“I’ll be frank, too. I’ve been very open about my feelings toward your industry. The last time the show was here, the whole town went star crazy, and Cat lived up to the hype by breaking the nose of one of our citizens when she’d had a few too many out on the town. I don’t like what she stands for.” He raised his hand when Paige moved to interrupt. “That being said, I’m not blind. We need your help if we’re going to get through this. Waiting for state or federal money would take forever, and even if we had the money for rebuilding, we don’t have access to crews.”

“I’m just asking you to be open-minded about the process. I can’t promise that we won’t disrupt your town because we both know that’s impossible. But I can promise you we’ll do everything in our power to keep the story sincere and real.”

“And you’ll keep Cat out of trouble?”

Paige laughed. “I’m not sure where you got this impression of Cat, but it’s going to be very entertaining to me to watch you figure out how wrong you are about her. She’s fiercely loyal, and I’ve never known anyone with a more generous heart.”

Noah blinked. That was not the viciously beautiful woman who sashayed into his office and called him a jackass.

“Agree to disagree.”

Paige grinned. “I’ll see you at the meeting. I promise you’re not going to regret this.”

--------

“What are your thoughts about this whole TV thing?” Velma Murdock, town council member and owner of the recently flooded laundromat and Merry’s two hot chocolate stands, demanded as she slid into his SUV.

Noah pulled away from the curb and headed toward the old high school. He weighed his words carefully. “I have my reservations.”

“Of course,” Velma nodded.

“What ‘of course’?”

Velma patted his arm and flipped down the visor to check her blonde fluffy hair that she’d religiously styled like a football helmet for the last twenty or so years. “Noah, you’re a very cautious man.”

“Which is why I’m good at my job,” he pointed out.

“Which is why you’re very good at your job. You’re a professional worrier. You worry so much that none of the rest of us have to. I’m asking you if you think this whole show thing will be a good thing.”

He sighed. He had the unfair reputation of being Mr. No. But when his townspeople wanted to spend twelve percent of their annual budget on new reindeer light cutouts for the lampposts, he was the voice of reason. The crusher of dreams.

But their noses light up red!