Angelica shut the door of the inn behind her and leaned against it, blowing out a long breath. She felt like she’d spent the last two hours skydiving with a bungee cord attached to her middle, yanking her back and forth through the clouds in great heaving swings with yawning drops in between. It was, perhaps, an overwrought analogy, she reflected as she shoved herself upright and headed to the kitchen. She needed coffee. And to check her email.

An hour later, she unfurled her shoulders and sat straight on the stool by the kitchen island, rubbing her temples to try and ease the ache she often got from staring at her laptop in the dark for hours on end.

Why hadn’t she turned the lights on? Just because she could make coffee in the dark didn’t mean she should. She glanced at her drained mug and grimaced.

What was she going to do? Noah loved her and wanted to marry her. The thought rolled through her entire body like a warm wave, reminding her of the brief time in her early modeling career when she’d done a couple of tropical photoshoots. She’d laid in the sand and the clear turquoise water had cascaded over her body up to her elbows while the photographers snapped away and the director yelled vaguely obscene instructions. She’d almost been able to tune him out as the ocean caressed her.

Of course, when she’d gotten up, there’d been nearly a bucketful of sand in her bikini bottom. Nothing came without a price. And the proverbial sand in today’s bikini was definitely Ethan Lee and the offer from RenoTV. Golden sand, specifically. It was a good offer. And Noah seemed like he wanted her to take it. Well, no. He’d said he wanted her to be happy, and if that meant leaving, he supported her.

But would leaving make her happy?

Hell, no.

She scowled and read the email again. Her mother was right. It was time for her to stop running and start fighting for what she wanted. Time to work for the relationship and life she deserved. With that thought in mind, she picked up her phone.

Angelica: Are u there?

Her agent responded to her text immediately, as she’d expected him to. He never went to sleep before two o’clock in the morning.

Jai: What’s up, buttercup?

Angelica: Did u get their email?

There was a slightly longer pause, and she watched the little dots on the screen that indicated he was typing.

Jai: Yes.

She snorted and wondered what he’d typed before deciding on that simple, one-word answer. It had taken far too long for him to have punched in three letters.

Angelica: What do u think?

Jai: I think it’s up to you.

Angelica: That’s not helpful.

Jai: Fine. Hold on while I re-read it.

A few moments passed, and then those flickering dots appeared again.

Jai: Okay, terms are good, exposure is good, and the commitment is a little high, but not unusual for TV. Agent analysis complete. Now what?

She pursed her lips and turned back to the email still on her screen.

Angelica: How flexible do u think they are?

Jai: Flexible how?

Angelica: Look at the second paragraph.

Jai: Angelica Travis, are you saying what I think you’re saying?

Angelica: Yes. I want to… wait for it… negotiate.

All Jai sent back were fireworks and party emojis, and she laughed before setting her phone to mute. She had somewhere to be and she didn’t want interruptions.

* * *

When Noah answered the door shirtless, wearing only a light pair of lounge pants that hid nothing, Angelica grinned, feeling squirming anticipation course through her body, especially the parts that were looking forward to being in contact with his.

“Hi.”

“Um, hi.” He blinked and rubbed the sleep from his eyes. “I didn’t expect you, to be honest.”

“I know. I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have been so vague earlier.”

“You weren’t vague,” he protested. “You were right. It’s an incredible offer.”

“Well, it’s not bad, but it’s also not quite how our little buddy Ethan put it, either.” She pushed past him into the house and tugged him toward the couch. “I have no idea why he presented it like it was all travel, all the time.”

Noah muttered something that sounded suspiciously like “I bet I know.”

“What?”

“Nothing.”

“Not a fan of Mister Lee, are you?” she teased.

“Not really.” He sat on the couch where she pointed.

“I don’t blame you. His social skills need a lot of work before he gets that big promotion he’s angling for.” She settled down into the cushions and cuddled in next to him, enjoying the way Noah’s arm immediately came around her and drew her even closer.

“So, what’s the deal?” His voice was muffled by her hair as he pressed his lips to her head, and she was distracted by his hands sliding slowly up her belly, taking her shirt with them.

“Mmm,” she murmured. “What?”

He tickled her, and she let out a quiet shriek.

“Tell me what you’re thinking,” he said, tapping his fingers against her bare skin to emphasize his words.

She laughed and laced her fingers through his over her stomach. “They want to offer me a multi-season deal. But I think, and Jai agrees, that the seasons beyond this first one could very well be in a different format.”

“Like what?”

“Much as I’ve loved renovating the inn, I honestly don’t know if I have it in me to do it again, full-scale,” she admitted.

Angelica had loved every minute of the transformation of her inn, but she’d also enjoyed being on camera again. The burnout from years of Hollywood horrors had faded when she’d surrounded herself with a good team and a project she was fully invested in. One that was about more than just a job. And the leverage that gave her, along with reviews from test audiences who’d viewed the pilot that were far more glowing than even Ethan had described, was pretty significant.

“Jai and I think they might be open to me hosting the show, rather than having me in charge of every project,” she explained. “Instead of moving somewhere and taking on a huge renovation myself, I could base myself here, and fly out to shoot episodes of other people’s renovation projects in similar small towns. Go out there for a month, shoot some footage on the town, lend a hand on the really fun parts—”

“The messy parts, you mean,” he interrupted with a light pinch to her side.

She chuckled. “Apparently the more building materials you have stuck in your hair, the more TV audiences like you. Who knew?”

“You’d stay here, then?” he asked.

Angelica recognized that Noah had tried to keep his voice neutral, but she hadn’t missed the faint note of hope and longing his question had conveyed.

“I still want to run the inn,” she said. “I might need to hire some help, but I’ve got a few people in mind.”

Her dad wasn’t too far from retirement, and he would be thrilled to start using some of the bookkeeping software he’d been researching for a real-life purpose. And her mother’s art would sell like gangbusters in River Hill and the surrounding areas. The large storage shed located out back could easily convert to a studio. If Noah really was interested in a big, boisterous close-knit family, he’d definitely get one with her.

She grinned at him, letting his returning smile warm her. “Yes, I’d stay.”

But before he could kiss her, she held up a hand. “But I’d travel still, you know that, right? You can’t host a show without going places, sometimes for long shoots.”

“Honey, as long as you come back to me, I couldn’t care less.” He nuzzled her neck, then stilled. “Do you think you could bring back some grapes from the East Coast? I’ve been thinking of trying this cloning technique I read about—”

“I don’t even know where I’m going yet,” she protested. “For that matter, I don’t know if they’ll say yes.” Even though everything was still up in the air, she hadn’t wanted to wait to share her plans with Noah. She wanted him involved; she wanted him invested in every facet of her life.

She wanted to be the first thing he thought about when he woke up, just like Leah had said.

“What if they say no?” he asked.

“Then I’ll still have an inn to run,” she shrugged. Really, she loved being in front of the camera again, but if they weren’t down with her proposal, she knew she could walk away from it. She had a lot to live for here in River Hill away from the camera, after all.

“And this place could use some sprucing up,” she teased. “I hear there’s a closet reorganization in order.”

She didn’t get any more out before he wrapped his arms around her and pushed her straight back onto the couch, covering her entire body with his own. His lips were on hers, his tongue licking gently into her mouth to tangle with her own as his leg pressed between hers. When his hand slid down to tug at the waist of her pants, she wriggled underneath him to help. His swift intake of breath made her smile.

“You’re on board with my plan?” she asked in between kisses.

“So incredibly on board, my love,” he said.

And then they didn’t talk at all.

* * *

“And we all know Max,” Angelica said two days later, smiling into the camera as it panned back to her from the crowd cheering the handsome chef on as he set up a table of desserts for hungry Harvest Festival-goers in front of his restaurant. Roger spun his finger above the red light to indicate that she should continue speaking to draw their time out. “If you’ve spent any time in River Hill, you’ve been to Frankie’s. And if you’re planning a visit, I’m happy to report that the Oakwell Inn is now accepting bookings.”

It was her very last interview session, and they’d moved on from discussing the specifics of her completed renovations to the town square where she was taking her viewers on a tour of the Harvest Festival, as promised. And holding a glass of Noah’s best red as she did, his winery’s logo etched on the bowl and clearly visible between her fingers. It was their compromise. She wanted his business to thrive on its own merits, and not his famous family name—but she was happy to lend her name, and her show, to every business in River Hill, Stonewell Vineyards very much included. She’d already placed a hefty order for a house white to keep stocked at the inn.

The red camera light blinked off, and she let herself slump a little to relax her spine. “What’s next?”

“Across the square, let’s hit the coffee shop and the bakery,” Roger suggested. “That’ll probably take us until the opening ceremony starts.” He squinted at her. “You need a touch-up.”

“Thanks, you’re looking like a peach yourself,” she said cheerfully. He adjusted his backwards ball cap and rolled his eyes at her as Leah came over.

The ring on her friend’s finger glinted in the afternoon sunlight as Angelica obediently tilted her head for a quick powder. Leah adjusted her hair under the tweed cap she’d paired with a matching blazer and jeans, then patted her shoulder fondly and disappeared again after a quick, sizzling exchange of glances with Roger.

“You’re cute,” Angelica called after her, getting a middle finger raised from a distance in return. The sparkling diamond next to it severely lessened the impact.

Angelica smiled, spotting Noah in the crowd near the stage that had been set up against the gazebo. He was pouring wine, of course. This year’s promotional giveaway was a commemorative River Hill sampling cup cast in ceramic with the town’s logo on the side. Angelica planned to steal several extras for the inn; they’d be great for the bathrooms. She was already plotting how to make Noah, Max, and Sean give her theirs.

She finished up her soundbite on the other half of the town square, and then set up against the brick wall of the Amory family’s bakery to do her very last on-camera interview.

For season one, anyway.

The negotiations had gone very well. Jai was practically getting ready to build a tower of money to roll around in like Scrooge McDuck, and he was actively hunting for new clients who might fit the celebrity lifestyle TV bill. “Renovations! Cooking shows! Wellness gurus!” he’d shouted gleefully into the phone last night. “Send them all!”

She’d promised to give his card to anybody she met who fit the bill.

“And … we’re rolling,” Roger said, bringing her back to the present.

He and Leah were a central part of the plan to create her own little mini-empire; thanks to Jai’s negotiating, they’d both received full-time offers from the network to match her own.

She smiled into the camera again. “I moved to River Hill to restart my life.” It was true, and a good start for what she wanted to say. “After years in Hollywood, I needed something I could be passionate about to give me focus. I think a lot of people have that moment in their lives when they realize they’re ready to find a career or a lifestyle they truly love, and I’ve been fortunate enough to have the opportunity to seek it out.” She paused. “I spent three years waiting for the perfect property.”

This was the part where they’d edit in footage of her flicking through real-estate listings and visiting houses. Never mind that it all had been shot last week. The magic of TV made everything seem real. Thank goodness she’d finally figured out what truly was real.

“When I found River Hill, and the Oakwell estate, I knew I’d found the place I could call home for the next phase of my life.” Out of the corner of her eye, she saw movement, and realized that Noah was making his way toward her, regardless of the cameras or the crew. With a lift of her lips she felt in her heart, she kept speaking. “What I didn’t expect was to find the home of my heart.”

And then he was there, his arms around her waist, and he was kissing her, the crew was whooping, and a crowd was gathering in the square behind them, cheering. Faintly, she heard Roger tell somebody to keep rolling, and she smiled against Noah’s lips.

Take that, test audiences.

* * *