Page 19 of Prime Time Romance

“But then I had an epiphany. I couldn’t just cut Sloan out. What I needed was a replacement. Obviously, you can’t have a Carson’s Cove revival without Sloan Edwards.”

I find myself nodding. “I mean, there really wouldn’t be a point.”

Sheldon stops and slaps the counter so hard that the salt and pepper shakers clink. “Exactly! I needed someone who wanted this as badly as I did. Someone who watched five hundred and seventy-four hours of Carson’s Cove reruns on Netflix. Someone who would wish from the deepest depths of their soul for things to work out right. Who could finally give Sloan the ending she deserves.” He leers above me, making no effort to hide the way his gaze makes a slow assessment of my body from the top of my head to my toes.

I know that Josh and I are the only other people in the diner, but I still look over my shoulder to be sure he’s talking to me. Sloan is sweet and kind and very blond. Aside from my dark, curly hair, I also lack that innocence, that glass-half-full, sunny-side-up attitude that makes Sloan so beloved.

“You want me to play Sloan Edwards,” I clarify.

Sheldon picks up one of my curls, as if his thoughts are now following the path carved out by mine.

“No, Brynn.” He shakes his head, smiling. “I want you to be Sloan Edwards.”

Those tendrils of excitement that filled my lungs only moments ago now twist and contort into double knots.

I sneak a glance at Josh. His face is impossible to read, but he takes a step closer as if he too understands that something feels off here.

“What do you mean when you say be?” I turn back to Sheldon, who smiles as if he has fully anticipated this question.

“You, my friend, are no longer Brynn Smothers. From this point on, you are Sloan Edwards, Carson’s Cove’s beloved girl next door. I’ve got your story all worked out. It’s been fifteen years since you left the island, never returning home after a summer abroad in Paris. Choosing busy and crowded Boston”—he spits out the word—“and your budding design career over your childhood home.” He frowns briefly, then shakes his head, the smile returning to his face. “Anyway, the point is, you’ve come back. Perhaps because you’re feeling a little lost. Perhaps because the real world didn’t live up to all its promises? Perhaps because your heart still belongs to the boy next door?”

All of a sudden, I’m struck by a very different thought. Spencer Woods. Certified teen dream. The object of my teenage fantasies. Does that mean he’s here too?

“What about the boy next door?” I ask Sheldon. “Spencer is back too?”

Sheldon shoots a quick glance at Josh before returning his eyes to me, smiling. “You are going to love this one. Spencer Woods has just returned from LA to take a job as head of the drama department at Carson’s Cove High School. Apparently, he too had some unfinished business on the island calling him home.” He winks.

Josh, who has been notably silent until now, clears his throat. “I’m still not following. Are you making a new television show? Or is this just a reunion of all the cast members?”

Sheldon throws his head back and laughs. “You’re really not getting it, my friend?” He makes a show of wiping a nonexistent tear from his cheek. “I’ve brought the whole thing back to life—with a few minor adjustments. But overall, it’s the Carson’s Cove of its glory days. You wished it into existence, Brynn, and I made it happen.”

His statement shifts the conversation. Up until now, I’ve been a passive participant. A victim, even, of whatever is going on. But claiming I caused this situation? No. That’s not right.

I force myself to think about precisely what happened last night. My memories are a little jumbled. There was cake. I was sad. I was definitely working through some wine-fueled emotions.

“I think you’re a bit mixed up,” I tell him. “I did make a wish last night, but I did not wish for this.”

Sheldon leans in again, so close that our faces are almost touching. He runs a finger down the ridge of my nose and bops the tip.

“Ahhhhh, but you did. You wished for a life free of plot twists. You wished for infallible friendships and a cinnamon roll next door. I believe you even used the term happily ever after. That’s Carson’s Cove in a nutshell, isn’t it?”

I shake my head. “Yes, but—”

“But what?” Sheldon’s jovial expression melts into something else. His mouth hardens into a firm line. “I worked very hard to make this happen. Why aren’t you happy?” He stands. Spreading his arms wide, he turns in a slow, smooth circle. “I’m giving you the chance of a lifetime here. To see Spencer and Sloan together at last. To see Sloan with the Ms. Lobsterfest crown placed upon her deserving head. To have all of the loose ends wrapped up into a perfect bow. Isn’t that what you wanted?”

“Yes, but—”

He holds a finger to my lips. “No buts. No excuses. I need you both to play your parts. Everything must go exactly according to my plans.”

“Why does that sound like a threat?” Josh finally moves. Stepping forward, he seems to grow even taller than his usual six feet and two inches as he places himself between Sheldon and me, calling out the notable difference between Josh’s broadness and Sheldon’s lankier limbs.

Sheldon retreats, scrambling back over the counter and putting a barrier between them. “No threats here, my man. More like strong suggestions and a reminder that I am the one who brought you here and, therefore, the only one with the ability to send you home.”

Josh grips the counter with both hands and leans across it. “Then prove it. Send us home.”

“I will.” Sheldon leans forward as well, suddenly bolder. “Just as soon as you give me the ending I want.”

The shift in Sheldon’s position brings him directly under an overhead light. Whether it’s the new dark shadows under his eyes or something else, his features once again strike a familiar chord. “Who are you?”