Thrill Me (6 page)

“So what festival are you looking forward to the most, now that you're back?” Del asked.

“A tidy change of subject? Is this to ensure I don't pry into your reasons for not being married?”

“Something like that.”

She laughed. “An honest man.”

“I try.”

She thought for a second. “I think the Book Fair is my favorite.”

“An unexpected choice. I would have thought something at the holidays.”

“No. The Book Fair.”

Because that summer they'd spent together, Del had first told her he loved her during the Book Fair. They'd made love in her bedroom. She'd been a virgin and he couldn't have been more considerate and careful. Not to mention quiet, what with everyone else in her family sleeping on the same floor.

They'd been so young, she thought wistfully. So confident in their feelings for each other. So sure of their future. Even though she knew exactly what had happened and why, she couldn't help wishing it had been different. That
she
had been different.

Not that she regretted going to college. That had been the right choice, and Del had obviously needed to leave Fool's Gold. She'd unexpectedly provided the catalyst. But if she could take back the words, she would.

“I like the Tulip Festival best,” he said.

She stared at him. “Seriously?”

“Sure. They're pretty. It's a sign of spring coming. The changing of the season.”

“Tulips?”

“What? You're saying a real man doesn't like flowers?”

“I'm saying you surprise me.”

“That's me. A constant mystery. Chicks dig mystery guys.”

“If only you had a cool scar.”

“I know. I kept hoping for some scar-inducing injury, but it never happened. I'm just that good.”

She laughed, and the opportunity to discuss the past and maybe apologize was over. But she could get there, she told herself. This new version of Del might not need to hear the words, but they needed to be said.

* * *

“A
CTION
!”

Del looked at the camera, knowing that while he might be uncomfortable staring directly at the lens, looking somewhere else didn't translate well. His job was to engage with the viewer and that meant making eye contact.

“In Fool's Gold, you can taste wine,” he said, then raised a glass of local merlot. Despite the fact that it was only a few minutes after sunrise, he pretended to take a sip. When this was done, he was so getting more coffee.

Day one of shooting had started at an ungodly hour and would go until sunset. They were starting with the tourist videos—showing all sides of the town. He and Maya had an aggressive filming schedule that would take them over much of Fool's Gold. This morning they were focused on the wineries, followed by a couple of shots in town. The afternoon, with the harshest light of the day, would be spent by the wind turbines outside of town. If the sunset was cooperative, they would end with a view of the sun setting behind the town.

“Again,” Maya said. “Wait a second.”

She moved from behind the camera and got one of the equipment boxes, then dragged it toward him. When he started to move to help, she held up a hand.

“Stay where you are. You're framed perfectly. I don't want to have to start over.” She pushed the trunk in front of him, then stared at him. “Okay, put your left foot on the trunk, like you're doing a lunge. I want you leaning forward. The wine goes in your right hand.”

He did as she asked. “This feels awkward.”

“No one cares,” she said as she returned to her spot behind the tripod. “It looks great. Really great. The camera loves you. Love it back.”

She turned and adjusted one of the lights, then stepped back to the camera. “Okay, leaning forward. You love the wine. You're going to have sex with Scarlett Johansson later.”

He shook his head. “I'm not a big fan of Scarlett.”

Maya glared at him. “Del, it's early days yet, but I can be forced into killing you. Just so we're clear.”

“You're crabby.”

“Yes. It would help to remember that. Wine and sex and action.”

She picked up the clapperboard, changed take one to take two, then positioned it in front of the camera and snapped it shut.

“Sound speeding,” she said. “And we have action.” She pointed at him.

Del hesitated a second, feeling ridiculous, then obligingly thought about wine followed by sex. Only instead of the very pretty Ms. Johansson, he remembered what it had been like to kiss Maya.

Her mouth had been soft. The kind of soft that gentled a man, despite how much he wanted the woman in question. Because a mouth that soft deserved attention. Slow attention and careful nurturing.

Even though he and Maya had become lovers that summer, he'd made sure to spend a lot of time just kissing her. Because that had been its own reward. And if he'd known how rare a mouth like hers was, he would have done it even more.

“Del?”

He swore silently and pushed the memories away. “In Fool's Gold, you can taste wine.”

She motioned for him to do it again.

He said the line three more times, using different inflections, sometimes smiling, sometimes not. When they were done, he glanced at the sunrise.

“We should have that over my shoulder,” he said. “It would be a great shot.”

She glanced to where he pointed, then shook her head. “Too much light. I can't control it with the equipment I have with me. Plus, the way the sun is angled will mean shifting the picture so the eye line will be off.”

“It's a great shot,” he repeated. “We should try it.” When she didn't answer, he added, “I've done some shooting of my own, Maya. I know what I'm talking about.”

He waited for her to say something like his amateur shoots were nothing compared to her professional experience. He had a feeling that in her position, that was what he would have been saying.

“Fine,” she said at last. “We'll do it my way, then we'll do it your way. Once we're back in the studio and editing, we'll see what's what. Fair enough?”

He nodded.

They shifted the equipment so that the sun was over his shoulder, then he put his foot up on the trunk and raised his glass of wine.

“I'm thinking about coffee this time,” he told her as she reached for the clapperboard. “Lots and lots of coffee.”

She laughed and called for action.

* * *

M
AYA
WAS
STILL
tired when she walked into The Fox and Hound to meet Elaine for lunch. The previous day's photo shoot had gone until sunset. They'd gotten some great footage, but today she was wiped out. She was sure Del was equally tired. Posing in front of a camera didn't sound like work, but it required complete focus, not to mention a lot of standing. By the end of the day, her brain was fuzzy and her back hurting and she was sure he felt a lot of the same. Today she was playing catch-up and tomorrow would be all about the editing. She was curious to see how their shooting styles would translate onto the screen.

She wanted to say she knew her stuff would be better, but she'd been in the business long enough to know it wasn't always possible to judge. Sometimes the unexpected jumped out at the viewer. Not often, of course, but sometimes. Del could surprise her.

She smiled when she saw her friend had already been seated at a booth.

“Hi,” she said as she sat across from Elaine. “How's it going?”

Before Elaine could answer, their waitress walked over. Maya studied the sixty-something woman and tried to hold in a grin. It seemed that in the past ten years, Wilma hadn't changed a bit.

She still wore her hair short, with glasses perched on her nose. She snapped gum and looked ready to take on the world.

“You're back,” she said to Maya, then nodded at Elaine. “We're doing a new roast beef sandwich with a horseradish cream. The bread is from the bakery. Trust me, order that, or you're an idiot. What would you like to drink?”

They both ordered iced tea.

“I'll give you a minute to look over the menu,” Wilma said with a sigh. “Not everyone listens to me.”

When she'd walked away, Maya leaned toward her friend. “I think I'm getting the roast beef sandwich.”

“Me, too. How was the photo shoot yesterday?”

“Good. Long.” Maya shook her head. “Your son can be stubborn. He seems to have forgotten I'm in the business. He had ideas about every location.”

“Good ones?”

“We'll see when we start editing.”

Elaine smiled. “I can tell by your tone, you're thinking he's made some bad choices.”

“They're his to make. As I said, we'll see. Maybe he's secretly brilliant.”

“If he is, he wouldn't make a secret of it. Trust me, none of my boys would.”

Wilma returned with their iced teas. As Elaine ordered the sandwich, Maya noticed there were shadows under her eyes. She studied the other woman more closely and couldn't help thinking she seemed tired. No, not tired. But there was something off.

Maya waited until their waitress had given them a choice between fruit, chips or fries and then walked away. She picked up her tea, put it down, then decided to simply spit it out.

“Are you okay?” she asked, doing her best to keep her voice from sounding abrupt. “Tell me I'm crazy, but I feel like something isn't right.”

Elaine's eyes widened. “Why would you say that?”

“I have no idea. Am I wrong?”

The other woman hesitated just long enough for Maya to realize she'd stumbled on the truth. Even if she didn't know what it was.

“Tell me,” she said gently. “Please.”

Elaine nodded. “I hadn't planned on saying anything to anyone. You weren't supposed to guess.”

Normally Maya would have made a joke about being perceptive, but somehow this didn't seem like the right time.

“I need you to promise not to say a word to anyone,” her friend continued. “I mean it, Maya. You have to swear.”

Maya was clear on the danger of making a promise without having all the facts. Even so, she didn't hesitate. “I promise I will keep your secret for as long as you tell me to. No matter what it is.”

“Thank you.” Elaine gave her a shaky smile that faded quickly. “I have breast cancer. The tumor is small and was caught early, but still. Cancer.”

Maya's stomach tightened as she did her best not to visibly react. Fear for her friend ripped through her. She reached across the table and grabbed Elaine's hand. “What? No. I'm so sorry. What can I do to help? How can I make this better?”

“By keeping my secret.”

Maya drew in a breath. “You're not telling Ceallach?” she asked in a whisper.

“No. Or the boys. I don't want them to know. They won't take it well. You know they won't. The last thing I need right now is to be making them feel better. I just want to get through it.”

Maya nodded, even if she didn't agree with the decision. Elaine would need support from more than her. She was dealing with a scary diagnosis and the treatment that would follow.

Elaine explained how her routine mammogram had detected a small mass. It had been biopsied and she'd gotten the diagnosis. She paused as Wilma returned with their lunches.

“Eat up,” the older woman instructed before leaving.

Maya stared at her sandwich and knew she would have to take it home.

“We have to eat,” Elaine told her. “Not only because Wilma will yell at us if we don't, but because not eating won't help me. We're both going to need our strength.”

“Okay.” Maya reluctantly took a bite. “So what's the treatment plan?”

“A lumpectomy followed by six weeks of radiation.”

“You have to tell them,” Maya said quietly. “They need to know.”

“They don't. Maya, I appreciate what you're saying, but this is my decision. I'm going to get through this, then I'll deal with my family.” Her dark eyes narrowed. “You gave me your word.”

“I know, and I'll keep it.” Even though she knew her friend was wrong. Ceallach and her sons would want to know. They would want to be there for her.

“I've rented a studio apartment in the same building as Morgan's Bookstore,” Elaine told her. “A place to go rest after my radiation. I've heard the treatment can make me tired. I can get myself back and forth to the clinic or whatever it's called for that, but I will need help after the lumpectomy.”

Maya forced herself to chew the bite she'd taken, but the sandwich had no flavor and she knew she wouldn't be able to get down much more.

“Of course. What can I do?”

“Drive me there, then bring me back to your place. I'd like to stay the night.”

Because she would have had surgery, Maya thought. “Can you schedule for a Friday morning? We can say we're having a girls' weekend. You won't have to go home until Sunday. By then you should be feeling better.”

Elaine gave her a grateful smile. “Thank you. They said the lumpectomy shouldn't take long.”

“However long it takes, I'll be there.”

Maya was more than happy to take care of her friend, but she now regretted the promise to keep the secret. Elaine was making a mistake. But as of now, it didn't seem as if she could be talked out of it.

CHAPTER FIVE

D
EL
STUDIED
THE
screen in front of him. “You were right,” he said flatly. “The sunrise doesn't work at all.”

Maya barely glanced up. “There's too much light and it's in the wrong place. It was impossible to make the shot and keep you in the center. So it feels off.”

He saw she had identified the problem. While he hadn't been able to define what was wrong, he'd sensed it. Now he was able to see how he wasn't in the middle of the screen. Although he was supposed to be the focus, he was off to the side, with the sun making a glaring appearance.

He waited a second, then said, “Are you going to say ‘I told you so'?”

She continued to stare at the monitor in front of her. “You said it for me.” She finally looked at him. “It's okay, Del. I do this for a living. The show I worked on was small enough that I had to handle more than just producing the segments. I edited, I wrote copy and sometimes I worked the camera.”

“Meaning I should shut up and keep out of your way?”

“No.” She gave him a faint smile. “Meaning there's more to producing good material than simply pointing a camera and pushing a button. Look at this.”

She typed on the keyboard and brought up more of his footage, then started it running. There wasn't any sound, but he remembered the shot. It was taken up by the wind turbines.

He was walking through the frame, pointing and talking. Everything was in focus, but he knew instinctively something was off.

“It's the eye line,” she told him, using her pen to point at the screen. “As a rule, the screen in divided into thirds, horizontally. The subject's eye should be even with this line.” She drew an imaginary line across the screen. “You're too low in the shot. There's nothing in the eye line. Not you, not the wind turbines.”

She typed again and brought up her footage of the same scene. The camera focused on him and this time his face was right where she said it should be. As he watched, the camera panned, bringing the wind turbines into view. Then the center of the blades was in the eye line.

“Just like that,” he said and shook his head.

“There's some other stuff,” she told him. “You changed the camera settings at the same scene. You shot half your material in SD and half in HD. While we can bring HD down to SD, there's no way to take it up. Because some of this material may become a TV commercial, we have to shoot in HD. It would be different if we were just going to put it on a website.”

High definition instead of standard definition
, he thought, remembering that he'd wanted to confirm the settings, but must have changed them instead.

“Why didn't you say something?” he asked.

She turned to him. They were sitting close. Close enough for him to be aware of the curve of her cheek and the shape of her mouth. Dark lashes framed big, green eyes.

Need started slowly, almost in the background. It was more of a whisper, a hint, one that grew over time. He thought about how her skin would feel against his fingers if he touched her. Of the way her lips fit against his. If he took her in his arms, would she be as he remembered, or were there changes?

He would have thought he would be pissed at her, or disinterested. He was neither. Being around Maya was easy. She challenged him. They got along. The wanting might be a problem, but he was a big boy. He could keep himself under control.

“You were determined,” she said, drawing him back to the conversation. “I figured it was easier to let you do what you wanted and see what happened. Maybe you were naturally gifted.”

He laughed. “You're saying I'm not?”

“I'm saying what I said before. It's harder than it looks.”

She turned back to the screen and pulled up her footage. He watched her edit the few seconds of video. She then played as much of the clip as she had finished.

“Nice,” he told her when it was done. “Mayor Marsha is going to be happy.”

“I hope so.”

He glanced at Maya. “You okay?”

She stiffened, then relaxed. “Sure. Why?”

“I don't know.” Something was off. He couldn't figure out what, though. Women were mysterious that way. “You feeling all right?”

She smiled at him. “I'm completely fine. Now let me get back to work. Taking pictures is sometimes the easy part of the job.”

“Pretend I'm not here,” he said, leaning back in his chair and watching her do her thing.

She was good, he thought. Better than good.

For a second he debated telling her about his project. The one he wanted to be his next act, only he hadn't been able to make it work. Looking at her raw footage, he knew that he'd been the problem. Could what he had be fixed?

He studied Maya's profile, then looked at her rapidly manipulating the mouse. He had a feeling that if his project could be saved, she was the one to do it, then he shook his head. No, he told himself. He liked Maya. He respected her, but there was no way he was willing to trust her with something like that.

After a couple of minutes, she glanced at him. “Are you just going to sit there, staring, watching me work?”

“Pretty much.”

She smiled. “I don't think so. I mean this in the nicest possible way, but get out.”

“Just like that?”

“Uh-huh.”

Del stood and stretched. “You'll miss me when I'm gone.”

Something flashed in her eyes. An emotion that was gone so quickly, he wasn't able to read it. Had she missed him? Before? When she'd ended things so abruptly? Had she regretted her decision to end their relationship?

Not that it mattered, he told himself. The past was firmly in the past. He didn't believe in going home, all evidence to the contrary. Because he wasn't back for more than his father's birthday. Over the past ten years he'd learned a lot of things. And one of the most important was that he didn't go back. Not ever.

* * *

A
FTER
M
AYA
KICKED
him out, Del wandered around Fool's Gold. Somehow he found himself heading for the Mitchell Adventure Tour offices. Despite the small size of the town, he hadn't run into Aidan since he'd been back.

As he crossed the street, he wondered when Aidan had changed the name—adding the word
adventure
. And when their mother had left the business. Assuming she had. Del supposed his mom could be handling the behind-the-scenes stuff or the bookkeeping.

As he approached the brightly colored storefront, he saw his brother step onto the street. He was with a tall brunette in cutoffs and a tank top. The woman—pretty, tanned and obviously a tourist—gave Aidan a brief kiss on the mouth, then murmured something in his ear. She waved and walked away.

“Is that how it is?” Del said as he approached. “You're preying on innocent tourists now?”

Aidan turned and saw him. Instead of responding with humor, his brother simply watched him get closer. When Del stopped in front of him, there was an awkward moment of silence. At least Del found it awkward.

“So, uh, how's it going?” he asked.

“Good.”

Aidan was his height—just over six feet—with the same dark hair and eyes. Growing up a Mitchell brother had been pretty easy in this town. They were all dark-haired and dark-eyed. All five brothers were good-looking enough and athletic enough to fit in. Sports came easy, schoolwork hadn't been that hard. Del and Aidan didn't have Ceallach's brilliance, but most days Del figured that was more of a blessing than a curse.

“Got time for a coffee?” Del asked his brother.

“Sure.”

Aidan turned and they started walking toward Brew-haha.

“Who was the girl?” Del asked.

“Santana.”

“That's her name? Santana?”

“Uh-huh. She's in town for a couple of weeks.”

Del grinned. “So you
are
dogging the tourists.”

“I offer a short-term good time. Guaranteed happy memories and no one gets hurt. What's wrong with that?”

“Sort of a full-service vacation?”

Aidan's mouth twitched. “Something like that.”

Del understood the appeal. There would always be someone new on the horizon, there was no commitment and when it was over, geography kept things from getting messy. Funny how it was exactly what Hyacinth had liked in a relationship. Because to be with the same person all the time would be boring, right?

Familiar anger knotted at the base of his spine and started to radiate outward. He breathed through the sensations. Hyacinth was the past. He was never going to have to deal with her again.

“Business looks good,” Del said. “I like what you've done with the building. It's eye-catching.”

Aidan came to stop on the sidewalk. They were a couple of blocks off the main streets on a weekday and there weren't many people around. Aidan glared at Del.

“You can't help it, right? You always have to crack a comment. What is it with you? You're back for Dad's birthday. Yay, you. But if you're looking for something from me, you can forget it. I'm not going to be lining up to watch your ‘hail the conquering hero' parade.”

Del couldn't have been more surprised if Sophie, his mother's beloved beagle, had suddenly turned into a vampire.

“What the hell are you talking about?” he demanded. “I said it looks like you're doing well. What are you going on about?”

Aidan's stare darkened as anger and hostility radiated from him. “You don't get to approve. You have no part of the business, of what I've done with it. You gave up that right when you disappeared.”

Del didn't know whether to punch his brother or walk away. “I'll say it again, what the hell are you talking about?”

“You. The business. All of it. It's been ten years, Del. Ten damn years since you left. You were up and away, leaving me with everything. There was no warning. One day you were handling things and the next you were gone. I was a kid and you dumped it on me without a word. I was in my first year of college. I had things I wanted, dreams. But when you bugged out, it all fell on me. I had to take care of Mom and the family. I had to make sure there was food on the table when Dad went on one of his benders.”

Aidan took a menacing step forward. “That first year, you never called, you selfish SOB. You never bothered to find out if we were okay. You were my big brother. I trusted you. And you turned out to be as much of an asshole as Dad.”

Del took the verbal hits without saying anything in return. He didn't bother to point out he'd only been a year older than Aidan, and running the family business hadn't been his choice, either. Because that didn't matter. He'd disappeared without warning—reacting to his breakup with Maya.

“Aidan,” he began, then paused.

His brother turned away. “Don't bother,” Aidan said. “You go be famous. I have a business to run.”

* * *

M
AYA
WAS
UP
at sunrise, anxiously watching the sky. The forecast called for cloudy skies—perfect for filming. The diffused light was much easier to work with. She'd told Del that on their first overcast day, she wanted to shoot the big opener, with him introducing the town. Since then, she'd been monitoring the weather reports.

Now she looked at the thick clouds and absence of sun.
Perfection
, she thought happily. She texted Del, confirming the time and place of their shoot, then headed for the shower.

Nearly two hours later, she was carting equipment from the parking lot off the edge of the highway to a meadow a couple hundred yards away. She'd scouted out the area the previous week and had hoped to use it for the intro. She had a feeling that handsome Del was going to look good in a field of wildflowers, backed by trees.

She'd told him to wear jeans and a faded light blue shirt. She hoped he was the kind of talent who listened.

She set up two cameras along with her lights. She and Del had already gone over the script, and she'd blocked out the shoot. If all went well, they would be done before the brightest part of the day. If not, they would have to take a break and return later in the afternoon. Unless the sun came out.

But while the complications might have given someone else fits, Maya was perfectly happy with the uncertainty. This was way better than worrying about which star had cheated on his or her significant other. Back in LA her life had been defined by gossip and celebrity sightings. While this wasn't curing a disease, at least it would bring some good to the town.

Thinking of the town had her mind drifting to Elaine. The cancer news was still a bombshell. She'd checked in with her friend a couple of times, and so far the other woman sounded okay. She had a diagnosis and a plan. According to her doctor, the prognosis was good. Maya would take care of her friend as best she could, although she still strongly disagreed with Elaine's decision to keep the information a secret from her family.

A problem for another time
, she told herself, and returned to setting up equipment.

Right on time, Del walked into the meadow. He headed for her.

“What the hell?” His gaze was sharp. “Why didn't you tell me to get here earlier? I thought I'd be here to help with the setup. You carted all this yourself? That's ridiculous. I'm not some actor you've hired. Jeez, Maya. Give a guy a break. I could have helped you with unloading.”

He was really pissed, she thought, staring at him. He might even have a point. It was kind of hard to know for sure, because she couldn't really think.

He'd shaved. Gone was the three-day growth that looked so good on him. Now his skin was smooth, his features clearly defined. The look suited him, even if it might be hell on the video continuity.

Stubble Del was dangerous and maybe a little wicked. Clean-shaven Del was more like the guy she remembered. He seemed a bit younger and more approachable, but just as sexy.