“Look, I really don’t want anyone to know I’m here. It’s important that I just lie low for a few days—”
“I won’t say anything.”
“—so what’ll it take to keep you quiet?”
His eyes met hers in the mirror, holding for a long beat. “Excuse me?”
Her face heated to the tips of her ears. “Sorry to be so crass, but I could tell by the way you hesitated that—”
“I hesitated because my sister is the one who recognized you.”
“Your sister knows too?” She couldn’t keep the frustration from her voice.
His eyes squeezed in a wince. “Both my sisters, actually. But they won’t say anything. You have my word.”
She barely held back the wry huff. His word. If she had a document with all the “words” people had taken back she’d need a file the size of a dump truck to house them all.
“You’re our guest, and we take your needs seriously. You have nothing to worry about where we’re concerned. I can’t guarantee someone else won’t recognize you though.”
She supposed that would be his excuse when he leaked her whereabouts for a hefty finder’s fee. “Actually, people usually don’t recognize me when I’m wearing my disguise. Especially not when I’m so far from California.”
“Well, that’ll work in your favor then.” He took them through a series of hairpin turns.
Mia stared out the window at the thick green woods, suddenly feeling even worse than she had this morning when she’d awakened. Should she cut her losses and leave now? But she really did want to explore Bluebell. She wanted to revel a little while in the town and imagine her ancestors living there. Imagine what life might’ve been like if she’d grown up there too.
Besides, where would she even go? She could be recognized anywhere. At least the innkeeper hadn’t told anyone about the scandal.
Yet.
seven
Levi stowed Mia’s shopping bags in the trunk. He’d been waiting in the car, windows down, for over an hour. Not long considering all the bags she’d emerged with.
“Did you get everything you need?” he asked, opening the rear door for her. “The boutiques aren’t far from here.”
“I’m shopped out. But would you mind stopping at Barnes and Noble before we head back?”
“Of course not.” He got in the car, started it, and put the windows up. He turned the air conditioning to high and pulled from the parking space.
She’d been less friendly since he’d admitted he knew who she was. He guessed he couldn’t blame her. Being famous was probably a pain in the butt. A huge invasion of privacy.
Still, he felt the need to be congenial. He didn’t want her thinking poorly of the inn, after all. When she left he wanted her to recommend it to all her celebrity friends.
“I don’t know if you had a chance to see it, but we have a fully stocked library at the inn. Feel free to borrow anything you’d like.”
“Thank you.”
“What do you like to read?” he asked.
“Memoirs mostly.”
“I would’ve thought fiction since you’re in movies.”
“I like fiction too.”
He started to mention that Molly’s boyfriend was a famous author, but being a name-dropper probably wasn’t the best way to disarm her.
“So, why Bluebell?” he asked. “It’s not exactly on anyone’s list of best summer spots.”
