“Likewise,” she replied before she took the keycard Laura handed her. Sam could see the pleading in her eyes. She was just as surprised as he was and what’s more, Sam was pretty sure he wasn’t the only one who’d kept pretty quiet about their rendezvous. So Helene didn’t know. Maybe Amanda didn’t want her to know. It was silly for Sam to speculate. Later, when things quieted down or ramped up and there was so much going on no one would notice if he and one of the wedding guests slipped away, he’d pull Amanda aside and see where her head was at. And if she wasn’t interested in getting to know him any further he could at least give her a hard time for stealing his Oscar.
Chapter 5
Amanda was proud she’d managed to wait until she’d gotten to her room to have a mini freak-out. The chances of running into Sam on the Pleasant family ranch were pretty high. She’d known she’d be risking another encounter by showing up on his turf. And she’d prepared for that, spent half of the two-hour drive rehearsing exactly what she would say, what excuses she would use to avoid him if he wanted to revisit what had happened between them that Sunday night.
She just hadn’t thought he’d be standing in the lobby right when she walked through the doors. And she definitely hadn’t expected him to have gone full cowboy boy with his thigh-hugging jeans and cowboy boots. His white cowboy hat had been in his hand, because of course he’d be raised not to wear it indoors. She’d ignored the way the orange-and-green-plaid shirt he had on did nothing to hide his cut biceps or his sculpted chest.
All of that had been too much to take in. The fact that he’d been with Helene and her whole behind-the-scenes wedding-day crew that included his ridiculously handsome brothers really tested the limits of her reflexes. She’d had to stop herself from gasping and running back toward the exit. Or drooling. Seriously, a family should be limited to one smoking-hot son. Three is just unfair.
She’d found the rest of her brain cells when Sam had left the lobby after lightly touching her arm. Still the panic had already set in and now she worried it wouldn’t dissipate until she was safely back in LA.
Amanda let out a deep breath and sank down on the love seat in her adorably faux-rustic suite. She’d only seen a fraction of the property, but it wouldn’t be a stretch to say that Big Rock Ranch was a beautiful ranch. Just pulling up to the main lodge with the picturesque mountains rising high in the distance made Amanda feel so grateful for the invitation. And the time off. Dru had texted five times on the drive over. Nothing important, just backhanded and covert requests for reassurance before she went into her audition. She clearly wanted the part even if she’d pooh-poohed it the day before.
An odd tightness flared in Amanda’s chest just thinking about returning to work on Monday. She didn’t belong at this wedding. The only reason she wasn’t booking it back to the freeway was her love for Helene. She couldn’t bail on a friend, not on her wedding day.
That didn’t stop the feeling of dread that was looming over her. She allowed herself one night here and there to step outside of Dru’s cycle of misery, but a long weekend in this magical place with its five-star accommodations would be just enough to recharge her for another few months. She had to be careful though that she didn’t relax too much and be forced to beg for work at the ranch. That just wouldn’t do.
Amanda sighed and shook her head, smiling to herself a bit, then went to grab her dress for the rehearsal dinner. While she wasn’t in the wedding party, Helene had still invited her to come and hang out. Hopefully, Sam had just popped by the front desk to say hello and she wouldn’t see him again for the rest of the weekend. Amanda knew it was a long shot, but if anything she was optimistic. She laid out her dress, and just as she was considering the travel steamer her phone chimed with a text. For once, it wasn’t Dru. Amanda’s mood immediately shifted as she read Helene’s text.
Come get ready with me in our cabin!
We’re over in Bluebird.
Okay! I’m on my way.
I want to discuss how hot the
Pleasant brothers are before
I become a married woman.
Definitely on my way. LOL
Amanda responded, even though she was far from LOLing.
She gathered her things and headed to the lobby. Back at the front desk, Laura handed Amanda a beautifully illustrated map of the property, then offered to have a nice young man named Will give her a lift over to the cabin where Helene was staying. Amanda almost turned the offer for a ride down. She could take a nice long walk around the property and scope things out for her herself, but when she took a closer look at the map she didn’t think lugging her things what appeared to be a smooth half mile to the private cabins was the best idea. She happily hopped into one of the ranch golf carts and let Will zip her across the property. She tipped him with the cash brought expressly for that purpose, then hurried up the three short steps of Bluebird cabin. Helene opened the door before Amanda could knock.
“Hey! Come in.”
Amanda stepped inside and embraced her friend and then her friend’s sister, Robyn.
“You’re sure it’s okay I came by? I don’t want to get in the way of your bridely activities,” Amanda said as she set down her stuff on the arm of the sectional near the front door.
“It’s more than okay. I barely got to talk to you on Sunday and I’ll barely get to talk to you this weekend. Let’s squeeze in some QT while we can. Besides, I got this huge place just for me and Robbie. Plenty of room for us to spread out.”
“No kidding.” She glanced around realizing Bluebird was more of a three-bedroom house than a cabin. “Um, speaking of Sunday night, there’s something I think I should let you in on. But I need an extreme vow of silence.”
“Of course,” Helene said gravely. Robyn nodded in kind.
“I’m a steel trap,” she said.
“She really is. What’s going on?” Helene asked.
“First, let me say thank you so much for inviting me out. I know I bail a lot because of my schedule, but it means a lot to me that you still try to include me in your life. Especially moments like this. You are a great friend.”
“Damn, girl. Stop! I need to save my tears for my vows,” Helene said, lightly swatting at her arm.
“Okay, okay. So I wasn’t going to tell you this because you know me. I don’t like my business all out there.”
“Ignacio had to stop me from forcing guests to sign an NDA.”
“She’s not joking,” Robyn said.
“This is why we’re friends,” Amanda laughed before she cleared her throat. The truth she was about to share sent a sobering chill over her skin. “Also it’s your weekend and I didn’t think it was a good time to bring up my own petty drama, but recent developments have forced my hand.”
“Okay, now you really have to tell me.”
“Sunday night when I left Kata and Rina’s party?”
“Yeah?”
“I didn’t go home. I went to Sam Pleasant’s hotel room and we had adult relations. Like all night long.”
“Amanda!” Helene gasped, enunciating every syllable. “I am shocked.”
“I’m impressed. Never thought he’d be into thick girls,” Robyn shrugged. She and Amanda were around the same size. Big girls had been pulling fine men since the dawn of time, but everyone knew how Hollywood social culture worked.
“Same, but that’s not the issue,” Amanda went on. “I—um, I never told him my name.”
Another gasp from Helene.
“And I kinda bolted the next morning before he woke up. And I also kinda stole his Oscar statue. By accident! I returned it. He got the rest of my emergency condoms and some Fenty lip gloss I now need to replace.”
“Okay, I need to sit down.” Amanda and Robyn followed Helene over to the sectional in front of a massive fireplace.
“So you had a for-real covert fling with Sam Pleasant. When I say I’m proud . . .”
“Stop,” Amanda laughed.
“No, seriously. You were so str
essed about coming along in the first place, but, honey. Talk about living it up. Mama is so proud.”
“Yeah, okay. It was actually one of my finer moments. However, I didn’t realize this was his family’s ranch until yesterday.”
“Oh, so you tried to hit and quit and then you just ran into him in the lobby.”
“Yup.”
“Okay, so what’s the play here?” Helene said, clasping her hand under her chin.
“What do you mean what’s the play? There’s no play. I just didn’t want you to wonder why I was hiding behind an ice sculpture all weekend.”
“Oh God. I didn’t even ask. Was it bad?”
Amanda sighed. “No, it was amazing, BUT! That doesn’t mean there’s a play. It happened. It’s over.”
“Do you want it to be over? I mean Sam is pretty private too, but I think he and I are close enough for me to give him a little wink wink nudge nudge in your direction.”
“And then what?”
“What do you mean?”
“I’ve used up all my goodwill and PTO with Dru this fiscal quarter.”
“I’m not going to say it, but you know what I want to say.”
“I know.”
She loved Helene, but Helene really didn’t understand Amanda’s life. Helene understood how hard of a town Hollywood could be, being a young dark-skinned Black woman herself, but Helene came from money and that money had subsidized her lifestyle until her acting career took off. Amanda’s parents were amazing, but they weren’t “pay her grown-ass bills” rich. She had some savings, but living in Los Angeles wasn’t cheap and she couldn’t afford to be unemployed. She didn’t want to delve into the complex feelings that came with leaving Dru alone to deal with her mother, while also worrying if Dru would sabotage her job prospects if and when she announced she was moving on. She knew it wasn’t healthy or good, their bizarre codependency, but right now wasn’t the time to quit. However, that wasn’t the issue at the moment.
“Dating just isn’t on the schedule right now. Hell, flirting isn’t. We had a nice time. Let’s just leave it at that. I don’t want you spending your wedding trying to play matchmaker for someone else. Okay?”
Helene’s bottom lip jutted out just a bit. “Fine.”
“I’m so annoyed he knows my name,” Amanda said through a playful scowl.
“What kind of anonymous kinky shit were you two up to?” Robyn asked.
“Yeah, I know you said leave it, but I want details,” Helene added.
Amanda felt her cheeks heat. “Nothing. I just—I didn’t think he was serious when he started chatting me up and when he made it clear he was, I wanted him to work for it. Also I wasn’t out looking to smush. I just wanted a night off.”
“Okay, so he didn’t even know your name until an hour ago,” Helene said. Amanda could practically see the gears in her head turning. She should have kept her mouth shut. “But you don’t want to make anything of it.”
“No. I just want to see my beautiful friend wed to her true love.”
“Fine.” Helene stood and made a show of smoothing the seat of her maxi dress. “I’ll focus on my stupid wedding. But when I get back from my honeymoon I’m getting all up in your business.”
“Why?” Amanda laughed.
“’Cause the whole time I’ve known you I’ve been careful not to bug you about your love life. I wanted to respect it, but now—”
“Now she knows there’s a freak in you,” Robyn went on, rolling her eyes.
“If there’s anything I love more than my man and my art it’s inserting myself into people’s love lives. I’m gonna try to get the Big Pleasant’s phone number for my baby sister before the weekend is out.”
“Oh, hell no,” Robyn said, her eyes wide with sudden horror.
“Why not?” Helene replied. “He’s fine as hell. All three of them are.”
“Yeah, but he’s so big and he doesn’t smile. I’m down for a challenge, but I don’t want to crack that giant grumpy egg.”
“They’re like the Three Bears. One big, one medium, one mediumer. All pretty hot,” Helene said. She wasn’t wrong. While Sam was the shortest of his brothers, he was far from little. And unlike Baby Bear, everything about him was just right, Amanda thought before she immediately made herself swear she would never utter those words out loud to anyone.
“We can all agree that Sam and his brothers are very attractive,” Amanda said. “Now let us never speak of them again.”
“Fine,” Helene laughed. “Let’s talk about me instead!”
“Let’s!” Amanda agreed. “I don’t have anything to toast with at the moment, but here’s to you, our darling Helene. I am so happy to celebrate your happily ever after.”
“Amen!” Robyn said, her palms turned upward.
Helene smiled even wider, tears glinting in her eyes. “To me and my man.”
True, Amanda didn’t have time for anything other than keeping up with Dru, but in her heart, deep down, she hoped that one day she would find something close to what Helene and Ignacio had found together. Love, respect, and friendship.
Her phone buzzed with another text from Dru. She sighed.
One day, maybe. But clearly not now. And not with Sam Pleasant.
* * *
As soon as more of the wedding party and members of Helene’s family started to arrive, Amanda did what she did best: She faded into the background. Normally she’d volunteer her services as a friend of the bride, but she understood how these things worked, the hierarchy at play when it came to bridesmaids and friendships. Plus the planner and her assistants were also at the ready. Amanda would step up if needed but for now, it was time for family and close friends to bond with the bride and groom.
She followed the wedding party over to where the ceremony was being held. Rows and rows of chairs were lined up in what seemed to be an open field. Close by was a barn and there were a few horses grazing in a pasture. The whole setup was downright cinematic. Amanda had set her phone to vibrate—in case Dru had an emergency—and gave herself permission to just take it all in.
She grabbed a seat in the last row and watched as the minister and the wedding planner herded everyone into their proper place. Something brushing her leg caught her attention. She looked over as this large black Lab had made its way over to her.
“Well hello,” she cooed, scratching the dog’s chin. It sat obediently, like it was waiting for her to give it some instructions. “I don’t have any treats for you. I’m sorry.”
“She doesn’t need any treats.”
Amanda looked up just as Sam Pleasant eased himself into the row. He’d changed into a navy blue suit, but he was still wearing that damn white cowboy hat. Amanda did her best not to swallow her tongue. Somehow she managed to playfully roll her eyes instead.
“Is this seat taken?” he whispered as he sat down beside her just as the first of the ushers practiced walking the mothers of the bride and groom to their seats.
“Yes, it is, as a matter of fact. I’m having a very important and private conversation with—”
“Clementine. Her name’s Clementine.” He flashed a smile that could light up the night sky. What was she thinking hopping into bed with someone that good looking!
“Yes. My good friend Clementine and I have some very important issues to discuss.”
“Like how you like to use men and leave them cold and alone.”
“I like to think I left you in a big comfortable bed feeling more sexually satisfied than you’ve ever been in your whole life.”
“Well then, you should definitely tell her that you’re somewhat of a thief.”
“Excuse me. That was a mistake and I returned it immediately. I assume your management team gave it back to you?”
“They did, but that’s not what I meant.”
Amanda looked over into his deep brown eyes as he paused for dramatic effect. In the back of her mind she wondered how many women had fallen for this routine. The eyes, the smirk, his whole
face, really. The polished cowboy act. And now an Oscar winner. He had to have women chasing him noon and night. She knew one had already proudly slid into his DMs. The thought of Dru taking her crack at him sobered her right up. She cleared her throat and focused back on the dog.
“What did you mean?” she asked.
“You stole my heart.”
“Oh. Okay.” Amanda chuckled quietly, then leaned forward and cupped Clementine’s sweet face. She’d never seen such a shiny coat on a dog, but she didn’t want to tell Sam. She had a feeling it might go to his head. She settled on something he could take credit for. “Your dog daddy is full of crap, did you know that?”
“She’s not mine. Clem belongs to my brother Jesse. That pretty girl over there is mine.” Amanda looked on the other side of the pasture and saw some mixture of cattle dog and mini horse basking in the sun. She watched Sam as he leaned over and snapped his fingers twice. The dog’s head perked up and as soon as she saw Sam she came trotting over. She stopped at Amanda’s side and nudged Clementine out of the way. Amanda smiled to herself and did her best not to cry tears of joy. This was her happy place. Wide-open spaces and surrounded by adorable dogs.
“Oh, it’s your turn for pets, is it. Hello, beautiful,” she cooed softly. “Yeah, that’s right. Ignore your dog dad. You’ll get the loving you need right here. What’s her name?”
“Euca. She lives here full-time with my grandmother, but she’s still my sweet baby girl.” He reached over and scratched Euca behind the ear. Amanda ignored the way his fingers brushed hers in the process. She turned and looked back toward the mountains again. “This whole place is beautiful. The views, the cabins, the dogs. You grew up here?”
“I did, but I can’t take credit for the beauty of it. My grandfather really turned this place into what it is, and my brothers have spent the last seven years putting their own shine on it. We’re just borrowing the land the Earth has provided and the splendor all around you, you can give that up to God.”
If the Boot Fits Page 5
