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Chapter12

Istaredat the ceiling most of thenight.

Meaning I didn’t sleepawink.

Meaning I looked like shit thenextday.

“You have to promise me you’ll get some more sleep tonight.There’s only so much makeup can do.”My makeup artist Wanda was brilliant and I had no doubt in her ability, but that didn’t mean I needed to make her job harder than italreadywas.

“Sorry.New place, new bed, new job...it’salot.”

“I get it.But your job is to look the same everyday so do whatever you have to do to get into a routine as fast asyoucan.”

Usually I was good at this part.I had a pattern.Get in a couple of days early, sleep like crazy, run, sleep, eat, and then settle into a rigorous daily workout.The workout helped clear my head and exhaust my body, thus ensuring good sleep and maximum creativityeachday.

But thanks to Ted I didn’t arrive early—something I now knew was his plan to surprise Colt and I into a torrid new loveaffair.

So now I wasn’t ready and I didn’t havetheguy.

But no worries.I would get both...eventually.I had a feeling Colt would take more than a couple of conversations to win over, but Iwouldwinhimover.

“Today is just test shots,” I said as if that would excuse lookinglikeshit.

“Yes, and those test shots will determine lighting, costume and makeup adjustments, and a hell of a lot more.It’s okay, it’s not like you have a black eye or something really bad, but if you keep this up you’ll make continuity abitch.”

All things I knew.All things she knew I knew, but this was herjob,too.

“I will get my sleep.Promise.”

If only I’d known then how hard that promise would betokeep.

My first clue would come six hours later in the south pasture where we would shoot all our horse training scenes.The main characters Jacqueline and John fell in love while breaking a horse, so these scenes were critical to the plot.The director and stunt coordinator walked us all through the current plans for shooting the scenes, including early blocking.Most of this would change as we actually got into shooting, but at least we all had an idea of what the goal was and what ourexpectationswere.

The director and cinematographer were discussing whether they wanted a series of wide shots when someone calledmyname.

“Lily?Lily Lawrence?”It was a soft, feminine voice coming from somewherebehindme.

I appreciated that my clothes for these scenes were practical blue jeans, a red blouse, and cowboy boots that I’d been breaking in for the last month.Being comfortable was a nice change.“Can Ihelpyou?”

The woman was petite with raven black hair that was pulled back in a long, loose, unmistakably feminine French braid.I knew exactly who she was when I got closer.The family resemblance was that clear.She was a Landry and my money was on her being Colt’ssister.

“Hi,” she grinned, sticking out her hand.“I’m Christina Landry, it’s good tomeetyou.”

She was every bit Colt’s opposite.Bright, bubbly, and infectiouslyhappy.

“Good to meet you as well.”I leaned over the paddockrailing.

Christina was dressed in jeans and boots, holding the reigns of a gorgeous black horse.I didn’t know jack about horses, but this one was beautiful and seemed to adore her.I could tell by the way it kept nuzzling heraffectionately.

“Can I steal you away for a few minutes?Is now agoodtime?”

I turned to Penny, the director’s assistant.“I’mtakingfive.”

Her eyes darted to Christina and she gave me a quick nod.“For Christina, you can have all the timeyouneed.”

Well there you have it.Money can buy you a heck of a lot.“Seems I’m allyours.”

She shot me a cheeky grin.“I bribed the crew with chocolate caramels this morning.It’s earned me a lot ofleverage.”