“I gotta say I’m pretty private about that stuff. About many aspects of my personal life, but I know how this goes. I know how people like to guess, and guessing never works out for anyone.”
At this point Sam smiles and gives Majesty a loving pat, and I know my husband would understand if I asked for a divorce on the spot.
“I am single at the moment. I got out of a relationship right before I booked this project and decided to focus on work for a while.” And as for the future? “I want what my grandparents had, what my parents have. I was lucky to be raised by people who love each other very much. I was lucky to be raised in a very loving home. I want to keep that going. Not that I’m looking now.” He laughs again and I find my finger hovering over my husband’s number. “But one day I will be looking for someone who wants to fill a home with laughter and sick dance moves.”
The article went on to talk about Sam’s older brother trying to out–Milly Rock him and the sight of his then eighty-two-year-old grandmother, two-time Oscar winner Leona Lovell, demonstrating her version of the Harlem Shake. The real one, not that weird viral video thing. The words started to run together and Amanda found herself going back and looking at the photos. When the sound of his laugh echoing in her ear brought everything back to the surface, she knew she had to make a decision.
She loved Helene dearly, and cherished their friendship, but maybe after the wedding she should pull back from trying to engage with her so much socially. They were in two different worlds, not that Amanda thought Helene’s A-list status made her unworthy of Helene’s friendship, but things had run smoothly between them when their friendship involved Amanda slipping over to Helene’s house for a quiet night in with her girlfriends. Oscar night had been the first time she’d really stepped out with Helene and now there was her wedding, which Amanda knew would be something close to magical. But it wasn’t Amanda’s reality. Not to mention, Dru would absolutely freak out or try to take advantage if she found out Helene even knew Amanda’s name.
And Amanda knew if she kept playing with the type of carefree fire that had landed her in Sam’s hotel room, she would find herself worse than alone. She’d find herself with a broken heart.
Chapter 4
Sam left the barn and made his way back to the lodge. He thought a long morning ride with Majesty would lift whatever dark cloud that was messing with his mood, but it didn’t work. He’d finished up all his post-Oscar interviews, had a few meetings, then pretty much fled back to his family’s ranch to get some much-needed rest. He was happy to be back home with his brothers, his soon-to-be sister-in-law, and his cousins, not to mention his horse. After a good forty-eight hours of rest and his grandmother’s amazing cooking, he still felt off.
He walked through the grounds, trying to appreciate the perfect February weather. The sun was shining in a cloudless sky, but there was just enough of a breeze coming off the mountains to keep things comfortable. Preparations for Helene’s wedding had begun months ago, but now the staff was buzzing around getting everything ready for the weekend’s festivities, starting with tonight’s rehearsal dinner and square dance. Sam had about three hours to fix his face and his mood so he could be a good friend and host when Helene and Ignacio’s other friends and family arrived.
He came up to the lodge and made his way around back, and toward the stairs that led up to Zach and Jesse’s office. He stepped back just as the door swung open and Zach stepped out.
“Oh, hey. You heading up?”
“Yeah. Can I borrow your truck? I need to head back to the house and change.”
“Yeah, sure.” Zach pulled his keys to his pickup out of his pocket and handed them over.
“Thanks,” Sam said. For some reason he sounded like one of their dogs had just died. He really needed to snap out of it.
“Man, you alright? Walk with me,” Zach said as he headed toward his new white pickup. “I won’t say you’ve been moping, but you should see your face right now.”
Sam turned the keys over in his hands, then looked up at his older brother. Nothing bothered Zach. As long as the ranch was up and running and his fiancée Evie was happy, the man didn’t have a bad day. He also didn’t have Sam’s artistic spirit. He knew he could talk to his brother, but he wasn’t sure he would understand.
“Honestly, I don’t know.”
“What’s going on? Talk to me.”
“I don’t know! That’s the problem. I made the movie. I won the award. John has a ton of scripts for me to look at, directors want to talk to me. Majesty is in great health.”
“Hey, we always look after her when you’re gone. Evie takes her out every day she’s here.”
That was enough to make Sam smile. Evie hated his horse and Majesty hated most humans, but somehow they’d come to an understanding. If only the happiness and well-being of his beloved horse was enough. “You know I appreciate that. Evie’s a real one.”
“She is, but you? Sounds like you’re just overwhelmed.”
“Maybe that’s it. I don’t know why I’m complaining.”
“’Cause you’re human. You set a goal and you reached it. You also have the rest of your life ahead of you. Ask Miss Leona. You think winning an Oscar instantly solved her problems? Shit, she had to help raise the three of us. We turned her gray under those custom wigs.”
Sam laughed for real this time. “True.”
“Listen, you got some time off. Hang around here as long as you like. I know Jesse loves having you around.”
“I don’t know about that.”
The whole family was spread out over three fairly large houses on their own private cul-de-sac. He had an apartment in LA, and now that Evie’s restaurant was up and running in New York, he was welcome to crash in the family town house in Harlem, but Pleasant Lane was always home. That was until Zach kicked him out of their house and made him crash with Jesse. He loved Evie, but since the minute they’d gotten engaged and convinced their grandma it was okay for them to be living in sin, Sam had been playing musical houses around the cul de sac, switching between his brothers’ and grandmother’s homes. His cousins Lilah and Corie were already living in Miss Leona’s. He could sleep over there, but his grandmother had enough to deal with. He’d suck it up and stay with Jesse. Didn’t mean he had to like it.
“What happened?” Zach laughed.
“I got a forty-minute lecture about condiment placement last night. I accidentally moved the steak sauce onto the wrong shelf.”
“You can come stay at my place until Sunday night, but Evie’s back Monday morning.”
“No, it’s fine.”
“I was gonna say you could help Jesse with his dating profiles. Might help take your mind off things, but maybe not.”
“Wait, back it up. What dating profile?”
“Evie convinced him to try out a few dating apps.”
“There are, like, seven eligible women in this town. Why doesn’t he just go down to Claim Jumpers if he’s looking for local love?”
Zach shrugged. “She signed him up for one of those weird ones that matches moderately wealthy people.”
“Uh, I’m definitely going to talk to him about that. Speaking of dating, Walls said some shit about how I’ve been sulking since Natalie and I broke up. You think I’ve been sulking?”
Zach stepped back and looked Sam over for a second.
“I wouldn’t say sulking—”
“Wow. Really?”
“Listen, you two broke up and you only brought it up to me once in any official capacity, but there was a mood shift. I just thought you were stressed out about the movie. That script was heavy.”
“Yeah. I guess I did too.”
“But now?”
Sam almost told his brother about Cha-Cha. Days later and she was still hovering in the back of his mind. He thought about asking Helene if she knew anything about her, since they’d been together at the party, but it was her wedding week. Plus, he didn’t want to let it slip that he and Cha-Cha had sl
ept together and Sam hadn’t even managed to catch her name.
“Nothing. It’s nothing. I just—Walls was giving me shit about ignoring all the women who’ve flooded my DMs this week. After the win.”
“You really taking relationship advice from Walls?” Zach’s eyebrow went up under his tan Stetson. “I know that’s your homie, but it’s Walls. That’s like going to Corie for a soft shoulder to cry on.” Their play cousin/Miss Leona’s assistant was a few degrees below cold-blooded.
“I just want a girl to love me for me,” he said dramatically.
Zach let out a hearty laugh. “You’re a Pleasant. That was never going to happen.”
“Oh? So what about Evie?”
“Do you see this face, man?”
Sam rolled his eyes.
“Ninety percent of what we got going on is because of this pretty-ass face.”
“Yeah, okay.”
“Nah, I’m playin’, but Evie can’t stand my ass and everyone knows it. If she didn’t love the real me, there’s no way she would have agreed to marry me. So yeah, you’re onto something. But I don’t know how to help you or Jesse.”
“Is there any helping Jesse? Really? He needs a combination of Mom and Corie with the patience of a saint. I’m not sure a woman like that exists.”
“Well, what are you looking for?”
“I’m not sure,” Sam lied ’cause at the moment he knew exactly what he was looking for. He just had to figure out her name. He just knew what it would sound like if he said it out loud.
“Well, if you’re feeling lonely, man, it might not be a bad idea to get back out there. If it’s something else, there’s no bad time to talk to a therapist. Evie and I have started going together. It’s tough, but . . .” His brother shrugged.
They’d had a therapist on set when they were filming Sky. Sam had met with Dr. Gilliam throughout production and three more times after they’d wrapped. She’d been happy with the way he was processing the dark source material they were working with and kindly reminded him her door would be open if he wanted to speak with her again or if he just wanted a referral. He felt comfortable reaching out to her, but he had a feeling this particular thing wasn’t something he needed to see someone about.
“Maybe I should get back out there. It has been a while.”
“Get back out. Just do us all a favor.”
“What?”
“Do not tell Mom.”
Sam laughed as he leaned back against the truck. “You know I’m not stupid.”
“She will fly back here. She will have every eligible maiden from here to San Francisco lined up at those Big Rock gates. She will call up every soror with an unwed daughter—”
“I know, I know.”
“She’ll hit the pageant circuit, man. You’re not Jesse. She’ll have no problem selling any parents on you. Plus, you’re her baby.”
Sam rolled his eyes even though he knew it was true. Parents weren’t supposed to play favorites, but Zach was their dad’s favorite and he was their mom’s. She’d never done a damn thing to hide it. There was no reason to feel bad for Jesse. He was their grandmother’s favorite and that took the cake. Either way, Sam knew both his parents were still waiting to see all of their sons married off in their weird old-school way. And he knew his mom was beyond impatient for a grandchild. Zach and Evie were on their way there, but if she could double her odds, she wouldn’t hesitate to start playing matchmaker.
Sam had a much better, simpler plan. He’d do his best to track down Cha-Cha on his own, just to talk. Just to see if that spark he felt was real, and if that didn’t work, he’d wait until Helene got back from her honeymoon and casually ask how her friend from the after-party was doing.
* * *
The look on Helene’s face when she climbed out of her car changed Sam’s whole mood. Yeah, he was still a little out of it and he had mentally committed to finding a woman who might want nothing to do with him, but at least this week he could focus on his friends and their union.
He’d showered and changed, then met up with Jesse, Zach, and Delfi, their family friend who was also the ranch’s recently promoted general manager. Zach had since stepped back from his more hands-on approach to greeting important guests, but since Helene was an A-list priority and a friend of Sam’s, Zach wanted all hands on deck to assure her and her family that the boatload of money they’d shelled out to clear the ranch for three days would be well worth it. Jesse never greeted guests, only business associates and important vendors, so Sam figured he was taking this opportunity to quietly fawn over Helene in person. Helene had that effect on people.
She and her sister, Robyn, arrived ahead of the rest of the wedding party so they could have a quick chat with the wedding planner, Joan, then catch their breath before the festivities kicked off.
“So we’ll have one of our valets, Will, bring your things over to the Bluebird cabins and then we’re all set for the rehearsal at four. If you need absolutely anything you let us know,” Delfi said.
“Thank you again, you guys. I’m excited to be here. I’m so excited to be getting married here. I’m just excited,” Helene laughed.
“We’re excited for you,” Sam replied.
“Ignacio and his family should be here in about an hour and so will my parents. We’re gonna head to our room and then I’ll probably mosey back over and meet them.”
“Great,” Delfi said.
Just then the double doors to the lodge opened and Will ushered another guest inside. The whole group turned to see who was joining them.
“You’re here!” Helene squealed. She rushed across the lobby and pulled the slightly shorter, but much fuller woman into her arms.
Sam looked around Joan’s shoulder and had to squint to make sure he wasn’t seeing things. When Helene stepped back, gently taking the woman by the shoulders, he knew for sure he wasn’t crazy.
Cha-Cha was on the scene. She looked different from the night they’d met. No shiny sequin jumpsuit and rocking about 75 percent less makeup. She was wearing jeans, a T-shirt with some Sailor Moon fan art on it under a hooded cardigan, and a pair of ice-blue Chucks. Her long triangle-part box braids were pulled back in a ponytail, but she still looked as beautiful as Sam remembered, her full lips and her high cheekbones practically glowing. Sam was glad to have confirmation that he hadn’t been a fool trying to get with her. She was a ten.
“I’m so early,” she groaned, apologetically. “I thought there was going to be a lot of traffic and I didn’t want to be late.”
“Are you kidding? Never in the history of weddings will anyone complain about people showing up on time. This is cosmic balance for the fact that my cousins will definitely be late.” Helene looped her arm through Cha-Cha’s and brought her back over to the group. Sam didn’t miss the way her eyes flashed wide when she saw him. A second later though, the shock or maybe the horror that had registered at seeing him vanished. She fixed her face with a sweet, friendly smile and seemed to focus her attention on Zach.
“Everyone, this is my friend Amanda.” Helene went around and reintroduced everyone.
“Thank you so much for having us. You have such a beautiful place here,” Amanda said.
Zach replied, giving Amanda his usual brief run-down of the ranch, but Sam wasn’t listening. He was too busy focusing on how hard Amanda was trying not to focus on him. She looked over at Helene and then Delfi.
“I can just hang around here for a bit. I think I might be too early for my check-in,” she said, like she was terrified to impose or break the rules. This Amanda was different from the Cha-Cha he’d been with at the start of the week. The woman he’d met on the dance floor had been brash and assertive. Amanda seemed almost shy and reserved. Or maybe she was just going out of her way to be polite. Either way, Sam was even more intrigued and pleasantly surprised. He’d made up his mind to track her down. He never thought the universe would drop her right into his lap.
“Nonsense. We can get you set up right
now,” Sam heard himself say. He knew Delfi was silently punching him in her mind, but she was on the clock. She’d give him an earful about how he might be a Pleasant, but he didn’t work at the ranch and he didn’t run shit around these parts. She’d also probably try to get him in a headlock and threaten to tell Miss Leona if he overstepped again. All in good fun, of course. But for now, she smiled wider and did her best to set Amanda’s worries to the side.
“Absolutely. Amanda McQueen?” Of course Delfi had the whole guest list memorized; most of the staff would. It was just how they did things at Big Rock Ranch.
“That’s me.”
“Wonderful. You’ll be staying right here in the lodge. Come with me. We’ll have Laura here get you your key.” Delfi gently touched Amanda’s shoulder and guided her back to the desk where one of the newer guest clerks Sam didn’t know very well was waiting.
“Your friends are rolling in so I’m heading back to work, but it was great to meet you,” Jesse said to Helene.
“It was lovely to meet you finally.” He gave her his signature stoic nod before he peeled away and headed back to his office.
“I’m going to do the same. We’ll see you ladies in a little bit.” Zach said his goodbyes and then followed after their older brother. There was no reason for Sam to hang around, but he couldn’t get the message that it was time to go down to his feet. He watched Amanda as she smiled at Delfi and Laura behind the desk. He had to get her alone so they could talk.
“Everything okay?” Robyn asked. Sam snapped out of his trance. He’d definitely been staring.
“Um, yeah, all good. Helene, I’m gonna head back to the house, let you ladies do your girly things,” he teased. “But I’ll be there for the rehearsal.”
“Great. Thank you again. Your whole family—just, thank you.”
“Of course.” He shot her a wink and headed for the door. He couldn’t stop himself from tapping Amanda’s shoulder. She looked back at him, her throat working as she swallowed. “It was nice to meet you,” Sam said.
If the Boot Fits Page 4