Dreaming With My Eyes Wide Open (Hollywood Legends #2)

by Mary J. Williams

  “Don’t beat yourself up.” Jack banked the plane to the left. “He managed to bilk the guilty party out of a sizable chunk of cash. Walcott isn’t smart, but he is wily.”

  “Wily. Good word.”

  The situation played out with so many convenient twists and turns, Nate would have sworn they were in the middle of a Lifetime TV movie.

  First the fire on the set that drew everyone away from the airbag. Then a puncture that created a leak not meant to be detected until it was too late. Luckily for Nate, it was a very slow leak.

  A non-witness who took advantage of the situation to fill his pockets. Somehow, the perpetrator found out Walcott was going to talk. To keep his identity hidden, the mystery person paid out double what Nate agreed upon. In the end, neither needed to bother. Walcott hadn’t seen anything.

  “If he hadn’t been drunk off his ass when we found him, we would have questioned him in Mexico and saved us all a lot of wasted time. Being in a foreign country, we thought it best to pour him into the plane and head for the border.”

  “You did the right thing, Jack. Walcott was a bust. No one could have anticipated that.”

  “The police—” Jack nodded when he heard Nate snort. “I know. They aren’t going to bother. Now if you had died, it would be another story.”

  “Sorry to disappoint so many people, but I prefer the way it turned out.”

  “Me too, buddy. We’ll keep looking. Though to be honest, I’m not sure what to look for. You can’t think of anyone who wants you dead? A disgruntled husband?”

  “I stay away from married women.”

  Like men, women lied about those things. Nate found that out the hard way when he was still wet behind the ears. Since then, he never let his dick get in the way of common sense. He liked women. He loved sex. Being straight, he couldn’t have one without the other.

  However, he never let himself get carried away. Losing himself for a few hours in the arms of a soft, sweet-smelling woman was one of his all-time favorite things. Losing his mind over that woman? When that day came, he would know he was a goner. Like his father. Like Garrett. Only one thing made the Landis men’s brains turn to mush. Love.

  Nate happily played the field. However, he knew when the right woman came along he wouldn’t hesitate. He was fortunate to have seen what a loving relationship looked like. He grew up watching two people who liked each other. Openly affectionate and over thirty years together, they couldn’t keep their hands off one another.

  It was inspiring and a little daunting. Nate knew what he wanted. Finding it wasn’t as easy.

  “What about that director you punched?” Jack interrupted his thoughts, pulling him back to the discussion. “From what I hear, he tried to get you blackballed.”

  “Tried and failed.”

  “Right.” Jack shot Nate a look. “I know murder is extreme, but Hollywood is an extreme place.”

  “Hardy Thomas isn’t capable of killing anything but a good script.” Nate couldn’t stand the man and the feeling was mutual. “It’s been five years, Jack. Revenge might be best served cold, but…”

  “This would be an icicle. I get it.” Jack adjusted his sunglasses before hitting a switch on the control panel. “Like I said, we’ll keep looking. Now buckle up. We’ll be landing soon.”

  PAIGE CHAMBERLIN watched the plane circle the small airport. She tapped her foot with impatience.

  “Easy. I know you want everything done yesterday, Paige. That plane will get here when it gets here. Not even you can make it descend faster by the sheer force of your will.”

  Paige didn’t answer. She and Lottie Craig had known each other all their lives. In a small town like Basic, Montana you had few options when it came to friends your own age. Luckily, the two of them hit it off when they were in diapers and had been thick as thieves ever since.

  She was nervous. Paige was not a shrinking violet. Her method of getting something done was to plow forward with blinders on. If she took the time to worry about what was going on around her, the chances were the distractions would slow her down. Or worse — knock her out of the game altogether.

  From the time Paige learned to walk without assistance, she had continued on that way. Asking for help didn’t come easily. Her father would shake his head when she insisted that if she found a solution to a problem on her own, the victory would be that much sweeter.

  That need to be self-sufficient had her stomach in a knot. The hardest thing she had ever done was write that letter to Caleb Landis asking for his advice.

  Paige rarely found herself at her wits’ end, but dealing with her father had become impossible. He looked like the same man she loved and respected above all others. Tall, wiry, with the same blond hair and brown eyes he had passed on to her.

  This man she had breakfast with and worked beside every day looked like Chuck Chamberlin. It was when he opened his mouth that Paige could have sworn someone else had replaced him.

  Her responsible, salt of the earth father… God, she hated to even think it. He had mortgaged the ranch to the hilt so he could make a movie.

  If it weren’t so alarming, Paige would have found the idea hysterical.

  She knew their friends and neighbors thought Chuck Chamberlin had gone off the deep end. Basic, Montana was having a good laugh at her father’s expense and Paige knew it was up to her to stop the insanity before it went any further.

  “Here it comes.”

  Paige stood, arms crossed, feet firmly planted as the sleek plane touched down. When she wrote to Caleb Landis, the best she had hoped for was a letter in return. If she were lucky, it would contain something that would snap her father out of the fantasy world he had entered.

  When Caleb called her, Paige couldn’t believe it wasn’t a joke. The Caleb Landis? Every time her father mentioned his Hollywood days, Paige took it with a grain of salt. After speaking with Caleb, she realized her father hadn’t exaggerated. He had friends in the movie industry. Big, powerful, influential friends.

  That fact was driven home even harder when Caleb offered to show up in person. With his glamorous wife. Paige was still letting the idea sink in when there was a change in plans. Caleb was sending one of his sons.

  Paige didn’t know what she thought about that, but she wasn’t in the position to decline the offer.

  The Landis brothers. If their parents were Hollywood royalty, each of them was a crown prince. Even in Basic, Montana, they had the internet. The money, the beautiful women. The brothers lived life in the fast lane.

  Paige shook her head. Good luck finding that in Basic. Her only consoling thought was, at least Caleb didn’t send the movie star.

  It was wait and see time as to whether Nate Landis turned out to be any help.

  The plane taxied to a stop. Paige didn’t have to look at Lottie to know what she was doing. A man was about to descend onto the tarmac. A single man. New blood. Lottie had a pose designed for just such an occasion. One hand on her nicely curved hip. Sizable breasts pushed forward. A come-hither smile on her face.

  Paige thought it was ridiculous. On the other hand? Lottie dated. Paige didn’t. There was probably something to Lottie’s methods, but Paige found the idea of corkscrewing herself into an unnatural position, just to attract a man, exhausting.

  Not that she had a lot to put on display — especially in comparison to Lottie.

  Her friend was blessed with tits and ass. Paige got her mother’s legs. Given a choice, ninety-nine percent of the men she knew picked Lottie’s natural charms over her own. Ninety-nine percent of the time, Paige was just fine with that.

  “Oh. My. God.” Lottie breathed the words like a prayer. “Would you look at them, Paige?”

  That was all Paige could do. It wasn’t often she saw men that looked like the two who stepped out of the plane. Never in person — and certainly never together.

  It was hard to know where to look. Tall and dark, they dazzled equally. Strong thighs in faded denim and muscled arms encased in so
ft cotton t-shirts. And those chests. Wide and well defined. Oh. My. God. That was putting it mildly.

  “Which one is yours ‘cause I’m happy with the leftovers?”

  It took Paige a second to answer. She swallowed, trying to moisten her dry mouth.

  “Neither is mine, Lottie. If you want to know which one is Nate Landis, he’s on the right. With the cast.”

  And the swagger. The picture on her computer hadn’t done him justice. As he drew closer, Paige wondered if superheroes really existed, because this man had the body of one.

  “I’ll offer to kiss it and make it better,” Lottie sighed. “I wonder who his pretty friend is?”

  “Down girl, he’s married.”

  “How do you know?”

  “Wedding ring.”

  “Well, crap, crap, and more crap.” Lottie slumped for a second. Paige always did have eyes like a hawk. “How about the other one?”

  “He isn’t married.”

  Encouraged, Lottie’s chest puffed out again. “You say you aren’t interested?”

  “No.”

  “I wonder what color his eyes are behind those sunglasses. I hope they’re blue. I do love a dark-haired, blue-eyed man.”

  Paige remembered the picture of him and his brothers. “They’re blue. And by the look of that smile he’s sending you, I’d say he’ll be easy pickings.”

  Paige didn’t know why she felt a wave of disappointment. Men always noticed Lottie. The long, chestnut hair. The easy smile. The killer curves. Why should Nate Landis be any different? Why should she care?

  Because, the little voice in her head taunted. For the first time in a long time, you wanted a man to notice you first.

  “NOW THAT IS what I call a welcoming committee.”

  Jack laughed. He was married to the most beautiful, desirable woman in the world, but that didn’t stop him from taking an appreciative look around every now and then.

  “Who knew what Montana grew on this side of the Bitterroots? What’s your pleasure? Curvy brunettes or leggy blondes?”

  If Jack had asked that question when they were up in the air, Nate would have unequivocally answered curves all the way. But as they approached the two women, he couldn’t look away from the honey-haired beauty. Something about the way she stood with her arms crossed over her chest, her chin stuck out, practically dared someone to take a swipe at it. Nate guessed that person would soon regret the impulse.

  “Welcome to Basic, Mr. Landis. I’m Paige Chamberlin.”

  Nice words, he thought, shaking her proffered hand. However, when she said them through gritted teeth, they lost some of their warmth. Paige Chamberlin may have been the one to reach out to his father, but it appeared she wasn’t happy to have the son as a substitute.

  Nate didn’t know how he felt about that. Being a reluctant participant in this venture, he expected Paige to be grateful for his assistance. He promised his father that he would take stock of the situation and help in any way possible. Caleb didn’t ask very much of his sons. When he did, they took it seriously.

  Nate wasn’t thrilled to be here. Paige wasn’t thrilled to have him. Since they were doing this for their fathers, they didn’t have a choice. For the time being, they were stuck with each other.

  Behind the shield of his sunglasses, he gave her another look. Up close, the view was even better. Her face wasn’t beautiful in the classic sense. Nate preferred a woman with character. What looked good on a glossy magazine cover didn’t always transfer well to real life. What looked perfect on paper often turned out to be cold, shallow, and uninteresting.

  No one would ever call Paige Chamberlin’s face boring. Lively. Vibrant. Expressive as hell. Nate wondered if she realized how much a person could see in those deep chocolate-colored eyes of hers? Her stance said, Warning — tough girl ahead. Her eyes showed a touch of vulnerability that reached something inside Nate.

  Always the champion of the underdog, glimpsing behind the mask that Paige presented made him wonder what else she was hiding.

  Time to readjust his thinking. A trip that had seemed like an obligation had taken a sudden and interesting turn. The last thing Nate had expected to find in Basic, Montana was a sexy, interesting woman. A week or two getting to know Paige? Maybe coaxing her into his bed? Or hers? Or both?

  Nate liked Montana more and more by the second.

  “Throttle back on the wolf grin,” Jack whispered. “If I can read your thoughts, imagine what the ladies are thinking.”

  “This lady thinks it’s fine and dandy.”

  Lottie slowly straightened, pretending to smooth the front of her shirt. It was her experience that if she could draw a man’s attention to her chest, the rest was a piece of cake. A little flirtation. A few drinks. It didn’t always end with sex. However, in the case of Nate Landis, Lottie couldn’t wait to see that long, muscled body stretched out underneath her.

  “No offense,” Jack said. “But you have ears like a bat.”

  “I consider it a compliment.” For a second, Lottie forgot this one had a wife. She bit her bottom lip. Another surefire attention-getter. “Paige tells me your friend is Nate Landis. I’m Lottie. Who are you?”

  “Jack Winston.” Jack shook the brunette’s hand. When she moved a little closer, he held up his hand, wiggling the finger with the ring firmly in place. “And happily married.”

  “Oops,” Lottie’s laugh was light and good-natured. “My mistake. Paige already told me you were off limits. I was so dazzled by that killer smile, I forgot.”

  “Lottie, you are a born heartbreaker.” Jack appreciated a person who could flirt one second and take rejection with ease the next. “Miss Chamberlin?”

  “Yes.”

  “It’s been a pleasure to meet you and your friend.” Jack shook her hand. “A few years ago, I would have happily stayed for a few days to see the sights.” Jack winked at Lottie. “But those days are in the past. I need to do a check of the plane then it’s back home.”

  “Thanks for the lift, Jack. Excuse me for a minute, ladies.”

  Nate walked Jack back to the plane.

  “I know it’s turned into a brick wall, but if anything turns up in the investigation?”

  “You’ll be the first to know. And Nate?”

  “Ya?”

  “Keep your powder dry.”

  “What the hell does that mean?”

  “I think I’m mixing up my sayings.” Jack shook his head and shrugged. “Rose is a big old movie fan. I think it was a Revolutionary War thing.”

  “Okay.” Nate’s look made it clear he had no idea what that had to do with anything.

  “Let me simplify. Watch your back.” Jack reached into the cockpit, coming back with a list of things he had to check before taking off again. “It’s possible that the attempt on your life was a one-time thing. Somebody saw their chance and gave into temptation. Or…”

  “Okay. I get it.”

  Nate sighed. It wasn’t as though the thought hadn’t entered his mind. Somebody wanted him dead and he was still breathing. It was part of the reason he gave in so easily to his father’s request. If he was a target, he wanted to be far away from his family.

  “If you need anything, don’t hesitate to call. You know how much Drew and I love an excuse to take our babies up.”

  H&W owned five planes ranging in size from a two-seater to one that could fly them and fifty friends and family anywhere in the world. “I’ll keep it in mind.” Nate gave Jack a friendly slap on the back. “Thanks again.”

  “Ready?”

  Nate lifted his duffle bag into the back of an old Ford. His eye told him late sixties to early seventies. For its age, the truck was in amazing condition. The shine on what looked to be the original paint job gleamed with a spotless luster in the afternoon sun.

  “Is this yours?”

  “It is now,” Paige said as she opened the driver’s side door. “My grandfather bought it new. He passed it on to my father and my father on to me.” She gave him
a steady look. “Not exactly what you’re used to.”

  Was that a jab? Nate considered it as he held the passenger door for Lottie. Letting her climb into the cab, he followed close behind. It felt like one.

  Never afraid to ask a question, no matter how awkward, Nate decided it would be better to get all the cards on the table.

  “You think I’m a pampered Hollywood trust fund baby?”

  “I think you’ve led a privileged life.”

  “I won’t deny my parents’ money and position allowed my brothers and me to enjoy the good things in life.”

  Nate stretched his arm with the cast along the top of the bench seat. His fingers were close enough to brush Paige’s hair if the impulse should arise. Or give it a firm tug. Right now, he didn’t know which would be more satisfying.

  “I’ll bet you have all kinds of interesting stories about your movie star friends.”

  Lottie turned a dazzling smile on Nate. The effect was completely wasted. Nate’s attention was focused on the woman shifting the truck into third.

  “I’ll bet I’ve roughed it in the wild twice as many times as you have.”

  “Probably.” Paige gave him a quick, sneering glance. “The difference is I can’t call for a limo to pick me up when I get bored. When you rough it, you’re on vacation. This is my life. Sun up to sun up.”

  “Snob.”

  “Jerk.”

  “Bitch.”

  “Damn straight. And proud of it.”

  Lottie’s head whipped back and forth, eyes wide with confusion. She didn’t know what had gotten into Paige. The last time she was this rude was… well, Lottie couldn’t remember when it had happened. Certainly not to a stranger. One who was here to help her. As for Nate Landis. His smile was still as charming as when he got off the plane. However, there was something in his voice. Not anger. More of an edge.

  Lottie hated tension. She grew up in a household that always seemed to be one step away from all-out warfare. Smoothing over a tense situation was her specialty.

  Before Lottie could intervene, she heard a snicker from Paige.

  “Well, damn.” Nate grinned. “She has a sense of humor.”