“Yeah, I’ve heard from her, and I’m about to spoil her surprise,” Eric said, chuckling. “She’s going to join us for dinner.”

  “Oh.” I brightened. “That’s an excellent surprise.”

  We got to my truck, and Eric easily hefted the toolbox over the side and onto the truck bed.

  “Thanks, Eric.”

  “You bet. I’m going to run over to Travis’s place and get him. We’ll meet you guys at the pub.”

  “See you there.”

  But before Eric could take a step, Mac drove up. He parked his black SUV in front of the community center and jumped out.

  “You ready?” he asked Eric.

  “I’m on my way to get Travis,” Eric said. “It might take a few minutes. How about if we meet you at the pub?”

  “Mind if we go to the wine bar instead?” Mac asked. “My new group of writers will be at the pub, and I don’t want to cramp their style.”

  Eric raised an eyebrow. “Where’s the fun in that?”

  I choked on a laugh. “Wow, Chief.”

  Mac stared at him for a moment, then chuckled. “Hell, you’re right. So we’ll meet you at the pub.”

  “See you there,” Eric said, and jogged off toward Travis’s new home a few hundred yards away.

  Mac wrapped his arm around my shoulder and leaned in to kiss me. “How’d the rest of your day go?”

  “It was good. Busy. We’re almost halfway through the next five houses. I spent the rest of the afternoon doing what you saw me doing, stapling my little heart out.”

  He grinned. “Get all those aggressions out of your system?”

  “Works like a charm every time.” I laughed. “Nothing can bother me now.”

  “Glad to hear it.” He rested his head against mine.

  “Did the writers get settled into the mansion?”

  “Yeah. Interesting group.” He frowned for an instant, then his expression cleared. “Anyway, from here, they followed me to the town square. I gave them a quick tour, showed them the pub, the bookshop, Emily’s place, all the hot spots. Then they decided to walk to the pier, and I went home to work.”

  “Did your writing go well?” I asked, after deciding I would bring up his “interesting group” comment later.

  “It went great,” he said, with an evil grin. “I blew up a criminal arsenal and killed four bad guys.”

  I frowned. “Only four?”

  With a quick laugh, he said, “Sorry, babe. I’ll do better tomorrow.” He kissed me once more, and then we each got into our vehicles and drove to the pub.

  * * *

  * * *

  My sister, Chloe, was holding the corner booth for us, and I waved from the doorway.

  “I’ll go say hello to the writers,” Mac said. “Meet you at the table.”

  “Okay.” I walked quickly across the pub and grabbed my sister in a tight hug.

  “How can you look so gorgeous after working all day?” she wondered.

  “And you’re such a hag,” I said, laughing as I leaned back to look at her.

  “I really do hate you,” she insisted.

  “I know, sweetie. I feel the same way about you.” I pulled her back for another hug. We had been talking smack to each other for as long as I could remember. “I’m so glad you’re here.”

  She scowled. “Did Eric blow the surprise?”

  “Of course.”

  “Men.” She shook her head in mock derision. “How do we tolerate them?”

  I took a long look at Mac on the other side of the room and smiled. “It’s not easy.”

  She gave me another hug. “I’ve only been gone a month, but I’ve missed you.”

  “I’ve missed you, too,” I said, as we both slid into the booth. “How long are you here for?”

  “Two weeks. And I brought my video camera. I want to tape some shorts of you guys working on your tiny houses. We’re going to use them on the show.”

  “Really? That’s great.”

  “Well, it’s just such an amazing story. I’m thinking I could turn it into a weekly segment. You know, so everyone can watch your progress.”

  “I’d love that.”

  Chloe already had a glass of wine, so I quickly ordered my own. Then I said, “We’ve finished fifteen more houses since you were here last month.”

  “That’s amazing. Eric said they’ve opened the community center, and they’re starting to give classes on stuff.”

  “Yeah, occupational workshops and classes. In fact, Mac’s teaching one tonight, so we’ll have to eat fast.”

  “Are you going with him?”

  “Yes. I really want to watch him teach. I’ve seen him do a few short workshops and such, but this is something new.”

  “He’ll be great.”

  “Oh, absolutely. And frankly, I want to get some pointers since I’ll be teaching my own class tomorrow night.”

  She gazed at me. “Nervous?”

  “I shouldn’t be, but yeah.”

  “No, you shouldn’t be,” she agreed. “You’re the boss of a few dozen people, mostly men. Just pretend you’re talking to your crew. Telling them what to do.”

  “That might work. I’ll be fine once I get going. It’s just the idea of starting something new. I want it to go really well.”

  “It will.”

  The waitress brought my glass of Pinot Noir and dashed away. I took a quick sip, then said, “Hey, you should come tomorrow night. You can be my special guest star.”

  She held up her hand. “Sorry. You’re on your own.”

  “Why? Are you afraid?”

  “Me, afraid?” She gave a mocking laugh. “My television show is watched by millions. I’m not afraid of anything.” She shrugged. “I just don’t want to steal your thunder.”

  Now it was my turn to laugh. “Okay, Hollywood. But let’s just remember, I taught you everything you know.”

  “Uh, that was Dad.”

  “Okay. Maybe. But hey, I did teach you how to use a stud finder.”

  She glanced at the front door just as Eric walked in. “I guess I owe you for that.”

  I laughed and bumped her shoulder. “That’s right. Look, you don’t have to participate if you don’t want to, but I would love you to be there. And afterward, you can tell me everything I did wrong.”

  “Now that sweetens the deal.” She tapped her temple, pretending to consider it. “Okay, I’ll be there.”

  I fondly leaned against her. “You’re my favorite sister.”

  “And you’re mine,” she said, and gave my cheek a sisterly smooch.

  “Here they are,” Eric said to Travis, who followed behind him. Then Eric sat down next to Chloe.

  “And there you are,” Chloe said softly, and kissed him. And there was nothing sisterly about it.

  Travis glanced from me to Chloe, clearly fascinated. “I’ve never seen you two together. It’s a sight to behold.”

  “That’s nice to hear,” Chloe said.

  At a superficial glance, Chloe and I didn’t look like sisters. When she moved to LA, she had changed her hair color to blond and wore it straight and sleek. I’d kept to my original color of dark auburn and done almost nothing to alter the long, thick, wavy style. But our eyes were the same shape, and we smiled and laughed the same, among other similarities.

  Mac walked up behind Travis. “Hey, how’s it going, man?”

  “Couldn’t be better,” Travis said. “Looking forward to the workshop.”

  “Me, too.” Mac slid in next to me, and Travis took the chair at the open end of the booth. “I hope you’ll read some of your stuff tonight.”

  Travis looked uncomfortable. “Uh, I’m bringing something, but I’m not sure it’s any good.”

  “Everything I’ve read of yours is great,” Mac said easily.

  Eric pointed at Travis. “That goes double for me, man.”

  Travis was saved from answering by our waitress, who hurried over. Since Mac had to get to class, we all gave our orders right then. “You guys make it easy,” she said with a smile, and rushed off.

  “Are the writers settling in okay?” I asked Mac.

  He gave a quick glance at the six writers sitting in a booth at the opposite side of the pub. “Yeah. They’re looking forward to my workshop. I’ll officially introduce everyone there.”

  “Looking forward to it,” Eric said.

  “You mean you’ve got six real writers showing up tonight?” Travis looked even paler than a minute ago. “Not sure I’m up for that kind of scrutiny.”

  He was a fascinating character, I thought. Good-looking in a kickass cowboy kind of way, with clear blue eyes that actually twinkled when he smiled. He was strong and burly, with a thick red beard and a gruff voice. When I first met him, I secretly thought that if his beard had been white and his stomach more rounded, he’d make a perfect Santa Claus. He was a little rough around the edges, but I didn’t mind that.

  Mac chuckled softly. “I happen to consider you a real writer, Travis.”

  He was obviously embarrassed by the praise, because now his cheeks took on a pink tinge.

  “Mac says you’ve got real storytelling talent,” I said. “I’m looking forward to hearing you read your work.”

  He waved my words away. “Aw, it’s just a bunch of scribblings from too many years on the road.”

  “Not true,” Eric said firmly.

  “Don’t you start,” Travis grumbled.

  Eric grinned as he held up his arms in surrender. “You know how I feel about your stuff, but we’ll let it go for now.” Turning to Mac, he said, “Tell us about this new group.”

  “I’ll have to keep my voice down because they’re sitting across the room.”

  “It’s too loud in here for them to overhear us,” Eric said.

  But we all leaned closer as Mac spoke softly. “They’re all good friends, part of a long-standing plot group. They’re all around the same age, thirtyish. Five of them are published, all within two years of each other, and that’s unusual. Two of them are more successful than the others, but they all seem pretty generous with their time and advice. Well, except for one guy.”

  “Let me guess which one,” I said warily. “The cute blond guy with the button-down collar.”

  “How do you know?” Chloe asked. “Have you met them?”

  “Not exactly,” I whispered, casting another glance at the writers’ table. “But it’s got to be him. He irons his blue jeans.”

  “What the hell?” Travis said irately.

  I laughed. “Right? Who does that?”

  “Okay, wait,” Chloe said. “Some of the guys on my construction crew happen to iron their blue jeans.”

  “That’s because they’re actors,” I said. “Not real construction workers.”

  She grimaced. “That’s mostly true, but it still seems unfair to judge this guy for that reason.”

  “There’s more.” And I explained what happened when the guy took my picture and then winked at me.

  “That’s kind of creepy,” Chloe admitted.

  “I might be making too big a deal out of it,” I hedged.

  “You’re not,” Eric said flatly.

  “I trust your instincts,” Mac said. “But look, I’m going to try to keep an open mind. These people are living in my house for two weeks, so I want to hope for the best.”

  “You’re right.” I winced. “I’m sorry I mentioned it.”

  “I’m not,” Mac said, and squeezed my hand. “If he does anything else to creep you out, I want to know.”

  “Okay.”

  After a long moment, Eric said, “So? Tell us more about the group.”

  “Oh yeah.” Mac shook his head ruefully. “Got off track there.” He took a sip of beer. “So, this is the first group that’s ever booked the retreat for two weeks, and that’s not cheap. I think they decided to go for it because they’re all struggling with their second or third book and need to shake things up to get them all back on track. They’re looking to be inspired.”

  Chloe smiled. “Lighthouse Cove should definitely inspire them.”

  “I think so.” Mac nodded. “They’re right there on the beach next to the old lighthouse. They can drive along the coast or come into town or go up to the Gables. Trust me, there’s plenty of creative motivation out there.”

  Eric leaned in closer. “So why do you think that one guy is such a tool?”

  “I didn’t say that,” Mac said, then gave up. “But yeah, he seems to be.”

  “You think I should keep an eye on him?”

  “No,” Mac said, waving away the chief’s concerns. “He’s just got a lot of attitude, probably because his first book was so huge. It’s like it hit the cultural zeitgeist and just took off. Topped all the bestseller lists for weeks. So not only is he the current darling of the industry, but the fact that he achieved such instant success means that he’s become the central focus of their writers’ group. So he gets all the attention.”

  “So he acts like a tool,” Eric finished.

  Mac sighed. “As you say.”

  “How’d you find all that out about this guy?” I asked.

  “The dark-haired woman, Sheri. She told me.”

  “If one of them is dishing the dirt,” Chloe said, “then the group isn’t as close as they seem.”

  “Of course not.” Mac grinned. “According to Sheri, the button-down guy—his name is Lewis, by the way—Lewis acts like he’s better than the rest of them, he knows more than everyone, and he’s always bragging. You know the type.”

  “Sheri seems awfully willing to share all the tawdry details about the guy,” I said.

  “She does, and I’m not sure why.”

  “Because she wants to get close to you,” Chloe said simply.

  “That would be my guess,” I said, then frowned. “And this is beginning to sound like middle-school melodrama.”

  Mac nodded. “The weird thing is that Sheri got real defensive of Lewis when the other woman, Annabelle, joined us and started ripping into the guy. Sheri shut her down on the spot.”

  “So they’re all just a little bit crazy,” Chloe said cheerfully.

  “Tell us about the others,” Eric said. As chief of police, he liked to know who was hanging around his town.

  “There’s Brian,” Mac continued. “He’s the dark-haired skinny one with the stooped shoulders. He’s super quiet, a little bit awkward, seems like a nice guy. From what I can tell, he’s Lewis’s biggest fan. Sheri says they’ve known each other since kindergarten, and they’re still best friends.”

  “Has he published anything?” I asked.

  “Not yet,” Mac said, and frowned. “I’m not even sure what kind of stuff he writes.”

  “He the one who looks like he forgot his pocket protector?” Eric asked.

  Mac chuckled. “Yeah, he’s kind of a nerd.”

  “Nothing wrong with being a nerd,” Travis admitted.

  “True,” Mac said. “Let’s just say that he seems very shy.”

  “His shyness probably works out well for Lewis,” Travis said. “He wouldn’t want to share the limelight.”

  “That’s what I was thinking,” Mac said.

  “He was the one who stepped in and pulled Lewis away from taking another picture of me.”

  “Then I’m grateful to him.” Mac patted my leg.

  “Lewis seems to be the alpha male of the group,” Chloe said. “But if Brian was the one who pulled Lewis away from you, maybe Brian’s got more power and control than it appears on the surface.”

  “Nerds will rule the world,” Travis said philosophically.

  “According to Sheri,” Mac said, “the rest of the group thinks Brian is okay, but they also suspect that he’s simply riding Lewis’s coattails, and that’ll get old for both of them eventually.”

  “Riding his coattails where?” Travis asked.

  Mac chuckled. “To publishing nirvana, I suppose.”

  “Wherever that is,” Eric said with a smirk.

  Chloe jumped in. “It means that Lewis can introduce him to the right agents and editors, get him included in book signings and other events, that kind of thing.”

  “You should know,” I said, very proud that my little sister had published her own beautiful home style book last year, which was a big success.

  Our dinner arrived, and I paused to appreciate the intoxicating aroma of the fish and chips.

  “This looks fantastic,” Chloe said, gazing lustily at her cheeseburger and crispy fries.

  Eric stole a fry, then looked at Mac. “Tell us about the others.”

  “Okay, I’ll be quick. Sheri is a librarian who’s recently published her first romantic suspense and is contracted to write two more. She’s smart, and just a bit devious, I think. She told me she thinks the idea of riding Lewis’s coattails is a fine way to get ahead.”

  Chloe looked horrified. “Was she talking about Brian or herself?”

  “Good question,” Mac murmured.

  Travis shook his head. “Weird.”

  “Oh yeah, it’s weird,” Mac said. “Then there’s Annabelle, the other woman in the group. She didn’t have much to say, but I know she writes women’s fiction. She just signed another two-book deal and she seems to be doing well so far.”

  “Who’s left?” Chloe asked.