He breathed deeply, and I wasn’t sure he would tell me. But then he said, “Yeah. I’ve run into her before. She’s not a nice person.”

  Chloe leaned over. “Are you talking about Celeste Simmons?”

  Mac frowned. “You know her.”

  “Do I ever,” Chloe said flatly, glancing at me. “She’s a snake. Avoid her at all costs.”

  I hated to think that Mac had to deal with someone like that. And Chloe, too. “I will. Thanks.”

  I put the troubling thoughts aside and settled in to people-watch as members of the audience took their seats. Hollywood seemed to be made up of really good-looking, beautifully dressed people. I wondered how many of them showed up for events like this on a regular basis.

  Both Chloe and Mac moved to the aisle to chat with people they knew, while Eric and I remained seated. He asked more about my upcoming church renovation project.

  “I’ll stop by and check it out when I get back to town,” he said.

  “I hope you will,” I said. “And don’t worry. I’m not expecting any trouble because, you know, it’s a church.”

  He chuckled. “I don’t expect any trouble, either, but you know me. It’s my town, so I’ll want to check things out, see who’s doing what and whether you’re all getting along.”

  I patted his arm. “I appreciate that, Eric. And anytime you want to pick up a power drill and give us a hand, you’re always welcome.”

  He smirked. “Unless I’m forced to use it as a weapon, that’s not going to happen.”

  A minute later, Chloe returned to her seat next to Eric.

  “Everything okay?” he asked.

  “Sure. It’s always a little frantic, though, meeting and greeting people at these events.”

  A few seconds later, Mac joined me and leaned over to kiss my cheek. “Next time I have to get up and talk to anyone, you’re coming with me.”

  “As long as they don’t gush over the fact that I’m a building contractor.”

  He laughed. “I’ll try to keep them from fawning over you.”

  “Well now, MacKintyre Sullivan,” a voice from the aisle said. “Is it really you?”

  He whipped around, blinked once, and then jumped up. “Siobhán!” He moved quickly to the aisle, where he gave the woman a big hug and a kiss on her cheek. “How are you?”

  Her smile was bright and friendly, and she held on to Mac’s hands and squeezed. He simply grinned.

  “Who the hell is that?” Chloe whispered.

  “I don’t know,” I whispered. She was lovely, and her Irish accent was charming. Her dress was a stunning emerald green that accentuated the red hair that she’d pulled up and off her face in a classic updo.

  I was starting to hate her, and I was itching to smack that goofy grin off Mac’s face. Then I blinked and shook my head. Where had those thoughts come from? I didn’t know the woman well enough to hate her. And I would never hurt Mac. Well, unless he continued aiming his googly eyes at this woman.

  “Do you want me to scratch her eyes out?” Chloe asked quietly.

  I smiled. “Thank you.”

  “I’m here to help.”

  At that moment, the woman, Siobhán, waved at me and smiled brilliantly. She looked at Mac. “And now I can see where you got your inspiration for Shana.”

  Mac turned and looked at me. “That’s my Shannon.”

  That’s my Shannon. His words warmed me all over. And as soon as I had that thought, I wondered if I was as big a fool as I sounded like in my head. First, I wanted to smack him, and now I was getting all googly-eyed myself. Idiot.

  “Ah, the beautiful Shannon you’ve said so much about.” She nodded slowly, still smiling. “And isn’t Shannon the most lovely name?”

  Mac’s grin was wide as he waved me over. “Come and meet Siobhán, the costar of The Edge of Danger.”

  I took a deep breath, stood up, and made my way out to the aisle.

  He took my hand. “Sweetheart, this is Siobhán O’Leary. She plays Shana in the movie.”

  I began to breathe again. “It’s nice to meet you, Siobhán. You, um, you’re exactly as Mac described Shana in the book.”

  “And so are you,” she said with an impish smile. “ ’Tis a pleasure to meet you, Shannon.”

  A man in the third row was waving frantically and finally caught Siobhán’s attention. He beckoned her to join him.

  She waved at the man, then turned back to us. “I believe Terence has found our seats.”

  “Let’s talk afterward,” Mac said. “I’d like to say hello to Terence and catch up with the two of you.”

  “Aye, we’d both love that.” She shook my hand. “I hope you enjoy the film, Shannon.”

  “I know I will.”

  After she walked away to join her husband, Mac finally turned and gazed at me. “Seeing the two of you together is mind-blowing.”

  “I suppose it’s the hair,” I said lightly.

  “I think it’s a little more than that.” He moved in and gently kissed my cheek, then leaned his forehead against mine. “I’m afraid I’ll smudge your lipstick if I kiss your mouth.”

  I smiled. “I wouldn’t mind, but Chloe might.”

  He nodded and kissed my other cheek. “Can’t piss off Chloe.”

  I managed a laugh, and then we made our way back to our seats. “Did you have anything to do with the casting?” I asked.

  “I know why you’re asking, and no, I didn’t have anything to do with it,” he said. “But seeing Siobhán here tonight and then looking at you standing next to her, it makes me realize how absolutely brilliant our casting director was. She cast Siobhán based solely on my description of Shana in the book.”

  Mac had written the description of Jake’s new love interest shortly after he and I met.

  I still remembered how much his character Jake loved Shana’s tangled red hair and wide green eyes the color of seagrass.

  And, yes, he could’ve been describing me.

  Remembering those early days, I realized I had no right to be jealous. I smiled at him. “Siobhán is beautiful.”

  “Yes, she is. And that Irish accent of hers really helped nail the character.”

  I loved his enthusiasm, even when it was directed toward another woman. “Have you seen the whole movie put together yet?”

  “This’ll be the first time.” He grinned like an excited little kid. “I’m really psyched.”

  I squeezed his hand. “Me too.”

  The lights began to dim and the audience cheered. But before the movie could begin, a man walked onto the stage holding a microphone. It was the same well-dressed fellow Mac had pointed out when we first walked into the theater lobby. The head of the studio, Mac had said.

  “I’ll just take a moment to welcome you all and to thank you for being here. We’re very excited about the newest Jake Slater thriller, and we think you’ll love it, too. I want to make sure you all know about the party in the lobby after the film is over. At that time, I’ll take a minute to introduce some of the very important folks who made this all possible.”

  There was polite applause, then he said, “For now, please sit back and enjoy the film. And we’ll talk later.”

  This time the applause was more enthusiastic, especially when the lights dimmed completely and the film began.

  * * *

  * * *

  “That was the best movie I’ve ever seen,” Chloe gushed when the lights came up.

  “I’m exhausted,” I said. “And exhilarated. I swear I thought he was going to die in that helicopter. And I’ve read the book! I know how it ends!”

  “Me too,” Chloe said with a laugh. “Wow, I’m not even sure I can stand up.”

  Mac laughed. “So it was good, huh?”

  “Good?” Chloe said. “It was absolutely fantastic.”

  “It was incredible,” I agreed.

  “Damn good,” Eric agreed. “I’ve liked all of the Jake Slater films, but I’d say this one was a few notches above the rest.”

  “Because he fell in love,” Chloe said with a sigh.

  I gazed at Mac, who smiled back at me. “That makes all the difference.”

  Eric thought about it. “Guess that’s true. Luckily, though, he still killed a bunch of bad guys and saved the planet from thermonuclear destruction. But, yeah, sure, it was kind of nice that he met a beautiful woman who didn’t die in the end.”

  Chloe laughed and elbowed Eric. “So romantic.”

  “Hey, come on,” Eric protested. “Jake’s women usually die a horrible death in the end. Right?”

  Chloe rolled her eyes. “Yes, you’re right.”

  “I’m glad you all liked it,” Mac said. “I thought they did a really good job.”

  “They didn’t change much of your original story line,” I said.

  “You noticed that?” he asked.

  I smiled. “Well, I’ve only read the book five or six times. So, yeah, I noticed.”

  “That’s my girl.”

  * * *

  * * *

  Back in the lobby, I was finally introduced to Stephen Dane, the amazingly good-looking man who played Jake Slater. Mac called him Dane, and it seemed that everyone he talked to called him Dane, too. He was smooth and funny, tall and dashing, and really very nice. After doing four movies together, he and Mac had become good friends.

  “He’s never invited me to Lighthouse Cove,” Dane said. “And now I know why.”

  I gave Mac a quizzical look.

  “He’s too slick,” Mac said, but his lips twisted into a sardonic smile at Stephen. “Women fall at his feet.”

  I smiled at Dane. “Is that true?”

  He scratched his head. “Uh, hmm. Hey, if Mac says so, it must be true.”

  We all laughed and I said, “Well, I hope you’ll visit sometime. Lighthouse Cove is a charming little town with world-class sensibilities.”

  “That’s the perfect way to describe it,” Chloe said.

  “Mac seems to love it there,” he said. “I was completely shocked when he told me where he was moving. He’s always seemed like a big-city guy to me. New York, London, LA. But I guess I was wrong, because he seems pretty happy in your little town.” He cast an admiring glance at me. “And I can understand why.”

  We spoke about the film for another minute, and then he moved on to mingle with a new group.

  Mac and Eric went to the bar to get us all another glass of wine, and Chloe and I had a chance to talk.

  “You know,” she began, shaking her head, “it’s a good thing Eric is so gorgeous, because otherwise, I could really fall for Stephen Dane. He’s so good-looking, isn’t he?”

  “He seems nice, too,” I said.

  She glanced around the room, spied Eric laughing at something Mac said, and sighed. “I think we’re both pretty lucky.”

  “I absolutely agree.”

  We watched as a couple of people stopped to talk to Mac, and the whole group chatted while they waited for the bartender.

  “Mac seems to know everyone here,” Chloe remarked.

  “I guess he does. A lot of them have worked together on all four of the Jake Slater movies, so that’s, like, eight years or more.”

  I watched him talking earnestly to another couple, and then he threw his head back and laughed. I couldn’t help but smile as my heart soared at the sight. At the same time, I felt a niggling sense of anxiety.

  “Look at him,” I said softly. “So happy. He loves being here. These are his people.”

  Chloe followed my gaze and nodded. “Despite what you hear about the showbiz, there are mostly nice people around here.” She shrugged. “I love working here, too, but I love Eric more.”

  “You’re one of the lucky ones,” I said. “You can have it both ways.”

  When Chloe had taken on the duties of executive producer last year, she made some changes to the production schedule so that she could take more time off to be with Eric in Lighthouse Cove.

  “Yeah, I can have my cake and eat it, too,” she said, and gazed across the room at the slow-moving line to the bar. “And so can Mac.”

  “Yes, he can. But I sometimes wonder why he sticks around Lighthouse Cove. It’s such a small town and there’s not a lot to do.”

  She laughed. “Well, when he’s not helping you solve murders and catch criminals, he spends his time writing books. He can do that anywhere. And now he’s got the veterans’ village. And you. Let’s face it, Sis. You’re his comfort zone.”

  “But you know what I mean, Chloe. We don’t have a lot of big-city attractions in Lighthouse Cove. We’ve got one movie theater, one playhouse, and as far as fancy stores and restaurants go, I can count them on one hand.”

  “Don’t forget our gambling dens and houses of ill repute,” she added with a laugh and an eye roll. “Oh, and I wouldn’t tell your best friends Jane or Emily, or our Uncle Pete, that we don’t have any good restaurants.”

  I winced. My friend Jane Hennessey owned the most elegant restaurant and hotel in the state. Uncle Pete owned a fabulous winery in the Anderson Valley, a mere hour’s drive away, plus an Italian restaurant and wine bar in town that was a big hit with locals and travelers alike. And my friend Emily had the most delightful tea shop in Northern California.

  “Okay, you’re right about that,” I said.

  “Look, Mac is not exactly stuck in Lighthouse Cove,” she argued. “He can travel anytime he wants to and go anywhere he wants. But he loves our town and he loves you. He’s happy.”

  I stared at her for a long moment. “So you’re saying . . . I’m being an idiot?”

  “Kind of,” she said with a smile. “But I love you anyway.”

  I gazed across the room at the small group that had gathered around Mac and Eric. Siobhán and her husband, Terence, had joined them. Mac was telling them a story, and they were all listening and laughing. Siobhán wrapped her arm around Mac’s waist, and he gazed at her fondly as he continued the story. Terence looked on with a good-natured smile. Everyone laughed when Mac reached the punch line. He was in his element, clearly having the time of his life with his very good showbiz friends.

  My sister took hold of my hand and gave it a little squeeze. “Don’t read anything into this, Shannon. He’s not Tommy.”

  “Oh God, I know that.” Tommy Gallagher had been my beloved boyfriend all through high school, until newcomer Whitney Reid deliberately tried to break us up. She was the classic mean girl, and as it turned out, it had been alarmingly easy for her to accomplish her goal. Tommy’s betrayal broke my heart, but I got over it—after a few years.

  Obviously, my feelings for Mac went way beyond high school. He was the love of my life. But as I watched him chat with other members of the Jake Slater crew, I had to wonder if he missed this fast-paced life he’d given up in exchange for Lighthouse Cove and me. For the past few years, I had thought that he and I were totally solid together, but every so often, these doubts jumped up to bite me. It was stupid, really, because Mac and I had recently moved in together. We loved each other. I was just being silly.

  Silly or not, though, the one thing I didn’t doubt was the fact that if Mac Sullivan broke my heart, I would never get over it.

  I shuddered involuntarily and had to give myself a quick, stern warning. Don’t be a wimp! You’re stronger than that, I said to myself.

  A few minutes later, Mac and Eric finally returned, carrying two wineglasses each. “Sorry for the long wait,” Mac said, handing me a glass.

  “No problem,” I said, taking a sip of wine. “You looked like you were having a good time.”

  “Yeah, it’s great to see everyone.”

  Shortly after that, Siobhán and Terence joined us, and I was able to learn more about them. They were both born and raised outside of Galway. Terence was the star of a popular Irish television series, in which he played a warrior from ancient times. He would be perfect in that role, I thought. They had been married for two years.

  At that very moment, Chloe gave me a look that I interpreted to mean, He’s so hot!

  Siobhán laughed at the look on Chloe’s face. “I know what you’re thinking.”

  “I hope not,” Chloe said, frowning.

  Siobhán sighed dramatically. “Let me assure you that it’s not easy to live with someone like Terence. I’ve taken to carrying a big stick in order to beat the women off him.”

  “You know she’s exaggerating,” Terence said, taking a sip of beer from the bottle he held. “The stick isn’t all that big.”

  We laughed, and I found myself enjoying the two of them very much. In the end, as we waited outside for the limousine to pick us up, I joined Mac in inviting them to visit us in Lighthouse Cove. Mac had spent the last ten minutes talking up the town and everything it had to offer. I wanted to kiss him when he talked about all my fabulous construction projects around town, including the veterans’ village and Jane’s beautiful new hotel and restaurant up at the Gables.

  As Siobhán and Terence jumped into their own limo and took off, I began to think that maybe Chloe had been right. When it came to worrying about Mac, maybe I really was an idiot.

  Chapter Three

  Lighthouse Cove, California

  Mac walked into the house, set down our suitcases, and flopped onto the living room couch. “It’s good to be home.”

  I flopped down next to him. “I couldn’t agree more.”

  Thanks to Mac’s publisher, we had flown in a private jet from Hollywood to Mendocino, yet another ridiculously extravagant treat that I would’ve loved to become accustomed to. We had picked up Mac’s car at the airport and then driven an hour up the coast to Lighthouse Cove.

  We sat on the couch pressed up against each other for at least ten minutes before either of us moved or said a word. I was afraid we might fall asleep right there, and I didn’t want that to happen. It was just noon, and I still wanted to get some work done. I needed to do payroll and talk to my foremen. I was hoping to confirm schedules and check up on my crew.