“Are you worried about being seen in public with me?” Anna asked. “About people thinking we’re a couple?”
Eden shook her head. “No. According to Paris, that hashtag is mostly circulating among our fans on Twitter. The mainstream press sees us as colleagues, maybe friends.”
“I agree. Being seen together in public might feed the Edanna furor on Twitter, but where’s the harm in that? The fans love it. They’ll be thrilled. And the media will think it’s nice that we’re such good friends.”
Eden nodded, and was that a smile lurking around the corner of her lips?
“Then, if you’re comfortable with it, I see no downside to us doing a little exploring together,” Anna said. “You might even find out that the locals are completely unimpressed by having a celebrity in their midst. Maybe you’ve been hiding up here in your castle for no reason.”
“Cabin,” Eden corrected, leaning in to kiss Anna’s cheek. “It’s not a castle, but itismy fortress. I feel safe here.”
“What if we stay near the car so we can bolt if anything starts to look sketchy? In fact, we can start by driving to the scenic overlook you mentioned and take it from there.”
And that was how, later that afternoon, Anna found herself strolling through a little shop full of maple products. In front of her, Eden carried a basket of gifts for her staff while the owner of the store gave her an in-depth explanation of the process to tap the trees, which he apparently did right here on the property.
If the man had any idea who Eden was, he’d given no indication. “See here.” He guided her to the window at the rear of the store. “The tall tree right by the driveway? That’s a sugar maple.”
“So this syrup came from that tree?” Eden asked, holding up her basket.
“Not likely,” he told her. “I do tap that one sometimes for demonstrations, but I have a network of trees throughout the woods back there where I get most of it from. Got a network of tubing that runs between the trees, emptying into that shed back there.”
He went on for a few more minutes, explaining the process to Eden while Anna did some shopping of her own. She loved playing tourist, and she’d never actually had maple sugar candy before. She picked out a nice gift set to send Zoe as a thank-you for watching Nelle, plus some smaller gifts for the rest of her team.
The owner of the store was in his fifties, dressed in jeans and a flannel shirt despite the warm weather, and boy, did he love to talk about maple syrup. By the time they made it back to their rental car, they both knew an awful lot about syrup production.
“Oh, look, the post office is right across the street,” Anna commented. “Mind if I stop in there and mail this basket to Zoe?”
“Sure, that’s fine,” Eden said. “And thanks for not saying ‘I told you so.’”
Anna grinned. “I would never, but I do enjoy helping you get out and experience a bit more of the world. Just let me know if I ever push too hard.” She touched Eden’s arm.
“I will,” Eden said. “I’ve lived in LA so long, I guess I forget that there are places where I can still go out and not get mobbed. It’s nice being ordinary sometimes.”
“So nice,” Anna agreed. “And good for our egos too.”
“Definitely.”
They went into the post office, where an employee helped Anna purchase a box and packing materials for Zoe’s gift. As they walkedback outside, two teenage girls were passing by on the sidewalk, and it was comically obvious the moment they recognized Eden and Anna.
“Oh my God!” one of them squealed while the other reached for her phone as if to share the moment with her friends rather than interact with them in person.
Anna felt Eden tense, so she stepped forward, eager to seize control of the situation. Two teenagers were manageable. She’d been prepared for something like this to happen. “Hi,” she said to the teens.
“Hi,” the taller teen said, gawking at her. “You’re Anna Moss.”
“I am,” she confirmed with a smile.
The teen looked past Anna. “And you’re Eden Sands. Oh my God, this can’t really be happening to me right now. Two of my favorite singers walking down the street here in Bumfuck, Vermont?”
“I wouldn’t call your town ‘Bumfuck,’” Anna joked. “We’re here taking a little break between tour dates, really loving the area so far. Got any recommendations for us?”
“Um.” The shorter girl blinked at her in obvious surprise. “There’s a good place to hike just outside town. I’ve gone with my family a few times. I think it’s called White Rocks.”
“Cool. We were hoping to do some hiking. Weren’t we, Eden?” Anna turned to her.
Eden had her stage smile in place, the one that revealed nothing. “We were.”
“Yeah, White Rocks is great,” the first girl piped up. “And Rosa’s is the best place to eat for, like, a fancier meal.”
