California Dreaming: Four Contemporary Romances (104 page)

The morning hustle prevented any conversation, and tension eased. After they’d returned to the RV and washed the dishes, Sally straddled the aisle. “Mandy?”

“Yes.”

“I think you should talk to your father.”

James idly watched the crew set up for the shoot.

The scene they were doing involved George riding into the simulated miner’s camp, dousing a ramshackle lean-to with kerosene, and lighting the structure. The scene was complicated and dangerous. James had had to do many forms in triplicate, and place a heavy deposit, in order to get permission to film the incident.

But what Beth Ann wanted, Beth Ann got.

Still there were too many opportunities for things to go wrong—or be made to go wrong.

His mind drifted back to the kiss in the meadow. Once he’d started, he hadn’t wanted to stop. He’d drawn Mandy close, her curves against him, and become lost in her softness as she yielded to him. He’d wanted to take her to his bed right then, but tent living wasn’t made for discreet lovemaking. Their first time, if and when it happened, had to be special for her—a good memory. She had enough bad ones already.

He would protect her.

A change in the atmosphere of the set let him know the scene was about to begin.

George rode in on a horse and set the building ablaze. Flames went up as planned, contained and easily doused.

Good.

The actor leapt onto his mount and rode off the set. Then everything went wrong.

The horse gave a gentle buck before coming to a stop. The movement was enough to dislodge the rider. George landed hard, his head smashing against a low rock on the trail.

Shit.

James ran toward the still form along with the rest of the cast and crew. “Dial 911 and get the ranger,” he yelled to Doug.

His assistant nodded. Something was off with Doug’s expression, but James didn’t have the time to analyze it. His attention was on the fallen actor.

“Don’t move him,” James said to the group clustered around George. “Let me through. I’ve got emergency training.” James knelt down next to the man on the ground and began to look him over.

As he examined the actor, James’s mind whirled with possibilities. How had this happened? Was it more sabotage or a simple accident? He needed to find out and make the sabotage stop—if that’s what this was. Otherwise his career was going to be in the toilet. No one would trust a man who couldn’t keep his actors safe.

• • •

It was Saturday morning before James was able to see Mandy. He’d spent the last two days filling out paperwork or huddled in a conference with Beth Ann. The accident had been caused by a saddle girth that broke. The park police said it looked like the saddle had been tampered with and taken it to a lab.

George’s injuries hadn’t been severe. A mild concussion had kept him in a Fresno hospital overnight. Beth Ann had figured out how to shoot around his absence until they did the final scenes on a studio lot, so George had headed back to LA.

The whole episode exhausted James, and he was no closer to figuring out the identity of the saboteur than he had been a week earlier.

He knocked on the kitchen trailer door to deliver good news to the overworked chefs. At least he hoped it was good news.

He walked into the trailer. “Hi, ladies.”

“Hi, James,” Sally said. “We were just about to take a break for coffee in the dining tent. Do you want to join us?” She grinned. “Or would you rather have Mandy to yourself?”

He shook his head. “I need to talk to both of you.”

“Oh. Okay.” Sally disappeared back into the trailer, only to re-emerge with two cups of coffee and her assistant a few minutes later.

The world stilled when Mandy walked down the steps. Her smile soothed the raw edges of the past hours.

“God, you guys have it bad,” Sally muttered. “I’ll meet you in the dining tent.” She ambled over to the path.

James took Mandy’s hand and they walked in silence down the path. After they settled at the table with Sally, James brought them up to speed on George’s condition.

“How far behind does that put the shoot?” Sally asked.

“That’s what Beth Ann and I have been working on. She wants to get out of here as soon as possible. It’s expensive, and she doesn’t want to risk any more incidents. Someone is out to ruin this film. Maybe they are after George or me or Beth Ann, but we don’t know. The uncertainty isn’t good for morale. She’s wrapping up the last big scenes today and tomorrow, then doing a few shoots of the stars early next week. The last shoot is Wednesday.”

“So we could be on our way home by the end of next week.” Mandy’s tone was a mix of eagerness and regret.

“You could probably leave earlier than that,” Sally said.

James and Mandy looked at her.

“Oh. Yeah. Probably not.” Sally chuckled. She pushed her chair back and stood. “I’ll go back to the trailer and revamp the menus. With a lighter meal schedule after the weekend we can start packing up and be ready to go on Thursday.”

Mandy started to rise. “I’ll help.”

Sally shook her head. “I imagine you two have a lot to talk about. I’ll be fine.”

James watched the gray-haired woman leave the tent, then turned back to Mandy. “I—”

“Are you—” She began to speak at the same time.

He gestured to her to finish.

“Are you okay? It must have been awful to see. Are you any closer to finding out who did this? Why would anyone want to hurt George? I mean he’s not a nice man, but he could have been killed.”

“I’m fine.” He smiled at her and took her hand. “Thanks for asking.” He rubbed his thumb on her skin. “Look, things are going to be hectic for the next few days, but let’s see if we can grab some time together some evening. Okay?”

“Yes.” She leaned toward him and kissed him.

• • •

By late Sunday evening, Mandy’s feet ached. She and Sally had been going non-stop since the last big shoot had started. Not only were they feeding the crew, but Beth Ann had needed food props for a few of the scenes.

Mandy slumped on the trailer steps, taking a much-needed break.

“Move over,” Sally said as she opened the door.

Once Mandy complied, Sally sat and handed her a cup of coffee.

“I feel like I’m living on this stuff,” Mandy said.

“It gets like that sometimes.”

With no energy for conversation, the two women sat quietly while the sun slipped behind the trees.

The sounds of nature, even in the middle of a parking lot, seeped into Mandy’s consciousness. With the lodge closed, the enormity of Yosemite’s beauty became more apparent every day. Mandy chuckled as a chipmunk scampered up a nearby rock, gave them a wide-eyed stare, and hustled into nearby brush.

“I think this is becoming one of my favorite places,” she said to Sally.

“It does grow on you, especially when it’s quiet. The valley in the summer is too much for me, though. If I want to be shoulder to shoulder with people, I can stay in LA.” Sally did some shoulder rolls. “I have an hour and a half massage scheduled when I get home, and boy am I going to need it.”

James’s Explorer pulled into the lot. He got out and crossed to the trailer.

“Anything new?” Sally asked.

James shook his head. “No new incidents, but no one has figured out who’s been doing it or why.”

“Too bad,” Sally said. She glanced between the two of them. “I can finish up. Why don’t you run along?”

“I couldn’t leave you alone,” Mandy protested.

“Come in a little early tomorrow and have coffee ready when I show up and I’ll call us even.”

“Deal,” Mandy said.

After Sally went back inside, James said, “Let’s take a walk.”

“Now? I’ve been on my feet all day.”

He reached for her hand. “That’s standing. This is different.”

“How’s that?” She pushed herself up.

“You’ll be with me.”

She gave him a light jab in his arm. “You are too full of yourself.”

He laughed and kissed her lightly on the cheek. “Unmasked! I thought I could keep that a secret forever!”

They walked down the path, through the parking lot, and onto the shoulder next to the park road. James carried a flashlight, but the moon and stars made it clear enough to see.

“What are you going to do when you go back?” Mandy asked.

He laughed. “Go to my parents’ and let them baby me until the holidays are over.”

A pang zipped through her. Even if she went to New Jersey, she’d be the one babysitting Lola.

“You should really come down for Thanksgiving. My mother would love you.” He frowned. “Unless you have plans with Lola.”

She snorted. It was a ladylike snort, but still a snort. “Lola? Hardly. I’ll spend it with Hunter, Sarah, and the rest of her family. They include me—probably feel sorry for me.” She smiled. “And I think there might be a wedding to plan.”

“Sarah?”

Mandy shook her head. “Her mother.”

“Will you be involved?”

Mandy smiled. “Definitely. I loved helping with Annie’s wedding. When Sarah and Hunter do get married, I hope to be there for theirs.” She stared across the moonlit meadow to the mountains beyond. “Thanks for getting me to come. I like evening walks.”

“They go along with the white picket fence.”

Mandy wrinkled her nose. “Are you dissing on my dream?”

“Not at all. I like walks at night, too.” A low black shape ran across the road in front of them. “Especially when the area is full of critters—as long as they’re the four-legged kind.”

He was probably right about that. She wasn’t sure if she’d rather encounter a bear or a human on a lonely park road at night.

The scrunch of their sneakers on the gravel was the only sound for several minutes.

Mandy spotted a movement several hundred yards down the road. “What’s that?” She pointed at the shadow.

They watched for a couple of seconds before the moon silhouetted a human figure at the edge of the road. At that moment, the person must have spotted them because he took off into the brush.

James dropped her hand and ran after the figure.

Mandy followed.

The person must have heard their pounding feet, because it disappeared into the dark of the woods.

When James got to the edge of the road where the movement had been, he plunged into the brush.

Mandy stayed by the road, unsure of which direction to go.

Tempted to call for James, she hesitated. Would her voice lead the person back to her? A thrashing in the woods to her left made her take a step back. Was it the person they’d seen? Or a four-legged predator? She stared at the spot, prepared to run if it was anything or anyone other than James.

Or was running the right thing to do?

Weren’t you supposed to stand still if a bear came at you? Or roll into a ball? Stand as tall as possible and stretch your arms overhead? Or was that for a mountain lion?

She could never remember, no matter how many times she went over the literature she’d been handed on her first day in Yosemite.

James emerged from the dark and spared her the decision.

“Lost him,” he said. He looked at her and rubbed his hand down her arm. “You okay? You look a little pale.”

“I was afraid the noise was a bear. Or lion. And I couldn’t remember what I was supposed to do.”

He chuckled. “No, just me.” He stared into the woods. “Maybe we imagined it.” He cocked his head at her.

“No. I didn’t imagine it. Do you think it could be the person causing all the trouble?” She shuddered.

“I don’t know, but it’s not safe for you. Let’s head back. Besides, it’s another long day tomorrow.”

They were quiet as they walked back to the lodge. He took her hand and led her past the path to their tents.

“Where are you going?”

“You don’t think I’m taking you back without a good night kiss,” he said. “And I’m not doing it where anyone else can see us.”

“Oh.”

Her insides softened with the idea of his touch.

He led her down a side path, away from the dining tent. When they were in the shadows of the trees, he stopped and turned her toward him. He let his hand caress her cheek before cupping her chin. “Are you okay with this?”

“Yes.” She lifted her face, more than ready.

“So I see.” He chuckled before bending his head and capturing her lips with his.

The kiss was too tentative. She wanted more. She looped her arms around his neck, arched her back, and moved closer to him, deepening their connection.

He groaned and pulled her close.

She responded and relished the taste of him as he swept her mouth with his tongue. Her breasts brushed against the hard planes of his chest causing her nipples to harden. A wave of warmth rushed between her legs. She moved closer, aching to feel more of him.

Oh, God, she wanted this man.

He pulled back, and released her mouth. “Slow down, honey. We have time.”

“But we don’t.” She almost wailed with frustration. “We only have a few more days, and then…”

“I’m not letting you go, Mandy. We’ll figure out something. Now hush.” He pulled her close and recaptured her mouth.

• • •

After dropping Mandy at her tent, James walked back to his, fighting the desire that still coursed through his body. Was he selfish to encourage her to come to Hollywood? She’d have to deal with the legacy of her parents, as well as Russell’s position in the business. Her father’s approval would open doors, but was Mandy ready to lay that demon to rest?

He didn’t have any good answers. He pushed his thoughts about Mandy to the background and focused on the figure they’d seen tonight. While he’d only caught a glimpse of the man in the moonlight, the shape was familiar. Had the man been going to the set? Or coming back?

Too restless to sleep, James went back to the parking lot and got into his car. He drove toward the set, but parked further away than normal. It was a long shot, but maybe James could stop anything bad from happening or at least discover the sabotage before anyone else got hurt.

He stuck to the main part of the path. The area was rich in pine trees, and needles lined the path. He picked his way carefully, praying he didn’t make a sound. It wasn’t light enough to distinguish between needles and twigs.