do the same.”
As they walked, he brought her up to speed on the town council meeting. “They’re using eminent domain rules, but those of us who love the Starlight want to putprogressto a vote. If we get enough signatures, maybe we can turn this ship around.”
“Matt Knight, oh my gosh, it’s Matt Knight.” A group of tourists across the street ran toward him. Matt grabbed her hand and dashed for the diner.
Harlow Hayes had never been one for exercise, but her current physical state gave out-of-shape new meaning. She gasped for every breath.
Matt, however, never gulped air once. “Table for two, Blaire,” he said to the hostess. “In the back.”
“Follow me.” Blaire batted her eyelashes at him. Her long hair and teased bangs suffered from too much Sun-In, but she was pretty. Pleasant.
“What’ll y’all want to drink?” She passed out the menu with a second glance at Harlow. “Hey, I know you. You were in yesterday. Pitcher of sweet tea, right?”
“Unsweet for me,” Matt said, reading the menu.
“I’ll have the same.”Now go away.
Yes, she’d been in yesterday because the fried fish platter tempted her away from her resolve for salad. Of course it had to be paired with sweet tea.
Now Harlow glanced toward the Sweet’N Low. She’d been on artificial sweeteners since she could remember. She was sick of them.
“You have quite the fan base in Sea Blue Beach,” she said.
“Hometown boy and all.”
“Or good-looking superstar who’s made so many great movies and won a Golden Globe.”
“Definitely not that.” He looked so adorable trying to hide his smile as he read the menu. “You think I’m good-looking?”
“Please, the whole world thinks you’re good-looking. Especially that hostess.”
“I don’t know. I’ve never been named Most Handsome Man in the World.”
“I do believe you were once dubbed Most Eligible after Xander and I got engaged.”
“He scooped you up before I had a chance.”
“I’ll add flatterer and liar to your talents. Keep it up and I’ll rescind my apology about the fake jog.” She leaned over her menu. “Matt Knight, whyareyou so eligible? What happened with you and Francesca Bianchi? She should’ve been named Most Beautiful over me.”
“We had different ideas about love.”
