Total pages in book: 113
Estimated words: 110360 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 552(@200wpm)___ 441(@250wpm)___ 368(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 110360 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 552(@200wpm)___ 441(@250wpm)___ 368(@300wpm)
And the furniture…
Christ.
The dresser looked as if it had survived a war. I was clearly not as good an actress as Lofton, because she immediately read my face.
“This stuff was outdated even when we got it,” Lofton said. “Mom found it at a yard sale when I was like fourteen.”
“That tracks.”
She rolled her eyes. “Hey, not all of us grew up with California money.”
“Trust me, neither did I.”
Her eyebrows lifted like she didn’t quite believe me.
She walked farther into the room and pointed at the wall of ribbons. “English, Western, you name it, and I was in the show ring.”
“It looks like you were good.”
She shrugged. “I was… dedicated. Daddy bred quarter horses, so he took me to all the big shows to make a name for himself. For the most part, it worked too. Clara’s Patience is still a highly sought-after bloodline.”
My eyes moved to the handful of trophies on small shelf above the.
One Act Play.
Drama Club.
And—
I picked up a golden figurine mounted on a wooden base. “Congrats on,” I flipped it over. “Show choir?”
She groaned. “Thanks. It was freshman year, and I’d do anything to get on a stage. Even a completely over-the-top routine to ‘Don’t Stop Believin.’ Jazz hands, choreography, the whole nine.” She twisted her lips adorably. “Let’s just say Broadway wasn’t exactly devastated when I pursued other options.”
A laugh slipped out before I could stop it, and her eyes lit at the sound.
And damn if that wasn’t seriously unfortunate. I wasn’t an army of men and I sure as fuck couldn’t risk another one of those smiles.
I redirected—and fast.
“Hey, at least you chose Show Choir.” I set the trophy back on the dresser. “Signed up late for electives my sophomore year. Everything was full except dance.”
He bit her lower lip, her eye sparkling with humor.
“Yeah,” I muttered. “Try explaining that to a locker room full of high school football players.”
“So you were the star quarterback who secretly took ballet.”
“More like a middle linebacker who got his ass roasted for an entire semester,” I corrected. “But it turned out to be useful. Footwork, balance, agility. Coach loved it. Got me into Fresno State on a football scholarship. I had a couple of decent seasons.”
And in my furious attempt to avoid her smile, I failed so miserably. It returned full blown and staggering.
I cleared my throat and made a circle around the room, searching the window and avoiding her. “Anyway, all I’m saying is it seems like things turned out well for you. Broadway’s loss became Hollywood’s gain.”
I could feel her gaze tracking me in the small space.
“I guess,” she replied. “Honestly, I just got lucky to have landed anywhere outside of Dollton. We barely had money for gas most weeks. Dad poured everything into the farm. Mom taught kindergarten. We weren’t exactly jet setting to Los Angeles for auditions. My senior year, our drama teacher got me into a summer program in New York. Dad had to sell one of his prized studs so we could afford it. One thing led to another.”
“And suddenly you’re a movie star.”
She popped a shoulder. “Something like that. It’s not nearly as exciting as it sounds.”
Calling her bullshit, I cut her a side eye.
“No, I’m serious,” she defended. “I love acting, but all the other stuff that comes with it.” She waved a hand toward me. “Present company included. No offense or anything.”
“None taken.”
“It’s just not for me anymore. I spent so long chasing the sparkle of a rainbow that I never realized the pot of gold was floating in a river of sewage. I don’t mean to sound ungrateful or anything. That rainbow has given me an incredible life, but I’m done walking through shit to keep it. I’d rather just be a girl who lives on a farm in Dollton.”
I stared at her for a beat. Fuck me, that was a refreshing take on this business. “Fair enough. You’ve earned a break.”
“I need more than a break.” She drew in a shaky breath as if emotion had lodged in her throat. “Anyway, enough with the sentimental crap. It’s getting late.”
It was barely nine pm and my body was still on Pacific Standard Time, so it felt like it was only seven. But between her early morning visit at the funeral home and an even longer travel day, she was due some rest.
Besides, I definitely needed some time alone and a factory reset on my brain after all those smiles of hers.
“Right. Let me just go over a few things with you first. All your old security codes still work on the alarm. Though if you leave this house. Text me first. You get a response from me, then you’re free to move about the property. You don’t, you stay put. But you do not, under any circumstances, leave the property unless I am at your side. Got it?”