by Lisa Smartt
“No. It’s beautiful. Really.”
I unlocked the big wooden door and flung it open. “It’s small, more like a cabin really. In fact, I think it was designed to just be a getaway place, but there’s just Collin and me and I’m not much of a housecleaner so it seemed like a good fit.”
She looked around and smiled. “Absolutely. And it’s not small. It’s cozy. It’s perfect. And all the wooden beams. Rustic. Comforting.”
“Thanks. They’re gonna treat the floors next week cause they’re kinda faded. But the fireplace works real well. I already tested that out.”
She looked out the kitchen window, “And look at this view! The woods are beautiful, and it looks like there’s a trail head out there at the edge of the yard.”
“Yeah. I saw seven deer out there yesterday morning. Of course, once Collin moves in, I’m sure all the noise will keep ‘em at bay.”
I grabbed some logs and kindling from the porch and proceeded to build a fire.
“So, when did you learn how to do that?”
“Make a fire? I don’t know. When I was a kid, I guess.”
When the fire started burning, I sat back on the floor. She was sitting peacefully on the edge of the fireplace. I looked up at her and said, “I feel like an idiot. I’m sorry. I never even said anything about the Oscar nomination. Congratulations. Carlie told me all about it. I’m thinkin’ you guys might sweep the whole thing this year, huh?”
“Yeah, I hope so. Thanks.”
“I saw it, y’know.”
“Over the Hills?”
“Yeah. Opening night. Carlie wanted me to go with them and the big group to Martin to see it. But I went to Union City. By myself.” I spoke more slowly, “I sat by myself right there on the fifth row, gum on my shoe, the whole nine yards.”
She laughed but then her face looked troubled, “And?”
“And…it was incredible. All of it. But you? You were stunning, extraordinary. You should get the Academy Award. Really.” I stared at the crackling fire because I could no longer bring myself to look at her.
“Thank you. But Blake should get the award before I do.” She paused. “His was the real performance.”
I opened the box of chicken and sat a bottle of water in front of her. “We better eat while it’s hot.”
“Changing the subject, huh?”
I made little napkin plates and put chicken and potatoes on each one. “He doesn’t seem like a very worthy topic.”
She scooted off the hearth and sat beside me. There was that smell again, her smell. Intoxicating.
Her beautiful brown eyes stared directly into mine. “I wish I had never done the movie. How ‘bout that?”
“You’re not serious.”
“I am.”
“That’s crazy. Everyone says this is gonna be your career-building role. In fact, you should be out celebrating.”
She laughed as she put her hands out toward the fire. “Oh, I thought we were celebrating. Fried chicken. A warm fire. Sounds like a party to me.” She scooted closer. I could feel my face grow warm. “All I’m saying is I wish I’d never met Blake Blanton. Period. He’s nothing like the character in the movie. He’s not my Daniel.” She looked directly into the fire. “He never will be.”
I cleared my throat. “Yeah, that Alistair McCutcheon has quite an imagination. I mean, Daniel…he was larger than life, huh?”
She looked up at me. “Not really. I think he was just a man who’d found contentment.” She shook her head as her voice grew softer, “He lived in the moment. He wasn’t always thinking, ‘why me?’ and that made him extraordinary.”
“I don’t know. I don’t think he was content at all, not really.”
She laughed, “Are you telling me you know more about the characters of Over the Hills than I do?”
I leaned back on both hands and said with a smirk, “Maybe.”
Her smile was captivating. “Well, Dave Robertson, by all means, explain to me all about Daniel. Clearly, you know him better than the rest of us.”
“The way I see it Daniel didn’t have a lot of choices. His dad died and he did what he needed to do to take care of his mother. He did the right thing. That doesn’t seem so remarkable to me. And no, he wasn’t fully content. If he was, he wouldn’t have pursued Emily, right? Someone so out of his league? He would have gone after that sweet Mary girl, the one from the pub?”
She responded quickly. “Yeah, but when he first met Emily, he didn’t know anything about her situation, her standing in society. He didn’t know her dad would be against him. He just thought of her as a girl…a girl he met by the lake who liked to read poetry and talk about social injustice.”
I smiled. “I doubt it was her poetry reading or her intellect that first caught his eye. She was beautiful.” I spoke more slowly. “Absolutely beautiful. In every way. Physically. Emotionally. She listened to him. Respected him. And…that was the problem. By the time they’d finished their conversation that day, he was already…well, he had already fallen for her. Trust me. He wasn’t noble or brave. When he found out she was an heiress, he probably tried to figure out a thousand ways to forget about her.” I looked down at the uneaten chicken. “But none of those ways worked. So, no. He wasn’t content. He was just a man, a man who wanted a woman…a woman he couldn’t have. And it’s maddening, I mean, it was maddening. For Daniel.”
She looked into my eyes. “But he found a way, right? Daniel, he persevered.”
I quickly stood up and put more wood on the fire. “Like I said, that Alistair McCutcheon has quite an imagination.”
Ashley stood beside me. “I’m not really that hungry. Maybe we should go.”
I turned to her and stammered, “I’m sorry. I don’t know what to do. I don’t. I’ve gotta think about Collin…and stayin’ clean, and I still have memories, bad memories…I’m an addict, remember? Oh, and I’m still…I’m still in love with Shannon too. So trust me.” I pointed out the big picture window. “This life? The one right here? It’s not a movie, Ashley. There’s nothing exciting about it. It’s just the plain ol’ work-a-day, pay the bills, raise a kid, try to stay sober life. And yeah, deer come up in the yard now and then but that’s the extent of the serenity. I promise.”
She got down on her knees and put the food back into the box. “You could save this for later.” She handed me the box and moved toward the door.
“Look, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have talked to you like that. It’s just that, well, I’m…”
She turned to face me. “You’re scared. And I get that. I don’t exactly have the best history. Not the best flight risk, huh? Anyone who watched The Tonight Show can figure that out. Or maybe you’re worried that Blake Blanton is right…that I’m kind of, what’s the word he used? Lukewarm?”
“What? No. Are you kidding? I don’t care what Blake Blanton thinks. I don’t. He’s an immoral, selfish publicity seeker. No one cares about his opinion. And no, you’re not…”
She opened the door and spoke softly, “Let’s go, huh? Carlie and Doug should be home by now.”
“Wait. No.”
But she was already walking to the car.
The fifteen-minute drive was completely silent. Not one word. It wasn’t anger that stood between us or I don’t think it was. It seemed more like pain. For both of us. A few times she cleared her throat. I would have spoken but I’d already said too much and sadly, there was no way of unsaying it. That’s the problem with words. What could I have been thinking? Still in love with Shannon? Yes. But I’d made room. I had. More than enough room. Room for Ashley.
I thought about that scene in Over the Hills where Daniel is walking down the dirt road and he tells his best friend, “Sometimes I wonder what it would be like if I’d never met Emily. If I’d never met her, I wouldn’t be hurting right now. I wouldn’t be wanting… aching for someone I can never have.” His friend looked at him and said, “So…do you wish you had never met her?” Daniel smiled and looked out on an Irish s
unset. “No. A thousand times no.” I understood completely.
As we pulled into Doug and Carlie’s driveway I noticed an old red Taurus parked on the side of the road.
“Ashley, I better walk you in. The guys in that car look suspicious.”
“I’ll be fine. Really.”
“No. One of them is walking this way now. Don’t get out of the car. I’m serious.”
“Dave, I’m fine.” She opened the car door and started up the drive. I raced toward her side as the man approached us.
“Miss Harrison, I just want to ask you some questions. It’s all perfectly innocent. Won’t you sit down with me, for just a moment?” He was a big guy with curly blonde hair and a bizarre look in his eye. “I’ve always wanted to meet you. Always. You’re beautiful and…and I’m in love with you. I feel like you could love me too.”
She spoke with less patience than usual as she hurried up the drive. “No. Talk to my agent. I’m sorry. I’m not meeting with anyone today.”
He suddenly grabbed her arm and jerked. “I just need a minute.”
Her face was filled with fear as she tried to pull free. I jumped on the guy’s back but he flung me off. He grabbed at her again, only this time with more force and intensity. I came around to the front and tried to punch him in the face. But he deflected my fist and grabbed at her hair and started pulling her toward the road.
I pulled out my pocketknife and thrust it as hard as I could into the back of his left shoulder. As he stumbled, I heard a loud gunshot coming from the car, now parked at the end of the drive. I heard the tires squeal as the car sped away. And that’s the last thing I remember.
Chapter 55 CARLIE: It Was the Best of Times…It Was the Worst of Times
Both boys had just gone down for a nap when Doug and I were startled by the sound of gunshot. We live in the country but it wasn’t hunting season and the sound was far too close. Doug ran to the front porch and then yelled back at me, “Stay in the house. Call 911!”
I grabbed the phone and ran to the window just as Jerry Conner drove his patrol car into the ditch in front of our house. Jerry jumped out and pulled his gun on a burly blonde man. Ashley was leaning over Dave, who was lying lifeless on the ground. The 911 operator assured me an ambulance was on the way. In only minutes, two other police cars were in our drive.
When the police cars arrived, I ran outside. Jerry and Pete were working to get the now handcuffed super-sized suspect into the back of Jerry’s patrol car. Dave was lying on the grass just to the left of the driveway. Ashley was leaning over him but she wasn’t screaming or crying. Just holding his hand and sobbing quietly.
Blood was all over Dave’s shirt, especially near his right shoulder. He was still conscious and Doug was applying pressure with an old towel. “Hey man, stay awake, okay? Don’t go to sleep. The ambulance is on the way and they’ll get you fixed up.”
Jerry, covered in sweat, ran over and said with way too much excitement, “Miss Harrison, it’s a good thing I was parked one street over. We got your guy here, but you’ll need to leave town. Right away. When we find the guy in the red Taurus and the motive, we’ll let you know. But until then, you don’t need to be here.”
“I’m staying. I’m staying at least until the ambulance comes.”
Dave blinked his eyes a few times and managed a few words. “No. Go.”
“No. I’m staying.”
“Go.”
She spoke through her tears, “Quit being stubborn, Dave. I’m staying.”
His words slurred a bit. “Go with the police. Please.” His voice grew weaker and he closed his eyes as though he were sleeping. “Ashley, go…because I love you. I love you, Ashley.” He managed a tiny smile. “So very much. I love you.”
At that very moment the EMTs arrived and told us all to stand back. I hugged Ashley and begged her to do what the police told her to do. I promised I would let her know about Dave. Pete told her to hurry into the police car and they would transport her to a safe place. She ran to the car and turned to me one last time. “Take care of him. Promise me?”
“I promise.”
Doug rode in the ambulance and I went inside to check on the boys. One of the police cars stayed in our drive to make sure there was no further threat. Within 30 minutes, the officer came to the door and explained that the other suspect had been apprehended and they suspected it was a case of two obsessive fans. For a minute he forgot he spent most of his time handing out tickets on Hwy. 45. He cleared his throat and said that movie stars had to face this kind of thing quite a bit and that’s why Miss Harrison should hire a bodyguard. They were already making plans for Ashley to fly back to California.
Maxine came to watch the boys so I could go to the hospital because I’d made a promise I intended to keep. But when I arrived, they were wheeling Dave into surgery. Doug told me to go home and he would stay with him through the night. Thankfully, he was in good hands.
Chapter 56 DAVE: Is this Real or is it Memorex?
When I opened my eyes, the first thing I saw was Doug slumped over in a green vinyl chair. Sound asleep. A nurse was doing something with my IV. She kindly explained that I’d had surgery on my shoulder. I remembered getting shot by a guy in a red car but that was about it. Now my shoulder ached and I had a slight headache. Mostly I wondered what happened to Ashley.
Carlie walked in carrying two cups of hot coffee. “Well, Mornin’, Sunshine.”
I muttered, “Oh, is it morning? I’m a little confused right now. Where’s Ashley? Is she alright?”
“Ashley is in sunny California, my friend. Safe and sound. No worries.”
I sighed with relief. “Okay. Good.”
“And you are going to have a sore shoulder for a while. And the police want to talk to you too. And yes, Ashley’s hiring a 24-hour bodyguard, even as we speak.”
“Good.”
“Thankfully, she had a bodyguard yesterday or there’s no telling what would have happened.”
I managed a smile. “I don’t know. That Ashley’s a pretty tough gal. She’d have given them a run for their money with or without me being there.”
Carlie held my hand and spoke seriously, “No. She wouldn’t have. They would have taken her. And you know that.”
“And the kidnapper guys? What happened to them?”
“They’re both in custody. Obsessed fans. Came up from Memphis. We still don’t know how they knew she was here. One policeman said they might have just been coming to stalk our house, knowing it was one of the places she likes to go. I don’t know. I’m choosing not to think about it. But she may have to lay low for a while.”
“Yeah. That’s probably best.”
Carlie started smiling and laughing. “You put on quite a show yesterday, Mr. Robertson. And I don’t mean just takin’ a bullet to the shoulder for the ol’ gal.”
“Well, that’s about all I remember, so enlighten me.”
“You remember what you said though, right? When you were laying on the ground?”
“Said? No. I remember Doug pushing on my shoulder so hard I thought I was gonna die…or wish I were dead anyway.”
“Wait, you don’t remember talking to Ashley.”
“No. I remember her being there. Yeah. And I remember holding her hand.”
Carlie quickly jumped up from the bedside chair and yelled, “Wait! Turn it up! Turn up the TV! Ashley’s on the news. It’s a press conference. Look!” Doug sat up in the chair and turned his attention to the TV.
Reporter: “So, the men who tried to abduct you, they’re in custody now, right?”
Ashley: “Yes, that’s what I hear.”
Reporter: “I’m getting word now that we’ll have the identities of the obsessed fans within the hour. We know they came from the Memphis area. But reports have been cloudy regarding your hero yesterday. We know he sustained a gunshot wound to the shoulder. Some say you were rescued by the husband of best-selling author, Carlie Jameson. Others say it was a family friend.”
&n
bsp; Ashley smiled. “Both reports are wrong. It wasn’t Carlie’s husband, Doug. But it wasn’t a family friend either.”
Reporter: “Is it someone you knew?”
Ashley: “Yes. His name is Dave Robertson.” She smiled and then paused. “He’s not a friend. He’s…he’s my Daniel. The real Daniel. Oh, and not because he kept me from being abducted. I mean, he did do that. He protected me and yes, that was brave. And I’m appreciative. But it’s what he does every day that’s so impressive. He works at a bank. He helps a lot of people who are in alcohol recovery. He takes care of his son.”
Reporter: “So, this Dave, he’s not a celebrity, huh? Just an ordinary guy?”
Ashley: “No. He’s not ordinary…” She paused and then smiled. “He’s extraordinary.” She stood and looked out at the sea of reporters. “That’s all I have in the way of a statement. Thank you all for coming.”
Carlie turned off the TV and for the first time I could remember, she was speechless. Utterly silent.
My mind was going a mile a minute. The headache had ceased and I could hardly feel the pain in my shoulder now. I wondered if it was all just a dream. What Ashley said. The way she looked when she said it.
But then Carlie’s loud voice rang out, which eliminated the dream possibility entirely. “Well, looks like Aunt Charlotte was right, friend.”
“How’s that?”
“She nudged me on Sunday and said with a grin, ‘Ashley’s mama ain’t goin’ to that awards show this year.’”
Chapter 57 CARLIE: Oscar Celebration: Redneck Version
Doug and I are stuck in the rafters again this year. I think some of the people sitting with us are relatives of the caterer. Seriously. But hey, I’m not complaining. I have a bird’s eye view of Dave and Ashley and Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks and a bunch of women who should be asking for a serious refund from their plastic surgeons.
As you can imagine, Dave and Ashley garnered a lot of attention on the red carpet. Aunt Millie helped Ashley pick out a long-sleeved dress in cayenne pepper red. What a beauty! And yes, it holds everything in place too. After alterations, the total came to nearly $675. Ashley told People magazine, “At that price, I definitely plan to wear it again.” Oh, how I do love that girl. When one red carpet reporter asked about her recent weight gain, she smiled and said, “I’m wearing it well, wouldn’t you say?” Yes, indeed, friend. Yes, indeed.