“Caleb to the rescue. He’s a good guy.”
“The best.”
“If I were you, I would wash it off, dab a little alcohol on it and change my clothes in case there are more.”
“I will.” Harlow told him about the anonymous complaint. “Someone took a whack at the tree, making it look like I tried to cut it down to get me into trouble.”
“It takes all kinds.” Her father tsk-tsked. “You sure you don’t want to install a security fence?”
“Positive, although I might get a dog, something big and scary like a German Shepherd.”
“A good guard dog. Some bulletproof, shatter-proof windows and doors, a high-tech alarm system and a gun in your nightstand should cover the bases.”
“All on my list.” Harlow brought up the subject of Cheyenne’s commercial, how her publicist promised she could get her hands on a copy and would send it to her.
“I wouldn’t mind watching it with you.”
“We can pop some popcorn later and have an official viewing.”
“Aunt Birdie is coming for dinner. If she’s not too busy packing, maybe she can hang around for a little while and watch it with us. I hope it’s okay, but I invited Lottie, too,” David said.
“The more the merrier,” Harlow finished chopping and rinsing the lettuce. She diced tomatoes, sliced cucumbers and added thinly sliced red onion to the mix before setting the bowl inside the fridge.
“It’s been a few hours. I’ll see if she sent it.” Harlow dried her hands and made a beeline for her bedroom. She cleaned the tick spot and changed out of her clothes. Grabbing a hand mirror, she clipped her hair up and turned around to inspect the spot.
The only telltale sign was a tiny red mark in the vicinity of where Caleb had been touching her skin.
The memory of how his hand had caressed her skin sent a warm tingle down her spine. All the emotions she’d felt as a teenager came rushing back. Clearly, Caleb was flirting with her, testing the waters to see how she reacted.
Hopefully, she’d made it perfectly clear she wasn’t interested. Despite her words, her body had betrayed her. The fact of the matter was she had never truly gotten over her first love.
But it was a long time ago. So much had happened. Her career…a career that demanded a great deal of her attention. Working as an actor could be grueling. The travel. The exhausting schedule. The prying eyes. The outright lies. Unstable individuals who were obsessed with Harlow.
While she loved the laid-back lifestyle the island offered, it held risks. Even a task as simple as going to the post office or shopping at the local stores placed Harlow in a vulnerable position.
In some ways, her old life was safer. More bodyguards. More protection. Being with Robert and having two sets of eyes watching for trouble.
She hoped it wouldn’t come down to needing twenty-four hours a day security, that “out of sight, out of mind” might work in her favor, but deep down, Harlow wasn’t kidding herself. People who wished her harm were out there.
She pushed the troubling thought from her mind and settled in at her desk. Lifting the lid on her laptop, Harlow opened her email, replying to a few messages, mostly related to the upcoming movie and going over the press release Janice had sent.
Clearing out the junk mail was next. She sorted, sifted and trash binned most of it. Clicking back to her primary account, Harlow scrolled to the top of the screen.
She found a message from Janice, along with an attachment. Clicking on the message, she read the single paragraph.Got my hands on the Robert Barbetz / Cheyenne Clifton commercial.
Harlow promptly replied, thanking her and telling her she had gone over the press release and didn’t have any changes to make. She was tempted to sneak a peek at the commercial, but decided to hold off.
Returning to the kitchen, she helped her dad straighten up. With a couple of hours before dinner, Harlow tracked down her script and began memorizing. In full actor mode, the hours flew by.
Aunt Birdie and Lottie arrived for dinner while David was out walking Mort.
Her aunt was the first to notice the manuscript in her hand. “You’re working? I hope we’re not interrupting.”
“I’ve been memorizing some lines.” Harlow started to put it away.
Lottie stopped her. “I would love to hear you practice.”
“Me too.” Aunt Birdie clapped her hands. “Give us a behind-the-scenes glimpse.”
