Lyle’s shift into producer mode is subtle, but my subconscious feels it nevertheless and it’s prodding me to remember that I can be calm and collected in the face of Producer Lyle.

Despite.

“That sounds reasonable,” I say. “Though, my dad doesn’t want anything to do with this.” I chew on the edge of my nail, considering.

“He doesn’t need to come, then. Just you and Cameron,” he says dismissively.

This instantly irritates me. Lyle is like a pair of too-small panties: sexier than you intend while cutting off your sanity every time you inhale. “Yes, I get that part. But you see, on and off camera, I still work for my dad. He buys the properties and flips them. I make them pretty.”

Cam leans around me, his elbow cradling me on the far side, just as Kevin puts my plate in front of me. “Your dad and I’ve talked about it. He’s been showing me what to look for, enough that we won’t look like idiots on film. We can have him off camera giving us his thoughts, too. It’ll be okay. I bought my mom a house last fall. It’s not that complicated.”

I sigh. “I know. I just don’t want to mess this up. You realize how critically people will be watching me? Looking for me to mess up? And honestly, I couldn’t care less if they don’t approve of me, but my dad built this business from the ground up. I don’t want to risk that.” Particularly since I’m suddenly the face of his livelihood.

Cam turns me on my stool and lowers his voice. “Your dad trusts you. The community trusts you. I trust you. You know more about all of this than you probably even realize. You are the furthest thing from a flaky celeb.”

Lorelai snickers into her drink. “Shelb, you bought your jeans at the Fleet Farm. You barely count as middle class at this point.”

“Hey!” I say. “They’re Levi’s and they look great on me.”

Lyle looks like he’s in pain at the thought of me buying anything at a feed store, let alone clothing. “I’ll be sending wardrobe and a stylist. You need to get a haircut, too. Just a trim,” he insists.

“You’re kidding me. You can’t tell me how to wear my hair.”

“I can if you look like a farmer.”

“She doesn’t look like a farmer!” Cameron says at the same time as Lorelai says, “Better a farmer than an influencer!”