What it Takes (10 page)

“You
will
be recognized one day,” he continued as he placed the treats on the table.

“Maybe.” She shrugged a shoulder. “When that happens, I’ll deal with it.” They sat at the table and spread the sweets in front of them. “But for now, I’d rather not do anything that might encourage anyone nosing around in my private life.”

“So not making friends with me is the best way to do that?” he asked, his brow furrowed.

“No,” she said slowly even though that had been her intent. “But when it comes to you being you and me being the relative unknown that I am, if we were pictured on a tabloid cover together, if only once, people would still be curious about who I am or where I came from. All things that sound fine, but you know the curiosity wouldn’t stop with that, and I don’t want others thinking that they can harass my family and friends just to find out who my favorite boy band was or who I had a crush on in high school.”

Patrick’s expression relaxed and she realized this was what he’d been looking for. And sharing it hadn’t been too painful.

“I signed up for this career, and everything that goes with it. My family didn’t,” she said softly and lightly touched his hand, “and I’d like to keep them out of the spotlight as much as possible.”

It was a partial truth, but the only explanation Patrick would get. Grayson’s little comment about them all having their dark little secrets had only served as a reminder of her own little secret.

Kelsey’s mother had disowned her when she’d come home pregnant, and they’d all hidden it from as many people as possible when Kelsey had returned home to live with Janelle and Richard. She’d lived out her pregnancy in her sister’s house as a hermit. After the baby was born, she’d moved to California and had never told a soul. She couldn’t have that little secret getting out; too many lives would be disrupted.

Everyone involved in her child’s new life deserved their privacy.

Five

“O
kay, boys and girls.” Andy handed out the weekly schedule at their morning meeting the following Monday.

After the incident with the girls at Tuesday’s meeting, he had “highly recommended” that they not go out again, so they’d spent the majority of the week going over lines, most often as a group. Grayson had moped and whined until the rest of them had agreed to another movie night on Saturday.

Kelsey sipped her coffee, which Patrick had brought her as part of his new morning ritual, as she took the schedule from Andy.

“Here’s what our major scenes look like this week,” Andy continued as he sat on the stool in front of them. He went over the day’s expectations and then talked about the rest of the week. “So, on Wednesday, Kelsey and Patrick will do their first kiss together. Friday, the scene where Kelsey and Patrick get caught by Grayson.” Kelsey wasn’t too concerned with this scene. Even though it was a minor bedroom scene, they’d be mostly clothed. “Saturday, we’ll do the major love scene.”

Already?
Kelsey’s heart raced and she perused the schedule in her lap. Grayson chuckled and she tried to ignore him.

“Reunion dance scene on Monday, and hopefully we can have everything wrapped up by Wednesday . . .” Andy’s voice faded as Kelsey became absorbed in flipping through the script in her lap. She’d almost forgotten about the love scene; now she was frantically trying to come up with a way to get out of it. She wished she’d opted for the body double.

Grayson elbowed her and she realized the meeting was over. She scrambled to gather her things. Except for Patrick, who stayed to talk to Andy, everyone else scattered. Kelsey wasn’t needed on set for a couple of hours, so she headed to her trailer. When she turned the corner, she froze and gasped audibly at the sight awaiting her.

Her brother-in-law, Richard Wagoner, was leaning against her trailer, smirking. He had one foot on the side of it and his arms were crossed across his broad chest, the only sign of strength in his otherwise lean body. His thinning brown hair was neatly combed across his forehead, his blue eyes, centered over his slightly sunken cheeks, narrowed on her just before his smile broadened. She suddenly felt queasy.

“Kelsey.” Richard held his arms open when she was within three steps of him. She stopped and he took the extra steps to wrap her up, pinning her arms to her side. She suppressed a shudder and raised her hands to lightly pat his back in an abbreviated hug.

“What’re you doing here?” she hissed as she looked around. There was no one near enough to see her and she wasn’t sure that was a good thing. “This is a closed set. How did you get on it?”

“Is that any way to greet your brother?” He laughed and the strong, pungent scent of fermented wheat hit her in the face.

She refrained from making a face as she took a step backward. “Brother-in-law,” she amended. “And you need to leave.”

“We need to talk,” Richard stated as she glared at him. “Can we go in?”

Kelsey frowned and looked around again for someone, anyone, who could help if she needed it. Seeing no one, she turned to him. “We can chat right here.” She started to step past him, toward the wall of the trailer, and he grabbed her upper arm.

He roughly turned her to face him. “You don’t really want that. What if someone overheard something you don’t want them to know?”

She clenched her jaw and he bared his teeth in a snarl. “Fine,” she snapped and he released her. With one last glance around, she opened the door and entered the trailer, grumbling to herself as she walked up the steps. “What do you want?” She stopped beside the sink and crossed her arms.

He climbed the last step and stood in front of her. “What’s this? No ‘How was your drive, Richard?’ ‘It’s good to see you,’ ‘How have you been, Richard?’” he taunted, an evil glint in his baby blues.

Kelsey narrowed her eyes. She needed to get rid of him, quickly, before anyone came to see her. “At least you arrived safely.” Her lip curled in disgust. “You’ve been drinking already.” He lifted the corner of his mouth. “Cut to the chase, Richard. What is it you want? I have work to do, and you need to go.” Anger flashed in his eyes, a warning. Kelsey closed her eyes and took a deep, calming breath. “I’m sorry, I’m just feeling a little stressed.” It wasn’t entirely untrue, although the stress was caused mostly by his presence. “What can I help you with?” She opened her eyes and his sneer was now one of smug satisfaction.

“That’s better.” He wandered around the trailer, taking it all in. “Not bad. Do you stay here all the time?” She ignored his question. He exhaled dramatically as he turned. “I’m in need of some cash.”

She took a step closer to the counter and turned her back to it. “How much?” she muttered as she looked at the ceiling and tapped her foot lightly on the floor.

“Seventy five,” he answered quickly.

She pinched her lips together, trying to control her anger. “Thousand?” He nodded. “I just gave you twenty thousand, three months ago. Did you pay it off?”

He gave a Gallic shrug. “Most of it.”

“You owed money and they still let you gamble?” Her voice remained steady as her stomach churned.

“Well, there was always the prospect of winning enough to pay them back.” He took a step in her direction. “Hey, it’s not my fault.”

“No. It never is.” Kelsey rolled her eyes

“I can’t help it if the sure things don’t always pan out,” he bit off and waved his hand dismissively.

“No.”

His expression darkened as his eyes narrowed. “What d’ya mean ‘
no
’?”

“No, I won’t help you.”

He stepped close enough for her to smell his breath again. “You don’t have a choice,” he snarled.

“Excuse me?” Kelsey tried to step back and realized she was against the corner of the counter.
Stupid
, she chided herself as she took a step to the side; he did too. Pulling her shoulders back, she stood as tall as she could. Still, her eyes only reached his mouth. “How do you figure that?”

“I figure you owe me.” His glower was lethal. “I took you into my home after you screwed up in college. I took care of your problems for you and the first thing you did when you made it big was buy a big house and take my family away from me.”

She shook her head and put her hands up, palms toward him. “Richard, you know that’s not true. I never asked Janelle to leave you. She left you because you drink and you gamble. If you’d just stop, she might reconsider.”
That’s a long shot.

“I drink because of you and everything you’ve put me through,” he hissed.

“I’ve done nothing to you.”

Richard leaned over until his face was closer to Kelsey’s. “Haven’t you?”

Kelsey’s legs shook with fear, but her stomach churned with anger. She moved to step aside and he placed his hand on the counter beside her, caging her.

“You’ll give me that money. If you don’t, you
will
regret it.”

“I can’t,” she lied, keeping her voice steady.

“You mean you
won’t?
” he growled and raised his hand. She defiantly met his black look, almost daring him to hit her. His grin turned feral and he brought his hand back. As Kelsey closed her eyes and threw her arm up to block the impact, she heard a knock on the door.

“Don’t you dare!” Patrick’s exclamation was followed by two quick footsteps. Kelsey opened her eyes in time to see Patrick shove Richard away as he stepped between them. “Guard!” he bellowed out the still open door.

Kelsey put her hand on his arm. “No!” she protested, more loudly than she’d meant to. Richard raised an eyebrow and Patrick turned and gave her a dirty look. “No, it’s all right. He was just leaving.” Richard sneered as he took a business card out of his pocket and handed it to her. “And he
won’t
come back,” Kelsey said slowly and loudly as Richard descended the steps and left her trailer with a laugh.

“Kelsey, what’re you doing?” Patrick turned to her, his brow wrinkled with concern. “You can’t just let that guy walk away.”

She glanced at the card in her hand. Richard’s bank information was scribbled on the back. “I have to.” Tears of anger and frustration slid down her cheeks as she put the card in her pocket. “He’s my sister’s husband.”

Patrick’s expression softened as he put his arms around her. “Why?” he whispered. She could only shake her head.

He laid his cheek on her head and held her close. She took comfort in Patrick’s arms only long enough to stop the tears then stepped away and started to pace.

“Are you okay?” he asked quietly as he stepped into her path.

Kelsey stopped and looked at him blankly, then nodded and resumed her pacing. Her brows came together and apart as she mentally debated the pros and cons of paying off Richard’s debt . . . again.

Pro, she wouldn’t have to worry about seeing him until he needed money again.

Con, he’d eventually need money again and it would probably be an even larger amount.

Pro, she wouldn’t have to worry about anyone going after Janelle for the money he owed.

Con, if she didn’t pay it off, he’d get angrier and then who knew what he’d do.

“Why’d you let him walk away?” Patrick stepped in front of her again.

Having forgotten he was there, Kelsey stopped short. “I told you already,” she answered as she waved him off. “He didn’t hurt me, so I had to.” She stared into his dark eyes, saw his clenched jaw, and felt her world tilt. His anger confused her.

“Why?” he snapped.

“What else would you have me do, Patrick? He’s married to my sister. He’s the . . .” Kelsey paused and swallowed, “. . . he’s the father of her children. As much as I don’t like it, they need him around. Him sitting in jail wouldn’t do any of us any good,” she answered, her voice rising.

“I don’t like it.”

“
You
don’t have to,” she bit off and resumed her pacing. “This has nothing to do with you. I have my reasons for doing what I did and you don’t have to agree with them,” she added through clenched teeth as she turned to face him.

Patrick was taken aback by the anger in her eyes. Her brother-in-law obviously wanted something, but what it was, or why his presence had upset her so much, was beyond Patrick’s comprehension. He didn’t like that. Patrick recalled her short responses and quick change of subject when he’d asked about Richard. Clearly, the loathing between Richard and Kelsey was deep and ran both ways.