“People who live in the twenty-first century would call this a family room but we call it the parlor.”
“‘Parlor’ sounds so much more refined.” Curious, Courtney shifted closer to a wall dotted with elegantly framed sepia photos. One of a little girl on a horse caught her attention. “Is that you?”
Janessa wrinkled her nose. “Yeah. I must have been about eight.”
Courtney perused the arrangement of happy family photos. There was one of tiny Janessa on horseback with a cute dark haired boy. She pointed to the photo. “Hey, do you have a bro...”
She held her thought as the double doors glided open, revealing an elegant middle-aged woman and an opulent Victorian dining room behind her.
“I thought I heard voices in here.” The woman moved gracefully into the room and gave Janessa a sideways hug. Her warm gaze landed on Courtney.
“Mama, this is Courtney.” Janessa held up a hand. “She’s Angela Bijou’s personal assistant. Isn’t that sick?”
“Sick? Is that a good thing?” The woman reached out a delicately manicured hand. “It’s so nice to meet you, Courtney. Will you stay for dinner?”
Courtney shook her hand. “I’d love to. You have a beautiful home.”
“Why, thank you. I can’t take much credit. It’s been in the family for over a century, and I only married into it a few decades ago.”
“But it’s filled with your warmth and spirit, and you should take full credit for that.”
Courtney swallowed a gasp as Travis Bloom entered from the dining room.
“Mr. Bloom.” Janessa’s cheeks lost color as she glanced from him to her mother and back again. “Why are you here?”
Courtney flinched at the slight edge to Janessa’s tone. Didn’t she know that Travis Bloom was one of the most successful directors ever? One Travis Bloom in her parlor was worth twelve Angela Bijous in her backyard.
“Why, Janessa, he’s our guest for dinner.” Her mother placed a hand on Mr. Bloom’s arm as he moved to her side with obvious affection, sliding a subtle hand to her lower back.
Suddenly, his presence at the ranch was less of a mystery.
“Travis, I’d like you to meet Courtney. She’s a friend of Janessa’s.”
“Ms. Jacobs.” He extended his other hand, sending Courtney’s pulse into hyperdrive. “I’m so pleased to see you again.” He spoke to Janessa’s mother. “We met while the kids were out riding.”
He remembered her! Of all the directors in Hollywood, Travis Bloom would be her first choice to work with, and here she was about to have dinner with him. Why didn’t she have a résumé with her?
“Well, Tandy’s ready to serve.” Janessa’s mother glanced toward the foyer as if hopeful that someone else would materialize. “I suppose we might as well start.” Returning to the sumptuous dining room, she indicated a chair next to the head of the table. “Courtney, you can sit there.”
Entering the room, Courtney admired the beautiful place settings, fascinated that the entire table had been set as if they’d expected company.
Just as she was about to reach for her chair, Adam burst into the room through a door on the adjacent wall, practically charging right into her. Her breathing all but stopped. They stared at each other, Adam apparently as startled as she was.
“About time,” Janessa tossed off with a teasing tone as she crossed behind Adam and took the chair opposite Courtney.
“Oh, good.” Janessa’s mother moved to the far side of the table, where Mr. Bloom hurried to pull out her chair. “Courtney, have you met my son, Adam?”
Her son? Courtney’s jaw practically clunked into her clavicle. But that would make him—
“Courtney and I have met, Mama.” Bemusement flitted across his face as he moved Courtney’s chair back and looked at her expectantly.
Lightheadedness threatened. His family owned this ranch. How could she have thought he was just a working-class guy with nothing better to do than cater to the whims of a spoiled actress?
“Excellent.” Janessa’s mother...Adam’s mother (would that make her Mrs. Greene?) looked pleased. “I’m so glad you’re here, dear. I was worried that you’d miss dinner again.”
Courtney smiled wanly. He was staying for dinner. Of course he was—he lived here. Now not only was she faced with her one shot at making a good impression on her hoped-for future employer, but she’d be doing it in the presence of a guy who had currently robbed her of all ability to form a complete sentence. Suddenly, her belly started up some kind of Cirque du Soleil aerobatic act that made the prospect of taking in food seem unwise.
“Now, Mama, how could I miss roast beef night?” Adam inclined his temple toward the chair he still held out for Courtney, and she sat, her pulse spiking at his nearness.
“I’ve always said that on a ranch the best way to lure the men away from their work is with the smell of a good meal.” Mrs. Greene spread a napkin across her lap.
“The same is true on a movie set.” Mr. Bloom added.
As Adam sat next to Courtney at the table’s head, their eyes locked for a second or two. She felt a sudden camaraderie with all the ladies contemporary to this room who had swooned due to a too-tight corset.
“I’m sure your movie crew is no different than our ranch hands.” Mrs. Greene seemed oblivious to the dynamic going on at the other end of the table.
As Courtney tried to concentrate on the conversation, Adam’s proximity to her, coupled with the sideways glances she felt from Janessa on his other side, made it impossible not to look at him.
“You’re here,” she said softly. Could she have uttered a less intelligent observation?
“I was about to say something along those same lines.” He kept his voice low, just for her to hear. “I thought you were gone for the night.”
“Oh. N-no.” It didn’t go unnoticed that he had thought enough about her to assume she’d left for the day. Of course, that didn’t mean anything. She scooted her chair a little closer. Did it?
Just then, a largish woman in a flour-speckled apron entered carrying a platter of sliced roast beef and set it down in front of Adam.
“That smells great, Tandy. Thank you.” He gave her a nod and an appreciative smile.
Courtney saw him with fresh eyes. He was a businessman with responsibilities. Guilt and shame welled in her throat. Who was she to tamper with his emotions, allowing Angela to use him like just another chorus boy?
“And don’t you even think of stealing away our Tandy for one of your catering crews.” Mrs. Greene joked to Mr. Bloom, then turned to Adam. “Would you lead us in grace, dear?”
Adam extended one hand toward Courtney and the other toward Janessa. Courtney took in a sharp breath. The idea of fitting her hand into his gave her a sudden bolt of confusion. Their eyes met for a brief moment and he slipped her an almost imperceptible wink before sliding his fingers around hers. He bowed his head and gave a little cough.
Courtney’s heartbeat went into some kind of overdrive. It was like that time George Clooney had touched her arm, except really nothing like that at all. George Clooney was a handsome movie star, but Adam was—
“Heavenly Father.”
His robust baritone pulled Courtney from her thoughts, and she snapped her eyes shut.
“Thank You for providing this meal.”
His work-roughened hand held hers with an assuredness that she didn’t quite know what to make of. Could he feel the adrenaline surging to her fingertips?
“That we can enjoy the company of our dinner guests and that the problems of the day have been handled with as much grace as we could muster.”
Electricity surged up Courtney’s arm, and it was all she could do not to yelp. He had to have felt that, but his voice remained calm and steady. It must just be her low blood sugar again.
He gave her hand a tiny squeeze before letting go—or had she just imagined it? She opened her eyes and glanced in his direction.
He appeared totally at ease as he spread his napkin across his lap and looked around the table. When their eyes met, he smiled politely and reached for a slice of roast beef, offering it to her.
Her heart skipped. She didn’t want Angela to hurt him, but why was she doing this to herself? Was she really so juvenile as to be going gaga over a handsome cowboy? Who clearly, she had to admit, wasn’t having the same reaction to her.
She fastened her gaze firmly on the bowl of mashed potatoes Mr. Bloom passed her way and lifted a hefty scoop onto her plate. Of course Adam wasn’t interested in her. What was she thinking? She was only there to make a movie, after all, then she’d be going home. It made no sense that she felt disappointed in his lack of interest.
But what if...?
She tried to keep her eyes off him, but failed. What if she weren’t there temporarily...?
Biting her lower lip, she took a healthy helping of carrots. If he hadn’t been sitting next to her at the table, so obviously flesh and blood and real, she could have sworn he came straight out of a movie script. A muscular cowboy who was as at home on a horse as he was in a formal dining room. An honest man of strong faith, funny and nice-looking and—
Whoa. What was she thinking? She was there to work, not to crush on some guy. She didn’t have time for this. She took a bite of a biscuit but didn’t taste it. Besides, it apparently hadn’t deterred Adam that Angela was only there temporarily. He’d seemed anxious enough to involve himself with her on a fleeting basis.
She let out a breath. Why was she even comparing herself to a glamorous, wealthy movie star? Of course he wouldn’t pass up the opportunity to dally with Angela. What man would?
If she hadn’t been afraid of her own poor aim, she would have kicked herself. She was having dinner with Travis Bloom, and letting Adam totally distract her from this awesome career opportunity. Forget ogling. This was the time for networking.
“Mr. Bloom.” She revolved boldly to her right. “Tell us about your next project.”
“I’m glad you asked.” He swallowed a bite of food, then continued. “It’s a moving story of a woman who smuggles Bibles into China.”
“Oh?” She cut off a small piece of roast beef. “What’s it called?”
“Unofficially, it’s being pitched around town as ‘The Travis Bloom Project’—not my idea, by the way.” He gave Courtney a knowing look. “As I’m sure you’re aware, at this point it’s all about getting names attached to it to attract interest, and apparently my name appeals to some people.”
As a round of chuckles circled the table, Courtney congratulated herself. Mr. Bloom had acknowledged her as a movie insider, who clearly understood the minute dynamics of the process. Smiling, she took a delicate bite of her carrots so that eating wouldn’t impede her ability to keep talking. She was on a roll.
“It sounds interesting.” She swallowed. “Will you be filming in China?”
“China and several other locations.”
“Good.” Janessa swirled her gravy with her fork. “Then you won’t have any business in Montana for a while.”
“Janessa!” Her mother pinned her with a sharp glare.
Janessa shrank back. “Mama, I’m just saying.”
“It’s true.” Mr. Bloom seemed to overlook her teenagerly rudeness. “Once we begin shooting, I’ll be globe-hopping for several months, but I do anticipate a nice long rest after we wrap.” He gave Mrs. Greene a fond look that spoke volumes.
“Well,” Courtney confidently continued, “I personally love traveling for work. It’s one of my favorite parts of the job.”
A quick glance at Adam said that she was a jet-setter just like Angela. On the move with better things to do than to pine away for some guy who was only interested in a short-term romance with a hot actress.
“You’ve got quite the assignment on this one, I understand.” Mr. Bloom popped the last of a biscuit into his mouth. “How are you faring as Angela’s assistant?”
“Oh, great.” How could she emphasize her competency without sounding like she was bragging? “It’s a dream job. She’s just wonderful to work for.”
“She is?” Janessa’s brow creased. “She doesn’t seem like it to me.”
“Why would you say that, Janessa?” Polishing off his roast beef, Mr. Bloom appeared sincerely interested.
Courtney jumped in. “She just means—”
“It doesn’t seem very ‘wonderful’ of her to expect you to stay up half the night tonight doing her work.” Janessa shrugged a shoulder in innocent observation.
“Her work?” Mr. Bloom turned a questioning look to Courtney. “Don’t tell me she expects you to memorize her lines for her.”
“No, nothing like that. It’s just some dolls and photos I have to get ready for a personal appearance she has in the morning.” Courtney shot a warning glance at Janessa. “That’s all.”
Mr. Bloom seemed to consider her response. Terrific. Now he probably thought she was an ungrateful employee.
Peripherally, she sensed Adam studying her. Just what she needed—everyone judging her ability to perform her job.
Just then Tandy entered the room with a couple of pies, which she set on the sideboard.
“Tandy,” Mrs. Greene said. “When we’re done here, Mr. Bloom and I will have our dessert and coffee out on the porch.”
“Of course, Mrs. Greene.”
Adam sopped up the gravy on his plate with a biscuit. “Just leave the other pie, Tandy. The girls and I will take it with us. And I think we’ll need some coffee in one of those big carafes.”
“Oh, and Tandy.” Mrs. Greene spoke again. “Mr. Bloom will be coming for lunch tomorrow, so if you wouldn’t mind making us some sandwiches with the leftover roast, that would be fine.”
Tandy nodded and returned to the kitchen.
Courtney slowly chewed, eyeing Adam and awaiting an explanation. Where exactly were they going?
He looked her way and smiled lightly. In the same moment he swallowed, Janessa apparently kicked him, because he jumped and looked at her. “Ow! What was that for?”
She rolled her eyes. “Courtney wants to know where we’re going with pie and coffee, Bozo.”
He put down his fork and looked at Courtney. “Isn’t it obvious?”
Her eyes narrowed, begging him to continue.
“To Miss Bijou’s trailer. We have work to do.”
“We do?” Panic welled. This was all she needed—for Adam to imply that she couldn’t handle her workload. “But...it’s not really something that...I mean, I can’t ask you to—”
“So what happens if it doesn’t get done?” Adam raised an eyebrow.
“I don’t know.” She fished for a save. “I’ll never work in this town again?”
Mr. Bloom chuckled, thank goodness.
Adam topped his plate with his napkin. “That’s what I thought. Now we’d best get a move on.”
Chapter 12
Adam sat on the floor of Angela’s trailer, leaning against the sofa and shaking his head at Janessa and Courtney as they reached the tail end of a giggling fit.
“You should have seen Adam run!” Janessa had spent more time spinning yarns about him as a kid than she had signing boxes, but that was fine by Adam. She’d kept them entertained and had functioned as an unwitting chaperone.
“Yeah, I ran all right.” He lifted his black pen and examined the photo he had just signed. “But only because you were screaming like a banshee.” He grabbed the last photo and signed it, doing his best to keep it away from what remained of the huckleberry pi
e that sat in the middle of the coffee table.
“I can totally picture it.” Still tittering, Courtney grabbed her plate and reclined next to him. “This pie is fabulous. I could so get used to the way you eat out here.”
“It helps to have the best cook this side of the Rockies working for us.” Adam arched a brow at his sister. “Too bad we have to starve on the weekends.”
Janessa grabbed a pillow from the chair behind her and tossed it at his head. “Whatever, Adam.”
“Kidding.” Adam raised his hands to fend off the fluffy projectile. “I’m kidding. You’re an awesome cook, Ness.”
Janessa looked at Courtney. “You see what I have to put up with?”
Courtney giggled as she ran her fork over what remained of the crumbs on her plate. “I get it, believe me. I have a brother myself.”
Looking from the coffee table full of signed photos to Courtney and then Adam, Janessa raised her arms in a huge stretch and made a big show of patting her mouth in a bogus yawn. “Boy, oh boy. I can hardly keep my eyes open.”
Adam tipped her a smirk. “Subtle, Janessa.”
She squinted at him and stood, giving Courtney a warm grin. “Good night, Courtney. Have fun at that movie thing tomorrow.”
“I will now that I’ll be able to get some sleep beforehand. And I never would have written such an inspired speech by myself. Thanks for all your help.”
“No prob.” She started for the door. “Big bro and I live to serve.”
With that, Janessa disappeared out the door, and Courtney set down her pie plate and surveyed the stack of photos in front of them. “We’re done? I can’t believe we actually did it.”
“Yep.” He glanced at his watch. “It’s late, and I think tomorrow’s going to come too soon for both of us.” He pulled himself to his feet, then offered her a hand up. “Now, let’s get this box into the truck so it can travel with you in the morning.”
The warmth of her fingers sent an unexpected lightning bolt up his arm and straight to his heart. Did she feel it, too?
Lights, Cowboy, Action Page 8