He’d had every intention of leaving her alone like she’d asked. He wasn’t going to probe Helene for her number when she got back from her honeymoon. He wasn’t even going to ask how she was doing, but when he saw her in Delightly, upset as hell, something in him knew he couldn’t just let her walk away without at least checking on her. If she accepted his offer for a weekend on the ranch, he’d continue to keep his word and his distance, unless she changed her mind. He’d do the work of getting over whatever feelings he’d developed for her in the short time they’d known each other, but he realized as he and Majesty had taken their morning stroll that Walls had been onto something.
His breakup with Natalie had been what it was. A necessary end. They weren’t in the same place emotionally and it became pretty obvious to him that he didn’t want to get to that place with her. Still there may have been something to Walls’s suggestion that he’d been moping. Sulking even. Sam was unhappy and unfulfilled. And now it was clear to him love was the thing he was looking for. He’d never admit that out loud, not in those words, but it was the way he felt.
Maybe seeing Zach finally so happy with Evie and seeing just how in love Helene and Ignacio were had something to do with it. He’d been working so hard, he’d pushed his own emotions to the side so he could focus on the emotional needs of the characters he was playing, but clearly his heart was ready to take priority again. He was ready for a boo to call his own. It didn’t have to be Amanda McQueen. It couldn’t be. She didn’t fucking like him. But he had to start opening himself up soon. Maybe ask some people he trusted if they could set him up. He wanted a certain kind of happiness.
Sam dismounted as the barn came into view. He had a call after lunch, but for the most part he’d cleared his day. His brothers and Lilah were working, and Corie and his grandmother were busy helping Evie plan for her and Zach’s wedding. He could go back into the city, but after weeks and weeks of award show–related engagements, press, meetings, a wedding, and more press and meetings, he felt like he hadn’t had any time to rest at all. Maybe if Amanda didn’t come out he’d take advantage of the ranch’s amenities himself.
He took his time letting Majesty cool down before he watered her and removed her tack. He heard Zach’s voice as his brother came around the side of the barn.
“’Sup, man. Chris told me you were out here.”
“Taking an early break?” It was barely nine thirty.
“Yeah. Jesse just found out one of the vendors is owned by a casual white supremacist so we’re terminating the contract. It’s been—” Zach sighed before he took off his Stetson and scrubbed his hand over his face. “It’s been a fucking morning. I just wanted to come out here and commune with Steve and Bam Bam for a moment.” Sam smiled at the way Zach treated his and Evie’s horses like they were their children. He could relate as he gently ran his palm down Majesty’s side. “What’s going on with you? You have a good ride?”
“Ehhh,” Sam said, shrugging. “I think I’m ready to start dating again though.”
“Does this have anything to do with this VIP package I may or may not be comping this weekend? Miss Leona said you were making eyes at some pretty, curvaceous young thang all through Helene’s wedding.”
“Yes and no and yes. Amanda is the one I’ve invited this weekend and she was the one I was making eyes at at the wedding, but she told me she just wanted to be friends. Actually no, she just told me she didn’t want to date me.”
“So you’re letting that go by inviting her to Big Rock for an all-expenses-paid vacay. That’s not suspect at all.”
Sam laughed at the look of “what the fuck?” on his brother’s face. “No. I ran into her when she was having a shitty day and I just thought she should come down here and recharge. I might not even see her.”
“That’s bullshit, but if that’s what you’re selling to yourself.”
“Nah, man. It’s fine, we’re just friends.”
“When was the last time you invited a girl away for the weekend on Valentine’s Day and kept that shit friendly?”
“Valentine’s Day?” Sam said, a frown clouding his features. He had no idea what the date was.
“Yeah, pretend you didn’t know.”
“I didn’t.” Just then his phone vibrated in his pocket. He pulled it out and looked at the text from his cousin Lilah.
You got pap’d
Sam clicked the link and looked at the story US Weekly had run first thing that morning.
SAM PLEASANT, GOOD SAM—ARITAN.
Sam Pleasant retrieves phone for woman who dropped her cellular device outside Delightly in West Hollywood.
There he was in seven or so nearly identical pictures of him jogging after Amanda in front of Delightly. She was in the first and last frames, but you couldn’t see her face. That was a relief. He wasn’t sure of a lot of things, but he had a feeling Amanda McQueen had no interest in being featured in any celebrity anything.
“Hnng,” Sam grunted.
“What is it?” Zach asked.
“Paps found me. I figured they’d be on to me last week if they actually cared.”
“Bad or good?”
“Neutral. Anyway—” Just as he went to slip his phone back in his pocket it vibrated again. “Ooh, the phone is hot this morning.” A text from a 310 number lit up his screen. He could feel his blood pumping faster as he spied the words Hey, this is Amanda in the preview notification. His thumb flew up the screen so fast he was surprised it didn’t go spinning out of his hand. He swallowed, trying to ignore the anticipation that was suddenly heating up his face. So much for moving on.
Hey, it’s Amanda.
I hope it’s not too early to text you.
I’d like to come Big Rock Ranch if the invitation is still on the table.
Sam texted back before she could change her mind.
Never too early and the invitation
is definitely on the table.
She responded immediately.
Great. I’ll see you Friday night.
He looked up at his brother unable to hide the stupid grin that hit his face.
“The fuck you cheesin’ for?” Zach laughed.
“Amanda said yes. She’s gonna come out this weekend.”
“Wow. You got it bad for this girl, huh?”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
Chapter 10
“Give me the password one more time,” her mother said, yawning. Amanda switched her phone to the other ear and tucked it against her shoulder as she shoved nearly every pair of clean underwear she owned into her weekend bag. She’d texted her mom plenty. Her dad too, but thanks to the time difference and her schedule she hadn’t caught her parents on the phone in over two weeks. She was packing to flee the crime scene that had become her life, when her mom sent her a text asking for the password to the Hulu streaming account they shared. Amanda had no clue how she managed, but her mom seemed to log out every time she touched the remote.
“It’s just the house number, the landline with an exclamation point at the end. All together.” Amanda had set the password one day when she was feeling particularly lonesome. She’d settled on the first phone number and one of the few she still had committed to memory. Thinking of something she and her parents would both remember with ease made her homesick and a little nostalgic. And yet, her mom couldn’t remember it for shit. Amanda didn’t mind. She welcomed the excuse to be in touch with a part of the world that didn’t involve call times and scripts. Especially after the week she’d had, a week she refused to think about now that it was over. It was done. It had happened. She wasn’t going to stress herself out by reliving it.
“Okay, let me try that.” Her mom recited the password quietly to herself, then let out a little gasp of victory. “I’m in.”
“What are you going to watch?”
“This blacksmithing competition show.”
“Oh really?” Amanda laughed.
“One of the judges is rather dreamy
. I told your father and he got all upset. I told him I was going to get you to introduce me to him if he didn’t quit sulking.”
“Mom,” Amanda laughed. “Please leave your poor husband alone.”
“He’s mine. I can tease him all I want.”
“Relationship goals.”
“Damn straight. So you said you’re going out?”
“Um, yeah. A friend of mine has—well, his family has a ranch outside of the city and he invited me for the weekend.”
“Oh? A friend or a friend friend?” Her mom had given up on the dream of planning a wedding years ago, but anytime Amanda mentioned anyone of the opposite sex, her mom starting thinking of good times for them to meet at Kleinfeld’s.
“Just a friend, Mom.”
“You’re going to stay with a friend on Valentine’s Day weekend?”
Amanda froze. She knew in the back of her mind the next day was indeed Valentine’s Day. Dru had gone on and on about how she and Lacy planned to crash one of their mutual friends’ dates. Amanda had shoved that knowledge including the holiday itself to the back of her mind with a subtle roll of her eyes and gone back to setting an appointment to get Dru’s apartment cleaned. But now . . . now it still didn’t matter. They were just friends, and like Sam said, they didn’t actually have to spend any time together if she didn’t want to see him. Which she did, but not for Valentine’s purposes.
“When I actually get five minutes to date, you’ll be the first to know. This weekend is about friendship and relaxation. Nothing else. Where’s Dad?” she said, coolly changing the subject.
“He’s upstairs, in the room. Playing video games. Some old western thing with cowboys. He’s excited because there’s a part when you can pet the dog.”
“Oh good.”
“He stopped playing online. He didn’t like the language some of the young people were using.”
“Even better. Well, I need to get on the road and I know you want to watch some sexy blacksmiths.”
“Sure do, baby girl. Gotta pick out my second husband.”
“Do not tell Dad that.”
“I will tell him that. He’s gotten too comfortable,” she joked. If anyone loved the heck out of their wife, it was her dad.
“Mom!” Amanda replied with a sputtering laugh.
They said their love-yous and goodnights and Amanda fought another wave of homesickness and loneliness. She’d seen her parents at Christmas, but she’d only been home for four days. Four days out of the whole year. She knew it had been a mistake and that this year she should ask Dru for more time, a whole week off, but with her shooting schedule and other engagements—no. She refused. She was not going to think about Dru right now.
Right now she was going to grab her toothbrush and make sure she had her silk bonnet and then she was going to hop on the 10 and get the hell out of this town. And maybe in the spring when Andromeda wrapped she’d go home again for another visit. She missed her family. She pushed that unique sadness aside with a sigh and finished packing. She doubled-checked that she had her necessities, her phone, extra chargers, and the route to Big Rock Ranch already programmed into her phone.
She grabbed her keys and headed out to her car. Once she was behind the wheel, she loaded up her maps app, then started her favorite eighties pop and R&B playlist. More than two hours of music that would keep her awake and keep her mind off thinking of ways to poison Dru and make it look like an accident, as she drove east toward Charming.
* * *
The playlist didn’t work, not completely. She listened to her favorite Prince and Janet Jackson tracks over and over and that definitely helped lift her mood, but for some reason she couldn’t take her mind off Dru’s recent behavior. She knew Dru could be a good person deep down, but for some reason this asshole persona she seemed so committed to just wouldn’t let up. She knew she was under pressure and she knew she was still upset about not booking the TV movie project, but Dru needed to channel her emotions better. Maybe after a weekend away Amanda could reset her own feelings about this situation and gently nudge Dru toward greener, more positive pastures—after she found another vegan restaurant that served early breakfast.
Forty-five minutes away from the ranch, she glanced down at her phone and had an odd realization about where she was going and the much needed break she was giving herself. The break Sam had given her. A giddiness flooded through her, a giddiness that made no damn sense. And she suddenly struggled not to lean too hard on the gas. Traffic was moving smoothly. She would make it there with plenty of time to enjoy a bath and some room service before she went to sleep. There was no need to get pulled over for speeding. Still, she wanted to be in Charming now.
When she was twenty minutes away, Amanda grabbed her phone and sent Sam a voice memo so she could keep her eyes on the road.
“’Sup, Tex,” she said, trying to sound casual. “Just want to let you know I’m about twenty minutes away. Thanks again for setting this up. Maybe I’ll see you around sometime tomorrow.”
She hit send, then set her phone back in her cup holder. She was going to make the best of this weekend. She just had to figure out how to spend forty-eight hours at Big Rock Ranch while pretending she had no intention of spending any time with Sam. It wasn’t the point of this trip. She needed to rest. She needed to do therapeutic things like taking in the fresh air and petting a horse or two. Maybe she’d even ride a horse. Wouldn’t that be something. She was definitely going to sleep in and she wasn’t going to spend one minute thinking about if and how Dru was taking care of herself. She had to give herself permission to be off the clock, mentally and emotionally. She’d be back to work soon enough. This weekend was about Amanda and Amanda only.
She passed through the town center of Charming, crossing through the other side to the area populated with horse ranches and produce farms. Soon the ranch came into view, the lights from the main lodge creating a break in a dark expanse of the landscape. Amanda let out a deep breath as she slowed her car and pulled through the large gates, set with a massive B and R on either side. She’d been there just a week ago, but this time felt different. She knew exactly what the difference was, but she refused to acknowledge it.
She pulled to a stop in the curved driveway of the main lodge and reached for her phone and purse as two young guys, one Asian and one Latinx, approached the car.
The young Asian guy came around the side and opened the driver’s-side door for her. Amanda shivered as the cool night air washed over her while she pulled her phone off its charger and shoved it into her purse.
“Evening, Miss McQueen. Welcome to Big Rock Ranch. May I park your car for you?”
“Yes, thank you—Oh my God. I’m sorry. I don’t have cash.” She’d been in such a hurry, she’d forgotten to stop by the bank or hit up a CVS for some cash back. “Is there an ATM inside?” she asked as she stepped out of the car. She shrugged on her own coat.
“Don’t worry about it,” he said with a smile.
“Of course I will. I’ll make sure I get you guys.” Amanda knew they’d probably heard that line plenty of times from cheap guests, but she meant in. She noted the name MATTHEW embroidered into the breast of his jacket before she opened the back door and grabbed her weekend bag and her laptop backpack.
“Can I take your bags for you?” the other young guy with ELI embroidered on his jacket asked as she came around the front of the car.
“I got it, but thank you.”
“Sure. Front desk is right through here.” He shot Amanda a friendly wink as he opened the manual side of the entrance for her. As she stepped into the comfort of the rustic lobby, the momentary warmth she’d felt from her pleasant interaction with Matthew and Eli dropped to her knees. Sam Pleasant was standing there, leaning against the front desk. Amanda felt herself swallow as she took in the sight of him. How did a man look so good in jeans, a flannel shirt and wool lined canvas jacket? The cowboy hat dangling from his fingers didn’t help one bit and neither did the small dog
sniffing around at his feet.
He’d been working on a serious five o’clock shadow when she’d run into him earlier in the week. She’d been too upset to process it as something she should add to her Late Night Alone Time files, but now that five o’clock shadow was showing the beginnings of a very nice beard.
Amanda didn’t deserve this sort of torture. She had two seconds to figure out how she was going to handle it.
“Hey,” Sam said with a bright smile as Amanda crossed the recently polished stone floor.
“Hey. You didn’t have to meet me here,” she replied, her voice sounding less than calm and cool.
“Of course I did. You’re my guest.” He stepped closer so they were only a few feet apart, but Amanda could tell he was stopping himself from moving any closer, or even hugging her. She’d drawn her boundaries and he was respecting them, but why did she suddenly regret drawing those lines in the sand? “Good to see you.”
“Same,” Amanda said, and smiled back at him before she turned to the young Black man behind the desk. His name tag said TANNER. “Hi.”
“Welcome to Big Rock Ranch, Miss McQueen. We have suite twenty-four all ready for you.”
“Oh no, Sam. I don’t need a suite—”
“It’s fine,” he replied, waving her off.
“We had a last-minute cancellation,” Tanner added.
“The Hummingbird cabin popped up, but I figured you didn’t want to be out there alone so you’re in the suite. You just spread out in that huge bed.”
“I guess it won’t be all bad,” Amanda admitted as she took the keycard from Tanner’s outstretched hand.
“You want me to walk down there with you?”
“Ah, sure.”
“Tanner, I’m gonna leave Poppy here a minute,” he said as he nodded to the small sandy brown dog with a black muzzle sniffing at her sneakers.
If the Boot Fits Page 10