Ultimately, they decided to go their separate ways. Maxwell still cut ties with Dean because he didn’t trust him anymore, but they also split the Pollard company into two branches. Alec called his wing Spotlight Marketing and was allowed to take some of the staff with him. He’d tried to recruit Marley, but she outright refused and managed to keep her position with Maxwell, who continued to run Pollard Marketing with Jonas.

Lizzie snapped her fingers at me. “You there? You zoned out on me.”

“Sorry.” I shoveled a big bite of french toast into my mouth and smiled around it. “Still waking up, I guess.”

The bell over the door to the lobby gave a little jingle. I looked up and nearly choked on my food. Dean Slater in all of his tall, gorgeous glory was striding into the inn. I stared at him for several long moments and waited for my brain to decide he was real. Dean went straight to the front desk, never looking in the direction of the dining room. Molly and Billy were at the desk this morning, and he was asking them something.

“You haven’t seen me!” I hissed.

I ducked under the table and crouched, hoping the table base–which was about a third as wide as me–would properly hide me.

“Thanks,” I heard Dean say. A moment later, I saw his feet and then his legs approaching our table. “I didn’t think I’d run into you two,” he said.

“Hi,” Lizzie said.

“Eat shit and die,” Steph said.

Dean chuckled. “Um, have either of you seen Pearl? I want to talk to her.”

“I don’t think Pearl wants to talk to you,” Steph said.

“Yeah, I get that,” he said. “Maybe you two could pass a message along to her for me? There’s something I’d really like to show her. If she could come to the barn where Lizzie’s ceremony was tonight, I’ll explain everything. Seven o’clock.”

There was a pause. “Why there?” Lizzie asked.

“And what makes you think she’d come?” Steph asked.

“I was hoping the two of you could convince her. If she still hates me, then tell her it’ll be a great chance to see me get horribly embarrassed. If she’s not happy with how things ended… well, tell her she should come. Can you two do that?”

“We’ll think about it,” Steph said.

“Good.” There was another pause, then Dean’s head popped into view under the table. “I hope I’ll see you there, Pearl.”

I winced, then shielded my face from him because it was the only thing I could think to do. I waited until I heard the sound of his footsteps retreat and the eventual jingle of the bell over the door.

“Who hides under a table?” Steph asked, almost to herself.

With as much dignity as I could, I got out from under the table and brushed my clothes off. “Someone who is known to panic in high stress situations, maybe?”

“I thought all that anxiety stuff was getting better,” Steph said.