Page 53 of That Time I Kissed My Beachfront Boss

His mouth twitches. “I’m too much of a gentleman to say.”

“Well, I’ll have to tell her you approve, either way.”

Careful, Liv. You’re getting close to flirting.

Tess suggested harmless fun, but my stomach’s swooping now.

A loud pop signals the opening of the champagne, and Brady pours a little into each glass, then he, Natalie, and Nella pass the flutes around. Once we all have a drink in hand, Brady lifts his, and we all quiet for the toast.

“Here’s to making blockbuster movies with Lincoln James,” he says. A quick wave of catcalls and whistles follows while we all clink our plastic flutes. Meanwhile, Hudson cuts his eyes to me, and mouths, so adorable.

I get the feeling he might be a tiny bit jealous of Lincoln James, and I kind of like it a lot.

“But there’s more news, though,” Natalie says.

“Yes, there is.” Brady clears his throat, ducking his head. “And I don’t think even our mothers’ gossip mill has found out yet.”

“Just tell us, man,” Ford says. “Quit playing hard to get.”

“Fine.” Brady chuckles. “I just got off a call with Link, and he wants to meet to discuss the project in person. His agent suggested flying me out to LA, but …” He takes a beat. “Link offered to come here instead.”

“Wait.” Lettie drops her pizza. “To Abieville?”

“Indeed.” Brady grins. “Apparently his fiancée has never been to the Adirondacks, and he wants to bring her along too.”

Nella claps her hands. “Hadley Morgan and Lincoln James are coming to our town!”

“When’s this supposed to happen?” I ask.

“His timing was flexible,” Brady says. “As long as Hadley can make it too.”

“They should stay at The Beachfront then,” I say, without skipping a beat.

Brady beams at me. “Great idea, Liv.”

“Slow down.” Hudson hikes up his palms. “I’m not sure we’re ready for a celebrity invasion. We’re still weeks from the reopening.”

“So invite them for a couple of months afterward,” I say. “Like Labor Day weekend. That’ll give you plenty of time to smooth out any kinks.”

“Sorry, but I don’t like the sound of … kinks.” Hudson pulls a face. “What if America’s sweethearts come to The Beachfront and things don’t go well? That could end up being negative for the inn. No matter how adorable they are.”

Brady chuckles. “Haven’t you heard? There’s no such thing as bad publicity.”

“Yeah. Sure.” Hudson rubs a hand along the back of his neck. Then he turns to me. “Can we talk for a minute? Alone?”

Alone.

“In the kitchen,” he says reaching for my elbow. His palm cups my bare skin, sending a shock of heat through my body. When his hand slides to the small of my back, I let him lead me across the pub. We push through the double doors that pass from the restaurant into the kitchen. They swing inward along with us, then slide back shut with a soft swoosh.

Kind of like my insides.

Swoosh.

“Liv.” Hudson drops his arm, and we turn to face each other. He runs both hands through his hair. “I want this to be a good idea. I do, but …” His voice trails off, and I tip my chin.

“But?”

“Lincoln James is a Hollywood star, and he’s coming here … to see your cousin. There’s a lot riding on this.”

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