Shifter Mountain: A BBW Paranormal Romance (7 page)

Chapter 8

Ju
st before dawn, Jordan had fallen asleep in a chair, still holding an empty mason jar in his hand.  When the jar slipped out of his hand and landed with a loud thud on the floor, he abruptly jerked awake.

His whole body ached from his cramped position, slumped down in the chair rather than comfortably snoozing in a bed.  Before he had a chance to stand up and stretch, his cellphone already was ringing.

The Caller ID identified the incoming number as belonging to Jordan's Manager, Keith Parks.

"Mornin', Keith," Jordan answered, his voice sounding ho
arse.

"Is it true what I'm hearing?  That you've got a film crew organized and en route to Scopes Mountain to shoot a music video?"

"That would not be me who's got them organized.  That would be Bob.  And I told you last week what I was planning."

"You didn't tell me WHERE exactly you were planning to film."

"Is there a problem, Keith?"

"Yeah, I'd say there's a problem," Keith said. "Scopes Mountain has a bad reputation in Eastern Tennessee.  You should know that, having been born there. When it gets out to the media that you're filming there, you might get all kinds of weird press out of it — not the kind of publicity you want."

"You mean, like, the shape-shifters and skinwalkers that are supposed to be running around up here?"

"I mean the moonshiners and criminals," Keith barked, "and the fact that up until very recently more people went
missing on Scopes Mountain every year than anywhere else in Appalachia.  That's why hikers are bypassing it now, even though it's right on the Appalachian Trail."

"You strangely seem to know an awful lot about it."

"I grew up on the peak on the other side of Lake Surepa.  And I don't like the fact that you're putting an entire film crew at risk up there."

Jordan rubbed his eyes, still not yet awake. Keith was actually right, given his own confrontation with skinwalkers the previous night.  What had sounded like superstition and myth was becoming his reality.

Was he really putting everyone in danger?  The logical side of him said yes, but something else inside of him said no and that he had more right to be on Scopes Mountain than anyone else, even those residents who had been there for years and years, and their forefathers before them.

"We'll be a big group," Jordan told Keith. "Safety in numbers. And we're leasing the property from a local woman. "

"I want hourly updates."

"That's not realistic.  We'll be too caught up in production."

"Alright.  Fine.  I want an update this afternoon, and then another one when you wrap up tonight. The crew should be there by late morning."

Jordan ended the call and jumped in the shower.  He realized he'd have to wear the same clothes as the day before, but Bob should be bringing a suitcase for him, along with the woman in charge of wardrobe for the shoot.

Jordan left the cabin and headed for Kay's cabin.  When he came through the clearing, he saw that Bob and the film crew already had arrived — earlier than expected  — and they already were setting up camp.  Trucks with camera and sound equipment filled the yard, and Jordan saw Kay talking with Bob on the front porch.  As Jordan got closer, he overheard that Bob simply was explaining to Kay the proposed schedule for the next couple of days.

As Jordan walked through the bustle, he shook his head.

If Cephas Mandrell was pissed before, he'd be ten times more pissed when he saw all this.

Up on the porch, Kay beheld the transformation of her front yard with amazement.  She then noticed a convertible pull u
p.  The car was driven by a pretty, slender blonde, who got out and looked a bit lost.

"
Who’s she?" Kay asked.

"That's the model who will appear in the music
video as Jordan's love interest," Bob said.

Kay felt her heart sink a little bit.  The woman was gorgeous, and Kay suddenly felt the little confidence she had gained since cooking dinner for Jordan the night before deflate.

"Are they actually together?  Jordan and her?"

Bob looked surprised.

"Oh no — this is just business.  They don't even know each other."

Kay should have felt reassured by that, but she didn't.  Then she tried to snap out of it.  She shouldn't be thinking like this at all.  She wa
s a married woman after all, to a man she may or may not actually be able to get away from.  And, even if she was ever free, reality was setting in that Jordan was a man way out of her league.  She had nothing to offer him.  Nothing at all.

Bob headed off to deal with the chaos, leaving Kay on her own.

When she saw Jordan heading for the porch, she managed a weak smile.

"Wow — this whole scene is crazy,"  Kay said. "I mean, I've never seen this much action before."

"Stick around, you haven't seen anything yet.  Speaking of crazy, your husband paid me a visit last night."

Kay froze. A shudder went through her.

"What happened exactly?  What did he say?"

"Well, it was pretty interesting," Jordan began. "He
was, well, he had climbed up on the roof, actually."

"On the roof?"

"Yeah, kind of a hard climb for a man, I would say," Jordan mused. "But much easier for, say, a panther."

The statement hit Kay like a brick.

"A panther," she repeated, deadpan.

"One of your mountain's secrets apparently.  The rumors apparently are all true.  Obviously we cannot talk about this now, with everyone around, but you and I need to have a long talk later."

Kay nodded, her eyes wide as saucers.

"Something you should notice," Jordan added. He spread out his arms and turned to show her his front and back.  "Not a scratch.  He never actually attacked me."

"Do you know why not?"

"I ran him off."

"How'd you manage to do that?"

"I just threw a rock at him."

That didn't sound right. Cephas didn't scare off easily.

"That's it?"

"That's all it took. There's something else, though.  It seems I'm shifting a little myself.  Only not into a panther."

"Into what?"

"That definitely will have to wait until later."

Kay had absolutely no idea what to say to Jordan.  He was giving her that look again, the look that told her she actually mattered to him.  But insecurity
flooded her. And fear — fear about how Scopes Mountain's darkness could be fully exposed with all these strangers around.  She should have known better than to agree to let Jordan lease her property, but the money was too good to turn down.

Kay decided to change the subject.

"That girl — she's awful pretty," Kay said.

"What girl?"

"The model who's going to be in your video."

"Who?"

"She's over there."

Kay pointed the blonde out to him.  She was talking to another woman with a
funky haircut with pink streaking through jet-black extensions.

Jordan looked at the model,
and then looked back at Kay.  Then he got an idea in his head.

"Wait here a second."

Jordan strode over to the model and the other woman.

"Hey, Gina," he said to the brunette.

"Hey yourself, cowboy."

The woman with the funky hair was in charge of wardrobe and makeup for the shoot.  She had two other women working under her.

"Walk with me a sec," he said.

Gina and Jordan moved off
to where they could have a short private conversation.

"I'm thinking this model isn't right for the shoot," Jordan said.

"Why — is something wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong with her, she just wasn't well cast."

"Well, you need a love interest for the video, and it will take another day or two if you want a new model screened."

"We don't need another model," Jordan said. "I already have someone in mind.  A local woman.  She's up there on the porch."

Gina shielded her eyes against the sun and looked over toward Kay.  Bob approached just then.

"What's going on?" Bob asked.

"I think we should pay the model for her time, but I think Kay is actually a better fit for the video.  She's authentic."

Bob looked incredulous.

"Nothing against Kay — her hospitality has been stupendous but she's not exactly the video vamp type."

"What's wrong with her?"

Well," Bob said. "She's plain, and she doesn't exactly have a smokin' figure."

"Beauty is in the eye of the beholder," Jordan said.

"Yes...but it's your audience that will be the beholder, not you,"  Bob said. "Wait a minute, what's really going on here?  Do you have a thing for her?"

"What do you think, Gina?"

"Well, wardrobe will be a problem because we didn't bring anything up that's in her size.  But we can look through what she's got on the spot, and I'm a pretty good seamstress on-the-spot if we need to come up with something, or alter what she's got."

"You actually are in support of this?" Bob asked Gina.

"Why not, Bob?" Gina said. "Are you forgetting, oh say, Wynonna Judd? Plus-size and an amazing star.  The female Elvis.  Big and beautiful has worked in Country and Western in the past, why not here?"

"I really am not convinced."

  "I think Jordan's fans might appreciate a realistic love interest in the video.  Plus, I can tell from here that's she kind of a natural beauty, and when we do her up right she's really going to look like the heart of this mountain."

Jordan put his hand on Gina's shoulder.

"I appreciate the support," Jordan said. "I'd like to tell her myself, but I'm thinking maybe you would do a better job convincing her.  She's not used to all this, and a woman-to-woman talk might sell her on it."

"Sure thing," Gina said.  "Leave it to me."

Jordan headed off to consult with Bob on a draft 'script' of what they had in mind for the video.  Even though nobody had any lines, just the lyrics that Jordan would be singing, the music video would still tell a story.

Gina went to introduce herself to Kay.

"Hey there," she said, holding her hand out to Kay. "I'm Gina.  I oversee makeup and costuming."

Kay shook her hand warmly.

"Kay.  Probably you already know I own the land you're using."

Gina had an outlandish look to her that Kay wasn't used to, but she
was more intrigued than put off by her.  And Kay was increasingly impressed and intrigued with what it took to produce what was, essentially, just a 4-minute short film.

"So, uh, Jordan wanted me to speak to you about something," Gina began. "We've laid off the original model for the shoot and, well, Jordan wants you to replace her."

"Replace her?"

"Uh, yeah.  How would you feel about that?"

"Are you saying that...he wants me to be in the music video?"

"Yes he does.  He thinks you look to be a much better fit."

Kay was stunned.

"That doesn't make any sense," she said.  "I'm certainly not a model by any means.  I don't look like any o
f the girls in any music videos I've ever seen."

"You will by the time I get done with you," Gina said with a grin. "Artistically speaking, I think Jordan has made a good call.  You look like a mountain girl, Kay.  You look fresh and natural, and we'll play that up. Can I see what you've got in your closet?  We need to outfit you, and I might need to do some alterations to get your image just right."

"I haven't said yes to anything yet!"  Kay protested.

"Seriously?" Gina challenged her.  "Jordan Lawless is a Top 10 recording artist.  He is the Big Time.  And, to put it bluntly, the man is
fine
.  This
fine
man wants you to be in his music video.  You would have to be bat-shit insane to turn that down."

"I'm not insane, I just, I just, I can't."

"Oh yes you can.  And you
will
.  This is a fantasy come true, you just need to go with it. And trust me that I have your best interests at heart when I say I am going to get you ready for your moment to shine."

Kay thought about this.  Cephas would not stand for this at all once he found out.  But her heart swelled at the thought that Jordan actually wanted to show her off to the world as if she were his woman.  Even if it was only for four-minutes — the length of a music video.  And even if it was total fiction.

Well, she just kept making decisions guaranteed that there would be accumulated hell-to-pay when her husband showed back up on her doorstep.  Why stop now?

"Okay.  But I don't think I really have anything decent to wear."