Dream Kisses (Romance on the Ranch Series #1) (16 page)

She
turned and walked to her window. "So, what's your schedule like the rest
of the week?"

"For
the next four days, we'll be doing the shoots early morning until mid afternoon
and again at sunset. Tomorrow the takes will be at the river." He stopped
talking. "Sarah, look at me."

She
turned and acted nonchalant.

He
said, "Nothing's changed." There was a loud knock on her door.
"Do you want me to open it?"

"Might
as well."

He
opened the door to a skinny jovial guy who looked past Sage to Sarah. "Oh,
sorry, I got turned around and thought this was Harvey's room."

Sage
pointed down the hall. "There's his room."

"Thanks."

He
started to close the door when another crew member called his name. "Hey
Sage, you got time to go over the logistics of tomorrow's shoot?"

Sarah
wasn't ready to continue their conversation so she said, "You take care of
business. I'm kind of tired anyway."

He
looked like he didn't believe her, but he must have seen something in her
expression that kept him from saying so. "Okay. We'll talk later." He
stepped into the hall and closed the door.

* * *

It
was just before midnight when Sage finally got off the walkie-talkie with Newt.
Plopping into his recliner, he squeezed his eyes shut. Hopefully, everyone was
lined out for tomorrow. Ned was overseeing work in the north pasture, Newt was
overseeing the dudes, the photo crew had been shown the location of the next
day's shoot, and Curley had worked out the menu for onsite lunch delivery. He
rubbed his eyes. He needed to sleep because he'd be up at the crack of dawn,
but he didn't want to go to bed without Sarah.

Exhausted,
he walked to his bedroom and sat on the side of his bed. Unbuttoning and
removing his shirt and sliding off his belt, he fell backwards across the quilt
his mother had sewn when he was a boy. He wished he'd never agreed to this
modeling job. He wanted to go back in time and tell Pinky to shove it up his
ass. The time he'd spent with Sarah had made him happier than he'd been in a
long time. Their outings, with Julie in tow, had made him want so much more
than just a physical relationship. He longed for a complete family, but he may
have just screwed things up.

Since
the Chrissie debacle that afternoon, Sarah had become reserved and standoffish.
Chrissie was a wart that wouldn't go away. They'd had a short affair that he
intensely regretted. Hell, he'd only slept with her a couple of times; the
first because he was stupid and the second because he was stupider. He tried to
console himself by remembering how bad he'd been feeling. It was around the
anniversary of Marylou's and Michael's deaths and he'd just wanted a warm body
to comfort him.

He
rolled onto his side and placed a hand on Sarah's pillow. She hadn't shown for
supper and when he'd knocked on her door, she'd called out that she wasn't
feeling well and was going to bed early. After supper he'd been presented with
one crisis after another. If tomorrow followed the same pattern, he'd probably
go ballistic on someone. He closed his eyes and fell asleep still in his jeans.

* * *

Hunger
pains gnawed at Sarah when she woke. She'd skipped supper the night before
because the thought of trying to make small talk with the models and crew
wasn't something she could pull off. She also didn't want to watch Chrissie and
the other women put the moves on Sage.
I think I've been bitten by the green
monster of jealousy.

The
sun was barely up when Sarah slinked to the kitchen, hoping to find some
leftovers and sneak them back to her room. She'd just walked into the pantry in
search of Curley's homemade bread when the kitchen door opened and she heard
two women talking.
Oh, fudge, just my luck.
She started to step out of
the pantry to make her presence known when one of the women said, "You
know Sage and Chrissie had a thing going, don't you?"

"Yeah,
but from the way he's ignoring her, I think its dead and buried."

"I
hope so—gives us a chance."

"Hey,
you don't think he's hot for chubby girl, do you. I saw him coming out of her
room. He didn't look happy."

"Are
you serious, Rosie? Do you think he'd go for her?"

There
was a pause, and then, "Naw."

Sarah
heard the refrigerator open and the girl named Rosie ask, "You want some
orange juice?"

"No,
I'm good. We better hurry. That old guy, Newt, said the van leaves at eight and
we still have to sit through makeup."

The
other girl groaned. "Yeah, and with my luck, I'll have to sit next to
Chrissie and listen to her bullshit about how famous she is."

Sarah
heard the door close and released her breath. She didn't feel hungry anymore.

By
noon, after skipping supper the night before and losing her appetite that
morning, Sarah was ravenous. She decided to see if Curley would let her make a
sandwich that she could take back to her room. She only had a few revisions to
the ending of
Dream Kisses,
and then the manuscript was off to Sissy.

The
great room was empty. She figured the dudes were probably horseback riding.
When she entered the kitchen, Curley and Newt were rushing around like crazy
people. Newt was complaining, "Hell, since when did I become an errand
boy. I gots ta take all them hoity-toity greenhorns lunch. What was the boss
thinkin' ta ask em here?" Newt answered his own question. "He was
thinkin' with his pocketbook, that's what."

Curley
mumbled something in response and fastened lids on plastic containers of potato
salad. The door squeaked and the men looked up. Sarah's stomach growled. Curley
said, "Hey, Sarah, you feelin' better? I was gonna knock on your door and
ask if you wanted some soup or somethin' after I got this modelin' bunch taken
care of."

"That's
sweet, Curley. Would it be okay if I just snagged one of those sandwiches? I'm
feeling better now."

"Sure,
little lady. Help yerself. Whatever you want. There's tuna salad or turkey
club."

Sarah
picked up a tuna sandwich and Curley handed her a plate. "You want some
potato salad or chips to go with it?"

"No,
this is plenty. Thank you." She turned to leave. Before she could
rationalize what she was about to ask, she turned back around. "Newt, can
I help you deliver lunch?"

Newt
glanced up from slopping tuna on a piece of bread. "Sure. Need all the
help I can get. I'm leavin' in fifteen minutes."

"Okay,
I'll change and be right back." Chastising herself for her hair-brained
request, she rushed to her room and put on her Levis and a cowboy shirt Julie
had found during one of their second-hand store excursions. She pulled on the boots
she'd bought in L.A. and worn to Boot Bustin' Barn. When she returned, Newt's
rusty pickup was already loaded. She climbed in and he put the truck in gear,
mumbling, "Thanks fer yer help, Missy."

"No
problem."

They
drove several minutes until they reached a gate. Newt jumped out of the truck
to open it, jumped back in to drive through, and back out again to close it.
They followed a dirt road across a pasture. When they crested a hill, she
asked, "So, exactly where is the shoot taking place?  I heard something
about the river."

"Yep,
they're up near the fork where it splits and makes a run toward Triple T. It's
a right pretty place. Just wish them greenhorns would get their business done
and move on. Them bein' here puts a wrench in the gears. Now we got everbody
tryin' ta be in two places at once. Soon's I'm done here, I gots ta hurry back
and meet up with Beaner so's we can give the dudes lasso lessons."

Sarah
didn't know how to respond, so she just nodded in sympathy. Twenty minutes
later they reached the river and turned left. Newt was right about it being
pretty. Tall pines sloped down a rise to the banks of the river. He pulled into
a clearing with an SUV, Sage's pickup, and a couple of vans. He jerked his head
to the side. "Past those trees and rocks is where we're goin'." When
they got out of the cab, Sarah could hear voices coming from below. Newt
reached into the pickup bed to hoist an ice chest onto his shoulder. Sarah
reached for the big box of paper goods, but he said, "No, Missy, you jes
leave that be. Some of them high-falutin' city folk can carry this stuff."

"I
really don't mind."

"Nope,
you jes follow me." He headed across the clearing to a trail that sloped
to the river. Before starting down they paused to watch the scene along its
banks. Three tent canvases had been erected near the tree line. The two smaller
ones had their flaps down on three sides. Inside, folding tables were loaded
with jars, small boxes, and mirrors. Tall chairs were placed next to the
tables. In one of them a man was kicked back reading a magazine.

The
larger tent was open to the outdoors with all its flaps up. Equipment and cords
crammed the entire space and the guy who'd knocked on Sarah's door the day
before was pulling out a heavy cord. Everyone else was gathered near the river
where Sage and Chrissie posed on a ledge jutting above the water. The other two
models stood off to the side watching. A camera man moved like a dancer around
Sage and Chrissie. Nearby, a big man with thick white hair sat in a director's
chair. Even though he was in profile, Sarah could see he was smiling.

Newt
started down the trail and Sarah followed. When they got within hearing range
she listened to the photographer calling instructions. "Hot and sexy! Move
in, Chrissie. Touch his chest. Great!" The camera repeatedly clicked.
"Put a hand on his abs, but let the buttons peek through your
fingers." Click. Click. "Rosie, Diane, join them." The
Photographer clicked a few more shots and then yelled, "Makeup!" A
female crew member rushed to blot the models faces. More instructions were
given. "Let's flank him girls. Chrissie, you kneel in front of him and
look up possessively. Sage, pull Rosie and Diane against your body and give
Rosie a bedroom look." Sarah knew that look, and to her chagrin, the green-eyed
monster reared its head again.

When
she and Newt had almost reached the bottom of the trail, Sage glanced up and
saw her. His countenance changed to one of delight and the photographer called,
"Perfect, Sage. Turn that look on Chrissie."

Sage
frowned. "I need a break." He dropped his arms from around the models
and walked away. The photographer looked disappointed, but yelled, "Break
everyone!" After he turned and saw Newt and Sarah he yelled again,
"Looks like lunch has arrived!"

Sage
stalked toward them, and Newt said under his breath, "Don't look like the boss
is too happy."

Sarah
silently agreed.

Sage
reached them and took the ice chest from Newt. Newt said. "Yo, boss. Wanna
send some greenhorns up to help unload?"

"Sure."
He stared at Sarah. "What are you doing here?"

Newt
piped up. "She was real nice and offered to help."

Sage
turned and called to no one in particular, "Could a couple of you unload Newt's
pickup?"

"Sure,"
returned one of the crew. He tagged another man and they started up the trail.

"Sarah,
come with me. Newt, show the guys what you want them to do."

Sarah
followed Sage to a long folding table under a tree close to the river and he set
the ice chest on it. He said, "I'll be right back," and walked to the
trail.

The
heavy set white-haired man who had been sitting in the director's chair
approached her. "Hello. My name is Harvey Livingston. We haven't met."

"I'm
Sarah Carter."

The
big man asked, "So, are you one of the ranch employees?"

"Um,
no. I actually came for the dude ranch."

"Sounds
like fun. I'm considering signing up myself."

Sarah
didn't know what to say, so she just smiled.

Harvey
said, "What do you think of the clothing?" Without waiting for her
response, he forged on, "I think my new line is stupendous; already got
great responses from major buyers. I'm thinking of expanding into a children's
line. You know, I started in this business thirty years ago and have made quite
a name for myself. I…"

Sarah
spotted Sage returning with the other men. The clothing designer kept talking
about his accomplishments and she tried to look interested. Even when the men
arrived and set their bundles on the table, the man kept yammering. "Then,
in the early nineties, I set the standard by…" She reached into the supply
box and pulled out a plastic tablecloth, still trying to look interested. As
she set out plates, utensils, and other supplies, Harvey kept up his one-sided
conversation. "Now, the year 2005 was major in my career and that's also
the year I started working with Sage. He did some Vogue work for me. Great
year! Great year!"

When
Harvey paused for breath, Sage called, "Lunch is served." The crew
members dropped what they were doing and headed for the table. The models stayed
in the tall chairs in one of the small tents and continued a private
conversation.