Wandering Heart (9781101561362) (19 page)

“Thanks. I know you’re in my corner,” Audrey said, patting her friend’s hand.

Liza served the tea and berries. There were also some small peanut butter cookies, one of Claire’s specialties. Audrey enjoyed one with her tea.

The conversation about her baby problem had taken her mind off the main event completely. She glanced at her watch. “It’s almost half past three. I guess he’ll be back soon, right?”

“Very soon,” Liza promised.

“So how is it going, having all these movie people here? You’ve hardly said a word about it.”

“It’s been an experience,” Liza replied. “They’ve mostly been very polite and easy to deal with. Charlotte is a real sweetheart. You would hardly know she’s famous.”

Audrey had to smile at the casual way her friend referred to the megastar. “How about Nick—or do you call him Nicky?”

Liza laughed. “We call him Nick. Or Mr. Dempsey. He’s very nice, too. Lovely manners. A little fussier than Charlotte at times. But he adores Claire. We can hardly get him out of the kitchen. He watches her every move as if she were a walking, talking cooking show.”

“Oh, she must love that,” Audrey said dryly. Claire was notorious for blending in with the wallpaper. She was the last person in the world who would want that kind of scrutiny.

“She’s managing. You know Claire. Nothing ruffles her.”

“And how about Daniel? I bet he’s not in awe of the movie stars at all.”

“He’s not, though he joked around about it before he left for Canada.”

“Canada? What’s he doing up in Canada?”

Liza looked surprised at Audrey’s reply. “Oh, I thought you knew. I thought he probably saw you at the clinic before he left and told you he was going out of town.”

“I wasn’t at the clinic last week. I had to miss my shift.” Audrey and Daniel both volunteered at the island’s medical clinic and often saw each other there. “Did he go on vacation?”

“Not exactly. A college friend asked if he would help finish a summerhouse he was building on Prince Edward Island. All the framing is done, but the friend was worried he wouldn’t get the
interior finished before the fall weather set in. So Daniel went up to help him. It should take about two weeks, maybe a little more.”

“Two weeks? That’s a long time. Won’t you miss him?”

“I will. But I’ve been so busy with the movie people, we’ve hardly had a chance to get together. And he needed the work, so …” Liza shrugged. “I hope it goes faster than he expects.”

“Me, too, for your sake.” Audrey smiled at her friend but didn’t say anything more. Liza and Daniel were perfect for each other. You could see them together for a minute and you could just tell. They still had issues to work out, that was for sure. But Audrey secretly hoped that she and her good friend would someday be pushing baby strollers side by side down the beach road. With Millie trotting alongside, of course.

Before she could confess this happy daydream, the sound of cars coming down the gravel drive made her turn around.

“There they are. They’re back,” Liza said quietly.

Audrey’s mouth got suddenly dry and she took a sip of tea.

She had already met Nick Dempsey in person last week when the group arrived. But this was way different. She was actually going to talk to him.

She heard car doors slam, and two men and a woman got out of the first car. “Those are the movie execs, the producer, the production associate, and the director,” Liza whispered as she got up to greet her guests. Audrey rose and followed.

“Hi, everyone,” Liza began as other cars parked and emptied out. “There are some refreshments out here for you and more inside. Please let me know if you need anything before dinner.”

The movie execs were all talking intensely to one another and barely acknowledged her as they headed into the inn.

Audrey heard someone else coming up the walk and turned to see Nick Dempsey. Her heart pounded in her chest and she felt so light-headed, she had to hold on to the porch rail for support. She heard Millie whining behind her, obviously unhappy at being tied up. But Audrey couldn’t move. She felt riveted to the spot.

Nick Dempsey was even more handsome than she remembered from last week. He still wore some makeup from the set, but it only seemed to enhance his good looks. Liza stood next to her and held her arm. “Nick, I’m so glad you got back early today. This is my friend Audrey. She and her husband run the farm next door. She just stopped by for a visit, and she was dying to meet you.”

Audrey was afraid he would be annoyed to have a fan hanging around. If he was, he hid it well. He flashed a flawless white grin and stuck out his hand to greet her as he came to the top of the steps.

“Audrey, how nice to meet you. I’ve been admiring that little farm from my bedroom window. You raise goats there, do you?”

Audrey smiled back shyly. She couldn’t quite find her tongue. “Yes, we do. For their milk. We make cheese mostly. Goat cheese. And fudge and soap,” she added quickly.

“How nice. I love cheese.” He smiled again. Audrey nearly sighed out loud.

Millie barked, then made a long, funny whining sound that made them all look at her. “That’s my dog. She’s a character,” Audrey said.

“She looks sweet. We have three dogs at home. I miss them,” Nick confided. Audrey already knew that from all the articles she had read about him and the clips she’d seen on entertainment gossip shows. He walked over to Millie and began petting her. “What’s her name?”

“Millie, rhymes with silly,” Audrey explained. She knew the names of Nick’s dogs but didn’t want to admit it. She didn’t want him to think she was a totally crazed fan.

“Have you had her long?”

“Not very,” Audrey admitted. “She sort of wandered onto our farm and adopted us.”

Nick laughed at her joke and she felt very clever. “Dogs are very intuitive. They know who likes them.” He suddenly noticed the iced tea. “This looks good. It was hot out there today.” He poured himself a glass of tea and began to drink it thirstily.

Audrey was mesmerized, watching his Adam’s apple as he swallowed the tea. She never watched Rob drink a glass of iced tea, or a glass of anything, for that matter. But everything Nick Dempsey did seemed … superhuman.

“Would you like some berries or a peanut butter cookie?” Liza offered. “Please help yourself.”

He looked tempted then turned away, patting his waistline. “I’ll wait for dinner. After hanging around this place, I’ll need triple workout sessions when I get home.”

You look fine to me,
Audrey wanted to say. But of course, she couldn’t.

“Well, ladies, nice to chat. I’d better grab a quick nap. We’re working again tonight, shooting a scene in town.”

“Really? That’s exciting … for the people in town, I mean,” Audrey said.

He smiled at her. “There will be a few onlookers, I’m sure.”

Try the entire town,
Audrey thought. She wondered if Rob would consider driving over to Cape Light tonight, but decided that was too much to ask. Too much Nick Dempsey up close and personal in one day. Even for her.

“Great to meet you, Audrey,” Nick said politely.

“Very nice to meet you,” she replied, sensing he was ready to go inside. She suddenly felt Liza jab an elbow into her side. What in the world?

Then she remembered. The basket. She hadn’t given it to him.

“Wait, I brought you a present.” Audrey grabbed the basket she brought over and handed it to him. “It has a selection of cheeses and other products. And a cookbook.”

“Thank you very much. That’s beautiful. It all looks delicious. I love to cook. It’s my hobby. I’m hoping to open a restaurant in L.A. soon,” he added proudly.

“Liza told me. I think that’s great. It will be mobbed,” she said, sounding very sure of it.

Nick looked pleased by her prediction. “I hope you’re right. If the food is good enough, people will find you. That’s what the professionals say,” he added. “I’m trying to learn every angle of the business right now, especially the food side. For instance, I’ve always wondered how cheese is made. Would you mind if I popped by sometime and saw your operation?”

Audrey could hardly breathe. “N-No. Not at all. I mean, of course. Please come. Any time. I’ll give you the grand tour and a cheese-making lesson.”

“That sounds great. I will take you up on it the first chance I get.” With the basket in one hand, he winked and waved. “See you soon, Audrey. Thanks again for the treats.”

Audrey waved back, feeling light-headed again. “You’re very welcome. See you, Nick.”

All too soon the screen door slammed behind him, and he was gone.

“Well, what do you think?” Liza’s voice came to her as if in a
dream. “Do you still think Nick Dempsey is awesome and amazing—or just a mortal human being?”

“The former. Even more awesome than I imagined,” Audrey said happily. “Not quite as tall,” she whispered, leaning closer to her friend. “But does that really matter? Nah …,” she said, answering her own question. “Do you think he’ll really come to the farm?”

Liza shrugged. “I think he might if he has the time. He seemed really interested.”

“I think he might, too,” Audrey agreed. She walked over to Millie and untied her leash. It was almost five, time for them to head back to the farm. “Wow, wait until I tell Rob. He won’t believe it. Do you think I should do anything special to get ready? Like, wash the goats or something?”

Liza gave her a look. “You’re kidding, right?”

Audrey was kidding, but partly serious, too. “Well, whether Nick Dempsey actually comes to the farm, the very idea that he might has certainly given me something to think about. Aside from my baby woes,” she admitted to her pal. She leaned over and gave Liza a quick hug. “Thanks for making that happen, Liza. I definitely owe you one.”

“Oh, you don’t owe me anything. You engineered that invitation yourself,” she added in a hushed tone, glancing over her shoulder. “But I do hope he comes. I can already see the autographed photo hanging in the cheese shop.”

“So can I,” Audrey admitted. “I’m going out to buy a really nice frame for it tomorrow. You know what they say about movie stars.”

“If you have a frame for the photo, they will come?” Liza improvised.

Audrey smiled and nodded. “Something like that.”

A few minutes later, she hopped off the porch and headed back
to the farm with Millie trotting alongside. She was feeling far more positive and upbeat than she had for days, that was for sure.

C
HARLOTTE
returned to the inn a little later on Thursday afternoon than her costar and the studio executives. She had to stop in town to meet with the wardrobe mistress. There was a problem with the dress she was to wear for the scene they were filming that night, and she had to have a special fitting.

When she got back to the inn, she quickly headed for her room to relax and freshen up before dinner. As she unlocked the door, she felt her phone buzz in the back pocket of her jeans. She opened the door, went inside, and checked the number, then quickly closed the door behind her and locked it. She didn’t need Meredith poking her head in right now or even Liza, trying to be helpful.

She pressed her back against the locked door and hit the Answer button, then heard Colin’s deep voice on the other end.

“Hey. I thought I was going to get your voice mail again. Did I catch you at a bad time?”

“Not at all. I finished a little late today. I just got back to the inn. Just in time for one of Claire’s delicious mega-calorie meals,” she added.

“It all looks good on you, Charlotte,” he teased her. “How did it go today?”

Charlotte had told Colin about her difficulties working with Bradley. Now as she gave him today’s installment, she could feel the tension leave her. It wasn’t what she was saying. It was knowing that Colin was there listening that gave her a calm perspective she’d never quite had before.

“So it wasn’t too bad,” she finished. “But the day isn’t over yet. We’re shooting a scene in Cape Light at the harbor tonight.”

“Cool. Maybe I’ll stand in the crowd behind the barriers and gawk at you.”

Charlotte laughed and sat back against the headboard of her bed, hugging her legs to her chest. “Don’t do that. You’ll make me nervous. I’ll flub my lines.”

“Me? Make you nervous? I doubt that. But I won’t come and gawk if you don’t want me to. Though the entire rest of the town will be there,” he reminded her. “How else am I going to see you? Can’t you steal that bike again and take a ride? It won’t be dark for hours.” His tone was charming and very persuasive.

Charlotte glanced out the window, feeling tempted. They had spoken a few times since Sunday, and each time Colin had entreated her to meet him again. Charlotte wanted to very much. The note of longing in his voice made her wish she could sprout wings and fly straight to his cottage. But work demands had kept her too busy to break away and now her old reservations surfaced, warning her to pull back.

“I want to see you, too. You know I do. I just don’t think it’s a good idea,” she admitted.

“Because you’re a movie star and I’m just a fisherman? I thought we got past that.”

“We did,” she said quickly. “Way past. It’s just that I’m not going to be here much longer. How will we ever get to see each other after that?”

If it were someone else, almost anyone else, Charlotte wouldn’t have cared about the future. She dated casually all the time, not worrying if the relationship had any lasting potential. But for some reason, with Colin it was different. She had hardly spent any time with him and already knew that when she left here, she would miss him very much. She would miss what might have been.

“I could come out to California to see you. Planes fly both ways, you know.”

“Of course you could. But I’m hardly ever there. I’m away on location more than half the year,” she explained.

“We can get around distance,” he told her. “That’s just logistics. What is it really, Charlotte? Do you have a boyfriend or something you haven’t told me about? You can be honest with me. I won’t get mad,” he promised.

“There isn’t anyone.”

“Seriously?”

“Honestly,” she said. “I’ve dated a lot, but there hasn’t been anyone serious. But what about you?” she asked, suddenly daring to pose the question she’d been wondering about. “I never even asked. You must have a girlfriend somewhere.”