Page 61 of Culinary Chaos

Hope.

She had a sad smile on her face until she glanced down and saw the computer. “I see you’re as much of a workaholic as I am.”

Angelica sighed, her lips curling upward slightly. “I have a lot of work to do.”

“There’s always work to do.” Hope sat on the edge of the bed and cocked her head to the side. “You didn’t answer my text.”

Text? What text?

Angelica reached for her phone and found it, right along with Hope’s five texts she’d sent in the last few hours. “Oh.”

“How are you feeling? Any better?”

“I’m upright.” Angelica pressed back into the pillows. “Mostly.”

Hope hummed. “I talked with Tatum, not about you specifically, but he suggested it might be altitude sickness. Have you ever had that before?”

Angelica frowned, the nausea coming back into the forefront of her mind and making it that much harder to concentrate now that she had nothing to distract her. At least working had been good for one thing, even if she didn’t get a whole lot done.

“Angel?” Hope asked, getting her attention again.

“No,” Angelica answered. “But I mostly stick to the coasts. I haven’t been to the mountains very often. Not since I was a little girl.”

Hope touched her hand lightly and squeezed. “There isn’t much to do other than leave and go to a lower altitude or just bear through it until it stops. You do need to drink a lot of water and eat some food though, which I’m sure is the last thing you want today.”

It was.

“So I’m going to get you something to eat, something light. If there’s something else you want, let me know, and I’ll make sure I can get it to you.”

Why was there a thrill running through her? Why was this sudden care and compassion from Hope more tender than Angelica had ever experienced before? Even when she’d been with Leanne they’d never been this soft with each other. Angelica nodded. “Yeah, I’ll let you know.”

“Okay. I’ll be back.” Hope squeezed her hand again. “And I’m keeping the key again.”

Angelica hadn’t even realized that Hope had taken it with her the last time. But it wasn’t like she was going to need it, not for at least a day. She watched as Hope left the room with only one backward glance in her direction. Angelica had to stop herself from taking the thoughts that were racing through her mind to a dangerous place.

She had to keep her distance.

She had to keep her autonomy.

She couldn’t fall for her co-star.

Chapter

Twenty-One

“Got a minute?” Hope asked, trying to get Rex’s attention.

Angelica hadn’t been out of her room since Hope had put her in there three days before. Hope was aware that she had cancelled her trip to her hotel, but that was about it.

Rex nodded and walked toward her. “What’s up?”

“I wanted to talk about filming.” Hope crossed her arms and started to walk back toward the garden. Something about being outside drew her, and she wanted to spend as much time there as possible. It was gloriously beautiful. It fed her soul in a way that she hadn’t been fed in a very long time.

“You should be talking to Kyle or Josef.”

“I know, but… I want to bounce an idea off you first.” Hope looked around, making sure that there wasn’t anyone else around. She didn’t need this getting out. “Angelica’s pretty sick.”

Rex frowned. “Have you been checking on her?”