Total pages in book: 116
Estimated words: 108974 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 545(@200wpm)___ 436(@250wpm)___ 363(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 108974 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 545(@200wpm)___ 436(@250wpm)___ 363(@300wpm)
“It’s got its quirks.” She settled down across from him. Despite the breaking-in part, it was good to see him. He’d been such a big part of her life growing up that she’d missed him over the last few months. “And Mom should be here early next week. I had Harry and Sera reserve one of the two bedroom suites in the main house for her. I made sure the Wi-Fi works. You know how Mom gets if she can’t get a signal.”
“Is your sister working right now?” Gavin asked.
“She’s auditioning, but she hasn’t booked anything since that deodorant commercial.” Ally was trying, but she hadn’t found her break yet.
“Then I’m sure your mom will bring her out here to work as your assistant,” he said with a disapproving shake of his head. “It’s only going to make her resent you. She should stay in LA and continue to audition.”
“Don’t be hard on Ally.” She knew her sister had resented her growing up. Their mom had put so much time into Brynn’s career, and Ally’s hadn’t taken off. Ally had been carted around to sets she didn’t have a place on, and worse, left behind at times. “It’s hard to think of yourself as the afterthought. She’s not, but I can’t convince her of that. And yes, she’s coming out with Mom. She’s got a job as a production assistant.”
“Then I will batten down the hatches,” Gavin said. “Now, who was the attractive young man who dropped you off? He’s not the sheriff. I’ve looked him up. I think he’ll make a great template for my character.”
He was going to get nosy. “His name is Major.”
“Oh, I love it. I do so love the odd ones.” He looked her over, his eyes narrowing. “You’re not dressed for work.”
“I wasn’t working. I went out to dinner, but there’s no driving service out here yet.” Driving her back and forth from the set would likely be one of her sister’s duties, and wouldn’t that be fun? “I met the deputy earlier in the day, and we shared a table.”
He stared at her for a moment. “You were on a date.”
“It wasn’t a date.” The last thing she needed was her mother to decide she was dating someone. She would get lectures on how important her image was and how she should carefully select all friends and possible partners to reflect the image she wanted to project.
“Who paid for dinner?” Gavin asked.
Brynn sighed. “He did, but he was only being nice.”
Gavin pointed at her as though she’d made his point. “Yes, he was being nice to the woman who likely made three times his yearly salary on her last movie.”
He’d insisted, and she didn’t want to argue with him. The truth was it had felt a little like a date, and she’d enjoyed it. For a moment it had been nice to think of herself as nothing more than a girl who’d met a guy, and they were learning more about each other. But she wasn’t about to tell Gavin that. He was a horrible gossip.
“It wasn’t a date. He’d actually gotten stood up by his real date, so I was merely a fill-in,” she explained. “He was there. I was there. It made sense to share a table. He knows a lot about the town, and he’s partners with the deputy I’m going to shadow next week. It seemed like a good idea to get to know him. I also found out that the sheriff really wants an espresso machine.”
Gavin perked up at that. “Excellent. Want to go halves? We can bring in a nice machine and a month’s worth of beans.”
“Sure.”
Gavin could be a gossip, but he was also quite generous. He’d taught her to always leave thank-you gifts with the people who took the time to educate them about the roles they played. They would spend a couple of weeks dealing with tons of questions, and while Brynn would try to blend into the background, she was a complication they would have to deal with. “But I think there’s more going on between you and this Major person. You had a look when you walked in.”
He was getting way too close for comfort. And there was no reason for it. She was curious about the deputy. She wasn’t thinking about trying to date him.
Although she’d thought about inviting him in. Just for a drink. To talk more. Nothing else. “Yes, I was annoyed because someone let my dog out of his crate.”
Gavin ignored her sarcasm. “No, you had a look of expectation. You looked like you were looking forward to seeing him again. I don’t know that getting involved with the locals is such a good idea.”
“Really? Well, you would know. How many relationships have you had with costars?”
“Many, but it’s not the same. We’re not the same. You are far more serious about the people you get to know. I tend to stick to partners who aren’t wildly interested in getting in too deep.” Gavin stood and stretched. “I’ll leave you with that thought. I don’t want you to get your heart broken.”