Rosie couldn’t help noticing how gorgeous Andrew looked in a navy-blue polo shirt and khaki pants. “You came. I wasn’t sure you would.”
He made a face. “I almost changed my mind. Meeting everyone in town at once is an intimidating prospect for an introvert like me.”
She rolled her eyes. “You attended the Academy Awards this year, if I’m not mistaken. If you could handle all the fancy people there, surely you’ll be fine at a little neighborhood barbecue.”
“I attended the awards show, but I didn’t enjoy it,” he assured her. “It lasted for hours and I couldn’t wait to get home and out of my tux.”
“I can’t promise this evening will be more entertaining than the Academy Awards. But let me introduce you to a few people. I know they’ll be happy to meet you.”
“Will the kids be okay? Maybe I should stay close to them.”
Oh no. She wasn’t going to let him escape meeting their neighbors that easily. “My mom and yours are keeping an eye on things and there are a few other moms who have volunteered to be on kid patrol. I’ve locked the gate that leads down to the beach trail and put away my chickens. That’s the only hazard I can think of in my yard.”
With a sigh, he followed her to a group of the friendliest, most bighearted people she could think of, several people she considered most unlikely among all of those in the crowd to make a fuss about his books or his notoriety.
She had already figured out that Andrew wasn’t completely comfortable talking about his successful book series or the movie that had been made of them, something she couldn’t quite understand.
She introduced him, explaining the others’ connections and where they lived. She was relieved, as she hoped, when everyone was friendly and welcoming. Polly Anthony immediately started asking him about the renovations to Stormhaven and telling him about parties she remembered when she was young, when the place had been the most luxurious house on this part of the coast.
Satisfied that he was comfortable for now, she moved away and headed to check on the paper product supply at the food table.
She was stopped before she could reach it by Nina Patel,her dear friend and owner of Rosie’s favorite clothing boutique in town, who gave her a wide-eyed look.
“I can’t believe you were able to drag Andrew Morgan out to one of our neighborhood bashes. Most of us have hardly caught a glimpse of him since he arrived. He’s like our own version of the Loch Ness Monster.”
He was far too gorgeous to be compared to any kind of monster, Rosie thought.
“I believe he’s still trying to settle in, but it hasn’t been easy since the house is still a construction zone. I’m glad he made it. It must be so overwhelming to come here and meet half the town at once.”
“Wait. We’re overwhelming?” Nina asked with a wide-eyed, innocent look that made Rosie laugh, even as she felt a pang of sympathy for Andrew.
She knew only too well what it was like to be the new kid in town, the center of all the attention.
If he was truly as introverted as he said, this must definitely be a challenge. She had a wild urge to run to his rescue and pull him away from everyone.
“I have to say,” Nina went on, “the guy is even hotter in person than all the pictures I’ve seen of him in the tabloids with Willow Voss.”
She looked over to find him smiling down at something Polly said, his expression somehow gentle as he looked at the frail octogenarian. Her skin suddenly felt hypersensitive and she was oddly aware of the soft evening breeze blowing off the water.
She swallowed hard, doing her best to rein in this silly response to the man. His previous girlfriend was a movie star. They went to the freaking Academy Awards together. Why would he possibly be interested in a frazzled grandmother who ran a construction company in a small coastal town?
“You should ask him to come talk to the Sea Witches!” Nina exclaimed.
Rosie blinked back to her friend, trying to imagine any scenario where she could find the nerve to invite him to join their rambunctious monthly book club.
“He’s busy trying to meet a deadline right now. I’m sure he doesn’t have time for something like that.”
“You should ask him anyway.”
“Who are we asking? And what do we want him to do?” Their other good friend Mei Lin Chen joined them. The nurse practitioner at the women’s clinic Rosie went to looked as gorgeous as a movie star herself tonight, as usual.
“I was telling Rosie she should ask our sexy new neighbor to speak at our book club.” Nina grinned, inclining her head in the direction of Andrew.
Rosie could feel her cheeks heat. She could only hope he was too busy talking with Polly to notice all the middle-aged women ogling him.
“He’s great looking,” Mei Lin agreed. “But Rosie doesn’t like fantasy.”
“She should make an exception in Andrew Morgan’s case. And I’m not talking about the books he writes, if you know what I mean,” Nina said with a grin.