Lights, Cowboy, Action

by Lesley Ann McDaniel

  She let go a little more quickly than he would have liked. “Sounds good.”

  “Where do they have you staying?” He grabbed the box and she picked up the photos. “The Elkhorn Inn?”

  “That’s for the crew.” She mimicked a look down her nose. “The company rented a private home for Ms. Bijou. Some rich family’s so-called cabin, just south of town.”

  He nodded. “Yeah, most of those cabins are worth a couple mil at least.”

  “This one is, that’s for sure. I’m lucky to get to stay there with her. It’s one of the perks of my job.”

  Stepping outside, Adam breathed in the crisp air, enjoying the moment and trying not to think too far ahead.

  Courtney walked alongside him. “I’m curious about something.”

  Looking down at her, he huffed with exertion. “What’s that?”

  “Is your mom the reason Mr. Bloom is in Montana?”

  “Mama?” His brow pinched in confusion. “What are you talking about?”

  She gave him one of those looks that women frequently give men when they think they’re being thickheaded. “He obviously has his eye on her.”

  “What?” That couldn’t be...could it?

  “Oh, come on, you had to have noticed. Isn’t that why Janessa is so down on him?”

  A dull pain settled in his chest. “That’s not why she’s down on him.”

  “Oh. Well, then why?”

  Hoisting the dolls into the back of his truck, he let out a sigh. “She’s down on him because she doesn’t want me to sell him our ranch.”

  Her weary eyes opened wide. “What? Why would you sell your ranch?”

  He moved to her side of the truck and opened the door for her. “It’s complicated.”

  As he crossed around to his own door, a debate swirled in his tired brain. How much should he share with her? He climbed into the truck and started the engine, feeling her eyes on him as she waited for an answer.

  “The economy’s been so bad the past couple of years.” Putting his arm on the seat back, he maneuvered the truck into a three-point turn. “It’s not just the ranch. It’s the whole town.”

  “The town’s in trouble? But it’s so cute. It would make a great little tourist destination.”

  “Maybe.” He sighed. “Folks have been real grateful for the money the movie company has brought to our community, but with the ranchers not making much profit, everyone suffers.”

  “Oh....” Her voice trailed off.

  He went on, buoyed by her concern. “Anyway, the Bar-G got really behind financially. I kept thinking things would turn around, like they always do.” Shifting into Drive, he looked toward the main road. “Lately, things have improved, but I’m afraid it’s too bad to save without some kind of miracle.”

  “So—” concern tinted her tone “—you basically just need a chunk of money to put you back in the black?”

  “Yeah. But I just don’t see how that’s going to happen.” The truck rumbled onto the vacant highway. “I’ve been praying...the whole family has.”

  “So, how did Mr. Bloom enter the picture?”

  “Well, a lot of wealthy people buy property in Montana. I guess they see it as a great retreat from their high-stress world. Apparently he was looking for a ranch and word got out that we might be in a good position to sell. He drove up one day and made me a very generous offer.”

  “Whoa. It must be hard to say no. People like him tend to get what they want.”

  “Well, he knows we’re strapped for money. He’s the one who suggested to Keith Kingsley that he should send the location scouts out to our place to consider it for the movie.”

  “That pays really well.” Her voice brightened. “It must have helped.”

  “It helped a lot, but not enough. So, I’m still considering Mr. Bloom’s proposition. I have to think maybe it was God’s answer to prayer.”

  “Hmm.” She twisted toward him in her seat. “Say you do sell the ranch. Would you stay in Thornton Springs?”

  A corner of his mouth twitched. Was that hope in her voice? “Mr. Bloom has kindly offered me the job of ranch foreman, which means I’d move into the foreman’s house with Leonard and draw a paycheck. Be kind of a relief, truth be told.”

  “Oh.” She shifted forward. “And your family?”

  “Janessa’s moving to Seattle soon as she saves up the money, and Mama says the house is too big for just the two of us. She says she wants to buy herself a little place in town.”

  “Sounds like a plan.”

  “It’s a plan, all right. There’s only one thing wrong with it.”

  “What’s that?”

  Uneasiness churned in his gut. Did he really want to tell her this? He swallowed hard. “It’s just that I always dreamed of raising a family of my own there.”

  From the corner of his eye, he saw her look his way, but she didn’t respond.

  “I know it sounds crazy.” He gazed at the moonlit mountains that rose up ahead of them. “But I’ve had this image of someday teaching my own kids everything my dad taught me and his dad taught him.” Why was it suddenly difficult to swallow? “Passing the ranch down to my own kids seems like an important part of that.”

  “That doesn’t sound crazy to me.” Her voice sounded soft, sweet.

  “Unrealistic, then.” He sighed. “I don’t know. Maybe I’m just having a hard time letting go of something that’s not meant to be.”

  Silence stretched. Courtney seemed to be considering what he’d just said.

  “But you want to know the worst part?” He turned onto the main street of town, which was dark and quiet at this time of night. “Makes me feel like a failure.”

  “A failure?” She faced him again. “Adam, the whole country’s having financial difficulties right now.”

  “Sure, but generations of Greene men have had difficulties. Wars. The Great Depression. They never lost the ranch, and now I feel like I’m failing the family.”

  A deep exhale came from her side of the cab, and Adam detected her listing subtly toward him. He never talked to anybody about this, but telling Courtney had been surprisingly easy.

  She wrapped her arms around herself, relaxing. “Your dad...he’s...”

  “Been gone for about ten years now.” It still stung to talk about it. That’s why he normally didn’t.

  “I’m so sorry.” She paused. “I can’t even think about what life would be like without one of my parents.”

  He snagged the opportunity to change the subject. “They live in Fresno?”

  She looked at him, a slight smile playing on her lips. “You remembered. Yeah, they’re still there. I don’t see them much. They’re so active with their church, now that my brother Ben and I are gone.”

  He perked up. This was the first mention she’d made of church. He’d sensed that she had that quality that comes with faith in the Lord, but he hadn’t known for sure. “So...what church do they attend?”

  “Christ Faith. It’s the church I grew up in.”

  “So you’re a Christian?”

  “Yes. I mean I was. Go left up there.” She pointed to a turnoff. “Now I don’t really know.”

  His heart dipped as he turned the wheel. Maybe this was his confirmation that he shouldn’t think of Courtney as anything more than a friend. On the other hand, maybe God was at work here. Maybe He wanted Adam to draw Courtney back to her faith.

  “What are you unsure about?”

  “Church used to be really important to me. But then I went to college, and the people at my new church seemed so judgmental. Maybe I used that as an excuse to drift away and do my own thing, I don’t know. But now I’m totally caught up in my career, and I’ll tell you one thing—there’s no place for God in Hollywood.”

 
One side of Adam’s mouth quirked. “So you got into the movie business and you lost your faith.”

  “It’s not so much that I lost it. I—

  “You lost your faith.”

  “I guess.” Her voice grew quiet. “I guess maybe I did.”

  “And here you are.”

  “Here I am...?”

  “You do know that God works in mysterious ways.”

  “So I’ve heard. What’s that got to do with me?”

  “You went to college and lost your faith. Maybe you came to Montana to get it back.”

  She took in a breath as though she wanted to respond, but no words came. They drove in silence for a moment or two.

  “Turn right here.” Her voice sounded low, contemplative. “It’s just up this long drive.”

  Adam’s truck clunked its way up the steep incline, and he came to a stop in front of a four-car garage. The house attached to it stood tall and inviting, nestled in the trees. He killed the engine and leaned forward slightly to look up at the soaring triangle of front windows. A few lights were on, but all seemed still. “So...do you think Angela is awake?”

  She eyed him for a second. “No. She’s pretty big on getting her beauty sleep.”

  He nodded. Good. The last thing he wanted right now was to have to wend his way through a flirtatious dialogue with Courtney’s boss.

  He got out of the car and crossed around the front, but by the time he reached the passenger’s side, she had already gotten out.

  A few moments later, inside the house, Adam set the box of dolls next to the front door.

  “I’m parched.” Courtney started for a doorway on the far side of the room. “Want some water before you start back?”

  “Sure.” He looked around the high-ceilinged room. It was a nice house—upscale but unpretentious.

  Courtney returned, handed him a bottle of water—not D’eau Douce, he noted—and flung herself onto a plush sofa while she cracked open her own bottle. “I’m exhausted.”

  Opening his drink, he sat next to her, sinking back into the soft cushions. “You need a good night’s sleep.” He took a deep swig of the refreshing liquid, wondering how he was going to wake up in just a few hours himself.

  She set her bottle on the table next to her and looked over at him. “Thanks again. For everything.”

  He wanted to say something, but what? This was one of those moments when he needed to guard his tongue. It would be so easy to say something that might lead them down the wrong road. He wasn’t sure how she would react if he did—how she felt about him. The cautious approach seemed best. “If there’s anything else I can do to make your job easier, just ask.”

  “Really?” Yawning, she closed her eyes. “Anything...?”

  “Anything.” He set his bottle on the table next to him. “Just ask.” He waited for a response, but she didn’t stir. “Courtney...?”

  “Hmm?” Her voice sounded dreamy and her breathing slow.

  He bent toward her, wanting to push a wayward sandy-blond curl off her forehead, but resisting. “I have to go now. Will I see you tomorrow?” He spoke softly, but she didn’t respond.

  What should he do...leave her there to sleep? Reluctantly, he stood and took a few careful steps toward the door.

  “Adam?”

  He turned, hesitating. Her eyes were shut and she looked more asleep than awake.

  “Yes?”

  “I want...” Her lids fluttered open slightly.

  “What?” Cautiously, he treaded back and knelt next to her.

  “I...” She seemed to be losing the fight to keep her eyes open. “I want...” Her voice fluttered barely above a whisper.

  He drew closer. “What do you want?”

  Eyes once again closed, her head rolled toward him. “...you...”

  He reeled back. “What?”

  Her eyes popped open, startled. “I mean Angela. Angela wants you...” she seemed flustered—tired—confused.

  “Angela?”

  “...to give her riding lessons.” She sat up, putting her hands to her temples. “That’s what I meant.”

  Confusion surged. “Riding lessons? Why?”

  She sprang to her feet and started to pace, and he stood, too, trying to make sense of her words.

  “She wants them to add a riding scene for her, and she insists that you should be the one who teaches her.” She whirled around, looking a little frantic. “If I don’t deliver what she wants, I’ll look bad, and I might even get fired or at least never get hired again. I know you don’t have time, but I really need you to say yes.”

  “Yes.” He gripped her by the shoulders to calm her.

  She stopped. Stared. “Really?”

  Now that his hands were on her, he couldn’t wrench them away. He rubbed her shoulders lightly, feeling the curve of her upper back through her sweat jacket. “I said I’d do anything you needed to help make your job easier.”

  “But...you said you didn’t have time to—”

  “I’ll find the time.” His eyes bored into hers.

  She smiled shyly, looking like she wanted to say more. The smile said enough.

  He grinned back, his heart a galloping steed, and she focused on his lips. He leaned in—

  “Courtney!”

  They both leaped backward at the sound of Angela’s voice, putting a good five feet between them. Courtney folded her arms and Adam put a hand on his hip and rubbed the back of his neck.

  “Do you think anyone delivers sushi at this time of night?” Angela slinked into the room wearing a filmy pink robe that did little to conceal a skimpy bikini underneath. “Remember I like extra wasabi.” Her features sharpened when she saw Adam. “Well, hello, cowboy.”

  He cringed, avoiding looking at anything but her face. “Ma’am.”

  “I hope we didn’t wake you.” Courtney’s voice quivered and she spoke a little too fast. “Adam just helped me bring these back for tomorrow.” She pointed at the box, which had patiently bore witness to the events of the past several minutes.

  “Wake me?” Angela slid toward him, flipping her wet-tipped hair over her shoulder. “I couldn’t sleep, so I was relaxing in the hot tub.” Her eyes locked on his. “Care to join me?”

  “Oh, uh...no, thank you.” He wanted to run, but that wouldn’t do Courtney any good. “It’s late, and...I’d best be heading home.”

  Angela shrugged. “Another time, then.” Her eyes traveled to his feet and back up again. “When we have time.” She did an about-face and waved a hand over her shoulder as she disappeared from the room.

  Adam let out a low breath and looked at Courtney, who seemed to avoid his gaze. “I should go.” He started for the door, and she followed.

  He opened it, eased out onto the porch, then turned to face her in the doorway.

  “Thanks again.” Now her eyes met his, although she still appeared agitated.

  He dipped a nod. “My pleasure, ma’am.” That got her to smile.

  He walked toward his truck, exhausted, confused and what? Elated?

  Grabbing the handle to his truck door, he glanced over his shoulder at the house. Oh, Lord, what next?

  Chapter 13

  The woman from the Children’s Welfare League practically fell over herself gushing to Angela as she escorted her and Courtney to the Town Car. “We just can’t thank you enough, Ms. Bijou.”

  “Not a problem.” Angela waved a slender hand. “It involved zero effort on my part.”

  Courtney choked down a chuckle. Angela was right—it had involved zero effort on her part. It felt a little wrong that the autographs weren’t authentic, but at least the kids would never know the difference.

  The driver moved to open the back door for Angela just as a man with a came
ra leaped out from behind the car. Angela made a disgusted noise and held up her hands in defense. He fired off several shots of her before the driver yanked him aside.

  Seeing that the driver was occupied holding off the photog, Courtney finished the job of opening Angela’s door.

  “Pesky mosquitoes!” Angela dove into the car. “How on earth do they find me even in the middle of nowhere?”

  Courtney pushed the door shut and smiled contritely at the Children’s Welfare woman, whose mouth hung open in dismay.

  “Ms. Bijou loved every minute of her time here.” Courtney hoped she sounded convincing. “Thank you for inviting her.”

  The corners of the woman’s mouth curved up in what looked like forced hospitality. Courtney hurried around the car and slid into the other side of the backseat as the driver got in and started the engine.

  Angela’s countenance had completely soured. “It’s not enough that I have to put up with cameras in my face, but all that shrieking. Kids!” She took her compact out of her baby-pink Birkin bag and started to powder her nose. “And the parents. Ugh. If I see one more stroller, I’m going to scream. It’s disgusting.” She clicked the compact shut. “Where am I supposed to be today?”

  Checking her clipboard, Courtney ran her finger down Angela’s schedule. “Keith pushed the scene we were going to shoot today to tomorrow, to accommodate this morning’s event. That means adding a day to the workweek to stay on course.” Her lips rolled in as she awaited Angela’s response to the news that they were now slated to work on Sunday. When she remained attentively silent, Courtney continued. “We’re shooting the barn scene this afternoon, so you’re due in makeup at twelve thirty.”

  “Fabulous. Call Travis Bloom and book an early lunch with him. Find someplace nice where I won’t be bothered by the public. I can’t stand to have people leering at me while I eat.”

  Courtney reached for her phone, then stopped. “Oh...I can’t. I mean he can’t.”

  “What do you mean?”

  She gulped. “He’s having lunch today at the Bar-G Ranch with the owner, Mrs. Greene.”

  “He is?” Angela’s tone was one of deep affront. “How do you know?”

  “Well, I—”