Chapter 13
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Obi-Wan grinned at Zita. She was adorable. Everything excited her. Everything seemed new and fun. Her enthusiasm was contagious, and he found he was enjoying himself immensely as they walked around Fallport’s main square.
When she’d seen his motel room—almost an exact replica of hers, minus the homemade quilts on the beds—he didn’t miss her satisfaction that he wouldn’t be sleeping in lesser accommodations. It had been a long time since anyone had fussed over him like she did. It felt nice.
They had about an hour to walk around and check out the small town, which Obi-Wan thought wasn’t going to be nearly enough time for Zita.
They started in the northeast corner at a bar called On the Rocks.
It wasn’t too busy, since it was still early, but it was almost as clean as the motel rooms. There was one waitress, who didn’t hesitate to greet them as they walked in, and one bartender behind the bar.
The walls were covered in newspaper and magazine articles about Bigfoot and about the paranormal show that was filmed in town.
It had a homey feel, and Obi-Wan was looking forward to having a beer or two in the place after filming wrapped.
Next up on their tour was The Sweet Tooth.
The moment they walked in, his stomach growled.
It smelled like pastries and fresh bread.
He was a sucker for bread right out of the oven.
If someone created a room spray of baking bread, they’d make a killing.
Zita bought a cinnamon roll as big as her head and two blueberry muffins.
She also talked Obi-Wan into getting a huge slab of jalapeno cheddar sourdough bread.
They each picked up a cup of coffee at Grinders and sipped as they browsed through Fall for Books, a used bookstore on the corner of the square. And Zita couldn’t resist getting a shirt at their next stop, Grogan’s General Store, that said ‘Fallport: Home of Bigfoot.’
Their tour continued by saying hello to two older gentlemen who were sitting outside the post office, playing chess; peeking into a place called The Cellar; and passing the library and health care clinic.
When they walked by Sunny Side Up, the smells coming from within once more made both their mouths’ water, even though they’d already indulged in baked goods from Sweet Tooth.
Last on their trip around the square was Knock ’Em Down, a bowling alley.
With ten minutes to spare before they had to head to the high school, Zita suggested they sit inside the gazebo in the middle of the grassy square, which Obi-Wan had no problem agreeing to.
Fallport was a cute town and well kept. There was no trash that Obi-Wan had seen, and the sidewalks were maintained and not cracked or broken.
He could see why the town was so popular with tourists.
The lure of Bigfoot might’ve brought people here in the first place, but they probably kept coming back because of the friendliness of its residents and the charm of the place.
“I thought this place would be cute, but it’s surpassed my expectations,” Zita said happily.
Obi-Wan couldn’t keep his gaze off the woman next to him. He could spend all day with her and still want to learn more…which was exactly what was happening.
“I wonder if we’ll get to meet any of the original group of Eagle Point Search and Rescue guys.
They’re pretty famous, you know,” Zita said.
“I read online that most of them were in some branch of the military or another. You’d probably have a lot in common with them, even though they’re all older than you.
“Oh, and there was also a story I read about a guy who was homeless for a long time here. The citizens built him a tiny home behind one of the businesses in the square. Then he went to Washington, DC, and eventually got a job working at the White House in the kitchen as a baker! He’s now married with two kids and comes back here to Fallport every summer for their pickle festival.
He also sponsors a scholarship for one high school senior every year and donates money to the food bank.
And the food bank is run by the police chief’s wife. It’s all just so…cool!”
What was cool was the interest Zita paid to the town and its inhabitants. “Do you always research a place you’ll be working in so thoroughly?” Obi-Wan asked.
“Well, no. But often enough. I mean, you already know I research job markets in different film locations. Fallport’s special though.
There was even a brochure in my motel back in Norfolk about the Bigfoot museum that opened here.
And I did want to look into the medical facilities, just in case.
Sometimes when I’m on set, especially in or near small towns, I need to communicate with the doctors and nurses and want to know what kind of experience they have and how big the trauma centers and hospitals are—if there are any at all.
Besides, don’t you do the same thing? Research the areas you’ll be flying into? ”
Of course he did. He was being kind of an ass, assuming she didn’t do any research for her job, when he and his fellow Night Stalkers spent hours, days, or weeks doing the exact same thing. “You’re right. It was stupid of me to assume you didn’t do any research.”
She leaned sideways and knocked against his arm and shoulder teasingly. “I do research, but I admit that I went a little overboard with Fallport. I had a week of downtime before we came out here. What else was I supposed to do?”
“True.”
“We can come back, right? I mean, if we have time? I want to eat at the diner and have a drink at On the Rocks. And of course, get coffee in the mornings from Grinders.”
“Of course. Besides, Edna said the motel doesn’t have breakfast. So I think everyone staying there will be descending on the diner in the mornings before we head out to the set.”
“We’ll have to be sure to get here early to beat the rush,” Zita said.
Which wouldn’t be a problem for Obi-Wan, as he was a morning person. Kind of had to be in his line of work.
Zita looked at her watch and sighed. “We probably should go find the high school.”
Obi-Wan nodded and stood, holding out his hand. Zita grabbed it, and instead of letting her go once she was standing, he curled his fingers tighter around hers as they headed for the parking lot, where he’d left his Jeep.
To his delight, she didn’t pull her hand out of his grip. And when Obi-Wan glanced at her, he saw Zita was smiling.
The schedule they’d been emailed said after the meeting at the gym, food would be served buffet style, catered in for the cast and crew.
Obi-Wan would’ve preferred to have Zita to himself, but tonight was the official start of her renewed duties.
She’d be “on” anytime the film crew was together.
It was going to make for some long days, and possibly nights, when they were filming some of the scenes that took place after dark.
Making a mental note to make sure she stayed hydrated and ate enough, Obi-Wan tightened his fingers around hers.
This next week would be intense, but he was looking forward to continuing to share his military knowledge to make the movie more authentic, as well as spending as much time as was feasible with this woman who’d taken over his thoughts.
The meeting with the crew who’d be working in the forest was informative, and it made Obi-Wan even more excited to get to the set and see Logan Striker in action once again.
The man was a very talented actor, and Obi-Wan had no doubt he could bring the role of the downed pilot to life in a way not a lot of other actors could.
It was late by the time they got back to the motel, and as much as Obi-Wan wanted to invite Zita to his room, mostly because he wasn’t ready to say good night to her, he refrained. She needed her sleep, as tomorrow would be a long filming day.
Grubbner had laid out the schedule, and the next three days each would be about twelve hours of filming, give or take, depending on how the scenes went.
Day four, the choppers would be brought in, and that was Obi-Wan’s big day.
He’d already approved the choppers and the uniforms, but he wanted to make sure the pilots chosen weren’t amateurs, that they really knew what they were doing.
The only not-so-great part of the meeting tonight was Silas Graves.
He’d stood in the back of the room and pretty much glared at everyone.
He was Logan’s replacement bodyguard for the rest of the shoot, but he didn’t act much like a bodyguard.
Instead of being alert and monitoring the room and entrances for anyone who might be a danger to the famous actor…
Obi-Wan could’ve sworn most of his attention was on Zita. Which was very odd and concerning.
But Zita being Zita, she’d brushed it off, saying the man had no reason to focus on her, especially since Carmen wasn’t there.
Everyone knew Silas had developed a crush on the actress, and gossip maintained the two had slept together right up until the day she’d left town.
But since she was back in California, Zita was convinced Silas’s interest in her would wane.
She was almost never around Logan, so his bodyguard had no reason to be worried about her any more than he was worried about anyone else.
Obi-Wan wasn’t so sure. He’d seen the same kind of intense concentration many times before. In those determined to do US soldiers harm overseas. They’d study the movements and routines of soldiers to determine when and where to strike, either with roadside bombs or a coordinated attack.
Not that he thought Silas was going to put an IED in Zita’s path…
but since he wasn’t sure what the man was planning, Obi-Wan vowed to be vigilant at all times.
To protect Zita from anything the man might do to hurt her.
Just because Carmen wasn’t around, didn’t mean Silas wasn’t still loyal to the woman.