Reining In

by Bonnie Bryant

  “Too bad she’s not a perfect match for her character like you are, huh?” Stevie teased, giving Skye a playful wink.

  He chuckled. “Hey, what can I say? I am Devon Drake. But really, the casting people don’t care that much what you’re like in real life. They just want to know you can play the part you’re supposed to play.” He grimaced slightly. “Obviously, this show proves that actors don’t have to be anything at all like their characters.”

  Stevie was immediately interested. “Really?” she said. “What do you know? So good old Tinseltown really is the land of illusion. Who else besides Summer gets to play their opposite?”

  “Well, there’s Matt for starters. Matthew Reeves, I mean. He plays the biggest jerk on the show, but he’s actually a really cool, easygoing guy with an amazing sense of humor.” He cocked his head at Stevie. “Now that I think about it, you’d probably like him a lot if you got to know him.”

  Stevie was skeptical. “Hold on,” she said, swinging her legs against the wooden fence post. “I saw that rehearsal earlier today. You’re telling me that nasty guy actually has a heart of gold? And here I thought he was one of those cold-hearted, self-centered Hollywood monsters I’ve heard so much about. Next thing I know, you’re going to tell me that scrumptious Jeremiah Jamison actually tortures small animals for fun.”

  Skye hesitated. “Well, not quite that bad, I guess.”

  Stevie laughed. “Yeah, right,” she said disbelievingly. “What, then? He murdered his whole family? He sold secrets to enemy nations? He skipped the Academy Awards?”

  “I don’t like to talk about people behind their backs,” Skye said seriously. “There’s too much of that in this business.”

  Stevie started whistling “There’s No Business Like Show Business” until Skye gave her a dirty look.

  “I’m trying to be serious here,” he said. “But I feel a little weird about it. Look, did Carole by any chance tell you something? Um, something about her and Jeremiah?”

  “How did you—Oh, right.” Stevie gave Skye a knowing glance. “I heard you accidentally broke it up, huh? Too bad. Haven’t you Hollywood guys ever heard of giving people their privacy?”

  “Very funny.” But Skye wasn’t laughing. He glanced at Summer again. She was still at the far end of the ring, concentrating on her riding. “I didn’t quite know how to say this to Carole at the time. But you’re one of her best friends. I just think you should know that Jeremiah isn’t the way he seems. He’s not nice, and he’s not sensitive. The only thing he really cares about is himself, and that means he definitely cannot be trusted.”

  “Really?” Stevie tried to reconcile what Skye was saying with what Carole had told her and with what she herself had seen of Jeremiah. It didn’t make sense. She trusted Skye’s judgment, but she couldn’t help being skeptical. Maybe Skye didn’t know Jeremiah very well. Maybe Jeremiah got along better with girls than with other guys.

  Skye seemed to sense her doubt. “Look, all I’m saying is keep your eyes open,” he urged. “Carole’s a great person, and I’d hate to see her get hurt.”

  “Me too,” Stevie said immediately. “Thanks for the info, Skye.” She decided it wouldn’t be a bad idea to check out Jeremiah a little more closely, especially if Carole really intended to spend more time with him. Better safe than sorry.

  “You’re welcome.” Skye smiled with relief. “Whew, I’m glad I got that off my chest. I mean, Lisa’s been here all summer, so she knows how some actors can be, but I wasn’t sure if you and Carole would see it.” He waved at Summer, who was still putting Fancy through her paces. “In a way, people like Jeremiah are the exact opposite of Summer. She believes every bad thing she reads or hears or thinks about herself; he believes every good thing. With some people around here, worrying about yourself and your image can become an obsession.”

  “Wow. That’s messed up.” Stevie thought about that for a second. “It makes me glad I come from a place where I hang around normal people instead of a bunch of Hollywood freaks.” Realizing what she had just said, she shot Skye a quick grin. “Present company excluded, of course.”

  “Of course.” Skye was silent for a moment, and Stevie started to worry that he really had been insulted by what she had said. But when he finally spoke again, she realized he had gone back to thinking about Summer. “I’m glad Summer got to know Lisa while she’s been here. Lisa’s been really supportive, and I think she’s been good for her.” He glanced at Stevie. “Actually, she’s been good for all of us.”

  “Right. Lisa Atwood, shrink to the stars,” Stevie intoned dramatically. “And the stars’ horses, of course. All your self-absorbed, frivolous actor buddies probably never knew what hit them. All they knew was their shallow, superficial world of make-believe was suddenly more … sensible.”

  Skye smiled at Stevie’s teasing, though the expression seemed a bit strained. “When I told Lisa about this job, I wasn’t sure she’d like it. Oh, I knew she’d love the horse part, of course. But I never guessed she’d fit in on the set so well and get along so brilliantly with all the difficult types here. She’s really got a talent for dealing with people, you know.”

  “I know.” Despite her jokes, Stevie was liking this conversation less and less. Not only was it becoming clear that Lisa and Skye were closer than they had ever been, but now Skye seemed to be saying that this whole Hollywood scene was practically Lisa’s natural habitat.

  Skye didn’t notice her reaction. He was watching Summer again. “I don’t know how we’re going to get along without her,” he went on. “She’s made herself really valuable around here. I haven’t really talked to her about it, but I think she’ll miss us, too. I think she’s had a better time with us this summer than she expected.”

  “Oh, really?” Stevie said, her voice sounding a little sharp in her own ears. “Are you sure about that? Maybe she’s actually just acting like she’s having such a great time—you know, like one of those actors you were talking about who fake whole personalities. Maybe she’s actually just observing you all for the exposé she’s going to write at the end of the summer. She’ll probably call it something like Lifestyles of the Overpaid and Undertalented: An Odyssey Through the True Hollywood.”

  Stevie realized too late that she had gone too far. Skye’s forehead was creased with annoyance. “Okay, Stevie,” he said, jumping down from his perch on the fence. “You can stop being so subtle, if that’s what you’re trying to do. It’s clear what you think of Hollywood and show business and the rest of it.” He shook his head as he brushed off his hands on his jeans. “I thought you knew better than to judge something without ever giving it a chance—you know, like way back when we first met, when you and your friends convinced me not to decide I hated riding before I knew what it was all about. But I guess I was wrong about you.”

  “Wait, Skye,” Stevie began quickly. “I was just kidding around. But you don’t understand—”

  “See you later, Stevie.” Skye was already walking away.

  Stevie slumped down on the fence rail and watched his departing back. He sounded pretty steamed, she thought, feeling bad for a second. Then she shook her head. She might have gone overboard just a tad, but Skye had asked for it. Didn’t he realize how hard it was for Lisa’s friends to hear how great a time she was having? He’d made it sound like Lisa had been having such all-fired fabulous fun here this summer that she’d barely thought about her friends or her real home at all. Still, she knew he hadn’t meant it that way. So maybe she shouldn’t have made all those cracks about Hollywood.

  But I couldn’t help it, Stevie thought despondently. He made it sound like Lisa loves it here so much she should never leave. That she might not want to leave.

  That was something Stevie didn’t like to think about, and she was annoyed with Skye for putting the thought back in the forefront of her mind. How could he possibly understand how important Lisa was to all of them back home?

  TEN

  By midafternoon, the hustle
and bustle around the stable had quieted a bit. Lisa and her friends were cleaning bridles in the spacious tack room. Lisa was still worried about Carole’s interest in Jeremiah, but his name hadn’t come up since their earlier conversation. She hoped that meant Carole had taken her warning to heart.

  Aside from that one nagging concern, Lisa felt relaxed and happy. It was nice being with Carole and Stevie again. Really nice. She suspected they were starting to see why she liked California—and this job—so much. She hoped so. It would make it easier to readjust to returning home if they could understand and help her cope.

  The girls were chatting lazily about the previous day’s sightseeing when Rick poked his head into the room and took in the scene. “Still working them hard, Lisa?” he asked with a twinkle in his eye.

  “It’s okay. We’re used to it.” Stevie let out an exaggerated sigh of exhaustion.

  Rick laughed. “I can tell. You girls are good workers. Almost as good as Lisa.”

  “Thanks, Rick.” Lisa smiled at him. Two compliments in a week, she thought. That must be some kind of record!

  She was so amused at the thought that she almost missed what Rick said next. “So why don’t you knock off a little early today, Lisa? Show your friends around. We can manage here for the rest of the day.”

  Lisa opened her mouth to thank him again. It was a generous offer, especially after she’d taken off the day before. Still, she knew he was right. It had been a busy morning, but the afternoon was shaping up to be relatively slow. They could get along without her.

  “You heard the man, Lisa,” Stevie said excitedly. “They can manage without us.” She grinned. “Besides, if they need any help after we leave, some of these TV stars can just call in their agents or masseuses or manicurists to fill in!”

  The words hit Lisa like a sledgehammer. What was that supposed to mean? She frowned, her calm, comfortable mood shattered. She’d thought their hard day of work had proved to her friends that her job was for real. But maybe not.

  Carole fluttered her eyelashes dramatically. “Fabulous idea, dah-ling,” she told Stevie in a hoity-toity voice. “Let’s do lunch! Better yet, let’s hit the beach.”

  Lisa felt her hands clench around the smooth leather of the bridle she was holding. Her job was no joke. What could she do to make her friends understand that?

  “Sorry,” she snapped, feeling stubborn. “I wouldn’t feel right leaving now. There’s still too much to do here. I’ve got to make sure Topsy is ready for those close-up shots later, and someone has to finish these bridles before tomorrow’s run-through.”

  Rick looked surprised, but that was nothing compared to the stunned, disappointed expressions on the faces of her friends. For a moment Lisa regretted her hasty words. What was she getting so worked up about? Carole and Stevie knew her job was serious—that any job that involved caring for horses was serious. Anyway, they were her best friends. She should be enjoying their visit and making sure they enjoyed it, too. Anything else was petty and stupid.

  She took a deep breath, preparing a quick laugh and an even quicker apology. But as she opened her mouth to begin, someone bounded into the tack room.

  “Hey, is this a party?” Jeremiah Jamison said when he saw them all sitting there. “Why wasn’t I invited?”

  Rick murmured a polite hello, then faded out of the room. Jeremiah didn’t seem to notice. He was too busy staring at Carole with a greedy gleam in his eye that Lisa didn’t like at all. She had seen that look before—though luckily never directed at her—and she knew it meant trouble.

  “Hi, Jeremiah,” Carole said, in a soft, fluttery, breathless voice that made Lisa feel queasy. “We were just talking about going sightseeing. But Lisa can’t make it.”

  “Bummer.” Jeremiah shot Lisa a quizzical glance.

  She scowled at him, annoyed at his interruption. She could almost see the wheels in his head turning, figuring out how this situation might affect him and what he could do to twist it around to his advantage. It was irritating how casually handsome he looked as he turned to smile at Carole.

  “Just because Lisa can’t make it doesn’t mean you should miss out, Carole,” he said smoothly. “I don’t have any more scenes today, so I’m free as a bird. How about it? Want to see the town with me instead?”

  Carole’s brown eyes widened. “Sure, Jeremiah. That would be great!”

  Lisa opened her mouth to protest. Then she snapped it shut again and started chewing on her lower lip. What could she say? She’d already insisted she couldn’t go. And she suspected her humble apology wouldn’t sound quite as sincere now that Jeremiah was in the picture.

  Still, she couldn’t just let Carole go off gallivanting around L.A. with Jeremiah. She didn’t trust him as far as she could drop-kick him.

  She cast an anxious glance at Stevie, wishing she’d had a chance to discuss this with her. Carole was clearly so smitten that she wasn’t listening to reason, but maybe Lisa could have made Stevie understand that Jeremiah was a total sleazeball, despite what his publicist and Star Struck magazine would have the world believe. She had already seen the way he’d treated previous romantic interests. He loved the thrill of the chase, but once he’d won someone over the same thing always happened. It might take a day, it might take a week, but he ended up treating her like dirt. She couldn’t bear the thought of his putting Carole through that sort of heartbreak.

  Stevie didn’t return her glance. She was staring thoughtfully at Jeremiah.

  “That’s so nice of you, Jeremiah,” Stevie said cheerfully. “I think I’ll come along, too. It should be fun.”

  Jeremiah shot Stevie an irritated look. It was clear that what he’d had in mind was a one-on-one experience. But he nodded grudgingly. “Sure, uh, Stevie,” he muttered. “It’ll be a blast.”

  Lisa let out a small sigh of relief. She still didn’t like the idea of Carole being with Jeremiah. But at least now they wouldn’t be alone. “I guess it’s all settled then,” she said, trying not to sound as depressed as she felt. What else could she say at this point? “We can all meet up again back at Dad’s house this evening, okay?”

  A moment later her friends and Jeremiah had gone. Lisa sank down on a stool and buried her head in her hands. What was wrong with her, anyway? She had single-handedly managed to ruin her own day because of simple stubborn pride. And along the way, she had made this whole mess with Carole and Jeremiah even worse by practically sending them an engraved invitation to go off together. What was she trying to prove?

  “Lisa?” A familiar voice spoke uncertainly from the doorway. “Are you all right?”

  Lisa looked up and saw Skye standing there staring at her. “Hi, Skye,” she said, forcing a feeble smile. “I’m okay. Just mad at myself, that’s all.”

  “Want to talk about it?” Skye stepped into the room and grabbed a bucket. Overturning it in front of Lisa, he perched on it and waited.

  Lisa hesitated. But it didn’t take her long to decide that she would feel better if she got this off her chest, especially to an understanding friend like Skye.

  He listened quietly as she told him the whole story. Then he leaned back slightly on his makeshift stool, looking thoughtful.

  “First of all, I don’t blame you for being worried about Carole,” he said. “She’s a smart girl, but Jeremiah makes a hobby out of making fools of all sorts of girls, smart or not.”

  “I know. And Carole really isn’t that experienced with guys.…” She clenched her fists in her lap. “I wish I hadn’t been such an idiot! Then she wouldn’t have gone off with him.”

  Skye nodded sympathetically. “Don’t beat yourself up about it. What’s done is done. And I’m sure it’ll be okay. What can happen, really? Especially with Stevie along.”

  “Knowing Jeremiah, he’ll ditch her as soon as he can.”

  “Knowing Stevie, he won’t be able to,” Skye countered. “I had a talk with her a little while ago.” He hesitated. “You know I don’t like to tell other people’s secre
ts, but I thought maybe she could help save Carole from some heartbreak if she knew the real deal.”

  “So she knows Jeremiah’s a jerk?” Lisa could hardly believe it. A feeling of relief washed over her. If Stevie even suspected that there might be trouble in Carole’s personal Hollywood paradise, there was no way Jeremiah would be able to shake her. She could be tougher than a bulldog when she was protecting her friends.

  Skye wasn’t finished. “As for the rest of it, I can’t say I understand exactly why you didn’t want to go, but—”

  “It wasn’t that I didn’t want to,” Lisa broke in. “I did. But I didn’t want them to think my job is just some cushy little hobby that I can blow off whenever I want to.”

  “Do you really think they feel that way?”

  Lisa sighed. “Well, no. I know they probably don’t.” She thought back over exactly what her friends had said. “Okay, I’m sure they don’t. They were just kidding around. I guess I’m just a little sensitive right now because everything seems so disjointed.”

  “You mean because the summer’s almost over?” he asked softly.

  Lisa nodded, staring thoughtfully at her hands in her lap. “I thought I’d be dying to get home by now. And I am, sort of. But some conflicted part of me actually wants to … well, to stay. Do you think that’s weird?”

  “I’m probably the wrong person to ask about that.” Skye scooted his bucket a few inches closer. “Because I want you to stay, too. And I’m not conflicted about it at all.”

  “Thanks,” Lisa said, still looking down. “But seriously, what should I do?”

  “Seriously,” Skye replied, “I’m too biased to give you any useful advice.” Something in his voice made Lisa look up. He was looking at her steadily, and his expression was very serious. “If it were up to me, you’d never leave.”

  “Oh,” Lisa said in a small voice. She wasn’t sure what else to say. She wasn’t even sure what was happening, except that she knew that her heart had suddenly starting beating double-time.