Sleigh Bells in the Sand (Act of Love Book 1)

by Tamara Lynn

  “Mmm hmm,” Daniela mumbled into her hot chocolate.

  “Be nice,” he reminded her as he got up from his chair.

  Daniela closed her eyes and leaned her head back. Fittingly, Otis began playing “Home for the Holidays.” She looked around the fire at the people she loved. Well, everyone except for Carl. If she never spoke another word to him for the rest of her life, it would probably be too soon. He caught her looking his direction and so he decided to walk over.

  “You look like you put on weight,” Carl sneered and sat down next to her.

  She wasn’t wasting a moment of her life on this guy. She looked away and sighed in annoyance. “I have a script to study,” she announced and excused herself. Leave it to Carl to ruin a perfectly relaxing evening.

  Back in her room, she changed into a pair of sleeping shorts and a tank top. It would be nice to sleep naked, but that wasn’t about to happen now that she had to share her room. She opened her duffle bag and pulled out a script. She’d been so focused on her current project, that she’d barely studied for her new TV show, “Calico Queens.”

  It was a period piece based on a comic book about two female pirates who fell in love while working for Captain Calico Jack in the Bahamas. Her lover was set to be played by one of Canada’s most beloved actresses, but she backed out last minute due to a scheduling conflict. They were planning on shooting in a month and a half and were scrambling to find a replacement.

  After her time in Michigan, Daniela was going to fly to L.A. to read some scenes with actresses that were vying for the open spot. Chemistry was paramount. In order for them to portray this relationship properly, the two actresses needed to be believable as a couple.

  If there was ever sacred ground when it came to scripts, it would be comic cross-overs. And the Captain Calico comics had a passionately loyal fanbase. She should probably study.

  Instead she tossed the script back into her bag and pulled out a smartphone. Time to cyber spy on Wyatt’s girlfriend.

  She scrolled through Instagram photos of the couple and tried to look for things to judge. Unfortunately, they looked like a very happy couple. They’d met on the set of Wyatt’s show. Kate had minor role that only lasted two episodes.

  Daniela took notice of how Kate looked in the online pictures. Whether working out, or dressed for a night on the town, Kate looked moderately attractive. She wasn’t beautiful by Hollywood’s standards, but she was cute. She had blonde straight hair and striking light green eyes. Even her freckles were adorable.

  Daniela sighed, tossed her phone on the nightstand and shut off the light. She was going to try her best to fall asleep before Kate arrived. And if she couldn’t pass out before then, she would at least pretend to be asleep. She was not interested in small talk. Not tonight.

  CHAPTER TWO

  Casting vibrant red rays on the floor, the sun filtered through a cardinal suncatcher on the window. Daniela woke with a start and sat up in her bed. For a second she forgot where she was. Her eyes scanned the room taking in the oversized log walls. She was in Michigan. And she had to pee, badly.

  With complete disregard to the woman in the shower, Daniela burst into the bathroom and made a beeline for the toilet.

  Startled, Kate moved an arm to cover her chest and spun around. She stared at the shower curtain. Did that just happen? She held her breath as she strained to listen. Sure enough, she heard the toilet flush.

  She shook her head in disbelief, that was soon followed by annoyance. She had half the mind to throw open the shower curtain and say her peace, but quickly decided against it. She was a guest of this family after all. In truth, she’d grown up sharing a bathroom with two sisters, so it’s not like she was a stranger to this sort of thing. Still, it’s not the kind of introduction that she was really comfortable with.

  The door closed and Kate leaned her head into the black slate that covered the walls of the shower. “Good morning,” she mumbled quietly.

  The thought of spending a week vacationing in a lake house would be appealing to most people. Not so for Kate. Spending long days with people she didn’t know left her feeling uneasy. When Wyatt asked her to come on this trip, she wasn’t sure she was going to say yes. Kate thought it seemed a little early to be meeting his family. But Wyatt insisted, and she had always wanted to see Michigan’s coast.

  She got out of the shower and stepped out onto a fluffy white bath mat. Not wasting another second, she reached over and locked the bathroom door. Then came the hiccups. Whenever Kate gets nervous or uncomfortable, she begins to hiccup. It is one of the things she hates most about herself.

  ◆◆◆

  A full hour later, Kate emerged from the bathroom. Her make-up was flawless, and her long blonde hair had been tamed, mostly. She walked into the kitchen and was greeted by an overly exuberant Wyatt. Clearly, he was happy to be with his family. He gave her a hug and then pulled out a chair at the table for her.

  “Daniela, this is my girlfriend, Kate,” Wyatt proudly introduced her.

  “We already met this morning,” Daniela said and looked directly at her.

  Kate raised her gaze to meet those whiskey colored eyes. She flashed a flawless smile that perfectly hid her annoyance.

  “Good!” Wyatt was pleased. “My two favorite ladies in the same room!”

  “Don’t forget about your sweet Aunt Dixie,” Daniela’s mom added as she brought a plate of fresh waffles to the table.

  The smell was incredible. Kate looked around the table taking it all in. Large Belgian waffles were piled onto two platters. There was whipped cream, both in a can, and in a bowl. She assumed that the bowl held freshly made whipped cream. No one at the table was interested in it, though. Betsy was scooping vanilla ice cream on to her waffle. Daniela was piling strawberries on hers. Dixie was wrist deep in a jar of Nutella.

  “Ya’ll, we drew names last night for kitchen duty.” Betsy handed a list to Daniela.

  Wyatt put his arm around Kate and explained. “Uncle Otis does all of the cooking. He’s very possessive of it. On the plus side, he is also a phenomenal chef.”

  “One of the reasons I married him,” Dixie added. “Can’t keep these curves without the help of a good cook.”

  “Because he does all of the cooking, we split the clean-up duties. We pair up in teams. Aunt Dixie and mom draw the names randomly,” Wyatt continued.

  “No,” Daniela announced and passed the sheet to Wyatt. “You have me with Carl. I’m not working with him.”

  “Listen Hollywood,” Dixie’s voice went up an octave. “You’ll do what you’re told.”

  Daniela chewed on her cheek and then let out a groan. “Yes, mama.”

  With complete disregard to the now cool mood of the room, Wyatt cheerfully continued to talk. “There is one exception to the cooking rule. Every year we have a cookie baking contest. Uncle Otis hands over the keys to the kitchen on that night.”

  “Christmas cookies?” Kate asked. This Christmas in summer thing felt so strange, yet so fantastic all at the same time.

  “Absolutely,” Wyatt smiled. “And I am the reigning champ.”

  “My man,” Kate proudly exclaimed and kissed him on the cheek. It was an adorable move that made everyone at the table smile, including Daniela.

  “Strawberries?” Daniela offered as she leaned over Wyatt to pass a bowl full of the red fruit.

  Regardless of intent, Kate took it as an olive branch and smiled. “Thank you.”

  She wanted the Nutella and whipped cream as well, but her nerves took over. She didn’t want to make a bad first impression on the family. Daniela, Carl, and Dixie had flawless figures, and she knew those bodies didn’t come without a lot of work. She didn’t want to be judged for the calories she consumed at breakfast.

  “Wave runners are ready,” Carl announced as he walked bare chested into the kitchen. “Who’s down for a ride?”

  “I’m in,” Kate stood up.

  She’d only managed three bites of her waffle, but t
he anxiety was making her uncomfortable. It was hard to eat in front of strangers. She’d much rather be outside.

  “Do you need a sec to change?” Carl asked.

  Kate shook her head. She was prepared. Under her jean shorts and plain black tee shirt was the perfect bikini. It was a red Christmas sweater patterned top with a solid green bottom. She felt rather witty when she bought it and couldn’t wait to show it off.

  “I’m going to finish your waffle and then I’ll join you guys,” Wyatt pulled her plate in front of him.

  Dixie rapped her bright red nails on the table. “Your brother is going to steal your girlfriend.”

  Daniela and Wyatt laughed.

  “It doesn’t matter how pretty he is,” Wyatt confidently stated. “He’s never been able to take any of my girls.”

  Daniela nodded. All the looks in the world couldn’t compete with Wyatt’s magnetic personality.

  Betsy moved next to Daniela and pulled her in for a hug. “I missed ya.”

  Letting go of the rest of her frustration surrounding Carl, Daniela snuggled into Betsy’s arms. “Good morning Aunt Betsy.”

  “Tell me about the pirate thing,” Betsy requested. “Your mama was saying that y’all are scramblin’ for another actress.”

  Daniella took a log sip of her orange juice before replying. “She backed out, so now we are going to have to replace her. Next week, I’ll be in L.A. and we’ll be doing some chemistry reads.”

  “Never underestimate the power of good chemistry,” Dixie smiled and leaned in to kiss Otis.

  “Gross,” Daniela and Wyatt said in unison.

  “I think it’s time to hit the lake,” Daniela announced and stood up.

  “I’ll meet you out there,” Wyatt said and reached for her plate. He planned on finishing her waffle as well.

  ◆◆◆

  The lake was choppier today and it made riding the wave runners more difficult than usual. Kate lasted about an hour and then settled into a lounge chair on the beach. The sound of waves racing themselves to shore nearly lulled her to sleep.

  “I love the water,” Daniela said as she walked towards her.

  From the hidden side of dark aviator glasses, Kate’s eyes followed Daniela as removed a towel from around her waist and placed it on the chair.

  “It gorgeous here,” Kate removed her gaze from Daniela and looked out across the lake.

  “Have you been to Michigan before?” Daniela asked.

  “No,” Kate shook her head. “There are so many beautiful places in our country that I’ve never had the chance to visit.”

  “My problem is that when I find a place I like, that isn’t crawling with paparazzi, I just want to keep coming back. I need to stretch my wings more.” Daniela was beginning to feel more comfortable talking with this stranger. She wasn’t half bad.

  “You travel a lot for work though,” Kate pointed out. “That must be nice.”

  “It is,” Daniela agreed. “If it wasn’t for work, I would probably have never seen the world.”

  Kate felt the tension begin to melt between the two of them. She decided that she might try to be friends with Daniela. At least for the week.

  “When you’re done acting, where will you retire?” Kate asked.

  “I don’t think that I’ll ever quit acting. I love it too much,” Daniela explained. “But if I did leave Hollywood, I think I’d settle near Nashville. I grew up in Tennessee. It’s home.”

  Daniela took a piece of her hair and began slowly wrapping it around her finger. The dark waves seemed to weave perfectly around her slender finger.

  “What about you?” Daniela asked. “Do you want to act for the rest of your life?”

  “No,” Kate responded without hesitation. “I mean don’t get me wrong, I love it. But when I get older, I’d like to settle down in some sleepy town and direct community theater.”

  Daniela let out a laugh that came from deep within her chest.

  “Oh wait,” Daniela’s laughter stopped. “You’re serious?”

  “Absolutely,” Kate replied. She knew she wasn’t like the typical Hollywood dreamers.

  “Okay, then,” Daniela nodded. “Did you grow up in a small town?”

  Kate closed her green eyes and smiled. “I grew up on a farm in La Conner, Washington.”

  “You’re a farm girl?” Daniela was shocked. There was nothing about this woman that gave off a country vibe.

  “Proud of it. La Conner was a great place to grow up. I lived there my whole life so I pretty much knew everyone.” Kate sat up to reapply sunscreen. Her pale skin required constant maintenance to keep from burning. Tanning was not in her future.

  Daniela noticed that she was having trouble reaching the middle of her back, so she took the sunscreen from Kate and took over.

  Kate chewed lightly on her bottom lip. It was strange that she felt comfortable with Daniela touching her. Just hours earlier, in the bathroom, that was not the case.

  “What kind of things did you do in La Conner?” Daniela asked as she gently rubbed the cream onto Kate’s muscular back.

  “One of my favorite events is the Giant Pumpkin Festival,” Kate's voice warmed as she began to explain. “Farmers from the area bring their largest pumpkins and compete to see who grew the biggest one.”

  “Like how big are we talking?” Daniela finished with the sunscreen and put down the bottle.

  “Twelve to Thirteen hundred pounds.”

  “You’re joking, right?” Daniela raised her eyebrows. “I’ve never seen a pumpkin I couldn’t carry.”

  “Oh yeah, they’re massive,” Kate continued. “And the pumpkins are cool, don’t get me wrong, but what I really like about the festival is the sense of community. Everyone comes together to celebrate the harvest season.”

  “Well you have to take me some time,” Daniela requested. “I’ve got to see one of these giant pumpkins.”

  Wyatt fresh off the wave runner, and soaking wet, began walking toward them.

  “Look at that hair,” Daniela said. “He’s like a bear.”

  Kate laughed, “That’s my guy.”

  “You like hairy men?” Daniela didn’t see the attraction. Her boyfriend was losing his hair so he shaved his head, he didn’t have any facial hair, and he kept his chest and back tightly trimmed.

  “I just like Wyatt,” Kate shrugged her shoulders. She lifted her arms and pulled her golden hair into a pony tail.

  Wyatt picked her up and swung her around. “Hey baby,” he greeted her. “It’s Fajita Margarita night! Are you excited?”

  “I do love Fajita’s,” Kate smiled and gave him a quick peck.

  “Do you two want to go fishing with me?” Wyatt asked as he shook his head, throwing water all over them.

  Kate smiled and began pulling on her shorts. “I will, but you must know. I’m horrible at fishing.”

  “Dani?” Wyatt asked.

  She lifted her sunglasses to look at the two of them. She didn’t feel like being a third wheel. “I’m good. I think I will just hang out here for a while.”

  Hand in hand, the two of them walked to the boat. Then to Daniela’s dismay, Carl came up and took the vacant chair next to her.

  “So how do you feel about playing gay for pay?” Carl asked.

  Daniela grit her teeth. “It’s not like that. The script is brilliant.”

  “Lady pirates,” Carl said. “Sounds hot to me.”

  “You’re disgusting,” Daniela growled.

  “What?” Carl asked feigning innocence.

  Without feeling the need to say another word, Daniela picked up her towel and walked back to the house.

  The pressure she was putting on herself was crushing her from the inside out. The last thing she wanted with this project was for it to come off as smutty piece for creepy guys. She wanted to present it authentically for the fans of the comic, and she wanted to do the relationship real justice. More than anything, Daniela wanted to properly portray this love story in a way that co
uld make her LGBTQ+ friends and fans proud.

  Even though it was the last thing she wanted to do, Daniela decided to pull out the script and start re-learning her parts. She determined to get her head in the game. She would become the dread pirate Reed.

  ◆◆◆

  “What do you think of my favorite cousin?” Wyatt asked as he cast his rod.

  Kate, clearly on the struggle bus, threw her arm forward in an attempt to cast the line. Unlike Wyatt’s, her bobber did not go sailing. Instead it whipped back at her face.

  “Here. You have to hold down this button when you cast it,” Wyatt explained. She really was quite bad at fishing, but he was glad to have her there nonetheless. He figured it left more fish for him to catch.

  She tried again, and it flopped pitifully a few feet from the boat.

  “Reel it in, and we’ll try again,” Wyatt suggested.

  “No, I like it there,” Kate stubbornly refused. “The fish will like it too.”

  Wyatt’s shoulders shook as he stifled a laugh. “Okay, you do you, boo.”

  “I like her,” Kate finally answered. She wasn’t sure at first, but there was something about Daniela that resonated with her.

  “Yeah?” Wyatt smiled.

  “This morning she was a little cold. I kind of thought she was a snob. You know, how actresses can get when they are really successful,” Kate tried to explain.

  Wyatt nodded, “She’s not like that though. Dani’s always struggled with the transition from work to play.”

  “What do you mean?” Kate wasn’t sure she understood.

  “She exerts so much energy playing her parts, and then when the camera isn’t rolling, she still can’t let her hair down. As the main character, she feels the need to be a good leader both on and off screen. When the scene ends, her next act begins as she communicates with the other actors and the production team. Then, when she leaves the set, there are always fans and cameras, so it’s not like she can let her guard down then either. When she does separate from it all, it takes her a day or two to relax and actually begin to be herself.”

  Wyatt understood what went through Daniela’s mind. He wasn’t the same way though. For Wyatt, nothing was that serious. He genuinely did not care what people thought of him.