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

by Mary J. Williams

  NATE DIDN’T BOTHER to look at the clock. It was early. Or late. It was all about your point of view.

  After his day, he should have been dead to the world the second his head hit the pillow. However, an exhausted body did not always equal sleep. Nate knew that all too well. He turned onto his back, staring at the sliver of light that peeked through the curtains.

  When he told Paige that he didn’t sleep well alone, he hadn’t been exaggerating. This was a lifelong problem. His mother said it was because he was a twin. Nate wasn’t sure that nine months sharing a uterus with his brother equated to the need to have someone nearby when he slept, but it was as good a theory as any.

  As boys, he and Garrett shared a room so he didn’t know he had a problem until they were older and moved into their own. After a few weeks, the lack of sleep started to take its toll. He literally fell asleep in his cereal.

  Never one to let the opportunity to rib his brother slip by, Garrett gave him all kinds of grief. Then, without a word, he moved his bed into Nate’s room.

  Over the years, Nate trained himself to sleep alone. A different woman every night was an exciting solution when he was younger, but that had lost its appeal long ago. His relationships never lasted longer than a few months. Partly because he traveled so much, mostly because he hadn’t met a woman he could see himself with for a lifetime.

  Nate loved his life. He had a great family. The job of his dreams. Plenty of money. Good friends.

  Most nights he managed five or six solid hours of sleep. He still slept better when he wasn’t alone, but for the most part, he could shut his mind and body down. Strange country. Strange bed. With a few exceptions, Nate found a way. Especially when he was worn out.

  Nate rolled to his side, mind running over yesterday’s events.

  Once introductions and small talk had been taken care of, Nate decided it was time to set the tone for how they would move forward. His father always said, Make it clear from day one who was in charge. Confused leadership meant anarchy and was sure death to a movie.

  It was a bit dramatic, but so was his father. Caleb Landis was bigger than life. Loud, brash. He could cut down a rival with one icy look from his laser sharp blue eyes. He lived life the way he wanted. No excuses. No compromises.

  Nate’s path was different from his father’s, but that didn’t mean he hadn’t listened and learned. It was a good thing. He would need every bit of his father’s wisdom. Chuck and his friends looked for him to make sure this movie was made.

  Surprisingly, Nate didn’t find leading the making of a movie that much different from leading his crew of stunt people. Solid ground rules were the key. The residents of Basic were not professionals, but they wanted to do a good job. That made it easier for him.

  The first thing he did was make sure everyone had a script. Thanks to Chuck’s foresight, that had been taken care of. The casting wasn’t an issue. The movie had three main speaking parts. The male and female leads and their daughter.

  Chuck seemed confident in his choices.

  Wilt Adair and Edith Potter had played husband and wife half a dozen times at the Regency. The theater did a yearly production, usually a Christmas-themed play. It was the perfect time of year to ensure a big audience. School was out and the local ranchers and farmers had little to do except tend their livestock. A play was the perfect diversion during a cold, snowy December in Basic.

  The part of the daughter was small, but pivotal. Chuck thought Maude Clancy, Edith’s real life daughter, would be perfect for the part.

  This was Chuck’s baby. If he were happy with his choices, Nate wouldn’t argue. He would keep his fingers crossed that the trio turned out to be decent actors.

  Nate was impressed by the amount of preparation Chuck had done. Casting. Equipment. There was a long list of volunteers — more than necessary for such a small production. However, as Chuck pointed out, you never knew when an emergency would keep someone from showing up. These people had jobs and families. When life happened, the movie would take a backseat.

  Nate would have to be diligent and keep them headed in one direction, but he believed he was up to the task. He wasn’t nervous about taking on an unfamiliar job. In a way, he was more qualified than most first time directors. He grew up on movie sets. This was familiar territory.

  His nerves weren’t keeping him awake. It was old-fashioned sexual frustration. Paige wasn’t caving and even if she did, he couldn’t see sneaking out to the barn for a romp in the hay. Not with Chuck in the house.

  When Nate wanted a woman, he usually had her. That wasn’t ego talking; it was a bald-faced fact. This was unfamiliar territory and Nate wasn’t sure how to handle it.

  Telling Paige that she would have to make the next move was one thing. Wondering if she ever would was another. Factor in logistics and it was no wonder Nate couldn’t sleep.

  He glanced at the clock. Three o’clock. With the time difference, it would be an hour later in Los Angeles. Nate smiled. Garrett hated waking up earlier than absolutely necessary. Pissing off his brother was just the thing to take the edge off his frustration.

  Grabbing his phone off the nightstand, Nate hit the top spot on his speed dial. Grinning with anticipation, Nate was surprised when Garrett picked up on the first ring. Even more, he was surprised by the chipper greeting.

  “Nate. How’s Montana?”

  “Good. Beautiful, actually.” Nate frowned. “Why the hell do you sound happy and wide awake? Have you looked at the clock?”

  Garrett laughed. “I have to be on set at six and I have a gorgeous woman who likes to get me up early, if you know what I mean.”

  Nate knew exactly what Garrett meant and it did not help his mood.

  “Fuck you,” he muttered.

  “Again, I have a gorgeous woman who takes care of that on a very regular basis.”

  “I should have made a play for Jade when I had the chance. Mom wanted me to ask her out.”

  “Mom didn’t know that I’d already staked my claim,” Garrett reminded him.

  “I heard that,” a female voice called out. “Staked your claim? Really?”

  “Jade. Honey.”

  “Tell Nate hello for me. I’m going to take a shower. Alone.”

  “See what you’ve done.” Garrett practically growled the words. “Morning showers with Jade are the best.”

  Now he felt better. Jade was one of Nate’s favorite people. He thought of her as a sister. It was almost worth pissing her off if it meant depriving Garrett of a little sexual fun.

  “You’ll survive.”

  “True. Afternoon showers are just as good. Not to mention evening showers.”

  “I didn’t call to hear about your sex life.”

  “No? Too bad. It is spectacular. Making love is so much better than having sex.”

  “Are you trying to rub it in?”

  “Just a little.” Nate could hear the smile in Garrett’s voice. “I tried it with Colt, but he wasn’t buying. According to little brother, sex is sex. Sometimes it’s good. Sometimes it’s off the charts. It’s chemistry. Love has nothing to do with it.”

  “What did you say to that?”

  “Not a thing. I put his words in the vault. When our resident Don Juan loses his heart, I’m going to pull them out and grind his nose in them.”

  “You’re a good brother, Garrett.”

  “Damn straight. Now tell me about this movie, Nate. Or should I say, Mr. Director.”

  Nate was so surprised he almost dropped the phone.

  “How the hell did you know about that?”

  “A little thing called social media. Did you expect all of those people to keep it to themselves? Wyatt’s assistant fielded calls all afternoon.”

  Nate frowned. “What kind of calls?”

  “The usual. What do you think about your brother directing an independent movie? Will any other Landis be involved?”

  Well, shit. It was stupid of him, but Nate hadn’t thought about the internet.
A group of people, with a smattering of teenagers. Why wouldn’t they tweet, post, and Instagram the hell out of it? A movie was about to be made in Basic, Montana. Of course, they would let the world know about it in a hundred and forty characters or less.

  “I always knew you secretly longed to be a director.”

  “Garrett…”

  “All those years of denying it. How does it feel to be out of the closet?”

  “I can still kick your ass, little brother.”

  “I’ll let Sable defend me.” Garrett referenced the woman who had acted as Jade’s bodyguard when her crazy ex-husband had been on the loose. To prove her abilities, Sable used Nate for demonstration purposes. After the slender woman had taken him down, more than once, she got the job. “I have no problem standing behind a woman. How long did it take her to knock you on your ass?”

  “About twenty seconds,” Nate muttered. He still wasn’t sure how it happened. Then happened again. Something about leverage.

  “Seriously, Nate. How did you get roped into this? Dad sent you there to lend a hand. Directing is a big step up from supervising.”

  Nate spent the next few minutes filling Garrett in. He mentioned Paige in passing, but Garrett was his brother, his twin. It wasn’t surprising that he picked up on something unusual.

  “Now I get it.” Garrett chuckled. “Your brain was scrambled by a beautiful woman. You’ve never been able to say no when a female bats her eyes at you, Nate.”

  Nate had no comeback for that. He was a sucker for a damsel in distress. However, Paige was neither a damsel nor in distress. She was a woman who insisted on taking care of herself. He told Garrett exactly that.

  Garrett gave a silent whistle. No wonder Nate was intrigued. His brother was a born fixer. He couldn’t walk away from anyone in need. It made sense that an independent woman with a stubborn streak would be the one to get under his skin. And in record time. Two strong personalities going head to head. Garrett couldn’t wait to see how it played out.

  “I wonder if I should tell you the rest of it.”

  Nate swallowed. He didn’t like that touch of evil glee he heard in Garrett’s voice.

  “Do I want to know?”

  “Probably not,” Garrett conceded. “But this is too good to keep to myself.”

  “I could hang up.”

  “You think that would stop me?”

  Nate sighed. “I know you too well, brother. I’ll be inundated with texts, won’t I?”

  “And emails. And phone calls. I might even get Sally to send you some personalized GIFs. I know how much you love those.”

  Garrett’s secretary was a whiz at anything computer-related. If he asked, she would send a dozen of those things in a heartbeat. Nate shuddered. He hated those things. Why they gave him the creeps, he didn’t know. It was a personal phobia that he would just as soon not delve into.

  “Fine.” Nate prepared himself. “Give me your best shot.”

  “Take it easy,” Garrett said in a reasonable voice that in no way reassured Nate. “A lot of men would be flattered. Think of it as a compliment.”

  “You love this way too much, so I know it has to be bad. Spill the beans, Garrett.”

  “I’ll send you the link. Text me. I can’t wait to know what you think.”

  Nate wanted to reach through the phone and give his brother a shake. The man reveled in teasing him. To be fair, he gave as good as he got. It was never as much fun to be on this end of it.

  Nate was about to tell Garrett where he could shove it when he heard a sweet, breathy voice in the background.

  “Garrett?”

  The rest of Jade’s words were too soft for Nate to hear, but if Garrett’s groan was any indication, it was extremely personal and very welcome.

  “Uh, Nate? I need to go. Jade needs my help.”

  Nate smiled. Garrett sounded distracted and who could blame him? His woman was wet and needy. His brother was a very lucky man.

  “Go. Now.”

  “Call me if you need my help.” Garrett wasn’t teasing any longer. “Seriously, Nate. Twenty-four-seven. Anything you need, I’m here for you.”

  “I never doubted it, Garrett.”

  Nate ended the call, smiling. Garrett and Jade. On the surface, they seemed like an unlikely pair. However, if you looked a little deeper, they were perfect together.

  She deserved all the happiness she could get after being raised by a father who was emotionally abusive and a husband who almost killed her. The fact that she came out the other side in one piece, and able to love Garrett as much as he loved her, spoke volumes. She was beautiful. Inside and out.

  Nate stretched his long body. The bed was a surprisingly good fit. Before he reached his thirteenth birthday, his mother special ordered his mattresses. Garrett, Wyatt, and Colt were only a few inches shorter and his father not far behind them. She finally decided to re-fit every bedroom in the house. It made things easier to have standard bedding.

  The first thing Nate did when he built his house in Laurel Canyon was to ask his mother for the name of the company she used. He had four bedrooms and four extra-large mattresses. If the day came that he started spending more than the occasional night there, everything was in place.

  His home was brand new, fully furnished and decorated exactly to his taste. It seemed criminal that it sat empty most of the time. Garrett had a house close by, and until recently, it had suffered the same fate. Now that his brother was getting married, he and Jade planned to move in.

  Right now, it was easier for Nate to bunk at his parents’ house when he was in town. They loved having him and he loved the company. Not to mention the food was better than anything he made for himself.

  The guest bedroom that Nate currently occupied was surprisingly roomy. His feet hung over the end, but that was easily fixed by moving his body so it lay diagonally.

  No, nothing was wrong with the bed. The room was homey and comfortable. The connected bathroom was convenient, affording him some much-appreciated privacy.

  Like the rest of the house, the room was a place where anyone would be able to relax. Anyone except Nate.

  With a sigh, Nate rolled out of bed. He wasn’t going to sleep so he might as well do something productive. They started shooting some exterior scenes today. The thought was to get everything done outside first. It was late September. The weather could hold for another month or they could get an early snow. Better safe than sorry.

  Nate planned on having his part in this movie finished by the beginning of November. That meant sticking to a tight schedule. Shit happened, but if he was prepared, there was no reason to think that he wouldn’t be back in Los Angeles in five or six weeks.

  Quickly donning his running gear, Nate quietly slipped from his room. He didn’t want to disturb Chuck or Paige so he stayed to the right as he descended the staircase, avoiding the squeaky sixth and third steps.

  Funny, he thought as he let himself out of the house. Those steps were something Paige had pointed out when she showed him his room. Was that only the day before yesterday? He felt as though he had known her and Chuck much longer. There was an ease when he was around the older man. Nate liked him. Respected him.

  The whole movie thing still struck him as a small slice of crazy. But who was he to judge? He made his living jumping out of forty-story buildings and rolling cars worth hundreds of thousands of dollars. Most people would think that was the height of lunacy.

  Chuck had a vision. It wasn’t hurting anyone. In spite of Paige’s concerns, Chuck wasn’t risking the ranch. Before Nate agreed to help, he had gone over the budget and cash layout. It was tight, but it wouldn’t bankrupt the Chamberlins. As long as there were no major delays, Nate planned on getting this movie in early and under budget.

  Nate paused, breathing deeply. There was no substitute for this. He loved Los Angeles. It was his home. But the air here was so clean it almost hurt his lungs. A man could get used to running in a smog-free environment. However, it might take
a few days for his body to acclimate. Nate grinned, filling his lungs again. Oh, yeah. The rush made him a little lightheaded — in a good way.

  Setting out at an easy pace, Nate decided to stick to the road. He was tempted by the wide, open fields but in spite of the bright, moonlit night, the countryside was littered with natural booby-traps. If he stepped in a gopher hole or tripped over a rock, he could break a leg — or worse. He could die before anyone found him. No, he would play it safe for once and run where there was little chance for disaster.

  Nate started slowly. He liked to work the kinks out during the first mile, and then pick up the pace. Five or six miles at a time were his norm. He preferred running outside, but time and opportunity didn’t always allow for it. He hated treadmills, but they served a purpose when he was stuck in Alaska in a blizzard or the wind blew so hard in South Carolina that even his sturdy body ran the risk of blowing away.

  As he often did, Nate took the time while he ran to fine tune the project he was working on. That usually meant figuring out the intricacies of a stunt. Everything had to be perfect, from the equipment to the timing. Unconsciously, Nate scratched at the edge of his cast. Neither he nor the people counting on him could afford the slightest mix-up.

  This morning, Nate wasn’t thinking about exploding Ferraris or ducking punches; he ran the story over in his mind. Halfway through his second mile, it clicked. Erin Chamberlin wrote a simple story. Heartfelt and emotional, at the core, it was the story of a man and a woman. It took place over one week when a married couple had to decide if, after thirty years, they still belonged together.

  Nate saw it clearly. A lot of close-ups. His leads had great faces. Wilt Adair and Edith Potter were in their fifties. Attractive and natural. That was how Nate would describe them. Perfect for their roles as people who had lived a hard life working on a farm that was barely surviving.

  If he were lucky, they would be able to convey the everyday struggle that had brought them to the breaking point. It required a delicate balancing act that was difficult for seasoned actors. Nate knew what he wanted to put on film. Getting the performances to compliment his vision was another thing.