Page 1 of The Grumpy Actor

Chapter 1

Sophie

Thelineoutsidethelocal bakery has never been this long. I’ve spent over twenty years of my life in the small beach town of Surfside Haven—my college years excluded—so I know this for a fact.

So why is there a line as long as the local beach itself on a random Thursday afternoon?

My teeth graze my bottom lip as I stand on my tiptoes to peek through the large glass windows. Shockingly, an even larger crowd waits inside the bakery itself. A large number of these people have their phones out, while some have papers in hand.

One would think the president of the United States was visiting or something.

I dig my phone out of my small purse and quickly dial Lily, my best friend’s, number. I’m supposed to meet her here to get some quick snacks. She picks up on the third ring.

“Hey, girl. I’m outside the bakery, and there’s a crazy line. Where are you?”

“Oh, really. You’re here?” The background noise echoing from my phone and my surroundings are pretty similar, which means Lily is here already. “Where? I can’t find you…oh, there you are!”

I turn around to see my short, pretty friend easing her way out of the crowd and toward me. A wide grin sits on her face as she pulls me to the side.

“What’s going on?”

“You won’tbelievethe angel who just landed in Surfside Haven,” Lily gushes. I roll my eyes, urging her to hurry up and explain. “A freaking celebrity is here, Sophie.”

“Oh.”

The wordcelebritysends a familiar chill down my spine. Teenage Sophie might have been excited at the prospect of a celebrity in our little town, but adult Sophie knows all too well the dangers that come with associating with those fame-grubbing individuals.

“Just ‘oh?’” Lily gasps, leaning closer to feel my temple. “Did you hear me? I’m saying a celebrity is in our town. And not just one of them,severalof them.”

I frown.

The thought of our little town being exposed to those kinds of people doesn’t sit well with me. Yes, we get the occasional tourists every year who are fascinated by the idea of a picturesque beach community, but aside from that, Surfside Haven is a safe harbor, just as its name suggests.

“What are they doing here?”

“They’re shooting a movie in our town. Can you believe it? Our little town will be featured in a movie!”

“Shh, stop squealing! People are staring.”

“I can’t stop!” Lily squeals even louder. “How can I when Liam Ryder will practically be living in our town for the next few months?”

“LiamWhat?”

My heart sinks at the mention of that name. I gulp, hoping I heard her wrong. Of all the celebrities to show up here, Liam can’t be one of them.

“You can’t say you don’t know Liam Ryder. That hot-as-sin award-winning actor.”

Oh, I know him all too well. Much more than I want to let on right now.

My sweaty palm tightens around the strap of my bag as a pounding ache graces my head. The image of the man I once called mine saddles my mind as that familiar, painful jab slices through my heart all over again.

“What? You can’t say you don’t like Liam Ryder. He’s the best actor I’ve ever seen.”

“Yeah, right,” I scoff. “The only good thing about him is his face, and that’s the reason you like him. He’s an even worse actor than a human being, and that’s saying something.”

“Oh, I bet he is.”

I nearly jump out of my skin.

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