Angelica cleared her throat to get Hope’s attention. Cadence noticed and came over while Hope continued to talk.

  “Did you need something?”

  “Josef sent me down to have a conversation with Hope, one I’m sure he wants on the record.” Angelica pointed at Hope. “Is she busy?”

  “She can probably take a break from that. Hope?” Cadence turned to Hope, beckoning her over with a wave of her hand.

  So much had changed since their first season of filming. Never would they have managed such easy communication with Kyle in the mix, and while last season had been slightly better, sometimes having a woman in charge was exactly what they needed. Angelica crossed her arms over her belly and held herself tightly.

  Hope seemed concerned when she walked toward them. She’d have no idea why they were there, but Angelica didn’t want to fight. She simply didn’t have the energy for it.

  “Is something wrong?” Hope asked.

  Angelica shook her head. “Josef wanted me to have an on-screen conversation with you about Dawn.”

  “All right?” Hope looked confused. “About what?”

  “About her lack of experience.”

  Hope snorted lightly. “Well, that’s an obvious one.”

  Angelica shrugged slightly. “Want to do it now?” Why did she sound so breathy? Her head was close to spinning, too. She clenched her fists tightly, digging her nails into her palms to keep herself upright and focused.

  “Sure.” Hope nodded toward Cadence. “You got this?”

  “Yeah.”

  It hadn’t taken long for Hope and Cadence to find a rhythm to their filming. Rex had been right about pairing them together for the season. Angelica, however, was still struggling when it came to working with Hope. Though she anticipated it wouldn’t be that way through the entire season, because every time she looked at Hope, she couldn’t help but hear her voice.

  You’re not worth it.

  Angelica’s heart pattered rapidly, and that clamminess came over her again. “Can we talk in the kitchen? Away from… ears.”

  “Sure.” Hope led the way, pushing open the door.

  The kitchen reeked of chemicals, and it was overpowering. Angelica blinked wildly as she stepped inside and shook her head. “Wow, does it smell clean in here.”

  “Ali and Dawn cleared everything out and then Dawn and Toby spent most of this morning scrubbing it top to bottom. Under all the grease and grime, the kitchen’s not in half bad shape.” Hope stopped right by one of the prep counters and leaned against it. “What did you need to talk about?”

  “Oh um…” Angelica blinked again, her head spinning. The scent was overwhelming, and it was making it so much harder to concentrate.

  “Ange?” Concern filtered through Hope’s voice.

  “I’m here to talk about Dawn.” Angelica blinked hard, but her vision kept swimming. “She uh… she doesn’t have a lot of experience…” Angelica stopped talking and took a deep breath. Maybe she hadn’t gotten herself together since she’d left reception. Maybe⁠—

  “Ange!” Hope’s hand was around her waist and pulled her close. “What’s going on?”

  Angelica shook her head. “I’m just dizzy. The smell in here…”

  “Come on. Sit down.” Hope moved with her, pulling Angelica toward a small table just outside of the kitchen.

  Angelica could barely see anything because her vision was just filled with dark spots. Hope pressed a hand against Angelica’s cheek and clucked her tongue. The sound was so loud.

  “Cadence, go get me some cold water for her.” Hope’s voice was strong, pulsating through Angelica’s head.

  “I-I’m fine.”

  “No, you’re not,” Hope muttered. “Be honest, remember?”

  Angelica swallowed and nodded. She closed her eyes and put her hands against the table. It was cold. She used the temperature to center herself. Hope was right. Something was wrong. Hope’s fingers were against her wrist, cold and firm.

  “I’m going to ask you a question, and I need you to be honest and not offended.”

  “All right,” Angelica whispered, but she still couldn’t see anything.

  “When’s the last time you ate something?”

  Angelica shook her head, her eyes springing with tears. “I honestly can’t remember.”

  “Today?”

  “No,” Angelica answered, biting her lip. “Coffee.”

  “That doesn’t count,” Hope answered, pushing her fingers harder into Angelica’s wrist. “Yesterday?”

  Angelica frowned as she thought through everything they’d done yesterday from filming introductions to background meetings. Lyric had handed her some food, but she hadn’t eaten it. “Just coffee.”

  “The day before that?” Hope sounded deeply concerned now.

  “Yes, some breakfast.”

  “Jesus, Ange.” Hope let go of her wrist. “Thanks, Cadence. Drink this. Now.”

  Angelica lifted the cold glass to her lips and sipped it. It felt good going down her throat, but it didn’t help her rapid heart rate either. But the good news was, she could see again. Though looking at Hope’s concern was probably worse than not seeing it.

  “I’m fine,” Angelica whispered, wanting only Hope to hear her.

  “You’re not, and I can’t in good conscience cook you anything to eat right now. I have no food in the kitchen.” Hope bit her lower lip. She was crouched down next to Angelica, her fingers still curled around Angelica’s wrist. “Keep drinking the water, because we’re going down the street to get some food in a minute, and I need to make sure that you can make it there.”

  “That’s really not necessary.”

  “Oh. It is.” Hope clenched her jaw.

  Angelica had no doubt that she wasn’t going to budge on this one, but she hated being an invalid. And she hated being the center of attention more than anything.

  “Cadence, we’re breaking from filming for a bit.” Hope shifted, pulling the microphone pack from behind her back and setting it on the table. She beckoned Angelica to lean forward, and did this same with hers.

  Cadence sat next to them and looked directly at Angelica. “I thought you two actually hated each other after being on set with you the last few days.”

  Angelica blinked, not quite sure where to go with that. She flicked her gaze to Hope. Her brain wasn’t working well enough to come up with any sort of answer.

  “We do hate each other,” Hope answered, not moving her eyes from Angelica’s. Those crystalline balls held more pain than truth in them. “And on occasion, we don’t. For the last two years, we’re the only ones who have had each other’s backs. And I suppose that doesn’t stop in season three.”

  “No, it doesn’t.” Angelica swallowed down the bile that rose in her throat, though it wasn’t because of how she was feeling physically. It was because Hope had such raw honesty in her statement. Angelica had nearly forgotten all about that. She couldn’t stop the smile that reached her lips when she looked at Hope this time. The distant memory of how they’d started coming back full force.

  “So, we’re going to get dinner, and then we’re going to have this conversation that you’re insisting on.” Hope looked from Angelica to Cadence.

  “Josef is insisting,” Angelica corrected.

  “Right.” Hope frowned. She let go of Angelica’s hand.

  Angelica missed that touch, but when she looked up to meet Cadence’s gaze, she was surprised by the understanding and curiosity that she found there. She’d forgotten just how astute and observant Cadence could be. Clearing her throat, Angelica drank more of the cold water and let it settle in her belly. She needed to be more careful.

  They both did.

  Chapter

  Eight

  “Are you ready to talk now?” Hope slid into the wrought iron chair across from Angelica and set the basket of food in front of her.

  Angelica stared down at the food and sighed heavily. “Are you assuming my not eating is because of you?”

  “In part.” Hope eyed her carefully, waiting for Angelica to pick up something to eat from the basket. Hope had ordered what she knew Angelica would like, avoiding the foods she was allergic to, but she wanted to make sure that she was actually going to consume food during this excursion. “Ange… you really need to eat something.”

  “I know. It’s just so…unappetizing.” Angelica looked absolutely disgusted.

  “Because it’s a sandwich?”

  “Because it’s food,” Angelica answered, a small wrinkle in her nose.

  It was honestly adorable, not that Hope would say that out loud, and definitely not now. Angelica needed to come to her own conclusions about what was happening between them. Hope pulled her own basket closer and pulled a chip out of it, letting it crunch when she bit into it.

  “And yes, you were right.” Angelica sighed heavily again, but she did pick up the sandwich and take a bite of it. “We do need to talk.”

  Sweet satisfaction hit Hope square in the chest. She smiled to herself as she took a bite of her own sandwich. She’d been pushing for this for weeks now, and Angelica had finally come around to seeing her point of view.

  “Josef would like more tension and drama throughout filming. We need to find a way to create that.”

  Hope’s heart fell. Okay, so what Angelica had actually meant was to talk about work, not them. Hope took another bite of her sandwich, taking a page from Angelica’s book and saying nothing.

  “Renovations can cause drama, especially if they don’t go well, and we need to find a solution to better connect the hotel to the restaurant.” Angelica sipped her water, refusing to look up and meet Hope’s eyes.

  Did she know that she was talking about something that they really didn’t need to discuss?

  Hope popped another chip between her lips.

  “We could open the wall.”

  “Why aren’t you eating, Ange?”

  Angelica halted. She looked directly into Hope’s gaze and then back down, her pale cheeks reddening.

  “And don’t for one second try to convince me that this is a new habit since we started filming.” Hope ate another chip. “Honesty, remember?”

  “I don’t know,” Angelica whispered. She pushed the basket of food away from her, stared at it for a few more seconds, and then pulled it back to her. She pulled out the cheese from the sandwich and picked at it slowly.

  “You don’t know or you don’t want to tell me?”

  “I don’t know,” Angelica repeated, looking Hope dead in the eye. “I’ve never known.”

  “What do you mean never?”

  Angelica leaned back in her chair and flicked her gaze from Hope’s eyes to her lips. “I’d rather talk about work.”

  “I’m sure you would.” Hope took another bite of her sandwich. “I’d rather you eat.”

  Angelica’s lips pressed into a thin line, but she did lean forward and take another bite. “When I’m stressed, I stop eating. I have for as long as I can remember.”

  “And what’s stressing you out now? Because filming in Maine is nothing compared to Seattle.”

  Angelica laughed lightly. “True.”

  “Is it working with me?” Hope paused, looking Angelica over carefully. She wanted to see how she was going to react, how she was going to take that information in. And Hope wasn’t surprised when Angelica immediately tensed and held her breath.

  “It’s not just you.” Angelica took another bite. “It’s Josef.”

  “But not Rex?”

  “No.” Angelica swallowed, sipping her water. “Rex and I seem to have found an arrangement.” She stared directly at Hope when she said that.

  Of course she would remember that word and the meaning it’d strike. “Touche.”

  Angelica’s lips quirked up lightly into a small smile before it faded. “Rex and I had more time during the break to discuss going forward. And while we didn’t talk specifics, we were able to come to a draw, you might say.”

  “I’m glad.” Hope clenched her jaw. Why was it easier for the two of them than it was for her and Angelica? Rex and Angelica had never cared for each other, yet they were working together fine.

  “Does that bother you?” Angelica continued to eat.

  If all Hope had to do was keep her talking so she ate, then she’d gladly sit here all day and dig into her deepest secrets if she had to. “Does what bother me?”

  “The fact that Rex and I get along?”

  “A bit,” Hope admitted. “It’s taken a long time for Rex and me to be able to sit in a room and not throw darts at each other. And we worked hard to get to that place, for the show and for Eva.”

  “Primarily Eva, I would hope.”

  “Yes, for Eva.”

  “She’s growing up so quickly.” Angelica finished off her chips. “She’s a credit to both you and Rex.”

  Hope had her doubts about that, but she’d take the compliment where she could. “She’s adjusting fairly well to our divorce. It took her awhile, and Rachel didn’t help any.”

  “Rachel?” Angelica furrowed her brow. “What did she have to do with anything?”

  “Oh.” Angelica didn’t know. Of course Rex would leave that out of any conversation. “When Rex left, he went to stay with Rachel.”

  “That bitch.”

  Hope laughed, the sound bubbling up out of her chest and beyond her lips. It was perfect, and exactly what she needed. “Yeah, she really was. But she saw me as the reason he left—and you—and so she picked sides.”

  “She’s your sister.”

  “She is.” Hope frowned. “When we’re done filming, I’m determined to start reconciling with her, if she’s willing.”

  Angelica didn’t say anything to that. And she’d stopped eating as well. Perhaps her attention span on food had reached its limit. Hope rolled her shoulders, cocked her head in Angelica’s direction, and asked the only thing she could think of.

  “Do you think we’ll ever be okay?”

  Angelica’s lips parted in surprise before she shut them tightly.

  “Don’t answer that. It was stupid of me to ask.” Hope shoved her basket to the middle of the table, every muscle in her body telling her to stand up and leave. She was being ridiculous to think that they might be able to go back to the way they’d been at one point.

  “We should head back.” Angelica pushed her chair back and stood up, this time far steadier on her feet than Hope had seen her before.

  The pain from that rejection lingered in Hope’s chest. She didn’t want it to build, but she couldn’t imagine it not growing. Saying nothing, Hope followed suit. They walked in silence back toward Harbour Inn, stepping inside and immediately coming face-to-face with Josef.

  “Where the hell have you two been?” he yelled.

  “Eating,” Hope answered, putting her hands on her hips. She wouldn’t let Josef take Angelica down a notch for eating or taking a break. Not now. Not ever. “Do you have a problem with your star taking a meal break?”

  Josef’s face turned red, which pleased Hope immensely. The more she got to know him, the more she despised him.

  “I’d hate for a report to get back that you’re denying the star of your show a simple meal.” Hope crossed her arms and gave him the best glare that she could.

  “I’m not.” Josef’s face was still bright red. “Did you two talk about how you’re going to create some drama? We need to keep the ratings up.”

  Hope glanced at Angelica, who seemed to suddenly cower. That was so unlike her. She usually stood up to Josef, or at least held her own against him. Hope wanted the old Angelica back, not this demure woman she’d found in Maine.

  “I don’t really want any more drama in my life.” Hope shrugged. “So no, we didn’t talk about it. If you’ll excuse me.” She started to walk toward the restaurant.

  Josef’s voice called her back. “Don’t walk away, Hope! Or I’ll throw something in your direction that you won’t be expecting. And then whose fault will it be?”

  She clenched her jaw. Looking up, her gaze locked on Rex and Cadence, who were standing next to reception but staring at them. Everyone was going to witness this disaster, weren’t they? Hope wasn’t going to deny what she’d told Angelica and Cadence earlier though. She would always have Angelica’s back, especially when it came to this man.

  “Yours, presumably. Since you didn’t properly communicate with either Ange or myself.” Hope shifted her stance, taking a small step closer to Angelica.

  “We did discuss creating a more open space between the restaurant and hotel.” Angelica looked over her shoulder into Hope’s eyes.

  “We did.” Hope nodded, though she wasn’t entirely sure this was where she wanted to have an argument, but at least it was something to throw at Josef. “So we can argue over how to do that.”

  They hadn’t talked about specifics, but now she supposed they would have to.

  “You better make sure the conflict is good.” Josef lowered his voice and stepped closer, as if threatening them. “Because if you don’t get the ratings we need for a renewal, I’ll blame both of you for this one.”

  Hope slid her gaze to Angelica, the words she’d thrown at Hope earlier coming back to haunt her. This wasn’t what Angelica wanted. She wanted an end to either the show or her relationship with Hope, or perhaps both. Which perhaps meant that Angelica would be the one to not put in the effort for renewal.

  “I think the tension they have is fine.” Cadence slipped in between Josef and them. “When they were arguing over management… that was perfect. Exactly what we need.”

  Josef glared at her. Hope was about to jump in between them because Cadence had no idea what she was up against, but Rex stepped in next.

  “Yes. That worked very well.” He put on his angry dad face and stared directly at Josef.

  What exactly was happening? Because any time Hope had tried to get Rex to step in to defend Angelica before, he hadn’t wanted to do it, and he’d never done it without her pushing him to.