His Larkville Cinderella

chapter FOUR



SO MUCH for doing the smart thing.

Sitting across from Adam at a table in the studio’s cafeteria, Megan’s nerves threatened to get the best of her. Her foot tapped uncontrollably. She pressed her toe against the tile floor. It didn’t ease her jitters.

Megan knew better. She should have never agreed to lunch. But when he squeezed her hand in the workroom, she’d caved like a house of cards built on a wobbly teeter-totter. Resolve and common sense had disappeared faster than the hush puppies served at Nan’s Bunk’n’Grill out on I-38.

Done in by a pretty face, warm skin and tingles.

Pathetic.

Except the tingles were out of this world. She’d never felt anything like them.

The din of customers’ conversations rose above the instrumental music playing from hidden speakers. Using her fork, she pushed around the baby greens, Gorgonzola, pears and candied walnuts. She didn’t know why she’d ordered a salad in addition to a sandwich, fries and dessert.

Adam’s plate contained a roast beef sandwich and steamed veggies. “So what do you think of the place?” he asked.

As she ate a forkful of baby greens, she surveyed the cafeteria. It was more like a café with modern decor and not one pastel-colored tray in sight. People filled the tables, whether for a late lunch or midafternoon snack she couldn’t tell. Coffee mugs and water glasses seemed to be in a race for the drink of choice. No doubt the low calories appealed to the masses.

“This is nothing like we have back home where greasy fries and hash browns reign supreme. Gracie May calls them Texas Taters. Not to be confused with the ever popular Texas Toast.” The knot in Megan’s stomach tightened. “I’m rambling, aren’t I?”

Adam wiped his mouth with a napkin. “No, I like hearing you talk.”

He would be the first. Well, next to Rob and her dad.

“Thanks. But being at a film studio is a little surreal.” Megan lowered her voice. “I recognize a few people. Actors I’ve seen on TV and in the movies.”

Adam smiled at her. “You’ll get used to it.”

“I don’t know about that.” She pushed her salad plate to the side and scooted the plate with a Reuben sandwich and French fries in front of her. “I keep wanting to pinch myself to make sure I’m really here, in Hollywood, and not dreaming. Though they’re not always good dreams. I sometimes feel like I’m sitting on a chair covered with thumbtacks pointy side up.”

“Ouch.” He raised his water glass. “You need to relax. Loosen up.”

“I don’t think that’s possible.” At least not when he was with her. Something about Adam Noble put Megan on edge, made her nerve endings stand at attention and her senses shift into overdrive. She toyed with the napkin on her lap. It ripped in half. She needed to calm down. “Was today a typical fitting?”

“Fairly typical. More rushed due to Lane joining the cast so late. But last-minute changes are nothing new. Cast. Crew. Costumes. Script.” Adam took a sip of water. “How did you like the fitting?”

She leaned forward with excitement. “It was so awesome.”

“That’s a strong adjective.”

With a shrug, she sat back. “You wouldn’t understand.”

He raised a piece of broccoli with his fork. “Try me.”

Rob supported her interest in fashion, but he had zero interest in talking about clothing. Adam sounded interested. But for all she knew he was being polite. “Really?”

“Yes.”

Not saying anything would be rude. He had invited her to lunch. What’s the worst that could happen? She’d been teased and taunted her entire life. Adam might tease, but his ribbing could never cut her down like the people back home.

Truth was, she was bursting at the seams to talk to someone about her internship. She’d been going over things in her head, but that wasn’t much fun or helpful. If Adam wanted to listen she was more than willing to spill. “Well, up until today’s fitting I’ve spent my time driving all over Los Angeles and doing the jobs no one else wants to do.”

“The life of an intern.”

“I get that’s what I’m supposed to be doing,” she admitted. “But during the fitting I finally saw what working with costumes was like. I was allowed to help, too.”

He set his fork on this plate. “That would be pretty awesome.”

She nodded. “It was eye-opening and showed me how much I have to learn.”

“What do you mean?”

“I dressed characters in theater throughout college. I thought I had a good eye when it came to clothes, but today when the costumers and dressers pointed out things that need to be fixed or changed I realized how much I’d missed.”

“They pay attention to minute details.”

“I know,” she said. “I felt like I was watching an episode of What Not to Wear, except the show was on steroids with a warehouse-size closet of clothing and accessories to choose from. Then each piece was put under a fashion microscope. A little overwhelming, but I learned a lot listening to Lane talk about how Calliope would dress.”

“Some actors like to involve themselves in the costume process.”

“Lane sure does. Do you?”

“Yeah. I usually have a good idea about what my characters would wear. Think about what’s in your closet. A lot of pieces have stories behind them. A character’s wardrobe is no different.”

Wow. Megan had no idea a guy would see clothing that way. At least not a straight one. She was impressed. “I didn’t think it would be so much of a collaboration. I thought it would be more one-sided with the costume designer deciding everything.”

Someone waved at Adam. He acknowledged them with a nod. “It’s give and take between actor and costume designer. The camera people can also get involved if they have lighting or color concerns.”

“Was the tux one of your suggestions?” she asked.

“The scene called for formal wear. Eva and I agreed on the designer because of Maxwell’s background and need to fit in with his wealthy in-laws. But when push comes to shove Eva has final say. Though she’s pretty good about letting the talent think we’re in control.”

Megan remembered something Eva had said to Lane. “Aha.”

“You saw it in action today.”

“Yes, but I don’t think Lane realized that’s what Eva was doing.”

“I’m sure she didn’t.” Adam waved to someone calling his name. He seemed to know everyone. “One thing I have to say about Eva. She understands actors as well as she does costumes.”

“The woman is meticulous.” Changes were made to a costume—color, accessories or something new altogether—until Eva deemed the outfit acceptable. Then photographs would be taken, items tagged and stored. “I can’t wait to see how it looks on film.”

“Sometimes directors show dailies on Fridays. Keeps morale high among the crew. Damon’s pretty good about doing stuff like that.”

Megan dipped a French fry in ketchup. “I can’t believe filming, I mean, the shoot starts in a couple of days.”

“No reason to be nervous.”

She stared down her nose at him. “What makes you think I’m nervous?”

“I was my first time on a film set,” he admitted. “I am a little anxious with this shoot. I have high hopes for this film.”

His openness made her feel less self-conscious. “Okay, I’m nervous. Though I’m sure I’ll spend all my time running errands and won’t be able to see any of the shoot.”

“They might need your help on call days with lots of background artists.”

Kenna had told Megan that extras on movie sets were often called background artists. “I hope so. I need some real experience if I’m going to find a permanent job out here once my internship is finished.”

His gaze narrowed. “You want to stay in L.A.”

“Yes.” She didn’t plan on returning to Larkville until October for her father’s memorial celebration at the Fall Festival. Even then she would only stay for the weekend. “It’s the best place to build up my résumé. It’s rather light at the moment.”

“Your family...”

Her chest tightened. “My sister, Jess, her five-year-old son, Brady, and my brother Holt still live in Larkville. My other brother Nate is in the army. But cattle and ranching aren’t my things. I don’t really fit in. The town caters to livestock and cowboys, not the arts and fashion. I have different interests and felt stifled creatively. Even the way I dressed made people uncomfortable.”

Adam’s brows slanted. “Jeans, T-shirts and sneakers made people uncomfortable?”

“This was before I, um, started dressing like this.” She shifted positions in her chair. “Anyway, people thought...they still think I’m...different.”

“Nothing wrong with being different.”

That was what Rob always told her. Easy for him to say since everyone liked and accepted him. “True. But when you’re a Calhoun people in Larkville have certain expectations, especially about fitting in.”

Including other Calhouns. Her appetite disappeared.

Adam stared at her. “That’s gotta be hard.”

He had no idea. But no sense dwelling on things she couldn’t change. “That’s one reason I didn’t go back after I graduated college. If everything works out like I’ve planned, I’ll be here for a while.”

“You’ve got plans.”

Big ones. She nodded.

“A planner?”

She raised her chin. “Yes.”

Amusement gleamed in his eyes. “I wasn’t slamming you. Just asking a question.”

“Sorry, I’m a little defensive about a few things.”

“People back home didn’t like your plans, either.”

“You’ll never amount to anything if you pursue costume design. Forget about working in the film industry. You’ll never cut it. You won’t be able to support yourself, either. And I’m not about to give you money to live on while you chase some ridiculous dream.”

Her late mother’s words echoed through Megan’s head. She stabbed her fork into a slice of pear. “No, but that hasn’t stopped me.”

“Perseverance is the key to success.”

“I’ve heard it’s all about having the right connections.”

“That’s a part of it, too, but if you give up it doesn’t matter who you know.” He picked up his sandwich. “How’s your plan working out so far?”

“Too early to tell.”

“Cautious. I like that.”

“I’ve learned being too cocky about the potential success of a plan can lead to big disappointment.”

“Sounds like there’s a story there.”

“I tried to run away from home,” Megan admitted. “I had it all planned out, but I didn’t count on one thing.”

“Common sense kicking in,” he joked.

“I was fourteen.”

“That explains it,” he said. “So what didn’t you count on?”

“My best friend, Rob. I told him my plans. He wouldn’t let me go on my own. Told me he was coming with me.”

“Sounds like a good guy.”

“A great guy and also the mayor’s grandson.” Thinking about Rob made her feel all warm and cozy, the exact opposite to how she felt around Adam. “We got as far as the bus station, then the chief of police showed up.”

“That’s a plan-buster.”

“No kidding.” Only now could she laugh at the horrified expressions on her family’s faces. Her mother had been mortified that Megan had dragged a fine, upstanding young man like Rob into her teenage rebellion. “I was so grounded after that. My parents took away my sewing machine. I was devastated. But I’m much better at planning things now.”

He grinned. “And who you tell about those plans.”

She smiled. “Exactly.”

“Remember, you can’t plan everything,” Adam said. “Some of the best moments in life just happen.”

“For some people, yes. But I’m not really into spontaneity and surprises.” That was one reason she was relieved to be in California, not home having to deal with two unexpected half siblings. Her half sister, Ellie Patterson, was now living in Larkville and dating the town’s sheriff, Jed Jackson. “I like to know what’s coming.”

“Not knowing what’s around the corner is half the fun.”

Megan shrugged. “I still have fun.”

“I hope so.” Adam winked. “All work and no play makes Megan...”

“And Adam,” she joined in.

“A dull girl.”

“Boy,” she said at the same time.

He smiled at her.

She smiled back.

Something seemed to pass between them, as if an invisible cord suddenly connected them. A ball of heat ignited in her stomach.

What was going on? Okay, he was gorgeous. Nice. And...

Time to chill. She took a sip of her lemonade to cool her down. “Though I can’t imagine you ever being a dull boy.”

“I prefer excitement and keeping the adrenaline pumping to dullness.”

“That’s why you surf.”

“And backcountry snowboard, skydive, bungee jump and BASE jump, too.”

“An extreme-sport aficionado.”

“Guilty as charged.”

“Your family must worry about you.”

As he stared into his water glass, his green eyes darkened. “It’s just my mom and me. She’s not that much of a worrier. At least not about what I’m doing.”

Adam sounded resigned, not bitter. Good for him. Megan wasn’t quite there yet. “Do you see your mom a lot?”

“No,” he said. “She lives in Beverly Hills, but keeps herself busy. She enjoys traveling. She’s on a cruise now.”

“She must be proud of you.”

“My mom likes having a famous movie star as a son.” A touch of bitterness now crept into his tone. “It sure beats working two jobs and having to move to a new apartment every six months or so.”

“That would be tough. For both of you.”

He raised his water glass. “You learn how to make new friends fast.”

“An important skill to have.” One she didn’t possess. Making friends was as hard for her as fitting in. She hadn’t shared the same interests as other kids. Her dad had said she was a city girl stuck in a Podunk cow town. That had always angered her mom. But Megan appreciated how her dad understood her longing to get away. But she had to admit that so far she hadn’t fit as easily into Hollywood as she thought she would, either. “I’ve lived in the same house my entire life except for four years of college and coming here.”

“There’s something to be said for that kind of familiarity.”

Maybe if they’d moved around she would have found a place she fit in. But her dad’s heart had always been in the land and the cattle. Hard to take those with him. “I suppose.”

“Your parents must like Larkville or they would have moved away.”

Her insides twisted at the reality of her new world.

“My parents are...dead.” Saying that felt weird. Wrong. “I’m sorry to say it so bluntly. I’m still getting used to my dad being gone. He died in October. Pneumonia. My mom died of a heart attack three years ago.”

Adam reached across the table and covered Megan’s hand with his. “I’m so sorry.”

His skin was warm, but rough. The touch was meant to comfort, but heat shot up her arm. She focused on his face. “My dad told me we’re never given anything we can’t handle. I keep reminding myself of that.”

And if she wanted to handle her internship the right way, she’d better pull her hand away right now.

Megan did. She immediately missed Adam’s warmth. But it was better this way. Safer.

“Are you close to your siblings?” Adam asked.

“No. But we never have been. Holt is thirty, Nate is twenty-eight and Jess is twenty-six. I’ve always been seen as more of a pest than an equal in their eyes even though I’m twenty-two now.”

Megan ate another French fry.

As if that explained why none of them had showed up to her college graduation a couple of weeks ago. Jess had been too busy with her new husband. Holt was away dealing with a friend who was terminally ill. Nate hadn’t even called to say he wasn’t coming. Megan had no idea where he was, if her soldier brother was alive or dead. If not for Rob and his family she would have been on her own after the commencement service. Without her best friend, she wouldn’t have anyone who cared about her.

“My dad was the one who’d kept the family together after Mom died. Now that he’s gone, it’s been...different.” Megan might have three siblings and two half siblings, but she felt so alone, an orphan in every sense of the word. “But what am I going to do?”

“Move to Los Angeles and make a new life for yourself.”

She appreciated that Adam understood. He was so easy to talk to. “My dad knew the ranch wasn’t where I belonged. He wanted me to pursue my dreams. That’s one reason I hope I succeed. To show him he was right about me.”

And that her mom was wrong.

Three women sashayed down the aisle with swaying hips and expert hair-flipping skills, but Adam never looked in their direction even though they were supermodel gorgeous. Instead, he kept his attention focused solely on her. “I’m rooting for you.”

“Thanks.” One of the women glared at Megan. As if she were any kind of competition. Still she appreciated how Adam made her feel special when she was so obviously out of her league. “I have a feeling I’m going to need all the help I can get.”

As they ate and talked about their favorite baseball teams and vacation spots, she realized Adam hadn’t mentioned his father. “You said it was you and your mom. Your dad—”

“Was a total jerk,” Adam interrupted. “He took off when I was a little kid. Haven’t heard from him since. But I don’t want to talk about that.”

Megan didn’t blame Adam. Her heart hurt for him and what he must have gone through as a kid. At least she’d had two parents when she was a kid, even if one hadn’t liked her much. “What do you want to talk about?”

Adam pushed his plate away. Not a bit of his roast beef sandwich remained. Someone else had been hungry.

He leaned back in his chair. “You.”

The way he looked at her sent her temperature inching upward. “I’m all we’ve been talking about.”

“I want to know more.”

“There isn’t much more to tell.” She lowered her voice. “In case you haven’t figured it out, I’m boring.”

His smile crinkled the corners of his eyes, sending her pulse into overdrive. “Any woman who orders a salad, French fries, a Reuben sandwich and a slice of chocolate layer cake could never be called boring.”

“You were buying. I was hungry,” she said. “I really like food.”

“So do I.”

They had something in common. Two things if you considered their dependency on oxygen. They also didn’t have dads. Three things. She could probably find a few more.

What was she doing? And then she realized...

Adam Noble might appear to be a brainless surfer dude with an arrogant streak as wide as the Texas panhandle, but he wasn’t. She was attracted to him. Not only his looks, but also the way he listened and talked to her. It wasn’t the same as with Rob, but nice. Almost...better.

Not better, she corrected. Different. Still...

Falling for him would be a disaster of epic proportions.

She had to keep reminding herself that.

Over and over again until it sunk in.

There wasn’t room in her life or her heart for someone like Adam Noble.

* * *

Walking Megan back to the wardrobe department, Adam couldn’t remember the last time he’d enjoyed a meal so much. Not the food, though it wasn’t bad, but the company. Something about Megan Calhoun put a big smile on his face. Being with her made him feel good. Not that he’d been down, but something seemed to be missing in his life lately. He couldn’t quite explain it, except when he was at lunch with Megan he hadn’t felt that way.

He glanced at her. She was the definition of low maintenance, something rare in this town. He appreciated that she ate real food and didn’t seem concerned about calories or making sure she had the perfect forty-thirty-thirty percentages of protein, carbs and fat on her plate. Yet she wasn’t overweight, though her baggy clothes suggested as much.

If he were looking for a girlfriend...

Whoa. A girlfriend was the last thing he needed. Wanted. A fling during a shoot was all he would commit to. Would a small-town girl be interested in a no-strings relationship? Given what her coworkers had said, probably not.

Unfortunately.

Megan’s gaze bounced from one thing to the next, taking mental pictures. She was like a sponge soaking up the objects around her. Her interest and her excitement at the buildings, equipment and people they passed were palpable.

Very cute.

Adam couldn’t believe she thought she was boring. Someone who was boring would never have accepted an internship so far from home. If anything, she wanted to be swept into an adventure, though she’d deny it. After all she’d been through, she deserved one.

The V between her eyebrows had returned during lunch and remained there. That bothered Adam. He wanted her to relax, not tense up around him. “You okay?”

“Full after such a big lunch, but otherwise fine.” Megan stared at a photo shoot. The photographer’s assistant rearranged lights. “Everywhere I look I see something new. This studio is a world unto itself.”

Her wide-eyed wonder appealed to Adam. “It’s like living in a bubble during a shoot. The set becomes your entire life.”

“I suppose there are worse places to be.”

He thought of some of the apartments and trailer parks he’d lived in as a child. “Much worse.”

She spun, looking up, down, all around. “It’s almost as if you can feel it.”

Megan was so much fun to watch. He’d been as excited as he was nervous when he worked on his first film, but he hadn’t wanted others to know that. “Feel what?”

“Movie magic.”

The awe in her voice wrapped around his heart like a hug. “Some of that magic will get lost once you see what goes on during a shoot. It doesn’t seem quite so real with all the lights, cameras and equipment around.”

“Maybe, but I’m sure when I see it on the screen I’ll feel the same way.”

“You like movies.”

She nodded. “I love them. Nothing better than losing myself for a couple of hours in this world or another universe.”

“You’ll have to go to Mann’s Chinese Theatre. A perfect place for a movie buff.”

“It’s on my list of sights to see.”

He remembered her saying she was a planner. “That’s one way not to miss anything.”

She stared up at him. “Let me guess. You’re a shoot-from-the-hip kind of guy.”

He nodded.

“Most guys are.”

He wondered what kind of guys she knew, who she had dated or was dating. None of his business. “I have an agent, a manager and an assistant who make lists. Two are men.”

“An entourage of list makers, huh?”

Megan sure had a pretty smile. “Entourages are important in this town. Lots to keep track of with me.”

“I’m sure keeping track of you is a full-time job,” she teased.

His agent might agree with her. “Don’t believe everything you read. At least half of what they print is a lie or exaggeration.”

She raised a finely arched brow. “Only half?”

He grinned. “Three-quarters.”

“The juicier, the better, I assume.”

“Scandalous headlines sell better,” he admitted. “The stuff they write is unreal. I haven’t lived like a monk, but I’m not some dog chasing after every female in heat.”

“You’re nicer than I thought you would be.”

“Thank you. I think.”

“It’s a compliment.”

That was something. “I can be nice, but I’m a big flirt, too. You know guys. We always have to try.”

Megan stopped walking. “Always?”

The V deepened. Something was bothering her. “Pretty much.”

“Hypothetically, if a guy doesn’t try...”

“Then he’s already got a girl or...”

Megan stared up at him with rapt attention. “Or?”

She had to be talking about herself. Adam cocked a brow. “Hypothetically?”

“Not exactly.” She bit her lip. “Maybe you could help me understand this. Him.”

Knew it. And Adam didn’t like it. Territorial? Maybe, even if it made no sense. He wanted to know who the guy was. Someone she’d known a long time or someone she just met. Whoever he was sounded like a fool. Megan wouldn’t have to ask Adam twice to fool around with her. “Sounds like you’ve been banished to friend zone.”

“Banished is the right word. I could walk around naked and he wouldn’t notice me.”

Adam would notice. But her words made him wonder what kind of friend this guy was. “Have you walked around naked in front of him?”

She drew back, as if horrified by the question. “Of course not.”

Good. Adam didn’t want her to be taken advantage of. “I’ve got to be honest with you. Most guys will fool around with female friends if given the opportunity.”

Her shoulders slumped. She blew out a puff of air.

Adam didn’t like seeing her look so deflated. “Not what you wanted to hear.”

“Nope.”

“There are two other possibilities,” Adam offered.

Megan perked up.

“The guy could be superconservative and religious.”

“He goes to church only for funerals and weddings.”

If Megan knew that much about him, he couldn’t be a new guy. “Then he’s gay.”

She glared at Adam. “Rob is not gay.”

“So this hypothetical has a name. The same name as your best friend from high school.”

“Yes, and trust me, Rob likes girls. Women. He’s dated several. Just not me.” She sighed. “Forget I said anything.”

Her dejected tone bothered Adam. “I can’t forget now that it’s out there.”

“You’re an actor,” she countered. “Pretend.”

“I can do that for you. Or...”

She sighed. “I’m not sure I’m ready to hear more. Why don’t we say goodbye here? I can find my way back.”

He wasn’t about to let her get away from him that easily. “A gentleman always escorts his date home.”

“I’m not your date.”

“I thought you were going to say I wasn’t a gentleman.”

The corners of her mouth lifted. “The thought may have crossed my mind.”

Good. She was back to joking. “You, Megan Calhoun, are one of a kind.”

“Next you’ll say I have a great personality.”

“I don’t know you well enough to say that.” Even if he was thinking it. “But I will tell you if your best friend, this Rob guy, has stuck you in friend zone, you’re better off without him because he’s got to be a total idiot.”

She started to speak, then stopped herself. “Rob is smart. He’s an engineer.”

Adam wished she wasn’t so quick to stand up for the guy. She deserved better than to wait around for some bozo, one that lived in another state, to wake up. There were plenty of men here in L.A. to choose from. “Being book smart doesn’t apply here. Find another guy. Someone who’ll appreciate you. Spoil you. Kiss you until you can’t see straight.”

Her lips parted.

With another woman he might think that was an invitation for a kiss. With Megan, he couldn’t be sure of anything.

She eyed him suspiciously. “Exactly where am I going to find a guy like that?”

“He could be right under your nose,” Adam said. “But if you keep waiting to get out of friend zone with Rob, you’ll probably miss him.”