Page 13 of The Aster Valley Collection, Vol. 2

FINN

I slept poorly after everything that happened the night before.

As soon as I got to my trailer, I tried a meditation exercise in hopes of clearing my mind so I could focus on the workday ahead of me.

Before I finished my second deep breath, Kix banged into the small space like a herd of trampling hyenas.

“Dude, tell me everything.”

I closed my eyes and took another cleansing breath. “There’s nothing to tell.”

“Uh, that’s not gonna fly,” Kix said, smacking my shoulder lightly with the back of his hand. “Everyone is talking about it, and I just shared one of the photos in my Insta Story.”

I blinked my eyes open. There were photos?

“Shit. I need to call Iris,” I muttered, looking around for my phone and remembering I’d put it on silent as soon as Declan had left me alone in the SUV to confront the man with the gun. There were dozens of missed calls.

Iris answered immediately, her voice sounding like it was fueled by espresso.

“Finn, babe, you need to milk this. It’s PR gold.

Nolan’s already been on with me this morning arranging with his agency folks to coordinate interviews.

The sooner we can spin you as a real action hero, the sooner your new reputation on-screen will be locked. ”

My hands began to shake. This wasn’t a game.

It wasn’t a public relations stunt. There had been real danger, and a woman had almost been shot.

Hell, I’d almost been shot. The bullet had gone through the passenger door and hit the base of the center console.

If I’d been in the footwell, I would have been hit.

“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” I said.

Iris chuckled. “You pay me to think, babe. You just show up when I tell you, and answer your damned phone when I call.”

After she ended the call, I stared at the phone. Kix moved closer. “I know you’re upset. Of course you are. It must have been scary as hell. But think of how good this is for your career. Surely you can see that? Man, I’d give anything to be caught at the scene of something like that.”

I closed my eyes and tried to empty my mind to keep from snapping at him. My phone vibrated in my hand.

It was my mother.

“Oh honey! I just heard about the shooting!”

I exhaled. “I’m okay.”

“Of course you are. You’re a Heller, for goodness’ sake. I’m calling because Mario says he can get you on The View . If so, you have to tell me so I can be there, too.”

I bit back another snappish response. My teeth were already sore from grinding together, and I didn’t even know who Mario was.

“Gotta go, Mom. I’m on set right now.”

I hung up while she was still talking.

As the day progressed, I tried to find time to meditate, but it wasn’t easy.

There were more phone calls, curious cast and crew visits to the trailer, unnecessary calls to the set and wardrobe that turned out to be more flimsy excuses to get inside information on “the shooting,” and even a visit from one of Declan’s deputies to take my official statement from the night before.

By the time Shelly finally released me from the set, I was exhausted, and I still had a video interview Iris had roped me into.

“Come out with us,” Crystobell asked, poking her head into my trailer while the makeup tech was helping me prep for the interview. Her invitation surprised me. “Looks like you could use a drink. Come on. We’re just going to the Roadhouse again.”

Kix’s eyes were wide over her shoulder. He’d wanted to hang with her forever.

“I have an interview…” I began.

“That’s okay. I was going to head back to my chalet first for a shower and change of clothes. We’ll swing back by the set to grab you after, and I’m not taking no for an answer. Logan is going, too, and it’ll be the three musketeers.”

Kix’s frantic nod was going to send his head careening off into the woods if he wasn’t careful.

“Okay, but?—”

“Great! See you soon!” She turned and left, almost plowing Kix down in the process.

He stepped up into the trailer with hearts in his eyes. “Fuck yeah. I’m going to need you to take some pics of me sitting next to her for my social media, bro.”

I closed my eyes and let the makeup tech finish with my face. “You’re all set,” he murmured. “Text me if you need a fix before go time.”

I thanked him and watched him leave the trailer while Kix gave him a lurid stare. As soon as the door closed behind the tech, I chastised him. “That’s skeevy. Don’t look at him like you want to fuck him. The poor guy is at work.”

Kix laughed. “Are you kidding? He blew me in the makeup tent like two hours ago. Mind your business.”

I shuddered. This set was noticeably less professional than any of the other projects I’d worked on for as long as I could remember.

Kix’s behavior was a reminder that he wasn’t really the kind of person I wanted in my life, and I wondered for the millionth time what the hell I was doing remaining friends with him.

You owe him.

The old refrain was getting very tired. He’d had years to find his own path to success, and maybe his behavior on set was part of the reason no one took him very seriously.

No one takes you seriously either, Chip.

I gritted my teeth once more. I was used to being compared to my air-headed, super-chipper childhood role, but hearing it out of Declan’s mouth yesterday had been a slap in the face.

Thankfully, I was spared more thoughts about it by a knock on the trailer door. I would withstand anyone’s pushy questions about the shooting just to get me to stop thinking about Declan Stone.

“Come in,” I called.

The door opened to reveal Declan Stone. Of course.

“H-hi,” I said nervously. What did he want? Why was he here? Had I done or said something wrong on my statement? My palms flooded with clammy heat.

Declan’s eyes flicked to Kix and back to me. “I came to see if you were okay. I thought… I thought you’d be riding with me again today.”

I opened my lips in surprise, and he kept talking. “I mean, obviously it’s okay if you don’t want to. I just didn’t want you to think you couldn’t. I committed to?—”

“I’ll ride with you!” Kix interjected. “I’ll do it.”

I shot him a look. “Kix, can you excuse us, please?”

He was obviously annoyed at being kicked out of the conversation, but he left anyway, promising to be back after my interview so we could ride to the Roadhouse together.

Once the door closed again, Declan stepped a little closer. “You’re going out?”

I shook my head. “I don’t want to, but…” I don’t want to be alone either.

Our eyes locked, and a world of words hovered unspoken between us. Was I the only one who felt them?

I swallowed and tried again. “I?—”

Before I could admit my fear, the trailer door banged open and Nolan came in without knocking. “Let’s get this show on the road, action hero! Oh.” He stopped when he saw Declan in full uniform. “Hello, Sheriff Stone. Is there something we can help you with?”

Declan turned and cleared his throat. The softness in his eyes disappeared as he reached out a hand to shake the director’s.

“Just stopped by to make sure the situation last night didn’t interfere too much with your production,” he said. “I apologize for putting Finn in harm’s way. If there’s anything I can do to?—”

“Nonsense,” Nolan said with a wide grin, moving around to clap me on the shoulder.

He seemed to be full of energy every time I saw him, like he had trouble sitting still and wanted to be off to the next thing.

“You did us a solid. The media coverage alone is worth thousands. We can’t thank you enough for allowing our boy here to be a part of a truly heroic moment.

Thanks to your department for making sure he came through it unharmed, and I’m doubly glad you and your deputy were unscathed.

That poor girl. Hopefully she’s alright as well? ”

Declan nodded and gave Nolan some platitudes about the young woman’s condition, but I could see the tightness in his jaw as he spoke. He didn’t love this. And he was in good company, because I absolutely hated it.

Nolan glad-handed Declan out the door with polite apologies that our “very important” interview had to cut his visit short. After one precious moment of eye contact with the strong, dependable sheriff, he was gone.

I followed Nolan to the media tent where everything was set up for the interview.

A few minutes before we were scheduled to start, he turned to me to say, “Now’s the time to capitalize on the fact you’re doing your own stunts.

After what happened last night, it will really add to the excitement and danger.

I’m impressed with how seriously you took your prep work, Finn.

Arranging for the ride-along like that was smart thinking, and your being there when the most exciting action in Aster Valley happened…

well, you can’t say there’s not a little Chip Clover luck in you for real, right? ”

His nearby assistant smiled and winked at me at his stupid-ass statement, and Shelly, the show runner, thought it was hysterical.

I wanted to remind him that being present for any drunken shooting wasn’t good luck.

It was bad. But then again, I did consider not getting shot last night to be a stroke of luck, so maybe he had a point.

The interview started before I had a chance to respond. While Nolan greeted the energetic interviewer on the screen, I concentrated on keeping an open smile on my face while I talked myself through a centering mantra.

I am the rock, and the rock is fearless.

“Finn,” the reporter said after the standard greetings were over, “we have reports of a deranged gunman threatening you last night in an armed standoff. Can you tell us how you managed to subdue him?”

I blinked at the screen and felt my polite smile falter. “I… I didn’t subdue him. The man was apprehended by the Rockley County Sheriff’s Department. The sheriff and his deputy are the real heroes.”