I felt a bit guilty about being out instead of with Georgie, but he’d been watching his nightly episode ofWheel of Fortunewith Sophia and Darren. I’d been banned from joining them because I shouted out the answers. Georgie said he’d think about removing the ban on Friday.
“This is Mattie,” Brady said, indicating the server. “She owns the place and puts up with us.”
The redhead gave Brady an indulgent grin before turning to me. “Nice to meet you. I brought you a glass, but let me know if you’d rather have something else. I can make just about anything from the bar. Might not be what you’re used to, though.”
Mattie seemed friendly enough, but I could tell she expected me to have a special request, something high-maintenance from the visiting celebrity.
So I smiled and said, “Beer’s fine.”
“I can’t believe you introduced him to Mattie before you introduced him to me,” came a hissed whisper from the brunette next to Brady.
“She was standing right there,” he replied. “Did you want me to just ignore her? That wouldn’t be very neighborly.”
I faced MacKenzie and extended my hand. “You must be Mac. I’ve heard all about you.”
Her bright blue eyes shot to her boyfriend as she straightened abruptly.
Brady chuckled and held up his hands in surrender. “Good things, I swear.”
My grin widened. “Can confirm.”
Mac slipped her hand into mine and gave it a firm shake. “It’s nice to meet you, Dorian.”
“Please. Call me Ian.”
I’d been to the gym a few times with Brady and his best friend, Abby, short for Abernathy—as in Cole Abernathy, local business owner and restaurateur. The two men were fun and easy to be around. Good guys. And Brady talked about Mac nonstop. So I knew she could be very opinionated and sassy, and she was also a fan of myInferno Manaction films.
I could see it now in Mac’s expression and the sudden quiet bashfulness that had overcome her. She’d gone a little starstruck. Candace was that way a bit, too. But Brady had gotten over it completely, and the sociable guy just treated me as he would anyone else. Hence, the invitation to hang out tonight.
I was grateful for the way he’d welcomed me into his life.
I had a lot of things back in California—three overpriced cars I rarely got to drive, a beach house overlooking the ocean, gadgets and expensive toys—but friends weren’t really among them.
My gaze drifted around the bar in case any more Judd siblings might be joining us. I made sure the disappointment didn’t show on my face when I didn’t spot a tall, striking woman with short hair and a grumpy scowl.
It might be kind of nice to see Joan outside of the farm. In a place like this, so comfortable and familiar, she was probably right at home.
Surprisingly enough, she’d seemed unfazed on set this afternoon. I supposed the land was still hers, so maybe all the equipment and people hadn’t thrown her off. Or maybe she was good at hiding any perceived weakness. I didn’t know her well enough to answer that yet.
Witnessing her righteous indignation after receiving the NDA had been surprising and confusing. I hadn’t really expected her to care about Georgie, not enough to be curious about him, and definitely not enough to confront me over a standard legal document. But she’d stood her ground and questioned my motives, cared enough to demand that I explain myself.
I’d been worried about my nephew. He’d scared me by sneaking away in a wild and unknown place. But when I’d tracked his GPS location and found him with Joan, those fears had abated, morphing into the fear of discovery. The need for secrecy and privacy.
For some reason, after our discussion on set, I’d trusted Joan. I knew instinctively that she wouldn’t threaten the peace I was fighting to establish with my nephew. Nothing about her screamed potential gossip willing to sell our story to the highest bidder. She didn’t seem affected at all by my fame or celebrity status. It was refreshing, to be honest.
“So what do you think of Kirby Falls?” Mac asked, drawing me out of my thoughts.
“I love it,” I told her honestly. “It’s beautiful here. The mountains. The town. The people. I’m happy to spend the next few months getting to know the place.”
“Where are you from originally?” Candace asked.
I reached for the pitcher and poured myself a beer. “Ohio.”
“Ohio has mountains, right?” Mac wondered.
I smiled. “Not where I’m from. I’ve been in LA for the last decade, though. I’m used to sun and surf, and nothing like this.”
“Well, hopefully it’ll be a nice break for you,” Mac told me. “We’re happy to have you here.” Then her eyes drifted over my shoulder, and she grinned mischievously. “Well, most of us anyway.”
