High Noon: A Sweet Romance (Red Canyon Series Book 3)

by Laura Westbrook

  As she left the room, she couldn’t help but feel good. Even if it wasn’t for an activity she preferred, everyone liked to hear compliments. Thinking she’d better make way for his next appointment, she left for the office to get changed.

  * * *

  It felt incredible to strip away the layers of prop costumes and be back in her jeans again. It was the perfect weather that day to wear them too. Not too hot with a nice breeze. For the third time that hour, she thought about how nice it would be to hop in the shower when she got home to rinse away the dust and smoke.

  Usually, it would just be dust, but she’d been involved in a scene near a woodfire stove. She felt like she’d just hung out with smokers at a nightclub all night. It was her job to keep the fire going during the scene while someone else was talking, which really was nothing more than shoving in cut logs, but the repetitive motion of bending over and picking them up, which weren’t the lightest things in the world, had made her a little stiff.

  She shoved her feet into dry socks and slipped on her sneakers. With one step in the padded soles, everything became right with the world. Glancing at the mirror, she exhaled through her nose. Just a little longer. Soon everything would be back to normal, and she couldn’t wait. If anything had dragged her day down, that tidbit more than made up for it.

  She slung the costumes over her arm and walked out of the dressing room, ready to spend the rest of her day home with a good book. She’d just purchased a new cozy mystery last night, and she couldn’t wait to start it. It had crossed her mind to mention it to Luke since they’d talked about them recently.

  The place was pretty empty, probably because her shift had ended at four, whereas the shift change usually happened an hour later. Every station had to be continuously filled, so the incoming people had to be changed and ready by the time the outgoing people left their station. Even the sound of her footsteps seemed to carry differently without anyone there.

  The door opening was a startling sound as Luke stepped through. He was still dressed in his costume, and Lynn wondered why he wasn’t one of the people at the five o’ clock shift change. Being a main face character, she thought that would be the case. His character was too important not to be there.

  “Hey,” he said, walking toward her. “I was hoping to catch you.”

  Getting to see Luke was the icing on the cake. It was sweet of him to seek her out, possibly to say goodbye for the day or something along those lines. It seemed like a good sign.

  “Okay, here I am.”

  He glanced around to see who else was nearby before walking over. As he drew closer, she realized that he wasn’t his normal upbeat self. His hands were in his pockets, and his shoulders were a little hunched over.

  “Did you just meet with Samuel?” he asked.

  She paused. “I did. Before I changed.”

  He ran his fingers through his hair. “Did Jasper come up by chance?”

  How did he know? “Uh, Samuel asked me who I thought I learned a lot from, and I said you. You’ve always been a great example of how a face character should be, from the way you dress to the way you interact with customers. And you’re pretty much the first face character I met too. It stuck with me.”

  “Thanks,” he said simply.

  “And then he asked which face characters I’ve observed that I could improve on. Things they did that may…not be the best.”

  He reacted to that, shifting his weight. “And I’m guessing that was Jasper.”

  “Right. Just because Samuel asked, though. I couldn’t ignore the question.”

  “You could’ve said nobody was a bad example.”

  “I suppose. Is something wrong?”

  He leaned against the wall. “Jasper was fired.”

  “When?”

  “Just now. I only happened to see him as he walked out. He told me Samuel brought him into the office, talked to him for maybe ten minutes, then fired him.”

  “Did Jasper say what the reason was?”

  He nodded. “Samuel said there was a complaint that he ignored a guest.”

  The realization hit her like a brick wall. It’s my fault. I got him fired. “Luke, I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean for that to happen.”

  She touched his arm. She didn’t even mean to, but she was trying to show the meaning behind her words. “I promise I wasn’t trying to throw him under the bus. I wouldn’t do that to him. Or anyone, for that matter. That’s not me.”

  “He isn’t the best employee here, and sure, he lets his character slip every now and then, but he’s a good person, and he still tries hard. He deserves to be here.”

  She bit her lip. “I know you two are friends, and you know him better than I do. I even told Samuel that it was probably an accident, that Jasper didn’t respond because he didn’t notice.”

  “I guess that part didn’t matter to Samuel,” he muttered.

  “I’ll go talk to Samuel right now. I’ll clear this whole thing up. I’ll tell him that I’m a hundred percent sure it happened by accident. He’s got to listen to me. I’m the one who saw the whole thing. I don’t want anyone to lose their job.”

  “He already did.” He glanced behind him. “I better get back. My shift isn’t over yet, and someone could notice at any minute.”

  “I’m sorry, Luke. I didn’t mean for this to happen.”

  And just like that, he was gone. The door shut behind him, along with her chances with him.

  She never should’ve brought it up. She should’ve answered the question literally any other way. What someone did wrong was between that person and management, and somehow, she’d managed to get mixed up in all of it.

  If Luke had ever been interested in her, he likely wasn’t now.

  Chapter Nine

  If there was a more welcoming sight than Chelsea pouring a frothy beer with a nice, thick head, Lynn hadn’t heard of it yet. She could use a drink. Yesterday had been an impossible day for her, and a night out was exactly what she needed. Frisky’s was her kind of place, so all the pieces fit.

  “I still can’t believe you made me turn in my favor for this,” Lynn said.

  Vanessa sipped her sangria. “What’s not to believe? You helped me with my costume emergency, and I canceled plans to be with you during your time of need. Fair’s fair.”

  Lynn felt the cool outside of the sixteen-ounce glass against her palm. She’d never looked more forward to a drink in her life. “You make me sound like a basketcase.”

  “No, not a basketcase. You’ve just had a rough few weeks.”

  “No kidding. Well, I hope this isn’t a complete mercy mission.”

  Vanessa shook her head. “Not at all. I like hanging out with you. Sometimes it’s just nice to have a girls’ night out.”

  “How did the rest of those costumes go anyway?”

  “After you left, you mean? It went all right. We finally got everything counted and sorted, so now it’s just having all the face characters try on different pieces to see what fits who. We didn’t convince Samuel to spend the payroll time to have them all come in at once, so we have to sprinkle it in throughout the week, whenever they naturally come to work.”

  “Let’s hope Carol doesn’t walk in on them when they’re trying to change.”

  “Gross. Oh, and I’ll have you try on some new clothes too. I have one in mind that’ll look great on you. I promise.”

  Lynn made a face. “But I just tried on a bunch.”

  “That was before I received a million new boxes of costumes to play with.”

  “We’re just dolls to dress up, aren’t we?” The flat tone made that more of a statement than a question.

  “Keep that up and you’ll have two new brooches to wear.”

  “Fine. You win. Did you find any interesting stuff?”

  Vanessa cracked a smile. “Yesterday, I found a stripper’s dress. At least, that’s what I assume it is. It’s the skimpiest thing I’ve seen in a company costume box. It has a hoop petticoat and lots of
lace, although some of it is more see-through than others. I doubt it’s historically accurate. Back then, I think they only showed a little bit of leg, but the parks usually go for more entertainment than accuracy.”

  At least I don’t have to wear that costume. “You should burn it. That way nobody’s tempted to have one of us put it on. You don’t want Samuel getting any ideas.”

  “I stashed it in the far back, so I doubt anyone will find it. Only the diehard costume crew and spiders go back there. I think you’re safe.”

  Chelsea appeared from around the corner and leaned on her forearms against the bar. “So, I haven’t seen you around in a while.”

  “Hey Chelsea,” Lynn said. “At least it wasn’t as long as the time before. The burger joint wasn’t all that long ago.”

  “True. Although, I saw you at the grocery store the other day. Nate and I were craving some chips and dip, so we made a late night run.”

  “Oh, sorry,” Lynn said. “I didn’t notice. I’ve had some odd hours lately and a lot has been on my mind.”

  After a few minutes of catching up, Lynn asked, “How’s Nate liking his new place?”

  “He likes it a lot. Being on the move so much, he’s not used to doing much housework, so having a small place is actually good for him. Helps him acclimate.”

  “My dad’s happy to have Nate there as long as he’d like,” Lynn said. “I’m sure Nate pays rent on time every month, because if he didn’t, I’d hear about it.”

  “I’m sure he appreciates that,” Chelsea said. “So, work on any new set pieces lately?”

  Lynn and Vanessa exchanged looks.

  “Actually, I’m one of the people who dresses up now,” Lynn said.

  “Oh really?”

  “There’s a lot to unpack with that one,” Lynn said. “Basically, my boss brings me into his office one day and says I need to dress up in costumes and interact with the customers. We call them face characters.”

  “That sounds like fun,” Chelsea said.

  Lynn snorted. “Not really. I’m not a good actress and I don’t know anything about the time period. That last part is a little bit my fault, but none of it comes naturally. That, and the costume lady is pretty hard on me.”

  Vanessa playfully slapped Lynn’s shoulder. “That’s not true. I left the training wheels on for you.” She turned to Chelsea. “You should see the dresses I could’ve set out for her. If she had to wear those, she’d probably be curled up in a corner somewhere.”

  “Anyway…so that’s what I’ve had to deal with for the past few weeks. And just when I started not being so awful at it, I go and get Jasper fired.” The last part trailed off into a mutter.

  “What do you mean?” Chelsea asked.

  Lynn rattled off the story, updating Chelsea on the whole thing. Lynn imagined repeating the situation would be relatively straightforward, but she found it was more difficult than she thought. She kept thinking about the way Luke looked when he walked out the door with his hands shoved into his pockets, disappointment all over his face.

  “So, that’s the predicament I’m in. I’ve upset Luke, got Jasper fired, and I’m no closer to the set crew.”

  “That’s quite the situation,” Chelsea said. “If he’s into you, though, I’m sure he’ll understand eventually. I mean, it’s not like you meant to get the guy fired or anything.”

  “It’s possible. I just know they’re close, so Luke may trust his friend more than me if Jasper is saying I did it maliciously.”

  Chelsea pulled out a towel and wiped down the bar. “I guess we’ll see. When’s the next time you work with him?”

  “Tomorrow, I think. His schedule isn’t posted, but I’ve never seen him not work that day of the week.”

  “Maybe that’s your opportunity. Talk from the heart. I’m sure he’ll listen.”

  From behind them, the door opened and paused before closing, probably meaning a group had walked in.

  “Be right back,” Chelsea said and went over to greet them and take their orders. Lynn didn’t pay much attention to it until Vanessa’s back stiffened.

  “Speaking of the devil,” Vanessa said.

  “What do you mean?” Lynn asked.

  Vanessa angled her body and pointed over her shoulder in a way nobody else could see. Lynn glanced over and spotted them…or more accurately, him.

  It was hard to put into words how strange it was seeing Luke in normal clothes. He looked surprisingly normal without the cowboy hat and boots, yet he still looked unbelievably handsome. Different packaging, but definitely the same man.

  “Are you going over to talk with him?” Vanessa asked.

  “I don’t know. Will that just make it worse?”

  “He probably doesn’t know we’re here. If I were sitting at his table, I wouldn’t know who was sitting at the bar either. I mean, you did just get done talking about how you wanted to have a conversation with him. Maybe now’s your moment.”

  Chelsea returned behind the bar and reached for a tall glass.

  “Hey Chelsea,” Lynn said. “That guy you’re pouring the beer for. That’s Luke.”

  “The one you work with?” Chelsea asked. “The guy you like? No way. What are the odds? His nose must have itched passing by this place and stopped in.”

  “Have you ever seen him in here before?”

  Chelsea shrugged. “I haven’t, but that doesn’t necessarily mean anything. I’m certainly not the only bartender here. He could be a once-in-a-while from just out of town.”

  “I guess so,” Lynn said. “Ugh. I hate these pressure moments.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Vanessa’s trying to get me to go over and talk to him. You know, have the talk.”

  “Oh. Well, are you going to?”

  Lynn toyed with the coaster under her drink. “I don’t know yet. We’ll see. Really, she should be taking her own advice. Craig is there too.”

  “Is there a two prong attack going on here?” Chelsea asked.

  “Vanessa likes Craig too, but she’d rather the spotlight be on me.”

  Vanessa gripped her straw between her teeth. “That’s not entirely untrue.”

  The conversation moved to other things, like Chelsea’s new cat and Vanessa’s cooking recipes. All the while, Lynn snuck looks over her shoulder at the table in the back, thinking about what might happen if she went up to him. Probably look like a complete idiot, first off.

  Suddenly, Craig broke off from the table and walked up to the bar. He had to have known exactly where he headed, because he walked directly up to them, instead of loping off and leaning against an open area of the bar.

  “Oh hey,” he said once he glanced over. “We work together, don’t we? I think you were in that saloon scene.

  “Yeah, I was,” Lynn said. “I was in the background with a parasol. Were you in it too?”

  “Usually I’m a sheriff along with Luke and…Jasper. Well, just with Luke, now. But in that scene, I was in the crowd.”

  I barely noticed him. He must have been in the very back, maybe the guy who had worn a mustache. It was so large that she shouldn’t be held responsible for knowing it was him under all that.

  “We work together too,” Vanessa said.

  Of course. Better share the spotlight. “Vanessa here works in the costume department. You probably see her when you pick up your costumes.”

  Vanessa gave a small wave hello, even though she only sat the next seat over.

  “I’m pretty sure I’ve seen you around. Nice to see you again.”

  “Nice to see you too,” Vanessa said with a bit more emphasis.

  “So,” Lynn started slowly, “How did you hear about Jasper?”

  “Luke told me earlier today,” Craig said.

  Lynn’s hand tightened around her beer glass. “What did he say about it?”

  “He said someone told Samuel something that got Jasper fired. I take it that someone was you.”

  Lynn’s heart sank. “I promise I
didn’t mean to. It was just the way Samuel asked the question. I’ve never tried to get someone fired, even if they did something wrong to me. I don’t think Luke believes me, though.”

  “I don’t know about all that, but I know he’s not happy. He talked about it all the way here.”

  That made it even worse. Not only was Luke upset, but he was talking about it a lot. That would make it even harder to win him back over.

  “I take it you like him,” he said.

  Lynn almost looked around to make sure he was talking to her…even though she was guilty as charged. “Me? I…what makes you say that?”

  “Just something Luke said on the way here. Nevermind.”

  Even though it was the last thing she wanted to do, this might be a good opportunity to gain some information. So, she forced herself to ask it. “Let’s assume for a moment I do. If that’s the case, what do you recommend I do about this whole mess?”

  “Two beers, please,” Craig said to Chelsea, as if remembering why he’d walked up to the bar in the first place. “The one on the left.” He rubbed the side of his nose. “Hell, I don’t know. He’s not exactly in the most talkative mood right now. Jasper would’ve been with us tonight, except he said he needs to save his pennies now.”

  “I had a feeling he wouldn’t be very talkative,” Lynn said.

  “If you’re going to talk to Luke,” he said, “you might want to do it soon. He just told me today that he put in his notice at work. Apparently, his dad has heart troubles and can’t run the family business anymore. Luke’s leaving to carry the torch.”

  He can’t be. Not right now. I don’t have enough time. “He’s leaving? Where’s he going?”

  “It’s something to do with distribution or something like that. I never thought to ask much about it. Something upscale, at least considering around here. Whenever I’ve seen his dad around, he’s always dressed sharp. He even bought me dinner once. Nice guy.”

  Even while Craig spoke, his voice faded into the background. Lynn couldn’t get over the thought of Luke not working at the park anymore. It was their only connection, and at this rate, it might be a past connection.