by Dee J. Adams
With Leo still on the phone getting ready for Saturday, Kim took a few minutes to check her email and surf the Internet. After a half hour, she logged off and pushed the chair back. Something crinkled on the floor and she picked up Leo’s last bank statement where it had fallen from the desk.
Though she’d gone through all his finances with him a couple of months ago and she’d been proud of the way he’d consolidated his life and holdings, her curiosity got the better of her. She flipped to the second page and glanced at the numbers. A direct withdrawal from his account for twenty-one thousand dollars made her blink. She looked at the code, not surprised to see The Marion. She’d told him he couldn’t afford to keep this estate, so what had he been thinking? His balance was precariously low, telling her he was still barely treading water financially.
A wave of anger rose up from her stomach. How could he spend twenty-one thousand dollars on a place he didn’t visit, much less live in?
She scanned his deposits and saw several that added up to twenty-three thousand dollars. Why would he blow that money into a vacation place when he could start rebuilding his savings or begin investing in something that gave him dividends? It made no sense. Kim trekked through the living room to find Leo, but his phone rang before she could ask him about it.
“It’s the LAPD,” he said, reading the caller ID. “Hello.” He listened, nodded. “Really? I guess that’s good.” He glanced at her, his brows slanted as he listened some more. “But they could be lying,” he said. After another minute, he said, “Thanks for the call. I’ll let her know. And you’ll let me know if you find anything else.”
“What happened?” Kim asked after he hung up. “News about yesterday?”
“Cops talked to a man in one of the canyon houses last night. Turns out his kid broke into his gun cabinet and fired off a few shots with his shotgun. Kid claims he was only aiming at tin cans with his buddies, but…” Leo shrugged. “The trajectory from the house doesn’t match where we were pinned down, and the kid swears they didn’t leave the house, just fired from the balcony. Time frame doesn’t match either.”
“You think he’s lying?” she asked.
“Don’t know. It’s possible. Either way they’re in a shitload of—”
The phone rang again and Leo answered, glancing up at her. “It’s for you.”
For her? Who would be calling…? Shit. Only one person had this number. Taking the phone, Kim set her annoyance aside. Maybe he had a good reason this time. “Hello?”
“Kim!”
Just as she suspected. “Hi, Wilson. Everything okay?”
“Yep. Great news!” Kim had to take the phone from her ear because he was practically yelling. “I just rolled into town for an engineering conference. Where are you? I thought I’d pick you up and we could grab a bite to eat.”
She glanced at Leo since he’d obviously heard the invitation and he shrugged. “Uh…” Now wasn’t the best time, especially since she wanted to have a talk with Leo, who was nice enough to pull her favorite tea from his pantry and silently ask if she wanted some. She nodded.
“Hey, at least tell me where you are?” Wilson asked. “I thought we could catch up since we barely see each other. This will make it twice in two months.”
He sounded so happy to see her and he’d been so upset after the meeting with the lawyer that she felt obligated to see him. She’d still have plenty of time to knock some sense into the man standing in front her. She covered the mouthpiece. “Do you mind if I give my cousin your address?”
“I don’t mind. Sounds like you do though,” Leo whispered.
Honestly she was more torn than anything. She didn’t want to think badly of Wilson. She just wanted him to grow up. He’d let his good looks open doors and when those doors started closing, he had no idea how to deal with life. Carolyn might not have been able to help him, but maybe a peer, someone closer in age, might be able to help guide him.
Kim went back to the phone. “You got a pencil?” When he was ready, she gave him the address to the house in the hills and disconnected.
“This is your favorite cousin?” Leo teased as Kim got a mug from the cabinet and filled it with water from the fridge.
“He’s the only cousin I have any contact with. Not sure that’s a good thing anymore,” she mumbled, setting a mug of water in the microwave. “He’s here for a conference.”
“So I heard. That’s good timing,” Leo said.
“For who?”
Leo laughed, but the phone rang and cut short his joy. It also cut her opportunity to ask him about his vacation place.
Wilson arrived forty-five minutes later, looking much his usual self in tan Dockers and a navy polo shirt. He hugged her—a little too hard—before pulling back and taking a good look at her. “What happened to you? You look like you went through a paper shredder.”
Kim didn’t need to look at the scratches on her arms and legs. Scratches the dress did nothing to hide. “Gee, thanks,” she uttered. She waved him into the house and introduced him to Leo, who promptly took another phone call and disappeared into his office.
“Wow,” Wilson said, taking a seat on the couch. Stella eyed him from her corner, but didn’t make a move to get closer. “I didn’t realize my little cousin had so many famous clients.”
“I don’t really,” Kim said, holding back her annoyance at the way he got comfortable. This was the kind of thing that put people off. Instead of waiting for invitations, Wilson just assumed they were forthcoming and helped himself to anything. Kim held back the words, cut this shit out because she didn’t want a family argument in front of Leo. “Can I get you something to drink?” Damn. Shouldn’t have offered.
“Sure. I’ll have whatever you’re having.” He stretched out his legs and looked around the place like it was a four-star hotel just waiting for him, while Kim headed to the kitchen, cursing her hostess gene. “Hey,” he continued, “is your cat ni— Ouch! Shit! Damn cat.” Sounded as if Stella had made up her mind about Wilson, and Kim felt guilty for smiling. “Well, it was one long drive from Tucson. I’m ready for a nap.”
Don’t expect to take it here. “Maybe you should check into a hotel and do that,” she suggested from the kitchen. “Where’s your conference?” She poured him a glass of water from the fridge.
“It’s downtown. I’m pretty sure the hotel’s booked, but I thought I’d come in anyway since I knew you were here. Any chance you could put me up for a few nights?”
What the hell? Kim felt a surge of fresh compassion for Aunt Carolyn, along with a strong urge to throttle Wilson. Was this what Carolyn dealt with before she got sick? Before Kim could formulate an answer, Leo bounded down the stairs, still on the phone as she entered with the water.
“No, I have it right here. Give me a sec.” He rummaged through stacks of papers on the small kitchen table until he found what he needed. “Yeah, I was right. Twenty feet should be enough. I just want that close up before the dolly stops and we get the scenery in the background.” He listened and nodded. “Great. I’ll see you Saturday.”
“What’s Saturday?” Wilson asked as Leo disconnected the call.
Kim couldn’t believe Wilson asked before she’d even introduced them, but Leo didn’t seem bothered. “I’m finishing my film,” he said. He scribbled more notes on a yellow pad.
Damn. She didn’t want Wilson to know because—
“That is so cool!” Wilson sat forward. “What’s it about?”
“It’s a western,” Leo said.
Wilson’s handsome face scrunched up into a ball of doubt. “A western? Why?”
The air in the room turned suddenly icy.
“Okay!” Kim said, breaking up the conversation and handing her cousin the glass of water. “Has your conference already started? Do you need to register?” How fast could she get him out the door? Not to mention hoping he didn’t bring up sleeping accommodations again. It wasn’t her house to offer Wilson a bed and besides she already occupied the on
ly other bed in the place.
Taking a drink, Wilson waved his hand in the air. “I can hit it tomorrow. There’s not much happening today.” He looked at Leo. “Would you mind if I watched you on Saturday? I’d love to tell my friends that not only did I meet Leo Frost, but I got to see him shoot a scene for his movie.”
Leo’s silence said more than any words and just as Kim opened her mouth to tell Wilson it wasn’t possible, Leo said, “Sure. Not a problem.”
“Great!” Wilson set his half empty glass on the table and sat back, making himself at home, and Kim had the absolute knowledge that she’d made a huge mistake inviting him over. She’d bet a bundle he got away with murder with that face.
Wilson slid the cardkey into the slot and opened the hotel room door. Anger simmered under the surface as he tossed his bag on the green comforter of the king sized bed. The strong smell of disinfectant permeated the room and he opened the window facing the parking lot. He’d hoped to not have to come back here. It was close enough to the damn conference to actually back up his story and he’d needed that alibi in case Kim asked him or came with him. “Fucking assholes think I don’t know what’s going on between them.” He paced the room. “Sorry, there’s not enough space,” he mimicked his cousin. He inspected the claw mark on his hand. That was the last time he tried to be nice to an animal. “Bullshit. Move the rabid cat off the fucking sofa and I can sleep there, shitheads.”
It made him glad he’d kept them pinned all day yesterday. He chuckled again. How many hours had they stayed behind that rock cluster after he’d gone home? Two? Three? Had they waited until dark? He’d wanted to ask about the cuts and scrapes on Kim’s arms, but since he knew about her car accident, he had no reason to think those injuries had been caused any other way, and there was no sense inviting questions from her.
Speaking of questions, he needed to cover his ass with an alibi so he called his old buddy Nick. The guy owed him a favor after Wilson had dropped out of a card game and given his seat to Nick. Bastard had ended up winning a nice haul of almost ten grand that night. All Nick had to do was tell the cops they were together yesterday and Wilson would be in the clear. With that done, Wilson paced the room.
Something about the way Kim looked today reminded him of Carolyn. Maybe it was the dress or her hairstyle. No. It was her attitude when she’d shown him to the door. It had been all Aunt Carolyn and he despised it. They thought they were better than him. Thought he was a failure. “Well, Carolyn, if I’m such a failure, why are you six feet under and I’m still here.”
Taking a deep breath, Wilson stopped moving and looked up to the ceiling. “Fine,” he said, stretching his neck and tilting his head back and forth from one shoulder to the other. “You don’t want me under your roof, but I sure as hell will see you on Saturday. And maybe it’ll be the last time you see anybody.” He took out the headshot of Leo he’d swiped from the stack on the table. “You too, asshole. You too. You couldn’t even get off the phone for more than two minutes to talk to a guest in your house. I knew you were a prick.”
Chapter Eleven
Saturday came way too fast. Leo had so much going through his head as he got into wardrobe, he wondered if he could pull off this last minute shoot. Outside his makeshift tent in the desert, crewmembers readied for the shot.
Thank God Kim had decided to stay because she’d turned into his right hand. They’d both been glued to phones for two days. Kim’s crash course in production 101 had been an ongoing success. A smart businesswoman, she was quick to get the hang of pulling together a last minute shoot. Coordinating schedules, equipment rental, transportation, costs, food on site and a hundred other details sometimes took a magician.
Every single crewmember he’d hired had agreed to work the day for a cut rate and a piece of the profits. Provided he had profits to give. If Kim’s cousin was any indication, then he might be fighting a losing battle to finish this film. Would anyone go see a western in this day of zombie/techno warfare?
The small group who’d come here today did it because they liked him and respected him. He might have a shitty reputation when it came to women, but crewmembers loved him. At least most did. He had made one huge error in judgment over the years and it still haunted him.
Most people didn’t realize the amount of work that went into making a film. The amount of very creative, talented people needed to shape and produce the visions on the big screen. They looked at a costume and enjoyed the flair, but had no real concept of the work that went into designing or building it, the same with the sets or makeup or the script itself.
So, yes, though Leo had managed to make the majority of this film and pay his crew so long ago, it was the people who’d shown up here today to finish these final shots who he planned to share some of the profits with. They were the ones who’d believed in him and this film from the beginning and he felt the need to reward that.
He sure as hell hoped this thing broke even.
Leo took one last look in the mirror at his wardrobe. The dust-covered brown pants with dust-covered black leather chaps. Spurs jingled when he walked. A holster hung low on his hip and strapped to his thigh. A brown leather vest hid most of the black shirt, and his black Stetson sat back on his head. Two days growth of dark stubble covered his jaw and cheeks. Because of his lack of sleep the last couple of nights, and since he’d risen at three a.m. to get to the location, he looked road weary and tired. It worked perfectly for the part.
He didn’t have any dialogue to utter, but this scene was pivotal to the movie. He’d planned to shoot it many months ago, but after Carrie Ann had gone off the deep end and been institutionalized, he’d put it off. Finishing and releasing the film had seemed like the wrong thing to do, but when it came to defining importance, Megan’s health care beat Carrie Ann’s any day of the week.
Family came first and Megan was the only family he had.
Not for much longer.
His brain wouldn’t shut down the commentary on the new arrival due in about seven months. His palms sweated just thinking about it. Kim didn’t look pregnant, so his brain had a hard time processing what it couldn’t see. Pretty soon, he’d have more than just Megan to care for. Didn’t matter what Kim said, he couldn’t walk away no matter if she wanted him to or not. If she seriously intended to have his baby, then he had to be involved. No matter how cold-hearted some people assumed him to be, he wouldn’t turn his back on his flesh and blood.
Now that he had that decision made, he needed to tell Kim. He hadn’t had a minute to talk to her once they’d set Wilson back on the road toward his conference. Which didn’t seem to be that important since the guy took the day off to watch him film. But for some people, watching a film being made was a once in a lifetime thing…even a film as small as this one.
Leo came out of the wardrobe tent, a tiny enclosure a couple of the guys had constructed for him to change. He went to the cooler under a bigger tent they’d erected for craft service. Not that this could be considered crafty. It was more like a table piled high with granola bars, and fruit in a basket. Bread and peanut butter sat in the corner. Two coolers filled with water, Gatorade and soda took up space on the ground. Two more coolers with deli meat, cheese and condiments hid under the table for lunchtime.
Kim had helped him buy and organize everything and for that—for everything she’d helped him with—he might’ve fallen in love with her.
Leo chugged some water as he walked into the blazing sun. A cool breeze took the edge off what might’ve been a blistering day. Not one cloud drifted in the sky. He spotted Kim in the dark blue skinny jeans he’d bought for her with a white tank top that outlined her sweet figure. A pair of brown boots with a three-inch heel gave her the height she loved. Cesar’s clothes didn’t really work for this desert shoot, but Kim had the ability to make even her casual outfit look custom made. She stood next to Smokey, the dark Mustang he’d be riding, patting his sleek neck and talking to the horse wranglers.
His phone
must have rung, because Kim slipped it out of her pocket and checked the screen as she moved toward him and answered it, kicking up tufts of dust with each step. She’d been fielding his calls all morning so he could get some work done setting up the scene. “He’s right here. Here you go.” She handed him the phone. “Your stuntman, Rex.”
“Hey, Rex. What’s up?”
“Oh, man, Leo. I’m sorry, bro. Some douche bag rear-ended me going forty. My car is totaled. There’s no way I can be there in time.”
Shit. Leo’s heart sank. The biggest part of the day relied on the stunt. Just another in a long line of hurdles keeping him on his toes. “You okay? You got an ambulance on the way?”
“Nah. No ambulance. I’m a little sore, but I’m fine. I’m ready to throttle this idiot though, and my car’s not going anywhere. I feel terrible. I don’t want you to do this stunt.”
He hadn’t wanted to either, but now he didn’t have a choice. Sweat prickled along his neck. “Don’t worry about it. I can handle it.” He pretended not to see Kim’s eyes narrow.
“I have the saddle, man,” Rex said. “And you need a step on the saddle for the fall you’re planning.” The step was an L shaped metal piece that replaced the stirrup. It hooked into the fender or looped over the saddle horn and provided the support the rider needed while on the horse, and at the same time made a jumping off point when it came time to execute the fall. It also prevented the rider from getting their foot caught or twisted in the stirrup.
“Kyle has a saddle and a step, so we’re good,” Leo told him. “And we already prepped the ground. I think we fluffed it to your usual standard. Your nice soft landing pit will now become my soft landing pit.” Yeah, right. Leo wasn’t dumb enough to think that just because they’d used a pick and shovel to dig up a square section of land to soften the fall didn’t mean it wasn’t going to hurt. What he wouldn’t give for a crash pad. And now Kim had her hands on her hips. Battle mode.
