Starlight Love

by Kat Bellemore

  True, nothing Eli Hunt had done thus far made him appear to be your typical celebrity. But all the same. “Jessie, that has been your spot for the past thirty years. You can’t ruin that kind of streak. I’m sure they wouldn’t mind moving over a few feet.”

  “Which spot?” a deep British voice said from behind them. “That one over there?”

  Adeline turned and found herself facing Eli Hunt. He looked much like he had that morning—leather jacket and ripped jeans—but something was different. His accent was still firmly in place, so that wasn’t it. Maybe it was his hair. It seemed to have been carefully gelled in an intentionally chaotic kind of way, with strands poking out in all directions. He also seemed to be carrying himself with a more carefree nature than he had that morning. He wore a huge grin like he was about to throw a party. Judging by the large bag he was carrying, maybe he was.

  That was when she noticed her store’s logo on the side. It was the bag of chocolates. The guilt returned.

  “Eli,” Jessie said, placing her hand on the actor’s arm as if they’d been best friends for years. That was Jessie’s nature, though, treating everyone like family. “We were just talking about you. How have you been enjoying your stay in Starlight Ridge?”

  Eli turned his smile on Jessie. “It’s lovely here, and everyone has been very kind. More than I deserve.”

  Except Adeline. But she supposed Eli’s entourage of adorning fans had more than made up for her poor behavior. Jessie included.

  “You deserve every bit of it, with how hard you work,” Jessie said, coddling him like she would her grandchild. “Do you need more tarts? I can run some over if you’ve already eaten through what I sent.”

  Eli laughed, his eyes bright, like he didn’t have a care in the world. “I think I’m good for now. I don’t know how you all managed to put together so many welcome baskets for my crew, but everything from the shrimp to the tarts to the scuba shop T-shirts has been incredible.”

  Welcome baskets. Oops. She’d forgotten about those. Adeline wondered if Jessie knew, because her friend’s next question was, “How did you enjoy Addie’s chocolates? Which kind did she send your way?”

  Without missing a beat, Eli grinned and held up the large bag. “Every kind you can imagine.”

  Jessie’s eyes nearly bugged out of her head as her gaze whipped to Adeline. “Wow, that is quite the welcome.”

  “Let’s get your chairs set up, shall we?” Adeline said, desperate for a change of subject.

  Eli placed a hand on Jessie’s, which still rested on his bicep, and turned his gaze on her. “Yes, about that. Did I hear that we took over where you usually like to sit?”

  Adeline thought that Jessie was going to melt on the spot. “Oh, it’s nothing. There’s no sign or fence or anything staking my claim on that bit of sand. We’ll just park ourselves down yonder.”

  “That’s very kind of you. But I’ll have a chat with everyone later and make sure it doesn’t happen again.”

  Jessie beamed up at the actor and didn’t move until Eli had fully extracted himself from her grip.

  “It looks like we’re being summoned,” Adeline said, nodding toward Bree and Caleb, two of her very best friends and the owners of the local scuba shop.

  Jessie reluctantly stepped away, while adding, “I hope we have another chance encounter soon.”

  “Likewise,” Eli said, giving her a small wave as she and Adeline worked their way toward where Bree and Caleb sat. “And thank you again for the chocolates,” he added, throwing a smile at Adeline.

  She didn’t know why he was pretending she’d given them to him out of the kindness of her heart, but she’d rather he didn’t. Adeline stopped and made her way back toward him, ignoring his curious gaze as she stepped in close and lowered her voice so Jessie wouldn’t hear. “I’m sorry. About earlier. I shouldn’t have treated you the way I did, and then to charge you for all the chocolates that fell on the floor…” She paused. “I’ve been wanting to apologize all day, and I’ve already reversed the charges on your card.”

  For the first time that evening, Eli’s composure seemed to slip, as did his accent. “I wish you wouldn’t have done that. It was my fault, and I was more than happy to pay for them. I—” He seemed to catch himself, and his look of concern morphed back into a carefree smile. “Rubbish. These chocolates are perfectly fine, and delicious, I might add. Besides, it’s not like they’re going to go to waste. Not when they’re going to be the life of the party!” He yelled the last part and held the bag of chocolates in the air like it was a keg of beer. Cheers erupted from the film crew, and Eli swaggered over to where the large group had just turned on some music.

  Well, so much for an apology. Adeline frowned and tightened her grip on Jessie’s chair and the bag of food. Not only did Eli not seem to mind her rude behavior that morning, but, at the moment, he was standing in the middle of his posse and throwing damaged chocolates in the air to see if he could catch them in his mouth as they watched and laughed. Adeline spun away and moved to where her friends sat.

  “You okay?” Bree asked as Adeline slammed open the folding chair, threw it down next to her friend, and collapsed into it.

  “No. Mr. Fancy Pants and his crew are treating the Starlight Stroll as they would a spring break beach party. And whatever music they are playing totally ruins the mood.”

  Davis walked past them at that moment and said, “Now you know how I feel about reggae.”

  Adeline barked out a laugh, not missing Davis’s signature smirk as he continued on his way. From the moment they’d met as children, they’d never been able to hold a civil conversation, opting instead for one-liner jabs.

  “It’s not like you to get riled up like this.”

  Adeline released a long sigh, knowing Bree was right but unable to stop herself. There was something about Eli Hunt that just got under her skin and wouldn’t let up. Starlight Ridge was for those who wanted a low-key life full of close friends and taking things slow—outside of tourist season, that was. As they approached the holidays, this was when she and the others should have been able to take a breath and put things on pause.

  But now she was stuck with a bunch of people who looked like they were at a frat party, and Adeline would be up late making chocolates so that all of them could get their sugar fix the next day. Of course, them flocking to her store wasn’t completely their fault, and they couldn’t be blamed for knowing quality chocolate when they ate it. Adeline had been told on more than one occasion that her chocolates were addicting. And she was grateful for the business—she couldn’t deny that she needed it. That was the reason she’d agreed to let Eli Hunt film in her store in the first place. But sometimes the extra work and money came at a cost. Like her mental health. Her sanity.

  “I know. I’m sorry,” Adeline told Bree. “Just tired. Busy day.”

  Bree didn’t look like she was entirely convinced, but she gave Adeline a sympathetic smile and then turned to say something to Caleb, who sat on her other side.

  Adeline released a long breath, sinking deeper into the folding chair. She threw a glance in Eli’s direction. Her heart stalled when she saw that he was watching her. Eli was no longer throwing chocolates in the air. He wasn’t even laughing, his expression scrunched up in concern instead. When their gazes met, however, his darted away, and his goofy grin returned.

  9

  Eli would never have known it was Thanksgiving if not for the giant inflatable turkey that currently sat on the beach. Seriously, that thing was huge—at least fifteen feet tall. He didn’t know who had put it there, but it hadn’t been there the previous evening.

  “Happy Thanksgiving,” someone called from their bike as they peddled past on the boardwalk.

  He nodded in acknowledgement as he continued to walk the shoreline but doubted the biker had seen, as they were already halfway down the road.

  It was still early in the day, but the weather had turned unusually warm, and he felt uncomfortable in his leat
her jacket. Eli started to remove it, but then remembered the too-tight shirt he was wearing underneath. Benjamin wouldn’t have cared. He liked showing off his muscles. It was the whole purpose of wearing shirts that were a size too small. Fine. When in Rome, right? Or an alternate personality. Eli shrugged off his jacket, and a light breeze whipped past, instantly cooling him. He gave a contended sigh. Much better.

  Thanksgiving.

  Eli’s gaze swept over the white trailers that were all ready for production to begin the following week. They were empty now—locked. Everyone had gone home for the holiday weekend. They’d spend time with their families before they had to knuckle down with grueling days, trying to get as much done as they could in as little time as possible.

  Maybe he should have gone home to Oklahoma. He missed his dad’s traditional, though dangerous, deep fried turkey. And his stepmom pacing around the yard, phone in hand, ready to call the fire department if something went amiss, like Eli’s dad catching the house on fire. Which he had nearly done. Twice.

  Things were weird this year, though. His dad was still trying to wrap his head around Eli’s divorce. He had adored Diane and couldn’t understand how things had ended as they had. It hadn’t helped that his dad had heard all sorts of things on TV and in gossip columns, which had left Eli trying to clean up the mess and make sure he knew which things were true and which were exaggerations or, in some cases, complete lies. For a while his dad had thought the reason behind the divorce was that Eli had cheated on Diane. It had taken Eli a week to convince his dad otherwise.

  That wasn’t the only reason Eli had stayed in Starlight Ridge. He had lines to memorize for the first scenes they’d film the following week. Just because it was a holiday didn’t mean he got to take time off. He had to work harder than anyone else—he’d known that would be the case when he took up acting—and it being a holiday didn’t change anything.

  Eli stopped next to the small fenced area he’d erected several days earlier. Davis, the owner of the hardware shop, had been surprised at seeing Eli for a second time but had gladly sold him the needed supplies. He’d even made a small sign for Eli that declared this area as Jessie’s spot. Three low fences were connected, with one side open, the sign hanging at the front. Thankfully, it seemed to be holding up. Eli hadn’t been sure how it would behave on the sand, or if he’d come out one day to find it floating away into the sea.

  Eli walked a bit further, then paused to watch the water moving in and out from the beach. It seemed to call to him, beckoning him closer. He knew it was probably a dumb move, but it was such a nice day, he heeded its call, first slipping his socks and shoes off, then rolling up his trousers. Not allowing himself a chance to talk himself out of it, Eli ran into the waves, water splashing up his legs.

  “Oy!”

  He jumped back out, his skin screaming in protest. It felt like a thousand needles had been stabbed into his legs, and the pain didn’t subside, the breeze he’d once relished now making it worse.

  “I wouldn’t recommend going in the water without a wetsuit this time of year,” a man said behind him.

  Eli spun around and found himself facing Caleb, the owner of the local scuba shop, and his wife. He couldn’t remember her name. It started with a B, he thought. Or maybe an L. Eli had visited them a few weeks earlier to get permission to film on the boardwalk in front of their shop. “Now you tell me,” he said with a grin, attempting to ignore the pain that persisted.

  Caleb returned his smile. “I have a whole collection of wetsuits for you to choose from if you’re that desperate for a swim.”

  “Turning my agony into a sales pitch. I like it.” This Caleb guy spoke Benjamin’s language.

  Pink tinged Caleb’s cheeks. “I didn’t mean to—”

  “Yes, he did,” his wife chimed in, which earned her an embarrassed nudge from Caleb.

  Eli waved a hand through the air, cutting him off with a laugh. “No, really, that was brilliant. I’ll spread the word to my mates who wanted to fit in some surfing while we’re here. See if I can drum up some business for you.”

  “I’d appreciate that.” Caleb turned as if to leave and continue his beachside stroll, but then paused. “You all by yourself today?”

  That hit on a sore spot—that feeling of embarrassment that he didn’t have anyone else. But Benjamin didn’t need anyone else. He was fine on his own—or so he told himself. “I am.” He gave a shrug like it didn’t matter. “Figured someone needed to stick around and take care of things.”

  “But it’s Thanksgiving,” Caleb’s wife said, seeming shocked that someone would be okay with that.

  Eli nodded toward the inflatable creature that sat on the sand a few hundred yards from them and laughed. “I’ll admit that I nearly forgot, but luckily stumbled upon that monster of a turkey.” It had since attracted a few children, who were running around it, poking it, while their parents tried to stop them.

  “His name is Teddy, and he’s a Starlight Ridge tradition,” Caleb said, not cracking a smile.

  His wife did, though. “Starlight Ridge has a lot of those—traditions, I mean. Especially around the holidays.” She paused and exchanged knowing looks with Caleb. He gave a small nod. “Speaking of traditions,” she said, turning her attention back to Eli. “We tend to eat on Thanksgiving. A lot. We hadn’t realized you’d be staying in town and would like you to join us, if you’re not too busy.”

  Eli was taken aback, and grateful, for the offer. But he was also very aware that, despite living in the small town for several weeks already, he was out of his element here—an outsider. And all the welcome baskets he’d received didn’t make him a resident of Starlight Ridge. It didn’t help that he now had the accent to further separate him from the locals. Thankfully everyone seemed to have taken it in stride.

  “That’s really thoughtful,” he said, “but if it’s all the same to you, I do have a lot to take care of this afternoon and was just going to pop in at the diner.”

  Caleb’s wife gave him what looked like an embarrassed smile, like she was about to be the bearer of bad news. “The diner is closed today. All the restaurants are.”

  Oh. Right. Because in Starlight Ridge, everyone had someplace to go on Thanksgiving. Everyone was family. Or so it seemed. Except him.

  “We’d really like it if you joined us,” Caleb said. “And if you’re worried about super fans, there won’t be anyone asking for pictures or autographs during dinner.” He waited a beat, then grinned. “We always wait until after dessert.”

  Eli laughed. He hadn’t been worried about that aspect of things.

  Just before the divorce, he’d considered hiring a couple of security guards to hang out around his home in LA, and maybe even when he went out, because of how crazy people could be. But everyone in Starlight Ridge had been respectful, and even though they had followed him around a bit the first couple of weeks of his stay, he could now go around town on his own. The novelty of his visit had worn off, and though he’d still see people sneak pictures on their phones, they usually settled for just waving and saying hi when they saw him.

  Okay. Thanksgiving dinner. What would Benjamin do?

  He’d accept the free food, then plan on excusing himself early. Intimate family dinners, especially with people he didn’t know well, made him anxious. Benjamin didn’t like the personal nature of it all. There would be questions he wouldn’t want to answer, and inside jokes he wouldn’t understand.

  But he’d still go. Because staying in his trailer, alone on Thanksgiving with a box of amaretto chocolates for dinner, would be worse.

  “Thank you. I’d love to celebrate with your family,” Eli said.

  Caleb’s wife squealed and clapped her hands, like this was the best thing that had happened all year. “Everyone will be so excited,” she said. Caleb gave her a pointed look. “I mean…to a reasonable extent. Like we would be for any guest. Not to the point of making you feel uncomfortable. There will be a totally normal level of excitement.”


  Caleb groaned, though he was also laughing, and Eli couldn’t help but join him. “I’m looking forward to it.”

  Though, what had she meant when she’d said everyone would be excited? Exactly how many people were going to be at this dinner?

  * * *

  Eli walked from his trailer toward the boardwalk, where Caleb had said they’d be having dinner. It was even warmer than it had been earlier in the day, and Eli was grateful he’d swapped out his tight shirt and leather jacket for a more comfortable but equally Benjamin-like look. He didn’t think the torn-up jeans would be appropriate for Thanksgiving dinner, so he’d dug out some nicer ones from the back of his closet and paired them with a gray long-sleeve shirt. It had a couple of buttons on the front that made it look slightly nicer than it really was. Benjamin wasn’t completely without manners, after all. He knew when it was important to be on his best behavior. When he wasn’t drunk.

  As Eli crossed the beach and the boardwalk came into view, his steps slowed. This wasn’t going to be the intimate family gathering he’d envisioned. When Caleb had said they’d have dinner at the boardwalk, he’d assumed it would be at Caleb’s scuba shop, where he lived with his wife. But the tables were actually set up on the boardwalk.

  Tables. Plural. As in, a lot of them. They stretched down the entire boardwalk in a couple of long rows, white linen tablecloths covering them, and fall-themed decorations laid out in the middle. As Eli grew close, he could make out a cornucopia and a plush turkey among them.

  Most of the chairs were already occupied, and laughter filled the air. Eli felt a brief moment of panic.

  This was intense. Joining Caleb and his wife for Thanksgiving dinner apparently meant joining the entire town for dinner. He’d known Starlight Ridge was tight-knit, but he hadn’t realized to what extent.