“It is. Listen to the people behind the project.” He listed a bunch of names that didn’t mean much to Rosie. But when he mentioned the actors being considered for the roles, her eyebrows went up.
“You have to move to L.A. pronto.”
“But the house. It still hasn’t sold.”
“That doesn’t matter. Our producers want to meet the other half of the writing team. There’s going to be a big party next week when they announce the actors playing the lead roles. You can’t be hiding in the shadows in Montana anymore. It’s time you got full credit for the writing you do. And your share of the option check, too.”
He mentioned a number that made her gasp. No wonder he wasn’t worried if the house sold.
“I only fill in a bit here and there.”
“Not true, sis, and you know it. That last scene was almost entirely your writing. And it was brilliant.”
“That’s nice to hear. I’m glad you thought my contribution was helpful.”
“Helpful? Stop being so modest. How soon can you get out here? I’ll gladly book you a ticket for tomorrow if you can manage that.”
“Gosh, Daniel. I have to give Sage at the chocolate shop at least a week’s notice.” Though, Sage would understand. She’d been anticipating Rosie’s departure for months. And now with Portia on the payroll, Rosie’s departure wouldn’t be as problematic as it would have been.
Rosie put a hand to the side of her head, which felt like it had begun to spin. What about Sara Maria? And Brant?
But this was the opportunity she’d been dreaming of. This was her moment. “I need to talk to some people before I book my flights to L.A. How about I call you in a few days?”
“Okay.” Daniel sounded disappointed. “I expected you to be more excited about this.”
“I guess the prospect of change is scarier than I expected. But I am super happy. I mean—wow. A TV series!” As she said goodbye and hung up the phone, Rosie had the eerie sense she wasn’t alone in the room.
She turned, and sure enough Brant was standing at the open screen door with a tray of baked potatoes and grilled steak.
*
Brant set the food on the table. Some key facts were falling into place for him. Little things he’d noticed combined with the snippet of conversation he’d just overheard.
He studied his Rosie. She looked the same with her soft round face, small, full mouth, lovely brown curls. But inside her head there were secrets she’d never told him. Maybe never told anyone.
“I take it that was your brother calling from L.A.?”
“Daniel. Yes.” She replaced the phone in its cradle, then paused. Slowly she glanced back at him. “He was calling with news. Maybe you heard?”
“I heard a bit. Sounded like he sold one of his scripts and it’s going to be a TV show?”
Rosie filled in the details of the deal for him, but he couldn’t quite take it all in. The part he was really interested in—the part that involved Rosie—still hadn’t been mentioned.
“So. This opportunity. It sounds fantastic.”
“It’s big. Like winning the lottery for a screenwriter.”
“And how is this going to affect you?” Us?
“Daniel wants me involved in the project. If he had his way, I’d be on a plane tomorrow.”
Brant sucked in his breath. “That soon?”
“I told him it wasn’t possible. I want to give Sage a week’s notice.” She tilted her head and gave him a sad smile. “This move has been my dream for so long. But I never imagined it happening this fast.”
He took a few steps toward her and before he knew it, she was running to him, as well, throwing her arms around him and pressing her face to his chest. He wrapped her in his arms and rested his cheek on the top of her head.
“Tell me something, Rosie?”
He could feel her muscles tense.
“Sure.”
“The other day, when I took a shower in your dad’s bedroom, I noticed some papers on his desk and I took a look. I’d never seen a script before, but I could tell that was what this was. I assumed you’d printed out something your brother had written, and I never mentioned it to you because I was kind of embarrassed about snooping.”
Rosie pulled back so she could look at him. “Want me to tell you the whole story?”
“I think I already know. You wrote those pages, didn’t you?”
“Yes. Yes, I did.”
“How long have you been a writer?”
“I loved writing stories when I was a kid, but I dropped the habit once my Mom got sick. I didn’t start again until three years ago. Daniel was home for Christmas and he asked if I would proofread a few scenes. Soon he was vetting all his work through me, and eventually I began making a few changes here and there. Daniel especially liked the way I wrote dialogue and… well, slowly my contributions grew larger.”
“That’s impressive.”
She shrugged. “It didn’t seem like much to me at the time. But this pilot we just finished… I wrote most of the dialogue. The story concept was Daniel’s though, as was most of the plot and scene progression. Turns out we make a great team.”
Brant thought fleetingly of his own sister. The two of them had never made a great team. If they tried to work on a project together, they’d both end up crazy.
“So you’re a cowriter, then.”
“I never felt that way on the other projects I helped him with. I didn’t feel my input was that significant.”
“But this time…”
“This time, yeah. I feel I wrote close to fifty percent of the final script. Daniel’s insisting I get my share of the credit and financial reward.”
“And he’s right.”
“I suppose so.” She broke out with a smile. “I mean, yes. I actually wrote the entire last scene of the episode entirely myself.”
“Well then, we should be celebrating.” Brant tried to inject some enthusiasm in his voice as he retrieved their wine glasses and made another toast. “To your new career in L.A.”
They clinked glasses and sipped wine. The liquid seemed to curdle in his gut, but he forced a smile all the same.
*
Dinner was cold when they finally sat down to eat, but it didn’t matter because their appetites had cooled, too. Brant watched Rosie mash her baked potato until it was practically paste.
“Too excited to eat?”
“Yes. But also nervous… and sad.”
“This is your dream. Your big opportunity. You should be happy.” He tried to sound upbeat, for her sake.
“Think of all I’m leaving though. The chocolate shop and my friends. This house. Huck. Sara Maria.” She let out a long, wavering sigh. “And you.”
“Goodbyes are always tough. But all those things you mention will still be here. You’ll be able to visit.”
But would she though? Once she acclimatized to her new life in L.A.?
He doubted it.
They cleaned the kitchen together without talking much. When they were finished the silence became awkward.
“You work tomorrow, right?”
She nodded.
“So you’ll give Sage your notice?”
“I suppose so. Yes.”
“Which means you’ll be flying out next Friday?”
She paused to think. “Yes. I guess that’s right.”
“I’ll drive you to the airport.”
“I wouldn’t want to—”
“I’ll drive you to the airport. No arguing, woman.”
“No ar-arguing.” As her voice caught on a sob, he reached for her and held her tight.
He could have stayed the night. He had a feeling she wanted him to. But he had a lot of thinking to do.
Besides, if he was going to have to learn to live without her, he figured he’d better start getting used to it.
Chapter Seventeen
After leaving Rosie’s, Brant didn’t head to the ranch at first. Instead he drove to the May Bell Care Home and p
arked on the opposite side of the road. Counting windows, he figured out which room was his sister’s. In the entire building, she was the only resident who still had their light on at eight-thirty in the evening.
Brant groaned. Rosie and the care home staff were right. He had to spring his sister from this joint.
But that wasn’t the only change he needed to make with his life. He needed a job—something with a future, not an annual contract working as a wrangler on another man’s ranch. He’d always dreamed that one day he’d buy his own land and livestock. But he had no way near enough money to do that.
So where did that leave him?
He thought of Rosie and the way she’d smiled at him that morning after he’d apologized. It was hard to believe that smile—and the woman who went with it—were going to be out of his life soon.
Brant swallowed hard. Pressed his fist against his forehead.
Memories from the day his mother died came back to him. She’d called him the week earlier and explained she had to go for some medical tests. Could he take a day off work and stay with Sara Maria.
He hadn’t asked what the tests were for and it turned out it didn’t matter. Because on her way back to Marietta a deer had run across the highway. The truck ahead of her hit it first, then his mother’s car rammed into the truck going full speed.
Somehow the driver of the truck had survived. The deer—and his mother—hadn’t been so lucky.
It sucked how life could change in an instant like that. All it took sometimes was a deer running across a road… or an unexpected phone call just as he was about to sit down for dinner.
Eventually Brant drove back to the ranch, but he slept poorly in the bunkhouse. He tried not to think about Rosie. She was going to be fine. More than fine. Probably one day he was going to see her on the Academy Awards or something.
Meanwhile he had his own life to worry about. And his sister’s. He still had a day left in his vacation. And come morning he realized what he needed to do with it.
First he placed a phone call, arranged a time for a meeting, then got back into his truck.
Jem Miller was just wrapping up a meeting with an architect when Brant arrived at the Miller Barns Construction office building at ten o’clock. Jem ran his business on the same acreage where he lived, midway between Bozeman and Marietta. He had a huge workshop in a converted old, red barn and his offices were above that in what would have once been the loft.
Brant had been impressed with the man when he’d helped him put up the horse barn on Three Bars Ranch. Seeing his operation up close like this, Brant knew if he couldn’t spend the rest of his life working his dream job on his own ranch… this might come a close second.
Brant sat on the edge of his chair during his entire forty-minute meeting with Jem Miller. He explained that he wasn’t just here to offer casual labor. He wanted to be a carpenter. He wanted to specialize in horse barns, like Jem.
Jem was one of the best in his field and one day Brant intended to join those ranks.
“Son, I’ll admit I was impressed with how fast you learned when you were helping me at Proctor’s. I made up my mind then that if you ever came knocking on my door, I’d give you a job. That’s why I left you my calling card when the barn was complete.”
Brant felt as if a load of bricks had been removed from his chest. “I hoped that was the case, Mr. Miller. But I didn’t want to presume anything.”
Together they discussed the terms of the job. Jem named a salary that was a little less than what Brant made now. But after a period of apprenticeship he’d soon be making a lot more.
The men shook hands and Brant left feeling a hell of a lot better than he had on the way in. Letting go of his dream of owning his own spread was hard. But he had to be practical. A career at Miller Barns would be fulfilling and he’d be doing the right thing by his sister at the same time.
As he drove back to the Triple Bar, to give his notice, the sense of satisfaction he’d been feeling slowly ebbed away and he found himself thinking of Rosie again.
The depths of the misery he felt about her imminent departure surprised him. Neither of them had gone into the relationship with much in terms of expectations. And he hadn’t been seeing her that long.
None of that added up to how terrible he felt at the prospect of losing her.
When the truth hit him, he almost swerved off the road.
He was in love.
It had never happened to him before, so maybe that was why he hadn’t realized it until this morning. But only love could explain why he hurt so badly.
And wasn’t it just his luck to fall for a woman he couldn’t have.
*
Rosie showed up at work the next day with the nervous feeling she used to get before exams. She didn’t need to broach the subject of her resignation with Sage, though, because her boss read the news the instant she saw her face. Portia was in the kitchen, too, packaging the molded chocolates Sage had made a few days ago.
“What’s up Rosie? Something happened, I can tell,” Sage said. “Did you sell your house?”
“No but I had a call from my brother.” Rosie explained about the TV pilot, her hand in helping to write it, and her brother’s insistence she fly to L.A. as soon as possible.
“A TV series? That’s incredible Rosie. Congratulations!” Sage gave her a hug, and so did Portia.
“You seriously write screenplays?” Portia looked impressed and amazed. “That’s what you were doing when I saw you typing away on your laptop?”
“I started out small, helping Daniel with the odd bit of dialogue. But I wrote the entire final scene of the episode that’s going to be our TV pilot.”
“Good for you, Rosie. That’s amazing,” Sage said.
“You have to invite me to L.A. for the premier, or whatever they do for TV pilots,” Portia said. “Oh, I can’t believe this is happening. It’s so wonderful!”
Yes. On one level Rosie agreed. But she couldn’t quite work up the enthusiasm she knew she’d have felt a month ago, before she got to know Brant.
“When are you planning to leave?” Sage asked.
“I want to give you fair notice, of course. Is a week enough time? I was thinking next Friday would be my last day.”
“That’s fine,” Sage said.
“Good.” Rosie smiled, but inside she didn’t feel good at all. There was something rather sad about knowing she could be so quickly and easily replaced.
“Oh, my gosh,” Portia said. “What about the chocolate and wine pairing night?”
“I know. I hate to miss it. But my brother is really anxious for me to get to L.A.” She would leave her tickets with Brant when he picked her up to take her to the airport. She hoped she would see him before then, but she didn’t dare count on it. She hadn’t heard a word from him since he’d left last night. Not a phone call, not a text message.
Obviously he considered their relationship over.
Yet, he’d insisted on driving her to the airport. But maybe that was a courtesy thing?
For the rest of that day, whenever there was a lull in business Portia hit her with questions. She wanted to know everything about the story, about how Rosie started writing, and about her brother and his life in L.A.
By the end of the day Rosie had a headache—and she never got headaches. To her credit Portia finally picked up on her ambivalent feelings.
“I’m sorry, Rosie. I’ve been so excited about your news. But it’s hard for you, right? I know what it’s like to live your entire life in one place and then have to go somewhere new. I was so afraid of leaving home for college. And of course for you there’s Brant to consider. You two were off to a great start and now this.”
Yes. Now this.
“I’d be a fool to let this opportunity pass me by. But it’s weird. It’s like I’ve spent so many years dreaming about a new, exciting life, and now that it’s right in front of me—I can’t remember why I wanted it.”
“You’re just nervou
s. At least you’ll be going to live with family. I bet you’ll adjust faster than you think.”
At the end of the day, after Portia had left to drive to the Circle C, Rosie flipped over the “Closed” sign. Then she went back to the deserted kitchen, which was sparkling clean, just the way Sage had left it when she went home hours ago.
Rosie tossed her apron into the laundry basket. Then she pulled out her phone and dialed Brant.
He sounded out of breath when he answered. “Hey, Rosie, what’s up?”
She had hoped for something a little… sweeter. But she couldn’t back out now. “I need to tell your sister I’m leaving next Friday. What’s the best way to do it?”
“I’ve been worrying about that, too. She hates change, and even though you’ve only been in her life a short while, she might get really upset.”
“Yeah.” Unlike Brant, who seemed to be just fine with the idea.
“How about we tell her together? I can be at the care home in about thirty minutes. Want to meet me there?”
He couldn’t be at the ranch if he was going to meet her in Marietta in thirty minutes. But since he hadn’t volunteered any information about where he was, Rosie didn’t ask.
“Sure. See you then.”
*
Rosie went home to feed Huck and to grab a quick bite of dinner before heading to the May Bell Care Home. As she left her home she had to stop and stare at it. It would take a while to get used to the new look.
Brant’s truck was already parked on the street across from the home, and he hopped out of the cab when he saw her.
His smile was warm when he looked at her, but he didn’t reach for her. Or kiss her.
“How did Sage and Portia react when they heard your news?”
She sighed. “They were thrilled. My last day is Friday. My brother’s already booked my flight for nine o’clock that evening.”
“What time should I pick you up?”
“How about six at the chocolate shop?”
“Sure.”
She gave him a look of exasperation. Did he have to sound so darned cheerful about this? “You seem happy.”
“Happy would be a stretch. I’m making changes in my life, too, Rosie. I just gave my notice at Three Bars Ranch. In two weeks I’m going to start apprenticing as a carpenter at Miller Barns.”
Melt My Heart, Cowboy (Love at the Chocolate Shop Book 1) Page 15