Page 87 of Meet Me at Sunset Cove

“Go,” His mom said, beaming up at him.

“Thank you.” He strode across the dance floor headed for the door, his phone already pressed to his ear. “Hey, Dad, we’re coming home. I really need your help. I know it’s asking a lot. But do you think you could meet me at the house tomorrow morning?”

“If you need me, I’ll be there.”

“Thank you, Dad. I’ll send you a list of supplies once I get on the road.”

This time, he wasn’t letting Daisy Decker out of his life without a fight.

* * *

“Thank you all so much for meeting with us,” Robin said as she and Daisy entered the executive boardroom at HGTV’s Knoxville headquarters.

They had spent the better portion of their six-hour flight preparing for this meeting, rehearsing and drilling any possible questions or concerns. Daisy had done this a hundred times. Just get in, tell them what they want to hear, and get out.

She pressed a poised smile onto her lips and slipped into one of the chairs opposite theDouble Deckershowrunner, who sat alongside the show’s creative and management team, and then finally a few HGTV execs. Logan sat on Daisy’s side of the table, a few seats down, clad in a pressed suit and designer shoes—a stark contrast to what viewers saw on the show.

Outside the impressive boardroom, green hills surrounded the building, creating a sense of intimate seclusion, like they were about to have a meeting in the middle of a sunlit field. It made looking at the gray walls and white boardroom table hard on the eyes.

A woman from the creative team, early fifties with sleek black hair, leaned forward, placing her hand on Daisy’s wrist. “It’s nice to have you back, Daisy,” she whispered.

Daisy smiled. “Thank you.”

They settled back as the showrunner forDouble Decker, a man in his early forties with graying temples and a pressed suit, stood, taking position at the end of the table. “Why don’t we get started?”

“First off,” he continued, “we want you to know how much we loved your Jonathon Island show, Daisy. The small-town feel really resonated with our viewers.”

“Likewise,” the woman across from Daisy said, turning slightly toward Logan and his agent beside him. “We’ve seen great success on the Thanksgiving pilot episode of your short-run holiday special. But everyone said it was missing one thing. The one thing that Daisy’s show had and yours didn’t.”

Daisy held her breath. Don’t say it?—

“Chemistry.”

Shoot.

“Which is why we’re proposing a new show:Double Decker: Small-Town Edition.”

The screen at the end of the table lit up as shades lowered across all the windows. An image appeared, displaying Daisy and Logan, a shot pulled from one of their earlier seasons. But instead of one of their California beach houses, they stood in front of a beautiful, old Victorian home.

Daisy’s brows rose slightly.

“The concept,” the first executive explained, “is that you’ll travel to small towns across the US, doing quick renovation projects. It’ll be similar to what Logan did on Jonathon Island, but with both of you working together, like what you and your contractor?—”

“Hunter,” she provided.

“Right.” The showrunner glanced at her. “Like what you and Hunter did. We’ll showcase not only the progress, but also the relationship you two build as the show unfolds.”

Logan shifted in his seat, glancing at Daisy.

“We want to capture that same charm and authenticity,” another exec added. “We’re thinking of downplaying the production aspect, making it feel more like your YouTube channel, Daisy. Really showcasing the natural chemistry between you and Logan.”

“As for the video circulating social media right now”—the lead executive’s tone grew more serious—“we want to put all the…unpleasantness behind us. This show could be a fresh start for everyone. But for that to happen, we’ll need to make viewers believe in you two as a couple. They need to see Logan as the right choice for Daisy, instead of seeing Daisy as the woman who broke some guy’s heart. We need to know that you two can make this work. That you can be successful together on screen and off…”

Brokesome guy’sheart.

That’s all he was to them. Just some guy.

And they wanted her to just replace him, as simple as that.

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