Page 134 of Banter & Blushes

“Shells? Really, Caroline?”

“It’s still a work in progress,” Caroline admitted, her mind spinning, trying to recall all the details. “Day two ends with a spectacularcelebration to launch summer on the boardwalk, complete with a roaring bonfire and fireworks, which light up the night sky.”

“I bet you have a whole binder with all of this in it,” came the amused reply.

Caroline drummed her fingers on the empty space of her desk, her eyes darting to the spot where her meticulously organized plans should have been. She took a deep breath, unsure how to tell Beck all their hard work was missing. “I have an organization system,” she said, trying to sound more confident than she felt.

Faye’s laughter echoed through the phone, warm and familiar. “Still living up to your taskmaster reputation, I see. Who’s helping you out?”

“I have someone,” Caroline replied, feeling a small smile tug at her lips. “He’s a marketing specialist and super smart.”Not to mention cute, but she kept those thoughts to herself.

“Who else? What about your dad?”

“Daddy’s on permanent vacation. He won’t be back. Took his dog and moved to Florida.”

“Oh goodness. Wasn’t he the mayor?” Faye rustled papers in the background.

“Yeah. Well, I’ve been appointed until there’s a formal election,” Caroline explained, glancing out the window at the sunlit streets of Bluebell Bay. “Now it’s up to me to remind everyone what this town is all about.”

“I’m sorry. I should’ve called earlier to check in.”

“You were busy,” Caroline reassured her. “I mean, how many executive producers of the best morning show can just drop everything for an old friend?”

“Ouch. Right in the heart, Caro … hold on a sec.” Caroline heard Faye pause, another voice chiming in on the other end. “Hey, Avery,” Faye called out, “do you want to spend a few days at the beach?”

As their conversation continued in the background, Caroline scribbled furiously in her notebook, trying to capture every detail she could remember from the missing pages in her binder. The door to her office creaked open, and Beck entered, a folder tucked under his arm and a steaming cup of coffee in hand.

“I think the coffee got cold between the diner and here,” he said with a wry smile, lifting the cup in her direction.

Caroline waved him off with a smile, her attention returning to the phone. “What did you say? Of course. If Avery wants to come down a few days early, I’m sure Max has a cottage available,” she said, lifting her shoulders in a light shrug at Beck’s puzzled look.

“Email me with the details, and I’ll confirm her dates,” Faye said.

“Thanks, Faye. I owe you one.” Caroline disconnected the call, relief washing over her. “What are you so happy about?” she asked, reaching out to grab a paper cup from Beck and flashing him an exaggerated smile.

“I think I just got a compliment. Which is a first.”

“Hmm. Was it from Gigi or Mabel?” she asked, raising an inquisitive eyebrow.

“Neither.” Beck settled into the chair across from her. “I think you called me your brilliant marketing specialist.”

“I said smart,” she corrected, popping the top from her coffee cup and taking a tentative sip. “It’s lukewarm, but still better than the stuff out of the machine downstairs. Thank you.”

“Brilliant. Smart. I’d take it as a compliment.”

“Don’t get used to it.” Caroline put her cup down on the desk with a soft thud and flopped back into her chair, her expression a mix of mock sternness and amusement.

Beck’s grin widened, and she felt a flutter in her chest, a sensation both thrilling and unsettling. “Little late for that.”

She savored this back-and-forth banter, probably more than she should. He had a remarkable way of making everything seem a little less daunting, a little more manageable.

“You’re becoming a permanent fixture in my life,” she said, her voice tinged with a hint of mock exasperation. “Pretty soon you’ll think you’re indispensable.”

“Pretty sure I already do,” he teased back, leaning slightly forward. “Too soon for you?”

“Too late, more like it,” she confessed, the words slipping out before she could stop them, surprising both herself and him.

“Good to know I’m not the only one.” His voice softened slightly as he gazed at her.

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