“Colt didn’t pry. He let me tell him in my own time—in my own way.”
“It felt good, didn’t it?”
“Yes.”
“And you knew your secrets were safe with him. That he would never spread them around or use them as a weapon against you.”
“Is that how it was with Garrett?”
Jade’s eyes turned a misty green. “It wasn’t easy. But trusting Garrett, and myself, healed me.”
On the other side of the room, Garrett was talking to his father. As if sensing her gaze, he looked up. Jade smiled when their eyes met—Garrett grinned. Without words, their feelings were clear. Trust. Deep, unwavering love.
Sable couldn’t help but feel an ache of envy. Love and trust. It was easy to live without either when she didn’t know what they looked like. But now? Sable wondered what her life would be like when she was back in Harper Falls. Away from the Landis family. Away from Colt.
“Sable.” Callie waved her over to where she and four other women were gathered. “We were saying how much we enjoyed your class.”
The others nodded. Sable wasn’t surprised that they no longer seemed in awe. Callie had a way of drawing people in. It was easy to forget they were in the presence of true Hollywood royalty. She was down to Earth, lacking the slightest trace of artifice. In minutes, she had them feeling like they were old friends.
“We plan on practicing those moves you demonstrated at our next meeting.”
“That’s smart,” Sable nodded. “Practicing them is important. Eventually, you’ll get to the point where you can do it without thinking.”
“I don’t know about that.” A plump woman in her forties held out her hand, giving Sable’s a strong, firm shake “Annie Moore. It’s been twenty years since I divorced my scumbag husband. The fear has lessened, but it’s still there. Regaining our confidence takes a lot of work. This, what you did today, helps a lot.”
“You seem a bit overwhelmed,” Callie said later when the women had left.
“I’m not used to hearing thank you. Not for this. In the Army, or with H&W, I taught classes. But it was part of the job. This was different. It felt more important. Like I made a difference.” Sable groaned, followed by a small, self-deprecating laugh. “Wow. Did that sound as pompous as I think it did?”
“Not at all.” Then Callie laughed when Sable raised an eyebrow. “Fine. Stating a fact can often come off as a bit pompous. But I knew what you meant.” Callie’s gray eyes grew thoughtful. “Do you find working as a bodyguard unfulfilling?”
“Maybe.”
That was the last thing Sable meant to say. It came off as disloyal. Alex Fleming had given her a job—a home—when she had none. The money was excellent and her services were in high demand. All that said, today had opened her eyes to the possibility that she was wasting years of training. Her skills were rarely needed. Most of the time, she was nothing more than a babysitter to the rich and famous.
“Colton doesn’t need a bodyguard.”
Sable shook her head. It was as if Callie read her mind. Now she knew where Colt acquired that talent.
“No.”
Sable didn’t add that she felt like a fraud taking a salary under false pretenses. She wasn’t guarding Colt. She was sleeping with him. And getting paid to do it. Sable refused to think of herself as a hooker. She knew better. But if the details got out, others wouldn’t hesitate. And hooker would be kind compared to the names they would call her.
“Never be afraid to reevaluate your life, Sable.” Callie rubbed her arm. “The path we take in life isn’t a straight line. It veers off in many directions. When I was young and filled with ambition, I put on blinders. Nothing was going to get in my way. Straight to the top.”
“And here you are.”
“True.” Callie handed Sable a glass of lemonade and a napkin. “But here isn’t where I imagined it would be. Not then. Sandwich or cookie?”
Always the nurturer, Sable thought. “Chicken salad, please.”
“If it weren’t for a stubborn man who didn’t know the meaning of the word no, I doubt I would have married. Can you picture me without Caleb? Without my boys?”
Sable shook her head. It was inconceivable.
“I was twenty-two years old and determined not to fall in love. Marriage and children were for ordinary people. How mundane—boring.” Callie grinned. “Talk about pompous. If I hadn’t taken a chance and stepped off the path that I was focused on, I wouldn’t be here. And that would be my tragedy.”
Sable’s breath caught in her throat. Callie’s eyes. One second they were a crystal clear gray. Then in a heartbeat, they changed to a bright, iridescent purple. It was literally the color of love.
“Caleb.”
Callie held out her hand. The big man linked his fingers with his wife’s. With a sigh of contentment, she went into her husband’s waiting arms.
“Choices, Sable. Sometimes you have to open your eyes and take a leap. If you’re lucky, the right person will be there to catch you.”
Caleb gave Callie a lingering kiss.
“Always, my love. Always.”
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
ONE WEEK. MAXIMUM.
That was all the time Sable had left with Colt. Though it was probably an optimistic estimate. Lately, it seemed nothing could go wrong on the set. Candice had become a perfectly behaved professional. She showed up on time. Delivered her lines with flawless precision.
The weather was a dream. Temperate, with clear blue skies and mild breezes. The movie equipment ran with well-oiled precision. No one suffered from an unexpected illness. Not even a bout of hay fever.
In other words, the movie was ahead of schedule. Smooth sailing all the way.
The production would wrap and the happiest time of Sable’s life would come to an end. It wasn’t right and she felt a little guilty. She found herself hoping for a minor, bloodless, catastrophe that would delay the inevitable. But nothing would slow it down.
Sable would miss Los Angeles. She hated to leave Jade and Paige. She ran her fingers over the silk of her blouse. Every day, she reminded herself that the beautiful clothing wasn’t hers. Callie and Caleb. Nate. Garrett. Wyatt. They had become dear to her. Like, family. But thanks to technology, it wasn’t hard to keep in touch. She would miss the Landis clan. The city. The clothes. But she wouldn’t be leaving her heart with them. It belonged to Colt.
“It was a good day.” Colt collapsed onto the sofa. He leaned his head back, closed his eyes, and took a deep breath. “Want to hear a confession?”
Sable had told herself from the beginning to enjoy what she had and live for today. That axiom had never been truer than right now. Falling into a funk. Worrying about tomorrow. What good would that do? It would ruin the precious time she had left.
Sable shook off her thoughts of doom and gloom. If she had a week, or an hour. She planned on savoring every second.
“Now I’m your priest?” she teased. Sable kicked off her shoes then curled up next to Colt.
“Only if there were female priests. And they weren’t celibate.” Keeping his eyes closed, Colt pulled her close. “Nope. Don’t go there. It conjures up all kinds of strange and disturbing thoughts.”
“All of your thoughts are inappropriate.”
Sable nuzzled his neck. The heat of his skin. His scent. The little prickle of beard that made her shudder with pleasure when he rubbed his cheek against her breasts. She wanted to remember everything. Not that there was a chance that she would forget.
“You bring out the worst in me.” Colt thought for a second. “Or is it the best?”
“It’s something all right.” Sable laughed. She was happy around Colt. Her spirit felt light. Lighter than she could ever remember. “Now, about that confession.”
“I didn’t think we were going to get this movie made.”
Surprised, Sable looked him in the eye. “I know Candice was a pain in the ass but was it really that bad?”
“Okay.” Colt
took a deep breath. “Here’s the real confession. I hate touching her. I’ve been doing this for almost ten years and this is the first time I can honestly say, my leading lady… repulses me.”
“Why haven’t you said something before now?”
“What was there to say?” Taking her hand, he kissed the back then kept it in his. “I made my bed—so to speak. There was no way to change actresses mid-movie.”
“You threatened it.”
“It was a bluff. And I’m damn lucky she didn’t call me on it.”
“What would have happened?”
Colt made a chopping motion toward his balls.
“Ouch.”
“That might be a bit of an exaggeration.” With his lips, Colt smoothed the frown from her brow. “I had no real leverage. Other than scrap the movie—”
“Which you also threatened to do.”
“God. I can hear Wyatt if I had made that suggestion. Cut the movie star crap, Colton. This is about money, not your ego.”
“Ego, my ass!” Sable straightened, her eyes flashing. “You coddled that bitch. Wyatt needs to get out from behind his desk and see what you have to deal with on a daily basis.”
“Calm down. That was my interpretation of what he might say. It didn’t happen.”
“Hmm.” Sable let herself relax. “He’s your brother. He’s supposed to have your back.”
“Trust me. He always does. Unfortunately, if it came down to it, he would be right.”
“But—”
“Landis Productions isn’t a vanity project, Sable. When one of us makes a commitment to a project, we see it through. No matter what. Wyatt won’t make an exception for me. Not over a temperamental actress.”
“Temperamental is a kind way of putting it.”
“Candice has talent.” Colt laughed when he heard Sable’s snort. “Be fair. You’ve seen the dailies.”
Sable had to admit Colt was right. The camera loved Candice. She projected a wholesome, perky image. She glowed on screen. Sable didn’t know how she pulled it off, but sitting in a darkened room, Candice’s image projected onto a screen, the actress had… What was the word?
“Spunk.” That was it.
“I suppose that describes her screen persona as well as anything
“I hate spunk,” Sable muttered.
Colt looked at her for a moment, seemingly puzzled. Then, his blue eyes lit up and he grinned, delighted.
“The Mary Tyler Moore Show. I can’t believe I almost missed the reference.”
“Mom has the entire series on DVD. VHS when I was a kid. We watched those episodes over and over again.” Sable smiled, her eyes a little sad but still a warm brown. “It’s a good memory.”
“I like making good memories. With you.” Colt curled his legs around hers, making it so his knee ended conveniently pressed against a very intimate spot.
“Want to make some more?” Sable purred the words. The way Colt petted her, she felt like a soon to be contented cat.
“Let’s take this to the bedroom.”
“What’s wrong with here?”
When Sable moved her head to the side, giving him access to the long, sweet side of her neck, Colt obliged her silent request. He left a trail of soft kisses all the way to the curve of her ear.
“There’s more room,” he whispered. “I’m going to start here.”
Sable let out a long sigh. Colt was the first man to spend time finding her body’s many, many erogenous zones. Or perhaps he was the first who left her breathless, no matter where he touched.
“You’ve persuaded me. The bedroom it is.”
Wrapping her arms around his neck, she gave him a slow smile, waiting to be lifted into his arms.
“You like this.” With ease, Colt wrapped one arm around her waist and the other under her legs, and stood.
“So do you. Besides, it keeps you in shape. Better than bicep curls.”
“And a lot more fun.”
Sable started to close her eyes—to enjoy the ride—when her phone rang.
“Ignore it.”
Colt knew better. By now, he recognized the ringtone. He felt Sable stiffen. Instead of putting her down, he kept his arms around her, settling them both on the sofa.
Sable met his gaze and shrugged. She could have let it go to voicemail, but she would have paid the price later. There were some forces of nature that refused to be pushed aside.
“Hi, Mom.”
“Where are you?”
Her mother never said a simple hello. Somehow, she began every conversation with an accusation.
“I’m exactly where I should be at quarter to twelve on a Thursday night. Getting ready to go to bed.” Sable didn’t know why, but suddenly she had a terrible thought. “Where are you?”
“At the airport. I need you to pick me up.”
Sable slid off Colt’s lap. When a disaster was in the works, she needed to be on her feet.
“The airport? Which airport?”
“LUX of course.”
“Do you mean LAX? You’re in Los Angeles?”
“LUX. LAX. What difference does it make? You know what I meant.” Iris let out a long suffering sigh. “I’ve been here for almost an hour and I don’t like it, Sable. Come and take me to my hotel.”
Hotel. Thank God for that. Sable thought her mother was going to insist on staying with her. And Colt. It was a small miracle—one she took with gratitude.
“It would be faster if you took a cab.”
“Are you crazy?” Iris shrieked. Sable held the phone away from her ear. “Those things are death traps. Not to mention what happens to single women who are foolish enough to get in one at this time of night. Do you want me to end up a statistic, Sable?”
“What airline did you fly in on and what was your flight number?” Sable took down the information. “Find a place to wait. I’ll call you when I get there.”
“How long will you be?”
“I don’t know, Mom.”
“Well, hurry. There’s a very strange man by the magazine rack. I think he followed me off the plane.”
“The plane landed, Mom. You can’t blame the guy for getting off.”
“You’re just like your father—an answer for everything.”
Sable knew there was no reasoning with her mother.
“If you feel threatened, call airport security. I’ll be there as soon as possible.”
“I take it you didn’t know she was coming.”
Shaking her head, Sable scrolled through the numbers on her phone.
“She never goes anywhere. When Dad got a permanent assignment in Florida, she swore that was it. No more traveling. This can’t be good.”
Colt rubbed her shoulders, his eyes filled with concern.
“Are you all right?”
Sable understood what Colt meant. Her mother’s phone calls tended to send her into a tailspin. Surprisingly, the usual melancholy that seeped into her bones with the sound of Iris’ voice wasn’t there. Huh. Something had changed—and she had the feeling it was because of Colt.
“Other than wondering what sort of destruction Hurricane Iris is bringing with her? I’m fine.”
“Want me to come with you?”
“Are you crazy?”
Horrified couldn’t begin to describe how Sable felt about his suggestion. Colt and Iris in the same space? Her mother had no filter. She suffered from chronic verbal diarrhea. Who knew what she would say or do? No. Not now. Hopefully never.
“It’s better if I go alone. The problem is finding someone to stay with you.”
Colt sighed. “Sable. Honey. Sweetheart.”
“It’s my job, Colton.”
“And you do it very well.” He turned her to face him, both hands on her shoulders. His blue eyes were clear and steady. “Diligence is your middle name.”
“Actually, it’s Amaryllis.”
“No.” Colt’s lips twitched. “Really? Sable Amaryllis Ford? What was your mother thinking?”
&
nbsp; “She named me after a pelt of fur and a flower that blooms once a year. I hope that gives you a little more insight into what I’m dealing with. You stay here. I’ll call Wyatt.”
“Sable.” He took the phone from her hand. “This is a secure building. No one is getting up here unless I let them. Go get your mother.”
“But—”
“Now.”
Sable knew Colt was right. There hadn’t been a whiff of a threat since she had been here. Not even hate mail. Leaving Colt alone for a few hours wouldn’t hurt. Unless it did. She couldn’t help it, that was the way her mind worked.
“Give me a second.”
Snatching back her phone, Sable made a quick call.
“Problems?”
“Do you think we will ever get to the point where we don’t think the worst when the phone rings?”
Alex laughed. “Depends on who’s calling.”
“Good point. My list tends to bring trouble. Which leads me to the reason for my after-hours interruptions.”
“There’s no such thing as after hours in this business. Besides, my wife is a night owl. Unless I want to go to bed alone, before midnight is early. What’s up?”
Sable quickly outlined her dilemma.
“I know I shouldn’t leave him alone but… “
“But it’s standard procedure to stay with the client at all times.”
“Right.”
“Colt’s okay with you going?”
“He insists.”
“I do,” Colt called out.
“I checked out the building’s security. It’s top notch. Go, Sable. You have my blessing.”
“It feels odd.” More than odd. It was one thing when Colt had his brother with him, but leaving him alone? Sable had a hard time with that.
“Too much military training. We look for trouble around every corner.”
“That sounds like a good thing to me.”
“Most of the time it is. But not tonight. Go. Relax.”
Alex hung up before Sable could get another argument in. She looked at Colt, who was doing a lousy job of hiding a self-satisfied smile.
Dreaming Of Your Love (Hollywood Legends #3) Page 23