Chapter 33
Ryan Slade pushed out of Bloom and stormed across the patch of green.
He still couldn’t believe it. A movie. In this town. Where’d there been a steady stream of crimes and murders, all in less than a year.
What the hell was Ferris thinking?
Actually, Ryan knew what he was thinking. That while the town, while he, cashed in on the tourism and media attention, Ryan and his team would do the work that law enforcement was supposed to be doing. That they’d keep the town safe.
An elderly couple smiled at him as he passed the gazebo.
His phone vibrated, and he knew without looking that it was one of the guys. He pulled out his cell.
Connor: You okay?
No. He wasn’t. On so many levels.
Was it her? Was Emi replacing the lead actress? It was exactly the kind of role she usually went for.
His heart raced at the prospect of seeing her again. He’d hurt her. Ended their relationship without giving her any say in the matter.
She probably hated him. He hated himself. And if she got this role, she’d be here, in this town, likely with that dipshit boyfriend he saw her with all over the media.
Ryan had never met the guy. But he was the lead actor in this movie.
He stormed up the steps of the town hall.
He was about to step in when another text came through, this time from his sister.
Nora: Hypothetically, how long is Chinese takeout good before it becomes a haven for bacteria?
He wasn’t in the mood for jokes, but for Nora, he’d always make himself available.
Ryan: How hypothetical are we talking?
Nora: Five days, four nights, and thirty-seven minutes in the fridge.
Ryan: Trash it.
Nora: It smells fine.
Ryan: Smell isn’t a safety guarantee, Indiana Jones.
Nora: It’s noodles, not rice. And microwaves kill everything.
Ryan: Did you text me because you wanted to know if it was safe to eat, or so I could convince you that food poisoning wouldn’t be that bad?
Nora: Fine. But now I’m sad. I hate wasting food.
Ryan: The bigger waste would be a perfectly healthy stomach.
Nora: Yeah, yeah. Throwing it away.
He shook his head.
Nora was the only family he had. At least, the only family he kept in contact with. Exactly why they spoke so often. Why he’d tried to convince her to move here. So far, he’d had no luck, but maybe one day she would.
He shoved his cell into his pocket.
The hinges of the door groaned as he pushed inside the building, the strong scent of cleaning disinfectant hanging in the air.
He knew exactly where Ferris’s office was because he’d been here more times than he could count. He also knew Ferris would be here on a Sunday because the man never stopped working. Usually, he and the town mayor saw eye to eye. Hell, Ferris was good at listening and usually made smart decisions.
Not this time.
He stormed down the hall, one of the ceiling lights flickering.
One knock and he walked straight into the mayor’s office, not waiting for a welcome.
Ferris’s brows rose as he looked up at Ryan, phone to his ear as he sat at his desk. “Mandy, I’m sorry, I’m going to have to call you back.”
Ryan crossed the room and placed his palms on the desk. Or really, slammed them. The second the phone was down, he growled, “You need to cancel this movie shit.”
Ferris sighed. “Ryan, we’ve been through this.”
“And you didn’t listen.”
“I did. I heard everything you said. You’re not hearing me. The deal is done.”
“Undo it.”
“I can’t.” Ferris leaned back. “This is going to bring great press and money to our town—”
“Fuck that.”
“Ryan—”
“No. My team and I have been working our asses off! We’ve been doing our jobs and Ward’s. You bring a movie production to this town, you’ll stretch us too thin.”
The mayor rose. “Ryan. You guys are former SEALs. You’ve handled a hell of a lot worse than what’s been thrown at you here in Deep River. And we both know you make really good money—that money is specifically to compensate for the extra work you do.”
“So that’s it? You’re just moving ahead with this bullshit against our better judgment?”
“No one else on your team has expressed any concerns, so we’re moving ahead against your judgment.”
“I’m the team leader. I speak on behalf of my team.”
“It’s already done, son. Contracts have been signed. Cast and crew arrive in two weeks.”
Ryan’s fingers curled around the edge of the desk. He couldn’t stop this. No matter how loud or angry he made his voice, Ferris was going ahead with it.
He straightened and turned. Out. He needed to get out of here before he did something he’d regret, like break that damn desk between him and the mayor.
“Come on, Ryan, don’t be mad,” Ferris called.
Ryan ignored him, storming out of the office and down the hall.
He wasn’t mad. Mad was when he’d stubbed his toe on the doorframe of his bedroom this morning. It was learning his food was going to be late, or he’d let his coffee go cold.
This, right now, went far beyond that.
Blood rushed through his veins as he drove home.
Inside, he knew he was overreacting. They’d come. The movie would be filmed. Everyone would leave. Yes, there’d be more work for him and the guys to do, but Ferris was right—they could handle it.
So why was he so fucking mad?
Because it would all remind him of Emily. Of the world she lived in. The life she was living without him.
His fingers tightened on the wheel.
He didn’t watch much TV. But if she was in it, he couldn’t fucking stop himself. He watched any and all of her movies, like she was a drug and he was an addict. He could recite so much of her dialogue by heart. He wasn’t sure what that said about him, but it was nothing good.
No one else knew that. Not the guys on his team. Not Nora. It was like his dirty fucking secret.
For a single second, Emi flashed in his mind. Her beautiful hazel eyes. That wide smile that had the power to light up an entire room.
It hurt. Every time he saw her, thought of her, it hurt so damn much it felt like a fist reaching into his chest and pulling his heart apart.
But it also felt good. Like he was remembering the best days of his life. The time his heart had been full and intact. When everything and everyone he loved was within arm’s reach.
He frowned when he pulled into his driveway to see Zac sitting on his porch.
“I’m fine,” Ryan said, as he climbed out and moved to the door.
Zac stood slowly, eyes wary. “Are you?”
“Yeah. I’m pissed because I just had the most unproductive conversation of my life with Ferris, but I’m fine.” He unlocked his front door and walked into his house. The interior wasn’t his taste. There was floral wallpaper in the hall and peach-colored tile in the kitchen.
He’d get rid of it all…eventually.
He stopped in the kitchen and pulled out two beers before handing one to Zac.
Ryan frowned at his friend. “Why are you looking at me like that?”
“You haven’t seen it yet, have you?”
“Seen what?”
Before Zac could respond, a text came through.
Nora: Oh shit.
Jesus, Nora.
Ryan: You didn’t eat the damn Chinese, did you?
Instead of a text, she sent a link to an article. He clicked into it.
Emily Prior to film upcoming book adaptation, Winter Waters.
Air froze in his lungs, a roar of blood rushing between his ears.
He looked up at Zac.
His friend nodded. “Emi’s coming to Deep River.”
Order book four, Ryan and Emily’s story, Secrets in the Deep, now!