Doug and Carlie's Love Conspiracy (Doug & Carlie Series Book 2)

by Lisa Smartt

  That was it. It was as though a voice came thundering out of heaven. The lead role of “A Single Woman’s Guide to Ordinary” would go to Ashley. Ashley from Alabama. I didn’t even know her last name. You’re right, Aunt Charlotte. “The Lord done smiled on us real good.”

  Chapter 20 CLARA LOUISE: Preachers and Car Thieves

  I let 24 hours pass before returning Jake’s e-mail. I didn’t want to seem too eager. The new music teacher said I should have written back right away. But she doesn’t know anything about men. She dates a city planner from St. Louis who sends her mean text messages that make her cry.

  9:00 PM

  Dear Jake,

  Thanks for your e-mail message. We all liked visiting your church. The people were very nice and made us feel right at home. I would like to visit West Tennessee again soon. So maybe I will take you up on your offer to show me the sights. Northern Georgia also has some wonderful things to see. So if you’re ever in the neighborhood, I would be glad to show you Georgia’s treasures as well.

  Thanks,

  Clara

  I knew Carlie wouldn’t like my reply. I could hear her booming voice now. “It’s a little dry, Clara. Let him know you’re interested. Be a little more cyber-friendly.” But that was the problem. I wasn’t interested. I should be but I wasn’t. I couldn’t talk to anyone about it. Not Carlie. Not Aunt Charlotte. Definitely not my mother. I wasn’t interested in the right man. I was interested in the wrong one. Oh God, please help me. I’m going the wrong direction. Or am I? Make my path straight.

  I got out Dusty McConnell’s business card again. There was a little smudge of black on the top right corner. Perfect for a mechanic’s card. It’s almost like it was done on purpose. Dusty McConnell had some smudges on him too. I thought about what Aunt Charlotte said about him, how he’d been dealt some painful blows but how he’d dealt some back too. I should be afraid but I wasn’t.

  I saw the e-mail address at the bottom. What could it hurt? I mean, I live 8 hours away. He’s clearly not dangerous. Everyone in town trusts him. Even Aunt Charlotte didn’t say anything about not trusting him.

  Dusty,

  I wanted to thank you for taking such good care of my car when I was in Tennessee. When I showed my dad the bill, he said you gave me a significant discount. Thank you. I guess there are still people who have compassion on a stranded school teacher, even if she won’t open the door to have a conversation.

  Thank you for staying with me until Doug got there too. That was kind. The car is doing well and the Kindergarteners are fine. I hope you are doing well. I hope business is good too. The way I see it you and I are in the right jobs. There will always be kids who need to learn to read and there will always be cars that need fixing. We are both blessed.

  Appreciation from Georgia,

  Clara

  God, please help Dusty McConnell to answer my e-mail. Give me a sign.

  Two days passed. Neither of the Tennessee men responded. Their silence confirmed my greatest fear. I wasn’t worth a man’s love or attention. Not even worth an e-mail message. I was a loser, a castaway. The rejection was trying to speak truth to me, telling me that I needed to be alone. But I refused to listen. One man was too dangerous and the other was just not interested.

  When the phone rang, I prayed it would be Carlie. She would know what to do. But it wasn’t. Blessedly, it wasn’t.

  “Hello.”

  “Uh, hello, this is Dusty McConnell up here in Bradford, Tennesee.”

  “Oh uh, hi, Dusty.”

  “Yeah, I got that nice message from you and everything and I’m not much of one to write at all. I had problems with writing in school and I never got much help with it. Anyway, I don’t write a lot. It’s not that I’m stupid. No, they said I’m not stupid. Just have a hard time with writing and spelling, I guess.”

  “You’re probably dyslexic, right?”

  “I did have one teacher that thought that’s what it was. You know, a lot of Hollywood actors have that. Tom Cruise and some others. But I’m doin’ fine. I mean, I own my own business. I can read good enough to do what I need to do. It’s more the writing. I didn’t want to send something that would make you think I’m stupid.”

  “I would never think you’re stupid. I have no idea how to put an alternator in a car. Do you think I’m stupid because I can’t do that?”

  “No.”

  “Then why would I think you’re stupid for not being able to spell?”

  He laughed as though my words relieved a fear. “I guess that’s one way of lookin’ at it.”

  “Everyone has strengths and weaknesses. Take me for example. I like working with little kids but sometimes I’m scared around adults.”

  “Why?”

  “I don’t know. I guess I trust little kids because, well, because they can’t hurt me. They wouldn’t even want to hurt me.”

  “Yeah. I get that. I do.”

  “So, what’s been going on at your shop today?”

  “Poor ol’ Mrs. Reeves brought in her van again. She has 8 kids and ‘er oldest two boys are always in trouble. She told ‘em they couldn’t drive the van for two weeks. So they got the bright idea of hotwiring it late last night for a joy ride. But they’re both a brick shy of a full load, if you know what I mean. They wouldn’t know how to plug in a George Foreman grill much less hotwire a van. They fried her electrical system pretty bad. God bless the poor woman. Van trouble is the least of her worries. Other than that, some oil changes and a few flat tires. I guess that’s about it in the big city of Bradford.”

  “Wow! 8 kids? She’s a busy woman even if her oldest two weren’t trying to become car thieves.”

  “Yeah. She’s had it rough lately. She has. But, she definitely doesn’t have to worry about ‘em becomin’ car thieves. Neither of ‘em are smart enough for that…thankfully.”

  “I guess you would know. Uh, I mean, you know about cars and uh, engines and stuff so you know what it would take to do that ‘cause you’re a car mechanic and mechanics know those kinds of things, right?”

  “Look, I’m sure Mrs. Charlotte has told you about me. It’s okay if she did. I’m not trying to hide anything. Mrs. Charlotte, she does like to be a little dramatic, I guess. But I’m sure she told you the truth. I went to prison for bein’ a car thief. I did three years over near Nashville. I was in with a bad group of guys at the time. Prison was the best thing that could have happened to me. I got in some church groups, met some men who were trying to help me. It was life changing. Really. And yes, I came back to Bradford and two years later I married the greatest girl in the county. Her parents were hesitant at first until I proved to ‘em that I was a changed man. You know, you can’t blame ‘em for not wanting me as a son-in-law. But then, I messed it up and…”

  Dusty’s voice cracked and I wished I had never brought up the stupid car thief subject.

  “Yeah, I know about the tornado and your family. And I’m sorry. So very sorry.”

  “Well, anyways, I guess I just wanted to thank you for the e-mail. It was real nice. I don’t get many thank you notes. A few returned checks now and then, but not very many letters.” He laughed nervously, but his laughter was comforting. “I probably need to let you go so you can work on your school stuff or somethin’.”

  “Well, thanks for calling, Dusty. Really. I’m glad you called.”

  “No problem. Bye, Clara.”

  I felt joy and sadness. Joy because I liked talking with him. Sadness because no one knew about my feelings. I thought about what Carlie told me once. Things that are hidden are usually not helpful. She was right. Plus, I didn’t feel a need to hide anymore. I knew she was still in California but I texted her a few simple words, “When you get a minute, I need to talk to you about Dusty McConnell.”

  Chapter 21 CARLIE: Alabama Ashley and the Georgia Peach

  We still couldn’t believe it. Dave won a pool table on The Price is Right. If I had been there to yell out the correct price for Chicken Rice-A-Ro
ni, he would have won the boat too. But sadly, me and my uncanny Rice-A-Roni pricing knowledge can’t be two places at once. Still, a pool table is not too shabby.

  “How did the big collaboration go?” Dave asked the question between bites of waffle in the hotel breakfast area.

  My answer was enthusiastic. “We found our lead actress!”

  Shannon said, “Oh, I didn’t know they let you choose your own person.”

  “They don’t. But we did.”

  Doug looked concerned. “Well, we haven’t yet. I mean, we did listen to her read a few lines. And she is an actress. But the studio will have to agree.”

  I tried to explain the situation. “They will love her. She’s perfect. Perfect. And she’s going with us to the meeting this afternoon. They called a meeting at 2:00 and she’s going to walk in with us. And when she walks in the door, they’ll love her immediately. It’s impossible not to know she’s right for the part. Impossible.”

  Dave was a brave man and he asked a brave question. “What if they don’t love her? I mean, what if they say no? What are you going to do then?”

  “I have no idea. We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it. Well, we’ll cross the bridge or push all the movie people in the water. Either way, it’ll be a win.”

  2:00 pm

  Ashley looked perfect for the big meeting. Her friend, a hairdresser, had given her an up do with loose curls around her face. She wore black jeans and a bright blue sweater which was directly from the pages of the book. She stayed up late reading the book so she would be ready.

  Chance greeted us in the lobby and scowled when we told him that our friend, Ashley, needed to come with us to the meeting. His scowl didn’t look very good with his yellow smiley face t-shirt. I wanted to say, “Chance, don’t worry. Be happy.” But I patted him on the back and chose silence instead. I like to think my silence indicated a lot of personal and emotional growth on my part. Oh, and if you’re wondering if Doug and I decided to wear shabby chic clothes on day two of the negotiations, we didn’t. I figured we should be who we are and not try to fit in. I remember what Pappa always said, “Ya better dance with the one that brung ya.”

  When we walked in the door, all the players from the day before were in the same chairs. Different day. Different thrift store fashion. They all stared at Ashley so I decided to get the ball rolling. “Thank you all for agreeing to another meeting. Really. I know you’re having to make some decisions about casting and that’s a big deal. I don’t pretend to understand movie casting. But I do know about life. I mean, about my life, about the life the book portrays. This is Ashley Harrison and she’s an actress. She’s done some big commercials. She’s from Alabama. And well, Doug and I think you should give her a chance.”

  Ms. Watson spoke first, “A chance for what?”

  “A chance to play the lead role. You know, the character based on my life. I think she’s perfect. She’s got the look, the accent. I heard her read some lines yesterday and she has talent.”

  Ms. Watson removed her glasses and broke out in laughter. Her underlings followed suit with their own fake laughter which was nauseating. Well, everyone except Emily. She wrote something down on her tablet.

  “Carlie, I’m afraid there’s been a misunderstanding. We never asked you to go out and find the lead role. We have teams of people to do that. Besides, we haven’t even tried A or B list folks yet. If we can negotiate a deal, we should try to get someone with a name. No one knows your friend here. So, the answer is ‘No.’”

  “But you’ll give her a chance, right? I mean, you’ll let her audition?”

  “I’m afraid not.”

  I reached out to shake Ms. Watson’s hand, “Thank you for considering us. Thank you for spending your time at these meetings. But I’m afraid we’re not on the same page so I’ll need to take our script somewhere else. It was nice to meet you though. Really nice.”

  “Mrs. Jameson, don’t be silly. You want our studio to make this film. The publishers want us to make this film. We can give it the credibility it deserves. Don’t let this one thing dampen your enthusiasm for the project.”

  “Oh no, Ms. Watson. My enthusiasm is not dampened in the slightest. No. I’m more enthusiastic now than ever. And yes, I know you make good movies. You do. And I want you to make this one. It’s just that, well, you’re not willing to take chances. And I need to work with a studio that IS willing to take chances. That’s the whole theme of the book, y’see. And you haven’t even heard Ashley read any lines. You haven’t experienced her flavor for the character. So, that’s pretty close-minded in my book.”

  Ms. Watson removed her glasses and leaned back in her swivel chair and said, “Well, let’s hear her then.”

  “Thank you. You won’t regret it. Ashley, why don’t you read page 12.”

  Ashley stood and nervously pulled the script from her bag. I prayed that the Lord would do a miracle. A miracle for Ashley Harrison. A miracle for the movie. A miracle so Ms. Watson would see that sometimes taking chances pays off.

  Ashley pretended to be fixing her hair while looking into a mirror. “J.C. Collier’s sister said he wants to ask me to the Rotary Club Pancake Breakfast and what would I say if he did ask me. Of course, I’d say ‘Yes’ even though it makes me horribly nervous. First of all, I get chatty when I eat too many carbs. Secondly, the flourescent lighting at the elementary school cafeteria will age me at least 10 years. And this is yet another reason I’m sad not to be married. I don’t think there’ll be ONE married woman at that pancake breakfast worried about the cafeteria lighting. A married woman is right to assume that if her husband can watch ‘er give birth under flourescent hospital lights, he oughta be able to watch ‘er eat pancakes on a Saturday mornin’ under harsh cafeteria lighting. That’s called intimacy. Real marital intimacy. And seein’ as how the Rotary Club is rightfully afraid of exposing elementary school kids to mood lighting, I’ll have to bite the bullet and brave the storm this time.”

  Some around the table looked nervously at Ms. Watson while others looked down at the table. Emily was brave though. “Wonderful! Wonderful!” I didn’t know if Emily’s daddy was a famous person or if Emily was just a trendsetter. But I was appreciative either way.

  Ms. Watson said in a matter of fact way, “Nice job, Ashley. We may ask you to come in and read a few more times before we make a decision.” She asked sarcastically, “Are you okay with that, Carlie?”

  “Yes, ma’am. I understand that you can’t jump the gun on something as important as this. I’ll stay in contact with you and with Ashley. But she IS wonderful, isn’t she? She’s got presence.”

  “She does. Now, Chance will take you on that set tour he promised. If you need anything at all, contact Chance or Emily. They’ll get it worked out. I’ll be in touch with a contract. Don’t worry.”

  Doug chimed in, “Thank you all for everything. Carlie and I’ll be going back to Tennessee tomorrow but here’s Ashley’s contact information.” He slid a promotional packet toward Ms. Watson. Ashley and I had worked on it yesterday afternoon and it was good. It wasn’t perfect. But we didn’t need perfect. The book wasn’t perfect. The movie wouldn’t be perfect. Life isn’t perfect.

  The next morning Ashley met us at the hotel lobby before we left for the airport. We introduced her to Dave and Shannon. She asked Shannon if they had any kids and I winced. But it wasn’t like that was the first time someone asked. It was a normal question, a question they were used to.

  “Not yet. But we wish we did. We’re hoping for one soon.”

  “That’s great. Kids are a blessing. It took my parents eight years to have me so don’t give up. Sometimes it’s the best kids that take the longest.” She smiled pleasantly and touched Shannon on the hand.

  I hugged Ashley and insisted that she could call me day or night regarding the movie or just life in general. She promised she would. I was ready to be done with the movie business for a while. I was letting it go. Trusting that they would do right by the s
cript. Unless something went drastically awry, I would sign the contract and move on with my life. Besides, I had gotten off course on one of my missions in life. Finding a man for Clara Johnson. She had sent me a disturbing text about wanting to discuss Dusty McConnell. But of course, Dusty was just a distraction. I would take care of it as soon as we got home. No problem. No worries

  On the plane, I leaned over on Doug’s shoulder and said, “Thank you.”

  “For what?”

  “For inviting me to meet you at the Cracker Barrel that day.”

  He grinned and laughed. “I was so nervous.”

  “You didn’t seem nervous.”

  “I’m a guy. I’m good at covering things up, remember? And thanks for agreeing to meet me too.”

  “Are you kidding? A good-lookin’ Christian man with green eyes and a great butt? Really. It was a no-brainer, Honey.”

  I texted Clara from the Nashville Airport. “Back in TN. I can talk to you at 8 2nite. Call the home phone. Luv U.”

  8:05 pm

  “Hello.”

  “Carlie, it’s Clara. How was the big California trip?”

  “Great! You won’t believe all the excitement. Dave won a pool table on The Price is Right. Doug and I toured the movie studio AND we found the lead actress for the movie, too….at a diner! Can you believe it? It was just like an old movie! It’s like God literally dropped her from the sky.”

  “Oh, I didn’t know the studio let you pick the actors.”