Brody

“Cut!”

We were filming on the back of the river in a valley between the Kellerman’s mountain and the other. There was a clearing on our side, giving us enough space to comfortably set everything up, but trees and vegetation filled the other bank. Higher on the adjacent mountain was a clearing like ours. I found myself looking up every now and then, wondering if I’d catch a glimpse of the girl. Then again, that’d been the theme for me over the last two weeks.

Everywhere we went on the Kellerman’s lands, I always wondered if she was out there. If she was watching. If she was with her horse. If I’d get another glimpse of her.

A hand fell down, grazing over my groin, and I stiffened.

“Oh. Sorry.” Kara laughed, but her hand came back for another rub.

She didn’t sound sorry.

We’d been filming the last scene for the twentieth time, and Kara kept forgetting her words. Normally, I wouldn’t care. This was part of the job, but it was a scene where I had to keep shoving my tongue down her throat. Every time she slipped up, her hand fell to my ass, and she’d squeeze, pressing against me.

I was half-grinding against a woman. My dick was up, but it wasn’t her in my head when we were kissing. It wasn’t her body rubbing against mine. It was the damned ghost that had been plaguing my dreams and thoughts since I’d gotten to this place. I could’ve sworn she had been in my room one night, but when I woke, there’d been no evidence she’d been there. The doors were all locked and no window was left open.

Still, I couldn’t shake the feeling she’d been there.

Shanna’s hands cupped around her mouth as she yelled, “That’s a wrap. Start taking everything down. We move locations tonight.”

“Thank God.” Kara pretended to pout, her slim body leaning into mine. Her hand traced down my arm. “If you want, we could take this back to your place?”

The diva was given her own cabin like me. They thought she’d want privacy. Apparently, it’d been too far away for her to walk every day. She demanded to be moved, and she’d been given the master bedroom instead.

I grinned down at her. “Not a chance in hell.” My hands went to her arms, and I shoved her away, one clean push to get her body off mine.

I turned to leave.

“Ass.”

I paused but then let it go.

I’d spoken too quickly to Gayle. Kara was a problem, and I had a feeling she was going to continue to be until I shoved my prick into her. She’d been breathing down my neck, and her hands had been trying to rub my groin since she arrived for the table read.

“Brody.” I was walking past the director when she waved me over. She was standing a few feet away from the camera crew.

“Yeah?”

“Are you fucking Kara?”

I gave her a sharp look. “No.”

She raised a disbelieving eyebrow. “Come on.”

“I’m not.”

“She’s damned near molesting you, has been this whole time.”

I grimaced. The feel of her hand brushing against me came back to me. “I’ll deal with it.”

“You shouldn’t have to. That’s what I’m saying. If you aren’t sleeping with her, I’m assuming it’s because you don’t want to. Am I wrong?”

I gave her a crooked grin, tapping the side of my head. “Shit’s kinda messed up here right now. Sleeping with my co-star isn’t something I can take on.”

“About your brother?”

I caught a twinge of pity in her eyes.

I nodded. “You could say that.” I was keeping company with all sorts of ghosts lately. Girls. Kyle. I didn’t need to add any more regrets to the list.

“Well.” She sighed, glancing over to where Kara was glaring our way. Her assistant was next to her, trying to talk to her. “If that’s an issue you want help resolving, let me know—”

A scream cut her off.

We both turned, but the sound of stampeding hooves drowned out any other screams. Everyone froze.

High up on the clearing on the other mountain, the horses were sprinting from one side to the other. Even with the river and tree line between us and them, we had a panoramic view of the creatures.

The stallion, which stood a few hands taller than the size of the rest of the herd, was pure white except for two black spots on his backend.

“Oh, whoa.” Shanna stepped closer to them, snapping her fingers. “Carl! Get that camera out. Get those horses on it.”

He nodded, swinging his lens around. “On it.”

Everyone was watching the horses, their mouths hanging open, but I was looking for her. She must be with them. Unless, I glanced to the trees above the horses. No. I looked at the tree line on the other side of the river. No. I didn’t see her.

I looked back to the herd. They were almost past us and would be out of eyesight soon. I was studying each one, but they were going so fast.

Then . . . there.

I saw the gray mare she’d been riding the first night, but she wasn’t on her.

No.

A foot.

I almost laughed aloud. Her foot was the only thing visible, resting on top of the mare’s back. She was riding on the side of her, hidden from sight.

It happened so fast that, by the time I turned, they were already gone. Everyone just seemed stunned. I didn’t hear any questions about the girl, or the foot.

“Goddamn.” Shanna swore under her breath. “There’s a herd of mustangs. Kellerman should’ve told me that.”

“He didn’t?”

She looked at me sharply. “You knew?”

“They almost took out our car on the first night. I thought he cleared them with you.”

Her jaw firmed, and she ground out, “No. He didn’t clear anything with me.” She pointed to where the horses had appeared. “There was no fence between us and them. If they had veered this way, someone could’ve been trampled.” She gripped her radio, lifting it to her mouth as she pressed the side button. “I want a twenty on Kellerman.”

She let go, the radio crackled.

Someone responded, “He went into town for a meeting.”

Shanna pressed down on her button. “Then I want to know the second he’s back, not a minute later.”

A crackle. “On it.”

She gazed up at the clearing again, studying it before she motioned for Carl. “Did you get the footage?”

He nodded, lowering the camera back to the ground. “A good six seconds, I think.”

“Fine.” She waved her radio in the air. “Pack up! Wait for instructions. We might be changing locations for the night.”

“Different from where we were supposed to be?” one of the crew asked.

“Yeah.” She swung those keen eyes my way. I could see the steam coming from her ears as she formulated a new plan. “Is there anything else I should be made aware of?”

“Hey.” I flashed her a grin, one that usually worked to loosen the panties. “I assumed you knew. I’m only an actor.”

She cursed, rolling her eyes. “Wipe that grin off your face. I already told you we aren’t going to fuck.”

“I know, boss.”

She laughed softly, shaking her head. “You’re a lot smarter and with-it than you let people see, Brody Asher. Don’t think I’m one of those girls who’ll fall for your tricks.” She pointed her radio at me as she began to walk backward. “You said it. I’m your boss. For a reason.”

“I salute my manager sometimes. I can add you to that list if you’d like.”

She barked out a laugh before turning and walking back toward the main lodge. “Didn’t realize you were funny, Brody.”

I was a whole lot more than that.

She could add crazy to the list too.