Chapter 7
After a day of scouting locations outside of the quaint town of Mineral Lake, rain drifted on the breeze.
Bianca followed the county road, glancing at the directions from Clancy that she’d jotted down.
Clouds clung to the mountains in long gray streaks, and the sky above the valley shifted between pale blue and gathering shade.
Somewhere out there another storm was building.
The road curved through pasture and cottonwoods before opening into a wide pocket of ranch land. Bianca slowed her rental and rolled the window down a little farther.
The Willoughby ranch appeared ahead of her, simple and solid.
A white fence ran along the road before bending toward a small farmhouse set back on a shallow rise.
A red barn stood behind it with its doors open wide, and a pair of horses grazed in a nearby paddock.
The yard looked chaotic with a colorful swing set, plastic toys, and a small pile of boots near the porch steps.
She pulled off the road and parked near the fence, scanning the property the way she always did when evaluating a location. The light was good here. The angle of the barn against the hills was perfect. Even the cottonwoods by the creek would frame a shot beautifully.
It really was ideal for this film—more accurate to the screenplay than even Dawn’s place was.
Bianca grabbed her bag from the passenger seat and stepped out of the SUV.
Two small children ran through the grass near the porch. The older one chased a dog that bounded away with a stick in its mouth. The younger boy toddled after them, determined and unsteady.
Bianca walked toward the house, happy she was wearing boots since wet grass competed with the gravel on the walk. She paused to look at a lovely line of marigolds that were crowding each other too much.
A young woman stepped out onto the porch before Bianca reached the stairs. She wore jeans and a faded sweatshirt, her hair pulled into a messy knot. A dish towel rested in one hand.
Bianca slowed near the first step and lifted a hand. “Hi. I’m Bianca Estrada. I work with Canyon Road Films.”
The woman’s gaze moved over Bianca’s boots and then up to her face. “I saw you at the hearing.” Her voice was cautious but not unfriendly. “I’m Maggie.”
The little boy wandered closer and stopped near Bianca’s leg, staring up at her with wide eyes. The older girl raced past them with the dog still ahead of her, shouting about the moon.
Bianca kept her focus on Maggie. “I’m sorry to bother you at home,” she said. “I heard you decided not to move forward with filming here, and I hoped to talk to you in person. Your land is lovely.”
Maggie shifted the dish towel between her hands. “Thank you. We work hard at it.”
Bianca nodded slowly. “May I ask what changed your mind about the film?”
Maggie glanced toward the side of the house. “Daniel should be here any second.”
Before Bianca could respond, a man came around the corner of the house carrying a length of chain.
He looked young—late twenties maybe—with mud on his boots and grease on one hand.
His flannel sleeves were rolled to his elbows.
The chain clinked softly as he dropped it beside the porch steps, his brown hair damp and his green eyes deep.
Maggie stepped down from the porch. “Dan, this is Bianca. From the movie people.”
The man wiped his hands on his jeans before approaching. “Daniel Willoughby,” he said.
“Bianca Estrada.” She shook his hand. His grip was firm but brief.
Daniel looked toward the yard where the children had resumed chasing the dog. “You drove out here from town?”
“Yes,” Bianca said. “I hope that’s okay.”
He nodded. “Sure.”
Bianca glanced between him and Maggie. “I heard you decided not to film here after all,” she said. “Yesterday things sounded promising. I wanted to check in before we crossed your place off the list.” This place was just perfect.
Daniel rubbed a hand along the back of his neck. “Yeah,” he said quietly. “We talked about it last night.”
Maggie rested on the porch rail. “We decided we’d rather not have a film crew here.”
Bianca nodded again, though curiosity stirred inside her. “That’s fair,” she said. “It’s your home. I completely respect that.” She gestured lightly toward the barn and the fields beyond. “It’s a beautiful place,” she added. “That’s why we were excited about it.”
Daniel gave a small smile. “Thank you.”
Bianca shifted her weight. “I hope you don’t mind me asking what changed. Yesterday it sounded like the extra income might help.” Ranching was difficult these days, from what she’d read.
Daniel cleared his throat. “It probably would help. We could use the money, and your friend was more than a little convincing, believe me.” His lips pressed together at the last.
Warning ticked through Bianca. “Clancy can get a little, ah, focused. I hope he wasn’t an ass.”
Daniel barked out a laugh. “Actually, he was. We’re a bit behind on taxes, and he somehow knew that. Said he had a friend in the IRS.”
Bianca’s jaw dropped. “Did he threaten you?”
“Not overtly,” Daniel drawled.
Bianca’s mind spun. “I’m so sorry about that. It definitely is not how we like to operate.” She was going to kill Clancy. Sure she knew he could be persuasive, but extortion was illegal. Not to mention a nightmare from a public relations standpoint.
“No worries.” Maggie smiled at her husband. “We were able to obtain the funds to get caught up with taxes, so all is good now.”
A horse pounded in the distance, and a man rode into view, his hat pulled low. It took Bianca a moment, but she recognized him as the third man who’d objected last night at the hearing. “Hi.”
“Hi.” His smile was charming. “We didn’t meet last night. I’m Boyd Kessler.”
“Hi. Bianca,” she said.
His horse, a pretty brown one, shifted sideways and he easily compensated. “Dan? I’ve been trying to get the funds to help with the taxes and have a line on an option, so you don’t have to allow strangers to walk all over your property.”
Dan shook his head. “We’re good, buddy. I took out a quick loan for the taxes and will work on the one for improvements, but no hurry there.”
Boyd held the reins loosely in his hands. “Geez. Not from a loan shark or anything like that?” Concern drew down his brows. With his brown eyes and longer hair, he looked like a handsome cowboy. They seemed to be everywhere in Maverick, Montana.
“No,” Maggie snorted. “Of course not.”
“Good.” Boyd ducked his chin. “I’m sorry, Bianca.”
She rubbed her hands down her chilled arms. Spring in Montana required a heavier jacket than the light windbreaker she’d donned over a T-shirt and jeans. “It’s okay. We’ll find another place.”
Maggie kicked a pebble. “Now I feel bad. I was happy to say no with Clancy being a jerk, but you’re so nice. We could use a little extra money.” She looked over at the kids. “How about you come inside and have a cup of coffee, Bianca?”
Both Boyd and Daniel gave audible groans.
Daniel sighed. “I’ll take the kids into the barn to practice on saddles since rain is coming. Don’t sign any contracts without me.”
Bianca smiled, happy with the way in. Maybe Maggie would be willing to have just a smaller crew and a shorter filming time on the ranch. “That would be nice.” They climbed the porch steps together and stepped into the house.
Horse hoofs sounded as Boyd no doubt took off.
The living room felt warm and lived-in. Toys sat in a basket near the couch, and a quilt draped over the armrest. The kitchen beyond smelled faintly of cinnamon.
Bianca’s attention drifted to the mantle above the fireplace.
A vase of deep red roses stood there. The flowers looked a bit lighter in color to the ones sitting in Mrs. Shiller’s parlor back at the B&B.
Bianca stepped a little closer. “They’re beautiful,” she said.
Maggie followed her gaze. “Daniel brought those home last night from Ellen’s. We’re, ah, expecting again.” She looked down at her flat stomach.
Bianca smiled. “Congratulations.” The woman seemed busy but happy, and her husband had looked at her with adoration, clear as day. What would it be like to have that kind of security and love in life? “I’m thinking extra cash might be good?”
Maggie chuckled. “You’re persistent, I’ll give you that. Have a seat, and I’ll be right back.”
Outside, thunder rolled across the wide Montana sky as Bianca sat on a blue and green floral sofa, moving a doll out of her way.
Maggie returned with coffee on a tray, setting it on the coffee table before taking a seat in a matching blue chair. “Welcome to the spring storm season.” She handed Bianca a mug.
Bianca took it, inhaling the scent of coffee and berries. “Thanks. The weather here is one of the reasons we chose this location. The movie has some storm-driven scenes with hard driving rain.”
Maggie took a sip of her drink, steam rising from the mug. “You picked the right place, then.”
Bianca took a drink. “This is delicious,” she murmured. “If you don’t mind my asking, how many acres do you have?” Sure, Clancy probably had that answer, but it was a decent icebreaker to getting to business.
“We have about eight hundred acres, but some of it climbs around the mountains,” Maggie said easily. “At some point we’ll use it all, but one thing at a time, right?” Her blue eyes lit. “Hey. Could you use some of the land toward the west and away from the house?”
This might be the best coffee Bianca had ever tasted. “We could certainly film some of the ranching scenes in such a location, but we need the ranch house itself for some days. The barn, too.”
Maggie’s face fell. “Huh. I’m not sure. We have two kids, and the place is, well, lived in.”