Hank. “I’m Raymond Holt.”
Cocking his brows, Hank stared down at the shorter man. “And that’s supposed to mean anything?”
Ray snorted. “I’m with the Holt Agency. I’m Sadie’s agent. Who the hell are you?”
Hank pushed Ray back and stepped between him and Sadie. “I’m her bodyguard, hired to protect her. And the way I see things, you’re bothering her.”
Sadie touched his arm. “Hank, I can handle Ray. You don’t have to.”
Hank stood for a moment longer, giving Ray a narrow-eyed glare. “Hurt her, and you’ll answer to me.”
Ray raised his hands. “I wouldn’t hurt her. She’s my bread and butter.”
“Then let her have the space she needs.”
“But I need…she needs to sign this contract before the studio decides to go with another actress. She’s not the only one they had lined up.”
“Then it wasn’t meant to be.” Sadie stepped up beside Hank. “Ray, I’ll think about it.”
“But—”
“You heard the lady,” Hank crossed his arms over his chest. “She’ll think about it.”
Ray’s lips pressed into a thin line. “I’ll be here for a couple of days.”
“And I’ll be thinking about it for a couple of days. You might as well go back to LA. I won’t be pressured into making a decision during the time I’m here in Montana.”
“And how long do you plan on being in Montana?” Ray persisted.
“I don’t know.” Sadie waved her hand. “A week, maybe two.”
“Hi, I’m Daisy. Would you three care to sit down?” The pretty, young waitress smiled at them and leaned closer to Hank, a conspiratorial gleam in her eyes. “You’re scaring the customers.”
Hank shot a glance around the nearly empty diner and frowned at Daisy.
She winked. “Okay, so you’re not scaring the customers, you’re scaring the cook.”
Sadie gave Daisy a thankful smile. “Yes, please. Hank and I would like a table for two.” She gave her agent a pointed stare. “Ray was just leaving.”
“If that’s the case, you’ll want your check.” Daisy pulled a slip of paper from her apron and handed it to Ray. “If you’ll step up to the register, I’ll happily take your money.” Her smile was infectious, but Ray wasn’t any happier about being separated from Sadie and herded out the door.
“Sit anywhere you like,” Daisy called over her shoulder as she led Ray to the cash register. “I’ll be with you in a minute.”
Sadie chose a booth in the far corner and sat with her back to the door. Hank sat opposite her.
Sadie pulled a menu from behind the napkin holder and stared down at it. “So you see, my life can be complicated, and not really my own.”
“It doesn’t have to be that way.”
“As long as I’m a celebrity, it will be this way.” She laughed, the sound not at all cheerful, more tired and resigned.
“Isn’t this what you wanted?” Hank’s jaw tightened. “The dream you left Montana to pursue?” Weren’t those the words she’d used when she’d turned down his proposal? She wanted to follow her dreams, and he should follow his.
Sadie nodded. “Yes. Acting was something I always wanted to do. Playing great roles, making people laugh, cry, feeling the pain of the characters in the story, was a dream come true.”
“But the other stuff that comes with being famous?” he prompted.
She shrugged. “Normally, I can deal with it. But every once in a while, I need a break.”
“Like now.”
Again, she nodded. “Like now. Making two movies in one year may not sound like much, but it’s emotionally and physically draining. I need a chance to recuperate. To be away from the crush of people, away from LA.”
Daisy walked Ray to the door, and then joined Sadie and Hank at their table, pulling out her order pad and pencil. “Now that you’re settled, let me say welcome home.” She grinned at them both. “I remember you two from high school.”
Sadie’s brows wrinkled, and Hank stared at the pretty brunette. “I’m sorry, but I
Cocking his brows, Hank stared down at the shorter man. “And that’s supposed to mean anything?”
Ray snorted. “I’m with the Holt Agency. I’m Sadie’s agent. Who the hell are you?”
Hank pushed Ray back and stepped between him and Sadie. “I’m her bodyguard, hired to protect her. And the way I see things, you’re bothering her.”
Sadie touched his arm. “Hank, I can handle Ray. You don’t have to.”
Hank stood for a moment longer, giving Ray a narrow-eyed glare. “Hurt her, and you’ll answer to me.”
Ray raised his hands. “I wouldn’t hurt her. She’s my bread and butter.”
“Then let her have the space she needs.”
“But I need…she needs to sign this contract before the studio decides to go with another actress. She’s not the only one they had lined up.”
“Then it wasn’t meant to be.” Sadie stepped up beside Hank. “Ray, I’ll think about it.”
“But—”
“You heard the lady,” Hank crossed his arms over his chest. “She’ll think about it.”
Ray’s lips pressed into a thin line. “I’ll be here for a couple of days.”
“And I’ll be thinking about it for a couple of days. You might as well go back to LA. I won’t be pressured into making a decision during the time I’m here in Montana.”
“And how long do you plan on being in Montana?” Ray persisted.
“I don’t know.” Sadie waved her hand. “A week, maybe two.”
“Hi, I’m Daisy. Would you three care to sit down?” The pretty, young waitress smiled at them and leaned closer to Hank, a conspiratorial gleam in her eyes. “You’re scaring the customers.”
Hank shot a glance around the nearly empty diner and frowned at Daisy.
She winked. “Okay, so you’re not scaring the customers, you’re scaring the cook.”
Sadie gave Daisy a thankful smile. “Yes, please. Hank and I would like a table for two.” She gave her agent a pointed stare. “Ray was just leaving.”
“If that’s the case, you’ll want your check.” Daisy pulled a slip of paper from her apron and handed it to Ray. “If you’ll step up to the register, I’ll happily take your money.” Her smile was infectious, but Ray wasn’t any happier about being separated from Sadie and herded out the door.
“Sit anywhere you like,” Daisy called over her shoulder as she led Ray to the cash register. “I’ll be with you in a minute.”
Sadie chose a booth in the far corner and sat with her back to the door. Hank sat opposite her.
Sadie pulled a menu from behind the napkin holder and stared down at it. “So you see, my life can be complicated, and not really my own.”
“It doesn’t have to be that way.”
“As long as I’m a celebrity, it will be this way.” She laughed, the sound not at all cheerful, more tired and resigned.
“Isn’t this what you wanted?” Hank’s jaw tightened. “The dream you left Montana to pursue?” Weren’t those the words she’d used when she’d turned down his proposal? She wanted to follow her dreams, and he should follow his.
Sadie nodded. “Yes. Acting was something I always wanted to do. Playing great roles, making people laugh, cry, feeling the pain of the characters in the story, was a dream come true.”
“But the other stuff that comes with being famous?” he prompted.
She shrugged. “Normally, I can deal with it. But every once in a while, I need a break.”
“Like now.”
Again, she nodded. “Like now. Making two movies in one year may not sound like much, but it’s emotionally and physically draining. I need a chance to recuperate. To be away from the crush of people, away from LA.”
Daisy walked Ray to the door, and then joined Sadie and Hank at their table, pulling out her order pad and pencil. “Now that you’re settled, let me say welcome home.” She grinned at them both. “I remember you two from high school.”
Sadie’s brows wrinkled, and Hank stared at the pretty brunette. “I’m sorry, but I
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