Chapter 19
There were some times it was really good to be an actress. Like when Marta was serving them breakfast at the kitchen island, and Win could pretend there was absolutely no chance she had heard them last night.
“The rest of the cast and crew arrive today, right?” Marta asked as she set Win’s egg white and spinach omelet in front of her.
“Around noon. There’s a caravan coming up from Missoula.”
“More equipment too?” Marta poured Bo some freshly squeezed orange juice, which Windsor had watched her make this morning. “I am amazed at how much stuff it takes to make a movie.”
“If you only saw the fifty people and millions of dollars of hardware it took to capture every moment of two actors portraying an intimate scene … it would forever change your opinion of how romantic it was,” she said.
As Bo looked sideways at her over his pile of fluffy scrambled eggs and steaming bowl of oats and berries, Windsor immediately wished she’d picked a different example.
Thankfully, Marta was focused on a different part of her statement.
“Fifty? How are we ever going to fit them all in the cabins and bunkhouse?”
“We aren’t. We have a scaled-back crew, and some trailers will be arriving for those who requested them. We also booked the Lucky Duck Motel for the rest.”
“Oh, thank heavens. But still, we’re going to have a full house. Cookie is going to have his work cut out for him.”
“You know he loves it. Like a cattle drive, but at home every night, and tons of grateful mouths to feed.”
“Who’s Cookie?” Windsor asked in between bites of her omelet.
“He’s the ranch cook. He feeds the hands who live here, and during filming, he’ll feed everyone else.”
“He came up from a ranch in New Mexico. He makes the best wet burritos you’ve ever had in your entire life. Mmm-mmm,” Marta said.
Bo glanced over at Windsor. “Fifty bucks says you’ve never had a wet burrito.”
“How did you know?”
“Lucky guess.”
“How in the world is that possible? They do have wet burritos in Hollywood, don’t they?” Concern permeated Marta’s tone.
“Sure they do. It’s just not on a Hollywood starlet’s menu,” Bo replied.
Marta looked at her with subtle pity as she shook her head. “Just one more reason the good Lord made me a grandma instead. You gonna try one while you’re here? I know he’d make those special for you. Cookie’s a fan too.”
After years of feeling nothing, the warmth radiating from her heart was a welcome change that Windsor was hoping would become permanent too.
“Maybe after filming. I’d like that. I’m looking forward to meeting him.”
“Oh, you will. Have no doubt. But don’t worry; I will take care of all your special meals while you’re here.”
“Thank you, Marta. You’re a gem.”
The older woman smiled. “That’s what Bo says too.”
“I speak the truth.”
“And he’s a good judge of character.”
Bo’s gaze held a happy light. “Sure am.” He pushed his plate away. “Now, time for me to take a walk, check some things, and then get a workout in.” He paused. “You want to come with me?”
“I’d love to,” Windsor said.
“I’ll take care of everything. Just leave your plates right there.”
“Thank you for another excellent breakfast, Marta. See you later,” Bo said.
“My pleasure. See you both soon.”
“Thank you,” Windsor added.
“Of course, dear. I hope it wasn’t too bland.”
Windsor smiled. “Best one I’ve ever had. Truly.”
Marta’s smile stretched her rosy cheeks. “It’s that extra sprinkle of love. Without salt, that’s all I’ve got to work with.”
“It was perfect.”
Bo wanted to hold Windsor’s hand as they walked to the bunkhouse, but he had a feeling she wasn’t quite ready for that. The urge came naturally, but he held back anyway.
Soon, he promised himself.
“I take a walk after every meal, if I can. Best digestion aid I’ve ever found. Makes staying lean and camera-ready easier.”
Windsor glanced at him. “Really? Something that simple?”
“I learned it from a world-famous strongman. He’s way more jacked than I am. He knows his shit.”
“Well, that’s a neat trick.” She looked around at the scenery, taking in the big blue sky that seemed to go on forever. “This is one heck of a place to walk.”
“Way better than LA—that’s for sure. Winter can get a bit long, but that’s what the gym and pool barn are for … along with tropical escapes when you need sun and sand and sea.”
Windsor sighed. “What a life you’re living, Bo.” She glanced at him for a beat. “You’ve got it all figured out.”
“Maybe not everything, but what I do have figured out fits me perfectly.”
“Seems like it would fit anyone perfectly.”
“Nah. Montana’s not for everyone. Some people run back to city life as fast as they can.
It’s less convenient here. More complicated.
It takes work to live out here. You gotta be more self-reliant and resilient.
Shit happens, and you just have to deal with it.
” He paused as he led her to a path that ran down by the river.
“I wondered if you’d prefer the city to this. ”
She met his gaze before staring out over the shimmering water. “They don’t have anything like this in LA.”
“Sure don’t.”
“You want the truth, so I’ll tell you. I’ve only ever had city.” She stopped and turned to face him. “I’m bored. Tired. I have been for years. But since I got here … it’s like coming back to life after you’ve been asleep at the wheel for longer than you realized.”
Her words filled him with another ray of hope.
“You like it here.”
“I feel alive here. And I don’t even know what that means.”
Bo reached for her hand. “I know what it means. I felt it too. That’s why I made a full-price offer for this place before I even left the showing. I couldn’t imagine not living here.”
They started walking again, this time hand in hand, and she didn’t try to pull away.
Maybe Windsor Reed was okay with a lot more than Bo had realized.
Maybe … all his patience meant that this was happening at the perfect time.
The woman he’d had his eye on at her house party so long ago would never have said what she just said.
But maybe now … maybe now she was the version of herself who could appreciate this.
“Could you see yourself living here? Walking by the river. Going for a ride on horseback up into the foothills. Swimming in the pool …” He almost added, Sleeping in my bed, but didn’t.
“I already do.” She looked up at him. “And that should be terrifying, shouldn’t it? I mean, that’s crazy, right?”
Bo shook his head. “Not when it’s right. It just seems … easy. Natural.”
She took a breath and let it out. “I bet you thought I’d already be running back to the city.”
He smiled. “I didn’t know what to expect. But this … this is better than anything I could’ve imagined.”
“Really?”
He looked into her stunning blue eyes, noting the hint of vulnerability in them. “Way better.”
She leaned into his side. “You may never get rid of me.”
He released her hand to wrap his arm around her and pull her against his side. “I don’t want to, so that works out perfectly.”