Mia set her laptop aside and blinked against the tears. She shouldn’t have done it. She knew better. People could be brutal, especially when they hid behind a screen. But she just had to know what everyone had thought of her press release.
And now she did.
She got up from her bed, the walls of the honeymoon suite pressing in on her. It was late, almost midnight, but she slipped on the white terry robe with the inn’s logo and left her room. The inn was so quiet she was surprised when she met Molly on the stairs.
“Hey, Mia. You’re up late. Is there anything you need?”
Sweet of her to offer, since she was obviously heading to bed. Thankfully Molly had settled down since they’d first been introduced. Mia had become used to a certain amount of fangirling, but here in this tiny town it felt different somehow.
“No thanks. I just wanted to get out of my room for a while.”
“I don’t blame you. Help yourself to the TV in the living room. Or there’s a beautiful full moon tonight right over the lake. I saw a falling star out back the other night.”
“Sounds great. Thanks, Molly.” She passed the innkeeper.
“Mia?”
She turned, looking up at Molly.
“I just wanted to reiterate that you’re in good hands here. We’ll do everything we can to keep your whereabouts under wraps.”
“Thanks. I appreciate that.” Mia gave her a smile and continued on.
“And Mia?”
She turned again.
“Sorry. I don’t mean to be a pest. But I want to say that I think you’re getting a really crappy deal in all this. I’m thoroughly ticked at Jax Jordan, and I’ll never watch another one of his films. Except the one you’re in, of course,” she added hurriedly. “I’m sure you’ve got a million people in your corner—I just wanted you to know I’m one of them.”
It felt good to be so easily accepted. Mia gave her a warm smile. “Thanks, Molly. That means a lot to me.”
“I’ll let you get on with your night. If you get hungry there are cookies and muffins in the kitchen.”
Mia thanked her again and continued down the stairs. Molly’s words were soothing after the diatribes she’d just read online. And it made her feel at home to know the kitchen was open if she had the midnight munchies. But she wasn’t hungry and had no desire to watch TV.
The darkness beyond the windows beckoned. She followed the hall around the check-in desk and past the library. The lock turned easily, and she stepped outside into the mild evening. The scent of a wood fire carried to her on a breeze as she made her way down the sloped lawn to the neat row of Adirondack chairs. She settled into one of them, curling her feet underneath her.
The lake was pitch black except for the cone of shimmering moonlight reflected on it. On the distant shoreline house lights gleamed here and there. Overhead, beyond a canopy of leaves, the stars twinkled on a black canvas. She leaned her head against the chair’s tall back and snuggled in, watching for a falling star. She could use a free wish about now.
At times like these a girl was supposed to be able to call her mother. But Mia’s mom was gone, and she’d never been that kind of mother anyway. She hadn’t been much on advice—unless it related to beauty and fashion. At those things she’d been very good.
Mia wrapped her arms around her body. It was almost chilly with the breeze coming off the lake. But still she couldn’t make herself go back inside. She thought of the handsome innkeeper and his earlier kindness. She liked that he believed in her even though he had no real reason to. She also liked the way he’d kept her company in the kitchen while she’d eaten. He seemed like a capable man—the kind who looked out for others and took his responsibilities seriously. Maybe too seriously.
She smiled as she remembered the way he’d been with his sisters. She’d always wanted siblings. A younger sister to mentor, an older brother to look out for her. She’d be willing to bet Levi had a bossy side that drove his sisters crazy. But then he must’ve had a lot of responsibility foisted onto him when their parents died. Good thing he had those strong shoulders.
“Mia?”
She jumped at the sound of the male voice. Footsteps brushed through the grass. She scanned the darkness. Only as he neared could she make out his familiar silhouette in the moonlight.
“Levi?”
“Didn’t mean to disturb you. I was working in my room and saw someone out here. Wanted to make sure we didn’t have a trespasser.”
“Nope.” She sank back into the chair, her heart settling. “Just me.”
He stuffed his hands into his khaki pockets. “Couldn’t sleep?”
“Still on Pacific time.”
“Are you warm enough? Let me grab you a blanket.”
“No, that’s okay. I’m comfortable.”
“Would you like some tea? I think Molly has one that functions as a sleep aid.”
“No thanks. I’m not much of a tea person.”
“Don’t say that too loudly. You’re in the South now.”
“Good point.”
“Well . . .” He took a step back. “I don’t want to disrupt your evening.”
She was loath to get wrapped up in her own thoughts again. “I wouldn’t mind the company—unless you’re heading to bed. Sorry, you probably have to be up early.”
And she was supposed to be more careful about who she let in. But she’d only be here a few more days. What could it hurt? She was getting lonely, with Brooke and Lettie so far away and a million fans turning against her. At least Levi and his siblings seemed to be on her side.
“I’m not really tired yet.” The chair beside her groaned as he eased his weight onto it. “I’ve always been a bit of a night owl. I can function pretty well on six hours’ sleep.”
“Lucky you. I need a solid eight.”
“Tell me about your work. How’d you get into show business?”
“My mom. She was an actress—Katherine Emerson?”
“Right. I should’ve put that together.”
She smiled. “I guess you really didn’t know who I was when I checked in.”
“Sorry,” came his sheepish reply. “My sisters filled me in quickly enough. Told me I live under a rock.”
“I don’t mind. It’s kind of nice.” Somehow it was easier conversing with him under the cover of darkness. Also, it made her aware of how deep and lovely his voice was.
“It must be a pain to be recognized wherever you go. Molly’s boyfriend is a famous writer, so he deals with that too.”
“What’s his name?”
“His pseudonym is Nathanial Quinn, but his real name is Adam Bradford.”
“That sounds familiar. But yeah, being recognized can get a little intrusive. Most people are pretty cool about it, though, and I do enjoy meeting fans—usually,” she added, thinking of the last few days. She pulled the robe tightly around her chest.
* * *
When Levi had seen the shadow moving across the yard, he immediately thought of all the people looking for their guest. He half expected a flash to go off when he opened the back door. Once he saw it was only Mia he hadn’t intended to stick around. He’d had a little talk with himself after their chat in the kitchen. But when she asked him to stay he detected a hint of desperation in her tone. Maybe she was lonely. All her friends were on the other side of the country, and she was alone on what was supposed to have been her honeymoon.
“Have you always lived in Bluebell?” she asked, breaking the silence. She really did have a distinctive voice. A little throaty. Very sexy.
“I went away to Colorado State, and after I graduated I got a job in Denver. I lived out there for several years—until I came back here to run the inn.”
“That surprises me.”
“Had me pegged for a country boy, did you?”
“Caught me.” He heard the grin in her voice.
“I like Denver, traffic notwithstanding. I had a great job there with growth potential, an apartment I loved, and a . . .”
He didn’t finish the thought, hadn’t meant to go there. It might be late—and dark—but Mia was still his guest.
“And a girlfriend?” she asked when he left the sentence hanging. “Did you leave behind a special woman, Levi?”
Her tone was teasing, almost flirtatious, and it made his pulse kick up. It was easy to see why she had so many male admirers. “Sure did.”
“Was it serious?”
“Not especially. We’d only been going out several months.”
“But it had potential.” She was looking toward him now, her head resting against the chair back. He could feel her perusal.
“Who knows? I thought it might. But then I was needed here. I believe things happen for a reason.”
“Do you believe in God, Levi?”
The personal question surprised him. He turned toward her, even though her features were murky in the shadows. “Faith is a big part of my life, and part of the reason I was able to accept moving back home and ending that relationship. God has a plan, and He was directing my steps. How about you?”
She was quiet a moment. The leaves rustled overhead and water rippled against the shoreline.
“Lettie took me to church as a child. It seemed—out of step with the rest of my life. It wasn’t until I was older that I saw it was the only part of my life that was real and normal. So yes, I believe in God. He’s been a constant. If I didn’t have Him in my life, I don’t know how I would’ve held on to any sense of normalcy.”
“He’s blessed you with a lot of success.”
“And I’m grateful. It’s a competitive world, acting. People scrambling for parts, jealousy, backstabbing. It’s vicious sometimes. You think someone’s your friend, but they’re just using you. Everyone I knew was praying for their big break, and I was always praying that God wouldn’t give me more than I could handle.”
Interesting. He tilted his head. “Why do you think that is?”
“It’s not that I’m not driven or competitive. I just saw how it—fame—affected people in my life. I didn’t want that happening to me.”
“Your mom?”
“My mom most of all. But I do love acting—the actual work of it. I love exploring different characters and trying to become them for a little while, trying to portray them accurately. I’ve always felt called to acting, but I was happy just making a living at it. I didn’t need to be a Hollywood sensation.”
“Too late,” he teased.
He thought she smiled back but couldn’t be sure. He was enjoying their chat. And, he noted, since he’d come out here his stress level had seemed to drop tenfold. Maybe Mia just had that effect on him.
“So,” she said after a moment’s quiet. “Why didn’t you try the long-distance thing with your Denver friend? Or are you staying here indefinitely?”
“My plans are to make the inn profitable, at which point we can sell it as a viable business. Our mom and dad dreamed of turning the place back into an inn, but they wouldn’t have wanted us to give up our own dreams to follow theirs.”
“Dodging the subject?”
“Darn.” His lips twitched. “Didn’t work.”
“At least you don’t have your love life splashed across every celebrity magazine nationwide.”
“I can’t even imagine.”
“What was her name? What did she do?”
“You’re not going to let me off the hook, are you?”
“You already know all about my love life.”
“Fair enough.” He didn’t even know why he was reluctant to talk about it; there was no big story here. “Her name was Gretchen, and she was an admin assistant. And to answer your question—”
“Finally.”
“I wasn’t sure how long I might be here. I didn’t feel it was fair to leave her hanging.”
“Do you miss her?”
Mia was very direct out here in the dark. He thought about her question, wanting to be honest but needing to clarify things in his own head. “I missed her for a while, but now I think I just miss having someone special. My life’s too full for that right now though. I have responsibilities that need my full attention.”
“The inn, you mean?”
“That and my sisters. Speaking of which—they don’t know about Gretchen, so I’d appreciate it if we kept that between us.”
“You’re keeping my secret, so I can certainly keep yours. But why don’t you want them to know, if you don’t mind my asking?”
He lifted a shoulder. “I guess I don’t want them feeling guilty about what I gave up.”
“It was an unselfish thing you did.”
“We all made sacrifices. Molly gave up a great internship in Italy that she’d worked hard for. Grace gave up a lot of activities at school her junior and senior years.”
“It was all for your parents?”
“That and also for Grace. We wanted her to be able to finish high school here, and the inn seemed like the only viable way to do that.”
“I think it’s really special what you’re doing—all of you. Your parents would be really proud of you.”
He heard a wistful tone in her voice and wondered again about her own family. “I hope so.”
“You seem close. I never liked being an only child. Other kids have imaginary playmates; I had imaginary siblings.”
He chuckled, easily able to picture little Mia having tea with her “sisters.”
“The reality is probably less appealing than the fantasy. Believe me, we fuss and argue and annoy each other, even now. Running a business together hasn’t been easy. If left to her own devices Molly would spend us out of house and home. She’s all about whatever it takes to make the guests happy. Grace is more low-key, but the inn is just a means to an end for her. She wanted to finish school here, and she did. Not that she doesn’t care about our parents’ legacy.”
“Sure, but she’s only, what, eighteen? I was pretty self-absorbed at that age.”
“She’s nineteen, but yeah, I get it. She’ll be heading off for college in the fall and everything. Following her own dreams.”
“Will you hire someone to fill her spot?”
“Yeah.” He winced at the thought. He’d have to pay someone more than the piddly sum they were paying Grace, and he wasn’t sure where that money would come from.
“I’m glad you turned the place back into an inn. In a way, you’re keeping my grandparents’ legacy alive too.”
Levi hadn’t thought of it that way. But it made him feel good to please Mia. “The place has a rich history. I like sharing it with others.”
“It’s an awesome place. I’d be happy to recommend it to my friends and fans.”
He stared across the space between them, wishing he could read her features. “Really? You’d do that?”
“Of course. Although right now, I don’t think my recommendation is going to help your cause much.”
“This scandal must seem pretty awful at the moment, but I’m sure it’ll pass in time. People have short attention spans.”
“You sound like my agent.”
“Must be a smart guy.”
He felt, more than saw, her responding smile. “I hope you’re right.”