High Risk

by JLee Meyer

  As if reading her mind, Dash added, “We didn’t do anything wrong, Kate.”

  Too quickly, Kate said, “It’s just, you know how photos can be turned around and twisted to tell made-up stories. Joe would… Never mind. Let’s go see the property. They aren’t invited to do that, are they?”

  Diana answered. “Hell, no. That blue-eyed fellow almost devoured the boar by himself. They can wait with Denny and Jock. They’ll keep an eye on them.”

  *

  Chaz watched the three women head off on their horses, trying to figure out how to follow them. How far could it be, anyway? But Reynolds and Phelps were sticking close, acting suspicious of him and Michael.

  When Reynolds got a call on her cell, she walked away from their awkward little group and had a somewhat agitated conversation. She rang off and hurried over to them, announcing that some load of carpet or paint or crap had been delayed by an accident with a truck. They had to get back right away.

  Immediately, Chaz said, “Go on. Don’t worry about us. The guy at the garage said they could come and get us if we needed them.”

  Looking doubtful and stressed, Jock nodded curtly. “I’d better not see any pictures from today in the papers. I mean that.” The look she gave each of them made Chaz break out in a sweat.

  She and Denny tore out down the driveway, leaving them staring.

  Dusting his hands together, Chaz said, “Hokay! Got rid of them. Not very friendly, if you ask me. Now, where’s my camera and which way did they go?” He batted his eyes at Michael and grinned.

  Putting his hands on his hips, Michael pursed his lips. “No way. You’re on your own. I’m not running after a group on horseback, for God’s sake. You heard Jock. We can’t even use the shots we got today. Let’s just call the garage.”

  Slipping the strap of the Nikon with the telescopic lens already mounted on it over his head, Chaz started loping in the direction he’d seen Hoffman and Pate head. “Our employer will decide what ends up in the papers, not Jock Reynolds. I’ll be back soon—with the goods!”

  *

  A mile out and three fences later, Kate and the other two horsewomen halted at the top of a ridge. They were surrounded by scrub oak and the brown hills of California.

  “How large a parcel is it?” Dasher had brought her PDA and was taking notes as her mount grazed peacefully. She loosely wrapped the reins around the pommel of the saddle.

  “Three hundred acres, five of which are developed. It was originally supposed to be a resort. Luxury cabins with a main lodge were ready, but before it could open, the developer tanked and the property reverted to me.” Diana consulted a piece of paper from her shirt pocket.

  “The roads are roughed in for the whole parcel and the resort is pristine, complete with a well. The septic system is state of the art and the lodge has a professional kitchen. Everything so far is mostly run with solar. It came back to me like that.”

  Beyond the ridge, the Pacific Ocean stretched endlessly before Kate, a rougher, more raw version of her view from Malibu. A fresh breeze bathed her face. She took a deep breath, savoring the crisp ocean air. “This is beautiful. It seems ideal. Dash?”

  Looking up from her notes, Dasher said, “How much do you want, Diana? For everything.”

  Diana seemed to consider the question. “I want to know more about this Elysium Society Denny mentioned. Then, if this is the right place for your plans, we’ll talk.”

  Just then, they heard a growl and then a scream and turned in their saddles to see Chaz Hockaday fighting his way out of a grove of scrub oak and blackberry bushes with Luna hanging on to the seat of his pants.

  “Help! I’m being attacked!” He swiped ineffectually at Luna, who seemed more playful than serious, but nonetheless held on to him and shook her head, bouncing Hockaday around.

  Spitfire reared, and Dasher barely stayed on. Her PDA went flying into the scrub. Spitfire pranced and bucked, then settled.

  Diana called, “Luna, release.”

  Luna immediately let go of Chaz and left him to pick the blackberry vines off his body and clothes and untangle the camera from the detritus he’d been hiding in. Luna sat placidly a few feet from him. Kate thought Luna seemed amused.

  Diana eyed him. “Mr. Hockaday. You have been my guest this afternoon. Is this the way you repay my invitation? By spying on my friends?”

  Evidently trying for innocence, Chaz said, “I was just…out for a stroll. Miss Tartaglia, I would never—”

  “Save it, Hockaday,” Diana said. “We’ve already guessed your motives. You’re on private property and don’t have permission for photos. By the way, that was poison oak mixed in with the blackberry thorns. Now get moving.”

  Hockaday’s eyes went round. “Poison oak? I’m really allergic to that stuff. Oh, my God!” He started frantically trying to untangle himself, which only compounded the problem because the blackberry vines were scratching and cutting him.

  “Freeze!” Dasher’s voice was so commanding that all of them stopped moving.

  “You’re making it worse. Diana, I hate to ask, but may I borrow, er, have your riding gloves? I’ll pick the stuff off of him. I’m allergic, too, and I know how miserable it can be if—”

  “I’ll do it,” Kate said. “When I was a kid I used to practically roll in the stuff and never had a reaction.”

  Nodding, Diana said, “We’ve got some antihistamine pills and salve we can give him. That should be enough to get him to the emergency room.”

  Kate dismounted and marched over to Chaz. “I should let you suffer. Don’t move.” He stood meekly as she slipped into Diana’s riding gloves and carefully picked off the brambles and poison oak vines. His arms, face, and neck were already a mass of welts and scratches.

  Ten minutes later she stood back and examined her work. “We’d better get him on my horse, his face is swelling.”

  Chaz croaked, “I itch and I don’t know how to ride a horse.” He looked miserable but clung to his camera.

  “Ride behind me, Kate.” Dasher offered her hand and slipped her foot from the stirrup so Kate could use it.

  Kate nodded. “I’ll hold his reins, we better hurry.”

  They set off for the hacienda at a trot, Chaz bouncing up and down and periodically groaning. He had a death grip on the saddle horn.

  As far as Kate was concerned, hugging Dasher and leading the buckskin was a mixture of heaven and hell. Dasher was in great shape and she rode as if she was one with Spitfire. Listening to Chaz reminded her why she couldn’t explore the relationship further.

  An hour later they had treated Chaz as best they could. A ranch hand loaded him and Michael into a truck to take Chaz to the hospital and drop Michael off at the garage for their car.

  Grateful and very worried about Chaz, Michael apologized and waved as they pulled away from the house. Kate got the impression he cared for Chaz quite a bit. She hoped his taste in men improved.

  As the truck disappeared around a curve, Dasher began to swear. “My PDA! I lost it when Spitfire reared, then forgot about it. Damnit, it has my life on it.”

  Diana was just coming out of the barn. “The horses are settled, why don’t you take the RTV? I’ve had it modified with an electric engine so it won’t disturb the animals. You have about an hour until sunset and you’re welcome to stay the night. It’s late to head back. That location has beautiful sunsets, by the way.”

  She regarded Kate with wise eyes. “You go too, Kate. Two will have better luck finding it than one. I’d volunteer, but I have a lot of work to do.” She smiled so innocently that Kate was nodding without one warning whistle sounding in her brain.

  Entering an outbuilding beside the barn, within a minute Diana produced something called a Kubota. Unlike the ATVs Kate was familiar with on the sets of some of her films, this one was almost silent and had room enough for two on a bench seat. It reminded her of a really macho golf cart.

  Pointing, Diana said, “Just follow the trail back and you should easily
find the area where Mr. Hockaday met his big bad wolf.”

  Dasher glanced at Kate. “Thanks. I could use the help.”

  Now the klaxons were blaring. It was risky to be alone with Dasher Pate.

  Dasher smiled shyly. Just then Kate felt a pressure on her leg. She looked down and there was Squirt, wanting to be held. After she swooped him up she nuzzled his furry face. “Diana, can he come, too?”

  Shaking her head slightly, Diana said, “Maybe next time. Luna would feel the need to follow, and she’s tired. It’s almost his dinnertime.”

  At the mention of the word “dinner,” Squirt began to wriggle in her arms and Kate put him down, watching as he scampered after Diana. “I feel so cheap. Turned down for dinner with his mother.”

  Dasher hopped in the RTV, pressed the ignition, and said, “If it makes you feel better, he’s still nursing.”

  “Oh.” Kate needed to think about that.

  The RTV wasn’t fast but bumped along at a steady pace. The electric motor kept it quiet, and Kate could sit back and enjoy the ride.

  “How’s your mother?” Dasher asked. “She’s very proud of you two. You especially.”

  Kate was quiet. “I guess so. I used to feel guilty. Around our house it was always about my brother, the male, and me, the star. Even when I was little, Laurel was almost ignored because she was quiet. She was lucky.”

  Dasher cast her a sideways glance. “What do you mean?”

  When Kate had made this remark before, most people scoffed and assumed she was just angling for compliments about how talented and beautiful she was. Others always thought they knew what she was thinking. Dasher was the first who seemed actually curious.

  “Laurel was able to go her own way. She went to college, got her doctorate, and taught. What she wanted to do. I’m sorry she hooked up with the woman before Stefanie, because they weren’t good together, but our parents didn’t put up much of a stink even when Laurel told them she was a lesbian. They said, ‘Oh, that’s just Laurel.’”

  “I guess it was different for you.” Dasher kept her eyes on the trail and Kate was grateful because the words came more easily.

  She sighed and watched some of the black-tailed deer that were venturing out in the waning day. “Oh, yeah. Kate the model, Kate the dancer, Kate the homecoming queen. Kate the celebrity, Kate the star. Little-Miss-Perfect Kate.”

  “Did you have a lot of friends?”

  Trying to keep the bitterness from her voice, she said, “No. I had people who liked to hang out with Kate the Fill-In-the-Blank for a little reflected glory. The moment something better came along, they were gone. I guess I was training for Hollywood.”

  “What about Laurel? I didn’t get the feeling she was jealous of you.”

  “Laurel’s my best friend. I’m so glad she’s happy.”

  Dasher was quiet. “You don’t sound happy.”

  “Iam happy…for her.” Kate’s eyes stung and her chest burned. She couldn’t say more. Besides, she had nothing to whine about. She didn’t even know if Dasher was trustworthy. She seemed like it, but she worked in Hollywood, too.

  It took thirty minutes to reach the section of trail that was littered with brambles and vines. Diana had provided another set of heavy-duty gloves, and Dasher looked for her PDA while Kate gingerly cleared the trail to prevent anyone else from getting tangled.

  “I can’t find the freaking thing. I had it in my hand, and then Hockaday screamed like a banshee and Spitfire reared. I thought it went this way, but nothing. The undergrowth is pretty thick.”

  Finishing her task, Kate removed her gloves and tossed them in a box on the back of the tractor, straightened, and looked around. Shadows were making it hard to see. “Does it have a cover? I honestly don’t remember it.”

  Shifting her weight to one hip, Dasher sighed. “No. I’d been meaning to get one. A neon green one. Well, let’s—” She took a step and they both heard a crack. “Shit.” Looking down, she found her PDA under her left foot.

  Kate covered her mouth with her hand and snorted. “Oops.” At first Dasher scowled at her, then seemed to be trying hard to be angry. Eventually they were both laughing.

  Dasher picked up the device, its screen thoroughly ruined. Kate tried to console her. “Well, you probably have most of it backed up, right? And we can get the property information from Diana again.”

  “I guess.” Dasher just kept staring at it, probably trying to will it whole again.

  Kate suddenly remembered Diana’s words. “Hey, have we missed the sunset?”

  They looked toward the ocean and could see the sun as vibrant orange, sinking quickly. But the water wasn’t visible. Instead, the sun was disappearing into a thick layer of gray-blue fog. Kate half expected to hear the hiss from its heat as the froth and moisture cooled it. The quiet that surrounded them, the light sea breeze, and the last rays of the warmth of white heat being absorbed by the fog made the spot seem magical.

  Standing close to Dasher, Kate stopped breathing, wanting to capture every second of the moment, wanting to share it. Dasher took her hand as the dusk gathered around them. Kate turned to her and reached to touch her face.

  She heard the sharp intake of breath as she ran her thumb over Dasher’s lower lip, sensing more than seeing that Dasher kissed the tip of her thumb. It seemed so natural to slide her arms over Dasher’s shoulders and pull her close.

  Halting just inches away, Kate searched Dasher’s eyes and saw something she’d never seen before. She closed her eyes but it was too late. Too late to stop the kiss, too late to control her body and the yearning.

  The kiss deepened and Dasher held her tight. But it was Dasher who finally broke the spell. “Kate? Is this what you want?”

  Kate searched her eyes. “What’s wrong? We’re alone, no one can see us. Don’t you want it, too?”

  “I think you know the answer. But is this all we’ll have?”

  Kate had just kissed, really kissed, a woman for the first time in her life. Wasn’t that enough? She was reeling with all of the emotions at war in her body, not to mention the alarms clanging in all lobes of her brain.

  “Dasher, can’t we just have our moment? Can’t we have something we’ll never forget? You know what it’s like in LA. What my job is, the expectations. You, better than anyone, know. What are you asking?”

  They touched foreheads. “Nothing. We’ll have this moment, then, and that will be all.” She gently kissed her lips once more. “We’d better get back. Squirt will be looking for you.”

  Once at the ranch, by unspoken consent they made their excuses and drove back to the Bay Area. Squirt had tried to come with them and Diana had to chase him and hold him as they drove away. Kate knew she’d done the right thing for both of them by stopping what her body and heart ached for. She didn’t want to hurt Dasher more than she just had. Damned beautiful sunset.

  But the look on Dasher’s face mirrored her own misery and only served to add one more piece of kindling to the smoldering resentment she had for her life in Movieland.

  Chapter Eight

  Dasher dropped Kate at Hotel Liaison after their silent return and sped away. Kate watched her car until it disappeared around a corner. Dasher’s expression, what she thought of as a mixture of regret and aloofness, was one she wouldn’t forget soon. It left her feeling empty.

  Kate limped inside the hotel and made her way to the bar. She didn’t know what time it was, but it had to be after 5:00 p.m. somewhere in the world, and she needed a drink.

  It was quiet, just a few tables with women dressed in downtown professional attire looking like they were talking business. The lighting was muted and no one paid attention to her as she found a booth in the darkest corner of the room.

  After a moment Ember Jones appeared and asked her for her order. Lord, was there a job in this joint she didn’t cover?

  Morosely, she replied, “A new life.”

  Ember laughed nervously, obviously not knowing what on earth Kate was talkin
g about. Kate envied the young woman her clean slate. Ember was just starting her life, and hopefully she wouldn’t mess it up by chasing illusions.

  Taking mercy on her, Kate mustered a small smile and said, “In lieu of that, how about a Maker’s Mark Manhattan, straight up, two cherries.” That’s right, Kate, old girl. You’re about to splurge and have two cherries. Calories be damned. What a daredevil you are.

  She was quietly shredding her cocktail napkin and eating a few pretzels when someone placed her drink in front of her. “Can I get you anything else? A shoulder to cry on?”

  The voice belonged to Laurel, and when Kate met her concerned expression, she chose to study her drink. “Let that waitress of yours know her tip just evaporated. What did she tell you?” The women around here sure weren’t very good at discretion, even though Kate knew she wouldn’t end up looking like she felt in a tabloid photo.

  “Ember was worried and thought maybe I could help. Besides, you obviously didn’t notice who was behind the bar.” Gesturing toward the cocktail, Laurel said, “Try it, I’ve been practicing. Even make my own bitters.” Laurel was grinning, which always helped lighten Kate’s moods.

  Kate sipped and the drink went down so smoothly, she sipped again. “That’s good, Laur. If the hotel business doesn’t work I think you’ve got a career as a mixologist.”

  “Slow down, tiger. It has a kick. Our regular bartender just came on duty, so I’m off. You want company?”

  No. “Okay.” As Laurel went to check out, Kate added, “And bring another one of your specials back with you. My story is long and boring, and I need to hop a flight back to LA tonight.”

  Five minutes later Laurel placed two Manhattans on the table. “Sounds like I’ll need one, too.”

  Glumly, Kate asked, “Where’s Stef?”

  “Having dinner with Jason. They never get to be alone, so I sent them off to have some fun. I’m so glad I did because you and I seldom have time either. What’s up? I thought you were with Dasher, looking at property.”