Total pages in book: 60
Estimated words: 57350 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 287(@200wpm)___ 229(@250wpm)___ 191(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 57350 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 287(@200wpm)___ 229(@250wpm)___ 191(@300wpm)
“You don’t want to know.”
Hawk glanced up from reading his phone. “Maybe the two of you should stop flirting while my woman has a needle in your arm, Adam. Just sayin’.”
His grin was going to get him punched. Just as soon as that needle was free.
CHAPTER 7
After a day of scouting locations outside of the quaint town of Mineral Lake, rain drifted on the breeze. Bianca followed the county road, glancing at the directions from Clancy that she’d jotted down. Clouds clung to the mountains in long gray streaks, and the sky above the valley shifted between pale blue and gathering shade. Somewhere out there another storm was building.
The road curved through pasture and cottonwoods before opening into a wide pocket of ranch land. Bianca slowed her rental and rolled the window down a little farther.
The Willoughby ranch appeared ahead of her, simple and solid. A white fence ran along the road before bending toward a small farmhouse set back on a shallow rise. A red barn stood behind it with its doors open wide, and a pair of horses grazed in a nearby paddock. The yard looked chaotic with a colorful swing set, plastic toys, and a small pile of boots near the porch steps.
She pulled off the road and parked near the fence, scanning the property the way she always did when evaluating a location. The light was good here. The angle of the barn against the hills was perfect. Even the cottonwoods by the creek would frame a shot beautifully.
It really was ideal for this film—more accurate to the screenplay than even Dawn’s place was.
Bianca grabbed her bag from the passenger seat and stepped out of the SUV.
Two small children ran through the grass near the porch. The older one chased a dog that bounded away with a stick in its mouth. The younger boy toddled after them, determined and unsteady.
Bianca walked toward the house, happy she was wearing boots since wet grass competed with the gravel on the walk. She paused to look at a lovely line of marigolds that were crowding each other too much.
A young woman stepped out onto the porch before Bianca reached the stairs. She wore jeans and a faded sweatshirt, her hair pulled into a messy knot. A dish towel rested in one hand.
Bianca slowed near the first step and lifted a hand. “Hi. I’m Bianca Estrada. I work with Canyon Road Films.”
The woman’s gaze moved over Bianca’s boots and then up to her face. “I saw you at the hearing.” Her voice was cautious but not unfriendly. “I’m Maggie.”
The little boy wandered closer and stopped near Bianca’s leg, staring up at her with wide eyes. The older girl raced past them with the dog still ahead of her, shouting about the moon.
Bianca kept her focus on Maggie. “I’m sorry to bother you at home,” she said. “I heard you decided not to move forward with filming here, and I hoped to talk to you in person. Your land is lovely.”
Maggie shifted the dish towel between her hands. “Thank you. We work hard at it.”
Bianca nodded slowly. “May I ask what changed your mind about the film?”
Maggie glanced toward the side of the house. “Daniel should be here any second.”
Before Bianca could respond, a man came around the corner of the house carrying a length of chain. He looked young—late twenties maybe—with mud on his boots and grease on one hand. His flannel sleeves were rolled to his elbows. The chain clinked softly as he dropped it beside the porch steps, his brown hair damp and his green eyes deep.
Maggie stepped down from the porch. “Dan, this is Bianca. From the movie people.”
The man wiped his hands on his jeans before approaching. “Daniel Willoughby,” he said.
“Bianca Estrada.” She shook his hand. His grip was firm but brief.
Daniel looked toward the yard where the children had resumed chasing the dog. “You drove out here from town?”
“Yes,” Bianca said. “I hope that’s okay.”
He nodded. “Sure.”
Bianca glanced between him and Maggie. “I heard you decided not to film here after all,” she said. “Yesterday things sounded promising. I wanted to check in before we crossed your place off the list.” This place was just perfect.
Daniel rubbed a hand along the back of his neck. “Yeah,” he said quietly. “We talked about it last night.”
Maggie rested on the porch rail. “We decided we’d rather not have a film crew here.”
Bianca nodded again, though curiosity stirred inside her. “That’s fair,” she said. “It’s your home. I completely respect that.” She gestured lightly toward the barn and the fields beyond. “It’s a beautiful place,” she added. “That’s why we were excited about it.”
Daniel gave a small smile. “Thank you.”
Bianca shifted her weight. “I hope you don’t mind me asking what changed. Yesterday it sounded like the extra income might help.” Ranching was difficult these days, from what she’d read.