by Dee J. Adams
Yeah, that sounded good to him.
Chapter Seventeen
Leo met Tim the next evening at Tim’s home office after the editor finished working on a sci-fi thriller due out next year. The headache from hell had stayed with Leo no matter how many pain relievers he tossed back. At least today, the pounding in his skull had receded to a doable level four.
A cool breeze wafted through the magnolia trees not too far from Leo’s house. Bypassing the front door, Leo opened the gate and let himself into the backyard where Tim’s guest house/edit bay sat in the corner of the yard. Tim waved Leo in, his puffy eyes and tired smile told Leo it had been one long day in this little dark room.
“I know I’m asking a lot,” Leo said, sliding into the comfortable leather seat next to Tim behind the control panel. A bank of monitors dimly lit the dark room with a still photo of Leo riding Smokey. “I really appreciate this, man.”
Tim shook his outstretched hand. “We’ll just add this to the growing list of things you owe me.” And, boy, did Leo owe him. Squeezing him in to finish this film when the guy was already working outrageous hours, Tim was nothing short of hero material.
Slapping Tim’s back, Leo grinned. “C’mon, you only put in twelve hours today. Another two is nothing.” That number was probably shy of the true count.
“Haha,” Tim said, but he had a genuine smile on his face. He punched some buttons and Leo’s footage began moving on the screen, the lone rider in the wide-open desert. “This was beautiful stuff,” he said. “Your idea or Yanic’s?”
“Mostly mine. I wanted that first shot close then open it up to see the scenery.” The camera started on a close up of his face, then widened out as he rode hard and fast into the barren, brown desert, one of the toughest, most experienced riders the Pony Express had ever employed.
The first shot had been golden. Lightning in a bottle as it were. Tim’s cut had been nearly exactly what Leo wanted and Leo’s minimal notes wouldn’t take long to incorporate. Next, Tim rolled the footage of Smokey throwing Leo. Although Leo remembered the initial ride, the unholy way that Smokey had tossed him around as if he’d weighed nothing, he didn’t have too much memory of being dragged. Yeah, he remembered the burn and trying to get his foot out of the stirrup, but he hadn’t thought about the whole picture or what he might look like as it was happening.
“Wow,” he murmured, watching with narrowed eyes as Smokey bucked and ran, all while dragging Leo behind him like a rag doll. The end came when Leo got his foot free but slammed into a giant rock.
“Fucking ouch.” Tim’s words came through gritted teeth and puckered face as he seemed to feel the impact just from watching it. “No wonder you’ve got a shiner the size of Texas.”
“Yanic thinks I should use this for promotional material.”
Tim nodded. “A great idea. I can see how it would bring people in.”
“Maybe we’ll just cut before impact. That’s pretty gruesome.” His headache throbbed worse after watching the footage.
It only took a couple hours to finish the edit and they both agreed on the final cut.
Leo had booked a sound mix for tomorrow and he could steal the music already laid in at the beginning of the movie for the score. After that it was final visual effects and final color. Then he had to send the finished product to the potential distributors and wait for their decisions. He didn’t expect it to be a cakewalk, but he had a leg up because of his name.
For the first time in a long time, Leo saw a light at the end of the tunnel. This film could pull him out of his hole and once he got on solid ground, he planned to focus on one other very important thing in his life.
Kim Jacobs.
Days later, the lunch crowd buzzed in the packed restaurant. Kim set her fork down and leaned back in the booth. “The rest is yours.”
Wilson’s eyes lit up like winning slot machines in Vegas as he pulled the rest of their shared dessert closer to his side of the table. “I’m not going to argue with you.” He took a giant bite of the chocolate chip cookie pie and rolled his eyes in dessert euphoria.
“You don’t have to rub it in.” Kim loved dessert as much as the next guy, but she wanted to eat as healthy as possible because of the pregnancy. She’d have to check on the nutritional value of pickles since she’d been craving them like a lunatic.
“I know,” Wilson said around a mouthful. “I’m trying to eat it really fast so that you don’t have to stare at it.”
He said it with such a straight face that Kim had to laugh. Wilson slapped a napkin over his mouth and laughed too. And nearly choked himself in the process. That made them laugh harder.
Spending time with Wilson hadn’t been nearly as bad as she expected. She’d forgotten how funny he could be. Plus, he’d surprised her by being a good listener. He hadn’t looked past her at the television screen showing football game highlights or stayed glued to his phone. He’d listened to her talk about work and Chelsea and Chelsea’s new baby. He’d even rented a second car under his name so she had her own wheels. She’d never been pulled over, so there was no reason to think she’d get caught driving without her license.
Wilson had shared his heartbreak over his divorce and strained relationship with his ex and his daughter. She hadn’t been aware that his wife had cheated on him and the devastation of the affair showed clear in his eyes.
“So, it’s been a few days and still no license,” Wilson said after a moment of silence. “The weather’s cleared up in Indiana. You think you might take a flight out before it gets delivered here?” He took the final bite and washed it down with the last of his water.
The weather had cleared up early yesterday, but Kim had been procrastinating, holding out hope that her ID would show. “I probably should, but I keep thinking about the extra delay that’s going to cause when Leo has to stick it in the mail again to send it to me.”
“So what. Express mail is only twenty-four hours.” He shrugged as he wiped his hands with a napkin. “On the other hand, you’ve waited this long, so another day or two isn’t going to make that much difference at this point.” He wrinkled his forehead. “Did you hear that a mail plane actually crashed a few months ago over the ocean? Can you imagine if something like that happened with your license? That would suck.” He wadded up the napkin and tossed it on the table.
“Gee, thanks for the positive thoughts.” Kim signaled to the server for their check.
“Oh c’mon, the plane already crashed, which means it’s not going to happen to you or your ID. Murphy’s Law doesn’t work that way. Or does it?” He lifted a sandy brown eyebrow.
“Enough already. Don’t freak me out.”
“I’m not freaking you out. I’m trying to relax you. That was the whole point of this lunch.” The server arrived and Wilson snatched the bill from his hand. “I’ve got this one.”
“I should get it. You wouldn’t still be here if it wasn’t for me.”
“You got last night’s dinner. I’ve got this. I can even afford the extra side of pickles you ordered.” He lifted a quizzical eyebrow almost as if he was waiting for an explanation.
She avoided it. “Okay, okay, it’s yours.” She’d write a check for everything she owed him in one shot once she got home. He really had been good company the past few days. He’d convinced her to do some of the touristy things she’d never done. They’d checked out Disneyland and Universal City. They’d even walked around Hollywood for a couple of hours.
“Oh,” he said, a smile lifting his lips. “I’ve got one.” They’d been coming up with memories from the old days when they were little and spent so much time together. “Remember when we used to play Monopoly in my room.”
Kim nodded. “I was always the dog. And you used to sit with your legs all cockeyed and backwards.” She shivered. “I still don’t know how you sat like that for so long. It couldn’t be good for your knees.”
“Well, you used to lie on your stomach, propped up on your elbows and I didn’t know ho
w you could stay like that for so long. Guess we’re even.” He went back to figuring out the bill.
Probably so. They each had their quirks and history. Ultimately, they’d been raised together and he was like a brother to her.
As they walked to the car, Wilson draped an arm around her shoulders. “I have to apologize.”
“For what?” She glanced at him as they strolled.
“For wigging out when the lawyer read the will. I’m really sorry. I’d just talked to Chloe and she was being a real bitch about me seeing Amanda. It was just the straw that broke the camel’s back. I get why she did what she did. She hadn’t trusted me in a long time. I can’t say I blamed her.” He clicked the car alarm and it double chirped as they approached. Wilson stood in front of the door and kept her from reaching the handle. “I have changed. I just wish she’d taken the time to notice.” He stroked his hands down her arms and Kim blinked. He couldn’t mean anything by the close contact.
“Maybe she was too worried about the cancer to really see how you changed,” she said, taking a step back.
Wilson didn’t seem to be deterred and grabbed both her hands in his. “I think you’re right. I felt so terrible for her. I hated not being able to do more for her.”
Kim squeezed once and tried to pull her hands back. “C’mon, you did everything you could. I’m sure she appreciated everything.”
Wilson kept his grip tight as he smiled at her. “Thanks.” He squeezed back. “I guess I know that deep down, but it’s nice to hear it from someone else.” He tugged her forward and wrapped her in a hug.
Kim patted his back, giving him the comfort he seemed to need. But one hand moved slowly down her back…so far down that Kim’s eyes snapped open as all sorts of warning lights went off in her head. Abruptly, she pulled back before that hand landed on her ass.
She reached for the door handle and forced Wilson back when she opened it wide then she scrambled for a topic. “The house really is pretty,” Kim said, sliding into the passenger side as Wilson held open her door. He’d been so attentive the last few days, she didn’t quite know what to make of it and the last few minutes really threw her off.
“On the outside, yes, you’re right. It’s a shame I’m going to have to sell it.” He closed the door after dropping that bomb. Her stomach dropped. It was like another death all over again.
She’d spent so many hours in her aunt’s house. They both had. It seemed like the last remaining piece of significance when it came to their family. She waited until he sat behind the wheel. “You’re selling it? Really?” She hated that idea more than black jelly beans. “Why?”
Wilson shrugged as he started the car. “I need the money.”
“Can’t you at least get a loan? Take some equity out of the house.”
He slipped on his sunglasses. “I don’t know. The house requires a lot of upkeep. It’s way bigger than I need. Just seems like overkill. I mean, unless someone else moved in with me.” He glanced at her. “Want to move back to Arizona?” He laughed, but Kim barely cracked a smile.
“But it’s all we have left,” she murmured quietly. And she had no way to stop him from selling if he wanted to.
“You can buy it if you want to keep it so badly.”
Kim scarcely breathed. Had Wilson been playing her this whole time? Had he lured her into a false sense of security before laying out this suggestion? She hated being so cynical where he was concerned.
“Or don’t buy it,” he said, when she didn’t immediately answer. “I can see I hit a sore spot. Look, I don’t care either way. I need the money so the house is my best way to get it. The sad thing is it’s falling apart from the inside out. I’m probably going to have to take a lot less than it’s worth.”
“How much will fix it up?” Kim couldn’t believe she’d actually asked. The house was his free and clear and she got the rest. She shouldn’t care what the place needed, but she found it hard to let go of that last bit of her mother and aunts.
“Probably fifteen grand should do the trick,” Wilson said. Then he listed everything breaking down, starting with the water heater and ending with the cracked pool.
She could float him a loan or put the money into the house herself. Worst case scenario she would buy it.
Back at the hotel, Wilson took her hand and walked her across the parking lot. The freaky vibe she had before they got in the car came back with stunning force. She didn’t like the way his thumb caressed her knuckles or how closely he walked next to her.
“Thanks for lunch,” she said, pulling her hand away to rummage for her card key in her purse.
He stood in front of her again, blocking the door, and every nerve shot to hyper alert as her heart thudded a heavy beat. “You’re welcome.” He gave her a smile she supposed worked on the opposite sex, but her mind still didn’t want to go where Wilson seemed to be leading. “It’s such a nice afternoon. How about we go to a park or something?”
A park or something? Kim shook her head. “Actually, I was going to answer some emails from my phone and see if I could get some work accomplished that way, so…” She leaned toward the door, trying to get past him but somehow he leaned the same way and Kim took an awkward step to avoid contact. “Wilson!” What the hell was he doing?
He straightened and stepped away from the door. “Sorry. I thought…” He trailed off and edged closer to his room. “I’ll see you later, then. I picked lunch so you pick the dinner spot.” He let himself into his room and closed the door before she could respond.
What was that all about? Wilson had been so fun all through lunch before that weird moment just now. Kim entered her room, debating whether she should meet Wilson for the next meal.
Kim talked to Chelsea about a few accounts and returned some emails and late afternoon she checked her watch. Her heart beat a little quicker. Every day at this time she called Leo and every conversation so far had contained the same grim news. With fingers crossed, Kim punched in Leo’s number hoping to hear something positive.
“It’s not here yet,” he said without so much as a hello. “But,” he said, “you’re either calling early or the carrier is running late. No mail yet.”
Maybe if she hoped hard enough, today would be the day.
“How about…” he paused and her curiosity peaked. “How about you come over for dinner. Just you and me. I want to show you something.”
An exhilarating thrill shot through her chest, but she forced herself to sound casual. “Is it something I’ve seen before?”
He laughed and the sound filled her up. She could picture the sparkle in his eyes, the flash of straight white teeth, the laugh lines that bracketed his mouth. “No,” he said, still chuckling. His voice pitched lower. “But I’m more than happy to show you anything you might be missing.”
He made her flush without being anywhere near her and he tempted her like candy tempted a child.
She glanced at the wall that separated her room from Wilson’s and heard his TV as he surfed the channels. She’d already planned to miss the next meal with her cousin so that left her evening wide open. Besides, being with Leo made her one hundred percent happier than being with Wilson. Wait…wasn’t that the reason she’d decided to leave Leo’s place to begin with? Maybe, but hadn’t she stayed away for days? Didn’t she deserve a reward?
“What time?” she asked.
“Gimme a couple hours to finish up some work, then I’ll be ready for you.”
Kim checked her watch. “I’ll see you a five-thirty, then.”
“Don’t be late.”
“I won’t.” On the contrary, it might be hard to not be early.
Wilson kept his anger buried as he followed Carolyn up the winding canyon to Leo’s house, making sure to keep a good distance between their cars. The spur of the moment invitation for her—and only her—pissed him off. He knew renting her a car might be dicey, but he’d looked at it as another opportunity for Carolyn to owe him. The meals, the shopping… He’d convinced
her to do all of it and he loved how their relationship had shifted. She needed him. Relied on him. Not only had they’d fallen into the good old days, but it had turned just that afternoon when they’d held hands and almost kissed. He could tell that she was still trying to get a handle on her feelings for him, so he didn’t want to push.
Although the fact that she still hadn’t shared her pregnancy pissed him off. The pile of pickles she ate at every meal was a dead giveaway.
Wilson stopped a few doors away and watched Carolyn exit the car and climb the steep stairs to the front door. His blood boiled, but he clenched his jaw and took a deep breath. Why the hell had he even followed her? He couldn’t sabotage another rental. “Shit,” he hissed. What a waste of time. He almost pulled into the street when the postman’s boxy truck passed him and made him freeze. If this guy had her ID, and Wilson got it before she did, he’d have more time with her. He immediately cut the engine and glanced up the stairs to see if Carolyn had spotted the mailman. Leo must have been waiting for her because she was nowhere in sight.
The mailman pulled up to the box and dumped a pile of letters inside before continuing up the hill. Wilson waited until he got around the curve and out of sight before exiting the car, jogging closer and reaching into Leo’s mailbox. He didn’t have to look far into the pile of mail. The third envelope was from the Indiana DMV, addressed to Kim Jacobs. But of course they meant Carolyn Wyatt. It was easy to get them confused since they looked so much alike. People had been doing it for years.
The smile curving his lips came from deep inside. He glanced up at the house, then back to the mail in his hands. Looked as if this trip had been worth it.
Kim lifted her hand to knock on the door, ignoring the unusually fast beat of her heart. She could blame it on the conversation she just had with one of the detectives, but she knew better. The phone call had been short, because of a bad connection, but she’d heard enough to know someone had tampered with her rental car. Coupled with the shooting and the horse accident, it seemed pretty clear that someone wanted her dead.