Hot Alaska Nights

by Lucy Monroe

  "How did you know he was a prig?"

  "The security company did dossier on all your family members."

  "Why? You really think my parents are behind someone cutting the brakes in your car?"

  "Yes."

  "But…" She clearly wanted to argue but was smart enough to realize they were as likely as anyone.

  And because of what Rock now knew, they were at the top of his suspect list. "Your father is running for a city council position. It's not national politics, but it's big enough to make him care a lot about how his children appear."

  "He's always cared."

  "But not enough to act on it before now."

  "You sure he has?"

  "Your father's campaign fixer made a trip to Los Angeles two months ago."

  "He has a campaign fixer? He didn't come to see me."

  "No, he was in town learning about you, assessing your potential for benefit or damage to your father's political aspirations."

  "How can you know that?"

  "He met with people."

  "Like who?"

  "Like Art and Ms. Morganstein. Your father offered funding for the movie if they fired you from the cast. He has no idea this would be your production and directorial debut."

  "They had to have said no. I'm still the female lead."

  "That's one of the reasons I went easy on them when I found out that Elaine threatened your job to try to force you into pressuring me to invest."

  "Getting me recognizable production and editorial credit was going easy on them?"

  "Oh, yes." She needed to know he wasn't a very nice man, so she wouldn't be shocked by his ruthless nature later.

  Deborah's lovely face showed no signs of disgust at his assurance. Instead, she smiled. "Thank you."

  He wasn't sure what she was thanking him for, but he kissed her in response anyway. "You're welcome. For whatever."

  Her melodious laugh filled the air around them. "I like having you on my side."

  "I'll always be there."

  "You keep making these grandiose promises."

  "And you have a hard time believing anyone will stick with you no matter what."

  "Would you? Even if I wanted to go back to Hollywood? Even if I wanted to make another movie, or try for a part on television?"

  "Yes. We'd make it work." They wouldn't be able to live in Alaska year-round, but they'd figure something out because he wasn't letting her go and he wasn't ever going to allow anyone to make her give up her dreams.

  Not even him.

  "You really mean that, don't you?"

  "I can see why you have a hard time accepting that, but yes, I do."

  "You keep implying you know about the people who have let me down."

  "Maybe not all, but enough." He didn't want to tell her about what he'd discovered before calling Elaine, but Rock wasn't going to lie to Deborah. "There's a new story in the tabloids."

  "There's always a new story in those scandal sheets."

  "It's about you. And me."

  Deborah tried to pull away. "What? No. I didn't talk to any reporters."

  "Settle down, hot stuff. I never said you did, but someone did. A producer from one of your early projects."

  Deborah paled. "I know who you're talking about."

  "He claimed you offered your body in exchange for a bigger part on the film."

  She didn't look surprised, heartbroken more like. "Everyone will believe it. Even if it's not true. He's a big name and I'm a nobody by Hollywood standards."

  "He tried something on, didn't he? And you turned him down?"

  "Yes, how did you know?" She sucked in a breath and let it out in stuttering gasps. "Why do you believe me?"

  "Because you don't lie, hot stuff. You would never exchange your body for a part, or a location for your latest movie."

  "Is that what they're saying? That I'm having sex with you so you'll let us use Jepsom Acres? Is everyone ignoring the fact your brother is in the film too?"

  "Yes, to both. I've already instructed my lawyer to file a defamation suit against both the tabloid and the producer."

  "But…you can't throw away money on something like that. Those papers are used to law suits."

  "So is the law firm on retainer for me."

  "You don't care what they say about you."

  "No, I don't."

  "But you're still spending tens of thousands of dollars to sue them."

  "Yes."

  "Because you care what they say about me?" she asked, her voice infused with wonder.

  "I know you're used to the people who should have your back letting you down, but if it is within my power, and most things are, that is never going to be me."

  "I'm beginning to appreciate your arrogance."

  "Just beginning? I'd say you appreciate the hell out of me, hot stuff." Even if she was holding back on the trust.

  He understood. He'd had his own demons to slay in that regard.

  She offered a small chuckle then snuggled into him, her body showing the trust her mind hadn't yet accepted.

  Deborah and Art blocked one of the scenes she was going to direct. She enjoyed having creative input and the behind-the-scenes preparations, but her mind was stuck on the conversations she and Rock had had. First in the barn and then later at dinner with his siblings, where he'd shared his investigator's belief that Deborah's father's campaign fixer was the one to turn the tabloids onto the story about her and even dug up her former producer to spout his old bile.

  Rock's investigators had found links between the two, which had shocked Deborah at first. It seemed counter intuitive if her father didn't want her embarrassing him for his fixer to hold her up for public vilification.

  However, it was Marilyn who pointed out that a politician graciously accepting his wayward daughter back into the fold was probably going to gain more points with his conservative constituents than one with semi-successful Hollywood actor for a daughter. His attempt to buy her out of a job hadn't worked, now he was trying to make her such an embarrassment that the principles wouldn't want Deborah's name associated with their movie.

  He hadn't counted on Rock though.

  Not even a little bit.

  And Deborah was beginning to accept she could. In every way.

  "Deborah, do you have a minute?"

  Looking up from the tape line she'd placed, Deborah found Ms. Morganstein standing near Art.

  She'd done her best to avoid the producer the last few days, not anywhere near forgiving the older woman for the stunt she'd pulled.

  "Art and I were going over the blocking for this scene," Deborah hedged.

  "We're pretty much done here. You can take ten." Art gave Ms. Morganstein a reassuring pat on her shoulder that Deborah didn't understand.

  The older woman tugged at her suit jacket, though it wasn't out of place. "Yes, well, let's take a walk."

  Deborah followed the other woman silently, waiting to hear what she had to say without any sense of urgency. She no longer had the least inclination to follow in Elaine Morganstein's footsteps, not if meant treating people like crap when things got tough.

  "I owe you a deep and sincere apology," Ms. Morganstein said as they got out of earshot of the others.

  "I agree."

  The producer nodded. "Yes, well, I expect you do. What I don't expect is for you to understand, but I'll explain anyway. It's the least I owe you."

  "Okay."

  "This movie is very personal and very important to Art and myself."

  "I knew that."

  "What you may not know is why."

  "I know about Art's son."

  Suddenly, Ms. Morganstein looked about ten years older. "He was my son too. An indiscretion with Art Gamble early in my career, during a time when I wasn't prepared to be a parent. I had the baby but gave him to Art and his then wife to raise."

  Shock coursed through Deborah. She'd never expected something like that. "No one even whispers that you've had a child."

&
nbsp; "No one knows. I went abroad to give birth. It was all very Victorian, and necessary, I thought."

  "Now you don't?"

  "Now, I grieve every day for the life we lost twenty years ago to prejudice that has never been even remotely adequately eradicated. My son took his own life at the tender age of fifteen because he thought he could never be happy being gay. His so-called friends, teachers, so many, including myself, let him down."

  "You told him you didn't approve?" Somehow Deborah couldn’t see it.

  "I never even told him I was his mother! I would have told him he was fine the way he was, if I'd had the chance. If I'd taken the chance. Me not being in William's life was always my choice, not Art's. He would have shared our son with me, but I thought my career was too important. That I was going to change the world with my movies."

  "You have."

  "I've also allowed something very precious to be destroyed because of my tunnel vision."

  "So, you were going to make this movie, no matter what it took."

  "Yes. Tunnel vision again. And I hurt you with it."

  "You did."

  "I am genuinely sorry. I can't tell you how much. Art and I both feel we let William down. This movie was to be our path to redemption."

  "I think redemption in this case comes from forgiving yourselves." Deborah found it was easy to forgive the other woman, now she knew the story.

  She still didn't want to be like her, but Deborah could accept that people made poor choices when motivated by grief and guilt.

  "I let my son down. How do I forgive that?"

  "By acknowledging you aren't perfect, by trying to be a better person now."

  "I failed at that one."

  "No. You hurt me. You said things that should never have been said between a producer and an actor, but you haven't failed at humanity. You also apologized. If you didn't mean it, I'd feel differently, but I can tell that you do."

  "I do."

  "So, the only thing left is to forgive yourself."

  "My son would have been lucky to have a friend like you."

  "Thank you."

  "Carey is very lucky to have the family he does, to have made a friend of you. His life will be so different than the one my son lived in his short fifteen years."

  Deborah wasn't going to confirm that Carey was gay until he chose to come out officially, but she said, "Carey's a lot more like his brother than you'd think."

  "I've noticed. The longer we've been in Alaska, that boy has shown more of his true nature and it's making his acting even more brilliant."

  "It has."

  "You're amazing in female lead. You know that, don't you, Deborah? And I was wrong to say you might not be suited for the other side of the camera. You brought in investors I thought would never even consider the project. Art says your instincts for directing are strong too. You can take your career down whatever path you like from here."

  "I'm going to take it to Anchorage and local theater." Saying the words to someone besides Rock, made them feel more real.

  She wondered if they felt real to him. Deborah wasn't the only one with trust issues, but all at once she knew, deep inside where it counted, that she and Rock were going to find their way through to the other side.

  What they had was too important not to fight for it.

  She told Rock and his siblings about her conversation with Ms. Morganstein that evening over the dinner table.

  "That poor woman," Marilyn said.

  "She made her choices," Rock said implacably.

  "But she's not responsible for what happened to William," Carey protested.

  Rock surprised them all when he agreed. "No, she's not." He looked around at all their surprised faces and frowned. "I still think an apology doesn't begin to make up for the way she treated Deborah."

  "But she and Art refused when my father tried to buy my dismissal from the movie," Deborah reminded him.

  "When they had an angel investor who had already stipulated no other money people could get involved with the project."

  Deborah hadn't thought about that.

  "Still," Carey said. "I mean, they're not bad people."

  "Would you feel that way if you were the one they threatened?" Rock asked.

  Carey shrugged. "You don't think they tried?"

  "Ms. Morganstein told me they needed this location, so your job was safe."

  "That's not the story she tried to give me, but I wasn't raised by a pushover." He gave his brother a jaunty look. "I channeled big brother here and told her good luck getting rid of me."

  Marilyn gave her brother an exaggerated look. "I'm impressed, Carey."

  "Don't sound so shocked to be," he snarked back.

  "You two." Rock shook his head. "Are you ever going to just get along?"

  "We get along fine. We like teasing each other," Carey said as he dished up a second helping of roasted cauliflower.

  Rock turned to Deborah to say something else when her phone rang. She didn't usually bring it to the table, but she'd wanted to be available to the last potential investor who had not yet made up his mind.

  But this ringtone wasn't the generic one, it was her sister calling.

  She looked at the others apologetically as she got up. "Sorry, I'll take this in the other room."

  "No need," Rock said.

  Carey nodded, spearing his vegetables with his fork. "Yeah, we're all family. Take it here."

  Marilyn just made an answer it already motion with her hand toward the ringing phone.

  Deborah swiped and put the phone to her ear. "Hello, Alicia."

  "Deborah, I'm so sorry. If I'd found out earlier, I would have called. You've got to watch out."

  "What? What am I watching out for?"

  "Dad. He hired some fixer guy to help with his campaign for city council. He's got ideas about working his way into national politics."

  "That sounds like him."

  "Well, the fixer is going to try make trouble for you so you'll move back from Los Angeles and start behaving the way a dutiful daughter should and I'm quoting Dad on that."

  "He's already tried, but I'm not letting a few tabloid articles make me tuck tail and run."

  "It's worse than that, I overheard them talking. The fixer has someone on the inside of your movie production, someone who I guess already tried to make you have an accident. You're okay, right? You would have called if you'd been hurt, wouldn't you? Why didn't you call when you had the accident?"

  "Wait a minute, Dad was behind that?"

  "Him and this fixer guy, yes."

  "And you called to warn me?"

  "Of course. I would have called earlier, but I didn't know."

  Alicia had said that already, now it was sinking in. Deborah's younger sister was standing up against their parents' wishes, for Deborah's sake.

  "Tell me you're fine," Alicia demanded. "The fixer was mad about the accident."

  "Why?"

  "Because it didn't work."

  "No, it didn't. I'm fine and so is everyone else who was in the car with me."

  "There were other people in the car? Those bastards! It's not bad enough Dad would go after his own daughter, but not to care about collateral damage. Yes, he'll be a fine politician," Alicia said with more bitterness and sarcasm than Deborah had ever heard from her younger sister.

  "Alicia, do you mind if I put you speaker phone. Rock's going to want to hear all this."

  "Rock, that guy you told me about the last time we talked?"

  "Yes."

  "Is it serious then?"

  "Yes."

  "Good! You deserve somebody special who really loves you."

  "I'm beginning to believe that."

  "Well, you should. You're the only person in my life who loves me for me, you know that?"

  "Considering I never thought I had anyone who loved me that way, yes I can believe that."

  "I'm sorry." Alicia made a sound suspiciously like a sob. "You're my big sister and I've always loved
you, but I was terrified of losing Mom and Dad. I saw how they just cut you out of their life for making one decision they didn't agree with. I wasn't strong enough to face the same rejection. Not then anyway."

  CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

  "That sounds like you want to do something you don't think they'll approve of."

  "I'm going back to work. I already told Robert. He wasn't happy at first, but he came around."

  "Wow, I'm impressed."

  "Thanks. It's time I started making my own choices. Look, I didn't call to talk about me. Put me on speaker so I can tell Rock what I told you."

  So, that was what Deborah did and her sister told Rock and the rest of them about a conversation she overheard between the fixer and their father. Not only did the fixer have someone who was working on the movie on his payroll, he had plans to do more tabloid damage to Deborah.

  "He doesn’t know about the lawsuit I already filed against them. He's not going to find such an eager audience the next time around," Rock said.

  "No, I don't think he knows about it. Who are you suing?" Alicia asked.

  Rock told her.

  "Couldn't you include the fixer in the defamation suit? That would spike Dad's guns for sure."

  "We need proof that he was part of the conspiracy to defame Deborah."

  "Would a recording of the conversation he had with my dad be enough?"

  "You recorded it?" Deborah asked with shock and some hope.

  "Not right at the beginning, but I got enough there's no question what he's up to."

  "Because the car accident would get him arrested for attempted murder."

  "Oh, yes. I like that. I'll send you the file right now."

  "Does Robert know you're calling me?" Deborah asked, concerned. Her brother-in-law lived her dad's pocket.

  "No. He'll find out soon enough though."

  "Will you be safe?" Rock asked.

  "It doesn't matter," Alicia said, her voice only quavering a little. "I've spent enough time being silent on what matters to me. I'm not going to be any more."

  "Listen, I want you and your children safe. It's not important to me that you tell Robert you're on my side," Deborah said, feeling desperation well inside.

  If they would engineer an accident for her, what would they do to Alicia, who was right there? In their grasp?