STUDS AND STILETTOS (Romantic Mystery)

by Bev Pettersen

  He checked his phone messages, more impatient now with the meeting. It was almost four and the special effects details were always tedious. They had to find a new groom and Bruno needed a tune-up. Even the casting director was twitching.

  “That’s it for now,” Anthony said, correctly reading the mood in the room. “We’ll go over footage later after I finalize tomorrow’s schedule. It’s been another good day. Thanks, everyone.”

  Dan rose and stepped from the trailer, not surprised to see his top wrangler lingering outside. Lizzie was super efficient and had a sixth sense about when the meetings would end.

  “We put Bruno and Ice in the end stalls,” she said, hurrying to his side. “The eight for the track scene tomorrow have been exercised and are ready to go. Not sure who you want for the interior shoot but that last Reckless lookalike is dead lame. I stuck him in the stud barn by the caretaker’s cottage. Looks like a tendon or ligament.”

  “Front left?”

  “Yeah.”

  Dan grimaced but kept walking. The new gelding had looked a little sore when they led him off the trailer. Damn shame too, since he was a movie pro and a dead ringer for Reckless, right down to the blaze and two white socks. Now they’d have to paint some markings on another horse.

  “Call the stock contractor,” he said. “See what else they have. I’ll look at the leg later. And put another horse in the barn for company. Use the quiet chestnut that came on the trailer with him.”

  “Okay,” Lizzie said. “Want to grab a coffee? Go over the rest of my notes?”

  “Not now. I have to look for some special skills.”

  Lizzie’s head tilted in confusion. “I thought the track scenes were on for tomorrow.”

  “Anthony’s made some adjustments,” Dan said, as they rounded the corner of the building. “We’re shooting out of sequence.” He scanned the group of hopefuls gathered in front of the main barn. About fourteen performers had shown up. With a little luck, one of them would fit.

  Scene changes always created challenges, and the casting director had made some questionable choices. An actress who refused to get close to a horse? Stunt doubles were working overtime. But to keep costs down, they urgently needed more extras who could handle a horse…a rambunctious horse like Bruno.

  His gaze settled on Emily, the girl who’d braved the dragon lady for a cup of coffee. She’d swapped her skimpy dress for boots and jeans but the set of her shoulders remained the same, hinting at a steely determination. He hadn’t even been sure she’d show up. She must be a local since extras didn’t stay at the nearby hotel, or even on site like the wranglers.

  He altered his course, joining the casting director who was already addressing the group.

  “We need a female between the age of nineteen and twenty-nine who can be available at eight tomorrow morning,” the casting director said. “Silent on camera but able to lead a horse. Bonus if you can ride.”

  Someone complained about lack of transportation and a wiry man with bowlegs muttered about discrimination. However, from the group of fourteen, six women stepped forward.

  The casting director numbered them quickly, spoke to them for a moment then turned toward Dan. “Can you check out one, two and three? Any of those would fit.”

  Dan nodded, glad Emily had made the cut. He gave her a reassuring wink and gestured toward the barn.

  “Follow Lizzie,” he said to the three approved women. “She’ll assign you each a horse to lead. Then we’ll have you walk in a line toward the track.”

  He crossed his arms and waited. Minutes later, the three girls reappeared, each leading a horse. Lizzie and two wranglers hovered beside them. Girl one was technically competent but looked tentative, something any horse person would pick up on screen.

  The second girl was a little too poised, and her artificial smile suggested she was a pro at showmanship. They might be able to work with that though. Her horse responded well, following as though confident in her direction.

  The third girl—oh, damn. Emily had been assigned Bruno, the trickiest horse to handle. And she sauntered as though out for an evening stroll, her legs long and loose, curvaceous hips swinging, as though fully expecting her horse to behave. She definitely possessed the racetrack insouciance, relaxed and unconcerned, as if big bad Bruno was her pet poodle. The wind lifted her hair, the lighter streaks glinting in the sun. This would make a great pet commercial; however, Bruno wasn’t anybody’s pet.

  Dan’s gaze flashed to the horse. Bruno wore a curious expression as though still evaluating his handler. He hadn’t done anything wrong, not yet, but there was a familiar trace of mischief in his eyes. Dan stopped breathing and waited.

  He didn’t have to wait long. Bruno’s neck abruptly snaked, his big teeth flashing as he reached for Emily’s wrist.

  Her arm moved so swiftly it seemed like a coincidence. But at the same time that her elbow met his nose, she snapped the lead. Bruno jerked his head and blinked, looking utterly hurt, as though he would never dream of nipping his handler.

  Dan exhaled. His biggest fear was that someone would get hurt, and he tended to worry more about the women than the men. He stepped forward, smiling his approval. “Number three,” he said to Emily. “You ended up with the barn brat. But if you can handle him like that tomorrow, you’re our new background groom.”

  He glanced at the other two applicants. This was the part he hated. He always felt rotten about sending people away and completely understood their disappointment. “We can’t use you as special skills,” he said, “but leave your name at the sign-in desk. They might need some extras later. Thanks for coming.”

  He motioned to his wranglers who took the lead lines and led away the two horses. Bruno and Emily remained. Her eyes glowed with lively intelligence and she looked even prettier now than she had this morning. The rosebud shape of her lips was more prominent without the bright lipstick…and he couldn’t help but notice she fit the boob requirement.

  Bruno stood patiently beside her, accepting her leadership and not even reacting when the other horses disappeared into the barn. It was amazing what one well-timed correction could accomplish.

  Dan chuckled. “You have a very fast elbow.”

  Her eyes widened as if she’d expected a scolding and was rather taken aback by praise. “I wasn’t sure what to do,” she said. “It wasn’t on the video—” She paused then continued in a rush. “But I can certainly let him bite me, if that’s what you want.”

  She gave a flippant smile but he guessed she’d made a habit of hiding her feelings. “We definitely don’t want him sinking his teeth into your arm,” Dan said. “Did you have a lot of biters at the last place you worked?”

  “Oh, yes. Heaps.” She nodded, but the toe of her boot scuffed the dirt for a telltale second before she managed to still it.

  He waited, sensing she had more to say, and if given time, the truth would come out.

  “Well, one little guy was pretty bad,” she added, “but I haven’t handled that many tough horses before. Not really.”

  He edged closer, drawn by the conflicting emotions playing over her face. He’d made a career of working with horses, reading their body language, and humans weren’t much different. Usually he preferred to focus on the animals, but this girl possessed an effervescent energy that sparked the air.

  “Then you’re a natural,” he said. “Your correction was perfect. Even the wranglers have trouble with Bruno. He’s one of the lookalikes for Reckless.”

  “Really? But my friend said Reckless had two white feet.”

  “Yes, and this guy will have white feet tomorrow. We’ll paint him up. Especially if he does the rearing scene.”

  “He rears.” Her eyes glinted, their color shifting from brown to warm caramel, and her voice had a mischievous lilt. “I tried to teach our pony to rear but my sister made me stop. She thought it was too dangerous.”

  “It is dangerous,” he said. “But it’s the quickest maneuver for portraying a mo
od, and audiences love it. Bruno can hang in the air for almost fifteen seconds.”

  “Great. Will I get to do that tomorrow? Hold him while he’s rearing?”

  He smiled. If Shania Stevens had half of Emily’s spunk, the movie would be much cheaper to film. Shooting the pool scene had been a challenge—Shania hadn’t even wanted to hold the lead rope. Luckily Shania’s stunt double was immensely capable.

  He dragged a hand over his jaw. It might be possible to use Bruno tomorrow, now that they’d found Emily. But it was essential that she trust the horse so she could concentrate on the director’s rapid-fire direction. He waved off a hovering Lizzie and turned back to Emily.

  “Let’s go to the round pen,” he said. “You can watch Bruno and decide if you’re comfortable. If not, we’ll use another horse. But I’d like to use this guy.”

  She hesitated, nibbling at her lower lip as though considering a more pressing engagement.

  He crossed his arms, making no effort to hide his irritation. “We need to find this out now. So do you have time, or not?” Earlier she’d acted delighted to be chosen for the background work, flashing him such a luminous smile it had made his breath quicken. He liked keeners, preferring to work with performers who put in the extra time to ensure a smooth scene. Her gumption was obvious but perhaps he’d misread her desire. “It’s no problem if you’re busy,” he added. “I can call back one of the others.”

  “No need.” She tightened her hand on Bruno’s lead. “I’m totally free tonight.”

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  Emily shaded her eyes from the setting sun and watched the man and horse in the round pen. The responsiveness of the big bay was amazing. This was the same gelding, Bruno, that she’d led for her audition. However, he behaved very differently now. His eyes and ears were locked on Dan, attuned to his handler’s slightest command.

  Dirt sprayed as Bruno slid to a stop, turned on powerful hindquarters and cantered in the opposite direction. Such beautiful movement. His back was rounded, his body so light and coiled it seemed he could move, catlike, in any direction.

  He had no bridle, saddle or halter, only the laser focus of his trainer—that same concentration she’d felt when talking to Dan. She’d lunged horses before, had often chased Peanut around, but it hadn’t been like this. Never like this. The communication between man and horse was inspiring. It was hard to spot Dan’s signals: a head tilt here, a drop of the shoulder there, occasionally an open palm.

  The fact that she was on a movie set suddenly became secondary to the magic of observing an elite trainer partnering with his magnificent horse.

  She wasn’t sure how much time had passed. Had stopped fretting about catching the bus to Louisville. And when Bruno stopped and Dan walked toward her, she still gaped.

  “Would you be comfortable holding this horse if he were asked to rear?” Dan asked.

  “I’d be comfortable crawling between his legs and holding his tail,” she said.

  Dan laughed then, a deep sexy laugh that left her appalled by her bluntness. She tended to speak and act too rashly. He was someone she needed to impress, the man who would decide if she could handle the role. But he had a rare quality that put her at ease, an astuteness that made her think he understood people—yet liked them anyway.

  Even during the special skills interview, she hadn’t been nervous. His presence had been comforting, almost like that of an old friend. And when he’d winked, her heart had given a little kick and her confidence had soared.

  She’d sensed Bruno might be tricky judging from the sideways grins of the wranglers. And it was clear Lizzie, the wrangler with the Aussie accent, was extremely possessive of her boss. Not surprising. Dan was stunningly handsome and when he smiled deeply, like he was doing now, it left a giddy feeling in her chest. Dammit, even her breathing had quickened.

  “I’ll be behind you tomorrow, directing Bruno. Reckless’s lifelong groom has just quit so we need the horse to act upset. The more aggressive, the better.” Dan paused, as though studying her reaction. “And the director will want you close in order to emphasize the horse’s size. It can be intimidating.”

  Emily glanced at Bruno who waited beside Dan, alert and ready for direction. He looked as dangerous as a lapdog. It certainly wasn’t the horse who left her feeling unsettled.

  “Bruno will appear different in the air,” Dan went on. “Originally we had Reckless moping in the stall, but the director wants to emphasize how badly the horse acted with his new groom.”

  So they needed a different face. Emily nodded, doubly grateful for Judith’s advice. If she’d been front and center in the ballroom, she wouldn’t be eligible for this scene. “I’m happy to do it,” she said. “Or anything like that. I’m used to rearing horses.”

  Dan said nothing, just kept his gaze on her face as if to make sure she was finished talking. She’d always thought a good listener was really thinking of something else. But that wasn’t true with him. In fact, the sheer force of his attention pulled more words from her mouth.

  “Those horses weren’t rearing on cue though,” she added. “Mainly they were scared or disobedient. But what you were doing with Bruno was amazing. He’s a perfect actor.”

  Dan smiled, the lines around his jaw deepening. “We actually need six horses for the full-grown Reckless. A horse to rear, one to bite, one to lie down and two to gallop.”

  “That’s five,” Emily said. She liked it when Dan spoke. It gave her a reason to stare at his face.

  “And one in the stall,” he said. “A quiet one that even Shania can touch.”

  His voice had turned slightly reproachful when the leading lady was mentioned, and Emily felt a spike of relief that he didn’t idolize the gorgeous actress. “What about the horse in the pool?” she asked, straightening her thoughts.

  “That was Reckless as a two-year-old. Played by a Quarter Horse called Splash. He did a good job today.”

  “It looks like Bruno wants to do a good job too,” she said, surprised by the gelding’s submissive demeanor. “He wouldn’t dare bite you.”

  “He’s smart but headstrong. That’s what makes him fun. Until you came along, I was considering using a different horse. Our earlier background performer was so intimidated, he dropped Bruno’s lead line and jumped behind the cameraman.”

  Emily smiled and studied Bruno. Despite being free, the horse remained beside Dan, as though there were no other place in the world he’d rather be. She couldn’t imagine anyone being afraid, not when Dan was around.

  “Should I practice with him?” she asked.

  Dan shook his head. “We want to keep your reaction fresh. And with the horses, too much practice can make it look artificial. The director will work with you tomorrow, tell you what he wants. Be flexible. Your call time is eight. It’s just a simple scene.”

  A simple scene. Maybe to him, but not to her. She was going to be in a real movie, holding the horse playing Reckless. Sure, it was just background but at least Jenna would see her on screen, if only for a second.

  She bounced on her toes, unable to hide her eagerness. “Thanks so much. I’m really looking forward to it.”

  “So you won’t back out on me? On my horse?” He gave a teasing grin, his teeth flashing white. “You won’t drop the lead line and run?”

  “I definitely won’t run,” she said.

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  Emily burst into the background tent, flushed with elation. Fortunately everyone was still here. It was almost eight, but the extra time with Dan and Bruno hadn’t made her miss the bus. She scanned the jumble of bored faces and spotted Judith sitting on a bench close to the coffee table.

  “I got the job,” Emily called, rushing toward her. “Special skills. I’m going to be in a scene with Reckless tomorrow.”

  “Wonderful,” Judith said, although her smile looked slightly wistful. “You’ll be able to see everything. His stall, the track, all the people. Hamilton showed me Reckless’s grave and even checked on back
ground for me, but the only part they need tomorrow is for someone who can drive a tractor.”

  Emily nodded, realizing now what had motivated Judith to stay and chat up Hamilton. “I wish you’d find something too. But maybe you could come on the bus with me tomorrow and watch.”

  Judith’s forehead wrinkled. “But there isn’t a bus tomorrow. No extras are needed. Only a few special skills.”

  “No bus?” Emily sank on the bench beside Judith. “But how will I get here?”

  “Extras find their own transportation unless a lot of background is required, like today.” Judith gave a sympathetic shrug. “Don’t you have a car either?”

  “Not one that’s running,” Emily said. “And I have to come. I promised Dan I’d show up.”

  “There’s a hotel a few miles down the road. Most of the cast stay there. Maybe you could get a room.”

  Emily nodded, too proud to admit she was flat broke. Her last dollar had been spent on an awesome pair of shoes, perfect for the nineties. But perhaps Jenna could call the hotel desk and make a reservation. Burke and Jenna had stacks of credit cards.

  She tugged out her phone. There were a couple of texts and finally one from Jenna: Working with Robert Dexter. Yay. So proud of you, movie star!

  Emily studied the message, her throat tightening. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d made Jenna proud. Unfortunately, her sister misunderstood. Emily wasn’t actually working with Robert Dexter. She’d be lucky to even talk to him. And she certainly wasn’t a star. It had been a major feat simply to be chosen as special skills.