All in all, it was a very productive lunch.
Chapter 7
‡
Gravel kicked up from his tires as Evan pulled off toward the prearranged spot where he was meeting Kyle and Kyle’s trainer. He was going to be leading the men on a steep hike up the mountain wearing weighted backpacks. It was the same drill that Evan and Marco had taken their crew out on. It was a great test of strength, determination, and endurance and also served as an excellent team-building tool.
Evan had done his best to discourage the actor from attempting the grueling exercise that even his own people had struggled with. But Kyle insisted that he needed to do it to be “authentic.”
Since Evan was used to being active and had been going a little crazy being indoors all the time, he was looking forward to the hike.
They were scheduled to meet at four a.m. So, of course, Evan was there at three-forty-five a.m., sitting in his car and waiting for them to arrive.
Jake had pitched Evan on this job by suggesting that at least he wouldn’t be sitting around twiddling his thumbs. But that’s exactly what he felt like he was doing. And not just because he was here fifteen minutes early. The same thing had happened yesterday when he’d met Kyle at the gym.
He’d been there for hours, talking. Not working out. Talking. They discussed Evan’s life, the job, and the project. It was its own form of torture. Evan hated talking about his life, his feelings, his experiences, and that’s all Kyle wanted to discuss. Afterwards, he’d stopped by headquarters to regain some sense of normalcy.
Reyes and Spencer had everything under control, which partially put his mind at ease. He wasn’t worried at all about their leadership or expertise. He knew that they would be able to handle any situation that arose. But on the flip side of that coin, it was difficult for him to watch from the sidelines. He was used to being in charge. He liked being the one making decisions and having the final say.
He’d only stayed for about an hour and then he’d gone home. That’s when he realized he had way too much time on his hands to think. The object of his thoughts was a woman that he needed to steer clear of as much as possible.
The conversation with his brother had knocked him off balance again. He wondered if what he was feeling for Shayne was a rebound defense mechanism after he realized that he hadn’t thought about Noelle since he’d laid eyes on the young Marilyn Monroe look-alike. There was a very good possibility that perhaps she was really just a distraction from dealing with the news of Noelle’s pending nuptials and baby.
Or not. Maybe he and Shayne had a powerful connection that had nothing to do with anyone but the two of them. It was possible that what they shared was entirely unrelated to Noelle’s news.
Regardless, anything happening between the unlikely pair was impossible. He tried to limit the amount of drama in his life and from what he’d learned about the young actress, her entire life was drama on and off the screen.
Evan shook his head and decided to get out in the fresh morning air. If he sat in the cramped front seat of the toy car any longer, his legs were going to fall asleep.
As he stepped out into the cold, brisk conditions, he brought his hands up to this mouth and blew into them. He knew that he should enjoy the chill now, because a quarter mile into the steep, rough terrain and he was going to be dripping in sweat, no matter what the temperature was.
He tried to focus on the early hour’s peaceful serenity, but his mind kept boomeranging back to Shayne. From the sweet sound of her voice to the sensation her infectious smile inspired in him, he just couldn’t seem to shake her. Last night he’d lain in bed for hours thinking about her. He couldn’t get her out of his mind.
This hike was strenuous and would take all of his concentration. He was looking forward to having a few hours where she wasn’t all he was thinking about.
The mental fatigue that he’d experienced from obsessing over the blonde beauty was almost more exhausting than the physical fatigue he had from his recovery. She was all consuming. He was infused with her essence.
No matter what he’d done to divert his attention elsewhere, inevitably it would return to Shayne Fox. The more his mind entertained thoughts of her, the more questions he had.
Was she really the “party girl” that the media portrayed her as?
That didn’t seem like the girl that he’d met two days ago, but she was an actress.
Did she honestly have a torrid affair with her much older, married director when she was eighteen?
If that was the case, where was her family? Who was watching out for her?
What issues had she had that put her into rehab?
He knew that it was easy to hide demons and he also knew that it took people that really cared about you, that loved you, to help you through that. So again, where was her family?
When their eyes had met across the room, he’d been struck by a couple of things. Right off the bat, her beauty. She was mind-blowing. Breathtaking. Heartbreakingly beautiful. But that impression was brief, and then he was sucked into the vortex of her crystal blue gaze. There was a depth in them that conveyed both a strength and a vulnerability that he’d never seen in another human being.
And he couldn’t stop thinking about it.
Or her.
The amount of time that he’d spent engrossed over a woman he’d briefly met was completely uncharacteristic of him. He’d loved Noelle and the times they’d spent apart, he’d thought about her and missed her. She’d been on his mind but he’d been able to focus on other things. She’d never stolen his ability to function. Whenever he’d needed to put Noelle out of his mind, he’d just…done it. There was no real effort involved.
He couldn’t seem to do that with Shayne. There was no putting her out of his mind. She’d moved in, and he was at a loss as to how to evict her.
At five minutes to four, Kyle and Rob arrived, and he couldn’t be happier for the distraction. He also appreciated their promptness.
“Evan Douglas Bishop!” Kyle announced as he stepped out of the SUV.
Evan lifted his chin. “Kyle.”
As much as he was truly growing to like Kyle, there was no way he was going to follow the actor’s lead and call him by his full name. He’d asked Eli about the whole first, middle, and last name thing and his brother told him that he should consider it a compliment. Apparently, Kyle only bestowed that honor on people he admired.
“Hey, man. Good to see you.” Rob extended his hand.
“You too.”
Rob and Kyle both pulled their packs out of the backseat, and Evan popped the hatchback to grab his. As he started to put it on, he noticed that both of the other men had set theirs on the ground. Rob was on his phone and Kyle was doing breathing and stretching exercises.
“We ready?” Evan had chosen the four a.m. time because he’d done this hike several times, and once the sun came up, it got unbearably hot. Since they were here a little early he thought they might as well get started.
Rob didn’t look up from his phone as he responded, “I think we’re waiting for one more person.”
“Yes. We are.” Kyle confirmed. “The lovely Miss Fox will be joining us. She’s as committed as I am to bringing authenticity and truth to the story.”
Shayne was coming.
Shit.
So much for a few hours of not thinking about Shayne. It looked like he was going to be sharing an experience that was designed to team build and create a form of intimacy for crews that depended on one another for their lives.
The last thing he needed was to feel more intimacy with Shayne.
Chapter 8
‡
Ruby hummed along with the radio as she pulled onto the mountain road looking bright-eyed and bushy-tailed for four a.m. Shayne sat beside her and yawned as she rubbed her eyes. When she opened them again, the scenery illuminated by the headlights was just as blurry as it’d been before she’d closed them. She hoped the bleariness would wear off before she started the hik
e. If not, she might be in trouble.
“I still can’t believe I slept for almost sixteen hours,” her friend enthused.
“You needed it,” Shayne managed to say as another yawn claimed her.
Yesterday, when Shayne returned from lunch with Deanna, she’d gently nudged Ruby to wake her up to eat, but instead of enjoying Sue Ann’s delicious delicacies, her friend opted to go straight to bed instead. She slept through the entire evening. Shayne checked on her several times before finally going to bed after midnight when she finished listening, for the dozenth time, to the revised script.
When her alarm went off at the ungodly hour of three thirty a.m., she’d tiptoed by Ruby’s room, expecting her to still be snuggled warm in her bed. Instead, it was empty and made. She found her friend wide awake at the kitchen table, typing away on her computer, and looking better and more rested than she’d seen her in months.
Shayne had planned to drive herself to the hike, but Ruby had insisted. She hadn’t argued that much since she could barely keep her eyes open.
“Eat,” Ruby barked with the authority of a drill sergeant.
Despite it being hailed as the most important meal of the day, Shayne had never been much of a breakfast person. Her stomach needed time to wake up. But since she had a vigorous trek ahead of her, Ruby had bullied her into bringing a piece of toast and a banana for the ride. At least she also got her piping hot French vanilla coffee, her preferred morning fix.
Shayne’s arm was heavy, and her eyes were closed as she raised the banana to her mouth and took another bite. That made three so far. Yes, she was counting.
“How did lunch go yesterday?” Ruby cheerily inquired.
“Good.” Shayne chewed and then washed down the bite of banana with coffee. “Deanna is amazing. I can’t wait for you to meet her.”
“Great. But more importantly, is Brawny Man single?”
Just the mention of Evan’s nickname had Shayne feeling perkier. Like sugar in hot tea, the sluggishness that had been plaguing her since her alarm went off instantly dissolved.
Forget caffeine, it seemed attraction was a legitimate stimulant.
“Um…” Shayne looked down at her toast and bit the inside of her lip. “I don’t know.”
“You didn’t ask?”
“No.” She was kicking herself that she hadn’t.
“Why not?”
“It didn’t come up.”
“It didn’t come up?” her friend repeated slowly.
“Nope.”
“Why didn’t you bring it up?”
“I didn’t know how.” Shayne heard the defensiveness in her own voice.
Ruby’s eyes sliced to Shayne before returning to the road ahead of them. “You didn’t know how? You, Shayne Fox, are the Beethoven of conversations. You compose them with expert precision.”
Her communication skills were well documented in her inner circle that consisted of Nolan, Ruby and herself. While Ruby’s preferred moniker was the Beethoven of Conversations, Nolan referred to her as the Queen B of Banter. Shayne accepted both distinctions like a badge of honor.
Ruby shook her head. “Why didn’t you just ask, hey is your cousin single?”
“I don’t know.” Since meeting with Deanna, she’d been wondering the same thing. The only possible explanation that she’d been able to come up with was that the answer had meant too much to her.
Which was ridiculous. It was a curiosity, nothing more. Or at least that was what she kept telling herself.
Whether or not Evan Bishop was single or in a relationship had zero bearing on her. She was here to work. Her focus needed to be on her role.
Concentration had never been an issue for her before. Once she set her mind to something, it was like she had blinders on. But last night, she kept getting distracted while she was going over her lines. As she’d listened to the lovely Australian voice speaking through her headphones, she’d catch her mind drifting off. Mostly, she’d envisioned Evan’s eyes staring at her from across the community center. The deep timbre in his voice. Or the feeling of his large, warm hand wrapping around hers as he’d shook it.
As soon as she’d catch herself, she’d rewind the audio and try once again to concentrate on the dialogue. What should’ve taken her four hours ended up taking her eight.
“I can find out for you. Do you want me to find out?” Ruby offered using her assistant tone.
“No.” Shayne shook her head automatically. “We’re not in middle school. And even if we were, I wouldn’t have you ask something like that.”
As the words left her mouth, she had to admit that taking her friend up on the offer was much more tempting than it should’ve been.
Shayne had never understood why girls had their friends speak for them. She’d always assumed that the best way to find something out was to go directly to the source. What was the worst thing that could happen, it’s not the answer you want, and you get rejected? Big deal. She could handle rejection. She’d been handling rejection her whole life.
Of course, those were her feelings before meeting a man that had flipped a switch inside of her that she desperately wanted to turn back off. Now, that was not ringing as true for her. Somehow the thought of Evan knowing that she “liked” him had her stomach doing flips.
What if he was in a relationship?
Or what if he wasn’t interested in her?
Or what if he was interested in Shayne Fox the actress but not Shayne Fox the person?
Stop it.
Her harsh mental reprimand snapped her out of her insecurities. This was not the person she was. She didn’t get sidetracked by emotions, especially when it came to her professional life.
Shayne closed her eyes and relaxed back against the headrest. She figured that she’d use the few minutes she had to rest and clear her mind by practicing a little mindfulness where she meditated on being strong and capable during the hike.
Always a realist, Shayne was initially skeptical of jumping on the Hollywood train of visualizing what you want your life to be into existence ala The Secret. But she was always open to anything that worked and one of her former costars swore by it and convinced her to give it a shot. And she was so glad she did because it had proved to be a useful tool in her arsenal.
So, she quieted her mind and visualized herself pushing through any physical roadblocks such as pain or fear that she might face in the next couple of hours as she embarked on the demanding training exercise she was about to take on.
She was just getting in the zone when she felt the car pulling to a stop.
“So, just to be clear, you’re not at all curious to know if there’s a Mrs. Brawny Man?” Ruby asked.
“Wow.” Shayne opened her eyes and turned her head to look at Ruby. “You’re really stuck on this, aren’t you?”
Her friend shrugged her shoulder. “It’s just a question.”
“Yes, I’m curious,” she admitted reluctantly. “But we all know how well that ended for the cat.”
“Well…” There was a twinkle in Ruby’s hazel eyes as she looked over Shayne’s left shoulder. “Let’s hope you have nine lives.”
Her stomach dropped.
“He’s here, isn’t he?” she whispered.
When Kyle had texted her about the hike, he’d only mentioned that Rob, his trainer from Los Angeles would be here. He hadn’t said anything about Evan and she hadn’t thought to ask because she was under the impression that he still had some limitations due to his injuries.
If she’d known he was going to be here this morning, she might’ve put a little more thought into what she wore. Her hair was in two braids, and she was wearing a beanie, gloves, a hoodie, her thickest, most durable yoga pants and hiking boots.
Wait, that’s exactly what I should be wearing. She told herself.
It didn’t matter if Evan was there or not, what else would she have worn? And why did it matter? She’d never been nervous to face fashion experts on red carpets, why should it matter wh
at she was wearing in front of Evan?
“Yep,” Ruby confirmed, interrupting the insecure squirrel that she was chasing around in her brain. “And I don’t know if it’s the pregnancy hormones or what but I have to say, Brawny Man is looking even finer than I remember.”
That’s impossible, Shayne thought as nerves pinged through her like a chip falling down the Plinko board on The Price is Right. She turned her head and saw what Ruby had.
“Oh,” she gasped.
She was wrong. It was very possible.
Evan was standing beside Kyle and Rob, but the other two men might as well have been invisible. All she saw was him. Not just because he stood a couple of inches taller than the other two, or because his frame was muscular while both other men had lean athletic builds. No, her tunnel vision was caused just by the fact that he was looking at her.
Their eye contact was just as intense as it had been at the community center and it caused her heart to feel like it was ricocheting off her ribcage as she struggled to breathe. His sexiness had sucked all of the oxygen from her lungs.
“Is it the stubble?” Ruby pondered beside her, unaware of the suffocating attraction she was experiencing. “He didn’t have stubble the other night, did he?”
“No,” Shayne answered her friend’s second question. The answer to the first question was a resounding, yes.
The stubble was definitely increasing his sex appeal. And he seemed to be completely in his element surrounded by pine trees and wearing his hiking gear. An image of him in his turnout gear flashed in her brain. If she saw him in all of his firefighter glory, she might actually need his services because she had a feeling she’d spontaneously combust.
One thing was certain, her eyes were no longer blurry. She was wide awake and had plenty of energy to burn.
Chapter 9
‡
As Evan and Shayne navigated back down the steep mountainside, Kyle and Rob were nowhere to be seen. He’d lost sight of them approximately forty-five minutes earlier. From the pace they were keeping, they’d be near the mountain base by now. The group had made the ascent together but they’d had to improvise when part of the trail they’d been on was blocked due to several trees that had fallen. Once they started back down the mountain, Rob who was an experienced outdooorsman suggested that he and Kyle take the more challenging terrain. Evan had agreed to stay with Shayne while the two men went ahead.
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