“No, not really.” Jody sounded more confident than she appeared. “Just say hello to the kids from the stage before the movie. And—” a hint of the quiver returned “—they’d like to hand out an autographed photo to each child.” Her eyes lowered to the stack of headshots. “They can be signed in advance, of course.”
“Of course.” Angela reached for her tube of cranberry-colored lip gloss. “No big deal.”
Courtney scoffed inwardly. No big deal? That had to be at least two hundred photos. Since when had Angela been so generous with her time?
“One more thing.” Jody held up a hand, then stepped back outside. Keeping the door blocked open, she hoisted in a box the size of a steamer trunk. “The league has invited a group of underprivileged girls from around Helena and they’d like to gift each of them with a Princess Pricilla doll.”
Angela gave a dramatic toss of her head. “I hate those dolls. They never did get my nose right.”
“Yes...well... It would be great publicity if you could sign each of the doll boxes.” Jody waited, then added, “For the movie.”
Courtney frowned at the box in an attempt to calculate how many dolls it must contain. At least fifty. Shouldn’t she say something?
“All right.” Angela shrugged nonchalantly.
“Wonderful.” Jody released the breath she’d seemed to have been holding for the past few moments. “And if you could personalize each one, that would be just great.”
“Mmm-hmm.” Angela squinted into the mirror, giving the impression that she could no longer be considered an active participant in the conversation.
“I have a list of names.” Jody held up a piece of paper and set it next to the photos. “I’ll just leave it right here.”
“Fine.”
After lobbing Courtney an obligatory smile, Jody hurried out, as if afraid that Angela might renege if she didn’t beat a hasty enough retreat.
With forced patience, Courtney watched as Angela sauntered over to the sofa. She sank deep into the cushions and crossed her long, bare legs. “Hand me my sandals, dear.”
Glancing at the wealth of footwear that Angela had discarded around the room, Courtney reached for the pair nearest to her.
“Not those.” Angela raised her twiglike arm and pointed. “The Manolo Blahniks.”
Hoping to hurry along the process and avoid coming across like a total fashion ignoramus, Courtney crossed the room and picked up a pair of strappy brown leather flats that looked like they must have cost what to her would be a month’s rent. Holding her breath, she offered them to Angela. Much to her relief, Angela took them without comment.
“I can’t wait to get back to the house for a long, luxurious soak in the hot tub.” Angela slid her foot into one of the shoes. “Doesn’t that sound divine?”
Divine. Courtney frowned. And time consuming. Didn’t Angela realize how long it would take to sign all those dolls and photos?
“I was almost nominated for a Golden Globe for Princess Pricilla. The kids will want to hear about that in my speech, don’t you think?”
Her speech? This was a little fund-raiser, not the Academy Awards. Courtney fidgeted. If they left now, she could fit in at least two loads. Three if she ate while she sorted.
“It’s important to be humble, don’t you agree?” Angela bent down to buckle her other shoe. “So don’t make me sound too braggy.”
Courtney’s eyes popped wide open. Angela expected her to write this speech? So now she was Ben Stein? She bit her lower lip. Fine. She could crank out a soliloquy during the spin cycle.
“Is my car waiting?” Angela stood and smoothed the front of her dress.
Finally. “Yes. It’s right outside.” Courtney grabbed the stack of photos and gauged if the box of dolls would fit into the trunk of the Town Car.
Angela arched an eyebrow. “Don’t you think you should stay here? You want to do a good job on that speech, and there’s so much distraction at the house.”
Distraction? Courtney gave her a dumb stare. Like that mountain of laundry?
“Besides, you wouldn’t want to have to haul that box around.” Angela brushed a hand toward the dolls. “You can just sign them here. Same with the photos.”
Seriously? Angela expected her to write a speech and forge her autograph? Wasn’t that last part actually illegal?
“Ciao, bella.” Angela waggled the fingers of one hand and disappeared out the door.
“But...” Courtney’s voice trailed off as her new plan for the evening sank in. So much for clean clothes and a full stomach.
* * *
Courtney shook out her hand, unable to discern if its numbness came from low blood sugar or from carefully copying Angela’s autograph for the past hour. Probably both.
A growl in her belly reminded her not only that she had missed dinner, but that lunch had been a Clif Bar while en route from Angela’s dressing room to the wardrobe trailer on a quest for the perfect insoles.
As she glanced at her watch, her stomach clenched for a different reason. Adrenaline propelled her to the sofa, and she yanked back the curtain from the open window. She breathed out relief at the sight of the crew bus still parked up the drive. If she missed that, she’d be stuck at the ranch for the night, and then what? It wasn’t like she could crash in the bed meant for Angela to rest on between takes.
She giggled at the thought, shifting her weight from one knee to the other. This sofa was pretty cushy. Maybe getting stranded here for the night wouldn’t be so terrible.
None of her clothes at the house were clean anyway, so what would be the big deal? She chuckled. Of course, she could always borrow the Nicole Miller. Right. Like that wouldn’t get her fired.
Relishing her unplanned but well-earned break, she gazed at the distant mountains. The sky had softened into its evening colors and the heat of the day dissolved to a comfortable coolness. For the first time, she could see the ranch not as a bustling movie set, but as a serene utopia. A smile coaxed the corners of her lips. How much of this peacefulness could she attribute to Angela’s not being there?
A movement by the barn caught her attention, sending her nerves into a flutter. Adam. The poor guy was finally hammering on his fence. The smile she’d been restraining grew as she cupped her chin in her hands and stopped caring about her unfinished work. Right now, she was just a girl sneaking a peek at a hunky, and completely off-limits, guy.
Just then, a girl Courtney didn’t recognize rode from behind the barn on a horse that looked an awful lot like Miss Molly. Courtney leaned in. It was Miss Molly, she was sure of it.
Adam stood, patted Miss Molly’s nose and said something to the girl. The trill of her chipper response lilted through the evening air, and Courtney frowned. What was this feeling? Jealousy? No way. But something annoyingly close to it.
That was dumb. What did it matter if Adam talked to a cute—Courtney squinted to get a closer look—yes, cute girl? She slumped lower into the couch. It was none of her business.
Hold on. She straightened. If some girl caught Adam’s eye, wouldn’t that make it harder for Courtney to get him to spend time with Angela? And knowing Angela, she wouldn’t take kindly to sharing his attention. In fact, she’d probably blame Courtney for not keeping better tabs on him. Her emotions thumped audibly in her chest. Maybe this was her business.
She leaped to her feet and paced a few steps back and forth. Nothing in her training had prepared her for this aspect of the job. Too bad Disappearing the Diva’s Competition 101 hadn’t been a college requirement.
There had to be a way to put a stop to this. She propelled herself back to the window and drilled her eyes into the girl who, as if reading her thoughts, steered Miss Molly away from Adam and started to trot her around the yard. Giving her a good-natured shake of his head, Adam moved toward the barn. That was g
ood. Courtney could talk to him alone and get him to commit to giving Angela riding lessons, but she’d have to act fast. She squared her shoulders and charged out the door.
Moving briskly toward the barn as Adam disappeared inside, her confidence rose. She wasn’t about to let a perky little cowgirl stand between her and a job well done.
Just as her hand touched the metal handle of the rough wooden barn door, a thumping noise made her stop short. She yanked back her hand. That couldn’t be...could it? She stepped around a stack of hay bales, peering past the corner of the barn just in time to see Adam gallop away, dust puffing under Rocky’s hooves.
Her heart thumped against her ribs. She had to call him back! Without thinking, she pulled in a deep breath, but the pungent odor of livestock launched her into a humiliating coughing fit. Through watery eyes, she watched as Adam and Rocky disappeared behind a bluff.
She stumbled around the hay in a feeble attempt to follow him. Was she crazy? As if she’d have any idea which way to go after she rounded that bluff. It wasn’t as if she had a “back forty” app on her phone.
“Hey, are you okay?” A female voice called out from some distance behind her.
Courtney turned as the cute cowgirl swung down from Miss Molly. Great. It wasn’t enough that she kept making a fool of herself. Did there always have to be witnesses?
“I—I’m fine.” Courtney managed to call out in spite of the barnyard dust clogging her throat. “Really.”
“You’re Courtney.” The girl vaulted easily over the corral fence, then made a self-conscious face. “Like you didn’t know that.”
Courtney squinted. Even through her cough-induced blurriness, it was clear that the girl was younger—and far less threatening—than she’d appeared from a distance. Courtney breathed a little easier.
“I’m Janessa.” The girl bounced up to her, like a cheerleader minus the pom-poms. “I’m guessing you wanted Adam?”
“I...uh....” Courtney felt a little silly, seeing now that the catalyst for her urgency was barely more than a kid. Maybe her talk with Adam could wait until tomorrow after all. “It’s not that important.”
“Oh.” Janessa laced her fingers together as if she wasn’t sure what to do with her hands. “He went to check on the fellas he has working on a drainage problem. No telling how long he might be.”
“I see.” Courtney bit her lip to keep from spitting out the dust in her mouth. “Well, I should get back to work then. I’ve got a project to finish before tomorrow, and—”
“For Angela Bijou?” A hopeful smile lit up Janessa’s creamy-smooth face. “Can I help? I mean...if you need it.”
Courtney held up a hand and took a step backward. There was no way she could supervise a high school girl to do this job, and if Angela found out, she’d have her head. “Thanks, but—”
The sound of the crew bus roaring to life cut her off. She whirled around to see a group of lighting guys walking toward it.
“Oh, snap.” Her stomach roiled. “I have to run and grab my stuff from the dressing room and catch this bus. If they leave without me, I’m stuck.” She started toward Angela’s trailer.
“Well, let me help you with that then.” Janessa caught up with her.
With no time to argue, Courtney picked up her pace. A couple other guys were headed for the bus now, too, and she had about five minutes, tops.
“You’re so lucky. Andra and I—she’s my best friend—we love Angela Bijou.” Janessa’s cheerful chatter would have been endearing under less stressful circumstances. “You have the best job in the world.”
“I guess so. It’s not as exciting as it sounds.”
“Hey, it’s gotta be more exciting than living here. All I ever do besides work is ride my horse and do chores.”
Realization dawned. “So, you live here then?”
“I grew up on the ranch.” She tilted her a grin. “It’s not as exciting as it sounds.”
Courtney returned a quick smile.
Janessa continued to chatter. “I’d rather live in a city any day. That’s what I’m saving up for. To move to Seattle.”
Tossing her a befuddled glance, Courtney reached for the door to the trailer. This place was so peaceful and perfect. Why did Janessa want to leave?
Courtney darted inside and scanned the room for her backpack. Seeing it on the floor next to the sofa, she scoffed. No way would all those photos fit in there.
“Oh, my gosh. This is really her dressing room?” Janessa stood in the doorway, taking in the room.
“Yeah. Hey, do you want to help me carry this box?”
“Sure!” Edging forward to grab one side of the doll box, Janessa crinkled her brow. “What is this?”
Courtney scooped up the unsigned photos with one arm, and attempted to push her side of the box with the other. “Dolls. Princess Pricilla dolls I have to stay up half the night to sign.”
“You have to?” Janessa wrapped her arm around the back of the box and started to push. “But shouldn’t Angela Bijou be the one to—”
“Not in the real world.” Shifting her grip on the photos, Courtney attempted to push her side of the box with both hands. Suddenly, all the photos slipped from her grasp and fanned across the floor in a pathetic display of fatigue and poor judgment. She let out a frustrated yowl and dropped to her knees.
“I’m always doing stuff like that. Clumsy.” Janessa stooped down beside her. “Not you. Me, I meant.”
Scrambling to collect the photos, Courtney tried to remain calm. That was probably what she got for venting her job frustrations to an innocent stranger.
Just then, the sound of the bus shifted from a rumble to a roar. “No!” She heaved herself to her feet in time to see it lumbering down the drive, then ran to the door of the trailer as if there were anything she could do to will it back. She should have asked the driver to wait for her.
She flapped her hands at shoulder level. “This can’t happen.”
“What’s the matter?”
“That was the last bus. The one that waits for the stragglers. I can’t believe they didn’t check to make sure...” What was she thinking? They would have assumed she’d left with Angela hours ago in her car. This was all her fault.
“Well, if a ride is all you need—” Janessa joined her in the doorway “—Adam can take you back to town.”
Adam. Why did her heart involuntarily pitch at the sound of his name?
“In fact, you could stay for dinner, and then I can help you finish your work. Adam won’t mind waiting.”
She winced. Was Adam used to being treated like the hired help? Then again, he was the hired help. Maybe he really wouldn’t mind. Besides, that would give her plenty of time to talk him into giving Angela riding lessons. Still, he probably had to get up early and she shouldn’t make him wait up just to take her home.
“Thanks, but—”
“We’re having roast beef.” Janessa’s tone taunted. “It’s Tuesday night, so the cook stays. I cook on weekends, but Tandy is way better than me.”
Roast beef? Her stomach rumbled. That pretty much clinched it. “Okay. I’d love to stay.”
“Great!” Victory filled Janessa’s face like she’d scored a winning goal. “I’m so psyched about getting to know you better.”
As they stepped outside, Courtney pondered. It wasn’t like she was the movie star here. Why would Janessa want to get to know her better?
Chapter 11
The savory aroma of roast beef nestled in Courtney’s nose as Janessa led her into the foyer of the house. She caught her breath, her gaze spanning the spacious front room.
“This is it.” Janessa sounded almost apologetic as she shut the carved oak door behind them. “Home sweet home.”
“Sweet is right.” Courtney had to tip her head ba
ck to take in the high ceiling and what looked like an authentic gas-lit, crystal chandelier at its midpoint. “This room is incredible.”
A hand-knotted rug, centered on the polished-wood floor, seemed too beautiful to walk on, so she stopped at its edge. A staircase gracefully curved up the wall to her right, conjuring up a muddled image of Scarlett O’Hara linking arms with Leo DiCaprio.
Impressive. She had been on some elaborately decorated film sets, but the historical detail in this room put them all to shame. “The swing gang must have gone into overtime getting your house ready for the movie.”
Janessa’s forehead puckered. “The what gang?”
Courtney gave a light laugh. “Sorry. Movie lingo. They’re the part of the preproduction crew that came out to fix up the rooms we’re using. They made your house shine like something out of Better Homes and Heirlooms.”
“Thanks—I think.” Janessa moved next to her. “But they didn’t have to do a whole lot. This room hasn’t changed in like a hundred and thirty years. My family isn’t big on redecorating.”
“Seriously?” Courtney surveyed the room with bolstered admiration.
Janessa sighed. “I can’t believe I get to be an extra in a movie with Angela Bijou and Jeffrey Mark Caulfield. In my own backyard.” She let out a little squeal. “God is so good!”
Courtney squinted her a look, surprised by the unapologetic declaration of faith. It had been a long time since she’d been around folks who habitually gave God credit for anything. She’d grown used to being in the company of people who grabbed whatever glory they could for themselves as a flagrant display of self-promotion.
“Come on.” Janessa inclined her head toward an arched doorway. “The dining room’s this way, and I can totally smell Tandy’s homemade biscuits.”
Courtney followed her into a warm, inviting room that was painted a deep sage and accented by high windows draped in rich brown velvet. A set of double sliding doors flanked one wall, and an ornate dark-wood hearth invited her to cozy up on one of the brocade settees in front of it and call it a day.
Lights, Cowboy, Action Page 7