Chapter Five
Brady
When Harold had first told me about the film crew coming in a month, I wasn’t sure I really believed it was going to happen. Why would a big movie production choose us out of all the ranches in the country? I was sure that they were going to call to say that they had changed their mind. Every time I saw Harold, I thought he’d tell me that it was canceled, but each time he just seemed to get more excited about the whole thing. Last week was the first time that I’d allowed myself to fully realize that it was really going to happen.
I woke up this particular morning with a sense of dread weighing heavily on me. I drank two cups of coffee just to make myself feel a little bit better about everything, but even that didn’t help. On my way out, I saw Grant and walked over to him.
“Good morning,” he said cheerfully. He took one look at me and cocked his head to the side. “What’s wrong? Doesn’t look like you’re having a very good morning.”
I sighed. “The film crew are arriving this morning.”
“What? Already? Damn, that month went by quickly. I thought you still had at least another week to go.”
“Tell me about it. I wish I still had another week. Well, I better go. I’m hoping I can just keep my head down and work. I hope I don’t have to get involved.”
“Hey, maybe you’ll get a role in the movie! That would be so cool.”
I groaned. “Oh, I hope not. Thanks for putting that idea in my head now. There’s no way I want to be in a movie. I don’t even want the ranch to be in a movie, let alone myself.”
Grant laughed. “Well, good luck, man. Here’s hoping the month goes by fast.”
“Thanks, man.”
I walked off wearily to my car and made my way over to the ranch. The moment I got there, I saw Harold talking to someone in a suit. I felt immediately annoyed at the sight. Suits did not belong on the ranch. Was he really going to walk around like that all day? I parked the car and wondered if I should go and say hello or if I should try to keep a low profile for as long as I could. I’d already decided on the low profile angle when Harold saw me and waved me over. I took a deep breath and plastered on a smile, even though I knew it probably looked completely fake.
“Brady! Glad you’re here. I want you to meet Roger. He’s heading this whole operation.”
“Part director, part executive, part everything right now,” Roger said and laughed.
“You sound just like me. It’s good to get involved in everything. Roger, this is the man I was telling you about. The hardest worker you’ll ever meet.”
I smiled and stuck out my hand to shake Roger’s. His handshake was a little limp, and his hands were so soft I wondered if he’d ever worked outdoors in his life. And if I wasn’t mistaken, he looked like he was wearing makeup. I tried not to groan out loud.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, sir.”
“Brady, I’ve heard such wonderful things about you from Harold. You’re exactly the sort of man we want to portray in the movie. Hardworking, serious, handsome. Any chance you’re also an actor?”
I thought of what Grant had told me that morning and felt fear run through me. Please don’t make me get in front of the camera! My smile wobbled slightly. “Oh no, I’m a man of simple needs. I’m definitely not meant for the camera. I like being out on the field doing my work.”
“It’s true,” Harold said. “Brady here likes to keep to himself. Which is probably what makes him such a good worker,” he said and patted me on the back. I could tell that Harold was trying a bit too hard, but Roger didn’t seem to notice. I assumed he was used to people being overly nice to him.
“And I hear you’re into the rodeo side of things too. Are you any good?”
“I’m okay,” I said modestly.
“He’s fantastic,” Harold said.
“Well, I wouldn’t go that far. But I do enjoy it.”
“That’s good to hear. I can’t say it appeals to me, but then again, I’m a city boy. As you can see,” he said and pointed to his suit. “But we’re definitely going to need your assistance with some of the rodeo stunts. I mean, our actors know nothing about this world that you live in. It’s very different from what they are used to. I hope you don’t mind all the questions that are going to be coming your way.”
“Nonsense!” Harold boomed. “That’s what Brady is here for. He’ll answer all your questions. Isn’t that right?”
I forced a smile on my face. “Of course. Ask away,” I said and hoped that I at least sounded genuine. The last thing I wanted was to spend a month at the mercy of other people’s stupid questions, but I knew that I didn’t have a choice.
“Brady is the man to go to,” Harold said again. I wished I could tell him to stop bringing me into this. He was the one that had agreed to this production, not me. But how could I say no to Harold after everything that he had done for me over the years? I’d just have to grin and bear it and hope that the month would go by quickly.
“So, do you want a tour of the place?” Harold said.
“That would be wonderful. Then I can show you what we will need and where we will be shooting certain scenes. You can tell me whether you think the scenes will work or not. The most important thing for me is that I want the film to feel believable. I don’t want the viewers to think that these are actors. I want them to lose themselves in the story and to believe that they are real cowboys and cowgirls.”
“You’ve chosen the right place,” Harold beamed. “Come on, let’s give you a tour. Brady and I would be happy to show you around.”
We walked around the farm with Roger, showing him all the different things that we did and pointing out various location points. Roger spoke nonstop, to the point where I felt annoyed, and he came up with the most ridiculous ideas. I didn’t say much at first, but after a while, I decided to give him my thoughts. I told him what would work and what wouldn’t work, and how some of his ideas were too outrageous. I saw Harold give me the eye and I quickly mumbled an apology. But Roger seemed very pleased with me.
“You see? This is what I want! I need authenticity. So, if ever you think that something is not going to work, I want you to tell me. I want this movie to feel real. Harold, you were right about this man. Brady, I love your no-nonsense approach to everything, and I definitely appreciate your honesty.”
We continued to walk, and Harold beamed at me. I breathed a sigh of relief that Roger had taken kindly to my observations. At least I could rest assured that my big mouth wasn’t going to get me fired. If there was anything that was going to get me into trouble throughout the upcoming month, it would be my inability to keep quiet when something annoyed me.
“So, do you actually live here?” Roger asked. The whole idea of living in Wyoming seemed foreign to him.
“Not on the farm itself,” Harold said. “But we both live pretty close by. Brady is just down there, though. You can actually see his house from here. It’s handy to live close to work. Although, then again, everything is pretty close when you live in this town. It’s how we like it. We’re a small community, and we all know one another. It’s a good thing to be a part of.”
“A very different life indeed. Well, thank you for letting us be a part of your world for a month.”
“My pleasure. If there’s anything you need, you just let us know.”
“So, I’m sure you’re dying to know who the actors are going to be,” Roger said. “They should be arriving soon, and I’ll be glad to introduce you to everyone. They’re going to love it here!” he said and looked around the ranch.
Roger rattled off a few names of the male cast, and I pretended to know who he was talking about. Then he paused for dramatic effect and leaned toward us.
“And Sloan Hill is our leading actress!”
I wasn’t sure what to do with that bit of information. I had no idea who Sloan Hill was. I was grateful when Harold clapped his hands in delight.
“Oh, I know that name,” he said and mentioned some big blockbuster that apparently everyone was raving about.
“That’s the one. Although, she was not the main girl. She was the sister in the movie. The blonde one.”
“Oh, she’s absolutely beautiful. Wow, I didn’t realize the cast would be so impressive,” Harold said. “And to think, it’s all happening on my farm. Amazing.”
“Yes, we were so happy when she agreed to the role. I think she’s going to be just great in this. She knows absolutely nothing about this kind of lifestyle, though, which is why we wanted to spend the month really getting to know what ranch and rodeo life was like.”
I had no idea who Sloan was, but I already decided that I wasn’t going to like her. I couldn’t imagine a New Yorker ever fitting into this lifestyle. She was going to hate it here. I just hoped she wasn’t going to make my life miserable the entire month.
“Speaking of, here they come. Come on, let’s go and meet everyone.”
As we walked off, Harold looked at me and sighed happily. “This is the most exciting day, don’t you think?”
“Uh-huh,” I said and forced myself to smile.
Roger began the introductions. Everyone had arrived wearing clothes that were completely unsuited for farm life. Surely they knew that they were going to be working on a ranch. Why on earth were they all in tailored suits and fancy shoes? The whole thing was just ridiculous. They’d realize within a matter of days that they would need to change their way of thinking—and the way they dressed. I couldn’t wait to see them in something a bit more comfortable. It was going to be hard to deal with them dressed like that.
“Oh, and there’s Sloan,” Roger said as a car door opened up.
I turned around and tried not to gasp at the woman getting out of the car. This actress, Sloan or whatever her name was, was absolutely breathtaking. She was wearing a powder blue dress that inched up ever so slightly as she was getting out of the car. It was just tight enough to show off her body, and it was clear she was a woman who liked to work out. I felt slightly annoyed that I found her so attractive. For a second, I thought that working with her was going to be okay. Until I looked down and saw her shoes. She was wearing silver heels that looked like they would be uncomfortable to walk in on smooth pavement. How she was going to walk around on the farm with those on, I had no idea. I almost burst out laughing at the sight of her. Ridiculous. No matter how beautiful she was, her lack of common sense was completely off-putting.
“Come on, let’s go and say hello. I’d like to introduce you to her,” Roger said.
I looked at Harold, and it was obvious that he was already completely smitten. Let’s just get this over with, I thought as we made our way toward the car.