Only Mine (9 page)

Agents?
“Ah, not really.”

“I do. Once this show starts to air, I'm going to be making calls, asking their assistants to watch me. There's no way I'll get to the agent I want, but assistants love to take calls. They're looking for the next big thing. They want to find him or her and take that potential client to their boss.”

Sasha stared at her. He and Lani might be about the same age, but he suddenly felt like a kid at the grown-ups' table. How did she know all this?

His questions must have shown because she grinned. “Don't look so surprised. I've been working the program since I was thirteen.”

“I guess that should make me feel better.”

She shook her head. “You'll catch on. It's not that hard. Everything is about capturing attention. Getting your fifteen minutes of fame and making it an hour. I've been thinking that we need a story line.”

“What do you mean?”

“Regular dating isn't interesting. Who wants to watch that? What, we'll be sitting there talking?” She shook
her head. “We need something better. We need a better reason for viewers to want us to win.”

He leaned toward her. “Okay. Like what? Something from a movie?”

“I thought one of the classic love stories,” she admitted. “But I'm not sure that's the way to go. Too many people will be familiar with the plot. Plus, it's not enough. It's not like we can have people kidnap us, although that would be fabulous.”

She pulled out one of the pieces of paper and waved it at him. “I watched soaps. Some of the story lines are really great. When you think about it, people watch soaps because something is always happening. That and they care about the characters. So we have to get people to care about us and we have to give them something interesting to watch.” She looked at him. “Sex sells.”

“I can do sex,” he said with a grin.

Lani rolled her eyes. “I already told you, no porn. But that doesn't mean we can't do romantic and passionate. People love that. I'm thinking we could have one of those great relationships where we're always falling in love and fighting and then breaking up and then getting back together. The camera loves drama. The camera loves action. If we give the director something interesting to film, we'll get the most TV time. And that's what we want.”

“I can do action,” Sasha said, still a little stunned by Lani's determination and willingness to do anything to get what she wanted. The most he'd done was walk
away from college and his brother. At the time, that had seemed huge. Now he wasn't so sure.

“We'll be the couple everyone is talking about,” she said eagerly.

“Absolutely. So what's the plan?”

Lani grinned. “I'm not sure.” The grin widened. “Are you afraid of fire?”

 

T
HERE WAS A LOT MORE
to filming a television show than Dakota had realized. With ten couples, nearly as many locations and what seemed to her to be a very small crew, chaos reigned. Each couple was going to get a local date, and a few of them would get travel dates. It seemed to her that getting a travel date the first week made it a lot easier to stay on the show.

She'd always been a huge fan of shows like
Project Runway
and
Top Chef.
But she'd had no idea of all the work that went into forty-five minutes of air time. Today two couples were getting to know each other while they walked around Fool's Gold. A very nice first date in reality, but from what she could see on the monitors, it didn't make for exciting television.

She checked her clipboard to see how long the “date” was supposed to last. As she glanced back at the couple, she saw a tall, yummy-looking man walking toward her.

She hadn't seen Finn for nearly two days. Not since he'd been at her place and they'd engaged in acts that had the potential to send her to a higher plane. A quality she could really grow to like in a man.

As she wondered if she would be embarrassed or feel awkward around him, her body began a quivering dance of anticipation. As if her whole being had been invaded by sex-starved DNA.

“Morning,” he said as he approached.

“Hi.”

She stared into his blue eyes and found herself smiling. No bad feelings for her, she thought, relieved. The quivering got even better when he smiled back.

“How's it going?” she asked.

“Better,” he told her. “I've been dealing with a few work-related crises back home, I flew some cargo to Eugene, Oregon, then spent most of yesterday trying to talk the twins into going back to Alaska.”

“How did that go?”

“When we were done, I pounded my head against a wall just to make myself feel better.”

“Ouch. Did you really expect your brothers to get on a plane and go back with you?”

He shrugged. “A guy can dream, right?” He shook his head. “No, I really didn't expect them to come with me. I knew it wasn't going to work, but I was compelled to try. Call me an idiot.”

“Actually, I think you're someone who really cares about his family. You're misguided, but that happens to all of us.”

He chuckled. “Thanks, I think.”

“I was being nice,” she told him.

“In a very subtle way.”

She laughed. It was good to know she hadn't imagined that being around Finn was fun. The morning after could be an awkward time, even several days later, but she felt just as comfortable with him as she had before they'd made love.

“About the other night,” he began.

Talk about being on the same wavelength, she thought. “I had a great time.”

“Me, too. It was a surprise, not that I'm complaining.” He looked at her. “Are you complaining?”

“I've never felt better.”

The slow, sexy smile returned. “Good.” The smile faded. “What with it being unexpected and all,” he said, “I didn't use anything. Is that a problem?”

It took her a second to realize what he was talking about. Protection, as in birth control.

“There's no problem,” she told him.

“You're on the Pill?”

The easiest thing would be to say yes. It's what people expected the answer to be. But for some reason, she didn't want to lie to Finn.

“I don't need to be,” she told him. “I can't have kids. It's a medical thing. Technically, if all the planets aligned, on the day of an eclipse, with the aliens landing, it could happen. The phrase ‘one in a million' was tossed around.”

She gave Finn credit. He didn't back away or even look ridiculously relieved. Instead, sympathy crossed his face and he said, “I'm sorry.”

“Me, too. I always wanted kids. A regular family. I am at heart someone who planned to be a mother.”

There it was, she thought, the sadness. When she first found out what was wrong with her, she thought she might drown in it. The sadness had overwhelmed her, sucking the life from her. Despite all her training, all the classes and papers and lectures, she'd never truly understood depression. She'd never understood how a person could lose all hope.

Now she knew. There had been days when she had barely been able to move. Taking her own life or hurting herself wasn't part of her personality. But pulling herself out of a constant state of apathy had been one of the hardest things she'd ever had to do.

“There's more than one way to get what you want,” he told her. “But then you already know that.”

“I do. I tell myself that all the time. On my good days, I believe me.” She studied him. “You, on the other hand, aren't looking for a family at all.”

“A good guess or your professional assessment?”

“Both. Am I wrong?”

“No. Been there, done that.”

His words made sense, she thought. Finn had been forced to take on unexpected responsibility at a time in his life when he had planned to play. Why would he want to start over, with a new family?

A good reminder, she told herself. She liked Finn. They'd had fun together. But they wanted very different things, and if she continued to spend time with him, she
needed to remember that. The last thing she needed right now was a broken heart.

“Have I freaked you out?” she asked.

“No. Were you trying to?”

She laughed. “No. Not really. I just don't want things to be awkward between us.”

“They're not.”

“Good.” She moved a little closer, then looked up at him. “Because the other night was really fun.”

One eyebrow raised. “I thought so, too. Want to do it again sometime?”

Sex with a man who definitely wasn't staying? All the fun with none of that commitment? She'd never been that kind of girl. Maybe it was time for that to change.

She smiled. “I think I would.”

D
AKOTA COULDN'T REMEMBER
the last time she'd been this cold. Although the calendar claimed it was mid-spring, a cold front had blown through, dropping the temperature nearly twenty degrees and depositing over a foot of snow in the mountains.

She pulled her coat tighter and wished she'd thought to wear gloves. Unfortunately, she'd already packed away most of her winter clothes and had had to make do with layering. The thick blanket of clouds weren't helping, she thought, staring at the pale gray sky.

She heard someone call her name and turned. Montana waved as she hurried down the street, looking warm and comfy in a thick down jacket. A colorful knitted cap covered her head, and she had on matching mittens.

“You look cold,” her sister said as she approached. “Why aren't you in something warmer?”

“I packed it all away.”

Montana grinned. “Sometimes it pays to procrastinate.”

“Apparently.”

“It's supposed to warm up in a few days.”

“Lucky me.”

Montana moved close and linked arms. “We'll share body heat.” She pointed to the lake. “What's going on?”

“We're filming a date.”

“Outside? They're making contestants be outside on water when it's three degrees above freezing?”

“Somebody didn't look at the weather report. Worse, it's one of the older couples. They're supposed to be having a romantic picnic lunch. Last I heard, the sound guy is complaining he can't understand anything. Between the wind howling and their teeth chattering, there's not much conversation.”

Montana studied the small boat in the middle of the black, choppy water. “TV isn't anything like I thought. It's not very interesting. Or romantic.”

“Taping segments takes a long time. I won't miss this when they're gone.”

“I can see why.” Montana frowned. “There's no music. Do they add that later?”

“Probably.” Dakota shivered. “The next few dates are out of town. Stephen and Aurelia are going to Las Vegas, then Sasha and Lani were supposed to go to San Diego, but Geoff freaked about the price of rooms, so they might be staying here.”

Temperatures in both places were supposed to be well into the seventies. She was hoping for San Diego for sure.

“Those are the twin boys, right?” Montana asked. “They're gorgeous.”

“A little young for you,” Dakota said dryly.

“Oh, I know. I wouldn't be interested. I'm just saying, they're very nice to look at.”

Dakota laughed. “Looking is allowed. Just don't let Finn catch you. He's still determined to get his brothers back home.”

“How's the plan going?”

“Not very well, but not for lack of trying on his part.”

Finn was determined. He was a lot of other things she really liked, but she wasn't going to share those with Montana. The last thing she needed was her sisters speculating about her personal life. While the attention would be well-meant, it would still be more than she could handle.

“So he's sticking around?” Montana asked.

“I suspect to the bitter end.”

“Poor guy.” Montana glanced to her left, then nudged Dakota. “Is that him?”

Dakota turned and saw Finn walking toward them. He wore a leather jacket. His head and hands were bare, but he didn't look the least bit cold. Probably because, compared to a brisk South Salmon spring, these temperatures were practically balmy.

“That's him,” she said. “Don't embarrass me.”

Montana freed her arm. “When have I ever done that?”

“We don't have enough time for me to start the list.”

Montana started to say something, but mercifully stopped before Finn got close enough to hear.

“Whose fool idea was this?” he asked. “It's too cold for them to be out on the lake. Does anyone plan ahead?”

Dakota did her best not to smile. “Finn, this is my sister Montana. Montana, this is Finn. His two brothers are on the show.”

Finn glanced at them both. “Sorry. I was distracted.” He held out his hand to Montana. “Nice to meet you.”

“Nice to meet you, too,” Montana said. “It doesn't sound like you're having a good time.”

“Is it that obvious?” He shook his head. “Never mind. I don't think I want you to answer that.” He glanced between them, paused, then looked more thoroughly. “You really are identical, aren't you?”

Dakota laughed. “Because we'd lie about it?”

“Good point,” Finn said. “My brothers are identical twins,” he told Montana. “They've always said they have a relationship I can't understand. Are they telling the truth?”

“Sorry,” Montana told him. “But they are. It's a weird thing to be identical to someone else. You kind of always know what they're thinking. I can't imagine life any other way, but I've been told it's not like that for other people.”

“I figured you'd say that,” he admitted. “Dakota said the same thing.”

“But you didn't want to believe me?” Dakota asked, not sure if she should be annoyed or not.

Finn looked at her. “I believed you. I just wanted you to be wrong.”

“At least he's honest,” Montana said. “The last honest man.”

“Don't say that,” Finn told her. “I couldn't stand the pressure.” He looked at Dakota. “I hear we're going to Las Vegas tomorrow.”

“Have you ever been?” she asked. Las Vegas didn't strike her as a Finn kind of town.

“No. It's not my thing. I'm sure Stephen will love it, though.” He sighed. “Damn show.”

“You'll get it figured out,” she told him.

“Want to tell me when so I have something to look forward to?”

“I wish I knew.”

He turned to Montana. “It was nice to meet you.”

“Nice to meet you, too.”

Finn waved, then turned and walked away.

Dakota watched him go. She enjoyed the way he moved, his easy confidence. While she felt badly that he was worried about his brothers, there was a part of her that was looking forward to being with him in Las Vegas. She'd been there a couple of times with girlfriends, and it had been fun. She could only imagine what that town would be like with a man like Finn.

“Interesting,” Montana said. “Very, very interesting. How was the sex?”

Dakota nearly choked. “Excuse me? What kind of question is that?”

“An obvious one. Don't try to pretend nothing happened. I know you. You and Finn have had sex. I'm not asking for a lot of details, I just want to know how he was. Hardly an unreasonable request. It's not like I'm getting any. Living vicariously through one's sisters is a time-honored tradition.”

“I, ah…” Dakota swallowed. She knew better than to try to fake her way out of telling the truth. With someone else she might have a prayer, but not with one of her sisters.

“Fine. Yes, I was with Finn. It was great.” She smiled. “It was better than great.”

“Are you going to do it again?” Montana asked.

“The possibility is on the table. I'd like to.”

Montana studied her. “Is it serious?”

“No. Even if I was tempted, it can't be. Finn isn't staying. He practically lives on another planet and my life is here. Besides, neither of us is looking for anything significant or long-lasting. So we'll be fine.”

“I hope you're right,” her sister told her. “Because sometimes when things are going really well, we find the one thing we're pretending we're not looking for.”

 

“W
HAT DO YOU MEAN
the shipment came in early? All three hundred and eighty boxes? Are you telling me there are three hundred and eighty boxes sitting in our warehouse?” Finn asked.

“Not boxes,” his partner Bill said. “Crates. Goddamn crates. What is he building? An ark?”

This wasn't happening, Finn told himself. It couldn't be happening. Not now. Not while he was stuck here.

The air charter company survived on contracts. That's where the main money came from. The one-time deliveries were great, but the annual contracts paid the bills.

One of their largest customers had decided to build a boat. By hand. He'd ordered it from God knows where and had arranged to have the pieces delivered to South Salmon. Now they had to be airlifted to his property three hundred miles north of town.

When Finn had first heard about the project, he'd figured they were talking a half dozen boxes at most. Apparently, he'd been wrong.

“The weight's listed on the side of each crate,” Bill said. “We're talking three to four crates per trip, at best. You want to do the math?”

Finn swore. One hundred trips? “It's not possible,” he said, more to himself than to Bill. “We have other customers.”

“He's willing to pay,” Bill said. “Finn, we can't lose this guy. He keeps us going all winter.”

His partner was right. The majority of their work came between April and October. But a hundred trips?

“I've already put the word out,” Bill told him. “We've got the planes. I've shifted around the schedule. What we need is pilots. You have to come back.”

Finn stared at the Southwest Airlines plane at the
gate. The flight was already boarding. Stephen and the cougar were going to Las Vegas, and he had to be there to make sure everything was going to be okay. He didn't trust that woman, or Geoff or anyone associated with the show. Excluding Dakota. Like him, she was doing what she had to.

“I can't,” he said. “Sasha and Stephen need me.”

“That's bullshit. They're twenty-one. They'll be fine on their own. This is where you belong, Finn. Get your ass back here.”

He'd been responsible for his brothers for the past eight years. There was no way he could walk away now.

“Who have you called? Did you try Spencer? He's a good pilot and is usually available this time of year.”

There was a long silence before Bill spoke again. “So that's your answer? Hire someone else?”

Finn turned his back on the other passengers and lowered his voice. “How many times have you needed me to cover for you? Before you got married, how many times did you have a hot date down in Anchorage or want to go trolling for lonely tourists in Juneau? I've always said yes to whatever you asked me to do. Now I'm asking you to give me a break. I'll be back when I can. Until then you have to handle it.”

“All right,” Bill said, sounding pissed. “But you'd better get back here pretty quick. Or there's going to be a problem.”

“I will,” Finn said, wondering if he was telling the truth.

He closed his phone and shoved it in his pocket, then joined the line of passengers waiting to board. Guilt battled with annoyance. To make matters worse, he was flying commercial. He hated flying commercial. He hated flying when he wasn't in charge. But the tickets to Vegas had been cheaper than renting a plane, and Geoff was trying to save money.

Finn stalked onto the plane and shoved his small duffel into the first overhead compartment.

“Sir, you might want to take that with you,” the flight attendant said. “That way it will be closer to where you're sitting.”

“Fine,” Finn growled between gritted teeth.

He grabbed the duffel and continued down the aisle. When he spotted Dakota with an empty seat next to her, he stopped. Of course there was no room for his carry-on here. Cursing under his breath, he stepped over her, dropped into the middle seat, and shoved his duffel into the space where his feet should go.

“Tell me this isn't a five-hour flight,” he grumbled.

“Aren't you perky this morning.” Dakota turned to him. “What has you all grumpy?”

He leaned back in his seat and closed his eyes. “Is grumpy the technical term? Are you asking me as a psychologist?”

“Do you want me to?”

“Maybe we could just skip the talk therapy and go
directly to electric shock treatment.” A few thousand volts of electricity coursing through his body would put everything else in perspective, he thought.

Dakota touched his arm with her hand. “Seriously? It's that bad? You're not blowing things just a little out of proportion?”

“Let's see. I just talked to my business partner. We have an unexpected delivery of nearly four hundred crates that have to be flown several hundred miles. We can get maybe four crates on each plane. I should be there helping. Instead I'm stuck on a plane I'm not piloting, going to Las Vegas. Why, you ask? Because my brothers decided to leave college in their last semester. Even as we speak, Sasha is planning to destroy his life by moving to Hollywood. And Stephen is about to be devoured by a cougar.” He turned to her. “You tell me. Am I blowing things out of proportion?”

Her mouth twitched a little.

He narrowed his gaze. “This isn't funny.”

“It's a little funny. If you weren't you, you would think it was funny.”

He leaned back in his seat. “Go away.”

“I'm sorry,” she told him. “I'll take this more seriously, I promise. I really can't help with your business problem. Although the good news is, you have a lot of new business. Is your partner going to hire another pilot?”

“He has to. He'll probably charge me for it. I'd do it to him.”

“You could go home. You don't really have to be here.”

“I do. Someone has to look out for them.” He hesitated, then glanced around to make sure no one was listening.

“Years ago, when our parents died, it was a mess. There was a plane crash and the media got involved. Reporters crawled all over town, we were the hot story of the week, at least up in Alaska. Some even sent money to help us out.”

Dakota stared at him. “I have a feeling you hated that.”

“I did. I knew it was a temporary thing, but that's not what Sasha got from it. He wants to be famous because he believes being cared for by the world at large will keep him safe. Sure, he's twenty-one, but that thirteen-year-old kid who lost his folks has never gone away.”