“I don’t want to talk about it.” Grant was light-headed and queasy and not in the slightest bit interested in rehashing how he’d landed in this boat. “I need some air.” He went outside and leaned against the brick building, tilting his face into the sun and breathing in the fresh sea air.

Just when he’d been convinced things couldn’t get any more screwed up, here he was relying on his rival to keep his father alive. Even with his vivid imagination, he doubted he could’ve written such a messed-up scenario.

“He’s going to be all right,” a small voice beside him said.

Grant opened his eyes and looked down at the woman from the marina restaurant. Her eyes were rimmed with red and puffy from crying.

“He has to be all right.”

Grant wasn’t sure who she was trying to convince—him or herself. They’d call her a waif in Hollywood, with her tiny frame and big blue-green eyes. She had multicolored spiked hair that made her look even younger.

“We haven’t officially met,” she said. “I’m Stephanie. Your dad hired me to run the restaurant this summer.”

He shook her outstretched hand. “Grant McCarthy.”

“I know who you are,” she said, her face flushing. “I mean, I’m familiar with your work.”

“Is that so?”

She nodded. “Song of Solomon was amazing. It changed my life.”

Hearing that never got old. “I’m glad you liked it.”

“I was thrilled that you won the Oscar. You totally deserved it.”

“Thanks. That’s nice of you to say.”

“I had no idea you were related to Mr. McCarthy until I heard him telling someone about his son, the famous screenwriter.”

Grant winced. “He can be a bit effusive at times.”

“He’s so incredibly proud of you.”

Did she have any idea how badly he needed to hear that just then?

“Are you all right?” she asked. “You look kinda green.”

“Few too many last night.”

“I have the perfect cure for that.”

“What’s that?”

“I’ll go get it and come back.”

“Oh, no. That’s not necessary.”

She smiled up at him. “It’d give me something to do. I’m madly in love with your dad, and this has been one of the worst days of my life. What happened at the marina. . .” She shuddered, and her face went pale.

Grant reached out to her. His hand landed on her shoulder, but when she flinched, he removed it. What was that all about? “It must’ve been awful.”

“I was so afraid he’d been killed. When they brought him out of the water, he looked bad. Really bad.”

Grant swallowed hard. “Sounds like he’s going to be okay.”

“Thank God.”

“Yes.”

“You should be in there with him.”

Surprised, he stared at her.