by Eva Haining
I call Thomas on the way, and he’s happy for me, but I can hear reticence in his voice. He knows J.J. and I didn’t exactly hit it off the last time we met. It’s cute that he’s protective. I think I like it.
Mr. Reynolds is waiting for me as I pull into the ranch. Maddox is beside him, chatting and laughing with an ease I admire. He understands what it takes to be in the public eye and how to interact with people. I’m good with the residents of my hometown, but I’m concerned I might not fare so well in LA.
“Mornin’, darlin’. You ready to rock that city boy’s socks off?” I can always count on Mad to make me feel welcome.
“I don’t know about that. I saw him this morning at the diner, and he stormed out.” The look on Jack’s face is one of abject horror.
“He… what happened?”
“A misunderstanding. He’s not one for hearing people out, is he?” Before he can speak, Mad interjects.
“Give him a chance, Mais. I know as well as anyone how unwanted media attention can close a person off. I’ve been there. If y’all had believed everything you read about me, I wouldn’t have the life I do now. I’m not telling you to let the guy get away with murder, but maybe go easy on him.”
“Do women ever say no to you, Maddox Hale?”
“Yeah, my wife. Frequently!” My spirits brighten, and for a split second, I forget why I’m here. Mr. Reynolds is quick to remind me.
“Let’s go. We’ve got work to do. J.J. will be waiting for us.”
The further my feet take me from where Mad stands in encouragement, the more my insecurity builds. What was I thinking staying up last night? I might know the scenes off script, but my nerves are frayed.
“I won’t stay long. For the most part, you’ll be working one-on-one with J.J. and can work out your schedules to suit. I just wanted to be here for you today and help you settle into your role as his reading partner.”
“I don’t want to let you down, sir.”
“You won’t. And sir is reserved for my dad. Call me Jack.”
“Yes, sir. I mean… Jack.”
“Now, J.J. is very particular about the way he rehearses, but if you can put up with his sometimes-abrasive personality, you’ll learn so much from him. He’s the best in the business. I don’t know how I landed a job directing him, but I’m thanking my lucky stars, and so should you.”
“I do. I am. I’m just not sure he’ll be happy about this pairing.”
“He doesn’t need to like you, he just needs you to do the job and do it well. It’s only for a few weeks. Soak it up, Maisie. It’s the best intro to acting you could ask for.”
“Thank you.” He gestures toward the blip at the bottom of the field, the handsome, famous, obnoxious blip who holds my career in his hands. My stomach drops into my boots like a lead balloon, my throat suddenly dry as a stick.
Our walk to where he’s waiting seems endless. Every step forward is like wading through molasses. I see the moment his award-winning smile transforms to disbelief. I plaster a smile on my face like Miss Kingsbury Falls, a title I’ve held for five years straight. I knew all the pageantry would come in useful someday.
“Are you shitting me, Jack? You said you’d found me a real actress, not some wannabe waitress from the local diner. This is the girl Ethan pitched, and I said no. She’s an amateur.”
“You know I can hear you, right?”
“I’m aware. I just don’t know if my director heard what I asked for.” His words are dripping with disdain. I tend to shy away when derision is aimed in my direction, but when I witness it toward someone else, I can’t seem to shut off my brain-to-mouth filter.
“Now, hold up there, city boy. There’s no need for you to talk to him that way, and while I’m at it, I don’t deserve your snooty tone either. I may be a small-town waitress, but I have a college degree in acting.”
“Well, pardon me, little Miss Julliard. I had no idea I was in the presence of greatness.”
“Oh, get over yourself already. You put your underwear on one leg at a time just like the rest of us.” Where’s this confidence coming from? I never speak to people like this.
“So, you’ve been thinking about my underwear?” He’s all too aware of the effect he has on women. I want to prove him wrong, but the flush of my cheeks betrays me.
“Whatever.”
“Good comeback.” I don’t realize just how close we’re standing to each other as we bark and snipe until Jack steps between us.
“Enough. We have a movie to make. I’m not asking you to become lifelong friends, but you have to find a way to work together. It’s only until we finish auditions. There’s a lot riding on this.”
“Fine,” we reply in unison, staring each other down with venomous distaste.
They begin to speak some form of movie shorthand I’m not privy to yet. Nodding as they flip through the script, scribbling in the margins, I become an outsider. Acting has always been the only place I felt a deep sense of belonging, but in this moment, doubt and fear crush me from the inside out. I leave them to their discussion and tend to the horse in the adjacent field.
I offer my hand, letting him sniff me before attempting to brush my fingers down his long silken muzzle. One touch, and the storm raging inside me subsides. A few deep breaths, and I find my center.
“You ready, Daisy Duke?” And just like that, my quiet is trampled like the grass beneath my feet.
“Wow! However did you conceive such an original putdown?” Sidling up beside me, he unsettles my entire being.
“Truce? You’re right. If I’m going to mock your small-town ways, I should at least make an effort to think outside the box.” He’s annoyingly charming when he wants to be.
“Okay, truce. And I’ll try not to hold your city-boy charm and good looks against you.”
“You think I’m good-looking?” A playful glint dances in his eyes.
“You know fine well you’re stupid gorgeous. I don’t think you need a Daisy Duke like me to massage your already ginormous ego.”
“I was hoping for a different end to that sentence.”
“Is this what I have to look forward to? Innuendo and petty jibes.”
“Most actresses would kill to be in your position right now.”
“I’m sure they would, but here in the south, we teach our daughters self-respect.”
“God, you can’t let anything slide, can you?” His furrowed brow amuses me.
“I shouldn’t have to. You’re a professional man, and you must have some redeeming qualities that got you to where you’re at. I realize you’re slumming it here in Kingsbury Falls, but this is a huge break for me. I’ve been dreaming of this my whole life, so if you wouldn’t mind, could you at least let me attempt to impress you with my acting ability and nothing else?” The contrition in his demeanor is almost endearing.
“Okay, but for the record, I’m not slumming it. I’m going to make you a promise. This movie is going to be a box-office hit. Whatever part you play, you’ll be donning the big screen in LA a year from now.”
“I’ll hold you to that, city slicker.”
“I bet you will.”
“Why don’t we get started? How do you like to rehearse? Table read-through?”
“No. I hate doing that. There’s no realness to it. I want to get to know the ranch. Feel the surroundings and find the best backdrops for some of these scenes. You up for that?” With a sickly sweet smile, I bid him follow me. This is my wheelhouse—I know this place like the back of my hand.
“There’s only one way to see the ranch at its best. On horseback.”
Chapter Four
JASPER
My savvy exterior crumbles at her words. I’m losing my touch. This girl brings out the worst in me, and I can’t seem to stop prodding for a reaction. She’s so sanctimonious and judgmental. I guess no one in her small-town little world would ever treat a woman the way the press has reported my exploits with Cece. Heaven forbid I taint her perfect world with
my less-than-perfect image.
She’s a wannabe extra who works in every goddamn establishment in this town, and I’m J.J.-fucking-Savage! She should be licking my boots for even a morsel of wisdom on how to make it in this business. Who does she think she is to talk down to me over an incident she doesn’t know the first thing about? And now, she wants to test me. I can bluff my way through this. I’ve had enough lessons to show her I’m competent, and I’ve been riding with Maddox in my downtime.
As we walk into the stables, she signals to Jax to saddle up the horses.
“This one is mine.” She struts over to a stunning beast, and I see Jax moving toward a smaller horse, obviously meant for me—the beginner. I immediately redirect him to the tallest stallion in the stables.
“This guy will do nicely.” The look on Jax’s face tells me I’m about to make a huge mistake, but pride gets the better of me. “Yes, saddle this one.”
“You sure about that?” His eyes implore me to heed the warning written all over his expression.
“Yep. What’s his name?”
“Bulldozer.” I gulp at the connotations of such a brutish name. Something tells me it’s not an ironic choice.
“Awesome.”
While Maisie busies herself with her horse, Jax comes at me with a quiet word of warning.
“This horse could kill you. Horses are no joke. I know you think you’re a fully-fledged cowboy because you’ve been out with Maddox and me, but this horse is a serious ride. You’re a city boy.” I was almost ready to take his advice until those last words—city boy. I can’t back out now.
“Saddle him up. I got this.”
“It’s your funeral. Just a friendly word of advice… southern girls aren’t impressed by make-believe cowboys.” With an annoying wink and a knowing chuckle, he prepares the horse. It’s like watching the pallbearers load your coffin into the back of the hearse. This can only end badly for me, and I don’t even understand why I feel the need to prove myself to this backwater hick of a girl. It’s possible I’m going to die trying, though!
A few deep breaths and a couple of minutes later, I find myself sitting in the saddle of the largest horse I’ve ever seen. True, my frame of reference is limited, but as my thighs straddle this beast, I’m simultaneously awed and terrified by the raw power I feel beneath me. Maisie’s voice is faint above the pounding of the pulse in my ears.
“Come on, then. Show us what you’ve got, J.J.”
“Lead the way, Daisy Duke.” As I slowly pull on the reins, I’m praying I don’t end up dead. Don’t kill me, Bulldozer. Go easy on me, big guy. I can’t take much more humiliation.
“Try to keep up.”
As we make our way out of the stables, I hear Mad’s voice in the distance.
“What the fuck were you thinking letting him take Bull? You know he’s not always reliable. In the hands of anyone other than you or me, he’s a risky ride.”
“He’ll be fine. He wanted to show Maisie how big his balls are, so I let him.”
“Dick move, Jax. Don’t fuck with someone’s life!”
Maisie gallops ahead, her long curls flowing behind her like Lady Godiva. I hate to admit it, but right now, she’s truly breathtaking. If she didn’t get on my every last nerve, I’d be attracted to her, and the last thing I need is a scandal for sleeping with an extra.
“Keep up, pretty boy.” Her southern twang echoes in my ears, snapping me back to the here and now. My body jolts, and Bulldozer jumps on my momentary lapse in concentration. He’s off like a shot, dragging me along for the ride like a ragdoll. I pull on the reins in an attempt to calm him, but he’s wild. I opt for holding on for dear life and praying Bulldozer slows down sometime soon.
Maisie was galloping ahead of me, but the way my horse is going hell for leather, we’re catching up fast. I’m not ashamed to admit I’m terrified right now. If I hadn’t insisted on proving myself, I wouldn’t be in this position. Her face is a blur as Bull barrels past, but her horror his visible. She kicks her horse into high gear, positioning herself at my side.
“Pull the reins as hard as you can.”
“I tried that. He won’t stop.”
“You don’t need him to stop, you just have to slow him. Pull back as hard as possible and hold it. Don’t loosen your grip until he responds.” I do as she says, the muscles in my arms straining to the point of agony. If there were ever a time to feel small and insignificant in nature, this is it. This beast holds my life in every stamp of his hooves, and I’m left with no choice but to trust that Maisie knows what she’s doing.
“He’s slowing. Don’t let up!” I’m equal parts mortified and mystified by this girl. “Keep your heels tight to his side. He needs to feel your strength.” Following her instructions, I can feel Bull’s pace begin to slow ever so slightly. Not enough for me to control him, but if I can just hold on a little longer. My arms are burning, and I know I’m going to pay for this tomorrow, but I keep tension on the reins until he slows from a full-speed gallop to something more manageable. Not quite a canter, but it’s enough for me to loosen my grip.
Maisie pulls alongside me.
“Stay close. He responds to the other horses. I’m going to stop at that fence over there. Do exactly as I do and don’t get off the horse until I tell you to. I want to have a handle on him first.” There’s no fight or macho pride or even a shred of dignity left for me. I’m not riding this beast back to the stables. I’d rather walk.
I watch Maisie’s every move, the nuances of each muscle twitch or slight tug on the reins, I can mimic. One of the few acting skills I can apply in this situation. Once she dismounts her horse and ties the reins to the paddock fence, I hand her Bull’s reins. When she’s got a firm hold on them, she strokes his muzzle, whispering sweet nothings before gesturing for me to dismount.
“Well, that was quite the ride, city slicker.”
“Don’t. I know how bad it was.”
“You did well. Not many people could hold the reins that long. Your arms are going to feel like jelly tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow? How about now. Ten rounds with Mike Tyson would be less of a workout than that. I’ll just walk him back to the stables.”
“No need. You can take Jessabelle. She’s mild-mannered but powerful. She’ll give you an easy time on the way back.”
“And what about Bull?”
“I’ll ride him back.”
“I don’t think that’s a good idea.” She sniggers at my insinuation.
“I’ll be fine. Bull knows me, and I’m a damn good rider. You worry about taking care of my sweet Belle, and let me worry about him.” She ties his reins to the fence before jumping the gate and unlocking it from the other side. My presence is defunct at this point. I simply stand back and watch as she opens the gate, untying both horses, and leads them to the paddock to run free for a while.
“So, what now?” I just want to go back to the cottage and stand under a blazing hot shower in a vain attempt to pummel some of the tightness from my muscles.
“Now, you tell me the main sets that are needed for this story. If anything springs to mind as a perfect location, we can walk from here. The horses will be fine in the paddock for an hour or two.”
She wanders off into the long grass, brushing the tips of her fingers over the bluebonnets. She has no airs or graces, just completely at ease with herself and the nature that surrounds her.
I pull the script from my back pocket, flicking through the pages for location markers.
“We need a stream. Really picturesque. Maddox and Jax took me somewhere like that a few weeks ago, but I wouldn’t be able to find my way back there.”
“It’s a ten-minute walk from here. You going to be able to manage it?”
“I’m fine. Maybe a little rattled by Bull’s zest for speed.”
“Then, follow me.” My muscles are already suffering, dull aches beginning to form.
Maisie meanders, I suspect to let me keep pace. Taking in the scenery tha
t surrounds us, there’s a certain charm to it. I can almost understand wanting to build a life here if it weren’t for the woeful lack of access to almost everything. If you had this kind of land in LA, it would be unaffordable even for someone with my bank balance. You pay for proximity to a bustling city. Kingsbury Falls is at least a couple of hours from what I’d consider a metropolitan hub. It gets me thinking.
“Where did you get your acting degree?”
“Nowhere you’ve heard of.”
“Did you move back here after you graduated?”
“I never left. If you must know, I went to a community college a few towns over. Not Julliard or anything, but good enough to teach me the basics. Don’t worry. I can handle reading lines with you.”
“I wasn’t trying to start a fight. I’m just curious.”
“Well, you said yourself, your agent showed you my resume, and you turned me down. Sucks to be you right now.”
“Get off your high horse, Daisy Duke. I’m sorry, but a lot is riding on this for me, so sue me for wanting to get it right. Circumstances have led us here, and we just need to get through it.”
“Wow. The charm is all scripted, isn’t it? Was that supposed to be an apology? You’re going to have to brush up on common courtesy if you want to pass for a southern heartthrob on screen.”
“I’m more than capable of pulling this off.”
“True. I’ve watched your movies. You’re good. Great even. But, maybe you should apply some of that leading-man chivalry to your real life. Then, maybe you wouldn’t be out in the boondocks with us lesser mortals.” She’s irritating as hell and way too judgmental.
“You know nothing about my real life. If you think the tabloids care about the truth, you’re in for a rude awakening if you make it to the big leagues in Hollywood. You wouldn’t last a day.” She stomps off, quickening her pace, forcing me to keep up if I don’t want to end up lost on this vast expanse of land. One paddock resembles the next, clusters of trees indistinguishable to me. I suppose if she leaves me for dust, I can try to use Google Maps on my phone, but 4G hasn’t really made it to Kingsbury Falls. The Wi-Fi at the cottage is great, but I suspect it cost Maddox a small fortune to get it out here in the middle of nowhere.