Page 27 of As They Are
Marjorie Brown:Now, for anyone who needs recommendations on other vibrating things, let me know.
I burstinto the farmhouse with the perfect plan to make my producer work on the library. I was ready to call her up and sendher my proposal to get her here, but I forgot that my best friend also lived in this house and she would have a lot of questions for me.
“Well, you certainly had a fun day.” Mollie’s hands were on her hips, but she didn’t look angry. “How was yourrelaxation?”
“It’s safe to say that I didsomerelaxing,” I began. “I was gonna fix the lights in the bathroom?—”
“You don’t have to do that.”
“I know. I wound up hanging out at the square. I may have been invited out by Kerry.”
Mollie gasped, putting a hand on her chest. “Please tell me you didn’t go to Center Point Diner without me.”
I winced. I probably should have thought this through more than I had. “I’m sorry. When she met me, she immediately invited me out, and I didn’t know how to say no.”
“With Kerry, you don’t,” Cain interjected. “I really hope she wasn’t your first impression of the town.”
I thought of Henry. “No, she wasn’t. And even if she was, it wasn’t that bad.”
“It kept you distracted,” Mollie added, “which I appreciate. I was half worried you were planning to come back with a pile of wood to build something.”
I laughed awkwardly. That was exactly what I had been planning until Henry talked me out of it. “I should go wash my hands and make a few calls.”
“You’ll join us for dinner, right?” Mollie asked. “We eat together every night, and everyone, even guests, join.”
“What are you having?”
“Chicken and rice.”
My eyes went to the back of the farm. “Like fresh chickens?”
“God, no.” Cain shook his head. “Those are egg-laying hens. Some farmers sell them for meat, but I try to give them good lives.”
“And then you eat ones from other farms?”
He grimaced. “I try not to think too hard about it. Otherwise, I might never eat meat again.”
Mollie laughed and rubbed his shoulder. I had to look away. I thought I’d have this with Jude.
And that didn’t work out.
“I need to go make those calls,” I repeated. “I’ll be back down in a few.”
Mollie nodded, though she had that suspicious look on her face that meant nothing good for me. I took the stairs two at a time to get to the bathroom. Once my hands were free of all dirt, I opened my phone.
Got an idea for the season two location. Call me ASAP.
I’d only been gone for two days, but Madison had hounded me on it despite the fact that I was supposed to be on a break. They were moving lightning fast on the second season since they wanted to finish filming before I started my other scheduled project. When they’d decided that they could make it work, we hadn’t planned for a massive bump in the road with the mansion. Now, we were on borrowed time.
I was used to moving fast on things. Usually, I liked it. But the endless tasks of being on a show weren’t as fun as I’d hoped they would be.
Madison wasted no time. Minutes later, she called.
“Hey,” I answered.
“I hope you’re calling with good news,” she said. “Like you’ve found a location instead of going on vacation like I’d heard you’d done.”
I sighed. Only the contractors I knew were aware that I was visiting Mollie. They must have told her while she was on the hunt for me.
