Charlie
She had gathered the entire crew into the space and was speaking to them from one of the tables.
“So, we’re going to treat this property like it’s a historical landmark, okay?
That’s how we’re going to respect it. Anything we touch, we get permission to touch.
We leave everything exactly the way we found it, especially the animals.
Nothing is taken for granted. This is someone’s home, and it’s one that was passed down in his family.
So, it’s not the same as some suburban house we’re using for a couple days, where the family enjoys a vacation and doesn’t worry too much about what we’re doing because they’re going to get paid.
This owner does worry, and he has every right to.
This land is the heart of his world, and we are all going to respect it with that in mind. Got it?”
“Hi there,” she said with a big smile. “How long have you been sneaking around?”
“Long enough,” he said. “Heard the tail end of your little speech.”
“Ah.” She blushed, and he couldn’t help smiling at the sight of it.
For some reason, the fact that he was able to make her blush made all his concerns seem so far away.
“Well, I hope you weren’t offended by it.
If you want to get theater people to hear you out, you’ve got to play to their emotions, their empathy.
If they see you as a romantic who’s just trying to protect his family legacy, they’ll be much more likely to respect your wishes. ”
Charlie shrugged. “It’s not a lie, anyway.”
“So, you’re a romantic, huh?” She winked at him, and he glared back.
“Only occasionally.”
“Well, I do hope I get to see it from time to time.” She nudged him with an elbow, and he jerked away from her touch. He wasn’t ready to get that cozy with her. Or maybe he just didn’t want her to be able to make him blush.
“Thank you for trying, anyway,” he said.
The implication that she had already failed was not accidental.
He had the urge to deflate her just a bit.
She looked too confident and far, far too attractive for some reason.
He had to put a stop to it. Why was she wearing those jeans today, anyway?
It was like she knew exactly what his weaknesses were.
And once again, her hair was down and soft-looking.
Some idiotic part of him wanted to grab and kiss her right here in the middle of the old barn, surrounded by the film crew.
He wouldn’t care, except he did, so he closed his eyes and took a deep breath, fighting his urges every step of the way.
The trouble was he had been attracted to her physically before, and that was easy enough to disregard—but now that he could see her in a different light, he was finding it harder and harder to ignore her.
All he could manage to do was clear his throat and wish her luck for today’s shoot.
He knew it would be trouble if he talked to her for much longer.
What Charlie was beginning to realize, which was the crux of his problem right now, was that he had grossly misjudged this woman.
As soon as he’d learned she was from LA, he’d made assumptions about her personality and her ability to get along in the rural world.
He’d assumed she was incapable. It turned out that was far from true.
In fact, the more he talked to her, the more he started to believe that a woman like her would be capable of darn near anything she put her mind to.
A woman like that, for Charlie, was practically irresistible.
For the rest of that evening, he did his best to avoid running into Anna.
He went through his normal work routine and trusted her to keep the crew from trampling his property enough that he didn’t feel the need to supervise at all.
It was a relief, really. They weren’t shooting on the ranch the next day, so he’d be able to relax then, too.
The trouble was that he was starting to think he might actually miss having them around.
The following evening, Charlie finished buying supplies at the local hardware store and headed back to his truck.
He was parked a little way into town because he preferred to walk when he could, and he had several errands in town on this particular day.
So his truck was at a midpoint between all his planned stops.
Whenever Charlie walked around in town, he kept his eyes down.
He never wanted to invite small talk if he could help it.
No doubt the person who was trying to have a friendly conversation with him would be disappointed, as they always were.
He tended to answer questions tersely, with very few details, discouraging anyone from building a conversation.
People always walked away from him looking bewildered and more dispirited than they would have been if they hadn’t tried to make a friend out of Charlie Greene.
After a few run-ins with the town’s least talkative man, most people learned not to try.
Still, there was always some absurdly optimistic individual who had to try and make Charlie’s heart grow three sizes or something like that.
It never worked. So, he decided to spare them the humiliation by not allowing them to start the attempt at all.
This tactic had worked for him for most of his life.
But for some reason, today, it backfired.
Because he wasn’t paying attention to the usually empty streets around him, he failed to notice that they weren’t as empty as usual.
He ran into someone on the sidewalk and looked up to see a familiar face carrying a massive camera bag.
It was one of the film crew he’d seen around his property.
The man looked ready to curse at him, but when he saw who he’d run into, his mouth snapped shut.
He cleared his throat and tipped his hat at Charlie. “Hey, boss,” he said.
Charlie just shook his head. The fact that anyone was actually scared of him felt ridiculous.
Most people in town just brushed him off as his father’s unlikable son.
He passed several more crew members all apparently headed in the same direction.
He gave each of them a cursory nod to acknowledge them without showing any real approval.
It was the way he dealt with most people most of the time.
Unfortunately, it wasn’t the way he dealt with the last person he met walking past with a tablet in one hand and a phone in the other.
“Oh, Anna.” His voice was disgustingly bright and friendly, and he could have sworn he actually smiled at her.
That was definitely not a great start to whatever conversation they were about to have.
He’d put himself in a weaker position straight away by revealing the fact that he was actually happy to see her.
How was he going to play severe now? Too late, he adjusted his expression to his more familiar scowl.
“Howdy, Charlie,” Anna said with a little laugh that was adorable and infuriating at the same time. “We’ve just finished up filming for the day. You want to check out the location and make sure it’s still in one piece?” She laughed again. She seemed to be in a great mood.
Charlie did his best not to let it affect him too much. But he did feel himself smile back, which was another mistake he wished he could have taken back. “I’m sure it’s fine,” he said. Then, for some reason, he was curious. “Where were you filming?”
“Today was the bookshop scene. The meet-cute.” She winked at him, and he took two steps back. “You should see the movie when it comes out. The lead actress improvised a couple of really good lines. It’s going to be hilarious. I’m certain the director will keep it in.”
All Charlie could manage was a quiet nod, which was probably for the best.
After an awkward moment of silence, during which Anna appeared to be waiting for more of a response, she shrugged. “Uh… well, the crew was hoping to head out for dinner and drinks, just to unwind. It was kind of a long day. Any recommendations for a good spot that won’t mind the extra business?”
Charlie thought a moment, not about which place he was going to recommend but whether or not they’d want the extra business. “I guess the Jolly Ram might appreciate a good night,” he concluded. “They’re a pretty relaxed joint, though. Don’t expect anything fancy.”
“Oh, trust me—fancy is not what this crew is looking for. They definitely want to relax. And, believe it or not, they don’t make a whole lot of money doing these jobs.
Not as much as you’re going to make, anyway.
” She winked again, and he wished she’d stop.
It was far too charming to ignore. “Hey, actually, why don’t you join us? ”
Reflexively, Charlie shook his head. “Oh, no, I’m not the social type.”
“Nonsense. You just need to get out more. Socializing takes practice like anything else. Come on.” She pulled on one of his arms. “It’s on me. Come out with us. You’re practically part of the crew, anyway.”
That was hardly true, but he didn’t bother to correct her. She was just trying to persuade him, and he wasn’t about to let her. “I’m busy.”
“I know your schedule,” she said. This time the wink was implied rather than carried out, but he could definitely hear it in her voice. “You’re as good as done for the day. Come out with us. Please,” she pleaded. “It won’t be the same without you.”
Charlie agreed. “Correct. It will be better without me.”
Anna rolled her eyes and tugged at his arm again. “Not true. Come on. Bond with the crew. They’ll be far more likely to respect your property if they like you.”
“They’re respecting it fine,” he said, “because of you.” It was true.
The person protecting his property now was Anna.
He’d seen it for himself. She was working her magic and getting her crew to leave everything exactly as they found it.
She was fighting for him. Refusing her now felt like taking an insult too far.
One last time, she begged him. “It’ll be so much better with you there. Come on.”
He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Fine.”
Anna blinked like she couldn’t believe she’d actually won this one. She had clearly expected him to put up much more of a fight. But after a moment of disbelief, she grabbed his arm and started dragging him along. “Let’s go, then!”
“Can I at least put my stuff in my truck?” he asked.
“Of course.”
“I’ll meet you at the Jolly Ram, then.”
She shook her head. “Oh, I’m not letting you off that easily. I’ll walk with you. You’re sure to run away otherwise, and I’m not letting you back out now.”