Alex jumped when the car door slammed. Maybe she was wrong about him. Blaze seemed so…honest.
The lobby doors opened and he walked in without looking back.
Koko jumped to the front seat and licked Alex’s cheek.
“Is that your way of sharing his message?” she asked. “We need to get home before Maggie organizes a search party.”
Sure enough, when Alex pulled into her driveway an hour later, Maggie was waiting outside, bouncing her tiny bundled baby in the harness strapped to her chest.
“You said you’d be home in two hours. It’s been three,” Maggie started.
“I should’ve called. We got stuck at the wash and had to wait the storm out.” Alex looked at her shoes.
“And?”
“He kissed me,” she admitted.
Maggie squealed and hugged her, squishing the baby between them. “Oh sorry, Henry. Tell me everything.”
That night, as Alex fell asleep, she stared at her closed door. She didn’t mind the picture of Blaze so much anymore because it reminded her everything had been real. Even though she couldn’t have him, she could relish the tiny moment they shared. No one would ever believe it had really happened. No one but Maggie, of course.
When she dreamed, he took center stage. Well, him and his number one Johnson.
****
Alex arrived early at work the next morning, her stomach fluttered with a thousand butterflies. Blaze didn’t seem to be anywhere in the crowd.
“Looking for me?” he asked with a laugh.
A squeak of surprise escaped her lips and then she breathed deeply. “You have to stop doing that.”
“But it’s so much fun,” he teased. “Hey, I brought you breakfast.” At that, he held up a bag from her favorite grocery store.
She peered inside and grinned when she saw the perfect golden top of poppy seed heaven. “Thank you,” she said.
“I bought some for Jim, too.” In his other hand, he had a dry-cleaning bag and a box full of muffins. “To thank him.”
“Do you want to take them to him now? I’m sure they’re up. Their baby doesn’t sleep in.”
“Sure. I have a few minutes before I need to be in costume. Can you go with me so we can get my clothes off your porch?”
“I’m sorry I forgot them last night. I put them in a bag and everything, but didn’t put them in the car.” She pulled her walkie-talkie off her hip and called out, “Neal, I’ll be back in a few minutes.”
“Sure thing.”
“Come on,” she said, taking her muffin out of her bag. “Do you want some?” She held it out to him.
“I already ate mine. Like, in two bites.” He smiled. “They’re really good.”
Alex laughed and ate hers on the short walk to the small neighborhood. “That’s where Maggie and Jim live,” she said, pointing to their house. “I’m going to see Koko while you talk to him. It’ll drive her crazy if she knows I’m here and I don’t say hi to her.”
****
Blaze straightened his back and walked over to the house next to Alex’s and knocked twice.
A woman began talking as she opened the door, “Did you for… Never mind. You’re not Alex.”
“You must be Maggie.” Blaze pushed his hand toward her. “Alex talks about you a lot.”
“Likewise,” Maggie said, shaking his hand.
Blaze grinned. Alex talked about him. A lot. “Is Jim home? I had these cleaned and I wanted to thank him.” He put the box of muffins in her hand.
“Jim, honey,” she called.
“I got a variety,” Blaze pointed out.
“That’s nice of you. You didn’t have to go to all this trouble,” she said as Jim joined her with a tiny baby nestled against his shoulder.
“It’s no trouble. I appreciate the clothes.” Blaze shook Jim’s free hand. “Nice to meet you, Jim. I’m Blaze.”
Jim laughed. “Did you get my sweats dry cleaned?”
Blaze nodded. “The hotel has a laundry service. They couldn’t do anything with the shoes, so I washed them with hand soap. I’m glad I don’t have to clean the costume I was wearing.” Just the thought of it made him scrunch up his face.
“Alex mentioned you slipped on set,” Maggie said.
Blaze laughed. “That’s putting it mildly. I fell off the horse right into a fresh pile of shit.” He covered his mouth immediately and apologized.
Jim glanced down at the baby and chuckled. “He’s only a few days old, he doesn’t understand swear words yet. I figure we have a few months before we have to start filtering.” The baby started to fuss, so Jim bounced him up and down.
“Anyway, it was pretty disgusting.” Blaze grimaced.
“Did they get it all? Horses don’t digest—” Maggie started.
“I know, Alex told me all about it. I stayed put until the cleanup crew could get to me. I wouldn’t want to spread weeds.”
Maggie nodded. “Good.”
“I better get back. I can’t be late. Thanks again for helping out, and for the shirt. It’s cool.”
“Glad I could help. Thanks for the treats,” Jim said before taking the baby inside.
Maggie touched Blaze’s shoulder before he could leave. “Alex is like a little sister to me. I don’t want her to get hurt.”
“I’m not going to hurt her.”
“Good,” Maggie replied.
Blaze turned back toward Alex’s house and thought about what Maggie said. They had obviously talked about the previous night, and Maggie was worried about her friend. That’s what any good friend would do. If he were in Maggie’s situation, he would want to protect Alex, too. Everyone assumed they knew what kind of man he was, and it was up to him to change their minds.
He knocked on Alex’s window and then let himself in when she waved. “Hi, Koko,” he sang, putting his arms around her. “I miss my baby. It’s hard being gone for so long.”
“You have a dog? That explains so much,” Alex said.
“Yep, a little fluffy mutt I rescued a few years back. Ozzie has to stay at doggy daycare while I’m filming. It sucks.”
“Yeah, it would suck,” she said.
When he stood to face her, his heart raced. “I guess we should get back to—”
She quieted him with a kiss, her body crashing into his. After a second, he relaxed and put his arms around her. While their tongues dueled, his fingers spread out across her ass and dug in, dragging her soft, warm body closer to his. Holding her was even better than kissing her.
****
Alex tightened her hold on him and moaned as a shiver of pleasure washed over her. Everything felt so good: his hands, lips, and broad chest. What if no one found out about them? Why couldn’t she keep him all to herself? That wouldn’t hurt anyone. And then reality set in. Of course they would find out. “I’m sorry,” she mumbled, covering her face with her hand.
“Quit apologizing,” he said.
“We need to get back to the set.” And she needed to practice self-control and be a professional. Professionals didn’t go around kissing their coworkers. Unfortunately. “They’re waiting for us.” Being alone in her house with him wasn’t a good idea, because she couldn’t look at him without thinking of his sublime chest and the way her body tingled when he touched her. “Before we go, you forgot these last night.” The underwear he’d left in her bathroom had been in her pocket all morning. Not that he needed to know that. It was more proof that they had a moment, but now she had to hand them over.
“Shit, I’m sorry. Nate usually cleans up after me.”
“Must be nice.”
“Not really.”
“Don’t forget your costume,” she said, pointing to the soggy clothes waiting outside.
While he bent over to pick them up, she locked her house and got a head start.
“Can we talk about this?” he asked.
“Not right now,” she said, nodding toward the set. “You need to get into costume and I need to get back into position.”
; “Later.” He gave her a meaningful glance and jogged toward the costume trailer.
When she approached the set, she called Neal and let him know she had returned. She spent the rest of the morning watching the cast and crew work but found her mind wandering more often than not. They had kissed. Twice. The line had been crossed, and she wasn’t sure she wanted to go back. When Mr. Reid called lunch, Alex got her food and found a secluded spot half-hoping Blaze wouldn’t find her. When he did, she couldn’t help but smile.
In a low voice he asked, “Can we talk now?”
“What is there to talk about?” she asked casually, trying to eat as quickly as possible.
He lifted his eyebrows. “The fact that we can’t keep our hands off each other.”
With her hands in front of her, she said, “I don’t seem to have that problem. See? I’m keeping my hands to myself.” Never mind she wanted to jump him right then and there.
“So am I, but I don’t want to. Why does it have to be complicated?”
“Because it is. Because you’re you and I’m me. You’re a star and my job is to make sure you have a good experience at the park so we get money for raises. Conflict of interest. And I’m not supposed to interfere with filming.”
“This has nothing to do with the movie.”
“You’re…” As if on cue, her phone chimed, interrupting them. She groaned. “It’s my mom.” Even though she knew it wouldn’t make a difference, she declined the video call. Four seconds later it began chiming again. “She knows I’m at lunch right now, and she won’t stop calling. I should probably take this.”
“Fine, but I’m not going anywhere. We’re not done talking.”
What was worse—video chatting with her mom or talking to Blaze about something that could never happen? “Hi, Mom,” she said as the image of her mother filled her screen.
“You have some nerve, Ally.”
Alex glared at her phone. “Is this why you called me? To yell at me again?”
“I left you a voicemail and you didn’t return the call.”
“Why would I call you back?” A blush crept up her neck as Blaze listened to the humiliating conversation. “I told you I’m not coming home for Matt’s birthday.”
“Because work is more important,” her mom added. “I’m not sure I even believe you. A movie? I can’t see hide nor hair of anything except the same ugly desert.”
Alex clenched her jaw. “Why would I lie about my job?”
“Oh, I don’t know, to get out of helping your brother feel special, or to make yourself seem more important.”
Alex opened her mouth to respond, her venomous reply on the tip of her tongue when Blaze touched her shoulder. He held his hand out and motioned for her to give the phone to him. Pressing her fingers over the microphone and camera, she whispered, “What?”
“Let me talk to her,” he whispered back.
“Fine.” She pushed the phone into his hand and held her breath as she watched over his shoulder.
“Ma’am, I’m sorry to interrupt,” Blaze drawled, turning into his character Buck, “but we need Ms. Mitchell back on the set.”
Her mom squinted at the screen and tilted her head. “Are you…?”
“Your daughter is the most important ranger in the park.” Laying on the charm, he smiled that dazzling smile. “Which means we need her for every aspect of our work here. I hope you understand,” he finished.
“Well, yes, of course,” her mother stammered.
Alex took the phone away from him and said, “Bye, Mom.”
“Was that Blaze Johnson? You’re working with him?”
“Bye, Mom,” she repeated a little louder before ending the call. Alex sighed and tucked her phone into her pocket. “Thank you for that, she can be…”
“Difficult?” he offered.
“That’s not the word I would choose, but sure.”
“My mom is so great, I’m always surprised when I meet women like her. I like spending time with my family, but I bet you don’t.”
Alex snorted. “That’s for sure. I owe you.”
His smile widened. “Really?”
For a moment, she had forgotten to be careful with her choice of words. “You didn’t have to say all that stuff about my job.”
“Why not? It’s true. It blows me away you can’t see how amazing you are. I’ve told you before. You’re managing all the other rangers, maintaining the park, and dealing with assholes like me, and you do it effortlessly. Now, back to our conversation. You were about to say something about me. Please go on.”
She took a deep breath and said, “You’re Blaze Johnson. The whole world knows who you are.”
“Except you,” he reminded her.
“Right. I found out the hard way.” Looking him up on the Internet wasn’t her proudest moment, and she still couldn’t forget the headlines and pictures. Especially the ones with his latest love interest. “Who’s Ruby?”
“The lead actress in the last movie I filmed,” he answered. “How do you know her name?”
“Um, I looked you up on the Internet.”
He laughed. “I’m sure you read some very interesting things.”
“About you and Ruby, Hollywood’s new power couple.”
“We were never together, not that it matters. I have a rule of not dating in the industry. Not anymore. It’s too messy and too dangerous. Wait, is that why you’re so hesitant around me? Because you think I’m already with someone?”
“You’re out of my league. I’m nothing. No one,” she said.
He touched her chin and turned her face toward his. “You’re not nothing, you’re real. You call me out on all my shit. No one does that. Except you.”
Drawn to him like a magnet to steel, she started leaning toward him and then growled with frustration. “Damn. Why do you have to be charming?”
“So you’ll kiss me again?”
Alex scanned the area, acutely aware of the presence of each and every person on the set. “People will see.”
“Who cares?”
“I do,” she stated. The headline popped into her mind, THE RANGER WHO SLEPT HER WAY TO GETTING A RAISE. No thank you. “Thanks again for your help with my mom. I really appreciate it.” She stood and started walking away from him but stopped after two steps. Keeping her back to him she said, “I’m not sure if you’re free, but I’m leading a nature walk tonight: Things with Wings. I thought I’d let you know in case you were interested.”
“When and where?”
“Seven thirty at the Visitor Center,” she replied, smiling so hard her cheeks hurt.
****
Blaze tried to focus on his work, but after his conversation with Alex, all he could think about was how he was going to show up at the Visitor Center that night at seven thirty. He could probably get a ride with someone at the hotel or even ask the front desk to call him a cab, but either way, he would be stranded. And then it hit him: Nate had a car, but because Blaze had paid for it, it was practically his.
The problem was how.
Before the end of the day, he found Charlotte standing on the sidelines waiting to be excused for the day. “How are things with Nate?”
A blush shone through her makeup. “Great. Thanks for introducing us.”
“That’s what friends are for, right?”
“I’m going to see him tonight,” she said.
Blaze checked over his shoulder to be sure Nate was still occupied in the conversation across the parking lot. “Can I tell you something?”
“Sure,” she said with a shrug.
“I’ve known him for a while. You know what he’s into? Champagne, roses, and dinner for two. The works. He’s a hopeless romantic.”
“Really?” She grinned. “Thank you so much for telling me. I know what I’m doing tonight.”
Blaze winked and walked toward the costume trailer to swap out his clothes. “Hey, Javier, what time is it?”
“Almost five,” Javier replied as he tidied B
laze’s costume.
“Thanks. And thanks again for cleaning everything from yesterday.”
“That shit was ground in there. What were you doing? Rolling around in it?” Javier laughed.
“I fell in it and then had to stay put so the wranglers could collect it all. The ranger, Alex, was worried about weed seeds spreading.”
Javier’s mouth hung open. “You just sat there and protected a big pile of horse shit so seeds wouldn’t spread?”
“Alex asked me to.”
“She did, huh?” Javier lifted an eyebrow. “Are you sweet on her?”
Blaze’s smile turned into a grin. While he didn’t know what to expect from her, she had invited him to spend time with her. No movie crew, no Nate. Just two people getting to know each other. If he thought about what that meant, he might fuck things up again.
****
Blaze’s leg bounced the whole way back to Dembi. The plan was fully formed in his mind, but the list of ways it could go wrong was long. Nate chattered for more than half the trip back to the hotel. Blaze did his best to tune him out.
“Do you want to get something to eat,” Blaze asked him as they walked into the lobby of the hotel, hoping like hell that at least this part of his plan worked.
“Nah. Charlotte’s got something planned. She was all excited. Sounds like I’m going to get some tonight,” Nate said. “I’m heading there in a bit.”
“See you tomorrow,” Blaze went to the restaurant and ordered a sandwich to go. Keeping an eye on Nate as he headed for the elevator, Blaze tried to play it cool. Inside he was dancing. With a clamshell container in hand, he ran up the stairs to the second floor and pressed his ear against Nate’s door long enough to hear the shower running. Blaze groaned and walked to his room, propped the door open, and ate his dinner. He must’ve checked the clock on the bedside a hundred times, the minutes slipping away.
“Come on, Nate. You’re going to make me late,” he whispered. The clock read 6:15.
A bit later, Nate strolled by and headed to the elevator. Blaze figured it would take a few minutes for Nate to get to the main floor and walk to Charlotte’s room.
Blaze watched the clock and waited for 6:20. When he was sure it was safe, he picked up his room phone and called down to the front desk. “Hey, my friend is up here trying to get into his room, but the key won’t work. Can you send someone up to help? Two-fifteen. Thanks.”
Love on Location Page 10