Nothing but Trouble

Chapter 20

CHAPTER 20

LATE ONE SUNDAY, Jenny’s husband finally returned complete with a huge lorry and four beautiful Spanish horses. I was able to get up and walk by then, as long as I didn’t breathe hard or move my arms or touch anything.

Folly snaffled an apple from my palm before I went along to get a better look at the newcomers, now happily ensconced in their stables. I’d seen them from a distance as they were being unloaded but I wanted to say hello properly. Connor was with me, of course. When he wasn’t working, he’d barely left my side.

“Look at his mane,” I said, as I peered over the first door at a white stallion. “It’s got to be two feet long. And his tail’s down to the floor.”

“Yeah, it looks good now, but you wait until he’s been in the field tomorrow morning. You won’t recognise him from all the mud.”

“Is he friendly?”

“He’ll mug you for food, but if you hold out a carrot he’ll be gentle.”

Once I’d given all the horses a treat, my muscles ached a little. My body was taking its sweet time to recover from the accident. Connor offered me his arm and helped me back to the house. “You ready for the big off tomorrow?” he asked.

I nodded, but in truth I was a nervous wreck. Connor was coming to stay with me in Reading before he flew back home to San Francisco the following Saturday.

He must have seen my glum expression because he slung an arm round my shoulders and kissed my hair. “Wish I didn’t have to go, but I need to pay for the truck.” He’d been offered a few days’ work and said he couldn’t afford to turn it down.

“You mean your p***s extension?” He’d just bought it, a big, black Mitsubishi Warrior covered in shiny chrome.

“Don’t need one of those, babe, you know that,” he reminded me.

Oh yes, I did indeed. The morning before last, I saw him getting out the shower, and if it was any longer I’d end up in hospital again. I also knew that Felicity hadn’t miscounted when she’d said he had an eight-pack, and his chest bore no resemblance to a gorilla. His well-muscled pecs were smooth and tanned, crying out for a girl to run her fingers over.

All I needed was for my bloody ribs to heal because I couldn’t wait to feel skin on skin.

“What do you do for work?” I asked.

I still didn’t know an awful lot about him, but whenever I started with any questions, I always got distracted by his sweet lips and clever tongue. Every time he kissed me, I decided his biography could wait.

“I’m in marketing. Just freelance.”

“Oh, like a consultant?”

“Something like that.”

Not what I’d expected, I had to admit. I’d always assumed he did something outdoors. After all, it was obvious how much he loved the countryside in general and horses in particular.

Still, his trip should only take a week, and then he’d promised to come back and see me.

Meanwhile, I was determined to enjoy my last night with Jenny and her husband, Taff. According to Connor, Taff once played for the Welsh under-19’s football team, and he’d certainly kept his athletic physique as well as his accent. I enjoyed listening to the soft lilt of his voice as we chatted over dinner, and before long, I told him all about my list of challenges.

“That’s a good old selection. If you’re needing to cover off the film extra one, I’m out on set again tomorrow just down the road. I’m sure they’ll let you stand around if you like.” He turned to Connor. “Unless you’ll be sorting that one out with your brother?”

“Brother?” I asked. Connor had barely mentioned his family, and I’m sure I’d have remembered if he said anything about a sibling.

“Yeah.”

“And he does something with films?”

I caught a surprised look from Jenny. Maybe he hadn’t told her either?

“Yeah, he’s done a bit of that kind of thing, but mostly in the States. Taff, if you reckon you could sort it, that’d get one of Ella’s tasks done. We can easily stick around for another day or two.”

The thought of knocking something else off the list made me extraordinarily pleased. I’d kind of given up on it until my ribs healed, so if I could complete another challenge before then it would be a bonus.

“Ooh yes, that would be amazing.”

And so it turned out not to be the last supper after all.

On Tuesday, I craned my neck out of Connor’s truck as we drove onto the set of a BBC period drama half an hour away from Linden Hollow. Taff left before us with Lenny, who’d been tasked with helping him out for a few days. The girl Connor had been standing in for was also back, so Jenny had a full complement of staff again.

I’d never been on a film set before, and it was more laid back than I’d expected. Assistants bustled purposefully around, hugging clipboards as if they held the key to life, while a team of jeans-clad designers artfully arranged props around a mock-Mediaeval village.

We found the horses over in a quiet corner, standing around, eating hay. They were far less interested in everything than I was—clearly they were old pros.

Taff took me over and introduced me to the wardrobe mistress, and she got her assistant to sort me out with a costume. The casting lady gave me a job playing a peasant girl, and all I had to do was stand in the background and look shocked as the bad guys galloped past. Surely I could manage that?

In the meantime, I joined the leagues of people hovering outside the trailers looking bored. Connor found us both polystyrene cups of tea, and I sipped mine gratefully, holding it tight to warm my hands. The chilly fingers of the early morning air nipped at my skin. Thank goodness I wasn’t really a peasant girl because I’d have frozen to death if Connor hadn’t lent me his coat.

A guy munching on a croissant paused to clap Connor on the back, and the chair-carrying assistant following almost walked into him.

“Connor! Long time no see.”

“Yeah, it’s been a while.”

“How’s your brother?”

“Not too bad.”

“Give him my best, would you?”

“Sure, I’ll be seeing him next week.”

The man looked over at me and his eyes dropped, taking in our joined hands. “You’ve found a good woman to keep you on the straight and narrow then?”

Connor looked down at me and smiled the smile that made my knees go weak. “I have.”

“Good to hear, son, good to hear.”

He wandered off while Connor leaned down and brushed a kiss on my lips.

“Hey, watch my make-up.”

He laughed. “Those aren’t words I ever thought I’d hear you say.”

I blushed. “I’m not very good at putting it on myself.”

“Don’t change. One of the things I love about you is that you don’t trowel it on. You look perfect without it.”

Did he just say the “L” word? My knees, already wobbly, buckled a little. “Is there a chair anywhere?”

He helped me over to the catering truck, and I sat at one of the little tables clustered outside. “You feeling okay?”

“I came over a bit giddy, but I’m fine now.”

He looked at me suspiciously.

“It’s probably low blood sugar. I think the tea’s helped.”

“Stay there. I’ll find you something to eat.”

He came back with a chocolate bar, and I ate a few squares to keep him happy. Okay, I ate the whole thing. Better safe than sorry, eh?

It wasn’t too much longer before I needed to do my bit. According to the dog-eared script I’d borrowed from one of my fellow peasants, the assistant chief bad guy was supposed to gallop in, pull the struggling maiden onto the horse in front of him, and speed off. His minions would follow, and me and my co-extras would stare on in horror.

That was the plan, anyway.

“And…action,” the director yelled. He turned out to be the same man who’d stopped to greet Connor earlier.

The bad guy, who’d foregone armour in favour of something more ninja-like, cantered in on Smokey, one of Jenny’s team of Andalusians. Hang on. Wasn’t he supposed to be able to ride? His chicken was even funkier than mine. He bent at the waist to grasp the maiden, and then landed in a heap as Smokey cantered on without him.

“Cut!”

After he’d dropped the maiden once, fallen off twice more, and the director had yelled “cut” twelve times, I came to the conclusion the naughty knight had told a small porkie pie on his résumé.

My teeth were trying to chatter, and the ordeal of watching the man trying to steer was wearing a little thin. Looking round at my co-extras, they shared that sentiment. Expressions of horror had faded to mild distaste on the latest take.

The director dropped his pile of papers on the floor and marched over to the incompetent i***t, looking royally pissed.

“I thought you said you could ride?” The director poked him in the chest with each word.

“I took a couple of lessons a while back. Honestly, I didn’t think it was that difficult,” the man whined.

“You’re managing to make it that way.”

“I’m doing my best.”

“Not good enough. You’re wasting everyone’s time.” The director looked around in despair until his eyes settled on Connor, who was lounging behind the camera looking as bored as I felt.

“Connor,” he boomed. “Would you do me a favour?”

Half an hour later, we were ready to go again, except this time Connor sat astride Smokey. We got through the scene in one take, and when the maiden swooned, no acting was required. Connor looked so sexy up there, I almost forgot to do my horrified look.

“How did the director know you could ride?” I asked Connor as he dismounted.

“I might have mentioned it,” Taff said. “Sorry.”

“Don’t worry about it. I’ll get a couple of days pay and a credit out of it,” Connor said.

“A couple of days?” I asked.

“He convinced me to come back and do the rest of the dude’s part. I know it’s dull, but I’ll make it up to you.”

“I’ll hold you to that.”

He bent to whisper in my ear. “And I’ll hold you to me.”

I shivered, and not from the cold. A few more days on set might not be so bad if I brought a book and a blanket. When I thought about it, it was kind of cool to be able to say I was dating an actor, even if the novelty only lasted for a day or two.

By Thursday, Connor had stomped around looking moody, berated several minions then died rather convincingly, and it really was time to go home. I gave Jenny a very gentle hug and promised to come back as soon as I could.

“I still need to do that dressage test.”

“Folly will be waiting.”

She was walking better now, her bandages off. Jenny planned to give her a few more weeks of rest in the field before she came back into work. I’d left a big bag of carrots with Folly’s name on it in the feed room, and instructions to feed them to her morning, noon and night.

“Well, that was certainly an experience,” I said to Connor as we got in the truck.

“Looking forward to going home?”

“Yes and no. I miss my house and my friends, but I could do without Terry and Mike. And grocery shopping. I hate grocery shopping.”

Although I hadn’t heard from Mike in weeks. When Connor bought me a new phone, I’d expected a slew of messages ranging from creepy to demented, but there was nothing. I kept my fingers crossed he’d finally lost interest.

“I’ll help with the shopping, babe. I’ll be eating the food too. And don’t worry about Terry and Mike.”

What did I do to deserve this man?

As we drove eastwards along the M4 motorway, his hand rested on my thigh, mine over the top of it. I couldn’t deny I was a little apprehensive about my new life, but with Connor in it, it was bound to be more colourful than the old version.