California Dreaming: Four Contemporary Romances (105 page)

He made it to the site quietly, and stood at the edge of the woods by the set while he looked around. Everything seemed in order. The building George had “set on fire” shadowed part of the set, so James edged around its side.

That’s when he saw the movement.

He grasped his flashlight more firmly. If he conked the intruder on the head, it should disable the guy.

You’re an idiot, Lubbock.

What did he think he was doing playing cops and robbers? There was no one to help him. No cops. No way to prove anything if he did catch the culprit.

James didn’t move.

The man he was watching bent down by an old-style wooden wagon and fiddled with something under the wagon bed. When he was done, he stood and turned toward the building James hid behind, his face fully visible in the moonlight.

Doug Lambert.

James yanked his phone from his pants pocket, and snapped a picture.

The flash must have caught Doug’s eye, because he took a step toward where James stood.

James thrust the phone in his pants pocket, stepped out from behind the building, and strode into the light.

Doug saw him and ran.

“You son of a—” James took after the man.

Doug was in good shape, but so was James. James caught up to him at the edge of the set. He launched himself into a flying tackle and took his assistant down, pinning him into the ground.

“Why? You SOB! Why?” James wanted to pound Doug’s face into the dirt.

“I didn’t do anything wrong. Get off me!” The assistant struggled to get up.

James straddled the man and grabbed his arms. He’d filled in as an extra in westerns enough to know the procedure. “What did you do to the wagon?”

“Get off me! You’re hurting me!” Doug’s voice was muffled by the dirt.

James hoped the traitor was getting a mouthful of the stuff. “I saw you. What did you do?”

“I told you. Nothing. And if you say I did anything, I’ll deny it. I could even say I saw you do it.”

James let out a puff of air he didn’t even know he’d been holding. Doug was right. There wasn’t any proof. Park cops had investigated George’s accident, but hadn’t found any evidence. Whoever had tampered with the saddle had worn gloves.

James looked down at Doug’s hands and smiled.

No gloves.

“I don’t think so.” He got off of Doug. “I only want to know why.”

Doug stood, shook off the dust, and glared at James. “I. Didn’t. Do. Anything.” He shoved James. “Now, get out of my way.”

He started down the path toward the lodge.

“You’re fired!” James yelled after him.

“Whatever. Take it up with my union rep. You won’t have your job for long, either.” He leered a smile. “Or your girl.”

James clenched his fists to keep from tackling him again. “Did you really think this was going to get me fired? Or that they’d give you the job instead?”

“Since I didn’t do anything, it doesn’t matter what I think. But it sure would be convenient to have someone here who was ready to take over. Especially, someone who would have been smart enough to hire a security guard. Mandy will need a shoulder to cry on, too.”

The threat to Mandy propelled him a step closer.

The smirk left Doug’s face.

“Get out of here,” James growled.

Doug turned and sauntered from the set.

James waited until Doug was out of sight before pulling his phone back out of his pocket. This was one of the few places in this part of the park where he could get a signal. He paged through his contacts and dialed park ranger headquarters.

That creep wasn’t getting away with anything if he could help it.

James waited in his car for the police to arrive from their headquarters on the valley floor. An hour passed before he saw the headlights of the Jeep. He opened the door and got out, the dome light announcing his presence.

After the two cops introduced themselves, they followed James to the set.

Strong flashlights beamed as the one of the cops examined the wagon.

The other looked at the picture on James’s phone. “Too bad you didn’t have a photo of him in the act,” said the cop whose nametag declared him to be Sargent Riley. “He’s right. There’s no way you can prove anything other than he was out here at this date and time.” Sargent Riley pointed to the notation on James’s phone.

The cop by the wagon stood, his leather belt and gear creaking as he rose, and walked toward them. “Yep. Somebody tampered with the brake. I can see where the rope is almost cut through. Depending on what was planned for the wagon, it could have been another nasty accident.”

“Can you lift fingerprints from rope?”

“Doubtful.” He flashed his beam on James’s shoes. “Got something almost as good, though.” He turned his beam to the ground by the wagon. “Boot print. Let me see the photo.”

James handed him the phone.

“Could be. It’s thin, but let’s get his boots when we pick him up for questioning.”

Sargent Riley nodded. “Anything else you noticed? Do you think this could be the same person behind all the other problems you’ve been having? Any idea why he’d do it?”

James shook his head.

“We’ll pick him up first thing in the morning,” Sargent Riley said as they walked back to their cars. “Where’s he staying?”

“He pulled a trailer up from LA. He’s parked in the campground,” James said. “What if he runs?”

“Do you think that’s an issue?”

James thought of the way Doug had left the set. “No,” he said. “He thinks he’s in the clear.”

The sergeant gestured to the sky. “If we attempt to pick him up and he bolts, it may be difficult to track him. Better to wait ’til daylight.”

“Okay.”

James drove back to the parking lot and headed to his tent. As he passed Mandy’s lodging, he paused. Would Doug do anything to hurt her? Or was his plan limited to seducing her in James’s absence?

James walked up the steps to Mandy’s cabin, pushed aside the flap, and went inside. For a moment he looked at her sleeping form, emotions welling inside him. He’d do anything to keep her safe.

• • •

Mandy awoke with a start. There was someone in her tent!

She grabbed the flashlight she stashed under her pillow every night, pointed it at the intruder, and flicked it on. “Take one more step and I’ll scream!”

“Turn that off,” James said, just as she recognized her visitor.

She clicked off the light, leaving shadows visible in the moonlight. “What are you doing here?”

He sat on the bed her mother had used. “I’m sleeping here tonight.”

“Oh, no you’re not.” The last thing she needed was more rumors about them.

He shook his head. “I’m not here to seduce you, much as I would enjoy that.” His eyes swept down her body and he smiled.

All of a sudden she was aware of the thin nightshirt she wore. Moonlight wasn’t much to see by, but still … She pulled the covers up to her chin.

He frowned. “There’s been more trouble tonight. Because our—” he gestured between them, “um, people are aware that we’re seeing each other. I’m afraid you may be in danger.” The last words came out in a rush.

“Why? What happened?” She drew up her knees and crossed her arms around them.

“I had a hunch and went back to the set. I found Doug sabotaging the wagon.”

“Doug? Oh, no. He was so sweet to me.”

James glared at her. “Trust me. He’s not a nice man.” An edge of steel knifed through his words.

“Did he get away? What happens now?”

“The cops think they have enough to question him, but they don’t want to do it until the morning. That’s why I’m here. To protect you.” James crossed his arms over his chest.

She bit her lower lip to keep from laughing. Men were cute in a predictable kind of way. After she got herself under control, she pointed to the bed. “Okay. You can sleep there.
With
your clothes on. And stay on your side of the tent.”

She slipped back down under the covers. “Good night.”

“Good night.” The words were throaty with desire.

Radiance ran from the tips of her toes to her fingers.

Rustles came from the other side of the cabin as James crawled under the cot’s covers. When the noise stopped, she spoke.

“James?”

“Yeah.”

“Thanks for being here.”

“No problem.”

“G’night.” She turned to bury her face into the pillow, restless with unfulfilled desire.

• • •

When the first rays of sun streamed into the tent, Mandy woke and looked across the tent.

James was sitting on his bed, tying his shoes.

“Morning,” she whispered.

He looked up and grinned. “Morning.” He stood, and his expression became serious again. “I’m going to go out to the lot. The cops should be here soon.”

“Let me go with you.”

He shook his head. “I think the fewer people around, the easier it will go.” He gave her an ironic smile. “You know show business folk. Always ready to do a scene.”

“But—”

“Trust me. Please? All I’m going to do is point out which rig is his.”

“Be safe.” Mandy stood and walked to him.

“I will.” He gave her a hug and a brief kiss. “I’ll be glad when this is over.”

“Me, too.”

“Then we can back to what really matters—us.”

• • •

James still hadn’t returned by the time Mandy left for work.

Mandy started the coffee as she’d promised Sally, hauled what was needed to the counter, and began prep, her nerves tingling with anticipation. Soon she had three different preps going at the same time.

Sally hauled herself into the trailer and looked at the chaos on the countertops. “Okay. What happened?”

Mandy told her about James’s discovery of Doug and the pending arrest.

“Doug? I never would have suspected him.”

“No one did.”

The trailer door opened, and James stepped in. His shoulders slumped, and his face looked weary.

Mandy poured a cup of coffee and handed it to him.

“Thanks.” He slumped against the refrigerator and took a few sips. “You told her?” James gestured his cup at Sally.

“Yes,” Mandy answered.

James shook his head. “It wasn’t pretty. Doug screamed at me. Said it was all my fault. I’m an arrogant bas—” He stopped and looked at the women. “Sorry. Let’s just say he didn’t have anything nice to say about me.” He gulped some coffee. “Doug’s boots matched the boot prints by the wagon. It’s still circumstantial, but it’s slightly stronger than he said-he said.” James’s smile was strained.

“What now?” Mandy asked.

James shrugged. “They’re taking him to San Francisco for questioning. The boots are enough to hold him for twenty-four hours, but not beyond.” He sighed. “And, if he gets out, I’ll need to get him and his trailer transported back to LA. No point in having him come back here. Hopefully, his exit will be the end of our problems.” He put his coffee cup down. “Thanks for the brew, ladies. I need to go talk to Beth Ann.”

Mandy’s heart ached for him as he left. It couldn’t have been an easy scene in front of Doug’s trailer.

Sally yanked out a large mixing bowl and handed it to Mandy. “Pancakes. People are going to be hungry.”

“True.” Mandy got out the eggs, milk, and pancake mix.

Sally finished cutting up the fruit Mandy had started. “Have you given any more thought to working for me full time? I could really use the help. Then you could buy me out when I’m ready to retire in a few years.”

Mandy shook her head. She wasn’t ready to make her decision yet. “I’m still not sure.”

Sally sighed. “I thought you were past that, especially the way you and James have been behaving. How are you going to nail the man down if you’re at the other end of the state?”

Mandy stirred the ingredients. “It doesn’t make sense to me either. I mean, I moved across the country to get away from my mother, so I can’t be afraid of change.”

“But in that case you were running away from something. Is it taking a chance on something new that’s causing the problem?”

“My whole life would change. My friends, my work. I’d have to reconnect with Dana. There’s no point in working in the industry without letting him know.”

“That’s true, but as I mentioned more than once, it wouldn’t be the worst thing for you. You haven’t mentioned James.”

“Yeah.” Mandy stared at the half-mixed batter. The egg yolks swirled like fancy icing on a pastry.

“What’s the worst that could happen?” Sally asked.

“He’d break my heart.”

“You’d have to let yourself fall in love first.”

Mandy was well on the way to that. Another thing she wasn’t ready to admit to anyone.

Silence reigned. Sally arranged the fruit on the plate, while Mandy turned up the heat under the griddles. Once she started the pancakes, there’d be no time for small talk.

“You’d recover, you know.” Sally slid plastic wrap over the plate and pushed it into the refrigerator.

A sizzling drop of water told Mandy the griddle was ready. The next few moments were chaotic as the women poured, flipped, and stacked.

Would she be able to recover if James broke her heart? James had come partway. He’d even talked about throwing out the infamous life plan. Why couldn’t she get off the fence? Would she take the risk, or scurry back to the safety of Costanoa?

As they took the trays to the dining tent, Mandy thoughts whirled. Sarah had gotten pregnant, and her boyfriend had dumped her. Then she’d found Hunter and taken the gamble to fall in love again.

The doctor didn’t think she was bipolar. Then what the heck was wrong with her?

Mandy worked mechanically, her smile genuine, but superficial.

Love was hope. Hating someone was easy. There was enough anger in the world to tap into to generate negative feelings. Not caring was also easy. All you had to do was plug into some electronic device or drug, or rack up meaningless sex affairs.

But to love, truly love, a person had to risk every inch of her being.

• • •

With the pressure on, James spent most of the next few days on the set with Beth Ann. He and Mandy saw each other every night, but there was little more than time for a goodnight kiss.