18. Take Two
18
TAKE TWO
Mara
“My chicken!” Ford dashed toward the kitchen.
I followed. As I entered the room, I spotted smoke seeping out from under the lid of a skillet. Ford turned off the burner, grabbed the pan, and then dropped it into the sink with a loud clatter. A hiss of steam erupted as the hot metal came into contact with some water.
“I can’t believe I forgot to turn down the burner,” he said, shaking his head.
“That would do it,” I said, glancing around in the enormous kitchen with its granite countertops, caramel-colored cabinets, and white mosaic tile backsplash. That walk-in pantry was bigger than my entire bathroom. “But who cares about perfection when you get to cook in this gorgeous kitchen?”
He sent me a sanguine look, then removed the lid to assess the damage. A dark puff of smoke emerged, and he quickly replaced it. “Dinner’s ruined. Rookie mistake. I had some furniture delivered today, and I wanted to get everything ready before you got here.” He inhaled deeply, and as he exhaled, he visibly calmed down. “Live and learn. Can you recommend a good place that delivers?”
His composure surprised me. Doug would have flipped out, and the night would have been ruined. But Ford had transitioned from being upset to finding a solution within seconds. It showed resilience, and I liked that. “Even though it didn’t work out, thanks for cooking dinner. It means a lot to me.”
He shrugged. “Thanks. It’s more fun to cook when I know I’m not the only one who will eat it. Where should we order from?”
“That depends. What are you in the mood for?”
“I’m easygoing.” He rubbed his stomach as though he was starving. “Something quick?”
“Chinese,” I said immediately. “The local restaurant is great and the food’s usually ready within twenty minutes.”
“Sounds good to me,” he said, flashing a grin.
I felt relieved that he wasn’t upset about ruining dinner. “I’ll call them,” I said, pulling out my phone.
As I dialed, Ford came over to stand next to me, and I caught a whiff of his cologne. It was spicy and masculine, and I liked it. He met my gaze and grinned again. “What would I do without you, Mara?” he asked, making my name sound like a caress.
My heart started beating like one of those anime characters where you can see the heart-shaped emoji thumping outside of her chest. I felt a blush creep up my cheeks. “You’d be eating burnt chicken alone.”
While I ordered, Ford carried the pan outside and dumped the ruined food in the trash. The charred scent still lingered, making me appreciate his efforts all the more. Even if it hadn’t been a success, he’d doubled his charisma points with that move.
“Come here,” he said, taking my hand. He looked at me like he wanted to devour me instead of dinner. “You look amazing.”
My pulse quickened at the intensity of his stare. “Thank you,” I said, trying to ignore the flutter in my stomach.
He led me out of the kitchen and into a spacious family room. “Here’s my new furniture,” he announced. “I got distracted unwrapping it, which is why I ended up burning dinner.”
The room was sparsely furnished, but the few pieces he had were stunning. I couldn’t take my eyes off the gorgeous painting on the wall. The sunset depicted in the landscape was so vivid, it looked like you could step into it.
“Wow, where on Earth was there a sunset like that?” I asked, admiring the painting.
He chuckled. “It’s a little place called imagination.”
I grinned at him. “Well, it’s beautiful.”
He gestured to the other painting on the wall. “And that one?”
I studied the whimsical image of a woman’s profile. The colors were rich and vibrant, and the objects floating inside her head were intriguing. “It’s amazing. I love how it conveys her thoughts.”
“I’m glad you like it. It’s one of my favorites. Should I open some wine?” he asked, his gaze lingering on me.
“Sure,” I said, trying to ignore the way my heart was racing.
I grabbed the bottle of wine I’d brought from the table in the foyer and handed it to him. “Beware of geeks bearing gifts.”
He laughed. “Your mom guilted you into bringing it, didn’t she?”
I rolled my eyes. “Yeah, but it’s good wine.”
He grinned. “You’re the cutest geek I know. I’m a geek too when it comes to movies.” He quickly opened the bottle and poured it. “Sorry again about dinner. Let’s toast to lessons learned.” Handing me a glass, he continued, “My dad always had us toast our mistakes. He liked to celebrate them because they proved we were trying something new and taking chances.”
As I tightened my grip on my glass, tension rippled through my body. Had he immediately bounced back after burning the chicken because he wasn’t risk-averse? For him, it was a learning experience.
I needed to do the same with the news of the Stel-Wood sale—learn from it and move on. I made my decision a year ago, and I knew what I was giving up. Would I have made the same decision if I knew where I’d be now?
A resounding “yes” came from deep within me. I’d do anything to keep Chance’s legacy alive. Even give up a million dollars. It was a small price to pay. I couldn’t forget this when I started doubting myself. “Your attitude is great. My dad is terrified of mistakes. Then again, in his line of work, they’re deadly. He’s a heart surgeon.”
“A demanding job that requires a lot of hours perfecting skills. But in the movie business, mistakes can lead to something spontaneous and creative. Great actors can do amazing things.”
“What about with action scenes and stunts?”
Ford frowned. “No, not there. I’m more like your dad in that respect. I like having everything planned out to avoid accidents.”
“I used to plan out every detail of my life,” I said, my thoughts turning inward. “But after Chance died, it seemed pointless. Why bother when everything can get derailed in an instant? All my brother’s plans turned to ash when he died. That was part of the reason I left Stel-Wood and went all-in with Ghost of a Chance. I needed to make sure his dreams became a reality. I chucked it all and decided to take each day as it came.”
Ford gestured for us to sit on the couch. “I understand that. It’s hard to make long-term plans when life can be so unpredictable.”
I sank into the leather upholstery and nodded, feeling understood. “I’m glad I moved here, but sometimes I wonder if I went overboard with that whole ‘seize the moment’ mentality. I mean, there’s no reason for me to simply react to life, right? It’s possible for me to take charge of my future again. Plans can get derailed, obviously, but that’s no reason not to try.”
Ford sat down next to me, and our thighs barely touched. I shifted slightly, inching closer to him.
“It sounds like you’re trying to find a balance,” Ford said, his attention focused intently on me.
“Your dad and mine sound like polar opposites.” I glanced up at that painting of the woman in profile again, with all those thoughts pinging around in her head. The way my thoughts were racing, I could certainly identify with her. “Mine always expected perfection. It was a lot of pressure growing up. Still is.”
“I bet,” Ford said, nodding sympathetically. “It had to make it hard to try new things. You have to be bad at something before you can become great at it.”
“Exactly,” I said, relieved that he understood. “He always wanted us kids to be perfect. It was exhausting. Mom was good at redirecting him when he got obsessed, but we had to learn how to stand up to him. We’ve all learned how to fight our own battles with him. Chance and I always had each other’s backs, though. I really miss him.”
Ford took a sip of his wine, considering me for a moment. “It takes a lot of strength to stand up to someone like that,” he said. “You should be proud of yourself.”
Little did he know how intensely my self-doubt chipped away at me. “Thanks. I’m glad I have you fooled. Half the time I feel like an imposter, trying to convince the world that I’m good enough. I try, but it hasn’t been easy. I’m proud of my two outright rebellions, though. One was getting a software degree instead of going into the medical field like Dad wanted, and the other was opening Ghost of a Chance. I went head-to-head with him both times. He didn’t make it easy.”
“I’m serious,” Ford said, his gaze steady. “It takes courage to go against someone’s expectations, especially when they’re as high as your father’s are. But it sounds like you’ve found your own path, and that’s something to be proud of.”
“Maybe that’s why I gravitated toward computers,” I said, swirling the wine in my glass. “Even ugly code works. From the outside, most people can’t tell the difference between code that’s beautifully crafted and code that’s shoddy. Both will still perform the same task. Only another expert would be able to spot the differences. That made it a lot easier for me to learn how to become a software developer without my dad telling me I was doing everything wrong.”
Ford gave a wry smile. “I guess software code and people have a lot in common when it comes to the whole inner beauty thing. It’s like you said, people may look perfect on the outside, but you never know what’s going on inside. I’ve met so many people who look great on the outside but are a mess inside. It’s kind of like ugly code that seems to work fine until you dig a little deeper.”
I nodded in agreement. “Exactly. And sometimes people are just like that—a mess on the inside, but they put on a good front. It’s hard to know who’s genuine and who’s not.”
Ford looked into my eyes. “But I think you’re different. There’s nothing ugly about you. You have a beautiful soul. I’m sure anything you create is beautiful both inside and out, just like you.”
I felt my cheeks warm as I slid my hand across my chest, over my heart. Ford saw me, really saw me, and I found it both novel and exhilarating.”Thank you. That’s really sweet of you to say.” I took a deep breath and then changed the subject. “Speaking of creating beautiful things, how’s your week been? Any progress on the movie front?”
His eyes drifted to my mouth, and then he glanced away. “I’m probably going to turn down McCormick’s Superman movie. I haven’t told him yet, but I’ve started searching for a different project.”
“I guess that means McCormick won’t budge on changing the script. Is it killing you to pass up the chance to make a big-budget movie?” I asked.
“Yes, and no. I’m getting a bad feeling about the project, and I’ve learned to trust my gut. Even if I don’t do McCormick’s movie, I’m sticking with superheroes.”
A wave of satisfaction washed over me, and I couldn’t help smiling. “I’m glad to hear you weren’t just using a line to get me to have coffee with you.” I teased.“How do you go about finding a script?”
“My assistant Wendy is a genius at finding ones I like. She’s having trouble sifting through the screenplays, though. She doesn’t know the superhero genre well.”
His answer still left me confused. “I guess I don’t understand how the whole screenplay thing works. I know books get turned into films all the time, so why not make a movie based on one of the graphic novels I sold you? One of the ones you liked?”
He stilled for a moment and then smacked himself on the forehead with the flat of his palm. “I can’t believe I didn’t think of that myself. I bought one at your store that I couldn’t put down. It had a great plot, great characters...” He trailed off as he became lost in thought.
A moment later, he pulled his phone from his pocket. “I need to text Wendy and have her look for a screenplay for Ghost .”
I stopped breathing. Every muscle in my body froze. Had he just said what I thought he’d said?
Ford’s thumbs flew over his phone screen, and then he grinned at me. “Done. Wendy will work her magic. If a screenplay doesn’t exist, she’ll find the author’s agent to acquire the rights so I can hire a screenwriter to develop it.”
With a satisfied sigh, Ford grabbed a small remote off the coffee table and pointed it toward the painting above the fireplace.
A motor whirred as the bottom edge of the painting started moving forward and the entire thing cantilevered up to reveal a television.
Ford managed to temporarily derail my freakout with that display of Star Trek-style technology.
I blinked rapidly as I thought about Ford’s new plan. My mind was racing with thoughts and emotions, and I struggled to find the right words to express myself.
I should tell him, shouldn’t I? Of course, I should. This was something he needed to know.
Right now.
“Ford,” I said, touching him lightly on his forearm as he scrolled through what looked like an on-screen digital film library.
He turned to me, giving me all his attention.
“There’s something I need to tell you.” I ran a hand nervously through my hair.
He picked up on my tension and set aside the remote. “What’s up?”
“That comic. Ghost ?” I bit my lower lip.
He watched me as I took a long breath.
“That’s the one my twin brother wrote.” My voice caught in my throat as I spoke, and I felt a lump form there. “It was his passion project.”
He just stared at me for a moment, his face slack, then his eyes widened in astonishment. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”
“It’s the genesis of the name of our store. Ghost of a Chance.”
He took my hand in his and squeezed it, stunned. “This is unbelievable. Your brother wrote that?”
“Wrote it, lettered it, penciled it, inked it. Every detail,” I said, my eyes brimming with tears of joy as I recounted my brother’s creative process. Ford’s eyes widened in amazement. “I only helped when he needed to bounce ideas off me.”
Ford grinned in a cute, enthusiastic way. “That means you’re the expert on all things Ghost related. That’s fantastic.”
I pulled my hand from Ford’s grasp and brushed the tears from my cheeks. “There’s no screenplay. I’m pretty sure no one ever bought the film rights, either. Chance was a creative genius, but when it came to selling his work—not so much.”
“That’s no problem. In fact, it’s even better. I know some great screenwriters. Did your brother have an agent representing him?” Ford leaned forward eagerly, his eyes shining with excitement.
I blinked a few times. This was all moving so fast. “Amy Tate. He designated me as his literary trustee, so I’ve been working with her. She handles all his foreign rights.” I shook my head in disbelief. “This is huge. Holy freakout, Ford.”
He watched me with a mixture of amusement and affection, taking in my deer-in-the-headlights expression.“Do you want me to explain how this works, or would you rather have his agent handle everything?”
I blinked at him, trying to process everything. The room felt like it was spinning. “Could you give me an overview?” I said, my voice trembling with exhilaration.
He shifted to face me, excitement vibrating off him. “Sure thing. So first, we’ll need to secure the film rights from your brother’s estate. I’ll contact his agent, and she’ll work with you on crafting a deal. Then, we can hire a screenwriter to develop the script. From there, we’ll find investors and get to work on casting, production, and all the fun stuff that goes into making a movie. That means my first step is to have Wendy contact Amy Tate.”
I took a deep breath, my head reeling with possibilities. “Wow. I can’t believe this is happening.”
Ford reached out and took my hand again, his grip warm and reassuring. “Believe it, Gorgeous. This is going to be amazing. We can dive into the details after I find out about the rights,” he continued. “There’s always a chance someone has already optioned it, which complicates things.”
I tried to contain my excitement, clasping my hands together. “This is incredible. Just knowing you want to turn Ghost into a movie is—“ I paused, searching for the right word, “mind-blowing. I always believed that Ghost was something special. Dad never saw it, but if you make it into a movie, it will prove that Chance had talent others recognized.”
Tears started to flow down my face, and I couldn’t help but embrace Ford. “Thank you so much,” I said, my voice cracking.
Ford hugged me back, but his forehead creased with concern when he pulled away. “Don’t tell anyone yet. I don’t want news that I’m interested in the film to leak. It could complicate things if I have to buy the film rights from someone else.”
I nodded, trying to keep my composure. “Can I tell my parents?”
He hesitated. “They’ll need to keep it a secret too.”
“Absolutely,” I replied, taking a deep breath to steady myself. “This is the best news I’ve had all year. This could change everything.”
He took my hand, his fingers interlacing with mine and cupping it with his other hand. “This is only the first step. Thousands of books get optioned every year and never get made into movies. If Chance sold his film rights and the owner won’t budge, my plans could grind to a halt.”
My heart gave a wary thump. “Reality check,” I said with a laugh. “I can be a wee bit obsessive when it comes to counting my chickens... and by a wee bit, I mean completely. Let’s change the subject. This is supposed to be a date. You said you wanted us to watch something, right?”
“Are you sure? I promised my brother Sean I’d check out some stunt work.”
“Your plans need to ferment in my brain. I could use a distraction.” I frowned at the title of the movie he highlighted on the screen. “I just saw that in the theater with Courtney last month. Is it already out on video?”
He relaxed back on the sofa. “This is an advance copy.” The film started, and text appeared at the bottom of the screen. “‘For your consideration,’” I read aloud as I shifted closer to him.
“It’s for the academy awards. I get advance copies of films so I can vote on them.”
“Lucky you,” I said.
He held my hand as he fast-forwarded through the movie. “My youngest brother Sean is in this one, and he’s been harassing me because I haven’t seen it yet. He’s a stuntman. Has been for a few years now, but for this film, he was also the stunt coordinator.”
“I knew about Max and Hailey, but I didn’t know you had another brother.”
“That’s it. Hailey, Max, and Sean. What about you? Any other siblings you haven’t mentioned?
“I have an older brother Grayson who’s a professor at Pitt, and younger twin sisters, Rachael does musical theater in New York City, and Aubrey is with a ballet company in Texas.”
He arched his eyebrows. “Two sets of twins? Impressive. Do they visit often?”
“Sometimes, but never over holidays because of performances.”
“It’s hard when work keeps you apart like that. I was filming in the Philippines when Dad had his heart attack. He was home from the hospital by the time I was able to get here. It was a brutal trip. Thirty-three hours and four connections.”
“Ugh, that sounds awful. But just think, if they filmed movies in Pittsburgh, you could have been home in time for dinner.” I batted my eyelashes at him, trying to hide my grin.
He chuckled. “You know, Pittsburgh actually gets plenty of screen time. You just haven’t been paying attention.”
“Oh, really? Pittsburgh hardly seems like a movie Mecca.” I raised an eyebrow skeptically.
“Really.” He leaned in closer, his lips almost brushing against my ear. “You make me see my world from a new perspective, and I like it.”
I felt my cheeks flush as I pulled away to look at him. “Happy to help.”
“Stories can take you anywhere,” he said, enthusiasm deepening his voice. “From the icy wilderness of Iceland to the romance of Paris, and even the scorching sands of the Sahara Desert. And don’t forget about science fiction and fantasy, where the possibilities are endless. Time periods are no limit either. The historic architecture of Pittsburgh makes it the perfect setting for films set in the 1800s and 1900s, surrounded by towns straight out of the groovy 60s and 70s. And then there’s charming little Sewickley.”
“Sewickley? It’s hard to imagine a movie being made here.”
“You’d be surprised. Sewickley has actually been featured in quite a few films.”
I arched an eyebrow skeptically. “Name one.”
He grinned, undeterred.“Houseguest.”
I wracked my brain. “Houseguest? Wasn’t that a movie from the 90s with Sinbad?”
“Yep. It may be a bit of a throwback, but Sewickley played a prominent role in that one.”
“Seriously?” I was intrigued. “I might have to check that out, see if I recognize any local spots. Anything more recent?”
“Definitely. Loads of movies have been filmed both in and around Sewickley. Happiest Season, Foxcatcher, One for the Money, Love the Coopers, Mindhunter, The Chair, and even a Hallmark movie whose name escapes me at the moment. Plus, August Wilson is a native Pittsburgher, and Denzel Washington is filming his stories here, too.”
“I loved The Chair—I had a feeling some of the scenes were filmed in Pittsburgh.” I paused. “You know, Chance set his Ghost comics here.”
“It’s one of the many things I liked about it.” He shifted to face me. “Speaking of which, how about a movie tour of Pittsburgh? I’ll show you all the sights this Sunday.”
A delighted smile spread across my face. “You’ll be my own personal tour guide?”
“You got it. And dinner’s on me,” he added with a wink.
My heart skipped a beat at the prospect of a second date with Ford. “I’d love that.”
Brain explosion. I was dating a movie director.
His gaze fixed on my lips and he leaned closer.
Closer.
My grin evaporated, and my smile softened as I tilted my head into the kiss.
His lips were soft against mine. Gentle. Just the hint of a kiss. Lips grazing against lips. A kiss that was more like a tease.
A temptation.
A seduction.
A shudder of awareness washed through me as I closed my eyes and focused on my senses. His gentle touch. The scent of new leather mingling with his cologne. The heat between us.
I gave in to my simmering passion.
Ford’s kiss was amazing. Erotic. Consuming. Instead of deepening the kiss, I let myself enjoy his uniquely tender touch. His whisper of a kiss. I trembled, releasing my breath in a soft sigh. I never imagined that the light graze of someone’s lips on mine could affect me so profoundly.
Was I reacting this way because I was with Ford? Because I wanted him so much?
Just when I didn’t think I could bear the delicious torment of his tantalizing, ghostly lips on mine an instant longer, the doorbell rang, shattering the moment.
Ford broke away, and my entire body tried to cling to that sensation as I leaned forward and my lips followed him, but he continued backing away.
My eyes flew open, and I scowled at the front door. Damned, prompt, delivery driver!
Ford stood and let out a slow breath. “I hope I didn’t rush it with that kiss. I want to take things slowly. I know you have your doubts about me, and with the movie, you need to be sure this is what you want.” He licked his lips—his full, sexy lips that had been on mine seconds ago—damn him.
My befuddled mind tried to process his words, and I latched onto the one thing that could complicate everything: Ghost , Chance’s legacy that Ford wanted to turn into a movie. I couldn’t let my emotions jeopardize this opportunity.
“Maybe we should take things slow,” I said, my voice barely above a whisper. The words felt like a betrayal—to myself, to him, and maybe even to the part of me that wanted to dive in without hesitation. But I had to protect Chance’s dream, no matter how much I wanted Ford.
Ford’s eyes met mine, and I could see the disappointment in them. “I get it. But I don’t want to lose the chance to know you.”
My heart ached at the thought of backing away . But I couldn’t ignore my doubts. “I need some time to think about this. Can we just enjoy the rest of the evening and see where things go?”
Ford pulled away, his lips lingering millimeters from mine for the briefest moment before the doorbell rang again. His brow furrowed, as if the world itself had conspired to shatter our moment.
Ford was refreshingly direct. No games. No manipulations. He simply told me how he felt. I stared after him as I ran through my reasons for keeping him at a distance. The only one that mattered anymore was Ghost . What if Ford really did make it into a movie? Could a new relationship withstand all those complications?
But life was complicated. Relationships were complicated. Did that mean I should hide away?
What was I willing to risk? My heart? Chance’s dreams?
I exhaled slowly. One step at a time. Maybe this was enough for tonight.
After all, we already had our second date planned. And maybe, by then, I’d figure out whether I was brave enough to risk everything.