Carolina Breeze

by Denise Hunter

  She pulled the door open a crack.

  A young girl, maybe college-aged, smiled back at her. Her blond hair was pulled back from her pretty face, and she was holding a tray of food.

  “Yes?” Mia said.

  “Good morning. I have your room service order.”

  The food looked good and smelled even better. “I—I didn’t order room service.”

  “It’s part of your package—breakfast in bed. Shall I bring it in and set it up for you?”

  “Oh. I can take it from here. But thank you. It smells delicious.”

  The girl handed over the wooden tray, which was heavier than it looked. Two glasses of orange juice, covered in plastic wrap, threatened to slosh over the sides. Four golden muffins were nestled in a basket, and two bowls of granola and yogurt sat in the center, topped with fat blueberries.

  Breakfast for two. Of course. What other little romantic surprises awaited her?

  “You can just set the tray outside your room when you’re finished. Or leave it and we’ll remove it later when we clean your room.”

  “All right, thank you.” Mia gave the girl a smile and closed the door, sighing deeply. Maybe this trip had been a terrible idea after all.

  * * *

  Levi perched on the stool behind the front desk. Usually mornings were busy, full of checkouts, assisting guests with their luggage, and providing directions to their next destinations. Sometimes he assisted them with boarding passes or made recommendations for airport accommodations. The personal service was all part of staying at an inn.

  But since they had only one guest, the inn was silent this morning. Even the phone had been quiet.

  He awakened the computer and checked his email. His personal credit card statement had arrived, but he didn’t want to see the balance. The inn had run in the red all winter, and the business credit card had already been maxed out. He’d paid it down with the honeymooners’ payment so the girls wouldn’t know just how tight things were.

  They didn’t know his personal credit cards were maxed out too. It just about killed him to make only the minimum payment each month. He’d always been a cash-up-front kind of guy. But he’d be able to pay off his debt once the season got rolling. At least that’s what he begged God for on a daily basis.

  He saw an email from his former boss back in Denver. Curious, he opened the message.

  Hello Levi,

  I hope it’s all right that I attained your current email address from Vince Gunnerson. You may have heard through him that Farber Construction’s business has boomed since you left. While growth is a positive factor, as you know, it also requires an expansion of staffing.

  Your departure, while completely understandable, left a great deficit in the area of project management. We’ve never fully recovered from the loss in that area and are suffering even more now that the business is expanding.

  I’m not sure how things are going for your family business. Hopefully they’ve settled in the year and a half since you’ve been gone. But as I told you when you left, you will always have a position at FC.

  In fact, in light of our very busy upcoming season, the board has asked me to approach you. I think you’ll find the offer attached very generous.

  I hope you’ll consider coming back to FC, Levi. There is abundant opportunity for career advancement.

  Sincerely,

  Thomas Wellborn

  Levi couldn’t stop himself from clicking on the attachment even though dread was already coursing through his veins. He scanned the document, swallowing hard at the bottom line. They were offering not only a promotion but a healthy increase in his previous salary.

  He stared at the figure, his stomach in knots. He couldn’t accept it, no matter how tempting it was.

  Ultimately, he needed to see his sisters settled—Molly living out her dream in Italy, Grace in college without a boatload of debt hanging over her head. And none of that could happen until they sold the inn.

  But the inn was far from solvent. While they’d done all right last summer, the winter had been even slower than he’d anticipated. He soft-pedaled it to the girls in their monthly meetings, fudging numbers and focusing on the marketing plans he had for the upcoming lake season.

  And yes, he hoped and prayed that marketing would translate to dollars. Especially since the charges for it had gone straight to his credit card. But mostly because he had to make this inn work. He couldn’t stand the thought of failing his parents—it was eating away at his insides.

  He rubbed the back of his neck where tension had gathered. The base of his skull beat with a headache. His eyes swept over the email again. Man, he missed his life in Denver. He missed his freedom, his excellent salary, and having a job he was good at. It won’t be much longer, he promised himself.

  The phone rang, jarring him from his thoughts. He took the call and was encouraged. The man was looking to book a family reunion in October, which was off-season. It would be a nice influx of revenue. Unfortunately, he discovered as the man continued, the inn didn’t have the space the large group required.

  A while later he heard Grace coming down the steps. He closed out the offer and his email program.

  Grace rounded the corner, widened her eyes at him, and jerked her head toward the living room.

  Ooo-kay. Rolling his eyes behind her back, he followed her through the living room and into the dining room. Once they were inside she pushed the French doors shut, closing off the room, even though the whole inn was empty but for the siblings and Mia.

  “I just took up their breakfast,” Grace whispered.

  “I know,” he whispered back at her dramatically. “You passed me on your way up.”

  “I thought I’d do a little detective work, you know, try and figure out what was going on. So when she opened the door I looked past her, very casually, and the bed was empty—there was no one else in the room that I could see. Although he could’ve been in the bathroom, I guess. The door was almost closed, but I don’t think the light was on.”

  “Get to the point, Grace,” Levi said when he should’ve just cut her off. He could see all this was leading somewhere, but their guest’s personal life was none of their business.

  “I’m trying. I didn’t recognize her at first, without her makeup and everything, and the hallway is fairly dark, so it took me a minute. It was her voice that tipped me off.”

  Levi struggled for patience. His sister could drive him crazy sometimes. Both of them, actually. “Grace, I have things to do, so if you don’t mind—”

  “Our guest is Mia Emerson,” she blurted.

  “I know that . . . I checked her in, remember?”

  Grace rolled her eyes. “The Mia Emerson, Levi—of Into the Deep fame.”

  “Into the Deep? The movie?” Well, that would explain her incredible good looks.

  “Yes, the movie, Levi. Do you live under a rock? She’s a superstar. She’s on magazine covers, and she’s going to be in the new Jax Jordan movie this fall. You have heard of Jax Jordan?”

  “Of course I’ve heard of Jax Jordan,” he scoffed. “He’s been around forever.”

  “I can’t believe Mia Emerson is staying right here, under our roof.”

  Levi narrowed his eyes at her. “Please tell me you didn’t ask for her autograph.”

  “Of course not. I was a consummate professional. I didn’t even let on that I recognized her. But do you know what this means, Levi? Do you know how connected she is? If she tells all her friends about our inn, we could become the new getaway for the Hollywood elite. Can you imagine?”

  He rocked back a little at that. He didn’t care one whit for the Hollywood elite. But the inn sure could use an influx of influential people. A word or two on social media from a movie star or a mention in a magazine could make a huge difference.

  “Is her new husband an actor too?” Levi asked. That would bode especially well.

  “What do you think I am, a groupie?” She pulled out her phone. “Let me see
what I can find online.”

  “You shouldn’t be prying into our guest’s personal life.” Even he could hear his halfhearted tone.

  “Hey there.” Molly entered the dining room from the kitchen, still wearing an apron. “Miss Della had to leave early for a doctor’s— What’s going on? You have a funny look on your face.”

  Grace looked up from her phone. “Our new guest is Mia Emerson.”

  “What? The actress? Are you sure?”

  “Positive. It took me a minute to recognize her because she was straight out of bed, but her voice gave her away. It’s definitely her.”

  “Oh my gosh, that’s amazing. Did her husband ever show up?”

  “I don’t think so. I didn’t see him. I’m Googling ‘Mia Emerson wedding.’ I think she was engaged to some actor, but I can’t remember who it—oh, here it is. She was engaged to Wesley Hughes.” Grace continued reading and scrolling then sucked in a breath. “Oh no. They broke off the engagement.”

  “When?” Molly asked.

  “Where are you even getting this information?” Levi asked. “Those tabloids are just a bunch of gossip.”

  “I know that,” Grace said as if insulted. “This is a reputable site. They broke up months ago—the party line is, it was a mutual decision. But inside sources claim he broke up with her.”

  “Why would she come on her honeymoon alone?” Molly asked, a pained look in her amber eyes.

  “It was nonrefundable, remember?” Levi said. Thank God. Otherwise the business credit card would still be maxed out.

  “A drop in the bucket to someone like her.” Molly leaned over Grace’s shoulder and began reading.

  Guilt pinched Levi hard. Here they were gathered around Grace’s phone, prying into this poor woman’s life, which was apparently spread across the internet like a picnic blanket.

  “Enough.” He snatched the phone from Grace’s hand and closed out the browser.

  “Hey!” Grace said, reaching for her phone.

  He handed it back. “This is none of our business. And I believe you have some college applications to fill out today.” He looked at Molly. “And don’t you have some rooms to clean? I’d like to offer her one of them first thing.”

  Molly slapped a hand across her forehead. “Oh, jeez. The roses. The flower petals. The champagne.”

  Grace winced. “No wonder she wanted another room.”

  “I called her Mrs. Hughes.” Levi flinched at the memory. Mia had looked so tired last night, and he obviously hadn’t imagined the vulnerability in her eyes. The last thing she’d probably needed were reminders of the wedding that had never happened.

  “What’s with all the celebrities showing up?” Grace asked. “First Adam, now Mia.”

  “Maybe we’re becoming the new trendy vacation spot,” Molly said.

  “All right, here’s the plan,” Levi said, putting on his business face. “We show no signs of recognition. We treat her as we would any other guest, anticipating her every desire, always smiling . . .” He nailed Molly with a look. “But never prying.”

  “What?” she asked, all innocence.

  “No autographs or, heaven forbid, selfies.” This time the look went to Grace. “And no telling anyone she’s here.”

  “Not even Sarah?” Grace said. “She wouldn’t say anything.”

  “Not a soul. Discretion is part of being an innkeeper. You know that.”

  “I know,” Grace said, pouting. “But what fun is it having her here if we can’t tell anyone or even acknowledge it?”

  “We’re not here for fun. We’re here to keep Mom and Dad’s dream alive.”

  After drilling the two of them with a look, he returned to the front desk. Maybe he’d been a little heavy-handed. But they’d all sacrificed a lot to see their parents’ dream come to fruition. Molly had given up that internship at an Italian resort, Grace had given every spare moment of her senior year, and Levi had put his life in Denver on hold.

  And now he’d also be giving up a promotion and raise.

  But all of that came second to taking care of his sisters. He had to do everything in his power to make sure the inn was the rousing success his parents had dreamed it could be. And as the business guru in this endeavor—not to mention the oldest child—it was all riding on his shoulders.

  six

  Mia set aside the half-empty breakfast tray. The orange muffins had been delicious, the granola delightfully chewy and flavorful. Her stomach was full and no doubt confused about the sudden influx of carbs. But a day or two of eating like a normal person wasn’t going to wreck her figure—or her career.

  No, a good old-fashioned scandal was going to do that for her. She whispered yet another prayerful plea that God would bring the truth to light, and soon. It had been a while since she’d really spent any time in prayer. She couldn’t even remember the last time she’d opened her Bible outside of church. Now that filming was done she needed to get back to her regular habits—and keep them going.

  But for now she was just glad to be tucked away someplace where no one would think to look for her. No one knew where she and Wes had been going for their honeymoon, much less that she might do something so crazy as to actually come here alone. Brooke, Lettie, and Nolan were the only ones who knew her whereabouts.

  And while Mia wanted nothing more than to remain in her room all day, she desperately needed fresh clothes. Her spirits were low, even after chatting on the phone with Brooke, who’d made her promise to stay off the internet and especially off social media. #MiaStealsJax. Apparently the scandal had picked up steam, and the paparazzi were stalking Jax and Emma everywhere.

  Chances of being recognized here were lower, but if she were, the paparazzi would turn this little town upside down. Wouldn’t that be fun. She’d just have to make sure that didn’t happen.

  She prayed Nolan and Brooke were right, that a little time—and perhaps a fresh scandal—would smooth this mess right out.

  Mia forced herself out of bed and into the shower, not bothering to wash her hair since she’d be wearing the ball cap again today. She winced as she put on yesterday’s dirty clothes. At least there was only one person who’d seen her in them, and he probably wasn’t working this morning.

  She swept her hair into a ponytail and pulled on the ball cap, tugging the brim down to her well-groomed eyebrows. Her eyes looked tired and a little puffy after last night’s crying jag, but no one was going to recognize her here like this. She slapped her cheeks to bring some color to them. She was blessed with a face that didn’t necessarily need makeup, but she’d pick up some basics while she was out anyway.

  It was almost noon by the time she left her room and made her way down the hall to the staircase. The steps creaked as she went down, but it was a homey sound. The idea of her grandparents walking the same route day after day made her smile. Just being here in this house, this town, gave her a connection to the past she’d always sought.

  Mia would walk to the stores—they were just down the street a block or two. Filming had been done indoors last week, and she felt starved for a bit of sunshine and fresh air. Besides, she was eager to scope out her family’s town.

  When she rounded the front desk, she stopped at the sight of Levi perched on a stool. He was wearing a white Bluebell Inn polo that set off his tan.

  He straightened at the sight of her. “Good morning, Mrs.—I mean, Mia. I hope you slept well and enjoyed your breakfast.”

  “I did. Thank you.” Mia stopped in front of the desk. There was something different in his countenance this morning, but she couldn’t put her finger on it.

  “Our other rooms are available now, if you’d like to take a look. They’re a bit smaller, but we have a—”

  She waved him off. “The suite is wonderful. Thank you, but I’ll just stay put.” He had to be wondering where her groom was, but thank God he was too professional to mention it.

  “All right. Is there anything I can do to make your stay more comfortable?”

/>   “Everything is perfect. I was just going to do some shopping. Is there someplace nearby you’d recommend for clothing?”

  “There are a couple stores in town that sell outdoor apparel for hiking, climbing, and such, and other stores that stock touristy things like shirts and hats. Most of those have the Bluebell Lake logo on them though.”

  She bit her lip. “Oh. I was thinking more like regular clothes: jeans, tops, a sundress?”

  He was already shaking his head. “You’d have to go to Asheville for that kind of shopping.”

  “No problem. That’s what Uber is for, right? Thanks for your help.” She pulled out her phone and turned toward the door.

  “Um . . . I’m afraid we don’t have that here.”

  She blinked. “You don’t have Uber?”

  “Well, we have Ernest Farnsworth, but he only drives on the weekends, when he’s not working at the marina.” He straightened from the stool. “But no worries, I can drive you. I’m actually at your service this week for all your traveling needs.”

  She noted his stiff smile. “Excuse me?”

  “It’s part of the package. I’d be happy to take you anywhere you need to go.”

  And still no questions about the mister. Well, maybe this would be a good opportunity to get that conversation out of the way.

  “Well, thank you. I’d appreciate that, if you’re sure it’s not an imposition.”

  “Part of my job. Asheville’s over the mountains, about forty minutes.” He pulled a set of keys from his pocket and walked around her, opening the door for her. She put on her sunglasses as she followed him down the walkway. There was nobody about, but no point taking chances.

  When he reached a silver Ford sedan, he opened the rear door for her. She paused only a second before stepping inside. Even when her driver drove her to the set she didn’t sit in the back. Really, she only did that in a limo, and that was a rare occasion. The formality seemed unnatural here in the sticks.

  He got into the driver’s seat, started the car, and put down the windows. “I’ll put these up in a minute, just letting out some of the stuffy air.”