Eric waited until Lucille was out of hearing distance. “And spread the news about us being a couple.”
“About that,” Amanda said. “What do you know about the Facebook post about us?”
“I haven’t seen it.” That was the truth. He hadn’t. Eric raised his glass of tea so her gaze couldn’t meet his.
“Not my question.”
Eric tried not to squirm in his seat. He had vowed to be honest with her in their deal. “Liam might have taken a picture of us at Jeff’s shop, and he might have sent it to the president of my national fan club.”
“And why might Liam have done that?”
He was in trouble. He couldn’t read the twitch in her lips. “Because I asked him to?”
“We have to add another provision to our deal. No more stunts like that.”
“I’m sorry.”
“I hope so. I have my reputation and position here to protect. We’re a little more conservative here about those things than you might be.”
“I understand.” He dropped his chin. “What’s the provision you want to add to our agreement?”
“That neither of us releases any publicity without the consent of the other.”
“Agreed. I can be impulsive at times. Friends again?”
Amanda cocked her head with a wry smile. “Friends again.”
His heart warmed. And maybe more if he played his role right and honestly.
“With that out of the way, can you give me a couple publicity shots? I told Violet Montgomery, who’s heading up the fundraising committee thatI’d get her some. We want to play up your bit at the shelter adoption day.”
“Sure.” He knew just the ones he’d send.
“Great.” She paused. “There’s something more.”
“Okay.” What else had he done?
“How are you and my mother getting on?”
“Good, as far as I can tell.”
“How much is she fussing over and taking care of you?”
“That’s hard to say.”
“More than Sonja would at the B&B?”
“Definitely, but Jeff is always after Sonja not to do anything special for me.”
Amanda placed her palms flat on the table. “This may help. You know how I said she’d spent the last five years taking care of my ill father who she hadn’t seen for years? She literally did hardly anything but that.” Amanda mouth twisted in distaste. “Mom’s definition of true love. I think she just didn’t know what she’d do with herself once she retired out of the Army.”
“I see.” He did and he didn’t. Jeff had devoted much of his time taking care of his first wife when she was dying of cancer. That had been out of love. But they’d been married more than 20 years and working partners in his custom bike shop in California. “What would you like me to do?”
“Discourage her from doting on you too much. You judge what’s too much. Encourage her to get out. Take her out. Have her show you some of the local sights.”
He’d planned to do that with Amanda. “So you’re asking me if I can juggle two ladies at the same time. No sweat. But what will Lucille and the other townspeople say?” He grinned.
Amanda laughed and batted him playfully.
He caught her hand and an unreadable to him sober expression crossed her sun-kissed face.
“Did you think of a problem?” he asked.
“No, no. Not at all.”
If that was the truth, why was his gut telling him otherwise?
Or was that his ego wanting it to be jealousy?
Chapter 6
Amanda hadn’t noticed before how much of a chameleon Eric could be, which didn’t make him the easiest person to be with for extended periods. Their friendship had been long-distance for the most part, with her seeing him once or twice whenever he came to Indigo Bay to visit Jeff and Sonja. Friday night and Saturday while they were decorating the cottage, he’d slipped back and forth between Eric Slade film star and Eric, Jeff’s—and her—friend. She preferred the friend version. So when he’d texted her yesterday that her mother had some work for him to do on her house, Amanda had been relieved rather than disappointed.
But then, he hadn’t texted or called last night. She lifted the dress she’d picked out for work today and dropped it back on her bed, realizing she’d chosen it because she knew she looked nice in it. She generally dressed in business casual for work unless something important was on her schedule. Eric wasn’t business-important. Besides, she had no idea whether she’d be seeing him today. Amanda put the dress back and took out a just-above-the-knee-length skirt with a cute matching short-sleeved jacket top.
“Good morning,” A few minutes later, Eric’s voice filled the car when she tapped her dashboard screen to answer his call.
“And good morning to you.”
“Do we have any plans for tonight?”
“No. Is this a come-on to an invitation?”
“Very astute, Ms. Mayor,” he teased. “Lucille has invited us to dine with her and Princess.”
Amanda’s stomach sank. “I can’t. The planning committee is meeting this evening.”
“Do you have to go?”
“I don’t have to, but I should. Can we reschedule?” She surprised herself at how easily she thought of them as a couple.
“If you don’t mind, I have another idea. Two, in fact.”
Amanda slowed to pull into the city hall parking lot. “I’m listening.”
“Why don’t I take your mother. You said she needs to socialize more.”
She had said that. So why didn’t it sound like a good idea now? She shut off her car. “Sure. What’s your other idea?”
Amanda could picture him leaning back in a chair on her mother’s porch or the recliner in the other room as she’d noticed he did when he voiced an idea including the two of them.
“If Sonja and Jeff get the problem with the suite at the B&B fixed and can rent it to someone else for the time I reserved, I thought I’d stay here. There’s a lot of work that could be done on the house to keep me busy. And I think it’s doing your mother good. She seems looser already. That tightness around her lips she had when we met is gone.”
Eric would notice that? She yanked the door handle. Of course he would. He was an actor and director. He’d be more attuned to expressions than the average person.
“I don’t know.”
“Without that pinched look, she looks ten years younger.”
Amanda stopped dead, halfway across the parking lot. Ten years younger. She did the math. Mom was closer in age to Eric than she was. Only by months, but still. “You don’t think people might talk?” When she took care of herself, Mom was a very attractive woman who’d always looked younger than her age. They’d been mistaken as sisters on numerous occasions.
He laughed, which her instincts didn’t know whether to take as good or bad.
“Obviously, you don’t read the tabloids. I always date younger women. At times, significantly younger.”
Amanda strode across the rest of the parking lot to the city hall entrance. Like her.
“Unless you’re jealous,” he shot, filling in her silence.
“Of course not.” She had been for a second, but that was ridiculous from all corners. “I have friends of all ages.”
“Right,” he drawled. “Our romance is pretend. How could you be jealous?”
She went inside. Had her friends comment stung like his pretend one had? Her phone beeped a call from the public works department. “I have to take this. Go ahead and talk with Sonja and Mom about your accommodations.” As if he needed her permission.
“Okay. Bye.”
“Hello,” she took her work call and headed to her office.
“Amanda, we have a problem,” the head of public works said. She entered her office and sat down at her desk as he continued. “The problem at the Mansion B&B is a broken sewage line. It also affects the public beach facilities and the few structures in between. Fortunately, since it’s th
e off-season, they haven’t had any backup. Yet.”
“I see. Can’t the line be repaired?” She wasn’t sure why he was calling.
“Not well. It needs to be replaced like we did with the line for the board walk and the rest of the boulevard last spring.”
She didn’t have to wait for what she knew he was going to say next. “And you don’t have enough department money to do that until the first of next year.”
“Exactly.”
“There’s a planning committee meeting this evening wrapping up the planning for the holiday events. I’ll expand it to the city council, and you should be there if you weren’t already planning to attend.”
“Copy that.”
“And close the public beach facilities and notify everyone who may be effected by the shutdown and repairs.”
“On it. And I’ll send you an estimate of repairs for the meeting.”
“Yes.” She should have thought of that. “As soon as you can. I’ll have to see where we can propose to move money from. Keep me updated if there’s anything else I need to know before the meeting. Bye.”
Amanda stared at her desktop. Like many small cities and towns that operated on a calendar year, Indigo Bay budgeted closely, and most departments depleted or nearly depleted their funds by December. There was the small reserve fund. Highway might have some to spare. And there was the charitable matching contribution she’d talked the city council members into okaying from their municipal salaries for the animal shelter campaign. She pressed her lips together. Not all of the council members liked the idea, but they’d finally all agreed. Some might be more willing to defer some of their pay to public works.
Elbows on the desk, she dropped her head into her hands. Just what she didn’t need when she was trying to host the best holiday season ever in Indigo Bay. She lifted her head and sighed before picking up her cell phone which had all the council members’ numbers. She went to her contacts and pressed what she thought was her contact icon for Dallas Harper, one if the council members. It went directly to voicemail.
“Hi, you’ve reached 888-228-5966.”
Eric’s number. She slammed end call, her heart pounding. She must not have been looking closely. Or she was falling into a habit of bouncing things off Eric and automatically called his number.
A habit she needed to break right now. Memories of her disastrous graduate school relationship flashed through her mind. Before habit became dependence.
Lucille and her little rat dog were a hoot. But there was only so much he could take of dining and conversation with the two older women, so Eric was glad to drive Lisa home with her car and take a ride along the coast highway on his bike to clear his head. On his way back, he noticed lights still on at the city hall. He cruised into the parking lot to see Amanda’s car still there. Her meeting must not be over.
Or maybe it was. As he circled the bike back around to leave, the parking lot door opened, and a couple groups of people walked out. No one he recognized. He pulled his bike up next to Amanda’s SUV, shut the motor down, and lowered the kickstand.
“Hey, Eric,” one of the women called when he removed his helmet.
“Hey, Lauren,” he called back, watching Jeff’s daughter-in-law leave the group she was with and walk over.
“I didn’t recognize you at first, but I’d know one of my father-in-law’s bikes anywhere.”
“Jeff can’t take all the credit for this one. We rebuilt it together in the old days. What brings you out?” He nodded toward city hall.
“My law practice is on retainer to the city, so I was at the council and planning board meetings.”
“How about you?”
“Oh, I’m here picking up chicks.”
Lauren laughed. “One in particular, I’m guessing.”
He assumed one of his innocent poses.
“Here she comes now. I’ll leave you to your pickup. I’m sure I’ll see you again before you head back to California. Maybe dinner with Jesse, Shelley, and me. Chris, too, if he’s still meeting you here for Christmas.”
“Sounds good.”
“Hi.” Amanda approached him. “Let me guess. You’re here hitting on women, and Lauren turned you down.”
Had she overheard him or was he that much of a stereotype? He placed his hand over his heart. “I’m wounded. I don’t hit on married women or anyone under 35.”
“Whew!” she said. “I made the cut.”
“With years to spare.”
A funny look passed over her face. Or it could have been the shadows. “Long day.”
“Yes, made longer by a group of people who have difficulty coming to a consensus.”
“How about a nightcap?”
“I could use one.”
He pulled his helmet on visor up. “I’ll follow you to your place to drop off your car and then, we can go…where?”
“We can stay at the cottage.” She clicked her key fob and opened the SUV.
“No, I want to take you out. Show you off.”
“I’m not young enough to be a trophy. So what am I? An arm ornament?”
“Not even close. You’re a precious gem.” He wasn’t entirely kidding. Amanda was a gem. The only real gem he’d ever gotten this close to.
Amanda laughed and shook her head. “I’ll see you at the cottage.”
Eric gave her a head start, so he wouldn’t be tailgating her and could center himself and not get stupid while they were out.
Even with the head start, he’d caught up with her by the time she’d reached her driveway. When he turned off the bike, she called to him, “I’m going to run in and change out of my skirt.”
“Need any help?”
“And here I thought you were a gentleman,” she shot back in a thick Carolina accent.
“I’ll confess to the man part.”
She waved him down. “Cool your engines.” Amanda looked at the bike before pinning his gaze. “Both of them. I’ll be right out.”
Minutes later, she appeared on the deck. If she was serious about him keeping his engine cool, what she’d changed into didn’t encourage that. Skinny jeans and a light sweater that softly skimmed her curves. She had a jacket over one arm.
“Do you think I’ll be okay without my jacket for the ride?”
“Yeah.” Once she had her arms wrapped around him, he’d be warm enough for both of them. “Hop on. Where are we going?”
“Sweet Caroline’s Café should still be open.” Amanda put on the helmet that had been fastened to the back of the seat.
“It sells drinks?” He waited for her to flip up the face shield to talk.
“It does if you want coffee or tea. I know. Probably not what you were thinking. But tomorrow is a workday for me. And some of the people from the meeting were headed over.”
Eric kept his frown to himself. “I thought you were clocked off work for the day.”
“I am. This is more about me showing you off as my arm ornament. Get people talking and posting. Send Maya the message that you’re taken. Better than that blurry photo on Facebook of the back of my head in a helmet.”
He nodded and put his face shield down. He wasn’t sure where he stood on being her arm ornament, but he liked the idea of him being taken by her.
With her arms tight around Eric’s waist, Amanda didn’t think about anything but him, the hum of the bike and the cool wind on her back for the short ride to Caroline’s. When he stopped in front of the café, and she swung her leg off the bike, uncertainty set in. She glanced in the front window and spied numerous people she knew. She and Eric should have stuck to his plan and gone to some out-of-the-way place for a drink, preferably not in Indigo Bay.
“Need some help?”
Before she could answer, Eric had stepped close and was unfastening her helmet strap. In the process, he ran his forefinger along her jaw line as he removed the strap. She would have given into the impulse to grab his forearms to steady her knees, but for the suspicion that he had caressed her for
effect. She was going to have to speak with him about their acting borders.
“I had it.” She lifted off the helmet and cradled it in her right arm.
Eric did the same, holding his in his left hand. Was he left-handed? She hadn’t noticed.
He slipped his hand in hers, weaving his fingers though her fingers. “We need to make us look real. Holding hands is something a couple moving from friendship to something more would do.”
“Thank you, Mr. Director.”
“Although in one of my movies, we might be …”
She elbowed him. “Only in your dreams.”
An odd expression crossed his face before he let go of her hand to open the door for her.
“Hey, Caroline, you still open?” Eric called to the owner, a fifty-ish woman who was a mainstay of Indigo Bay’s tourist business.
“I was closing when there seemed to be a run on coffee and cinnamon buns, which I’ll take since it’s off-season. I have three buns left from this morning.”
“We’ll take them and …” He motioned to Amanda as if he’d just remember her.
“A medium dark roast if you have any left. With creamer.”
Caroline smiled and nodded before looking back at Eric.
“The same, large, black,” he said.
“I’ll freshen the buns in the microwave and bring your order over,” Caroline said.
“Thanks.” Eric moved closer to Amanda and placed his hand on the small of her back.
She resisted the impulse to move away for two reasons. One, as he’d reminded her, they were supposed to be acting like a couple and two, she liked it.
“Two seats here,” Caroline’s son Dallas said as he moved down a chair to give them seats next to each other at the family-size table the group from the city hall meeting were gathered at.
Amanda glanced over at her colleagues. It looked like her and Eric’s charade was working and that none of her friends appeared the least surprised.
Eric pulled out a chair for her before she could do it herself. She sat. “I guess I didn’t get the invitation,” she said unable to swallow the small hurt that no one had said anything about going to Caroline’s after the meeting.
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