Page 54 of Plotting Summer

Joy shakes her head, but the flush in her cheeks only adds to her beauty. “We’ve missed you. Haven’t we, Mark?”

“We have.” Mark steps next to his wife and smiles at me. Joy’s golden hair and light eyes remind me so much of Tristan, where Mark clearly passed his darker features on to Beau. “But it sounds like you’re doing amazing things. Tristan mentioned you own your own editing company.”

I squeeze the water from my hair with the edge of the towel. “It’s really not that impressive. It’s a pretty small company.”

“What’s the name of it?”

“Pencil to Ink Edits.”

Mark gives a little shake of his head, indicating he hasn’t heard of it. “Well, that’s something to be proud of.”

“Thank you.”

“Excuse me.” A woman, likely in her mid-forties with light brown hair and a tight bun that looks out of place at a pool party, steps up next to me. “Hello Mr. Palmer. Mrs. Palmer.” She gives both of them a little wave before turning back to me. “I’m so sorry to interrupt, but did you just say you’re the owner of Pencil to Ink Edits?

My gaze drops to her hand and my blood curdles. There, with her finger marking her place, is Love Rising, written by none other than Sunny Palmer herself.

Well, me.

“That is what you said, isn’t it?” she asks, glancing around the group as if for confirmation.

I fight every inclination to look to Tala for help. There’s no way out of this. With the Palmers’ watchful gazes on me, the only option is to act as though I’m not entirely freaking out when I entirely am. “It is.”

“Your company edits for Sunny Palmer?” She lifts her book, opening to the page her finger is marking—the acknowledgments section—and points to the part about Susan and her incredible editing skills. Since when do readers actually read the acknowledgments? Years ago, the very intentional choice I made to include my company’s name was for the sole purpose of garnering editing leads. Not once did I regret that decision or think it might come back to haunt me. Until now.

With the heat rushing through me, I’m positive I’m turning a similar shade to the dark red color of the swimsuit Tala loaned me tonight. “Yeah, she’s one of our clients. I don’t personally edit her stuff though.” I glance down at the page that she’s still holding up between us and point to the name. “Susan does.”

This woman’s mouth is gaping. “Have either of you met her?”

“No. All correspondence is through email. She seems to be a very private woman.”

“Sandra, this is my sister, Capri.” Tala stands with Lucas in arm, her smile shifting to me. “Sandra here is the receptionist at Seaside Oasis. At book club, the two of us always tease about which of us would be the president of Sunny Palmers’ fan club.”

Sandra smiles proudly. “I missed last month’s discussion due to a cold, but I was beyond thrilled to hear we’re reading Secret Crush in preparation for Sunny Palmer’s next release. That would have been my choice as well.”

“I’ve been meaning to give one of her books a try,” Joy says. “I’ve heard such wonderful things. Which is the best to start with?”

This time I can’t stop from looking at Tala, my eyes imploring her to intercede on my behalf before Sandra can give her opinion.

“That’s a great one.” Tala points at Sandra’s book. “I even have a copy I’d be happy to lend you. Or I always recommend Summer Fling.”

“Oh, the bike scene in that!” Sandra waves a hand as if she’s fanning herself, and all I can do is watch in horror. “So amazing. But even with that, I’d recommend starting with Secret Crush.” Sandra's attention shifts back to Joy. “It’s the book she’s most well-known for and my all-time favorite. In fact …” She walks from her spot in our circle to the chair she must have been occupying before jumping in on our conversation. She rummages through a brown-leather handbag until she pulls out a well-worn copy of the book itself. “Here it is!” She presents the book to Joy as though she’s bestowing on her the greatest of treasures, and I resist the urge to whack it out of her hands, but just barely. “You can borrow my copy.”

“Don’t you need it for book club?” Joy asks.

“I’ve read it several times and I also own it on Kindle.”

Joy looks a little stunned at the forceful offer, but she recovers and smiles at Sandra. “If you’re certain. I probably won’t get to it for a few weeks though. I’m absolutely determined to finish War and Peace, but I’m only halfway through it.”

“That’s more than fine. If you get it finished in time, you should come to book club.” Sandra’s gaze moves to me. “And you should come too, Capri. I’m sure everyone would love to hear about how your company edits Sunny Palmer’s books. It’s your own little claim to fame.”

I’m already shaking my head. “I’d really like to be there, but unfortunately, I’m not going to be on Sunset Harbor that week.” Do I know when the next book club will be? Not a clue. But I’ll make sure I’m nowhere near the island while it takes place. And maybe I’ll stay away longer now that Joy Palmer intends to read the fictionalized love story between me and her son. I just pray she’s as blinded to the connections as everyone else seems to be.

“Will you be here the following Saturday? Because if you will, a different book club I attend here on the island is also reading Secret Crush in preparation for A Lease on Love. And you’d be more than welcome to join me for that one as well.”

I stare in disbelief. What sort of tiny island has two book clubs? Let alone two that are reading the exact same book at the same time? This can’t be real!

Tala locks eyes with me. “Didn't you say you had something going on that weekend as well, Capri?”