“I’m sorry. I know I sound stupid, it’s just that I’ve never been anywhere like this before.” I blew at my muffin before biting into it again, and chewed slowly.

“Sweetie, the last thing I think you are is stupid. But make sure you wear bug spray for the mosquitoes. Oh, and there’s a beach towel in the linen closet next to your room.”

“Thank you so much,” I said after I swallowed. “Oh yeah, can I get your phone number so that I can give it to my mom and best friend?”

“Absolutely,” she said as she moved toward the table. “I’ll just write it down for you.” She scribbled onto a piece of scrap paper. “Make sure you tell them to call anytime.”

“I will. Thanks again,” I said, looking around. “Where’s Buster?”

“Tatum takes him to the shop sometimes. It’s a shame too, because Buster loves that swimming hole.” She extended her hand and I reached for the piece of paper.

“Does he go in?” I asked seriously.

“Does he go in? It’s more like, can someone please keep Buster o

ut of the dang swimming hole!” She waved her arms around for emphasis, making me laugh.

“Well, now I wish he was here. Might be fun to have a partner in crime.” I tossed the last bite of muffin into my mouth.

“I imagine that someone else might be up for that job,” she said, her eyebrows raised meaningfully.

“Mrs. Montgomery, stop it. Your son can barely stand to be around me, let alone want to be my partner in anything.” I probably sounded flustered, but decided not to try to hide it.

She gave me a mock frown. “I thought we went through this already, dear. I realize you just got here, but I see the way my boy looks at you. I haven’t seen that spark in his eyes since his daddy died. So if you’re not careful, you might get a heck of a lot more than just a partner in crime during this vacation of yours.” She sipped her coffee and eyed me over the top of the cup.

I measured her words carefully against my already unbalanced heart. Hearing them didn’t register with my brain. None of it made sense. There was no way Tatum’s eyes did anything except narrow with annoyance at my presence. Partner in crime? No way. He probably wished I’d just head on right out of town.

Unsure how to respond to that, I mumbled, “Well, I guess I’ll go grab that towel now.”

“I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable, Paige. I’m sorry.” Mrs. Montgomery set her coffee mug down on top of the counter and took a step toward me.

“You didn’t. I just…” I paused and shrugged. “I just think you’re wrong about Tatum and me is all.”

She nodded and waved me off. “You’re probably right. Now, the swimming hole is about a ten-minute walk down the path. You don’t need to stray from the path at all, it will lead you right to it. It’s real peaceful, I think you’ll enjoy it.”

“I still can’t believe places like this exist,” I said with a smile.

“Surely you’ve been to the South for filming before, haven’t you?” she asked as she tilted her head to the side.

I shook my head. “I have, but it wasn’t like this. And I didn’t get a chance to explore or go sightseeing, you know?”

“Well, you’re here now. In the true South. Might as well enjoy it.”

My smile widened. “I couldn’t agree more.”

No Rush to Leave

Tatum

Fresh coffee and sandwich in hand from the café, I walked side by side with Buster down the narrow street back toward the garage. Buster was my dad’s dog, and he used to bring him to work almost every day. The damn dog even had a giant puffy bed thing in the corner of the office. Dad used to say that the dog would sleep all day long, snoring away through the pounding and the machines. He used to think that was the funniest thing ever, the way Buster would sleep through life. But he loved that dog. And I loved my dad. It sucked without him here.

I pulled my old man’s chair back from the desk, sat down, and turned on the computer. Buster whined at my side. “What’s the matter¸ boy?” He did that sometimes now. He’d stare at me and whine like he was telling me some secret I couldn’t understand, or he’d head over to the place where we found my dad’s body, then lie down next to it. Damn near killed me when he did that shit.

Pushing the memory from my mind, I shook my head and sipped my coffee. Opening up the latest e-mail from my tire guy, I read his response carefully.

It will most likely take me a few days, maybe even a week to get that kind of tire in. Who the hell is driving a BMW in these parts?

I laughed to myself and wrote back:

Tags: J. Sterling The Celebrity Romance
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