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Chapter 4
“Excuse me?” Jake forced out a tight smile as he continued picking up the ceramic pieces.
A bad wig and glasses weren’t enough. He should have asked his make-up artist friend Renaldo to give him a prosthetic nose or contact lenses that would change his eye color.
“I know I’m not your target demographic, but I am a huge fan of theFatal…” Mrs. Prescott clamped a hand over her mouth, her gaze darting to the other patrons.
“Sorry, ma’am, just here for a cookie.” He tossed the teapot shards onto the tray and stood, keeping his face averted from the main part of the room. “Hope this wasn’t an heirloom.”
“I just realized…” She moved closer and lowered her voice to a whisper. “You’re in disguise. Are you prepping for a role?”
“No idea what you’re talking about.”
“My dear boy, I’ve lived in this town almost my whole life.” She picked up the tray, eyeing him closely. “I remember all the kids my daughters went to high school with, especially one who’s now the biggest—”
“Mrs. Prescott.” Tension crawled over Jake’s spine. He gripped her arm. “Can we talk in private?”
“We certainly can. Bring your coffee and cookie.”
He picked up his plate and cup, then followed her through the bakery kitchen and into an office at the back. After locking the door with a snap, she faced him. She gave him a once-over, her hazel eyes sharp and penetrating.
“Jake Ryan.” She crossed her arms and nodded. “If that’s not you behind that terrible wig and glasses, then I’ll never bake another Chaos Cookie again.”
A laugh burst out of him. Setting the plate and his camera on the desk, he sank onto a chair and ran his hand over his jaw. “Please don’t do that. The world would be a much darker place without your Chaos Cookies.”
She smiled, her eyes twinkling. “You used to gobble down three or four at a time, if I remember correctly.”
“You do. I was really glad to discover Sugar Joy is still here. It’s good to see you again, Mrs. Prescott.”
“Eleanor, please. I’m thrilled to see you again, Jake. I meant it when I said I’m a huge fan ofFatal Glory, though I still think Blaze Ripley was an idiot for going after Thorn without checking his voicemail. I mean, Clara told himin the messagethat Thorn had the code, and if Blaze had known that, he wouldn’t have ended up dangling off the side of a skyscraper.”
Jake chuckled. “We wouldn’t have had that great action scene either.”
“True.” She acknowledged that with a nod. “When did you get back?”
“A few days ago.” He twisted his head to the side to ease his tension and took off his fake glasses. “No one knows I’m here…or at least, they’re not supposed to.”
“Hmm.” She flicked her gaze upward. “Then you’d better do something about your wig because it’s a dead giveaway. The glasses threw me off for a minute, but there’s no mistaking your eyes. What are you doing here?”
“Long story.” Rubbing the back of his neck, he let out a sigh. “We’re in negotiations for anotherFatal Glorymovie, and I’ve had some bad press. I need to lie low until things blow over. So I decided to come back here. But maybe Bliss Cove isn’t the best place tolie low.”
The lines on her forehead cleared. Pulling up a chair, she sat in front of him. “So why did you come back?”
Jake shrugged. He wasn’t even sure of the answer himself. He needed to stay out of the public eye for a while, but why had he specifically come back to Bliss Cove?
“Just wanted to, I guess.”
“When were you last here?”
“When I moved my mother and sister to LA.” He flexed his fingers and studied a floral calendar on the opposite wall. “Fourteen years ago. I worked on sets for about three years before landing my first role inSpace Villains.”
The low-budget, B-movie had been a surprise hit, leading to two more small roles beforeFatal Glorylaunched his career into the stratosphere.
To divert attention from himself, he indicated the front of the bakery and took another bite of the cookie. “Is that your daughter at the front counter? She looks familiar.”
“That’s Rory, my middle girl. She was two years behind you and Callie. Aria is my youngest.”
“Do they all still live in Bliss Cove?”
