One Perfect Moment

by A. C. Arthur

  After a warm shower, Ava dressed in jeans and a button-front plaid shirt and slipped her feet into slippers that she knew had been at the B and B. Someone must have gone there and brought her things here because as she looked around the room, she also saw her bag, laptop and the toiletries she’d had on the dresser there, now sitting on top of the second dresser here.

  It was different seeing her perfume bottles sitting next to Gage’s cologne, her laptop on the table near the door with his right across from it. She turned back and looked again at the rumpled bed where they’d slept and sighed. If she wanted this lovely scene to be a part of her future, she had to set things in motion.

  Morgan was on morning duty, so that meant she was probably above deck in one of the lavish rooms up there, waiting for Ava to emerge. Finding her phone on the charger sitting on the nightstand, she picked it up and moved to the table. Taking a seat, she booted up her laptop and called Marcelle.

  “Hi there! I know it’s early, but I really need to talk to you about something,” Ava began the moment she heard the groggy “hello” on the other end.

  Marcelle was not a morning person, so calling her at seven thirty LA time would normally be a no-no. In this case, it was urgent, so Ava ignored the time.

  “This better be good, Ava,” Marcelle replied.

  “I think it is,” she said. “I’m sending you an email right now. I need you to review the two attachments. There’s a synopsis of the two-night miniseries featuring the Taylors of Temptation and notes on how this deal has to be brokered.”

  “Has to be?” Marcelle asked, her voice a little clearer now.

  Ava had known that business would wake Marcelle up completely. It always did.

  “Yes,” Ava told her. “Because this is how I’m going to pitch the story to the Taylors, and I’m pretty certain if I pitch it this way, and they agree, they’re not going to take kindly to any abrupt changes.”

  “I take it this is different from what Jenner and Carroll told me about when they called me last week.”

  Ava’s fingers stilled over the keyboard, and she had to readjust the phone she’d tucked between her ear and shoulder. She probably should have hunted through her purse to find her Bluetooth, but she hadn’t wanted to waste any more time.

  “They called you? Why?” she asked Marcelle.

  There was some rattling in the phone’s background, and Ava figured Marcelle had climbed out of bed and was now heading toward her home office so she could boot up her computer and read the email while they talked.

  “They were pretty excited about this show and wanted to get started on getting you signed on officially.”

  “Well, you might want to hold off on that,” Ava told her. “Because if they don’t agree, I’m walking.”

  “Really?” Marcelle asked, her voice clear and questioning. “What about your new show idea?”

  “I’m not going to be bullied by them,” Ava said, wondering why she hadn’t taken this stance from the start.

  Fear. That was the clear-cut reason. She was afraid that going against top network executives would get her blackballed in the industry. And there was still a chance of that happening. Only now, she didn’t give a damn. If she had to use her trust fund money to make her own movies, or buy a network where she could decide which shows would make it and which ones wouldn’t, that’s what she planned to do. Asking for and waiting for permission or validation from pompous men in this industry was over.

  Gage had told her that. He’d said she shouldn’t apologize for who and what she was to her mother and that she was enough on her own. Ava believed him because he believed in her.

  Marcelle gave a whoop and said, “That’s what I’ve been waiting to hear from you. Okay, let me look at the notes first because I already know your pitch is awesome.”

  “I don’t want their lives intruded upon for months on end. The four-hour series can be taped in a month, edited the next month, advertised and shown in the same timespan they already have mapped out. But making this a full thirteen-week series is out of the question. They have lives and families and it’s just too much to ask them to go through all of this again,” Ava said.

  “Okay, this all looks good. I’ll work on your numbers. You’re doing them a huge favor, and in return they’re going to pay you a big damn chunk of money. And I want a clause in this contract that guarantees your next two shows. And...hmm, wait a minute,” Marcelle said.

  Ava was going through her email inbox seeing what she needed to read and what could be trashed, so she didn’t speak while Marcelle paused.

  “Well, this is very interesting indeed,” Marcelle said after another minute or so.

  “What’s that?” Ava asked, just as she was about to close her email in-box. She needed to get topside to let Morgan know she was all right; otherwise Morgan might come down to check on her. Ava didn’t want to be seen working when she was supposed to be recuperating.

  “Apparently I need to check my office voice mail quicker. Parker Donovan sent an email to follow up to the message he left for me yesterday. He’s very interested in meeting with you and discussing creative opportunities for you at Donovan Network Television,” Marcelle told her.

  Ava sat back in the chair and smiled. She couldn’t help it—a fist bump in the air also came as she did everything she could to withhold the squeal of excitement that bubbled inside her.

  “Yes!” she exclaimed. “So Jenner and Carroll can definitely take this deal for the Taylors or kick rocks!”

  “You’re damn right!” Marcelle yipped, excitement clear in her voice, as well. “Okay, since they’re on the East Coast like you right now, I’ll give them a call to let them know that I’ve received the message and I’m checking your availability. I’ll also get a preliminary idea of what these Donovans are possibly talking about offering you to come to their network.”

  “Great. Keep me posted,” Ava said. “Now, I’ve gotta go. Today’s the Fall Festival.”

  Marcelle chuckled. “You’re really settling into that little town, aren’t you?”

  Ava shrugged even though she knew Marcelle couldn’t see her. “It happened so naturally. I mean, one minute I’ll be sitting in my room writing and the next Otis is knocking on my door with the best homemade lemonade I’ve ever had and some sort of snack. While I eat, he tells me whatever is going on in town for that day. Then I go outside and people stop me on the street to talk about this or that. And the Taylors, they’re super nice and very involved and—I guess I am getting caught up, huh?”

  Marcelle chuckled. “Definitely. But Gage Taylor is scrumptious enough to have any woman moving to a small town and going to fall festivals, whatever those are.”

  Ava agreed and ended the call with Marcelle. She had just stood from the desk when she heard the door to the room open and Morgan come down. Just in time, she thought and then fixed a smile on her face to greet one of the nicest women she’d ever known. A woman who she could easily picture as a sister-in-law someday.

  * * *

  Gage could not ignore the instant swell of happiness that spread throughout his chest the moment he saw Ava come through the double doors of the old Hatlenbinger horse barn. It was chilly today, so she wore jeans, those sexy brown boots that tied up the back of her legs and a brown leather jacket. Her hair was styled in two braids, each hanging over one shoulder so that she looked younger and prettier. She stood still for a few moments, looking around the large structure similar to the way Gage had when he’d first entered a few hours ago to help Gray and the others set up.

  The barn used to house Hatlenbinger’s prized stallions and foaling mares when Gage had been younger. But, as told to him earlier by Fred Randall, Tom Hatlenbinger died of a massive heart attack ten years ago. After an argument with his two daughters prior to his death, he’d left everything he had to his second wife, who in turn sold the horses within the same mont
h that Tom had passed away. The land had been bought by the town for taxes a few years prior to Tom’s death, so his wife couldn’t sell that, and the town decided to use the barn space to host the weekly farmer’s market. The house had been renovated and was being used as a horse museum thanks to one of Hatlenbinger’s daughters, who had returned to town.

  Today it was filled with booths showcasing homemade items for sale. They had everything from jams to baskets to knitted sweaters. There were also tables crowded with cakes and pies, cookies and smoked meats for tasting and sale. In one of the far corners were bales of hay and a tractor for picture-taking and playing, as some children were already doing. Next to that section were five tables and an insane amount of pumpkins all ready for the contest.

  “You just gonna stare at her for the rest of the day?” Gray asked.

  Gage hadn’t heard his brother approach and didn’t bother to look over at him because he knew the smirk that would be on his face.

  “She’s mingling,” he replied.

  Two women Gage did not know had just stopped to speak to Ava, and he watched the exchange in awe of how quickly she’d made friends in this town.

  “And you’re ogling,” Gray said. “You’re so pitiful.”

  “Hey,” Gage replied and then tore his gaze away from Ava long enough to glare at Gray. “No name-calling is allowed when you came here to sell three pieces of property and ended up marrying a woman, getting her pregnant and adopting her children.”

  Gray didn’t look the least bit bothered by Gage’s words, but instead shook his head. “You’re not me,” he said with a slow grin.

  “Whatever, man. I’m not ashamed to admit that I came here for a visit and ended up falling in love.”

  “That’s cool, because denying it would have been foolish. It’s written all over your face,” Gray said. “And truthfully, it looks good on you. I’m happy for you, especially considering how you both came to be here.”

  Gage did not want to hear about that coincidence again. He’d been thinking about it off and on since his siblings brought it up last night. It wasn’t on purpose, he’d told himself finally, and that was that.

  “To be fair, we hooked up after the end of shooting the first season of the show,” he told Gray.

  It wasn’t something Gage would have normally told anyone, but he was tired of them acting as if he and Ava were only connected because they ended up in Temptation together.

  “Really? Sleeping with the boss?” Gray said and folded his arms over his chest.

  “Nah, it wasn’t like that. There was this chemistry between us from day one. We fought it the whole time we were working, but then once the shooting was over, I guess we just figured it was fair to proceed.” Gage thought back fondly on that night in Ava’s trailer. “It was only supposed to be one time.”

  “But then she showed up here,” Gray said.

  Gage nodded. “And we were at it again. But this time it was different. I knew one more time wasn’t going to be enough.”

  “It never is when you find the one.” Gray clapped Gage on the shoulder. “Like I said, I’m happy for you. Ava’s a good woman. Morgan and Harper love her, so all you have to do is get Gen’s, Gemma’s and Gia’s approval, and you can go ahead and propose to her.”

  “Propose? I don’t know if I’m ready to start thinking about marriage.”

  Gray chuckled. “Yeah, you keep right on telling yourself that.”

  “Really, I wasn’t.”

  “Uh-huh. Well, if you aren’t thinking about putting a ring on it, you probably should,” Gray told him and then pointed toward the door once more.

  Gage followed his brother’s direction and saw Ava laughing at something Craig Presley was saying. More importantly, he saw how close Ava and Craig were standing to each other and how Ava easily rested her hand on Craig’s arm.

  He took a step in their direction and heard Gray laugh.

  “Yeah, that’s what I thought,” his brother was saying, but Gage kept walking, until he came up behind Ava and Craig.

  It was just in time to hear Ava say, “I’m sorry I never followed through on the rain check for dinner. I had work and then things just started happening.”

  Craig smiled down at her. “Yeah, things like you and Gage hooking up. I get it, and there are no worries. I was just offering to show you around.”

  “And I appreciate it,” Ava said. “You were very friendly and helpful when I first arrived.”

  “Hey there,” Gage said when he finally stepped up to them. “You look like you’re feeling better.”

  “Hey. I am,” she said and then looked up at him as if nobody else in that barn even existed.

  “How’s it going, Craig?” Gage spoke and extended his hand to shake the younger man’s.

  “Hey, Gage. Going great. Been pretty busy with projects, but Harper said we’ll slow down for the holidays. We’re still waiting on Ava to decide when and where she wants to build her tiny house, though,” Craig said.

  “I haven’t even had a moment to think about that lately,” Ava said.

  “Well, you should,” Craig continued. “Temptation’s a great place to have a small getaway home.”

  Gage agreed. “You don’t have much time to think about it now either. We’re up,” he told her. “The contest is about to start.”

  “Oh, right. See ya later, Craig,” Ava said as Gage took her hand.

  “What do you mean, ‘see ya later’? I’m entered in the contest, so be prepared to be wowed by my creation!”

  As they walked across the barn to the area set up for the contest, Gage couldn’t help but think about Craig’s words to Ava. Temptation was a great place to build a house. But what else? A family? A home?

  * * *

  An hour and a half later, Ava hugged Craig and placed the goofy jack-o’-lantern sponge hat on his head. He was the winner of the pumpkin-carving contest, and as such had won the lovely hat and a fifty-dollar coupon to O’Reiley’s Pumpkin Patch. His pumpkin-turned-Darth-Vader was the best carving Ava and Gage had ever seen.

  Gray, Jack and Lily came in second place and had posed happily with their creation—a crooked but valiant attempt at the Grinch. The contest had been a blast. The hot cider and sugar cookies being passed around were even better. But overall, it was just the people, Ava thought, that made this a fantastic event. She’d been to who knew how many Hollywood parties and corporate functions with her mother, but none of them compared to this.

  “It’s movie time!” Jack yelled excitedly.

  Morgan was there shaking her head. “I don’t know. I heard Craig telling Harper that he picked something extra scary for tonight’s movie. I don’t think you and your sister will be able to watch.”

  Harper waved a hand. “My aunt Laura quickly put the kibosh on that,” she said. “We’re watching It’s The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown first, and then Craig’s allowed to show Poltergeist, but not the other horribly gruesome movie he was planning on.”

  “Charlie Brown! I love Charlie Brown!” Lily announced.

  “Okay, then let’s head on out so we can get a good seat in front of the screen,” Morgan told them.

  “We’re just going to clean up here a little. Save us a seat,” Ava told Morgan and Gray.

  “Oh no, you’re not,” Gage warned. “You’re going to go on and sit down. I’ll clean up, and then I’ll join you. So you can save me a seat.”

  When Ava opened her mouth to argue, Wendy, Morgan’s sister, touched her shoulder. “Don’t even bother. Take the offer of help ’cause who knows when you’ll get another one.”

  Ava liked Wendy because she reminded her so much of Marcelle. She agreed with her, and they all walked outside to where chairs had been set up in rows on the grass like they were at a real movie theatre. A large screen had been rented and placed up front for the movie viewing. They found se
ats in the fourth row, and Ava eased down the aisle to sit alongside the Taylor family.

  It felt perfect sitting here, waiting for the movie to begin, talking to Lily, stopping Jack from climbing over the chairs in the next row and laughing with Wendy and Harper. She’d never had moments like this with her mother, or even with both her parents when her father was alive. This was what it was like to belong to a real family. She smiled to herself and thanked every deity possible for her good fortune.

  “Attention! Attention!” A woman stood in front of the screen with a microphone.

  Ava recalled meeting her before. She was one of the women who had been with Millie the second time the brash woman had approached her. Her name was Shirley Hampstead, and she was the town comptroller. Ava loved putting names with faces and job titles. It was a lot better than putting names with the last movie someone had done, or the last scandal they’d been involved in. She put a finger up to her lips and gave Jack a stern look before returning her attention to Shirley.

  “We’d like to thank everyone for coming out to this year’s festival. It’s been a wonderful day, and we owe it all to the Magnolia Guild for their fund-raisers throughout the year that help us pay for events like this.” Shirley gave a nod to someone in the audience, and there was applause.

  “Also, on behalf of Mayor Pullum, who’s still recovering from knee surgery, we want to thank all of this year’s volunteers. Without you we wouldn’t have been set up on time.” With that, Shirley and a few other people in the audience laughed and clapped.

  “As always, a very special thanks goes to JoEllen Camby for planning this function—from her house—every single year. JoEllen does a magnificent job,” Shirley told the crowd, who clapped in response.

  Wendy leaned over to whisper to Ava. “And that, my dear, is how you serve sarcasm here in Temptation.”

  Ava laughed and shook her head.

  Then her smile faltered slightly as a familiar face joined Shirley. Millie wore a burnt-orange pantsuit with a white blouse and a large pumpkin pendant on the lapel of her jacket.