by Tijan
I turned to leave.
“Ass.”
I paused but then let it go.
I’d spoken too quickly to Gayle. Kara was a problem, and I had a feeling she was going to continue to be until I shoved my prick into her. She’d been breathing down my neck, and her hands had been trying to rub my groin since she arrived for the table read.
“Brody.” I was walking past the director when she waved me over. She was standing a few feet away from the camera crew.
“Yeah?”
“Are you fucking Kara?”
I gave her a sharp look. “No.”
She raised a disbelieving eyebrow. “Come on.”
“I’m not.”
“She’s damned near molesting you, has been this whole time.”
I grimaced. The feel of her hand brushing against me came back to me. “I’ll deal with it.”
“You shouldn’t have to. That’s what I’m saying. If you aren’t sleeping with her, I’m assuming it’s because you don’t want to. Am I wrong?”
I gave her a crooked grin, tapping the side of my head. “Shit’s kinda messed up here right now. Sleeping with my co-star isn’t something I can take on.”
“About your brother?”
I caught a twinge of pity in her eyes.
I nodded. “You could say that.” I was keeping company with all sorts of ghosts lately. Girls. Kyle. I didn’t need to add any more regrets to the list.
“Well.” She sighed, glancing over to where Kara was glaring our way. Her assistant was next to her, trying to talk to her. “If that’s an issue you want help resolving, let me know—”
A scream cut her off.
We both turned, but the sound of stampeding hooves drowned out any other screams. Everyone froze.
High up on the clearing on the other mountain, the horses were sprinting from one side to the other. Even with the river and tree line between us and them, we had a panoramic view of the creatures.
The stallion, which stood a few hands taller than the size of the rest of the herd, was pure white except for two black spots on his backend.
“Oh, whoa.” Shanna stepped closer to them, snapping her fingers. “Carl! Get that camera out. Get those horses on it.”
He nodded, swinging his lens around. “On it.”
Everyone was watching the horses, their mouths hanging open, but I was looking for her. She must be with them. Unless, I glanced to the trees above the horses. No. I looked at the tree line on the other side of the river. No. I didn’t see her.
I looked back to the herd. They were almost past us and would be out of eyesight soon. I was studying each one, but they were going so fast.
Then . . . there.
I saw the gray mare she’d been riding the first night, but she wasn’t on her.
No.
A foot.
I almost laughed aloud. Her foot was the only thing visible, resting on top of the mare’s back. She was riding on the side of her, hidden from sight.
It happened so fast that, by the time I turned, they were already gone. Everyone just seemed stunned. I didn’t hear any questions about the girl, or the foot.
“Goddamn.” Shanna swore under her breath. “There’s a herd of mustangs. Kellerman should’ve told me that.”
“He didn’t?”
She looked at me sharply. “You knew?”
“They almost took out our car on the first night. I thought he cleared them with you.”
Her jaw firmed, and she ground out, “No. He didn’t clear anything with me.” She pointed to where the horses had appeared. “There was no fence between us and them. If they had veered this way, someone could’ve been trampled.” She gripped her radio, lifting it to her mouth as she pressed the side button. “I want a twenty on Kellerman.”
She let go, the radio crackled.
Someone responded, “He went into town for a meeting.”
Shanna pressed down on her button. “Then I want to know the second he’s back, not a minute later.”
A crackle. “On it.”
She gazed up at the clearing again, studying it before she motioned for Carl. “Did you get the footage?”
He nodded, lowering the camera back to the ground. “A good six seconds, I think.”
“Fine.” She waved her radio in the air. “Pack up! Wait for instructions. We might be changing locations for the night.”
“Different from where we were supposed to be?” one of the crew asked.
“Yeah.” She swung those keen eyes my way. I could see the steam coming from her ears as she formulated a new plan. “Is there anything else I should be made aware of?”
“Hey.” I flashed her a grin, one that usually worked to loosen the panties. “I assumed you knew. I’m only an actor.”
She cursed, rolling her eyes. “Wipe that grin off your face. I already told you we aren’t going to fuck.”
“I know, boss.”
She laughed softly, shaking her head. “You’re a lot smarter and with-it than you let people see, Brody Asher. Don’t think I’m one of those girls who’ll fall for your tricks.” She pointed her radio at me as she began to walk backward. “You said it. I’m your boss. For a reason.”
“I salute my manager sometimes. I can add you to that list if you’d like.”
She barked out a laugh before turning and walking back toward the main lodge. “Didn’t realize you were funny, Brody.”
I was a whole lot more than that.
She could add crazy to the list too.
Brody
Shanna was upset about the whole mustang situation, so everything was put on hold. She claimed there needed to be litigation about safety zoning and a whole bunch of other legal and technical issues. All I knew was that we got a night free from shooting. Most of the crew went into town to drink at the bars, and while I’d normally be on board, I found myself heading down a walking path instead. I was alone. I could hear the soft sounds of a river just ahead, and I thought I really had lost my mind. I was pretty sure because while my boss was livid about the safety risks of a herd of mustangs in the area, I was hoping to run across them tonight.
Not them.
Her.
So, when the path came to the river, when I could hear it around the corner, I paused for a moment.
Thousands of women wanted me in their bed, and I stood there like a nervous seventh grader for fuck’s sake.
I was embarrassed for myself, and rolling my eyes, I stepped around.
I didn’t expect her to be there. Why would she? Kellerman told me the horses ran over more than a hundred acres, but dear God, there she was.
Standing on the other side of the bank, she was running a hand through her hair.
I was entranced.
Jesus.
She was like a goddess.
It was like out of a cheesy movie scene. The moonlight sparkled on her golden hair. There were some darker strands that I saw now too. A slight mist was in the air, settled over the river and pooling around her feet. The only thing that was different was her clothing. There was no long flowing dress. She wore what any other woman would’ve worn, just a sweatshirt and jeans that were snug on her. She’d rolled them up so they ended above her knees, and when she moved back, I saw she wore regular sneakers. They were the kind used for hiking, which made sense.
Christ.
I almost laughed at myself. I’d been so convinced she was a ghost.
“You’re a real person.”
I hadn’t realized I spoke until her head jerked up. Her eyes found me, and she began to turn away.
“Don’t!” I started for her, my hand in the air, but I forced myself to stop. I’d spook her for sure then. When she didn’t move any farther, I softened my voice and added, “Please don’t.”
This was surreal.
When I saw she still wasn’t leaving, I took a step closer, lowering my hand. “I’m Brody. I’m working here on a movie.”
Her eyes widened, but she lifted her head to f
ully look at me. The flight instinct was waning toward curiosity. I could see how her lips parted, and she moved a strand of hair out of her way to see me better. Her eyes narrowed, and her head tilted up questioningly. “You’re famous.”
“I . . . uh . . . yeah.”
Again. Thousands of women swooned over me. This girl had me stuttering.
After clearing my throat, I said, “Can I ask, just so I know for myself, but . . . are you a fucking ghost?” Shit. What if she was one of those girls who was proper-like? I raked my hand through my hair. “I mean, are you—” Yeah. Anyway I sliced it—even taking out the curse word—I still sounded nuts.
She laughed.
She was laughing. Once she started, she couldn’t stop. The sound came out of her in waves and then she was shaking her head.
I found myself smiling, but I didn’t know why.
“Oh man.” She wiped at her eyes, her laughter beginning to fade. “I haven’t laughed like that for a while.”
“Yeah?” I was an idiot for feeling proud of that. Yep, I even had a boner like I used to walk around with in junior high. What was next? Fucking wet dreams again? I made a mental note to lay off the bourbon at night.
I gentled my smile, ducking my head a little. “I’m glad.”
I was flirting with her. I wasn’t ashamed. I was going to reel her in because, dammit, I needed her in a way I didn’t fully comprehend.
She laughed again. “Thank you. That was nice.”
“Can I ask what your name is?”
She swallowed, her eyes widening again.
I didn’t think she was going to answer.
Then, so softly I almost didn’t hear it, she whispered, “Morgan.”
“Morgan.” I nodded to myself. “And to be clear, just so I don’t think I’m going crazy, you’re not a ghost. Right?”
“No.” A few more chuckles. Her smile came back. “I’m not a ghost. I just spend a lot of time with horses. A lot.”
I grunted. “I figured.”
She nodded, falling silent.
I was searching for my next question, but I didn’t want to overwhelm her. I didn’t want to scare her away.
Then she surprised me when she spoke next. “Do you have a girlfriend?”
“What?” My own eyes widened. Her words clicked in again. “A girlfriend? No.” Fuck yes. She wanted to know. She was interested.
I had hope.
I added, “I’m all alone.”
And yeah, that made me sound pathetic. This chick would think I was a loser. She’d run as fast as she could, and she could run faster than most. She had a freaking horse to do it for her. That would be a new low. A girl running away from me on a horse.
“You drink a lot.”
My head moved back. “What?”
She pointed to where my cabin was. “You drink a lot. Every night.”
A goddamn smile was stretching on my face. I couldn’t stop it. “Are you watching me?”
She shook her head. “I can smell it.”
Oh. That was new.
I gulped. “Really?”
Another small laugh, and she nodded. “Yeah.” She touched her nose. “I have better smell than normal people.”
Not the best way to impress someone.
I could only shake my head. “I don’t even know how to respond to that. Yeah.” Honesty it was going to be. “I do drink a lot.”
“Do you have a problem?”
My eyes narrowed again. There was no judgment from her, just curiosity. This girl wasn’t normal, which was a realization that hit me smack in the chest. I knew already, but it was just resonating throughout me more and more.
God. I couldn’t let her slip through my fingers, but I had a feeling that was what this girl did—to everyone.
“No, but I shouldn’t go as hard as I have been.”
“Why?”
I frowned. “Why should I not drink as much?”
“Why do you drink so much?”
“Uh.” I scratched behind my ear. “My brother died about almost eight months ago. I was on the phone with him when it happened.” I was going for broke. “It messed me up real bad.”
“But you’re an actor? That’s what you do for a job?”
“Yeah.”
“So, you’re working. That’s good. You’re not so messed up that you can’t keep a job.”
I frowned at her, then cracked a grin. “Are you Dr. Phil-ing me?”
She frowned this time. “What is that?”
She lived with horses.
“Nothing. Stupid joke.” I shook my head and tugged at my collar. Did it suddenly get hot out here? “My manager got me to do this movie, so here I am. Acting. Doing my job.” Sounding lame yet again.
She took a step toward me, bringing her feet almost into the river. “I don’t know what a Dr. Phil-ing is. Is that something to drink?”
I barked out a laugh and then stopped right away. I didn’t want her to think I was laughing at her. “He’s a psychologist or psychiatrist, whichever one, and he has his own show. He counsels people on television.”
Understanding dawned in her eyes, but she stepped back, her feet pulling farther away from the river. “I know what a counselor is.”
I wanted to ask how she knew. The question was burning on my tongue, but it was the same thing. If I pushed too much, would she run? I didn’t want that. I so didn’t want that.
Oh, fuck it. I was going for it.
“So, we’ve established that I’m somewhat of a drunk, and it’s because of my brother’s death.” I gestured to those woods again. “Can I ask about you? It’s the elephant in the room.”
She looked around. “We’re not in a room. There’s no elephant here.”
“It’s a phrase.” Shit. I was going too far. I needed to pull back. “Nothing. Sorry.”
I saw a faint grin. She was teasing me.
She asked, “Are you trying to ask me why I spend so much time with the horses?”
“Uh. Yeah.”
She shrugged, looking away. “It makes more sense to be with them.”
“Really?”
She nodded, turning back to me. “Don’t you feel like that? You’re here instead of being with the others up there?” She gestured toward the main lodge.
“They all went to the bars tonight. And . . .” Again, I was going for it. “I took a walk tonight hoping to see you.”
She continued to look at me. She didn’t break her gaze or even blink. Then she grinned, two soft dimples showing. “You’re flirting with me.”
“Damn straight.”
Her mouth parted a little. “When people flirt, are they this honest about it?”
“God, no.” I rubbed a hand over my face. Gayle would’ve been laughing her ass off at me if she were watching. The girl was calling me on everything. “There’s usually some innuendos, but nothing so out and out.”
“Innuendos.”
“Yeah. Where the message is implied but not so explicitly said.”
“Ah. Yes.” Her smile was fading, but it still lingered a bit longer. The wrinkles around her mouth remained. “I’d forgotten about that. I don’t talk to people.”
“Like ever?”
“As little as I can.” She shook her head. “Talking to people seems pointless to me.”
Holy fuck. There were so many questions I wanted to ask just off that one statement. I refrained. People wanted to know my business, and I was always turned off. I couldn’t bombard the girl.
“I get it. I do.”
She grinned again, and this time, I had the distinct impression she was laughing at me. “You do? You have a band of horses that’s taken you in too?”
“Yeah.” I didn’t remember the last time I’d smiled like this, maybe when I was a kid. “Don’t think you’re so special. My herd is made up of all stallions. Take that. All stallions. How many times does that work out?”
She stared at me and then peeled over in laughter the next second.
Th
is girl. This female. This woman.
I wasn’t even sure which I was dealing with, but she humbled me. She wasn’t talking to me with an agenda. She didn’t want something from me. She didn’t see me with dollar signs in her eyes or her next acting gig already lined up. She was pure. She was innocent. And she had no idea how rare she was.
I felt stupidly little in that moment.
She was what every person wanted to find in life.
When she noticed I was looking at her weird, she quieted, a small chuckle slipping out, but she hid it behind a hand. “Sorry. Just—” She looked to the ground. “No one’s made that kind of joke to me before.”
How many jokes did she hear?
Who did make her laugh? How did they do that?
But I couldn’t ask her that. That was too much, too quick.
Keep it cool and classy and not so desperate. Goddamn I was desperate. I was desperate in a way that I didn’t even realize until I saw her up close and in person.
I shoved my hands into my pockets, more to hold myself back than anything else, and dropped my voice low. “Can I ask you a personal question?”
“What?” Her laughter started to subside.
I felt a tug. I didn’t want that to happen.
“Can I ask who you are? Who’s your family? Why are you out here?”
She stared at me, that same deer-in-the-headlights look coming back to her. I shouldn’t have. I’d be cursing myself as soon as she left, but she never bolted. The silence stretched, my question hanging between us, and I was counting my blessings that I hadn’t scared her off. Yet.
I didn’t expect her to answer. I was thinking of something else to say, anything to keep her there when I heard, “I have family. Kind of.”
“Yeah?” Hope slammed into my chest. Hope like I’d never felt before. It sped my heart up. “What do you mean?”
She looked down, kicking at the river with her toe. “My mom died. A long time ago.”
Her mom?
Was it . . .
But it was. It had to be. The realization punched me in the stomach. It clicked in place.
“Was your mom’s name Karen?”
She nodded, gesturing toward the main lodge again. “It’s why you’re here, isn’t it? How she died.” Her eyebrows pulled together. She was frowning so hard that I ached to go over and smooth it out. She added quietly, “Matthew told me they changed the movie so she doesn’t die, but she did.”