I got what Jack needed, then added organic salad leaves, balsamic dressing, fresh salmon, wine, granola, yoghurt, and artisan bread to his pile in my cart. He’d given me enough money after all. At least he could eat a little better.

“Hey, Keri Ann!” I looked up to see my friend Liz from high school waving to me from the check out as I approached. That was the thing about a small town, you pretty much knew someone everywhere you went. No wonder Jack Eversea was nervous about going out. I sincerely hoped my idiotic little display over in produce hadn’t been witnessed.

“Hey, Lizzie, how are you?”

“I’m good, glad the rush is over. How’ve you been and how’s Joey?”

My brother had been most girls’ crush at some point, I was sure. After our parents died, he added tortured soul to his list of assets.

“Good. He’s good. Just a year more before he starts his residency, so he’s pretty busy.”

Liz nodded. “Good, well he was always so smart. Destined to do great things,” she added with a smile.

She was a kind-hearted girl. Unfortunately, her kind heart and trusting nature had gotten her into early single parenthood and a job at the grocery store rather than the career she had planned on. She never spoke about who the father was, although the town had been rife with gossip touching on most of the senior class that year. Liz had stayed tight-lipped, even when urged to confess for the sake of child support from the father. As she scanned my items, we chatted about some online college classes in education Liz was taking, and how her son Brady was doing. I was glad she was getting her life back on track.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Jack’s face peering at me from the check out tabloids. One had the headline, “Hit the road, Jack!” Another read, “Where in the World is Jack?” I had to physically restrain myself from reaching for them.

Chances were if anyone had seen an unknown male on my doorstep this morning, Liz would have asked about it. Knowing Liz and I were friends meant that the curtain twitchers of Butler Cove were bound to dig for clues at The Pig while they shopped. The town’s obsession with Joey and me and what we were doing was extremely tiring. If I didn’t feel obligated to the Butler home, I would’ve been gone ages ago.

Not for the first time, I longingly thought of Joey and his Butler Cove-free life at college. Living here gave me a small idea of what it must be like to be Jack Eversea living his life in a Hollywood fishbowl. But seeing his face all over these magazines reminded me he had it far worse than I could imagine.

“Planning a nice dinner with someone?”

“What?” I looked down to the salmon steaks and wine that Liz was indicating and felt myself flush red again.

“Um, no. I mean yes, it’s just for ... I’m trying to eat more healthy.” I swallowed. Well, that wasn’t awkward.

Liz looked at me with a funny expression and then shrugged. “With wine ... okay. I heard Jasper is in town again before he heads up to Charleston for school, you seen much of him?”

I had never noticed before, but suddenly it seemed very obvious from the slightly wistful expression on Liz’s face that Jasper McDaniel featured in some of her daydreams. It was no secret he had asked me out way back when. Not that I’d accepted, of course, not on a date anyway. But we were friends, we all were. Maybe Liz thought the dinner was for him. Not ideal, but better than suspecting anyone else. Luckily, she didn’t ask more questions. I quickly paid in cash, noticing belatedly I hadn’t separated out Jack’s and my purchases, then realizing that would have been more obvious anyway. God, I really wasn’t good at this cloak and dagger stuff.

“Bye, Liz!” I tinkled breezily, hightailing it out of The Pig.

“Bye, Keri Ann.”

I could feel Liz watching me curiously as I left the store and put the groceries carefully in the back of my truck. I climbed in and just sat for a few minutes in the baking cab, my forehead resting on the hot steering wheel. Then, taking a deep breath, I gunned the engine and headed home. Home to a girl’s most secret fantasy. I just hoped said fantasy had managed to find a t-shirt.

F I V E

“Andy. Jack. What’s up?” Jack was on the phone as I came in through the back door, into the blessed air conditioning. I guessed he was talking to the agent he had told me about earlier.

He’d found a plain black t-shirt in Joey’s room. It molded to his muscled frame a little snugger than when on my brother. It was devastating.

I sighed.

“What’s up?” Jack’s agent howled through the phone, causing Jack to pull it away from his head. He caught my eyes and mouthed “sorry”.

I busied myself unpacking the groceries and separating out his money.

“What’s Up?” Andy yelled again, clearly there was no need for speakerphone with this dude. “I’ll tell you what’s up. This is the most viral news story since Britney shaved her head, and you are nowhere. To. Be. Found.”

“Yeah, look, sorry about that, it’s just—“

“Sorry! Sorry?” Andy cut right over Jack’s words. “Don’t be sorry, Ace. It’s fucking fantastic. Are you kidding me? My God, you should see it here, it’s like the fucking eight days of Hanukkah and Christmas all rolled into one. The phone hasn’t stopped. You are the number one search term on Google. Number One!”

I winced at his volume even from where I stood.

It seemed like Jack knew from prior experience not to interrupt Andy when he was on a roll.

Jack looked at me apologetically again.

I shrugged and went into the hall to see about eavesdropping out of sight. Andy’s caustic personality continued to emanate from my kitchen. “It’s fucking genius. Everyone’s all like, where in the world is Jack Eversea? There’s a bounty on your head, my man! It’s like the celebrity version of Where’s Waldo. We couldn’t have planned this better, I’m telling you. So, where the fuck are you? Wait, I’m gonna drop pin you.”

I heard a muffled “Oh shit” from Jack and peeked around the corner to see him fumbling hastily with his phone. Presumably, to disable the locator app Andy was referring to. Milliseconds later, his shoulders sagged in relief.

Andy grunted as Jack brought the phone back to his ear. “Shit, I don’t see you on my map. Ok, where are you?”

“Andy, don’t freak out, ok? I’m not telling you or anyone where I am right now.” Jack held his breath.

“Oh, don’t tell me, you’re with a chick. You sly fox.” Andy’s lascivious chuckle made my hair stand on end and I ducked back as Jack glanced over in my direction. “I hope she’s trustworthy coz right now the whole world is on your side. The poor, betrayed hero. Don’t fuck that up for me, okay?

“Okay?” he yelled again when Jack didn’t answer. “And you have until next Friday, then I want you in my office so we can go over your statement and calm the boys from Peak Entertainment the fuck down. You have a publicity contract to fulfill for them. With Audrey.”

Jack took a deep breath, and I imagined him wincing as he delivered his next words. “Actually, Andy, I’ll be gone for three weeks. I’ll see you in time for the first event in that contract. Bye.” He hung up on what sounded like Andy having a stroke, then clenched his fist hard and pounded on the kitchen counter.