Total pages in book: 113
Estimated words: 104820 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 524(@200wpm)___ 419(@250wpm)___ 349(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 104820 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 524(@200wpm)___ 419(@250wpm)___ 349(@300wpm)
“So the setup is working for you?” Mila pushed.
Tessa nodded, though after last night and this morning, she was having bigger and bigger doubts that she could keep her growing feelings for Arch under wraps for the next two months and protect herself from heartbreak.
“Good,” Mila said. “Just don’t let Arch push you around. He’s too used to getting things his way.”
Tessa’s cheeks flushed as she thought about the proposal he’d made the night before. She took another sip of coffee, hoping neither sister would notice her reaction. “I’ve been a caregiver for long enough, fortunately, that I’m not so easy to boss around,” she said at last, putting down her cup. “He listens to me, at least so far. He also does his exercises without complaint, and he’s eating well and even seems to enjoy my cooking.”
“That’s good to hear,” Mila said. “I thought he’d be pretty resistant to working with a caregiver. Then again, I hadn’t counted on someone like you. Clearly, you’re the reason he’s willing to follow instructions, rather than doing things his own way, like he normally does.”
Tessa was surprised to find herself wanting to defend Arch—and also to deflect the spotlight from herself. “I think what’s driving his motivation to heal as quickly as possible is that he still has a couple of scenes to shoot with Smith Sullivan to finish that movie. He’s also really excited about his next action film. He knows he needs to be in top physical shape for both. I just hope I can help him fully heal in the compressed time frame he’s insisted on.”
“Arch can be easygoing a lot of the time, but he also has a stubborn streak,” Mila said. “If he wants something badly enough, he won’t stop until he gets it.”
Erin laughed. “Sounds a lot like you, sis.”
To her credit, Mila took the teasing in stride. “It’s true. Stubbornness runs in the family. Though I like to call it determination. We Davenports don’t give up easily when we want something.”
For a millisecond, Tessa wondered if Mila was referring to the possibility of a romance between her and Arch. But she was pretty sure she hadn’t given away her budding feelings for him.
At the same time, Tessa had a prickling sense that if Arch was truly determined to entice her into his bed, she’d have a hard time resisting. Even now, the image of him bare-chested and grinning flashed into her mind.
But no. She was determined to stay strong. She’d had a lot of practice in her lifetime; now was the time to use it.
To her relief, the two sisters turned their attention from Arch and returned to the topic of his agent’s house-hunt. Mila was clearly excited—she’d already lined up three fabulous places for him to view.
Tessa enjoyed listening to their easy chatter. She was surprised how comfortable she felt in their company. It was like the three of them had been hanging out for years. She couldn’t imagine how nice it must be to have a built-in best friend for life in your sibling. She finished her pastry and then checked her watch. Already an hour had gone by.
Erin mirrored the gesture. “I have to get to work.”
“Me too,” Mila said. “But this was nice.”
Erin turned to Tessa. “I loved having you join us today. And I can’t wait to go thrift store shopping with you on a day when you can take a little more time off from working with Arch.”
Tessa felt herself glow at their comments. “Thank you so much for inviting me. I often get so caught up in my work that I forget about socializing.”
“Well, we can’t have that,” Mila replied. “Let’s make this a regular thing. Please come along next Tuesday too.”
As they left the coffee shop, Tessa felt like she’d made two friends in town.
If only her relationship with their brother was as uncomplicated.
Chapter Fifteen
Tessa and Arch soon found a routine that worked for both of them, and as the days passed, it started to feel as though she and Arch had always lived and worked together. It was strange to think it had been only a week since she’d first arrived, full of nervous energy about working with a movie star.
Rising in the morning at the same time, Tessa made them both a healthy breakfast, showered, and then helped Arch through his exercises. He performed them diligently, working his muscles to the point that she sometimes wanted to tell him to slow down, but she knew how important it was to him to stay in top physical condition. She admired his dedication and tried to stay cool and professional every day while secretly admiring his incredible physique.
He spent mid-mornings reading over his script while she prepared lunch, using her skill and imagination to add flavor and interest to his extremely healthy diet. Whatever she made, he complimented her. After she’d been married to a man who’d had only complaints, it felt strange to receive so much praise, but she loved the way he appreciated her cooking. It made her work even harder to do a great job for him.