Chapter 9
NINE
B ianca blew out a breath, and a section of her hair fell over her brow. Her curls required more hair spray. But what Bianca really wanted was time to process her real life. Yet, as the saying went, the show must go on.
If only Grace hadn’t arrived so early to the fire station last night. She’d meant well by coming. But Eddie had seemed to understand what Bianca needed even before she herself had. Probably because of his firefighter training.
Last night had gotten better until she’d ruined it all with the push for his middle name. Their time together had gone downhill from there.
Bianca lifted on her toes. A cameraman moved a camera in her view. Leo pointed at a playback screen while another assistant nodded. Still no Riley.
She looked over Carter’s shoulder. “Have you seen Riley? I really could use a hair touch-up.”
Her attention snagged on Eddie, who was speaking with one of the special effects guys.
Since Eddie’s arrival this afternoon, he had been close enough to wave at, but with blockages of cameras, directors, and windjammers, which helped pick up her and Carter’s voices, it had been impossible to speak to him about how he felt after their fall.
Ice really had been a friend to her foot last night, which was the only thing that had struck the ground.
Carter ran his palm over his own hair. “Hopefully she, or anyone”—he lifted his voice—“has already left to get me a coffee.”
“Quiet on the set,” Leo yelled behind a megaphone as someone opened the back of the ambulance and scooted the gurney farther into the scene.
Carter paced to his mark. “How many more times do we have to do this scene?” He huffed the very thought that also ran through Bianca’s brain.
From her position by the set ambulance, Annette, one of the minor characters in the scene, winced. So far, it seemed the barely-nineteen-year-old couldn’t actually say her lines and move the props at the same time.
Bianca offered her a thumbs-up. She’d been in the girl’s shoes not too long ago.
Out of the corner of her eye, Bianca saw Grace arrive beside Eddie. He leaned closer to her and whispered something. A smiled popped on Grace’s face.
What had he said?
The director shouted, “Action.”
Bianca swung her attention to Carter. “I can’t believe he’s gone.”
Carter marched over and wrapped his arms around her. He tugged her against him. Not anywhere close to how Eddie had protected her.
Carter rested the point of his chin on top of Bianca’s head. Right near her stitches. “He was like a brother to me too.”
Bianca smelled onion bagel on his breath. Not exactly comforting.
Stop thinking and remain in character. “What are we going to do without him?”
Carter blocked her face from the camera, and his foot landed on her toe. The bandaged one that had scraped against the pavement. She bit on her bottom lip, strangling her moan. They needed one good take to get a break.
He finally moved his foot and put his hands on her cheeks. “What are we going to do without the clues?”
Annette tapped Bianca on the shoulder. “I’m so sorry for your loss.” She lifted up a notebook. “Before…” She pinched her lips together.
Oh, the poor girl. Please let her remember the line.
Annette jiggled the notebook. “Before your brother passed…he said I needed to give this to you.”
Carter grabbed the notebook and flipped through the pages. He shook his head and pointed to the third page. “This is it. He had all the clues for the jewel the entire time.” He looked straight at the camera. “He lied to us.”
“Cut!” Leo glared at the playback scene and then spoke to one of his other assistants who stood under the shaded tent over the main camera.
The assistant nodded. “We should have enough for that scene. Everyone, take five.”
The wayward curl drooped into Bianca’s vision. She really needed that hair spray. Grace should be able to find Riley.
But before she could move toward Grace, Annette stepped in front of Bianca with tears in her eyes. “I’m so sorry. I don’t even know why I kept messing up. They weren’t even hard lines. It’s like my brain forgot what a notebook was.”
Bianca put her hand on the girl’s arm and offered the encouragement she wished she’d gotten once. “You nailed that last take, and that’s all that matters. We all have our off days.”
Bianca kept her grin instead of massaging her temples.
Annette smiled and headed to the water table.
One of them should be happy. All Bianca wanted to do was take a hot shower and climb into bed. Her legs ached. Probably from a lack of water, which she hadn’t drunk much of today, but it could have also been left over from last night. Her slight headache was from lack of sleep. Every time she’d closed her eyes, she’d seen the car again. However, instead of coming after her, it had headed for Eddie.
And in her dreams, she hadn’t been able to save him.
Just like she’d been unable to completely restore her relationship with her family.
Lord, You haven’t forgotten about that, right?
Her gaze sought Eddie. Grace remained at her location in the corner, but Eddie was gone.
When Bianca reached Grace, her step-in assistant handed over Bianca’s phone while tapping away at something on her own. “Finally. I’ve been needing to send these out.”
Bianca glanced at her screen. One missed call and two messages from the same unknown number.
Unknown
I’ve got good news, Lady B. Answer your phone!
Only one person called her Lady Bianca. And Nathan should not be contacting her. Unless he had news about her money. But if that was the case, then he’d lied to her about not knowing what’d happened to it.
She slipped her phone into her pocket. “Did you see where Eddie went?”
Grace didn’t look up from her screen. “Had to leave.”
Bianca deflated. “Was he in pain?”
She should have tried harder to check on him. He had been slipping out during the takes and probably talking to different extras and crew members. The real reason he was actually here.
Bianca pulled out her phone. “Maybe I should send him a text and see if he’s okay.”
Except she didn’t have his number.
Grace paused her fingers and tilted her head. “He said something about a baseball game tonight.”
Bianca ran her finger along her relaxed curl. “He probably needs a break from all of this film chaos he’s not used to. Speaking of chaos…” She lifted a flattened section of hair. “Have you seen Riley? Or better yet, have you heard how Tiff and her family are doing?”
Grace’s fingers clicked away on her phone. “Speaking of Tiff, she never allowed your hair to look like that.”
Bianca tucked the flattened section of hair behind her ears. “Tell me how you really feel.”
Grace winced. “Sorry. I didn’t mean it like that. But I’m right. Tiff would have already doused you with three different hair spray sessions. But no, she still hasn’t answered my text about how her family’s doing. She must be pretty busy, because she usually answers me pretty quickly. Wow. Last night has been great for your ratings. You’ve gotten five thousand new followers in the last hour alone.” Her phone vibrated and her eyes widened. “Oh, that’s perfect.”
She turned her phone around. “They’re changing up the filming schedule. Only Carter and your stand-in are required tonight. Speaking of stand-ins, I wonder if any of them would like to also do your last stunt. You can’t get a redo of last night’s outing, but you could go watch Eddie’s game. Do a live feed from the hometown ball field. That’s got ‘boy next door meets tough firefighter hero’ written all over it. The perfect combo.”
Bianca picked at a chip in her pinky nail. “He hit that road hard last night. But I should be able to talk to him between innings. Plus, I’d love to see the team play.” And maybe get Eddie’s number. In case she ever needed to check on him.
Grace eyed her as if she’d read Bianca’s thoughts, but then finally nodded. “Maybe get a picture of Eddie in a baseball hat, and you kiss his cheek while holding a ball in the frame or something. Definitely a live for sure.”
At the thought of kissing, Bianca licked her lips. She hooked her thumb over her shoulder. “I should get out of these film clothes.”
Grace shooed her. “Hurry. The game starts in an hour.”
Back at her trailer, Bianca pulled on her favorite pair of jeans plus a T-shirt and headed to her car. The drive toward the south side didn’t have much traffic, but the parking lot at the game resembled a Black Friday sale.
Eddie’s truck sat at the end of the parking lot, right in front of the setting sun that hid behind a forgotten warehouse building. The coach wouldn’t be leaving anytime soon. She parked behind his vehicle and tossed her ruined hair in a ponytail.
She should have brought a baseball cap, and she really wished she had her old softball mitt. It was still in a tub in the back of her parents’ house. Unless they had thrown it away without telling her. Which was possible.
The crowd packed the bleachers, and lawn chairs were lined up along the right field fence. But it was the news camera that made Bianca slow her steps. How had the paparazzi known she’d be here?
Channel 10 News was printed on the side, and the cameraman filmed a man in a brown suit. Not her.
The man turned and Bianca kept walking. It was the mayor. So, not paparazzi bothering Eddie or the team.
Finally, something going right.
Scout leaned over on the pitcher’s mound with his team in the field, playing defense. The scoreboard in center field announced that the game was tied at the top of the third inning.
A girl in a side braid had her fingers resting on the fence by the dugout. She turned around and squealed. “Bia Pearl!”
Bianca smiled. She really could have used a hat. “Hey, so nice to meet you.”
The girl snapped a picture of Bianca and then started texting. “I’m going to have my cousin print your picture, and then you can sign it. I bet she’ll want one signed for my aunt, one for me, my cousin, and then my brother’s girlfriend too. Oh, I think Mrs. Williams, she’s not that old, will want one. She lives in the apartment across from ours. Probably Sally and…”
The girl took an actual breath, and Bianca managed to get out the bad news. “I’m not sure how long I’ll be here tonight.”
A piece of wrapped bubblegum hit Bianca’s shoulder. “Coach B.” Scarlette waved at her from inside the dugout fence. “Better get in here quick. We need you.”
Bianca didn’t wait for another invitation. She picked up the piece of bubble gum.
Once she was inside the gate, Scarlette crumpled her nose at the girl with the one braid. “Sorry, Jazzy, you and your cousin will have to wait. Coach B doesn’t do autographs until after the game.”
Jazzy huffed and stomped away.
Bianca hugged Scarlette. “Thanks. I didn’t want to hurt her feelings, but I didn’t want to sign a million things either.”
“Don’t sign them. They’ll sell them at her aunt’s store.” Scarlette shrugged. “Good thing Coach saw you. It was his idea for me to save you.”
Make that three times that he’d rescued her.
Bianca offered a half smile. “Sorry I’m late.”
Eddie stood in the middle of the dugout and kept his attention on the boys in the field. Then he swiped something down under the bench. A matching team hat. “Here. You’re right on time. Neither of my other coaches are here tonight.”
Bianca pulled on the hat and straightened one of the magnetic batting names on the lineup hooked to the dugouts inside the protective fence. “Where do you need me?”
“Tank! Pay attention to the ball, not the cameras.” Eddie sighed. “If you’re willing”—he sent a glare toward the cameraman and the mayor—“you have more experience with all that nonsense.”
Bianca lowered her baseball cap. “Cameras aren’t nonsense. They help people smile.” She sent a wink to Scarlette. “Or that’s what I told my father when I explained to him why I wanted to be an actress.”
Of course, her words hadn’t helped her case that night.
Scarlette tilted her head. “Guess they kind of do make people smile, don’t they?”
Bianca took a seat beside her on the bench. “Sometimes. Though I guess some movies are made to make you think or?—”
“Cry.” Scarlette shook her head. “I don’t like sad movies.”
“Me neither. But sometimes they help you process things. Life isn’t always happy. My dad wasn’t happy when he learned I didn’t want to go to college. That I wanted to act instead.”
Scarlette scooted closer, and the dimming sunlight highlighted her widened eyes. “But you’re a good actress, right?”
Bianca pressed her hand to her chest. “You mean you haven’t watched me?”
Scarlette hung her head. “Grandma said that I can only watch those movies when I’m older.”
Eddie glanced over his shoulder at Bianca before turning away.
Heat ran up her cheeks. Had Eddie watched her movies? “That’s a good idea. Most of my movies have been for adults. Not all of them have been very God-honoring. But this next movie, you can watch.”
She pointed at the cameraman. “He’s part of a news crew, not paparazzi. They shouldn’t bother the team.” Though tonight might be the perfect time to arrange Eddie’s talk with the mayor.
Bianca pushed back her shoulders. “Where do you want me to coach?”
Eddie pulled out a piece of gum from his pocket and unwrapped it. “You want first or third?”
He was letting her pick? “I’d rather have first base this game.”
“This game. You hear that, Coach E?” Scarlette beamed her grin at Bianca, her left front tooth wiggling as she pressed her smile wider. “Sounds like Coach B means to be coming to all of our games. About time. I could really use another girl?—”
“One day at a time, Scarlette.” Eddie put his fingers through the chain fence and leaned up against it. “Will, slide over to the left. A little more. One more…whoa.”
One day at a time. She was a short-term coach. Temporarily in their lives. She knew that.
Bianca crossed her arms over her chest. Then why did it sting?
Scarlette stepped closer. “He’s only grouchy because the mayor’s here and he said no to our grant.”
Eddie whipped around. “How do you know that?”
Scarlette popped her hands on her hips. “Why else would you have given him the glare that I give Scout when he won’t share his candy?”
This girl was smart.
Eddie gave Bianca a look that proved he thought the same thing. He stuck out his finger toward Scarlette. “He had said no, but he’s going to take another look at our paperwork. I’ll break all that information to the boys after the game. Not a word before.”
Scarlette made a zipping motion with her fingers.
Bianca pressed her lips together. No wonder he’d changed his mind about helping her.
“And…” Eddie cocked his head. “You better listen to my signs this time at bat, or you’ll sit out the entire next game.”
Scarlette’s hand flew back to her hip. “But?—”
Eddie folded his arms. “No buts, unless you want to become best buds with the bench.”
Scarlette picked up her helmet and slammed it on her head. “Yes, sir.” Then to Bianca she murmured, “See? Grouchy.”
Scarlette gave her a wink before a ping echoed from home plate. As the batter raced toward first, Tank backpedaled. He waved his right arm while his left tracked the ball. “I’ve got it.”
And he did, making the pop fly their third out.
Eddie clapped his hands as the boys ran into the dugout. “Let’s get those bats ringing.”
The boys got to their bench and stopped.
Will elbowed Tank. “Told you she’d be back.”
Tank grinned at Bianca. “Did you see my catch?”
Scout whipped off his hat. “You missed mine last inning.”
Bianca stepped closer to the fence. “I guess you’ll just have to catch another one.”
Being cramped in the dugout felt more like home than being in front of the camera lately. Why was that?
Will dropped his mitt on the bench. “Do you have any bruises like Coach? I watched you hit the ground online like a million times.”
Bianca sought Eddie, who seemed to be staring at his feet. How bad were his bruises? “I think someone may have lied last night when they claimed they were fine.”
Eddie clenched his jaw. “Never lied. Bruises don’t change my answer.”
Scarlette placed her hand on Bianca’s arm. “Glad Coach saved you, Coach B.”
“Me too.” Bianca’s voice quivered before she could help it.
Eddie clapped again. “All right, team. Coach B will be on first base. Listen to her as if she were me.” He waved his hands in front of his chest. “Scratch that. Listen to her better than you listen to me.”
Bianca shrugged. “I mean, of course they will. They all voted that they liked me better.”
Tank raised his hand. “I’d totally vote for that. She looks better in our hat.”
Scout pointed to Eddie. “I bet even Coach would agree. His ears stick out?—”
“Get out there.” Eddie took off his hat and swatted at the boys.
Scarlette squeezed by the boys. “Your ears are just right, Coach.”
Eddie crammed his hat back on his head, and maybe a bit more over his ears than before.
Bianca followed him onto the field.
Eddie stopped at third base. “Thanks for coming.”
“Scarlette’s right.” Bianca reached and adjusted his hat, lifting it to show his face more. “Your ears are just right.”
He bumped into her shoulder. “Yeah, but Tank’s right too. You look better in our hat than I do.” He smiled. A real one. The kind she’d been frozen by when they’d first met. Double dimples.
He stepped away and into his position in the coach’s box, while Bianca’s legs moved slower than jelly to her spot at first.
Scout hit the second pitch and made it to first base, but then when Jacob hit, the visitors pulled a double play. Now they had two outs.
Scarlette smacked a floater over the first basemen’s head, and it bounced. The girl may be short, but she sprinted as if on fire. The right fielder hadn’t arrived at the ball yet.
Bianca hesitated. Should she play it safe?
The right fielder scooped up the ball with his mitt instead of with his palm, and the ball fell back onto the ground.
Bianca pointed toward second and circled her other arm like a windmill. “Go, Scarlette, go!”
Scarlette hit her foot on the inside corner of first base and curved for second right when the fielder picked up the ball.
Bianca cupped her hands over her mouth. “Get down!”
The outfielder threw the ball. Bianca’s hands went to her cheeks. What had she done? She should have played it safe and kept her on first base.
Scarlette took two more steps and then slid. Sort of. The ball sank, and Scarlette ducked under the second basemen’s mitt. Dust sailed through the air.
The umpire stood staring at the play. Finally, he swung his arms out in front of him. “Safe!”
Scarlette sent her a wink.
Bianca laughed. Yeah, she missed this game. But more than that, she missed being a part of a team. A family.
She’d given up so much to reach her dream of being an actress. She needed to figure out who she really was. Not the person whose life was dictated by climbing the fame ladder.
God might have brought her to Last Chance County for more than a film.
Scarlette’s double started the team off on a rally, and soon they scored five more runs. But their team spirit came to a halt when Will spun around toward Eddie as he and Bianca walked into the dugout.
Will flung out his hands. “You should have told us about the money. It’s not fair.”
Bianca stopped. Eddie had told the team about their deal? “Umm…”
It wasn’t fair because she was making their coach pretend? Or because he wanted the donated money she’d promised now?
Eddie stepped around Bianca. “Scarlette.” He said her name low and slow.
Scarlette’s baseball bill swung faster than her head. “Wasn’t me. I didn’t tell. Honest.”
Bianca shook her head. “Wasn’t me either.” Though she and Eddie should probably talk more about who knew exactly what about their business arrangement.
“Mr. Pointe told me.” Will gestured to a man wearing a suit at the opposite end of the fenced dugout, who smirked and slipped out of view.
Oh, this had nothing to do with Bianca. At least, not directly.
“Coach, you said you would tell us if we did or didn’t get the grant for the youth center. You lied.”
Bianca placed her hand over her beating heart, which seemed to thunder in the silent dugout.
With his jaw clenched, Eddie inhaled. “I didn’t lie. Yes, I got an email saying the grant money wasn’t happening, but the mayor is going to take another look at our proposal.”
Tank threw his helmet. “If he said no once, he’ll just say it again. Who cares about the stupid game now? Their catcher was right. We’re rejects. That’s why their team has new uniforms and we’re stuck with these old?—”
“No.” Every one of them gaped at Eddie. “Your worth is not in anything we have or don’t have. Not in any abilities, either. I’m sorry I didn’t update you on the grant. But you know how much I want the youth center for you. One way or another, things will work out.”
Scarlette peeked out from behind her brother. “Because you have hope for more money besides the grant, right, Coach?” The girl said Eddie’s name, but her eyes locked on Bianca.
Bianca fidgeted with the extra hair tie around her wrist.
Eddie’s nose flared with his deep breath. “Right now, we must focus on our attitudes. And this game.”
Scout whispered to Jacob, “When my grandma changes the subject, that means she doesn’t think something’s gonna happen but doesn’t want to tell us.”
Scarlette shot her brother a glare. “Except this time’s different.”
Tank swiped his glove off the bench and headed out of the dugout. “The only reason we’re winning is because the other team’s starting pitcher went to Hawaii on vacation.”
Will pulled on his baseball hat. “Wish I could go to stupid Hawaii.”
Scarlette pushed on the snap of her catcher’s shin guards. “I wish this stupid gear worked.”
Bianca bent down and straightened the connecters on the catcher’s shin guards. “Sometimes, the snaps only need a little lovin’.”
The snaps clicked together at the same time Will’s stomach growled.
Bianca smiled. “Someone’s worked up an appetite.”
Will’s face went white. He grabbed his mitt and ran out onto the field.
Eddie came over beside Bianca. “Was that Will’s stomach or yours again?”
“I could go for another one of those shakes, but it was his.” She’d even texted Frances about her restaurant needing to add marshmallow shakes to their summer menu.
Eddie closed his eyes.
She frowned. “What’s wrong?”
Eddie put his hand into his back pocket and pulled out a five-dollar bill. “Lincoln, run to the concessions and buy all the popcorn this will get you. Some of you might have to share.”
A grin broke out over the skinny boy’s face. “Yes, sir.”
Bianca grabbed her keys off the bench. “I might have some cash.” Maybe.
Eddie placed his hand on her arm. “That will get them through the game, at least. I forgot their warm-up snacks. No wonder Will’s on edge. He may not have eaten lunch.”
She squeezed her keys. No lunch? “Does that happen a lot?”
Eddie rubbed at the crease on his forehead. “Once is too much.”
Bianca pressed her palm over her chest. He was right. These boys needed more than a simple youth center. “I’ll keep my end of our deal,” she whispered. “About helping fundraise and collect donations.”
Eddie’s lips pressed into a line. “Not sure you and me”—he glanced behind him and cleared his throat—“is such a good idea. I’m still worried about the kids finding out and thinking I’m lying to them. Then who are they going to trust and depend on? You saw what happened with Will and the grant. Lying. It breaks trust. I can’t afford?—”
The metallic clunk of ball meeting bat had both of them whirling around in time to see the other team’s batter send the pitch soaring over the fence.
More than Scout’s shoulders sank as the batter jogged around the bases. The whole team’s hope sank.
Bianca may not be able to win the game for them or buy them a youth center—yet. But maybe she could do something. No kid deserved to go hungry.
Frances’s voice came into her head.
Don’t envy someone else’s gift. Use what the Lord has blessed you with. If it’s giving, do it with the right heart.
Bianca grabbed her phone. Hopefully, the pizza shop beside Kitty’s Family Clothing Outlet could deliver on such short notice. She might not be able to solve all their problems at the moment, but she could feed a bunch of hungry kids.
As her phone rang, Eddie’s words circled back to her.
You saw what happened with Will. Lying. It breaks trust.
He’d been talking about their fake dating and agreement. But her heart seemed to whisper that it wouldn’t be lying if their time together wasn’t really fake.