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have a mini heart attack and then I go on.”
    She couldn’t help but ease at that. “I hate first takes. Perhaps that’s some of the reason I don’t have an acting job,” she decided as she said it. “But I always freeze up on first takes.”
    There was a spark that lit in his eye when she said that. “You?”
    “Why not me? You just said you did too. Barbra Streisand, I think it was her, said she had horrible stage fright too. Still does.”
    “I think I’ve heard that.”
    She’d eased around him and she certainly hadn’t meant to. She’d wanted to give him words of anger for keeping her up all night. He was a little freaky with knowing too much too. So to ease up around him at all was not good, but she just couldn’t help herself.
    “You’ll do great,” she said making sure her smile reached her eyes. “It was a great book. I see why everyone is here.”
    She turned to leave when he reached for her arm.
    “You read it? You read my book?”
    “You’ve been meeting people all day that did that. Why are you so surprised?”
    His hands tensed and he released her arm and flexed his fingers.
    “Do you believe in fate at all?”
    “No.”
    The expression on his face quickly turned to one of sadness. “Oh. That’s too bad. I do.”
    “That’s great,” she said and turned to walk away again, only to have him reach for her, again.
    “Can I show you something?”
    “Mr. Black, now probably isn’t the time.”
    He shook his head. “Nothing bad. Something I wrote that day in the coffee shop. I want to show you.”
    Bethany could almost hear Susan’s voice in the back of her head calling for her, wondering where she was.
    “Fine. But I need to get back to work.”
    She caught sight of Lydia coming toward them. This was her exit.
    “I think we’re about ready,” Lydia smiled as she spoke. “Bethany, Susan is looking for you.”
    “I thought she might be.” She gave Kent one last forced smile and hurried away to the kitchen.
    Susan was loading up her tray to serve the first table their lunch. “I thought you ditched me. What’s wrong with you today?”
    “I told you. I was up all night. And then he caught me out there and wouldn’t let me go. I know he was trying to get away from Mrs. Talbot, but…”
    “You’re rambling. Go get those plates out there.”
    “Right. Sorry.” She picked up the tray and walked out to serve the first table just as Lydia turned the mic over to Kent.
    Bethany set the first two plates on the table and looked up to the podium.
    Their eyes locked and she could suddenly feel his pain.
    A part of her had wanted him to stumble and make the joke about the frog. But then again, she wouldn’t have wished that for herself.
    Graciously, she gave him an encouraging smile, which must have hit him like a bolt of light to the chest. She actually saw him sway as he returned the gesture with a long blink, which she accepted as a thank you.
    She continued on with her service as he started his presentation, without any mention of the frog.
     
     

Chapter Six
     
    Kent Black had been talking and taking questions for over an hour and the book-loving crowd seemed to love him.
    Susan and Bethany both leaned against the doorjamb watching him.
    “He’s eloquent,” Susan said on a sigh.
    “I suppose.”
    “Not as nice in person? You talked to him for a long time.”
    “He talked to me,” she whispered. “He rambles.”
    “He’d never.”
    Bethany only shrugged as Lydia walked toward them.
    “This is going so much better than I could have ever imagined.”
    “I suppose we should start cleaning up,” Susan said.
    “When he starts to sign, I think,” Lydia added. “They’re enthralled.”
    They all turned when another guest walked out into the garden and stood against the wall.
    “What in the hell is he doing here?” Lydia asked as she noticed Officer Smyth.
    “Don’t get all heated,” Bethany said standing up straight. “I told him to come.”
    “You talked to