Chapter 4
Four
Wednesday afternoon, Matt reached for his iced coffee as he read the script he’d received last night from his agent.
When Ryan pitched the project to him, it hadn’t sounded like one he’d be interested in doing.
Still, he’d told Ryan to send him the script and he’d look it over.
After all, the first role he’d played hadn’t sounded right for him either.
However, his agent had assured Matt he’d be perfect for the part, and the man had been right.
Not only had Matt loved every minute of filming, but the role had also burst open the door to his acting career.
Ryan might be correct about this project as well.
And with his music career on pause, he certainly had the time to start on something new.
Unfortunately, he was about halfway through the script, and if someone asked him what the movie was about, he wouldn’t have been able to tell them. No matter how hard he tried, his thoughts kept wandering. And for reasons he couldn’t explain, they kept wandering in the same direction.
Matt hadn’t seen Liv since Saturday. Around four o’clock, she’d shown up to return his SUV.
She stepped inside long enough for him to put on his shoes so that he could give her a ride home.
During the drive, they’d discussed some of the events the town had scheduled for the summer, including the big Fourth of July celebration.
In all the years he’d been coming to Orchard Harbor, he’d somehow never been there on the Fourth.
Not once did anything personal come up in their conversation.
Once he’d pulled up to the curb at her building, she’d thanked him again for his help, hopped out, and disappeared through the door marked Ocean View Catering.
Despite the unexpected urge to follow her, he pulled back into traffic.
He’d returned home not long before Owen and his wife arrived.
Although it wasn’t his business, he’d brought up the news Liv had shared with him on Friday night. Owen had confirmed the details using his own choice words to describe Fredrick Waldman. And much like his sister, Owen didn’t have much hope that the family would be able to purchase the building.
When Matt reached the bottom of the page, he stopped. According to the sentence he’d just read, he was having a conversation with a character named Daisy. Unfortunately, he didn’t remember the character entering the scene. And hadn’t Daisy died during the opening scene?
Matt flipped back to the beginning and scanned the pages. According to page six, Remington died, not Daisy. He didn’t remember who the hell Remington was, and at the moment, he didn’t care.
Tossing the script aside, he grabbed his cell phone and searched his contact list for Austin Windsor, the local agent who’d helped him buy his Orchard Harbor home.
“Good afternoon, Windsor Realty,” a man’s voice said after several rings.
“Hi, Austin. It’s Matt Sherbrooke.”
“It’s nice to hear from you. What can I do for you?”
You’re only asking. It doesn’t hurt to ask.
“Can you find out if any offers have been made for the building on Main Street?”
“Are you referring to 5 Main Street or 26 Main Street?”
He hadn’t known there were multiple buildings for sale on the street. “I’m not sure of the street number.” He never paid attention to those when he drove through town. “But it’s where the Ocean View Grill is located.”
“That would be number 5. Yeah, I can call Dennis and find out. Are you interested in buying the property?”
The answer should be no. He was a musician with an emerging acting career.
He knew nothing about being a landlord. Even if he did, he visited Orchard Harbor maybe once or twice a year and spent the rest of his time thousands of miles away.
He had no business purchasing commercial property in town.
But all that logic went out the window when he thought about what Liv had said and the look on her face Friday night.
He’d looked up Rick Desmond. According to his profile, Rick was a managing partner for Timberlane Development, a company founded by his father and responsible for acquisitions.
And as Liv told him, Rick had helped the company acquire and develop multiple projects along the East Coast, with his most recent project being the one near Sandy Cove.
Out of curiosity, he’d driven by the beach yesterday, and it looked nothing like the area he remembered.
He didn’t want the same thing to happen here.
That was the only reason he was remotely interested in the property.
“Maybe.” For now, he couldn’t commit to anything more.
“I’ll call Dennis as soon as I get a chance. I’m showing a couple some homes in the area this afternoon, and they should be here any minute. When I know something, I’ll let you know. If he asks, do you want me to tell him you might be interested?”
Matt saw no harm in doing that. “Sure.”
Two hours later, Matt turned onto Main Street and passed the small, stand-alone coffee shop, which had a For Sale sign out front.
He remembered that there had been an antique store there last year, not a coffee shop.
Either way, it must be the other property Austin referred to.
Unlike where the restaurant was, though, he didn’t see Rick Desmond being interested in the property.
It wasn’t large enough for the type of projects he was known for, not to mention it didn’t have a waterfront view.
A car pulled away from the curb, leaving an empty spot just in time, and Matt snagged it before anyone else could.
More than one person glanced at his car as they walked down the sidewalk.
He didn’t blame them. One of his newest toys, a Ferrari he’d purchased in December, it was a gorgeous vehicle and more fun than any car probably had a right to be, which was why he’d used it for the drive from Florida to Maine.
Matt checked his watch as he stepped onto the sidewalk. When he stopped by last week around this time, Liv had been at the restaurant. That didn’t mean she was there every afternoon, though. For all he knew, she might only fill in when someone called in sick.
He was about to head toward the restaurant when the very person who’d occupied his thoughts far too often lately came into view. She had her cell phone next to her ear as she approached the small conference table in the unit next door.
Rather than enter, he stood outside and watched her.
He didn’t have many female friends. That wasn’t to say he didn’t know many females.
However, he considered very few friends.
The majority were either women he’d worked with on projects or dated.
Although he wouldn’t call Liv a close friend, he suspected she could be.
While he had a multitude of friends, his list of true close friends outside of his family was short.
And for reasons he couldn’t explain, he wanted to add Liv to that list.
Or maybe he wanted more.
Liar.
Matt would prefer to ignore his annoying conscience, but he couldn’t. There was no “maybe.” His thoughts regarding Liv lately had fallen about as far out of the friend zone as possible.
A door chime announced his arrival. With her phone still attached to her ear, Liv looked up and waved, then gestured for him to sit.
He didn’t hesitate to accept the offer. While she continued her conversation with someone who he assumed was a client based on what he heard, he took in his surroundings.
The office designer had taken full advantage of the space.
They’d also made it feel less like a cold work area and more like a homey spot to meet friends and discuss whatever came to mind.
Newspaper articles praising Ocean View Catering hung on the far wall, and Matt wondered just how long the catering operation had been in business.
Until the previous week, he hadn’t even realized the restaurant had branched out, but if the framed articles were any indication, it wasn’t a new development.
“Perfect. I think the menu options you selected will satisfy all your guests. I’ll add the details to your account,” Liv said, pulling Matt’s attention away from his surroundings and to her. “If you think of any changes you’d like to make, just call or email me.”
Liv nodded a few more times to whatever the client said before ending the call and closing her eyes as she put the device on the table.
He waited several seconds before speaking. “Difficult client?”
Slowly, Liv opened her eyes, revealing the most beautiful eyes he’d ever seen. They reminded him of the ocean during a storm. Somehow, they appeared both gray and blue at the same time. How had he not noticed them before today?
“I wouldn’t call Gina difficult. More last minute. She’s getting married in July and only signed a contract with me Friday afternoon.”
“Seriously?” Even to him, who knew nothing about planning a wedding, it seemed to be cutting it close. Didn’t most people spend months or years planning for their big day?
Liv pulled out the chair across from him and sat.
“Yep. Gina and her fiancé were in here when the delivery van was hit. When she first called last month to set up an appointment, she gave me a few possible dates in September, but things changed.” Frowning, she propped her chin on her palm.
“Considering everything that’s going on, it’s probably a good thing they changed the date. ”
“Any updates on that front?” If Waldman had accepted the offer from the Middletons, Liv wouldn’t be frowning.
“No. Dad and Grandpa met with Shirley over at Windsor Realty again earlier today, and she submitted our offer.”