Mending The Billionaire Movie Star (MacLachlan Brothers Romance Book 1)

by Bree Livingston

  “Can this horse run?”

  “Sure.”

  “Good.” Penelope kicked her heels in, and the horse took off. She let it run until they got to the sign and then let the horse walk the rest of the way to the campsite. Her eyes widened as it came into view.

  The place was gorgeous. In the distance, she saw snow-topped mountains, and she could almost taste the snow in the air. A stream ran along the edge of the clearing. The smell of pine in the air made it feel so fresh and clean. It was like being in another world.

  Penelope dismounted and led the horse through the small brush to the stream. She sat on a rock while the horse had his fill of water.

  She’d almost told the world about her relationship with Tom. Thinking about him made her head swim. In her heart, she knew Angus was nothing like him. She’d run from him since she’d arrived because she couldn’t bear the thought of getting caught up in everything and getting hurt again.

  Angus was charming and good-looking. She found herself absolutely attracted to him. He had dogs, he could ride horses, he seemed to enjoy being outside, and given the chance, she had no doubt there would be other things she liked about him. But she couldn’t give him that chance.

  She ran the reins through her fingers and rubbed the horse’s nose. “I get the feeling he’s warm and kind. I don’t know. I run from him like he’s a monster. I keep hurting his feelings with my stupid big mouth. I’m not trying to. It kinda pops out. I’m scared of him, but I doubt he’s anything like Tom. Especially when I hurt him so easily, and I’m a nobody. Have you seen his eyes and how sad they look when he’s hurt? How easy would it be to fall in love with someone like him? To forget it’s a show—an actual television show?”

  Penelope swiped at a tear that rolled down her cheek. “I guess you don’t have any advice for stupid girls, do you buddy?”

  The horse shifted on his feet and nuzzled her shoulder.

  “Yeah, I didn’t think you would.” She sniffed. “I wish Paige would have left me alone.”

  She sat on the rock until she heard voices coming from the mouth of the trail. “I guess I can’t hide here, huh?”

  If only she could hide. Penelope sighed and led the horse back out.

  “Time to rejoin the show,” she whispered to herself as she spotted Angus dismounting. Penelope looked around.

  No one was watching him. The camera crew was getting the reactions to the campsite from Zora, Amber, and Jeanie.

  She smiled as she watched him. The way his face lit up as he ran his hand over the horse’s face and nose made her rethink her reactions to him. If the horse liked him, maybe he wasn’t as horrible as she’d made him out to be.

  Penelope swallowed hard as an invisible black fog rolled around her, pulling her back to reality. Tom. All the times she’d dismissed his darkness. All the times he’d said hateful, hurtful things. Angus was a pretty face, just like Tom was. No, he was beautiful.

  But Angus wasn’t Tom. Maybe she could keep her cool and stop being an emotional freak around him.

  As if she’d called Angus’s name, he turned his ice-blue eyes on her, and they locked gazes. Penelope’s breath caught. Tall, blue eyes, red hair...just her type. Paige couldn’t have been more right. If she wasn’t standing in a campsite filled with people and cameras, she’d be in a ball on the ground.

  Whatever she thought about Angus couldn’t be trusted, especially given her history with unreliable judgment. She pulled her gaze away as tears threatened to pour again.

  When she looked back, he was talking with Jeanie. That was good. Maybe if he was giving Jeanie attention, he’d leave her alone. At least Jeanie was nice. He deserved someone nice. Didn’t he?

  Penelope led the horse to the corral where the rest of the horses were being blanketed for the night.

  “They take great care of these horses,” Angus said.

  She’d been so lost in thought that he’d caught her by surprise. When she whirled around, her feet tangled together, and she lost her balance.

  “Whoa.” Angus held her by the elbows and steadied her. “You okay?”

  He was so close she could feel his breath on her cheek. Her mouth parted slightly, and the sudden intake of air filled her nose with his scent. She needed to leave. Now.

  With a slow nod, she handed him the reins to her horse. “Yes, thank you.” It took restraint to walk away instead of run. She took a deep breath. That couldn’t happen again.

  Chapter 16

  Once the crew responsible for setting up the location had them settled in, Callum led them to a river not far from the campsite. The entire place was green, cold, and clean, and in more ways than one, it reminded Angus of home. A few sheep bleating, and he’d get the full effect.

  From the edge of the river to about a foot and a half in, he could see rocks lining the bed. A few feet more, and the water grew deeper. They were warned to stick to shallows because there was a drop-off and it wasn’t a straight line. With the way the river was rolling, Angus could tell the current was quick.

  Callum then gave them a brief lesson on fly fishing. Angus could’ve taught them himself, though, since he already knew how. A movie he’d been in had him playing a character who fly fished, and he’d enjoyed it ever since.

  Eyeing the cameras really quick, he tried to ignore them as he cast his line into the river and slowly reeled it back in. Not the easiest type of fishing, but certainly relaxing. At least, to Angus it was. The only thing niggling him at the moment was Penelope.

  He wasn’t sure what she’d been about to say on the trail ride that morning, but he couldn’t shake the look of horror on her face as she looked from him to the cameraman.

  Catching her staring at him from across the campsite shocked him. Those intense green eyes of hers were nearly a siren’s call, and it took willpower to stay rooted in place. Then at the corral, he’d caught her before she fell. Again, her mesmerizing green eyes stared at him as his gaze had traveled to her full pale-pink lips parted in surprise as he held her.

  What was it about Penelope Cooper that was throwing him? She’d avoided him and made it abundantly clear she wanted nothing to do with him, and he couldn’t seem to free himself from her gravitational pull.

  His wandering thoughts were nailed down as Zora inched closer.

  “This is pretty fun, huh? I mean, not lounging by a pool or shopping kind of fun, but still okay,” she said as she closed the rest of the distance between them. What about tangled line didn’t she get?

  “I’ll take this over the other. This is my idea of a good time,” Angus replied.

  Zora shot him a smile. “Oh? The bad boy has an outdoorsy side?”

  He fought the urge to roll his eyes. “I’m not a bad boy. I’ve never been a bad boy. I made bad choices, yes, but overall, I’d say I spent most of my time in the choir.” Try as he might, he’d been unable to keep the frustration out of his voice. “I’m sorry. I didn’t…I apologize.”

  She palmed his arm. “It’s okay. Apology accepted.”

  Apology accepted but not given in return. Angus struggled to find something about Zora to like. Why had he picked her? Because he was trying to pick women he didn’t like. Well, he’d done a bang-up job with her.

  “Thank you,” he said and put some space between them before casting his line out again.

  Penelope squealed. “Ah! I’ve caught something.” Of course she’d picked up on it quicker than any of the other women.

  Her line yanked hard, and she pulled back on the rod, stepping further into the river. The line jerked again, and the rod bowed so the tip was dipping into the water.

  Jeanie laughed. “It must be huge to be pulling like that.”

  Penelope nodded and smiled. “I think so too.”

  When it jerked again, she took another step forward, and just as Callum reminded them about the drop-off, her foot slipped, and she was pulled under. With a gasp, she broke the surface a few feet downstream from where she’d been standing. She sputtered and paddled
as the current carried her.

  Time froze for Angus as he ran down the riverbank and plunged into the freezing water after her. He grabbed her by the straps of her hip waders, wrapped his arm around her waist, and held her to him with her back against his chest.

  As he reached land, Callum pulled Penelope out of his grasp, and several of the crew huddled around, helping Angus out of the water.

  “I’m fine,” he said. “Just get us some warm clothing.”

  He pushed through them and walked over to Penelope to help Callum get her out of her water-filled hip waders. Someone placed a blanket around his shoulders, and he yanked it off, wrapping it around Penelope. Couldn’t they see she needed it more?

  “A-a-are y-y-you okay?” she asked.

  For a second, he was stunned into silence. She was asking if he was okay? He wasn’t the one dragged down the river. “I’m fine. Are you okay?”

  “J-j-just c-c-cold.” Her teeth chattered so hard it was a wonder they weren’t breaking.

  Angus picked her up. “Where are those dry clothes? She needs them now,” he said as he strode back to camp.

  As he reached her tent, one of the crew handed him a set of sweats. He stepped inside, set her feet on the ground, and said, “You need to get dressed. Okay? I’ll be back to check on you in just a second.”

  She nodded. “Okay.”

  He stepped back out, and Jeff handed him clothing and his phone, mouthing, It’s Barb.

  “Barb?” Angus said as he put the phone to his ear.

  “What on earth happened?” she asked.

  “Penelope slipped and fell in the water, and I went in after her.” He stepped inside his own tent and peeled his wet clothes off.

  “That’s what the safety crew is there for. So you don’t have to do your own stunts.” She paused. “But that’s my boy. This will make a great show.”

  He pulled the sweatshirt over his head and put the phone back to his ear. “I’m going back in her tent to make sure she’s warm.”

  “Give the phone to Jeff.”

  Angus quickly dressed and handed the phone to Jeff on his way to Penelope’s tent. He stopped just outside. “Penelope, are you dressed?”

  “Yes.” Her voice was so soft he almost didn’t hear her.

  He strode through the opening of the tent and found her crumpled atop her wet clothing. “No point in putting on dry clothes if you’re just going to lie on the wet stuff.”

  Cloudy, unfocused eyes met his. “I’m just so sleepy.”

  He lifted her up and set her inside her sleeping bag. Her body was still ice-cold to the touch. She needed body heat. What would she do if she found him in her sleeping bag? “Mind if I stay with you until I’m sure you’re okay?”

  She shook her head. “No.”

  Angus left the bag unzipped and slipped in to lie down next to her. He curled around her, tucking her hands against his chest. “I’ll only stay until you’re warm. I promise.”

  With a soft sigh, she snuggled closer. He was sure the other women would have something to say, but he’d have done the same thing if it was one of them.

  Mostly.

  He would have gone in after them. He would have carried them back to camp. He’d have wrapped them in a blanket and put them in their sleeping bag. What he wouldn’t have done was this.

  His heart had stopped the second her head went under, and it hadn’t restarted until she was pulled to safety. For some unknown reason, the one woman who wanted nothing to do with him had a hook in him. He didn’t want to like her. The show was to get his career back; that was all. But here he was with Penelope flush against him, and it was the rightest thing he’d ever experienced.

  As soon as she was warm, he gently untangled himself, zipped her sleeping bag up, and left her tent. His head was a mess. He liked the way Penelope felt against him, but was it possible that he was having this reaction because she was the only real person around him?

  No, Jeanie was real. They both came from large families who farmed. She was attractive, sweet, pleasant to be around, friendly, and genuine. He’d thought that from the very beginning, but he couldn’t make a spark happen that just wasn’t there.

  He found the other women sitting by the campfire drinking coffee. Grabbing a cup from the nearby table, he poured himself a cup and joined them.

  “Is she okay?” asked Amber.

  “She’ll be fine,” he replied. “At the moment, she’s sleeping.”

  Zora lifted an eyebrow. “You sure dove in after her pretty quick.” The subtle implication wasn’t missed.

  “The water is freezing, and it doesn’t take much for hypothermia to set in. I had to be quick.” And it was Penelope. The one person in a sea of people who wanted nothing from him.

  Zora waved her hand around at the crew. “Isn’t that what they’re here for?”

  Jeanie set her cup down. “I think it was selfless and brave. That was really awesome.”

  Zora rolled her eyes. “I’m sure you would have done the same for anyone of us.”

  “I would’ve,” he said. “I saw her fall, and I reacted.”

  Amber took the opportunity to cozy up to him and lean her head on his arm. “It was brave. I think it was great.”

  What horse manure. The only one remotely genuine was Jeanie. Amber might have believed what she was saying, but Zora was jealous or possessive or whatever she was. And none of them had him in their grasp like Penelope.

  He was falling for the dog groomer from Destin. He hated this show.

  * * *

  With them staying on location at a dude ranch, their interviews were being done remotely. A small tent was set up far enough away no one could eavesdrop. They’d set it up so that they could chat via video with Vincent.

  Tonight’s interview had him anxious. He could only imagine the questions he’d be asked.

  Vincent smiled. “How’s it going out there?”

  “It’s good.”

  “I hear you had quite the exciting day.”

  “Aye, just a little river mishap. Nothing but a dip, and it was done,” Angus said. Maybe downplaying it would keep Vincent from getting too personal.

  Vincent scoffed. “That’s not what I was told.”

  The screen flickered, and video snippets of Amber, Zora, and Jeanie played, each giving their account of what happened. To hear them tell it, he’d dived into a tsunami during a category four hurricane, not a rolling river.

  When Vincent reappeared, his eyebrows were reaching his hairline. “The ladies seem to think you were pretty brave. Risking your life. They may have even sounded a bit wistful that they weren’t the ones rescued.”

  “I wasn’t risking my life. It was a river. That’s all.”

  “Still, a selfless act. Did it feel pretty good being the hero?”

  Angus rubbed the back of his neck. “You’ve painted this all wrong. It’s because of me that we’re here. I’m responsible for the people here. Penelope fell in, and I went in after her. That’s the story. Nothing heroic about it.”

  “We’ll see what the audience thinks about that. And Penelope? Is she okay?”

  “Aye, she was still asleep when I was told it was time for this.”

  Vincent grinned. “That’s good to know. What were you thinking while you were holding her in the tent? I think all of us are dying to know.”

  Angus worked not to squirm. Not that anything happened, but…no, that wasn’t true. Something had happened, he just didn’t have the words to give it voice yet. “Nothing at all. I was only in there to make sure she was warming up and that she was okay.”

  “Well, we’re all glad to know that our bachelorette is doing well.” Vincent smiled to the camera. “Don’t go anywhere. Coming up…snippets of next week’s episode.”

  He cut the cameras, and the tension was instantly better.

  Angus scrubbed his face with his hands and stepped out of the tent. Why had he gone along with giving these interviews? It was as though he’d been on autopilot
when Barb was developing this thing. He was going to have to be more careful about being in her productions from now on.

  Chapter 17

  The savory smell of something cooking pulled Penelope from an incredible dream. It was the strangest thing. Angus was lying next to her, smelling like rain and pine, and he was so warm. It had been a long time since she’d craved being close to someone. Well, not just someone. Angus.

  After unzipping her sleeping bag, she sat up and wondered where the sweats had come from. She vaguely remembered being brought to her tent and dressing in them. The one thing that was crystal clear was the dip she’d taken in the river and how cold she’d been.

  Penelope pulled on her shoes, slipped on a coat lying just inside the tent, and walked out. The tip of the sun was just above the horizon. The air had turned colder, and her mouth watered as the same delicious smell hit her full force.

  The first person to see her was Jeanie. She bounced over to Penelope and smiled. “How are you feeling?”

  “A little foolish for forgetting about the drop-off, but I’m fine.”

  Amber joined them. “Talk about getting your own episode.”

  Penelope hung her head. “Yeah, because my goal in life is to show the world how stupid I am.”

  “Or to have Angus rescue you, thereby having all the focus on you,” Amber said.

  Penelope tilted her head. “What? What are you talking about?”

  “Angus jumping in like a hero and rescuing you,” Zora said as she came from the side.

  Amber crossed her arms over her chest. “That’s what I was wondering. Maybe someone was needing a little attention?”

  Penelope’s shoulder’s sagged. “I wasn’t…I didn’t…One minute I was reeling in a fish, and the next, I was floating downstream. I don’t even remember how I got out.”

  Zora lifted an eyebrow. “Angus dove in after you. He pulled you out, carried you to your tent, and stayed with you for quite a while.” A thin smile spread on her lips. “Must’ve been real cozy in there.”

  “I don’t remember. I promise I don’t,” Penelope said, wishing she could crawl under a rock to get away. “If you’ll recall, I don’t even want to be here. I’ve begged them to send me home.” She squeezed through them, stomped to the campfire, and sat on one of the logs surrounding it.