Page 57 of Perfectly Matched: Harbor Falls Romance Collection

“Keep your eyes on your date. On your date! Sam!”

Dammit. Why couldn’t he keep his eyes—and his attention—on Nora? She was beautiful with all that long pretty hair and equally long, thin denim-clad legs, and eyes blue as bursting blueberries.

“Cut!”

The crew exhaled and so did he.

“Sorry. This isn’t working.”

Sam tossed his napkin on the table and got up. Swiping the back of his hand across his upper lip, he brushed away a line of sweat. Nerves. And it was hot this afternoon.

They’d gone a lot longer than anticipated. Couldn’t get the right shots.

Nora stepped up beside him.

“Sam, are you okay?”

He didn’t meet her questioning gaze. “Fine.”

“It’s me, right?”

Damn. He didn’t want her to think that, so he did look at her then.

“Oh, no, Nora. It’s not you.”

Those damn blue eyes held all kinds of expectation. Some guy, somewhere, would be thrilled to be in his shoes right now.

“It’s me. I’m a gardener, not an actor. You’re wonderful.”

She smiled at the wonderful part.

But you’re not as wonderful as your friend over there. He glanced over Nora’s shoulder at Becca. Thing was, he was supposed to be focusing his attention on the woman in front of him, not her sweet, sexy, friend hanging out on the fringes.

“We’ll just take another break. Here, let me get some water,”

she offered.

He watched her walk away. Jack would call him every kind of crazy, but he just wasn’t into this right now. Water wasn’t going to make any difference. This acting gig, or the matchmaking thing, wasn’t for him.

“So, what’s up, Sam?”

Suzie joined him. His shoulders slumped, and again, he exhaled. Long. Staring her straight in the eyes he said.

“I’m cutting out on you, Suzie. It was a great idea, but I’m not your man.”

“You can’t do that to me, Sam.”

“I’m not doing it to you, Suzie. I’m just not comfortable with this. I’m sure you can find another guy who would be happy to date Nora.”

“It’s just not the television thing, Sam. It’s the matchmaking thing, too. My reputation is on the line! Please, help me out.”

He guessed she was under as much stress about this as he. Squaring himself in front of her he said.

“Suzie, it wouldn’t be authentic. You don’t want to come off as a fake. You want this to work. I swear I’m not the guy to pull this off.”

Suzie stared right back and bit her lip.

“It’s the acting part, isn’t it?”

“It’s all of it. I’m not good at this sort of thing.”

“But it will get easier.”

“No.”

“Oh, Sam.”

Her forehead curled into worry lines.

“You can’t. I...”

At that moment, Patricia stepped between them.

“Sam, you’re almost there. We just need a couple of more shots. The crew thinks they can piece together an episode with what we have and a few carefully chosen shots.”

“I’m not sure...”

Patricia put up a hand. Her New York attitude came out in a flash.

“No excuses. You signed a contract.”

Shit. That, he did. He studied Patricia’s face, then Suzie’s.

“Please?”

she begged.

“Just a couple of more scenes?”

Why in hell he was caving, he did not know. Well, yes, he did. He was doing it for Suzie.

“Yes.”

“Then I am free to go?”

“Of course.”

“All right. Then I’m done.”

He headed back toward the picnic table where a waiting Nora stood with a bottle of water.

On his way, he tossed a glance toward Becca, who immediately averted her gaze. Yep. She was watching him, too. A good sign and one that made him smile. But before he got three strides away, Suzie grasped his shirtsleeve and tugged.

“Just get these scenes out of the way, Sam, and then later we can talk about the matchmaking part.”

He didn’t want to dwell on what she meant by that for too long. Him saying he was done was one thing. Suzie’s interpretation of that, he feared, was quite another.

****

An hour later, things still weren’t working. Becca truly felt sorry for Sam because he was trying, but he couldn’t act his way out of a plastic baggie. Nora, on the other hand, was acting her sweet little pea pickin’ heart out. Of course, Nora could command attention in a soup can. But Becca wasn’t sure how much of what Nora was doing was acting, or just her natural demeanor around men. It was her nature to lay it on a bit thick.

Patricia coached from the sidelines and Suzie just looked distressed.

Becca sidled up next to the author.

“Not going so well, huh?”

“You can say that again.”

Patricia leaned in.

“We made a mistake doing this out in the wilderness. We need something to give it some pop. Nothing out here but mountains and trees and wildflowers.”

“Sam is struggling,”

Suzie added.

“He’s just not that into Nora.”

“I could have told you that.”

Becca shrugged when both women stared her way.

“Hey, I notice things.”

“Too bad because she’s into him, though,”

Patricia said.

“You think so?”

“Look.”

Becca did. Nora was giggling and trying to feed Sam a piece of cheesecake. He sat stiff as a board, his mouth open, while she tried to pop a nugget in his mouth. She missed and laughed. Sam frowned and then catching himself, half-heartedly laughed, too.

For just a second, he caught Becca’s eye.

Nora then dipped a forefinger full of strawberry glaze and brought it her mouth. Her tongue snaked out and she slowly licked and then sucked. Becca’s gaze went to Sam’s face. His Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed, then he turned his helpless stare toward the trio standing off to the side and said.

“Suzie? Isn’t this about enough?”

“Give him a break, Patricia. Certainly, we have what we need now.”

Thank God, Becca thought. She was almost embarrassed for Nora.

And Sam.

Patricia studied the scene before her, then glanced to her right at Suzie and Becca, and then back to Sam.

“Sure. Okay. After just one more shot.”

Everyone on the set groaned.

Everything around them went silent for a moment.

Abruptly, Patricia grabbed Becca by the arm and tugged.

“Makeup!”

she shouted.

“Suzie! Get that picnic basket and fill it up with food. Anything! Just put something in it. Nora! I need you over here, sweetie. Sam. Don’t you move from that spot, do you hear me? I know we have one more shot in you.”

Suzie scurried away.

Patricia dragged Becca toward the picnic table.

Nora stood with a deer-in-the-headlight look on her face.

Becca wasn’t sure what the hell was going on.

And Sam looked like he could simply wither.

Then, before she realized it, Becca was overtaken by the make-up girl and being fluffed and buffed, while Nora was led off by Patricia, whose lips were moving a mile a minute while Nora stood hands-on-hips, her head nodding, her eyebrows bobbing, and her nose wrinkling.

Becca looked to Sam.

“I don’t have a clue what’s happening here.”

“Just go with it,”

he said.

“It’s out of our control.”

“Maybe we should just play and be nice, and then we can take our toys and go home soon.”

“Promise?”

“One can hope.”

“I’d like to go home with you and play with your toys.”

Immediately, Becca flushed. And reddened. She was darned certain. The makeup girl smirked and smiled and buffed at her cheeks some more.

“Okay, so here is the deal.”

Patricia was back.

“Sam, you stay where you are. Nora, take your seat again across from him. Suzie, give Becca that picnic basket. Becca, I want you to come sashaying in from the right and interrupt their lunch. I want you to flirt like hell with Sam, and Sam?”

His head whipped her way.

“I want you to flirt like hell back. We need some conflict in this matchmaking seduction scene, and this is the only way I know how to do it.”

Conflict. Shit. Patricia Plum had no earthly idea how much conflict this was going to cause between her and best friend.

Nora looked at her with eyes round as buttered biscuits.

“Not my idea, Nora.”

“All right!”

Patricia clapped her hands, and the crew fell into their places. Suzie shoved the picnic basket into her hands and the next thing Becca knew was that some guy was snapping a clapper thing in front of her and shouting, “Action!”

In that instant, she knew there was only one thing left to do.

So, she did it.

She acted.

Plastering a huge grin on her face, she sashayed her ass over to the table, winked at Sam, and thought about one thing and one thing only—taking her toys home to play with Sam.

****

“I can’t believe you, Becca!”

“What? It was acting!”

“Well, you didn’t have to act so damned enamored with him. And you didn’t have to like it so damned much!”

Rolling her eyes, Becca closed the cash register drawer. They’d been through this time and again. When would she stop.

“I told you, Nora, it was all for the show. We’d been out there in the Indian summer heat for hours and everyone was tired. I just did what they told me to do so we could get out of there.”

“Sitting on Sam’s lap was totally uncalled for.”

Oh, but it was so, so nice. Especially when he grazed his hand protectively over her back and massaged her neck a little.

“Acting. Nora. Acting.”

“I didn’t know you had any interest in acting.”

“I don’t. It was Patricia. Wasn’t my idea.”

“You don’t like him, do you? Please tell me you don’t like him.”

Becca sucked in a breath and faced her. Shit.

“Of course not, Nora.”

She lied. Of course, she liked Sam. How could she not? But she couldn’t tell her that.

Nora huffed out a breath.

“All right. Then we’re good.”

Bending to look under the counter she asked.

“Are those cookies still here? I need to crunch something.”

Crap. She’d tossed those a couple of days ago.

“Um, I don’t know...”

Nora rose and cracked her head on the counter. “Dammit!”

Oh, hell.

Becca went to her.

“Nora, slow down. The cookies are gone. I’ll go get you some if you need cookies. And please, don’t hold it against me that Patricia tossed me into your television show. It wasn’t my idea, remember?”

Rubbing her head, Nora frowned and pouted a little.

“I know. He is really cute. I think I might like him.”

Panic zinged straight through Becca. Deflect. Deflect.

“Sam? Seriously? I didn’t think he was your type.”

Sighing, Nora replied.

“Yeah, well. I think I do.”

Damn.

“But I’m not sure, Nora. You wanted me to give you my opinion and there it is. He just doesn’t seem your type.”

I’m not sure he’s the one for you, Nora. No. She couldn’t say that because if she did, it would be for the wrong reason. Or would it be for the right reason?

“What do you think, Bec? That’s the reason I had you come with me. What do you think about him? About Sam and me? Do you think I stand a chance?”

Oh, holy macaroni. What to say now?

“Well, he’s older.”

“I know, but perhaps more mature than the guys I usually date. I think I like him being older.”

Becca smirked. Another tack.

“Well, sure, if you like old guys. I bet he has a lot of relationship baggage though, being older and never married….”

Nora looked at her. Eyes wide.

“You think?”

Shrugging, Becca returned, “Maybe.”

Nora thought about that for a few seconds.

“And maybe he’s got all of the baggage behind him and he’s ready to settle down.”

“Or maybe he’s too settled in his own ways and has no desire to be saddled with a woman?”

Nora knit her brows.

“Saddled? You think that is what he would be with me?”

Closing her eyes, Becca shook her head.

“No, Nora. That’s not what I think. I just meant that maybe he is set in his single ways by now and likes it. He has to be in his late thirties. And you’re at least ten years younger. That’s a lot of distance. Practically a generational thing.”

Becca watched Nora’s shoulders relax. She stared off into the distance. Finally, she sighed and said.

“I like older men. Always have.”

Resigned, Becca turned away.

“Sure. Right. I knew that.”

Liar. Whenever had Nora dated an older man? She fiddled with straightening some bookmarks on the counter.

“So, you didn’t really answer my question. What do you think about Sam and me, Bec? Do you think I stand a chance?”

Swallowing hard, Becca turned back to her.

“Nora, it just doesn’t seem like he’s…”

She started to say, like he’s into you, but then stopped herself. No use hurting her feelings.

“Like the type of guy you usually go for. That’s my only thought.”

Nora bit her lip and stared across the store.

“No, and perhaps that is a good thing. My type generally ends up breaking my heart.”

She fixed her gaze on something across the room, then broke away and looked straight at Becca.

“But do you think he could like me? Be my Mr. Right?”

Becca searched Nora’s eager face and all she could do was pat her hand and say.

“Sure, honey. I think there is always a chance.”

Inside, Becca deflated like a kid’s balloon on a hot sunny day at the park.