Page 12 of By The Book
Claire had lost touch with high school friends once she’d gotten pregnant and married, but she’d gobbled up every news bite she could find about Marsali and Oliver’s romance in the last year.
Oliver Beck could actually act, and he looked good doing it. Throw in his down-to-earth personality, his rise to stardom, and him choosing Marsali over Hollywood, and what wasn’t to like? He was America’s golden boy and he’d married a Carolina sweetheart in a wedding still being talked about.
“Uh, it is. As well as some of their friends.”
“I have Marsali’s book on dating. I haven’t read it yet because, well, I’mnot,but…I have it. For when I am, I mean.”
Yeah, that long-winded ramble ended awkwardly. But Denz seemed to take it in stride.
“Mrs. B has some good advice in there, especially the part about dating safety.”
“You’ve read it?”
Since it was a dating guide specifically aimed for good girls, she couldn’t help her surprise.
“Figured I should, all things considered.”
“Why do you say it like that?” she asked, catching a note of…something. Even though she wasn’t sure what.
“Like what?”
“You had a tone.”
“I didn’t have a tone.”
“You did. Okay, fine,” she said when his expression hardened a bit and she was afraid he’d clam up. “No tone. But what did you mean by the tone you didn’t have?”
She watched as his eyebrows formed a deep V as though he either struggled to keep a straight face or debated what or how much to say.
“Mrs. B is a really nice woman. But nice, sweet people tend to make easy targets, so I read it to see how much personal information she might have inadvertently included.”
“Oooh. I see. I hadn’t thought of it that way but it makes total sense. Is that why Oliver hired security for her?”
“I can’t speculate on his reasons.”
“Of course. I understand. I mean, with Carolina Cove being a tourist town, it leaves him open to constantly being seen and approached by localsandall of the visitors, which means going anywhere could be a huge hassle. Add Marsali’s growing popularity… Have they had issues while being here? Security issues?”
Silence followed her words and she bit her lip. “You can’t give specifics.”
“Right.”
“Got it,” she said, squinting up at him since the sun was behind him. “Still, it’s cool that you know them. I’d love to see Marsali again.” She inhaled. “Tide’s coming in,” she said, watching a wave roll over the dry sand higher on the beach. “I suppose I should get back and help Dad with dinner. If he’ll let me, that is.”
“I’m sure he wouldn’t mind help. He’s let me pitch in a few times.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. Why do you say it like that?” he asked, repeating her words from earlier.
The air left her lungs in a huff. “It’s just…he doesn’t usually let anyone help. The kitchen has always been his domain, even when my mom was alive.”
“Maybe he thought chopping all of those veggies might help my dexterity,” he said, flexing the hand of the injured left arm.
“No sling?”
“Not at the moment.”
Which meant what? “Going against doctor’s orders?”
