Chapter 10
As soon as Harlow arrived home, she went straight to Aunt Birdie’s RV. She noticed her aunt moving around inside, flitting from one end to the other.
Harlow gave the door a light rap.
Birdie appeared. “Hello, Harlow.”
“Hey, Aunt Birdie. Got a minute?”
“Sure. I’m still packing, so if you don’t mind me buzzing back and forth, I would love a little company.”
She climbed the steps and closed the door behind her.
Piles of clothes covered every square inch of counter space, which wasn’t a lot considering there wasn’t much to begin with.
The back of the sofa, from one end to the other, was decorated in an array of blouses—sleeveless, quarter-sleeve, button-downs, and T-shirts. On the bench were shorts and capris.
“A sign of a seasoned traveler…mixing and matching your wardrobe,” Harlow said.
“Cuba will be warm this time of the year. I’m trying to be careful and not overpack but also know laundry facilities will be few and far between, so I don’t want to run out of things to wear.” Birdie picked up a stack of undies. “Including clean underwear.”
Harlow perched on the edge of the dinette bench and watched her transfer the clothes from the couch to her suitcase. “Are you sure you want to go to Cuba?”
“Positive.” She cast her niece an over-the-shoulder glance. “You’re worried.”
“Absolutely. It’s the lack of basic necessities…clean water, safe food, reliable electricity. This gives roughing it a whole new meaning.”
“I’m fully prepared for hardship.” Aunt Birdie placed another outfit on top of the growing pile before giving Harlow her full attention. “I appreciate your concern. David has voiced his concerns as well. It’s hard to explain how strongly I feel about this trip, about helping others.”
Birdie cleared a spot and plopped down. “I’m getting up there in years.
I’ve traveled the world, seen the sights, have ticked off almost every adventure on my bucket list. I have everything I’ll ever need.
A family I adore. A home I’ll be building to live out my final days on the most magical island on the planet. ”
“You couldn’t have picked a better spot,” Harlow agreed.
“I’ve been blessed beyond measure. Decent health, enough money…
more than enough money to live comfortably.
” Her aunt thumped her chest. “I need to feel like I’ve accomplished something good, not to score brownie points when I get to heaven and stand at those pearly gates, but because it’s the right thing to do, to help others in need. ”
Aunt Birdie paused, and Harlow could see she was starting to get emotional. “To those whom much is given, much will be required. I still have a lot to offer. It would be a shame to waste it.”
Harlow thought about her own life. Very few people knew she donated a sizable sum of money from each of her movies to specific nonprofits—those that tugged at her heart. “I understand, and I’m proud of what you’re doing. However, you’re still my aunt. I love you dearly and I worry.”
Birdie sprang from her seat and hugged her tightly. “I love you to the moon and back. I’ve taken every precaution I possibly can to ensure my safety, sticking with my friend who is familiar with Cuba and where we’ll be traveling to.”
“How long will you be gone?”
“I’m not sure. We’ll be playing it by ear. As far as money is concerned, I’m taking as much as I think I’ll need for a month, maybe more.”
Harlow’s jaw dropped. “A month?”
“As I said, it depends on how it goes. I promise to keep in contact with you and your father as much as possible.” Her aunt returned to the task of packing.
Harlow, still deeply concerned about the humanitarian trip, pointedly changed the subject. She told her about the anonymous complaint. “Caleb told me not to worry about it and he would handle it.”
“Caleb is such a sweetheart.” Birdie whistled flirtily. “Not to mention a hottie to boot. Seeing how your divorce is final, you should snatch him up before someone else does.”
“Not interested. I’ve already been down that road. Besides, I’m too busy to have a man in my life.”
“Busy-schmizy.” Her aunt dismissed the excuse. “I’ve noticed the way his eyes light up whenever I mention your name. Caleb Jackson has his sights set on you.”
“He had better set them somewhere else.” Harlow slowly stood. “I need to rehearse a few more of my lines. Do you need a ride to the airport tomorrow morning?”
“Thanks for the offer, but Marty is going to give me a lift.” Her aunt gave her a brief rundown of her flight schedule. Basically taking a commuter plane to Detroit and then a direct flight to Havana.
Despite her reassurances, Harlow couldn’t shake her uneasy feeling and concern over her aunt’s trip. Back at the cottage, she parked her bicycle on the porch and slipped into the house.
The tantalizing aroma of baking bread lured her into the kitchen where she found her father removing loaves from the oven. “It smells heavenly in here.”
“I’m making slow cooker pot roast for dinner. I hope you’re hungry.”
“Starving.” Harlow traipsed into the kitchen where she found Mort sitting smack dab in the center, closely watching her father’s every move. She gave him a few scratchies to say hello. “Do you need help?”
“I planned to make side salads if you want to chop some lettuce and vegetables.”
“I would love to. There’s no chance of me setting it on fire or burning it in the oven.” She removed a head of lettuce and toppings from the fridge, grabbed a clean chopping board and got to work. “I stopped by to see Aunt Birdie on my way home.”
“To talk her out of her Cuba trip? I’ve already tried. She’s bound and determined to go.”
“It’s a noble undertaking. The good news is she’ll be traveling with someone who is familiar with the country.
I hope she knows what she’s getting herself into.
” Harlow finished chopping the lettuce and placed it in the spinner bowl.
“Caleb stopped by Lighthouse Lane after the Mackies left. He found a tick on my neck.”
“You gotta be on the lookout for them especially if you’re wandering around in the woods.”
“Which I was.”
“On your neck, you said?”
“The back.” Harlow flipped her hair up and showed him the general location.
David squinted his eyes. “I see a small red spot. At least it wasn’t burrowing under your skin yet.”
“It started to. He got it out with his pocketknife.”
“Caleb to the rescue. He’s a good guy.”
“The best.”
“If I were you, I would wash it off, dab a little alcohol on it and change my clothes in case there are more.”
“I will.” Harlow told him about the anonymous complaint. “Someone took a whack at the tree, making it look like I tried to cut it down to get me into trouble.”
“It takes all kinds.” Her father tsk-tsked. “You sure you don’t want to install a security fence?”
“Positive, although I might get a dog, something big and scary like a German Shepherd.”
“A good guard dog. Some bulletproof, shatter-proof windows and doors, a high-tech alarm system and a gun in your nightstand should cover the bases.”
“All on my list.” Harlow brought up the subject of Cheyenne’s commercial, how her publicist promised she could get her hands on a copy and would send it to her.
“I wouldn’t mind watching it with you.”
“We can pop some popcorn later and have an official viewing.”
“Aunt Birdie is coming for dinner. If she’s not too busy packing, maybe she can hang around for a little while and watch it with us. I hope it’s okay, but I invited Lottie, too,” David said.
“The more the merrier,” Harlow finished chopping and rinsing the lettuce. She diced tomatoes, sliced cucumbers and added thinly sliced red onion to the mix before setting the bowl inside the fridge.
“It’s been a few hours. I’ll see if she sent it.” Harlow dried her hands and made a beeline for her bedroom. She cleaned the tick spot and changed out of her clothes. Grabbing a hand mirror, she clipped her hair up and turned around to inspect the spot.
The only telltale sign was a tiny red mark in the vicinity of where Caleb had been touching her skin.
The memory of how his hand had caressed her skin sent a warm tingle down her spine. All the emotions she’d felt as a teenager came rushing back. Clearly, Caleb was flirting with her, testing the waters to see how she reacted.
Hopefully, she’d made it perfectly clear she wasn’t interested. Despite her words, her body had betrayed her. The fact of the matter was she had never truly gotten over her first love.
But it was a long time ago. So much had happened. Her career…a career that demanded a great deal of her attention. Working as an actor could be grueling. The travel. The exhausting schedule. The prying eyes. The outright lies. Unstable individuals who were obsessed with Harlow.
While she loved the laid-back lifestyle the island offered, it held risks. Even a task as simple as going to the post office or shopping at the local stores placed Harlow in a vulnerable position.
In some ways, her old life was safer. More bodyguards. More protection. Being with Robert and having two sets of eyes watching for trouble.
She hoped it wouldn’t come down to needing twenty-four hours a day security, that “out of sight, out of mind” might work in her favor, but deep down, Harlow wasn’t kidding herself. People who wished her harm were out there.
She pushed the troubling thought from her mind and settled in at her desk. Lifting the lid on her laptop, Harlow opened her email, replying to a few messages, mostly related to the upcoming movie and going over the press release Janice had sent.
Clearing out the junk mail was next. She sorted, sifted and trash binned most of it. Clicking back to her primary account, Harlow scrolled to the top of the screen.
She found a message from Janice, along with an attachment. Clicking on the message, she read the single paragraph. Got my hands on the Robert Barbetz / Cheyenne Clifton commercial.
Harlow promptly replied, thanking her and telling her she had gone over the press release and didn’t have any changes to make. She was tempted to sneak a peek at the commercial, but decided to hold off.
Returning to the kitchen, she helped her dad straighten up. With a couple of hours before dinner, Harlow tracked down her script and began memorizing. In full actor mode, the hours flew by.
Aunt Birdie and Lottie arrived for dinner while David was out walking Mort.
Her aunt was the first to notice the manuscript in her hand. “You’re working? I hope we’re not interrupting.”
“I’ve been memorizing some lines.” Harlow started to put it away.
Lottie stopped her. “I would love to hear you practice.”
“Me too.” Aunt Birdie clapped her hands. “Give us a behind-the-scenes glimpse.”
Harlow wrinkled her nose. “It’s not very exciting without the set in place.”
“I bet it is.” Birdie hung her jacket on the hook and kicked her shoes off.
“I’m with Aunt Birdie. I would love to hear a line or two.”
“All right, but don’t say I didn’t warn you.” Harlow picked up the script, re-reading a part, the scene where her character had missed the train, misplaced her bus pass and was forced to walk to work.
Her boss, the guy her character was in love with, lectured her about being late. Harlow, in actor mode while her klutzy character stumbled through the scene, had a major meltdown and escaped to the women’s bathroom where she curled up in a ball, lamenting about how much of a disaster her life was.
“Bravo!” Lottie sprang to her feet, clapping loudly.
Aunt Birdie hooted. “You almost had me in tears.”
Harlow placed her hand behind her back and took a bow. “Thank you. Thank you very much,” she joked.
“What’s all the commotion?” David stepped into the house. Mort scrambled past him and ran into the living room to greet their guests.
“Harlow was playing out a scene and almost had me in tears,” Birdie said. “No wonder she gets paid the big bucks.”
“Stop.” Harlow playfully covered her ears. “You’re making my head swell.”
With the table already set, the others filled their plates and settled in.
Harlow waited until they were almost finished eating before telling them Janice had forwarded a copy of Cheyenne’s commercial.
“Ooh.” Lottie clapped her hands. “I can’t wait to see it.”
Making quick work of storing the leftovers and cleaning up, the group gathered in the living room. Harlow tracked down the email attachment and cast the recording to the television.
The room grew quiet, all eyes on the screen while the credits played. One…two…three seconds. Finally, Cheyenne appeared and background music began to play.
David made a choking sound. “What in the world?”