Epilogue
Derek
Sixteen months later
“You know I’m always open to your feedback.” It’s probably a bad idea to start this conversation right now, but I’m hoping the fact that we have an audience will keep Donovan from completely digging into me. It’s a foolish hope, since she lives for teasing me.
She lifts an eyebrow, tightening her hold on my arm as we walk. “And I’m always happy to give it.”
Here goes nothing. “But you’re not allowed to hate this one.”
She gasps. “That’s not fair. This is my thing!”
“No, this is my thing.” Turning to the wall of people toting cameras, I smile and praise our timing. Red carpets can be unpredictable, but I’ve been through this enough to have planned for this pause.
Donovan smiles for photos with me, then steps aside to allow the press some individual shots. I can see her out of the corner of my eye as she processes what I told her, and when it’s time for us to move forward, she looks ready to argue my claim.
I speak again before she can. “You could have been in this one with me, and you chose not to,” I remind her.
She won’t admit it out loud, but she regrets turning down the offer to join the cast of The Long Run, the whitewater film premiering tonight.
Mostly, I think a lot of her regret stems from the fact that I banned her from coming on set when we were filming last summer, something she still brings up now and then, almost a year later.
“You’ll spend the whole time telling me how I’m doing everything wrong,” I complained every time she tried to convince me to let her come.
“Yeah, because you’ll be doing everything wrong!” she argued.
Considering I only had the one week to practice rowing, she was right, which is exactly the reason I kept her away.
I’ve gotten better about allowing myself to make mistakes, even accepting outright failure, but whitewater rafting means so much to Donovan that the pressure was already overwhelming.
Having her as a witness to my ineptitude would have been crushing, and I generally try not to give her reasons to give up on me.
Donovan keeps quiet about the movie as we make our way down the red carpet to the theater, which might actually be worse than having an argument about whether or not she’s allowed to have an opinion on the film.
Life is easier when she’s open and honest, which thankfully is the norm.
This isn’t the first premiere she’s come to, but it’s the one that worries me most.
Inside the theater, we meet up with my costars and the director at the front of the seats, all of us offering hugs and congratulations for making it this far.
People figured out pretty quickly why I was in Moab two years ago, and suddenly everyone wanted to make a whitewater movie.
Sarah, the director, thought about moving up production to beat the wave, but I convinced her to stick to her original plan and give the story the attention it deserves.
Three low-budget whitewater movies have been released in the last year, and all of them flopped, to the point where Donovan started joking about not joining me tonight because she can’t subject herself to another bad river movie.
Hence me telling her that she can’t hate this one.
As I introduce her to the director and other crew members, Donovan is all smiles despite the tension in her shoulders, a clear sign that she’s nervous to watch the movie.
“I’ve been anticipating this movie for a long time,” she tells the director, which isn’t a lie.
She just fails to mention how much she’s apparently expecting it to flop like the others.
“And this,” I say, giving her a warning look as we move on, “is Jonah James.”
She rolls her eyes at me, hearing the gruffness of my tone. “Just because Jonah James is my favorite actor, it doesn’t mean I love you any less.”
Jonah’s eyebrows jump high, and he can’t seem to decide if he should laugh or grimace as he stands frozen, halfway to offering his hand for Donovan to shake. “Favorite?” he repeats, meeting my gaze. “Really?”
I sigh. “She’s messing with me, but she did love you in Frosted Peaks.”
“Yes!” Donovan says and smiles wide, grabbing his hand even though he’s still standing stiff. “You were incredible!”
“He really was,” Jonah’s wife, June, agrees from behind him, slipping her arm into his and joining our little group. “Derek, it’s nice to see you again.”
Giving June a genuine smile, I wrap my arm around Donovan’s waist and pull her against my side so she stops pumping Jonah’s hand with overdone enthusiasm. “June. This is my wife, Donovan Tate.”
“I still can’t believe you married Nova Tate,” Jonah says, finally relaxing.
I’m not sure if it’s because I’ve restrained Donovan or because he has June next to him, but hopefully now we can be normal.
But I never know what to expect with Donovan, which I honestly kind of love; she has a knack for keeping me on my toes and making me feel like I’m brand new to Hollywood.
With her, it’s way harder to get stuck in an endless, monotonous loop, and each day feels more like a gift than the last.
“Yeah, he’s incredibly lucky,” Donovan says with a laugh, dropping her head onto my shoulder and smirking up at me. “I’m pretty amazing.”
I roll my eyes. She can pretend all she wants that the arrogant and entitled teen she once was is still in there somewhere, but even in the thick of Hollywood, like at events like these, she’s still her kind, easygoing self. Still the woman I fell for on the banks of a river in Utah.
Kissing the top of her head, I hold her tighter as I murmur, “In every way.”
Donovan squeezes my side.
“Well,” Jonah says with a look at June that seems to mirror my thoughts about Donovan, “are we ready for this thing?” He’s been nervous since I brought him on to this project—even as an indie film, it’s become bigger than most of the projects he usually does now that I’ve backed it as a producer.
But he was phenomenal as my scene partner and elevated the whole story with his performance.
He made a name for himself when he starred with Bonnie in a romantic suspense a couple of years ago, but I wouldn’t be surprised if this movie earns him an Oscar nomination. Maybe even a win.
He’d deserve it, and I can already think of some upcoming projects he’d be perfect for if he’s interested.
As we take our seats, Donovan laces her hand through mine and leans in close. “You’re too good for this world, Derek Riley.”
I chuckle. “Why’s that?”
“I know what’s going through that head of yours.
” She brushes her fingers through the hair at my temple.
“You’re planning out Jonah’s whole career, aren’t you?
I think becoming a producer has gone to your head.
Remember.” Narrowing her eyes, she gives me a stern look.
“You promised when we got married that you wouldn’t take on more than you can handle, and if you’re going to start getting behind the camera more, it means you can’t be in front of it as often. ”
I raise my eyebrows. “Married for three months, and you already think I’m going back on that promise?”
Unfortunately, she might be right, which means I’m going to have to have another talk with Janie about putting her foot down when I try to add too many things to my schedule.
I can’t help it. There are so many good stories to be told. So many brilliant actors who need a chance to shine.
Donovan sighs, obviously recognizing the look in my eyes. “What am I going to do with you, Superman?”
Chuckling, I lift our clasped hands and kiss her knuckle.
“Love me unconditionally now that you’re stuck with me, obviously.
” Though I’ve been trying to ignore it, I look down at the white silicone ring on her finger and do my best to keep my expression neutral.
I’m not sure I manage it. “You do realize the ring I bought you would have matched your dress perfectly, right?”
Donovan snorts as she glances at her stunning green gown. “The ring you bought me is insanely beautiful and expensive, and I want to keep it safe.”
I narrow my eyes, sighing when she bites her lip to hide her grin. “You have no idea where it is, do you?”
“Not a clue.”
“I guess it’s my own fault for buying you an emerald when I know you better than that.”
She pats my cheek. “If it makes you feel better, I’m like sixty-seven percent certain that it’s at the ranch.”
“Honestly, that’s a pretty good chance. I’ll take it.”
The lights dim, signaling the rest of the audience to take their seats, and a mixture of excitement and nerves builds in my chest. I really hope Donovan likes this one, as much for the cast and crew as for my own pride.
It’s been almost two years since she taught me how to row, and I want to have done her job justice.
“Three more months until I’m back on a river,” Donovan says wistfully, dropping her head onto my shoulder again. “You’d better not ruin it for me with this movie, Derek.”
“You really have so little faith in me?”
She smiles and looks up. “You know I’m just teasing you, right? I’m sure this one will be just as amazing as all the others.”
“The other whitewater movies?” I grimace. “If that’s all you’re expecting, then—”
“As your other movies,” she corrects, rolling her eyes.
“It’s been a long time since you made a bad one.
Except, I’m not sure how I feel about that thriller you’re filming next month.
Still can’t figure out why you agreed to play a villain when I’m pretty sure it’s impossible for you to be villainous, even when acting. ”
“I told you,” I say, my nerves growing for reasons other than the movie we’re about to watch. I’ve been hoping she would bring this up eventually, though I didn’t expect it to happen here. “I’m not kissing anyone but my wife, pretend or not.”
“Okay, yes, I love you for that.” She proves it by planting a quick peck on my lips. “But that romcom screenplay you showed me a few weeks ago? It sounded amazing!”
“And I would have had to pretend to be in love with someone other than you,” I argue. “I can’t do it. You’ve ruined me.”
Wrinkling her nose, she studies me for a long time, and I can practically see her thoughts working behind her eyes.
I hold my breath and wait, desperately hoping I haven’t been seeing signs that aren’t really there.
“What if…” She pauses, biting the inside of her lips.
“If another romance came along, what if I—”
“Yes.”
She pulls her eyebrows together. “You don’t know what I was going to say.”
“Let’s be real, Donovan. I say yes to just about anything you say.”
That brings her smile back, dissipating some of the tension that entered her shoulders. “Mm, yeah, you did agree to marry me after I got a little overeager during that promo we did for WanderLove. I thought Maverick was going to faint when I proposed on camera.”
I can’t hold in a bark of laughter, even though I’d rather get back to what we were talking about before. “You’re not taking credit for our marriage, Tate.”
“I asked,” she says, lifting a saucy eyebrow. “You said yes.”
Way to knock the wind out of a man’s sails. “I had already planned the wedding and was just waiting for the right moment to ask if you’d be my date.”
“I don’t think you can call your own wedding a date.”
“I think you can when it’s just you and your bride,” I growl back, though I’m grinning. There are few things I love more than verbally sparring with my wife.
Donovan narrows her eyes. “And a dozen guests.”
“That’s basically no one.” I take a breath, holding it in my lungs for a second. The movie’s going to start any minute, so I need to focus. “Back to more important things, what were you going to say?” I squeeze her hand.
Looking more resigned than anything, she sighs and mumbles at our hands, “Maybe I could do a movie with you.”
It takes everything in me not to jump up and do a victory dance. I’m pretty sure I deserve an Oscar just for staying calm. “Are you serious? You’d get in front of a camera with me? By choice?”
She groans and looks at me again. “Yes. And don’t look so smug. I haven’t missed all that subliminal messaging you’ve been throwing around for months.”
If by ‘subliminal messaging’ she means me telling her that she’d be a good fit for a lot of the scripts I’ve read lately, then it’s nice to know she hasn’t ignored me each time I’ve brought it up.
“I’ll never make you do something you don’t want to do,” I tell her as my body feels like it might explode with excitement.
Rolling her eyes, she pats my cheek. “I know, Derek. And with the right story and an interesting character, I think it could be fun to give it a shot. After all, you only get one chance at making it in Hollywood, right?” She smirks, feigning surprise.
“Oh wait! I already had that. Guess I’m something special. ”
I love this woman with all my heart, and somehow she just went and made me love her even more. But this conversation isn’t over. “You know I love when you get snarky, and I want you to remember this carefree attitude you have right now, okay?”
“Why?” She frowns, her hold on my hand growing tight. “Derek, what did you do?”
“I made a risky bet, but it looks like it’s paying off.”
“Derek Riley Reid, start talking.”
“There was never going to be a thriller.” Oh, that feels so good to finally admit, though I’ve done my best to let her infer things instead of flat-out lying to her.
I mentioned the thriller a few times but never actually told her I was doing it.
Bracing myself, I tell her the actual truth.
“I signed a contract for the romcom under the condition that Nova Tate plays my love interest, and they’re ready to start filming as soon as you give the word. ”
Donovan’s jaw drops, but the light dancing in her eyes and her growing smile tells me I made the right choice. “I’m going to kill you.”
I lean over and brush my fingers along her cheek before pulling her closer. “Kill me later,” I murmur against her mouth. “Kiss me first.”
She grins and presses her lips to mine right as the movie starts playing. She doesn’t stop smiling until the end credits roll, and when she tells me that I “didn’t totally suck” in the rowing scenes while the audience applauds, I take that as the highest compliment and kiss her again.
Our life is chaotic and messy, and we never have enough time together, but being with Donovan fills in all the cracks I spent so long trying to hide.
More than anything, I hope I do the same for her.
And whether we do a hundred movies or only share the screen once, I’ve learned that it’s the small moments together that really matter.
I’ll take real life, with all its mistakes and rocky rapids, over a perfect scene any day.