The boy blushed, hanging his head. “Glad I could help. If it gives you any trouble, bring it back.”
Harlow thanked him again and rode off, giving him a friendly wave on her way out. During the ride into town, she thought about how generous Arlen was, always willing to offer a hand to those in need. Whether he wanted it or not, she planned to reward him for helping her.
Chapter 14
Reaching the downtown post office, Harlow dropped the mail in the outgoing bin and made a beeline for the gift card rack. She perused the array of cards, searching for the perfect thank you for Arlen. He’d mentioned how he enjoyed hunting and fishing, so she grabbed a sporting goods gift card for a store in Mackinaw City and carried it to the counter.
Dawn, the postmaster and clerk, dropped the stack of mail she stood sorting. “Hey, Harlow,” she cheerfully greeted her. “You’re back.”
“For a few weeks, and then I’m off again.”
The woman leaned an elbow on the counter. “To somewhere exotic and exciting, I hope.”
“Oh, yes. It’s uber-exciting.”
“Hawaii? Europe? Iceland?”
“Pittsburgh.”
Dawn wrinkled her nose. “Pittsburgh doesn’t sound very exciting to me.”
Harlow grinned. “I was joking. It’s not, but it is close to home, which means I don’t have to fly halfway around the world to get there.”
“Good point.” She leaned in and whispered in a low voice. “What’s the name of the movie?”
“Steel City Wishes.” Harlow gave her a brief synopsis of the story.
“Sounds like a chick flick.”
“One hundred percent.”
“So, you have a hottie love interest, I’m guessing.”
“Derrick Flynn.”
Dawn’s expression grew dreamy. “You lucky duck. I’m in love with him.”
“You can have him.”
Her dreamy look vanished. “Please don’t burst my bubble and tell me he prefers men, not women.”
Harlow giggled. “No. He likes the ladies. He’s a nasty person and rude.”
“Seriously?”
“Yep. He can be difficult to work with.” Which was somewhat of an understatement. The guy was a major jerk, yet his fans swooned over him. Flynn, a good-looking smooth talker, knew how to turn on the charm, at least in public. Behind the scenes, he was an unpleasant person. The only reason the studios put up with him was that he attracted female moviegoers who showed up at theaters solely to watch him…in droves.
Despite his box office draw, those “in the biz,” other actors with clout, refused to work with Flynn.
“Bummer. I guess I’ll have to find a new hunk to become fixated on.”
The comment made Harlow smile even more. Dawn, a no-nonsense, straight shooter who didn’t sugarcoat anything, didn’t strike her as the type to fangirl over someone. “I’ll try to catch him in a more pleasant moment and get you an autograph.”
“Would you?” Dawn clasped her hands. “You made my day. Thank you.”
“I haven’t done anything yet. Like I said, Flynn can be moody and difficult, but I’ll do my best.” Harlow placed the gift card on the counter.
Dawn scanned it. “Do you need stamps?”
