One Hot Summer by Melissa Cutler Page B

didn’t think people actually lived in Hollywood.”
    They didn’t. “I meant the real Hollywood. Burbank. Where most of the actual moviemaking takes place.”
    â€œNo kidding, huh? I had no idea.”
    A lot of people didn’t. “Ergo why I simply say I grew up in Hollywood.”
    And that was all she was willing to say about her youth and Hollywood. One of the things she liked best about Dulcet was that she felt normal for the first time. She was simply Remedy, not Virginia Hartley and Preston Lane’s daughter or the wedding planner who wrecked Zannity’s impending nuptials. A lot of good Remedy’s newfound anonymity would do her if she started blabbing about her Hollywood roots.
    He frowned. “Back to your earlier statement. I wasn’t trying to goad you into accepting a challenge. I was stating a fact. You need me, even if you’re too foolhardy to admit it. It’s not going to be long before you come to grips with what every other event planner at Briscoe Ranch Resort has learned either the hard way or the easy way, Alex Rowe included. Carina Briscoe, too. Not a single special event in a public venue takes place in this town that doesn’t get my seal of approval first.”
    Remedy’s throat tightened. She’d thought their feud was personal, fun even, but he really did hold her future at Briscoe Ranch Resort in his hands. “Are you threatening me?”
    He opened and closed his mouth, then straightened. His lips quirked into a grimace. With a scrape of his chair legs over the linoleum floor, he stood. “Barbara? Hold on a sec.” He waited until the waitress had turned back to face them. “My apologies to the cooks and to you, but Ms. Lane and I need to cancel both our orders.” He held a twenty-dollar bill out to Barbara. “Bless her heart, but Ms. Lane forgot she’s got somewhere else she needs to be.”
    â€œNo, I don’t. Not until I’ve eaten a delicious, greasy Double Spanky Burger with extra bacon.”
    Barbara looked from Micah to Remedy, then back to Micah. She tucked the twenty in her apron and nodded. “If you say so, Chief. Let me know if there’s anything else I can do for y’all before you go.”
    After Barbara left, Remedy kicked Micah’s boot with her pump. “What the frack? Did you feel a sudden need to demonstrate your power in this town? Proof that I need you or else I don’t eat? You’ve got about three seconds to explain before I go postal.”
    He pushed his chair in and handed her purse to her. “I wasn’t criticizing your diet.”
    â€œWhatever you say, Alpha Bubba.”
    â€œAlpha Bubba?” He shook his head. “You know what? Never mind. I don’t want to know. Let’s get out of here.”
    â€œExcuse me?”
    He rolled his head on his neck, oozing exasperation. Then he braced his knuckles on the table and loomed over her, his voice lowering to a harsh whisper. “I’m going to get you some food before you go postal, but the only food fit to eat on Petey’s menu is the pie and the chicken salad. All I was trying to do was save you from experiencing the worst cheeseburger in Texas.”
    â€œThe worst?”
    â€œIt’s legendary. Or, rather, infamous.”
    She followed a vein from his wrist over his muscled forearm to his elbow, then skipped up the rest of his body to look him in the eye. “What game are you playing at?”
    â€œI know where to find the best cheeseburger you’ll ever eat, guaranteed, and since I cut your dinner short here, it’s the least I can do to steer you toward burger nirvana. No game, promise.”
    â€œFrom threats to promises? My little ol’ head’s spinning.”
    He grabbed her hand and pulled her out of her seat. “We’re leaving now. My sense of charity can only weather so much snippiness.”
    Did everyone in this backward town do