Page 54 of Professional Consult

“Probably because he likes you, and he knows you’re going to leave,” Barb says. “He’s lonely and has had little luck in love. I imagine having his parents and his dream ripped from him left him bitter, but he doesn’t show it to most. Having you around probably brought it out in him.”

“Fuck…how do I make this right?” I ask.

“You leave,” Barb says pointedly. “Right the hell now.”

Tiffany casts her a scathing gaze.

“You know what he’s been through,” Barb says. “Having her here must be torturing him.”

“But it’s not her fault.”

“I warned her—”

I cut in with, “What if I don’t want to leave?”

“You’re gonna leave in six days, anyway. Are you really learning that much by shouting Bernard out of dumpsters?” Barb reasons.

“What if I want more than six days? What if I don’t ever want to leave?”

Barb looks at me for a long moment, then bursts into laughter. “Like Hollywood’s golden girl would ever want to stay in Pond Spring.”

“Hands down, Luke is the best man I’ve ever met. I don’t need to act anymore. I don’t even like it. Of course, I have to find out if I can break my contract first, and that will take a few days for me to work through.”

“Don’t you dare get his hopes up,” Barb warns.

“I won’t. Not until I know if I can get out of my role.”

“Then I’d suggest you take these six days to really think about it. Don’t do it on a whim. Really think hard. Decide if you want to wake up in Pond Spring each day because I doubt Luke’s gonna want to leave.”

“If only he’d be willing to spend time with me. I guess I’ll ask him for help with his typewriter tonight. That will force him into the same room as me.”

“I can’t believe I’m gonna say this, but I wish you luck. I enjoy having you around, and I think you’ll be good for Luke,” Barb says, then frowns. “But if you do stay, please don’t join the police force. You are a pain in my ass.”

“Look, I don’t want to join your police force. I just wanthim.”

Barb points an emphatic finger at me. “I’m gonna warn you, the chief is a tough nut to crack.”

“He’ll be the easy part of this ordeal. Convincing the production company to set me free is going to be the hard part, which is why I’m going to enlist an ally.”

I enter into Clint’s text box.

Lexi:I did something really, really dumb…

It only takesa minute for his response to come through.

Clint:You mean aside from a failed jewelry heist?

Lexi:You jerk! You had me scared out of my damn mind! And those pictures you had took better not ever see the light of day.

Clint:Let’s get past all that. Tell me this new stupid thing you’ve done.

Lexi:I fell for your brother.

CHAPTER13

LUKE

The door to the precinct opens and in steps Lexi.