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“Tiegan kept talking? I don’t believe it.” Pressing a hand against her chest, she feigned a shocked expression.
“I know it’s hard to believe. The girl barely speaks.”
“If you ask my mom, she’d say I was a lot like Tiegan at her age.” She set a tray down on the small coffee table and handed him a wineglass before picking up the second and sitting down.
“She’s probably going to ask you about going surfing there. You don’t have to take her.” Juliette carrying on a conversation with his niece while they ate dinner was one thing, but an all-day outing was another.
“As long as it’s okay with your sister, I’d love to take her. I think it’ll be fun. Or we can take her together. Maybe we could try both the surfing and the skydiving while we’re there.”
The three of them going sounded like an excellent idea. Not that he didn’t trust Juliette alone with his niece, but in case of an emergency, he’d rather Tiegan have either her mom, nana, or him close by. And while emergencies probably didn’t occur often, they could happen. “I’ll check out Adventure Park’s website tomorrow.”
“Speaking of tomorrow, I’m meeting Caryn Ferguson around three to look at some homes and the old dance studio. If you’re not busy, I’d like you to come with me and give me a second opinion.”
If he showed up with her, not only would half the town know Juliette Belmont had rented a cottage at the campground by dinnertime, but they’d also be on their way to the altar thanks to Caryn. He’d never cared about rumors before, and he didn’t care now. But Juliette deserved a heads-up.
“Caryn knows a lot of people, and she’s got a big mouth. If I come with you, everyone’s going to think we’re together. It wouldn’t surprise me if people start saying we’re engaged. Rumors have a way of taking on a life of their own in town.”
She reached for a strawberry but, at the last minute, snagged a square of cheese off the plate instead. “Are you married?” she asked before popping the cheese in her mouth and leaving him scratching his head.
“What?”
“I asked if you are married.”
Well, at least he didn’t have a problem with his hearing. “No, of course not. What does that have to do with anything?”
“I don’t care if people know we’re together. But you sound worried, so I wanted to make sure you weren’t hiding a wife up in your attic or something. Been there, done that, and I have no desire to repeat the experience.” She smiled and patted his cheek before getting another piece of cheese.
“It doesn’t bother me if people know we’re seeing each other. But I thought you wanted to keep as low a profile as possible while you’re here.”
While she considered his words, he drank his wine. He didn’t know what type she’d purchased, but he tasted a hint of nectarine, not something he associated with any kind of wine.
“When I first checked in, I did, but the media is already on the hunt for a juicy new story or a celebrity wedding. Yesterday there was only a brief mention of me on the Star Insider and Today Magazine’s websites. I didn’t find anything anywhere else.”
She’d admitted her primary reason for coming to Avon had been to escape the spotlight. If the media no longer considered her headline material and she decided against purchasing a home here, how much longer would it be before she packed up and headed back to New York City? A scenario he found far more likely than her moving to Avon and opening a business.
“Hey, I don’t care what Caryn tells people. If you want me to tag along tomorrow and give you my opinion, I will. Where are the houses you’re looking at?” Whether she moved there permanently or left next month, he’d focus on enjoying their time together and not what might happen.
“Not even eleven o’clock, and you’re home,” Candace greeted when he walked into the living room. “Either Juliette wanted to make sure you didn’t fall asleep while you sat at your computer, or your date didn’t go as well I hoped.”
“Were you waiting up for me?”
“Not really. I started this new series last week and turned on the next episode after Tiegan went to bed. One turned into another and another,” she said, reaching for the remote and switching off the television.
He’d had the same thing happen to him. But he wouldn’t put it past Candace to have turned the series on knowing it would help her stay awake until he came home.
Although past the time he normally went to bed, if he went up now, he’d stare at the ceiling. A better use of his time would be to sit down and answer whatever questions his sister tossed at him. And if he didn’t answer them tonight, she’d simply ask him tomorrow.
“I heard you went bowling.” She made her statement before his butt even touched the seat of the armchair. “Sandy called me.”
Wow, what a shocker. “Before or after she left Silver Lanes?”
“Probably after. Sandy asked about Juliette, insisting she’d seen her somewhere, and she wanted to know how serious things were between the two of you. Sandy wouldn’t have asked about the status of your relationship with Vince around, and I know she was seeing him tonight.”
“What did you tell her?”
“The truth. I told her Juliette was renting a cottage here, and I had no idea where things stood between the two of you.”
He’d known Candace wouldn’t tell Sandy where she’d seen Juliette’s face. More than likely, Sa
