Spring Into Love

by Chantel Rhondeau

  Had Reece White just complimented him? It sure sounded like it. He flubbed his line, and got praise from the director. Still, he knew if he didn’t nail the scene the next time, Reece wouldn’t be praising any of Jake’s acting choices. “I know the line,” he said. “I won’t mess it up again.”

  ***

  “Yep, he’s totally got it bad for you,” Beth teased as they found a place to sit among others watching the movie being filmed.

  Jordan glared at her through sunglasses. “What makes you say that?”

  “You made him mess up his scene.”

  Sure enough, as they’d entered the restricted viewing area of the set, Jake had glanced in her direction. Not two seconds later, the young guy that Jordan figured must be the movie’s hotshot director rushed over, halting the scene. “It wasn’t me. The sun probably just got in his eyes,” Jordan said. And if it was, indeed, her that distracted Jake, it was yet another reason why she shouldn’t be here, watching him film, and shouldn’t be in his life. So why the heck didn’t he realize that?

  “Yep. Blame the sun.” Beth smirked. “By the way, he is gorgeous.”

  “Excuse me?” Beth’s husband, Aaron, feigned offense. “You’re married, remember?”

  “As if I’d forget.” Beth jabbed him playfully in the arm. “It’s not like he’d notice me, anyway. He’s only got eyes for Jordan.”

  “You do tend to exaggerate,” Jordan said. “I’m convenient because I’m here, but once this movie’s done, Jake will head off to another location shoot, and there will be someone there.”

  “What makes you so sure?” Beth asked.

  “Because I’m not the type of woman that guys do forever with,” Jordan said. It was something she’d resigned herself to years before, and she tried to tell herself she was fine with that. Still, seeing Beth’s easy, playful rapport with Aaron sometimes made Jordan wish she could have that, too. “And Jake’s not a forever guy.”

  ***

  Fortunately, Jake nailed the scene on the next take, remembering the line and delivering it in a manner that earned him further praise from the director. The movie might be controversial, and Jake’s character even more so, but Jake wanted it to be the success that so many people seemed to think it could be. That meant not getting distracted by onlookers who came to watch the filming, no matter how beautiful they might be.

  Not to worry. He didn’t expect Jordan to be a frequent visitor to the set. She probably only came because her friends were interested in the movie. Still, she came, rather than deliberately trying to avoid him. That was something.

  As soon as they took a break in filming he made his way over to them. “I wasn’t sure you’d actually show,” he said.

  “Me neither,” she said. “But I mentioned Aaron’s a fan.”

  Jordan introduced him to her two friends. The woman with the red curls, called Beth, was a former law school classmate and now the DA, and the guy with the glasses wearing the green Dallas Stars cap was her husband, Aaron.

  Jake shook their hands. “It’s nice to meet you. Thanks for coming out.”

  “Wouldn’t miss it.” Aaron pulled his cap lower on his head. “I’m excited about this movie. Gotta ask, did the kid really have a gun?”

  Jake hesitated, wondering how much of the plot he should reveal. “No,” he said. “Cell phone.”

  Aaron whistled. “Whoa. So your character lied.”

  “Or he was mistaken,” Jake countered. No way was he telling them everything about the movie or his character. Aaron asked a few more questions, which Jake did his best to give vague answers to before he turned to Jordan. “There’s something I want to run past you.”

  “What’s that?” She lifted her sunglasses to rest on her head, revealing eyes as blue as the clear summer sky.

  “Reece needs some runners on the set. Gofers, if you will,” Jake said. “It’s pretty menial work, but maybe a chance of scoring a bit part in the film.”

  “No, thanks. I already have a job.” Jordan smiled, and again it reached all the way to her eyes.

  Did Macy ever smile like that? If she did, Jake hadn’t noticed. He doubted it, though. Macy was fake. Jordan was real. “And you’re apparently very good at it,” Jake said. “I was thinking more about the case you just finished. The guy with the sick mom.”

  “The one who committed armed robbery, you mean?” Beth asked, eyes widening. “He should be in Huntsville.”

  “The jury disagreed,” Jordan said. “And Trey’s a decent kid.”

  “Kid?” Beth scoffed. “He’s a nineteen-year-old felon.”

  “He’s barely half my age. That makes him a kid to me.” Jordan turned to Jake. “Ignore her. We do this all the time. Are you serious about Trey working on the set?”

  Jake watched the whole exchange with amusement. Jordan obviously shared a complicated relationship with her friend. Maybe someday she’d tell him about it. “Reece needs somebody, so it came to mind. Thought maybe the kid could use the work. Do you think he’d be interested?”

  “Maybe,” Jordan said. “It would have to be cleared with his probation officer, too.”

  ***

  Jordan tapped a finger on her desk while she waited for the call to be answered, hopefully by Trey’s probation officer rather than his voice mail.

  “This is Rob.”

  A human voice. Good. She hated playing phone tag. “Hi, Rob. It’s Jordan Priestley.”

  “Hi, Jordan. How are you?”

  Jordan smiled at the pleasantry, something she never failed to appreciate after too many years in Hollywood, where no one ever bothered with such things. It was one of many reasons why she was happy making her home in Grande Valley, where people always took the time to ask about someone’s day and sometimes actually seemed to care about the answer. She just didn’t like it when they asked if she was okay when they clearly worried she wasn’t. “Fine, thanks.” She paused. While she appreciated a pleasant greeting, there was still an important reason for her call. “I want to talk to you about David Lozano,” she said, using Trey’s full name in case his probation officer had yet to establish much of a rapport with him. “I understand you’ve been assigned to his case?”

  “That’s right. Just a sec. Let me bring up his file.” Jordan heard the click of fingers on a keyboard before Rob spoke again. “I’ve had a couple meetings with him. He reports on time. No problems so far,” Rob said. “The kid’s directionless, though, and I strongly suspect he’s running with a gang. He needs a job, or to go to school, or something. If not, you know what’ll happen.”

  Rob didn’t have to elaborate. If something didn’t change for Trey, and fast, he’d probably end up exactly where her prosecutor friend thought he belonged, or worse. “That’s why I’m calling. I may have an idea to help with that.”

  “Yeah? You want to hire him to work for you?” Rob asked with a laugh. “I like how you support your clients, Jordan, but that may be a bit much.”

  “Ha! No, not that.” Jordan reached for the soda can on her desk. “I do have a lead on an opportunity that might keep Trey out of trouble this summer, though, if you approve it.” She explained about the possible job working on Jake’s movie.

  “It’s interesting,” Rob said. “I’d rather he be making regular wages, not something hit and miss. He’s got fines to pay off.”

  “Yes, and he can start to do that with the money he makes on the film,” Jordan continued. “It’ll keep him busy doing something constructive. And who knows, maybe he’ll decide he loves the movie business.” That might be a stretch, but she figured she better pull out all of her arguments.

  Rob hesitated. “Okay, we can try it on one condition. He needs to keep looking for a regular job. This movie isn’t going to be in town forever.”

  No, it wouldn’t. It would wrap filming in a few months and Jake would be on his way back to California, or maybe another location shoot. Wherever it was, it wouldn’t be in Grande Valley. He deserved his success; she knew he’d worked hard for i
t. They simply lived in different worlds now, so why didn’t he understand why it was a bad idea for them to spend time together? Better yet, why was she putting herself in the middle of something that would potentially keep her in his orbit during the time he was in town? As much as Jordan didn’t want to admit it, Jake had a pull on her.

  “Thanks, Rob,” she said. “I appreciate it. I like Trey and I want things to work out for him.”

  “He’s lucky to have you on his side.”

  “Same for you, Rob. I know you have a soft spot for kids like Trey.”

  The probation officer laughed. “Yeah. Just don’t tell anyone, okay? I’ll deny it.”

  ***

  Jordan called Trey to her office to discuss the opportunity with him, and made sure Jake was there as well to explain it.

  “You’re serious?” Trey’s eyes lit up. “I get to work on a movie set?”

  After getting off the phone with Rob, Jordan wondered if she’d made a mistake in not talking to her client first to see if he was even interested before clearing it with his PO. If he was interested, though, she hadn’t wanted to get his hopes up only to dash them if Rob said no. Judging from Trey’s reaction, she’d made the right decision. “Maybe. That’s up to the director. And you have to show him you can be responsible, Trey.” She hoped she didn’t sound too much like a mother lecturing a child. Then again, if Trey had more parental involvement, maybe he wouldn’t be in the situation he was in.

  “I can introduce you to Mr. White tomorrow,” Jake said. “It’s his decision. Jordan speaks highly of you, though, so I’ll do what I can to put in a good word for you.” Jake winked at Jordan.

  She directed her gaze to her desk. The man had an uncanny knack for getting her completely flustered, even with seemingly innocent comments. His proximity as he leaned against her desk didn’t help.

  “Thanks, Jordan,” Trey said. “And thanks, Mr. Jake.”

  “It’s just Jake.”

  “Okay.” Trey nodded. “Is she your girlfriend?”

  “No, I’m not,” Jordan said with more force than she intended.

  Jake shook his head. “Not yet. I’m working on it, though.”

  Trey laughed. “Good luck, man. If I were a little older, I’d fight you for her.”

  ***

  “Why do you say things like that?” Jordan demanded as soon as her client was out of the office.

  Jake offered a look of innocence. “I have no idea what you mean.”

  “Oh, please. The whole girlfriend thing. You’re working on it?” Jordan rolled her eyes.

  “It’s the truth,” Jake said. He moved over to sit down in the chair Trey had vacated. “And my mom raised me to be honest.” He smiled in amusement, hoping he was weakening her resolve. “That’s ridiculous,” Jordan insisted.

  Okay, she was a tough one, but Jake had no plans of giving up. “That my mom preaches honesty? She’d be offended to hear you say that.” Jake leaned back to study Jordan, crossing his hands behind his head. She was even sexier when she was riled up.

  “I’m serious, Jake,” she said.

  “So am I. Looks like I’ve got a challenge on my hands, though, so it’s a good thing Trey decided he’s too young for you.” Especially given Jordan’s obvious fondness for the young man. “You like your work here, don’t you?” he asked, hoping to shift their conversation to a topic Jordan would be more comfortable with.

  “I do, yes. At least with what I do now, I feel appreciated.”

  Jake didn’t know if that was a slight directed at him, or his profession in general. He chose not to take it that way. “You should.” He stood up. “I’ll let you get back to work now, but there’s something I want you to know. I think you’re beautiful, inside and out. Especially inside, though. The way you go to bat for that kid proves it. I hope when you start to think that about yourself, you’ll give me a chance.”

  Chapter 7

  When Jake wasn’t filming, rehearsing, or trying to figure out how to break down Jordan’s walls, he spent as much time as he could with Agent Camacho. Jake wasn’t trained in method acting. After all, he got his start in soaps, memorizing twenty pages of dialogue a day. Who had time for method acting? He believed in learning as much as possible about the roles he played, though, and he found the veteran agent to be an excellent source of information.

  “Have you ever fired a shot that killed someone?” he asked as they sat in an agency SUV observing one of the border checkpoints.

  Camacho’s mustached lip turned up at the corners, but his expression remained stoic. “You get right to the point, don’t you?”

  “Time’s short. I don’t like to waste it.” He thought about Jordan. Five days had passed without a word from her. Obviously waiting for her to decide she wanted to see him wasn’t the right strategy. He’d have to raise the stakes, or at least give her a gentle nudge in the right direction.

  “In that case, no,” Camacho said. “I’ve fired a lot of shots, but I’ve never taken a life. The job isn’t always as dramatic as your movie makes it out to be.”

  Jake uncapped a bottle of water and took a drink. So far, one of the hardest parts about this movie was dealing with the desert heat. Especially when it meant sitting in a vehicle in the afternoon sun. “But the movie’s based on a real case.”

  “An unfortunate one. You can’t blame that boy’s family, or the Mexican government, for their anger with our agency,” Camacho said. “I have a job to do, and I do it, but I hate to see seventeen-year-old kids lose their life. Sometimes I wonder if we’re fighting a war against drugs, or a war against people.”

  The words struck a chord with Jake. His role in the movie appealed to him because he liked edgy, complicated characters, even if he might not approve of his character’s actions. Was it really necessary to fire five shots? In that split second before Foley opened fire, did he truly believe the kid had a gun, or did he know the flash of metal he saw was something else? “What’s the solution, then?”

  Camacho shrugged. “You got any ideas? Some say build a wall or an electrically charged fence all along the border to keep people out.”

  Jake considered that. “I can’t imagine that would do much for international relations,” he said.

  “No. And not all of the people who are trying to get across that border are doing it for illicit reasons. Some of them just want a chance at better life.”

  ***

  Jordan had hoped to get an update from Jake about whether Trey got a job with the movie. Instead, she had to hear it from his probation officer. Maybe it wasn’t surprising, given her insistence to Jake that they had no future together. But wasn’t he supposed to ignore her protests and pursue her, anyway? That was how it worked on the soap operas he used to star in.

  Instead, Jake just seemed to be ignoring her, which was probably a sign he realized she wasn’t worth the trouble. As true as that was, it still stung.

  “Jordan? Are you listening?” The probation officer’s voice interrupted her thoughts.

  “Of course I’m listening, Rob,” she said. “You were saying Trey’s doing well?”

  “So far, yeah. He says he likes the work and is learning a lot about the business,” Rob said. “You’ll have to thank your actor friend for giving him the opportunity next time you see him.”

  The next time she saw him? How about never? “Sure. I’ll do that.”

  “Good.” Rob paused. “There’s something else you should know. It came up in my meeting with Trey the other day”

  “What’s that?”

  “The real reason Trey held up the liquor store.”

  “We already know that. To get money for his mom’s meds.” Still, Jordan frowned as she said it. It wouldn’t mark the first time a client lied to her.

  “That’s part of it. He was also trying to get money to send to his family in Mexico.”

  “What?” Jordan frowned, thinking back to her past conversations with Trey. Nothing about that ever came up. Jordan was sure she would ha
ve remembered. “But Trey’s a citizen.” She was confident of it. If he hadn’t been, there was no doubt the esteemed district attorney would have reported him to ICE for immediate deportation.

  “He is, yeah,” Rob said. “The rest of his family, not so much.”

  Five minutes later, Jordan hung up the phone wondering what else she didn’t know about her client. She hated surprises.

  Almost immediately, Jen buzzed her. “Boss?”

  Jordan grimaced. “I’ve told you not to call me that.”

  “Right.” Jen paused. “The district attorney’s office is on the phone.”

  How convenient. “One of the assistants, or el jefe herself?” Jordan stifled laughter. She knew Beth didn’t relish being called that. She said it made her sound like a mob boss.

  “The latter.”

  “Got it. Thanks, Jen.” Jordan pressed the button to pick up the call.

  ***

  Jake found himself with twenty minutes down time between his meeting with Joe and his set call. He used it to check in with his publicist.

  “So far, I hear you’re behaving yourself,” Val teased.

  Her tone might have been joking, but it still caused Jake to wince a little. He didn’t want a reputation as a guy who brought trouble. For most of his career, he’d managed to avoid it. He hoped one brief lapse in judgment wouldn’t follow him for years to come. “I’m an angel. They love me.” It wasn’t a lie. Reece had complimented Jake several times for his work. He was glad the good reports were getting back to Val.

  “And your little dalliance? That’s out of the way?”

  Again, Val referred to Jordan as a mere dalliance. Jake bristled with annoyance. “I told you, she’s not a dalliance. Why do you keep saying that?”

  “Because I know you.”

  “Obviously not very well,” Jake countered. “You have nothing to worry about. All I do these days is work.” He declined to add that he didn’t necessarily like it that way. He didn’t want Val going ballistic for no reason.

  “If you say so,” Val said “Look, Jake. I’m not trying to be difficult. I’m proud of you. I’m happy for you. The reports from the set are great, and no one is more thrilled about that than me. I have plenty of other clients I have to do regular damage control for. I’m glad you’re not adding to my stress level.”