“Thank you. I’m surprised it’s even sold out here.”

“There’s not a whole lot of news to report in a town this size, but we do have gossip. The magazine and articles really guide me on how to run the Keeneston Journal. It’s so exciting to meet you. I must talk with you sometime about what you do there.”

Gemma beamed at the compliment. She’d been yelled at, cursed at, spit at, and threatened for stories she’d run before. She’d never been praised. She was just about to ask Marianne if she wanted the scoop of her life—the memory card with Ginger and Tatum was back in her room—when she felt her cell phone vibrate. She never had a chance to turn it in. In fact, she had all the stories deemed too “feel good” about Hollywood celebrities on her computer that her boss refused to run.

“I’d love to talk more, but I have a call I need to take,” she said, giving Cy a meaningful look. She answered her phone and hurried out of the tent as Cy gave his excuses to Marianne. He was beside her before she even had a chance to say hello.

“Joe?” Gemma asked as she stopped under the wide branches of a maple tree.

“Hey, Gem. I feel real stupid, you know. As soon as Nick said her name it hit me. Sarah Elizabeth Flannery.”

“The socialite?”

“The very one. Not only that, but the boss man had me put her on tonight’s VIP list. Should I add your name, too?” he asked with a smile to his voice.

“Looks like I’ll be seeing you soon. Thanks a lot, Joe, I owe you.”

“Can you get me an audition with Doug Mac for his next action movie?” Joe teased.

“Ha, I’ll see what I can do. See you tonight.” Gemma hung up the phone and turned to see half the town behind her.

“Just tell us all. John probably has your phone tapped, dear,” Miss Lily said matter-of-factly.

Gemma looked past the Rose sisters to where Dani and Mo stood with the rest of the Davies family. “I have a little favor to ask,” Gemma said sweetly. “We need to get to L.A. right now.”

“I will have the plane ready in thirty minutes.” Mo sent a quick message on his phone and then gave her a little nod. “Now tell us why.”

“All the clues point to this one woman, Sarah Elizabeth Flannery. I don’t know what a twenty-one-year-old socialite has to do with this mess.”

“Isn’t she the one with that sex tape out right now? She’s supposedly horribly upset that someone got their hands on it. But as you pointed out in your exclusives section last month, there’s a rumor she’s the one who leaked it,” a tiny woman with her hair permed within an inch of its life said from the crowd.  “Oh, and it’s nice to meet you. I’m Edna.”

“Hi, Edna. How did you know that was me? I write under a pen name with a fake picture.” Edna just smiled innocently and Gemma was starting to think it was Inside Peek that could learn a thing or two from Keeneston. “Yes, that’s right. She ended up selling the rights and has made a fortune off it. Now she’s trying to be taken seriously and wants to go into acting.”

“But who is she?” Miss Lily asked.

“All I know is her mother was some Las Vegas showgirl who got pregnant and nine months later delivered a baby girl with a huge trust fund. She used the money to get a spot on some soap opera. Mama wasted no time getting Sarah in the spotlight, either. She was modeling by the time she was thirteen, dating the hottest teenage actors soon after, and even tried her hand at becoming a rock star. All failed and then suddenly this sex tape comes out with one of Hollywood’s most talked about up-and-coming actors. And the sex tape is superior quality. Very fishy,” Gemma told the group.

“What could she have to do with this criminal y’all are after?” Marcy asked from where she stood next to Jake and some of the local farmers.

“I don’t know. Do you have any ideas?” Gemma asked Cy.

“No, but I do have an idea how to find out.” Cy grinned as if he were the cat that swallowed the canary.

Cy almost laughed at Gemma’s large eyes. They opened wide when they entered the ornate lobby of the luxurious hotel he booked for their stay. They grew even more at the sight of the suite they were sharing. A huge king-sized bed draped in rich material adorned a separate bedroom. A mahogany table lined with matching chairs offset the plush living room space.

“We could've just stayed at a friend’s house or at your apartment. This must've cost a fortune.”

“It did, but I heard that Sarah not only stays at this hotel occasionally for the privacy, but it sets up my cover story perfectly.”

“What cover story?” Gemma asked as she looked out the window to the lush landscape below.

“That I’m a producer. I’m looking for the next big show about an up-and-coming celebrity and her challenge to make it big,” Cy said proudly. It was a darn good idea. He knew women in Hollywood, and this was the perfect way to get her talking.

“Right. You were a stuntman, not a producer. There’s no way she’ll believe you. We need to come up with something else.” Gemma turned and saw him on his phone. “What are you doing?”

“I just sent a tweet out that I’m looking to cast a reality show and am excited about this next phase of my life. Then I sent a couple texts to some people I know that I’m back in town and will be at a certain club tonight.”

“And you think that’s going to work?” Dink, dink, dink, dink. “Oh, shut up.” Gemma turned and went into the bathroom as he tried not to gloat.

“What?” Dink. “I didn’t say a thing.” Dink. And with that, he failed to not gloat.

*     *     *

Cy had a hard time keeping his eyes off Gemma. Now he knew how she got into the VIP sections of clubs so easily. She was a knockout. She wore a black dress with a plunging neckline. A wide red belt showed off a narrow waist while the tight skirt emphasized her amazing curves and long legs. She finished the outfit with red spiked heels.

Her hair cascaded down her back in soft waves as she greeted Joe, the doorman. He was the perfect doorman: handsome, athletic, and had enough dings and dents to show overzealous patrons that he wasn’t afraid to get his hands dirty if they got out of line.

“Joe, this is my friend Cy. We both really appreciate your help on this.”

“Cy? Cy Davidson, the producer who’s looking to cast a reality show about trying to break into the industry?”

Cy shot a triumphant grin to Gemma as he held out his hand to Joe. “That’s me. From what I hear, you’ll want this more,” Cy said as he handed Joe a card.

“Doug Mac’s private number,” Joe said reverently as the looked at the business card.

“Tell him Cy told you to call. I have a feeling working with him will be more suited for you.”

“Thank you. Oh my God, Gem, I totally owe you. And you, too, of course, Mr. Davidson. “

“You could call it even by letting Sarah Flannery know I’m here. Just don’t let her know I was asking about her.”

“You got it.” Joe took out his wallet and looked at the card once more before safely tucking it away.

Cy followed Gemma into the club. The loud music coursed through his body as the lights bounced off the people dancing. They passed the bar and Gemma gave the bartender a quick wave before another club employee unhooked a velvet rope and allowed them up a set of stairs to the VIP area overlooking the dance floor.

Before they even sat down, the first expensively perfumed starlet enveloped Cy. Gemma rolled her eyes and sat down before she lost a seat. Cy smiled and laughed and played his part. It was something he was good at. While he wanted to be himself, Cy Davidson was a part of him, too, after all these years, and it felt good slipping back into character.

“Ladies—I’ve missed you all so much that I decided to come back for a bit,” Cy laughed at Gemma sticking her finger down her throat as she sat on the couch behind the gaggle of fawning women.

“Here’s my card.”

“Here’s my number.”

“I’d be perfect for your show.”

“I’m sure y’all would be perfect. But give all your information to my assistant over there so it’ll be safe. You never know where I’ll end up tonight and I’d sure hate to lose your card.” Cy sent Gemma a wink just before all heads whipped around to look at her.

Cy used the time to cast a quick glance around the club. It was almost full as night turned into early morning. He caught sight of the very tall and leggy blonde as she strode into the club with her posse. Cy headed back into the pack of women before Sarah could reach the VIP area and was totally engrossed in conversation by the time she arrived and took her seat.

Gemma could only imagine this was what hell looked like. Her eyes were watering with perfume, her ears were ringing with their twittering, and two of them had “accidentally” stabbed her foot with their heels. Then there was him. Just sitting in the middle of the pack. She could see his head getting bigger and bigger as they flattered and flirted with him. Maybe she’d take her heel and pop his ego with it.

She also didn’t know what to think of the quick transformation back to the man she met here just a short while ago. He’d been this carefree, hot-to-trot kind of guy her mother had warned her about. But after arriving in Keeneston, he seemed to drop the fakeness. He had actually seemed a little lost at times, but when they were together she felt as if they were both free. They both dropped all defenses and just enjoyed being together.

Gemma was knocked out of her reflections when Cy caught her eye and gave a slight nod toward a sitting area next to them. Sarah Elizabeth Flannery was draped across a chair and surveying her domain, which currently included Cy. Her two friends, both slightly less attractive and completely doting, were whispering in her ears.