Lacy (The Doves of Primrose) (10 page)

“Let’s get out to the set.”
Marcus stood, tossed his napkin down and gulped the last of his tea. “See what kind of disaster we have on our hands.”

Kyle followed
Marcus, wondering the same thing. He was used to professionals and things running smoothly. Nebraska people were not accustomed to movie sets. There wasn’t a tractor in this movie, no cattle or pickup trucks. The only thing that had a chance of running the right way was the horse scenes. The cowboys knew how to do their job and at least they wouldn’t have any speaking parts. They were only in charge of running the horses and being in costume.

Kyle
was confident in Emmylou’s food and Scarlett’s help. His gut, however, was as tight as a hooker’s skirt anticipating all the time he was about to spend with Lacy.

He couldn’t wait to see how she handled this
. She had grumbled about not knowing how to be a movie makeup artist so this experience should prove interesting. Her spirit was bound to come out, especially working around a group of people used to being pampered and catered to. Oh, how he hoped she wasn’t armed or the cast was in trouble.

**********

Lacy parked her truck and sat staring at the mirrored window, knowing that the women on the other side of it were going to either ignore her presence or flay her alive. Damn that Kyle McClintock, this was all his fault. If he hadn’t demanded that she be the makeup artist on his stupid movie she wouldn’t be sitting in front of her former place of employment. If she weren’t on a time restriction she would drive the four hours and get what she needed from the distribution center. But “now” was an inflexible mandate.

She remembered the last time she shut that door behind her, the words she screamed and the fit she had thrown beforehand. Why
, oh why did she let her temper get the better of her? If she had any kind of self-control she would have waited until she got home. Lacy suspected her husband was up to something. She would have had to be blind, deaf and dumb not to notice it but when that text came in she exploded and the shrapnel struck everyone in the place.

With a death grip on her purse, she exited her truck and made her way to the door
, nodding at familiar faces as the devil squeezed her guts with his fiery grip. She took one deep breath and pushed the door open, making the bells jingle against the glass.

Walking in to The Curly Gates was like having the nightmare Lacy had feared for the past six months realized. The smell of permanent solution, singed hair and dead reputations hung in the air. Myrtle Barnes was under the dryer which did nothing to shield the sunburst orange color Lacy had had to apply to the woman’s grey hair more times than she liked to think about. With the simple act of looking up from her
National Enquirer
, Myrtle started a chain of gaping stares and hostile scowls.

It was clear that all was not forgiven. She knew they were r
ecalling her behavior on that terrible day. She tried to keep her eyes moving, not focusing on any one person for too long while she traveled to the back of the shop where the makeup was kept on shelves.

“Better guard your curlers, ladies. Lacy Campbell is back in the building.”

Lacy’s breath stuck in her lungs and her heart galloped into her ears. She had meant to keep walking and hopefully make it out without a scene but she heard the rustling of women grabbing their carts full of beauty supplies and pulling them from harm’s way. She stared at the linoleum floor with its silver specks and white swirls.

“And if it’d do any good I’d tell ya to cover your ears.”

Finally, with a deep breath and clenched hands Lacy turned to face her former boss. It was interesting to see her after all this time. She hadn’t changed one bit. Her hair was still brown and standing too far from
her head, held hostage by hairspray. Her cat eyes were smeared in heavy eyeliner and blue eye shadow, which she had insisted matched a couch she once owned in 1972. And she was still as plump as a peach.

“I’m just here to pick
up a few things,” Lacy said. Like that would soothe the hurt feelings. She closed her eyes for a moment. “I’m sorry, Janice.” Lacy really meant it. “For the way I acted when I left and the things I said.”

“Humph.” Janice puckered her
plum-colored lips.

Lacy felt the heat from everyone’s stares. “I’d like to buy some products if that’s okay with you.”

Janice gave her a once over and pointed the comb in her hand in the direction of the cosmetics, then went back to work on Mrs. Jackson’s set and curl. Lacy nodded, bowed her head and started pulling things from the shelf. She heard the whispers behind her and knew that they were re-hashing every awful, spiteful and down-right mean thing Lacy had screamed when she left The Curly Gates.

Her ears were burning with humiliation. Lacy wished she had come in here and apologized sooner. But hiding in the country was easier. It had been simple to avoid all of these ladies when the B&B consumed her every moment and her best friend went grocery shopping for her. If she could murder that ex-husba
nd of hers she would. He was an F5 tornado in tight jeans and black cowboy hat. But these women weren’t forgiving of that; she had taken her hurt out on them and was now paying for it.

Heat sizzled in her cheeks as the scene from six months ago played in her head.
She had thrown all of the items in her caddy against the wall and chucked the curling irons, hair dryers and brushes from her station while ranting about how terrible everyone in this town was. Every memory was a hot needle piercing her chest. She couldn’t help but look to the spot in the wall where the flat iron had punched through. It had been patched and painted, but Lacy knew. Her stupid temper had gotten her into more trouble than the satisfaction she gleaned was worth.

Her arms were overflowing with various compacts, brushes and bottles as she made her way to the cash register and piled it onto the counter. She braved a glance out of the corner of her eye to see if Janice would actually come over to her. Lacy looked to her right where the waiting area was and chanced a smile.

“Donna.” She tried, unsuccessfully, to get the woman to meet her eyes so she shifted to the curly haired little girl sitting at Donna’s feet. “That’s a very nice Barbie you have there.” Before the child could answer, her mother touched her shoulder, diverting her attention and pulling her onto her lap.

Lacy went back to staring at the horse calendar behind the counter and the framed dollar bill from the first haircut Janice had performed in the salon. Lacy’s own certificate used to hang on the wall with the others. Janice now had three women cutting and styling and someone with an esthetician certificate. Wow, this place was getting fancy. Soon she might be seeing the word
Spa
go up in the window. No, wait a minute, it was already there. The clicking of heels brought back Lacy’s attention.

Janice still had her nose in the air, but Lacy wouldn’t hold it against her. She deserved it. Janice inspected the stack of cosme
tics and tools while her hand hovered over the keys on the register. Lacy swallowed when the woman’s hazel eyes rolled up and met hers.

“Planning for the apocalypse?” Janice picked up the container of eye shadow
, turning it between her fingers. “This isn’t your color.”

Lacy forced a laugh and sweat beaded her top lip.
“Just trying out some new things.” Lacy made a show of getting out her wallet, while the cash register slowly beeped and the receipt printed.

“Things must be going well out at
The Dove House. Those movie stars must be big tippers.”

“Yeah.”
Lacy really wished Janice would hurry things along. If only Janice would stop inspecting every piece and making comments. Lacy had so wanted to get in and out in a hurry. She should have known that Janice would want her pound of flesh.

“Not that I’m against a new look, honey, but this seems like you’re outfitting multiple personalities.”

“It’s not all for me.”

Janice narrowed her eyes. “
Runnin’ some errands, are ya?”

Lacy looked into her eyes.
Damn it. She knew
. “Look, Janice, they asked and didn’t give me any chance to say no. They’re desperate. The wildfires are holding up production and every day they don’t film costs money.”

“Well, I would think that would only be beneficial to you. The longer they stay the more you make.”
Janice was not attempting to hide her bitterness.

“No! I don’t want them to stay
,” Lacy stammered, then clamped her mouth shut.

“It’s fine, really. You’re perfect for the job, Lacy.
Seems to me that you and those actors are like peas in a pod. I’m not used to dramatics. Someone who
should be assigned her own area code
wouldn’t fit in with that kind.” Lacy’s bulging eyes didn’t seem to affect Janice. “I’m sure they would have no appreciation for
the self-appointed supervisor of the town's morals
.” Janice took a breath and folded her hands on the counter. “Besides,* you don’t have a back fence. It wouldn’t be any fun for us.”

If it were possible for a face to burst into flames, Lacy’s would’ve been setting
off the fire alarm. She should’ve never said those things about Janice. They may have been true, but they were mean and she was blind with rage at her husband, at the way he left her, the reasons he left in his text message.

“Oh, Janice.”
Lacy braved a look into Janice’s eyes. “I should never have said those things to you. I didn’t mean any of them. I just lost it that day. When Brice sent me that message saying he was leaving me to go chasing his dreams in Alaska--” She shook her head, not wanting the searing humiliation of that day to take control. She reached out and placed her clammy hand onto the woman’s warm one. “Please forgive me for how I behaved, for the awful things I said, the things I broke.” She squeezed her hand. “The friendship I ruined.” Lacy felt Janice soften. “I was horrible and there is no excuse for that kind of behavior.”

Janice straightened and pulled her hand away to start packing the paper sack. “You’re just saying that.”

“No. I really mean it.” And she did. Lacy was sorry with all her heart. She had been an immature little brat. “And if I need some advice for the set, would you mind if I came to you?”

The smile that split Janice’s face made Lacy’s heart bloom.

“You know where to find me.” She tore off the receipt and placed it in the bag. “And Lacy?”

Lacy looked up from her wallet
into compassion and forgiveness.

“We’ve all been there before. That
man was a damn fool, you deserve better.”

“Thanks
, Janice.”

Lacy handed over most of the cash Lauren had given her for supplies and walked out with a lig
hter heart and brighter spirit.

Chapter 9

The heavy bag of cosmetics rode in the passenger seat all the way to the B&B. Lacy was mentally sorting through her colle
ction of cases wondering if she had one that was suitable for all this stuff. And what about mirrors and lighting? She had absolutely no idea how she was supposed to accomplish the impossible.

She knew she didn’t have enough time to prepare. Mr. Cha
ndler wanted her on the set and the cast in makeup. From everything she saw, she guessed he was probably mad already. She hightailed it out to the pond, fumbling to catch the bag after the handle broke. She came upon a scene she never imagined would be consuming her beautiful countryside.  In the two hours since she had left an entire work camp had been setup. And it wasn’t tents and campfires.

Three gigantic
RVs had pulled into the open area just off the rutted two-track trail sometimes referred to as a road, their shiny exterior glinting in the sunshine.  Two semi-truck trailers were parked to the side with ramps pulled down and equipment streaming out. Swarms of people, twice as many as had checked in, milled around, donning headphones and huge microphones on poles, standing next to cameras the size of compact cars. A dining area had been set up with tables, umbrellas and buffet line.

This is what Mr. Chandler meant by a few people? How big would it have been if they all made it? She couldn’t even begin to fathom a larger assembly.

She finally spotted a familiar face behind the buffet. Emmylou was pointing and giving instructions to some girl who couldn’t be more than nineteen. What the hell had happened to her serene haven? It looked like someone had brought in a circus- all they needed were trailers full of animals and a striped tent with flags. She glanced around, half-expecting one to be pulling in, crushing the beautiful grass and scaring the wildlife that hadn’t already run off.

A horn honked
, startling Lacy. She jumped and rushed forward as Don Watling drove his dually pickup truck and horse trailer full of his finest stock behind her. He hollered, “Howdy” at her and chuckled when she shot him a scolding glare. She didn’t have any idea what she was going to do or where she was supposed to be. Her eye picked up a dark head of hair and she honed in on it. Kyle was walking behind the buffet table.

Lacy started forward then came to a direct stop. Her chest tightened
, forcing her heart to labor with each beat. Kyle smiled and leaned in towards Emmylou. Whatever he was saying to her was private and obviously intense. Jealousy was not a familiar feeling for Lacy. Emmylou stood still and then watched him for several seconds after he pulled back. Lacy thought her jaw would splinter when his hand slid down her arm then grasped Emmylou’s fingers. He said something else then walked away. Lacy closed her eyes to smash the vision out and hack it from her brain, feeling absurd.

Trying to regain control, she straightened her shoulders and started forward again. She knew she shouldn’t be surprised, but that didn’t make it hurt any less. She didn’t want to have to ask Kyle where she was supposed to set up. This whole thing was completely overwhelming. She wished she was more in control, more of a social butterfly like Emmylou. The truth was that she would rather duck in a hole and avoid the mob
.

“Hey!”

The reverberating holler from a bullhorn startled Lacy and she almost dropped the heavy bag. She glanced around, wondering where the call came from and who it was for except she already had the feeling it was for her.

Her eyes zeroed in on
Marcus Chandler making a path to her, hell bent on a mission, moving people out of his way. In a matter of seconds he was an inch away from her looking like a caged animal.

“You’re over there.” He pointed with the
bullhorn in the direction of the RVs. “Monica will show you everything.”

As if he had summoned a genie, a woman she assumed was Monica materialized at his side.
Another skinny, clipboard-holding, headset-wearing wearing worker bee. Without a word Monica grabbed Lacy by the shoulder, directing her to walk and at the same time muttering something about being en route.

“What?” Lacy nearly tripped over a clump of grass trying to keep up with the speed walker.

Monica flicked her glance at Lacy but kept clipping right along. “Keep your panties on. We’ll be there in a second.”

Lacy’s jaw dropped. She was doing this as a favor to these people and if this was how she was going to be treated she may as well hike back to
The Dove House. And –

“I wouldn’t get your hopes up, this is probably the best we’re gonna get considering where we are.” Monica drew to a stop when they reached the inner circle of the camp. She finally looked fully at Lacy. “You’re going to start in there.” Lacy fo
llowed Monica’s finger to the middle RV. “Then go in there,” she pointed to the next gleaming camper, “and get all the others done. They will tell you what they need for the scene today. If you have any questions, Ron there will help you out.” She tipped her head in the direction of a middle-aged bearded man.

Lacy felt the words firing in her brain find the tip of her tongue, but the woman raised the mic on her
headset and told whoever was on the other end that she would get right on it. With a roll of her eyes, she left Lacy standing and staring at her back. It was then that she realized Monica hadn’t been talking to her at all. She had been talking to the person on the other end of the headset.

Well, she was still rude.

The door to the RV was open, so she took the stairs, turning into the main part, stopping dead at the sight of a naked rear end and bare back. Muscles flexed and bulged as the man pulled his tan pants up over the rounded perfection.

“Oh my
God! I’m so sorry!” Lacy slapped her hand over her eyes and turned, bumping into the seat on her way around, causing her to drop the sack making everything clatter together. She bent down with half-open eyes to retrieve it and bashed her forehead into the entry counter. The impact flung her head back and she toppled to the floor, her limbs akimbo.

“Now that is just how I like my women.
Flat on their back and dazed by my stunning physique.”

Lacy opened her eyes, pressing her palm to the tender spot on her head, to see a shirtless Kyle McClintock standing over her with his hands on his hips. She had a
gut-wrenching suspicion her skirt was flipped up over her stomach. This day was just getting better. She quickly swept her hand down, pushing at the fabric to cover herself. She tried to sit up, but dropped back when black clouds and popping stars filled her vision.

“Whoa there, honey.”

She felt Kyle’s strong arm beneath her, cradling her back and gently laying her back down.

“Don’t call me honey.” She widened and blinked her eyes
, trying to regain full consciousness while pushing at his chest. His very smooth, muscled chest.

“Yes, that’s what we should be conce
rned about. Pet names.” He tried, very convincingly, to keep her stationary. “Now look at me.”

Her eyes automatically found his. They were so beautiful, like the prairie sky in June. He studied her eyes, shifting his head to alter his view.

“I don’t think you have a concussion. Your pupils seem to be normal. But if you’d like I can carry you back to the bed.”

“That won’t be necessary.” Lacy sat up. “I’m fine.”

“It’s a nice bed.” She could hear the smile in his voice. “Or better yet, we have one right here that I can pull down from the wall.”

“No!” Lacy made it to her feet
, which was no small chore with Kyle’s restraining hands on her.

“It’s nothing to get embarrassed about.” Kyle rose and stood right next to her
, his face inches from her neck, his breath mingled in her hair.

“I’m not.” Lacy’s cheeks gave her lie away.  She stepped fu
rther into the RV desperate
to put more space between them. “It’s all your fault anyway. You shouldn’t leave your door open while you’re changing. I could’ve been anyone.” She rounded on him to find him mere inches away again. She tried to seem unshaken. “I could’ve been a stalker or a killer.” She stuttered on her last words as he took the last step, leaving not so much as a dust particle between them.

“I can handle myself and that’s not what I meant.” His hooded eyes narrowed in on her. Her body shivered and jolted. “You’re the one who jumped to conclusions. I was merely concerned for your health.”

Lacy’s breath hitched. She wanted to drag her eyes away but couldn’t. “Like you know anything about concussions.”

“See how much you know?” He leaned in and her blood sta
mpeded to her thighs. “My brother and I had our fair share of ’em growing up. You could say I’m a bit of an expert at identifying them.”

At the mention of Kyle’s brother the mood dissolved. Lacy was able to step away. She looked to the tinted window and the people milling around outside
, trampling her grass. “Oh,” was all she could manage to say.

Kyle straightened and withd
rew. “Shall we get to it then?”

He retrieved the paper sack and Lacy rubbed her arms
, trying to remove the chill that had settled in her. “Sure.” She dragged her hands through her hair. Her heart was still unsteady when she turned to Kyle sitting in his chair. Illuminated by lights his dark features were more ominous, his eyes more prominent. She stood over him absolutely still, unsure where to begin, what to say, if she should even speak. His gaze was fixed on her in the same fashion. Through him she saw Adam’s shadow.

She fluttered her eyelids to dispel the vision of Kyle’s brother. Her mouth went dry, her forehead creased. Kyle’s hand reached for her and just as quickly pulled back with the thundering of footsteps on the stairs.

“Kyle, Marcus wants you on the set a-sap!”

Lacy took the break in eye contact to regroup as Kyle talked to the intruder. She opened the sack and pulled out products
, clattering them against the smooth countertop.

**********

When she left the RV after Kyle rushed out she felt as though ten years of her life had been sucked out of her. How she kept it together during the fifteen minutes it took her to apply his makeup she didn’t know. Not one word was spoken between them. The silence built until Lacy thought her ears would burst. Her hand had shaken so badly
she had to support her elbow with her opposite hand, and all she wanted was for him to reach out and pull her into his lap. The anticipation of it happening, of having every pore, every vessel braced for his touch, drained her strength until she was equivalent to a bowl of Jell-O.

“Ma’am?”
Lacy turned her dazed head to the voice. “The rest of the cast is this way.” The girl talking to her pointed with her pen and began walking. Lacy followed, though she wasn’t sure why.

Once she made it to the makeup area set up in the meadow, she had had enough fresh air and walking to stabilize her spi
nning faculties. As she moved through the line of five men she was plagued with thoughts of Kyle’s brother. Now that he had been brought up she couldn’t help it. She hadn’t known Adam very well. He was six years older than she and Kyle, but she knew his reputation. The privileges of living in a small town afforded that.

From what she knew, Adam was the full package. A pheno
menal athlete wrapped in choirboy paper.  His senior year he had earned a full ride scholarship to the university with his choice of sport. He was also top of his class, awarded with every volunteer honor imaginable and had every female heart from two to ninety-two wrapped in the palm of his hand.

Lacy had been twelve when Adam
was killed in
a terrible car accident not five miles from the family’s home. It was tragic for the entire town, but it had altered the McClintock family forever. Not more than five years later,
Kyle’s daddy had been moving cattle to another pasture was thrown from his horse paralyzing him from the waist down. Lacy didn’t know much about Kyle’s mother. Even though his parents came every Sunday to have dinner in Lacy’s dining room they didn’t talk about themselves. They mostly discussed beef prices, the weather and Kyle’s successes.

Lacy couldn’t imagine the emotional weight that woman must carry every day. She hadn’t thought about it before Kyle came back. She had always been so annoyed at having to hear about Kyle, his girlfriends, accolades and exotic trips that she tried her best to stay away from them. But
thinking about it now had given her a new appreciation for their situation.

She sat down at the empty bench, staring into the distance where she could see huge spotlights suspended on
tri-pods, people scrambling around carrying big black microphones and various other pieces of equipment she couldn’t identify. She was amazed at how much effort went into creating one little scene of a movie and how many people it took to do it. She had thought they were just whiners, bellyaching about not having their crew or their equipment, but seriously this was a huge project and she knew they were only shooting the minor scenes.

“Here you go.”

Lacy jumped when the heavy plate dropped in her lap. Emmylou sat down next to her and propped her elbows on the table.