Page 4

"Julia." I smile gently. "I realize you don't know me. It would be fair if you didn't trust a total stranger. But you have my word as a gentleman that I would never be inappropriate with you."

Her cheeks flush again but I pretend not to notice, waving to the server in the blue and white dress for more coffee. As she pours, Julia looks up at her. "Claudia, do you think I should⁠—"

"Yes."

"But do you even⁠—"

"Yes." She nods toward me. "He's a good guy. I can feel it. I have a sixth sense about this stuff." She grins while topping up Julia’s mug. "I once pretended to be someone's wife for an important event. We had a blast." Her mouth opens as if to say more, then snaps shut when the bell dings in the pickup window. She rushes away, saying, "Just do it. It’ll turn out great. I promise."

I sip my coffee, grinning. "You have to listen to a woman with a power ponytail like that."

Julia laughs. Then she scans the list on her phone. "If I did it, could we sort of quickly dash in and out of things? So I didn't have to talk to that many strangers?"

"Of course. Anything you like. We'll also hit up your favorite restaurants on the list, at least as many as we can. My treat, of course."

Her head shakes quickly. "Oh, I haven't been to any of those."

"Then you definitely have to pick a couple.” She’s about to say yes, I can feel it. This is the woman I’ve been writing love songs about my entire life.

“Plus…” I flash another huge grin. “I'll bring the fun car."

She frowns. "Like a clown car?”

I laugh. "You'll see. I bet you'll love it."

Julia takes a few slow breaths, still staring at her phone. "I guess… I mean, there isn't really time to find anyone else. So…assuming Natalie approves…yeah. Okay."

"You'll be sure to fake a bit more enthusiasm tomorrow, right?"

She laughs with me. "Yes, I will. I just need time to wrap my head around this."

"No problem." I grin, my mind spinning with possibilities. "I'm going to need your number and your address. Tomorrow is going to be a blast."

3

JULIA

Sam: Any allergies? Food sensitivities? Food you can't stand?

Sam: Oh – and are you OK eating on patios? I've fine-tuned the list so it syncs with what I would normally do.

Sam: Also, good morning! Please don't eat breakfast. First stop is snacks and coffee.

My blurry eyes cannot believe what I'm reading. Sam Silverton, rock singer, rising superstar, and the most gorgeous man I've ever seen, is texting me before I've even gotten out of bed. How many women across the country would kill to be in my shoes?

I still can’t believe my sister approved the idea last night, but she thought it would be good for me to see how social media works from the other side. “It’ll give you a deeper understanding of the process,” was how she put it. Honestly, I think she was just relieved the Sam issue was going to be dealt with so she could focus on other clients.

I sit up in bed, waking up with a quick stretch before picking up my phone again.

Good morning! No allergies, but I don't eat seafood. Good point about making our appearances seem natural and low-key. I just have to put together an outfit that's both casual and photogenic, then I'll text you when I'm leaving. See you at the farmer’s market.

Oh, yeah – I tweaked something in my ankle several months ago, and it's taking forever to heal. Slow walking is good. Standing for long periods is not. All this is to say, it might take me a while to get to the market.

He replies in seconds.

Sam: Thanks for letting me know. We're going to be busy, but we can do short walks whenever possible. It's a long hike to the farmer’s market, though, so I'll pick you up in half an hour.

Sam: If it takes you longer than that to get ready, no sweat. I'll wait out front as long as you like.