“We’ve heard so much about you two! Haven’t we, Lily?” Evelyn balanced the plump, giggling baby on one hip as she held out a hand to Carole and Stevie.
Carole returned the woman’s open, welcoming smile. She liked her immediately. Now she saw why Lisa had adjusted so quickly to her father’s new wife. Who wouldn’t want a stepmother like Evelyn?
Mr. Atwood hadn’t come home from work yet, but Evelyn and baby Lily had been waiting at the door to welcome the girls and help carry their bags to the tiny but comfortable guest room over the one-car garage. As Lisa had said, the house bore no resemblance to the sleek, modern beachside monstrosity from Carole’s dream. It was a modest, pretty cottage on a quiet residential street across from a small, grassy park. The ocean was nowhere in sight, though Lisa assured them that it was just a short walk or bike ride away. The house was decorated in a quirky, homey, sunny style that seemed exactly right as soon as the girls met Evelyn.
“We’ve heard a lot about the two of you, too,” Carole replied politely. “Haven’t we, Stevie?”
“Hmmm?” Stevie had been staring around distractedly at the bright, slightly cluttered living room. It was clear she hadn’t heard a word Carole had said. “Oh, um—sure.”
Carole didn’t want Evelyn to think they were being rude, so she spoke quickly to cover Stevie’s confusion. “May I hold Lily?” she asked.
Evelyn looked pleased. “Of course you may, Carole. Here you go. I just changed her diaper, so you shouldn’t have to worry about any leaks.”
Carole giggled and reached for the baby. Soon Lily was snuggled into her arms, gazing up with wide, innocent blue eyes. “Aren’t you the cutest little—” Carole cut off her cooing words with a gasp. “What was that?” she cried. This time she knew she wasn’t imagining it, and she knew it wasn’t a truck. The floor was shaking—just slightly, but definitely shaking. She clutched the baby to her chest so tightly that Lily began to squirm.
“It’s okay, Carole,” Evelyn assured her quickly. “It’s just a tremor. It will be over in a second.”
Sure enough, the shaking ceased almost as soon as the words were out of Evelyn’s mouth. But Carole was still trembling. She quickly handed Lily to Lisa, then sank down into a nearby chair, feeling slightly faint. “Wow,” she said.
“Hey, that was weird!” Stevie exclaimed. She looked nervous, too, though not nearly as terrified as Carole felt. “How do you people live like that? I mean, back home we get the occasional bad thunderstorm or something, but this …”
Evelyn laughed gently, shooting Carole a concerned look. “It doesn’t seem that weird if you’ve grown up here, like I have,” she explained.
“And even if you haven’t, you can get used to it,” Lisa put in. “It’s not so bad, really. At first I was sure every tremor meant the Big One was coming, but now I hardly notice them.”
“Really?” Stevie cocked a disbelieving eyebrow at her friend.
Lisa grinned. “Okay, I admit it. I still notice them. But they don’t bother me much anymore. Honestly.”
Carole wasn’t entirely convinced. “I don’t know about this,” she said shakily. “There was a tremor the other night when we were on the phone, and now this. Maybe they’re leading up to something more serious.” She glanced at her watch, suddenly wishing they could just get back in the car and return to the airport for the next flight back to Virginia. There might not be any movie stars there, she thought, or much glamour, either. But at least the ground isn’t always shifting under your feet!
FIVE
“This is great.” Carole leaned back in her wicker chair with a sigh. “But I’m so stuffed, I don’t think I’ll ever eat again.”
“Does that mean you’ve decided to stick around for a few days and risk the Big One?” Lisa teased.
Carole stuck out her tongue playfully. “Very funny,” she said. “Don’t you know you shouldn’t make fun of other people’s phobias?” Still, she had to admit that she was feeling a lot more relaxed today, after a full—and tremor-free—day exploring Southern California with Lisa and Stevie.
At the moment, the three girls were relaxing on the broad cedar deck of a bistro overlooking the Pacific Ocean, enjoying the warm evening breezes and digesting a meal of fresh fruits and vegetables and even fresher seafood. They had worked up a hearty appetite exploring the sights that day, from the hustle and bustle of downtown Hollywood to the luxurious mansions in Beverly Hills.
“It’s too bad we didn’t have time to hit Universal Studios today,” Stevie said, taking a sip of her iced tea. “I heard that Jaws ride they have is pretty cool.”
Carole was glad to see that some of the prickliness she’d sensed in Stevie the day before seemed to have worn off. Maybe she’s finally relaxing and putting the accident and everything else back home out of her mind, she thought with relief. I hope so. She deserves a break from all that. Carole herself was more than ready to forget about earthquakes and other unpleasant things as much as possible and enjoy every moment she had to spend in California. Sitting there gazing at the cool blue water of the Pacific, the world of whiny riding students, sweaty tack, and manure-filled stalls seemed very far away.
She nodded in response to Stevie’s comment. “Maybe we can do that tomorrow. I’m also dying to get a look at Rodeo Drive. Normally I’m not much of a shopper, but I’ve seen it on TV and in the movies so many times that I feel like I should check it out, you know?”
Stevie nodded. “Me too. Maybe if we get started early tomorrow we can do Rodeo Drive and Universal Studios and then take a ride up the coast in the evening. I’ve heard the scenery north of here is awesome.”
“Sounds good,” Carole said. “How far is San Diego from here, by the way? I wouldn’t mind going to the zoo there if …” Suddenly Carole noticed that Lisa was frowning a little. “What’s wrong?”
“There’s no way we’ll be able to fit in all that stuff in one day,” Lisa said. “I have a job, remember? My boss gave me the day off because it was your first day here, but he’s expecting me bright and early tomorrow morning. We’re shooting some complicated scenes with the horses, and he’ll need me.”
“Oh, right. Your job.” Stevie had almost forgotten about Lisa’s summer job with Skye’s TV show. Now that Lisa had reminded her, she was a little surprised that she hadn’t taken off the whole week so that she could spend more time with them. After all, the summer was almost over. Stevie had quit her own job at a local laundry as soon as she’d found out about this trip.
Still, she guessed she couldn’t blame her friend for wanting to stick it out as long as possible. Lisa had a lot more interesting stuff to stare at all day than washing machines and detergent—stuff like incredible-looking TV stars and purebred horses.
Carole was thinking along much the same lines. It was no surprise that Lisa wanted to squeeze every last drop of excitement out of her taste of show business. Beautiful horses, good-looking actors—what could be better? It sounded sort of like what Carole’s own job at Pine Hollow might be if, instead of sniffly preteens, the riders were all gorgeous, talented twenty-year-old hunks. “I guess you wouldn’t want to miss out on one extra minute of that job, right? I’m surprised you could stand to stay away today.”
Lisa felt her jaw clenching tightly as she wondered just exactly what Carole meant by that. And what had that odd expression been in Stevie’s eyes as she’d said your job? Despite the balmy, peaceful surroundings and the memory of a fun-filled day, Lisa was starting to feel a twinge of annoyance with her two best friends. She was proud of her work on the set this summer—her hard work—and she had hoped to be able to share those feelings with them. But it was becoming painfully obvious that they didn’t take her commitment to her job very seriously.
They’re probably picturing me lounging around by a pool somewhere, chatting on a cell phone and sipping fruit smoothies with a bunch of glamorous stars, she thought sourly. Then she caught herself. She was being unfair, even if she didn’t like to admit it. Her friends k
new very well how much hard work it was taking care of horses. They were just a bit overwhelmed by the thought of good-looking TV stars and capricious Hollywood moguls, much as Lisa had been when she had first arrived. That was probably why they were talking as though Lisa’s job was about as serious as a trip to Disneyland.
Don’t tell them, show them. Lisa could almost hear Evelyn’s voice as she thought about her stepmother’s favorite saying. In this case, it was the perfect solution.
“Listen,” she said, forcing herself to relax and smile at her friends. “I’ve got an idea. Why don’t you guys come to work with me tomorrow? I’m sure it will be okay. There are going to be all sorts of extra people hanging around the set anyway—some magazine is coming to shoot a spread for their next issue.”
“Really?” Carole grinned. “Cool! Just in case watching them film a TV show isn’t amazing enough, now we get to check out a real Hollywood photo shoot, too!” She sighed. “You’re lucky, Lisa. You must have had an incredible summer working there.”
Stevie sat up straight. “That does sound pretty cool,” she admitted. “Now if I have to do one of Miss Fenton’s famous ‘What I Did This Summer’ essays at school, I’ll have something more interesting to write about than watching a bunch of strangers’ socks whirling around in the dryer.” She leaned over and gave Lisa a gentle punch on the arm. “Seriously, though. Great idea, Lisa. Thanks for inviting us.”
Their enthusiasm made Lisa feel a little bit better. See? They’re just excited about all this Hollywood stuff, she thought. When they see that I’m really just working in a stable, they’ll understand that this is a serious job like any other.
Still, as she gazed at her friends across the table, she couldn’t help thinking how strange it was to see them sitting there in her favorite bistro, overlooking one of her favorite views of the now-familiar Pacific shoreline. They didn’t belong in this world, and a part of Lisa’s mind couldn’t seem to reconcile their presence.
Another part of her, though, was simply overjoyed to have her best friends with her again. She had missed them in the past months, but she hadn’t realized quite how much until she had seen them in the flesh. She had never been apart from them for so long, not since they had all met. And despite the separation, despite her own conflicted feelings, being with them now still gave her a feeling unlike any other, a sense of being an important part of something larger than herself, of being complete.
Well, almost complete, Lisa reminded herself. The person who really gave her that one-of-a-kind feeling of wholeness, deep down in her soul, was Alex. Seeing her friends from Willow Creek made her constant sense of missing him shift from a deep, gentle ache into something sharper and almost unbearable. At moments she thought she couldn’t wait one more minute—that she had to see him, touch him, kiss him right then and there or she would go crazy.
I shouldn’t be thinking that way, she chided herself. The summer’s almost over, and soon we’ll be together again. All of us.
That thought made her feel sad, just for a moment. Leaving here didn’t only mean going back home again to all the people, places, horses, and other things she missed there. It meant starting to miss a whole new set of people, places, and horses she would be leaving behind in California.
Carole spoke up. “Should we get going? It’s almost nine, and you promised we could take a walk on the beach before it gets totally dark.”
“Oh!” Lisa glanced at her watch. Nine o’clock was a very special time for her these days. It was the hour she and Alex had agreed upon when each of them would look up at the night sky and think of the other.
The three girls left the restaurant and walked down to the beach. Lisa dropped a few steps behind her friends and sought out the moon, shining clearly in the darkening sky. Somewhere, far far away, she knew that Alex was staring at the same moon and thinking of her. It was midnight in Willow Creek, so he was probably in his room, exhausted after a long day of mowing lawns. She tried to picture him sitting at his window, his gentle, caring eyes focused upward. The image made her smile, and she felt another pang of that intense longing to see him, the strongest one yet.
“Soon,” she whispered quietly enough so that Carole and Stevie wouldn’t hear. “We’ll be together again soon.”
Then she sighed. Yes, she would be with Alex soon, and that particular ache in her heart would be eased at last.
But it would be replaced by others. The ache of being separated from her father. Of not getting to watch Lily continue to grow up; of leaving behind the little sister she had come to love so deeply. Of missing other friends new and old, from Evelyn and Skye to other friends at work. Even the horses on the set had become special to her in their own lovable, quirky, interesting ways.
Why does my life have to be split in two? Lisa wondered desperately, not for the first time. Why do the two halves have to be so far apart?
She gazed at her best friends as they wandered ahead down the beach. Carole was casting slightly nervous glances at a section of rocky cliff just above where they were walking, probably worrying what would happen if an earthquake struck. Stevie was watching a bird land on the sand nearby, probably comparing it—unfavorably—to the birds back home in Willow Creek.
Lisa sighed. And how can I love two completely different lives so much when they hardly overlap at all—and probably never will?
SIX
“… and this is Skye’s horse, Topsy.” Lisa stopped in front of a spacious box stall and patted the curious bay gelding. Topsy immediately stuck his head out to see who they were. “He reminds me a little of Belle, Stevie. He’s fun-loving and spirited and a real sweetheart.”
“True. The only problem is, like all the horses around this place, he likes Lisa better than he likes me,” Skye joked.
Stevie chuckled along with the others, but her eyes narrowed as she reached out to give the friendly bay a pat. She had been watching Skye closely ever since he had greeted the three girls on the set a few minutes before. It had started out as more of a formality than anything else. Stevie had promised Alex she would look after his interests, and she was a loyal sister.
But then she had laid eyes on Skye. Stevie hadn’t seen him in person in a couple of years, and she had to admit that he was the same old Skye, friendly, funny, unassuming—and good-looking. Very, very good-looking. Somehow, when they had all been younger, Skye’s looks hadn’t seemed that important. But now she had to admit that she was starting to understand, at least a little, what Alex was so worried about. Not that Lisa couldn’t be trusted to control herself, but still, she had always been closer to Skye than Stevie or Carole, and it seemed that their friendship had flourished over the summer.
Key word: friendship, Stevie reminded herself. If Lisa hasn’t fallen for Skye up until now, there’s no reason it should happen this summer. Right?
As the group continued slowly down the row of stalls, admiring the inhabitants, Carole wasn’t thinking about Lisa’s relationship with Skye at all. She was too busy enjoying what she had come for: glamour, horses, and more glamour. On their way over from the parking lot she had caught a glimpse of Skye’s good-looking costar, Jeremiah Jamison. She had learned from Skye that a couple of other famous actors would be on the set that day shooting guest appearances on the series. Now Skye and Lisa were giving Carole and Stevie the grand tour, showing them some of what went on behind the scenes, introducing them to all sorts of people, from Lisa’s boss, Rick, to the director of the show. It was incredible.
The stables were pretty incredible, too. Carole didn’t think she had ever seen so many stunning, perfectly groomed horses in one spot before. It all helped her to forget that the ground might start shaking beneath her feet again at any moment. …
“So Skye,” she said brightly, determined not to think about earthquakes anymore, “we’re dying to hear more about the show. Lisa’s hardly told us anything.”
“Not true,” Lisa protested. “I told you it’s called Paradise Ranch, and Skye plays Devon Dra
ke, the hunky son of the ranch owners. Practically every female who comes near the ranch falls madly in love with him, but he’s loyal to his one true love.” She paused and gave a mischievous wink. “His horse.”
“Very funny.” Skye shoved her playfully, then turned to the other girls. “Actually, I’m a soul-searching young man who doesn’t know what he wants out of life.” He shrugged. “At least that’s what the director keeps saying. I think he’s trying to tantalize me with the prospect of some heavy acting scenes later in the season so I won’t complain about having to kiss all those beautiful guest stars all the time.”
Carole rolled her eyes. “Sounds like torture.”
Skye just grinned. “Anyway, the concept of the show is pretty simple. Drake, his parents, and his sister—who’s played by Summer Kirke, you’ve probably seen her in the movies—are struggling to keep the ranch going despite the best efforts of the rival Torrence clan. They own a development company that wants to buy up the land.”
“There are a few other continuing characters, too,” Lisa went on. “Like the crazy hermit who lives on the ranch, and a couple of ranch hands, and Devon’s best friend Rand Hayden—”
“Jeremiah Jamison plays him, right?” Carole asked eagerly. “I saw an article about him in a magazine last week and they mentioned the show.”
Skye nodded. “I’m not surprised. Jeremiah’s got a killer publicist. Yes, he plays Rand, who’s sort of the main good guy besides my character.”
“In addition to the main characters, there are always lots of guest stars playing the guests who come and stay at the ranch.” Lisa stopped in front of the last stall in the shed row, where a dainty Arabian mare was looking over the half door. “This is Fancy,” she said. “She’s the horse Summer rides.”
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