Page 63 of (Not So) Famous in Paradise

“I don’t know,” I answer.

I suspect Evie has already made her decision, so all she needs from me is to listen.

“She could help with the wedding,” she says softly.

“She could help with a lot of things. The Thomsens are going to need it with Heidi as sick as she is.” I match her gentle tone, and she nods, like she’s already thought of the same thing.

And that’s all she says before changing the subject back to our renovation projects.

We don’t talk about Zach again, but I don’t forget what she said about him wanting to check on me. I’d like to think she’s not reading more into his comments than what he meant, but I think that’s what she’s done. Of course he’s going to be concerned about me, as a friend. And if he hasn’t told his family what happened with him and Carly, then of course he’d tell them he’s checking for a text from me, not her.

But I can’t tamp down the hope that maybe he did want me to ask him for help. I can’t stop the thought that he cares about me as more than a friend.

I can’t stop hoping Zach will love me like I love him.

Chapter 26

Zach

Monday morning, I arrive on set to find Granny’s house is hardly her house anymore. While I was getting dumped, my brother and his crew tore up the carpet and linoleum floors and took down a few walls. Nothing is left of the ugly wood paneling, old light fixtures, and dated cabinets. Cold radiates off the cement subfloor. Exposed two-by-fours and empty doorways make the space feel even more barren.

I wish Adam had left a wall or two for me. I’d love to have something to tear down. Maybe that would help me work through my frustration about the whole Carly thing and the confusion over what I’m feeling for Georgia.

The house may be empty of things, but it’s full of people. The crew mills around, setting up equipment and getting ready for the day. Everyone is helping out somehow, expect for Ike, who’s on the other side of the room talking to...

Darlene Voglmeyer?

She has him cornered, but as soon as he sees me, he points her in my direction. Within seconds, she and her clipboard have me trapped. Ike gives me a thumbs up as he slips past us and out the door.

“I’m so glad I caught you,” Darlene says. Which makes one of us. “I was hoping to talk to Georgia, but the gentleman I spoke to said you might know about the permits since she’s not here yet.” She pauses long enough to scan the room with disapproval, like Georgia’s left a roomful of toddlers alone with power tools so she could dip out for a drink.

“Yep. I told her I’d take care of the permits, so any concerns you’ve got, bring them to me.” I put on a smile and turn the jauntiness in my voice all the way up to eleven. Whatever it takes to keep Darlene away from Georgia, I’ll do it.

“Well, then.” Darlene flips up papers on her clipboard and points to a sentence in the middle of one of the pages. “You should read this.”

My stomach ties itself into knots like it does any time someone asks me to read something. I squint at the tiny words surrounded by a million other tiny words, all with letters I can’t make sense of.

“You see the problem, right? I thought you must be aware of this regulation, but when I checked for your permit, I couldn’t find it.” Her tone is gentle in the worst kind of way, laced with condescension instead of kindness. The words she’s not saying burrow into my brain. I’m stupid. I’ve screwed up.

“Why don’t you just tell me instead of playing games?” I snap.

Darlene flinches like I’ve slapped her. Then her pupils go dark, and her eyes narrow. “You can’t park that trailer here without a permit. There’s a restriction on portable vehicles over thirty feet in this part of Paradise.” She points to the sentence again, but I don’t look away from her face. “The trailer out there is thirty-three feet.”

“You measured it?”

Her face colors. “Rules are rules. I’m just making sure you’re following them. It’s my job as mayor.”

I sigh. “I’ll fill out the paperwork today and take it to the city offices.” Which, ironically, are housed in portable buildings.

“Perfect.” She offers me a tight-lipped smile that makes me even more nervous than trying to read her papers. “You’ll need to shut down filming until the permit is issued.”

“What? We can’t do that!” The desperation in my voice puts a real smile on Darlene’s face.

“I want to help you, Zach, but if the rest of the city council finds out you’re in violation of local ordinances, they’ll want me to shut you down for good. I don’t know what else to do.” She shakes her head slowly, then stops suddenly and lifts her pointer finger. “I’ve got an idea that could help us both.”

I’m not falling for her fake concern, but I am going to give her what she wants. I already know that. We can’t get any further behind with our shooting schedule.

“What is it?”

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