Dreaming With My Eyes Wide Open (Hollywood Legends #2) (5 page)

“Where did you get a copy?”

“When Dad called your father to tell him I’d be coming,
Chuck expressed me a copy.”

“And?”

“You want me to say it stinks, don’t you? It would be easier
to talk your father into shutting down production if it’s badly written.” Nate
laughed when he saw guilt flash across Paige’s face.

“There’s a reason my mother only wrote the one thing. She
found out she wasn’t cut out for it.”

“According to your father, she decided it didn’t make her
happy. That isn’t the same thing as not being good at it.” Unconsciously, Nate
scratched at the edge of his cast.

“True,” Paige conceded. “Then tell me. What did you think of
it?”

“Other than being a little rough in patches, it’s pretty
good. Readable. Your mother had a unique voice, Paige. I was impressed.”

Paige had the overwhelming desire to cry. It wasn’t fair!
Her mother should be hearing this. She deserved to know that her screenplay was
good. A unique voice. That was her mother to a T.

The fates that decided who lived a long, healthy life and
who died much too soon were evil in their capriciousness.

Erin Chamberlin was the anchor of her family. Loved.
Respected. She helped her community and was a good friend. She wasn’t a saint,
thank goodness. Her bawdy sense of humor precluded that classification.
However, she was the best person Paige had ever known.

God, she missed her mother.

“Are you all right?”

“I’m fine.” Paige turned her head, wiping at the tear on her
cheek. “I got something in my eye.”

“Paige…”

“I don’t want your sympathy, Hollywood.”

“We’ll have to work on the nickname. I’m the least
Hollywood
person you’ll ever meet.”

“Mmm.”

Paige kept her opinion on that subject open. So far, she
would agree. Dressed like a regular person. He hadn’t balked at her mode of
transportation. Then again, she had known him a grand total of one hour. She
liked him. The attraction she felt was off the charts.

Wait and see, Paige
. She could almost hear her
mother’s voice telling her not to jump either way.
Conclusions
, she used
to say,
are best kept at the end of the story.

Paige didn’t know how it would end with Nate, but she was
willing to give it more time. He might surprise her.

Perhaps you’ll surprise yourself
. Paige smiled. Her
mother had always given the best advice. This time? She definitely would have
to
wait and see
.

“We’re about five minutes from the house. Dad will be—”

Her words trailed off when to her surprise, she found that
Nate had fallen asleep. Boom. He hadn’t seemed tired. Relaxed, yes. But sleepy?

Paige shook her head, chuckling quietly. Nate must be one of
those people who could sleep anywhere. He was lucky. Personally, if she didn’t
have a soft bed and her favorite pillow, she tossed and turned all night. It
made camping out difficult even though she loved lying under the stars. Getting
any rest was another matter. Nate would probably drop off in a heartbeat.

She could add that to the
reasons he pissed her off
list. Except in all fairness, that was her failing, not his. Paige might be
looking for the negative when it came to her passenger, but her innate fairness
wouldn’t let her purposely stack the deck against him.

The truck hit an unexpectedly large pothole, causing Paige’s
shoulder to slam into the door. Thank goodness for seat belts or the bounce
would have caused her to hit her head on the roof of the cab. She glanced at
Nate.

“Sorry. I’m usually better at avoiding those.”

No response. Not only could Nate fall asleep at the drop of
a hat, once he was out? He stayed out. Interesting. Paige laughed aloud. She
wondered what it took to rouse the big man.

“I like that sound.”

Startled, Paige whipped her head around.

“I thought you were sleeping.”

“I was.” Nate stretched, every muscle in his long body
rippling. “Your laugh woke me up.”

“You’re kidding. I hit a hole back there that rattled my
teeth and you didn’t stir. I hardly made a sound.”

“My sleeping habits are… unusual.”

“How unusual?”

Paige suddenly pictured Nate walking around in the middle of
the night. Asleep. Naked. That couldn’t be all bad.
No.
There was
something slightly perverted in the idea of watching a man who wasn’t in the
erotic loop with you. If she ever saw Nate without his clothes, she wanted him
fully conscious.

“I’m not a good sleeper when I’m alone.”

“That shouldn’t be difficult. Between the way you look and
your family name, women must pop out at every corner.”

“You like the way I look?”

Of course, that was what Nate zoomed in on. The man was a
born flirt. Normally, Paige would simply ignore him. Even in the wilds of
Montana, she had learned how to handle
interested
men. Sometimes she was
interested back. That made things easy. When she wasn’t, and the man wouldn’t
take no for an answer, she used her sharp tongue to cut him down to size. On
rare occasions, a knee to the balls never failed to get her point across.

Nate was different. She couldn’t flirt back. He seemed to
like when she gave him verbal grief. And as for his balls? Right now, he was a
guest that she was responsible for. The good hostess in her didn’t think
hobbling a man was the proper way to make him feel welcome.

Not rising to his bait seemed the safest way to handle him.
For now. If she ever decided he was getting to be a problem, jabbing his
hanging appendages was always an option she could fall back on.

“My dad will be your only sleep buddy option at the ranch.
You will have to work that one out between you.”

Nate turned back to the scenery. There was another option.
The prickly Paige. He wondered if her thorns were as tough as she tried to make
out. Grinning, Nate crossed his arms. He didn’t know if he would be here days
or weeks. When the trip started, Nate hoped the problem had an easy solution
that would put him back in Los Angeles by Saturday.

The more he was around Paige, the less he worried about that
timetable. She interested him. More than any woman in a long time. The
countryside was beautiful and so was the woman next to him. He could think of
worse ways to spend the time until his cast came off and he could get back to
work.

Montana and Paige. Untamed. Nate couldn’t wait to start his
exploration.

“IT WAS GOOD of your father to send you, Nate.”

“He and my mother wanted to be here. When they get a break
in shooting Mom’s movie, they’ll take a few days and come up.”

“They will?”

Nate gave Paige a slow smile. “You need to rethink your idea
of Hollywood. If you had a friend who needed your help, what would you do?”

Help, of course. Paige understood what Nate was saying.
Friends were friends, wherever they lived. Still…

“Your parents aren’t the neighbors down the road, Nate.”

“They could be.”

When Paige gave him a
give me a break
look, Nate’s
grin got bigger. “I don’t deny that Callie Flynn and Caleb Landis are
different. What I’m saying is that they still think like the people they were
before all the fame and fortune. Small town values don’t wash away in the
California rain.”

“I didn’t think it rained in California.”

“Smartass.”

Chuck watched the rapid fire, back and forth banter with
amused bewilderment. He searched his memory trying to remember when Paige had
seemed this… what was the word? Engaged. That was it. Men weren’t her focus.
They never had been.

In high school, when her friends worried about boys and
getting asked out on Saturday night, Paige preferred spending time with the
horses. She had a social life. Boys, then men, naturally gravitated to Paige.
She had a beauty not easily defined by the usual standards. Like her mother,
Paige glowed from within, drawing admirers to her irresistible light.

Unlike her mother, Paige had no patience with silly
flattery. Where Erin would soothe, smile, and charm, Paige batted away unwanted
attention with the subtlety of a sledgehammer.

Erin used to say that Paige needed a man who wasn’t afraid
to give back as good as he got. The local boys had always been intimidated by
her sharp tongue and keen intelligence. She didn’t play games or hide her
strengths to pump up their male egos.

Chuck had hoped that she would meet someone while away at
college. Unfortunately, his daughter spent most of her time with her nose in a
book. According to Erin, she dated. One time, his wife tried to assure him that
Paige wasn’t a virgin. Why she thought that was something he wanted to know, or
would find reassuring, Chuck didn’t know.

No father wanted to hear that his little girl was
that
grown up.

Since Paige’s return to the Double C, she had turned down
more dates than she had accepted. Lyle Wilson, the owner of the next ranch
over, was the most persistent. He finally wore her down. They went out on a
semi-regular basis. Usually, when Paige felt restless. Lyle was convenient. Easy
going. And it was obvious he wanted much more than Paige was willing to give.

Chuck felt sorry for the man, but he knew Paige wasn’t
leading him on. She made it clear upfront that she wasn’t interested in
anything permanent. The fact that Lyle kept coming back was a testament to his
determination. She hadn’t wanted to date him, but she changed her mind. He
figured it was only a matter of time before he had a ring on her finger.

It wasn’t going to happen. As much as he would love a
grandbaby to spoil, he knew Lyle Wilson was not the man for Paige. As his
beloved Erin had said, their daughter needed a man who was her equal. Smart.
Strong. Willing to let her be herself while not allowing her to run roughshod
over him.

Lyle Wilson was pleasant. A little
too
pleasant.
Chuck couldn’t put his finger on the problem. Except for the fact that Lyle
preferred running his ranch from the comfort of his office instead of getting
his hands dirty, there was no reason for Chuck to object to the man’s designs on
Paige. It was her choice.

Deep down, he knew, as did Paige. Lyle Wilson was not the
man for her.

He had begun to wonder if that man existed. Chuck gave Nate
a considering look. It was early days. But maybe. Just maybe that man had
finally arrived. Caleb Landis’ son. Wouldn’t that be something?

“You’ve been here a grand total of…” Paige looked at her
watch. “Three hours and already you’ve decided I’m a smartass?”

“Better than a dumbass.”

“Should I thank you for that distinction?”

“Sure.” With Chuck behind him pouring a cup of coffee, Nate
felt safe giving Paige a wink. “I never turn down a woman’s gratitude.”

When Paige rolled her eyes, Nate felt a zing in his stomach.
She wasn’t pissed off as she had been earlier. This was fun — for both of them.
Something had changed.

When they met at the airport, Paige was all bristles and
borderline resentment. The bristles were still there. Nate would be surprised,
and a little disappointed if they weren’t. The difference was in the
temperature of the barbs she threw at him. No longer icy. The temperature had
risen to a nice, comfortable level during the ride to the ranch.

As they sat drinking some of the best coffee he could
remember, Nate felt another uptick in the heat index. He doubted Paige would
have called it flirting. She was still under the misguided idea that he was
interested in her friend Lottie. Being under no such delusions, Nate knew
exactly what was going on.

This was a prelude. Not the dance itself. That would come
later — if they decided to act on it. The attraction. The desire. The need.
Call it what you wanted. Nate knew the signs. Right now, he was happy to play
around the edges. All the reasons not to act were still there. However, Nate
realized, if Paige gave him any encouragement, he would drop kick any obstacles
without the slightest twinge of regret.

“The light will be good for another few hours. Why don’t you
take Nate on a mini-tour? I’ll take care of dinner while you’re gone.”

“But… I mean, don’t you want to talk?” When Nate and her
father gave her blank looks, Paige sighed. “Hello. The movie? The reason Nate
is here? I thought you would want to lay everything out right away.”

“There’s plenty of time for that.”

“No, there isn’t.” Paige barely refrained from hitting her
head on the hard, cherry wood table. “Shooting starts in two days.”

“That soon?” Nate frowned. His father hadn’t mentioned a
timetable. Nate was under the impression this was still in the planning stages.

“I didn’t see any reason to dilly dally.” Chuck joined them,
taking a seat next to Nate. “It’s a small production. Digital, not film. I
called in a few favors from my Hollywood days. Once I started, what I thought
would be a slow rolling ball quickly picked up momentum.”

“Meaning?”

“I’ll explain everything at dinner.” Chuck poured a dollop
of cream into his cup, slowly stirring, with a benign smile on his weathered
face. “Go. Stretch your legs. Between the two plane flights and the drive to
the ranch, you must need to move around. Some fresh air will do you good.”

“Dad…”

“Steaks!” Chuck slapped Nate on the back. “Thick and juicy.
Our own beef, too. We still run about a hundred head. Prime, grass-fed Montana
Angus. Once you taste it right off the grill, you’ll weep every time you have
to order that inferior crap most restaurants serve.”

“Sounds good.”

Nate looked at Paige and shrugged.

“Fine. Grab your jacket. It cools down early this time of
year.” As she passed her father, she leaned close. “This isn’t over.”

“Of course not, honey.” Chuck smiled. “It’s just beginning.”

THE DOUBLE C never failed to impress.

Paige was proud of her home. The sweat and labor her parents
put into it during the early days of their marriage was a tradition Paige
happily carried on. It wasn’t a sense of duty that made her keep the tack and
saddles in the barn immaculately tended. Nothing forced her to muck out the
stalls when she could easily have handed the job over to one of their day
laborers.

It was love. Love for the land and every building on it.
From the sheds to the main house. Paige grew up here. She crawled on the grass
in the front yard. Toddled by her mother’s side as she gathered the morning
eggs. Learned to ride like the wind, her sturdy pre-teen legs gripping the
sides of her horse — no saddle needed.

This was Paige’s home.

If sometimes she yearned to know what was beyond the gently
rolling fields, Paige shrugged off those feelings. In college, she had a small
taste of something different. It was heady. Exciting. A world of endless
possibilities.

If her mother hadn’t gotten sick, who knew? Part of her
always assumed she would end up back here.

After
.

A few years of adventure before she had any serious
obligations to anchor her in one place. Unknown places. Exotic. Heady. New. She
had wanted to see them as only a young woman could. Unfettered by anything but
the desire to taste a culture far different from her own.

That changed the day her father called with the news that
her mother wouldn’t see another year. In that instant, Paige left behind the
girlish dreams and took on the mantle of an adult. It wasn’t just her mother
who needed her to be strong. Her father was lost without his Erin. Forgoing a
few years of travel was a small price to pay.

There was still time for that. Nowhere was it written that
she couldn’t take time away from the ranch to see those far off places that
littered her dreams.

Someday
, she promised herself.

They walked in silence. It wasn’t awkward. Neither felt the
need to reach for unnecessary words. Nate was content to take it all in. Paige
enjoyed the company. Which surprised her. One of the best things about her life
was the time she had to simply think.

They were grand thoughts or troubling ones. Usually, she
went over the endless list of things that needed doing. Fix the fence in the
south pasture. Order feed. Replace the valves in her old truck.

What she did every day didn’t shake the world. But it did
keep her firmly on its axis.

“Do you love it here?”

An interesting question. But then, Nate was turning out to
be an interesting man.

“When I went away to college, my new friends would ask how I
could stand growing up in the middle of nowhere?”

“What was your answer?”

“I usually smiled and didn’t say much. How can you explain
Montana to someone who has never been here?”

Nate understood what she meant. Traveling extensively had
taught him many things. One of the most important was that no two places were
alike. A person growing up in a rural environment might think the city was the
city. They would be wrong.

New York was no more like Paris than Montana was like
Nebraska. Make a list. The differences would soon start to outweigh the
similarities. Bright lights and traffic. A blanket of stars and uninterrupted
fields. It was what the eye didn’t see. The people. How they spoke. Thought.
Lived their daily lives.

Until you walked on Montana soil, you could never
understand.

Mountains to one side of the Double C and wide-open rolling
fields on the other. The main house was painted a welcoming blue and white.
Three stories. Not a box, though close, the sloping roof prevented it from
resembling a large Christmas present without the bow.

It was large and welcoming with room for a family to grow.
Paige was an only child. Nate wondered if that was by design or because Chuck
and his wife weren’t blessed with other children.

A ranch this size. Two people with plenty of love to share.
When he factored all that in, Nate had his answer.

“I can’t imagine growing up without my brothers. An only
child. Way out here. It must have been lonely.”

“I had Lottie. Though there were weeks during the winter
when we only spoke on the phone.” Paige stopped by the main corral. Two horses
came over to nudge at her hand, hoping for a treat. She never left the house
with her pockets empty. Half a carrot for each.

Rollie, the five-year-old sorrel mare finished first. She
nipped at her companion, hoping Winter would drop his half-eaten carrot. The
palomino gelding was as placid as they came. However, he wasn’t a pushover. The
horses were companions. Had been for a long time. He knew her tricks. Calmly,
he chewed and swallowed. Then to show her what he thought of her, he turned
away with a swish of his tail.

Paige laughed at their antics. Except for her parents and
Lottie, animals had been her playmates during the first few years of her life.
School widened her social circle. There were times when she preferred her
company to be of the four-legged variety. Less drama.

“I have never been bored. Not a single day, hour, or
minute.”

Restless was different from bored. But that wasn’t something
she wanted to get into. Not with Nate.

“I get restless.”

Paige’s eyes shot to Nate. He looked at the mountains, not
her. He wasn’t reading her mind, simply stating a fact about himself. That was
a relief. She didn’t want him in her head, rooting out her thoughts.

Kindred spirit
.

Paige heard the words spoken in her mother’s voice. No, she
didn’t need Nate in her head. Between her own thoughts and her mother, it was
crowded enough up there.

“Why?”

“Hmm?” Nate turned Paige’s way, his blue eyes losing their
faraway dreams to focus on her. It was disconcerting — and exciting.

“Why do you get restless?” Why do your eyes make my stomach
flip over and make my mouth dry? “Your life is exciting.”

Nate’s eyebrow lifted, asking the question without words.
Nice
trick
, Paige thought with a sigh.

“Google, Hollywood. It’s what we common folk use to get
information.”

“What do you think we
non
-common folk use?”

“Minions.” Paige’s eyes twinkled, letting him know she
wasn’t completely serious.

“And they use—?”

“Google.”

“Googling minions.” Nate’s lips twitched. “I don’t think
I’ve met any of those.”