She glanced at his daughter, and the corners of her lips flexed. “Can I tell you the truth? It doesn’t seem like work. I almost feel guilty for taking your money.”

“Don’t. I was at my wit’s end trying to find suitable day care. It was a win-win.”

“I think I got the better part of the deal—but in any case, my offer stands. And in the interest of full disclosure, I do have an ulterior motive.”

He took a sip from his mug. “Such as?”

“First, let me be clear that my offer about Hannah isn’t contingent on this—but it did occur to me that if I could free up your time a bit, you might be able to squeeze in the necessary prep for a masterclass.”

He stifled a groan.

Despite his no, she wasn’t giving up.

And she’d deflated his argument about being stretched too thin by offering a solution.

However, despite her insistence that his bestseller status was a sufficient credential, she hadn’t solved his insecurity issues.

It appeared he’d have to reveal a tad more than he’d prefer about his deeper-seated reservations.

“To tell you the truth, Christi, I wouldn’t know where to start.”

“I could help you.” She leaned closer, the setting sun gilding her classic profile as she rested her slender fingers on his forearm. “Not with the technical part. I have no writing talent. But in terms of content and organization. I’m sure we could find a structure that would be a comfortable fit.”

Too bad he wasn’t.

“Is that your intuition talking?” He hitched up one side of his mouth, trying to ignore the warmth seeping into his skin from her hand.

“Yes. And my instincts have improved with age too.” Her generous lips curved up again. Soft. Appealing. Tempting.

His resolve began to slip.

Blast.

Better deflect until he could shore up his defenses.

“Let me ask you this.” He cleared his throat and lifted his mug, forcing her to retract her hand. “Why is my participation such a big deal?”

She sat back in her chair and waved a hand over the peaceful panorama. “Because I’ve fallen in love with Hope Harbor. When I heard at the chamber of commerce meeting how the drop in tourism was hurting the merchants, I felt compelled to do everything I could to help support the town—including lining up talent that will sell tickets for the festival.”

In the quiet that followed, his conscience rumbled to life.

He loved this town too.

And while his livelihood didn’t depend on tourism, his patrols put him in contact with many merchants who did rely on visitors to keep them afloat.