21. Chapter 21
Quint
Blink bumps my thigh as I reach up to swipe the trickle of sweat off my brow, but a drop creeps by, stinging my eye as I’m walking through the front door.
But it doesn’t chase the smile off my face, and I want to do something for her to celebrate the start of filming.
Cook her a nice meal, set the place up with candles and music.
I look down at the bunch of wildflowers I picked on my way in.
Will she think they’re lame? I’m sure she’s used to the most exotic flowers money can buy.
But I shake it off. She’s not like that.
This is the last night we have together before filming is going to steal Aura away from me.
It’s been nice having her to myself. And more than nice.
Yesterday was the hottest sex I’ve ever had.
The way she made me wait…painful, but also worth it a thousand times over.
I’ve never come so hard in my life. It was a bit of a blow to wake up alone, but Shayla said Aura borrowed her truck to meet the show’s director, so I didn’t take it personally.
“Hollywood!” I call out, but there’s no answer.
The little front room is empty, Grandma’s colorful patchwork quilt draped neatly over the back of the couch. No shoes by the front door. Maybe she went to the barn or up to the big house. I do my best not to peek into her room as I walk by, but the urge is strong.
In the kitchen, I fill two glasses at the sink.
The first one goes down real smooth after a morning throwing bales into the bank barn.
We’ve spent the last week rearranging things and moving horses to accommodate the film crew that’s already started parking trailers and unloading equipment.
I place the colorful bouquet in the second glass, giving the mix of flowers a critical look.
I think she’ll like it. If nothing else, it’s distinctly Alberta.
Fluffing them one more time, I head for my room to get my hay-covered clothes off.
A hot shower is definitely in order. Then I can think about what to make us for dinner.
It’s wild how quickly we’ve slipped into a routine.
And after yesterday, I’m feeling even more confident I can win her over for real.
The things she did to me? And the way she told me about her needs like that.
You don’t do that with someone you don’t trust, right?
And if you trust someone, and you both like each other, and you’re attracted to each other, what’s standing in the way?
The time it takes to clean up and towel myself off is more than enough to convince me it’s time to broach that question again. I’ll cook up some steaks, baked potatoes. A nice dinner goes a long way.
Still no sign of her when I walk into the kitchen, and that’s when something catches my eye. A lonely scrap of paper sits in the middle of my tiny kitchen table. My smile remains intact until I pick it up.
Quint,
Thanks for letting me stay with you. I really appreciate it, but since filming is starting, I’ve got a room at Chicory Crossing with the rest of the cast. So, I’m moving my stuff over there this afternoon.
You and your family have been so kind, but I don’t want to inconvenience you anymore.
I’ll still be around so much, you’ll be sick of me.
Best,
Aura
I blink away the tears, but the burn in my chest is not just sadness.
I’m a little angry too. Maybe I was way off base, but I really thought she was starting to let me in.
Apparently, I was delusional. But something tells me it’s not about her interest as much as it’s about her fear of getting close.
And that is even more frustrating. If she’d just let me in, I think we could be amazing together.
I heave out a sigh, collapsing onto the chair and dropping my head into my hands.
Maybe I should just head over to the main house for dinner. But then I think of Shayla. She wouldn’t gloat, but she would know. That I fell hard and fast again, and the out-of-reach star left me behind. Just like she warned.
I’m not sure Caleb really knew what we were in for when he agreed to this.
There are now trailers, trucks, and equipment scattered all over the north field.
The lush grass is getting trampled by the chaotic mess of the impending film production.
They’re hustling equipment in and out of the small barn, and a handful of unfamiliar horses have taken over the small field out behind it.
They’re contracted to use some of ours for filming too, but the animal wranglers brought some of their own specially trained equines.
Thunder is snorting, ogling the activity in the field through the barn door as I’m leading him out to the round pen, all saddled up and ready for a trail ride. At least I’ve got this. “Shay-Shay, you want to lead the ride today?” It’s only a formality. I know she likes to be the one in front.
She looks up over Goldie’s withers, one eyebrow raised. “Are you all right, little brother? What’s the catch?”
I shake my head, tugging on the rope to make sure the big guy is securely tied. He will wander away if given the chance.
“No catch. Just didn’t feel like fighting this morning.”
She narrows her eyes, but falls into step beside me as we head back to get more of the horses tacked up.
A couple of black cars travel up the long drive as we’re bringing out our last pair of horses.
They look about as conspicuous here as my dusty old pickup would in Hollywood, I imagine.
I’d think if they really want to keep their stars’ lives private, they’d use a more subtle form of transportation, but I guess that’s not the way.
I’ll have to pop in and check on Eden and Cooper at Chicory soon. I imagine their lives are about to take a bit of a turn as well with the celebrities in residence.
Aura is hanging near the back of the group as they make their way toward us, all wearing clothes that are varying degrees of inappropriate for a real trail ride.
I glance around the small group of faces I recognize from TV and movies, trying to remind myself that they’re just real people with cool jobs.
Spending time with Aura before the rest of them arrived definitely helped prevent me from making a huge fool of myself in front of the stars.
Delaney Gauthier is standing on my property in tan breeches, a white polo shirt, and tall black boots as if she’s ready for a show jumping competition rather than a casual trail ride in a Western saddle.
She’s short, blonde, and even more gorgeous than she looks on film, but she’s got a mischievous smile on her face and a dimple in her cheek.
The rest of them are wearing jeans, but not the worn-in Levi’s you see around here on a daily basis.
And none of their footwear looks broken-in enough to prevent blisters.
Aura is the only exception. She’s wearing the dusty brown boots and soft denim she switched over to for our lessons, instead of her fancy red cowboy boots. But her eyes are darting around and she’s twirling one of her long black braids over her shoulder.
“Aura!” I call out, striding up to her.
I bend down to give her a quick kiss, and her eyes widen. Her mouth falls open as if she’s about to protest, so I give her a long look. A reminder of what the world—including the other actors—thinks we are.
“Quint,” she hisses.
I may have thrown her off balance, but I also think the surprise chased away the nerves that were riding her before. Now she looks more irritated than concerned.
“Is this your cowboy, Aurelia? He’s cute. Where do I find one of them?” Savannah Maxwell eyes me up like she wants a taste, and I edge a little closer to Aura. For once, I’m feeling like the fake dating thing might be for my protection rather than hers.
Aura rolls her eyes. “He’s a person, Sav, as are all the other men around here. You don’t just find one and pick him up off the street.”
The redhead laughs. She’s all shiny teeth and bouncy hair, but her laugh is throaty and warm. “I don’t know about you, but I don’t usually have too much trouble with that.”
“Well, then, forget I said anything, and have fun. But this one is mine.” There’s an edge of something in her normally even tone. I’d like to think it’s possessiveness, but it’s probably just for show. She is an actor, after all.
A loud whistle has all the celebrities snapping to attention. It’s actually pretty funny to see their heads swivel toward my sister in unison.
“Now listen up! We have to go over the rules before we get this ride going. No fooling around, no trying to show off and take your horses for a run.”
Delaney and Savannah start whispering to each other, and I don’t think they realize what my sister is capable of.
I know what’s coming, so I cover my ears before she lets loose another piercing whistle.
The two women immediately shut up, looking over at Shayla with irritation.
“I mean it. Listen up or you won’t be coming on this ride, and I know your show runner said it was mandatory.
Don’t get in shit with her on my behalf.
” Her expression tells me she’d actually be delighted if they got themselves in trouble.
Shayla might have been fawning over Aura and Paisley Creek a bit, but she’s all business when it comes to the horses.
Everyone manages to keep their mouths shut long enough for Shayla to go over the rules and then I walk over to confer with her on which horse we think would be best for each rider.
“Maggie was telling me about her own ranch, so she’ll probably be fine with Layla. She’s a bit skittish and we don’t want to lose anyone. Hayden over there.” She nods at the actor. “He can take Flash. Seems like he might be all bluster.”
“No, I want Aura on Flash. She’s most familiar with her.”
Shayla gives me a long, suspicious look. “You know she’s going to have to ride different horses for the show, right? You can’t keep protecting her once filming starts.”
A knot of worry forms in my chest at the thought, and I drop my voice even lower. “I know, but she hasn’t been on the trail yet. I think she’d be better off for this one with Flash.”
She shakes her head. “Fine. But I can see what’s going on here, Quint, and I don’t like it.”
“Well, Shay-Shay, it’s a good thing I’m a grown-ass adult and I can handle my own business.”
I leave Aura until the end, and of course, Shayla walks over to help, but I step up my pace to beat her there.
“I got this. Why don’t you get mounted up, so you can lead the way.”
She looks from me to Aura and back through narrowed green eyes, then nods.
I skip the mounting block, offering Aura a leg up.
If she asked, I’d tell her it’s faster, but the real reason is because I want to put my hands on her, to reassure myself she’s still here and maybe remind her what we’re like when we’re together.
She may think she can avoid me by moving out, but the chemistry between us is too sharp to ignore.
She hesitates before lifting her left leg. It’s warm under my hand even through the denim fabric. I lean in close to her ear, whispering so nobody else can hear us. “You didn’t have to take off like that. I would have understood if you talked to me about it.”
“You were busy. I met Maggie in the morning. She was talking about me moving over to Chicory with the rest of the cast. It made sense to get it over with.”
“Hell, I would have helped you, if you’d only bothered to ask.”
With the horse’s big body concealing us from the rest of the party lined up at the trail head, I take advantage of the moment.
She gasps as I run a hand down her side, sliding it around to give her ass a squeeze.
A little reminder of what she’s missing out on when she avoids me.
She’s probably dying to take control, but when she turns to me, her brown eyes are liquid pools of heat, lips slightly parted.
“I can handle myself.”
“Whatever you say, Hollywood. Now, jump.”
She swings her leg over the horse’s back as I give her a boost. I check her cinch and stirrups, but since she was the last one to ride Flash, everything is still perfect.
I leave her with one long stroke down her leg before I turn back to hop on my mount.
“Hey, buddy,” I say, giving Shadow a pat. He snorts, stamping an impatient hoof as I settle into my saddle with a gentle creak of leather. “I know you’re pissed you don’t get to be in front today, but trust me. Sometimes it’s fun to let someone else lead the way.”
Shadow is supremely uninterested in my reassurance, jolting forward when I give him a gentle squeeze to join the back of the line. Right behind Aura, just as I planned it.
Although as we start off along the path winding our way through the trees, I realize I may have made a grave error. Because watching Aura’s hips sway gently back and forth with the horse’s movement is a special kind of self-inflicted torture.