side of a mountain from now on."
"Ah," Deke .said softly, "but if you notice us, it means we aren't doing the job correctly."
"It's just plain stupid for a man to risk his life like that,” Leigh burst out.
Deke looked at her, his eyes narrowing. "There are stunt women, too, plenty of them. There's a whole organization."
“I’m glad," Leigh said coolly. "More coffee?"
Deke frowned, slid back the cuff of his blue plaid shirt, and looked at his watch. "Guess I'll go on back and see what Ty's up to. Thank you for the company,” his eyes swung to Eve, “and the wine."
"Thank you for the pizza…and the quick course on stunt people," Leigh said hastily, getting to her feet.
"My pleasure." With the agile grace of an athlete, Deke got to his feet. At the door, he turned and looked at Eve. "Since it looks like we'll be stranded here for a couple of days, I may see you again."
"I suppose that's possible," Eve said lightly, gazing up at him.
"Well…good-night," Deke said, dipping his head.
When he had closed the door and Eve heard the second riser creak, she said dryly, "Thanks a lot…friend."
Leigh got to her feet and began to pick up the wine glasses and coffee cups. "You're welcome."
"Well, don't just scurry around here like Mrs. Good housekeeper. Give. Tell."
"What's to tell?"
"You might start with where you met him and end with why you dragged me into this."
“You heard about the car that lost its brakes yesterday. It was driven by his friend. They'll have to wait till Monday to get their car fixed, and they've rented the apartment below. That's all there is to it."
"What are Hollywood stunt men doing in the back water of Springwater?"
"Looking for material for a book, so they say."
"In Springwater? That doesn't make any sense."
It did, of course, but Leigh couldn't explain. She had told no one in Springwater of her background, not even Eve. She made her shrug casual. "People from the entertainment world don't have to make sense, do they?"
"Hey, don't kid yourself. They're out to make a buck just like the rest of us. I don't think there are many bucks to be made in Springwater."
Leigh went on tidying up the apartment, trying to keep a calm, smooth face. Eve was only saying what she knew to be true, but somehow it hurt more to hear it from her best friend. When she picked up the ashtray that Deke had used, she saw that he had left his packet of tobacco lying beside it. "Perhaps when you see Deke again, you can ask him about it."
"I won't be seeing him again, and you know it. Men like that aren't interested in single, independent schoolteachers." She put her hands on the sofa cushions and pushed herself to her feet. "Well, thank you for a most instructive evening, Miss Carlow. I learned more about movie stunts than I ever wanted to know."
Leigh turned, frowned. "That's not fair and you know it. You enjoyed listening to him."
Eve bent over to pick up her purse and, with the easy familiarity of many visits, went to the closet to get her coat. "Too much," she said huskily. "I'd stay and help you with the dishes, but you deserve to be left in the lurch."
"Eve--"
"Don't say it," she warned. "I'm too old and too smart to believe a lie. See you Monday morning."
She went out the door, leaving Leigh standing there looking after her, wondering if she, too, was too old and too smart to believe a lie.
"Have a good time?" Ty heard the ill humor in his voice, and cursed himself for a fool. Deke stepped into the apartment, closed the door behind him, dropped his denim jacket on the back of a chair and carefully avoided looking at Ty, who was sprawled out on the dark green lounging chair, his feet lifted off the floor, a laptop perched on his thighs, his dark hair tousled as if he had run his fingers through it frequently.
Deke calculated the odds, decided to live dangerously. "As a matter of fact, I did," he drawled. "Best evening I've had in a long time." He took off his boots, flopped down on
"Ah," Deke .said softly, "but if you notice us, it means we aren't doing the job correctly."
"It's just plain stupid for a man to risk his life like that,” Leigh burst out.
Deke looked at her, his eyes narrowing. "There are stunt women, too, plenty of them. There's a whole organization."
“I’m glad," Leigh said coolly. "More coffee?"
Deke frowned, slid back the cuff of his blue plaid shirt, and looked at his watch. "Guess I'll go on back and see what Ty's up to. Thank you for the company,” his eyes swung to Eve, “and the wine."
"Thank you for the pizza…and the quick course on stunt people," Leigh said hastily, getting to her feet.
"My pleasure." With the agile grace of an athlete, Deke got to his feet. At the door, he turned and looked at Eve. "Since it looks like we'll be stranded here for a couple of days, I may see you again."
"I suppose that's possible," Eve said lightly, gazing up at him.
"Well…good-night," Deke said, dipping his head.
When he had closed the door and Eve heard the second riser creak, she said dryly, "Thanks a lot…friend."
Leigh got to her feet and began to pick up the wine glasses and coffee cups. "You're welcome."
"Well, don't just scurry around here like Mrs. Good housekeeper. Give. Tell."
"What's to tell?"
"You might start with where you met him and end with why you dragged me into this."
“You heard about the car that lost its brakes yesterday. It was driven by his friend. They'll have to wait till Monday to get their car fixed, and they've rented the apartment below. That's all there is to it."
"What are Hollywood stunt men doing in the back water of Springwater?"
"Looking for material for a book, so they say."
"In Springwater? That doesn't make any sense."
It did, of course, but Leigh couldn't explain. She had told no one in Springwater of her background, not even Eve. She made her shrug casual. "People from the entertainment world don't have to make sense, do they?"
"Hey, don't kid yourself. They're out to make a buck just like the rest of us. I don't think there are many bucks to be made in Springwater."
Leigh went on tidying up the apartment, trying to keep a calm, smooth face. Eve was only saying what she knew to be true, but somehow it hurt more to hear it from her best friend. When she picked up the ashtray that Deke had used, she saw that he had left his packet of tobacco lying beside it. "Perhaps when you see Deke again, you can ask him about it."
"I won't be seeing him again, and you know it. Men like that aren't interested in single, independent schoolteachers." She put her hands on the sofa cushions and pushed herself to her feet. "Well, thank you for a most instructive evening, Miss Carlow. I learned more about movie stunts than I ever wanted to know."
Leigh turned, frowned. "That's not fair and you know it. You enjoyed listening to him."
Eve bent over to pick up her purse and, with the easy familiarity of many visits, went to the closet to get her coat. "Too much," she said huskily. "I'd stay and help you with the dishes, but you deserve to be left in the lurch."
"Eve--"
"Don't say it," she warned. "I'm too old and too smart to believe a lie. See you Monday morning."
She went out the door, leaving Leigh standing there looking after her, wondering if she, too, was too old and too smart to believe a lie.
"Have a good time?" Ty heard the ill humor in his voice, and cursed himself for a fool. Deke stepped into the apartment, closed the door behind him, dropped his denim jacket on the back of a chair and carefully avoided looking at Ty, who was sprawled out on the dark green lounging chair, his feet lifted off the floor, a laptop perched on his thighs, his dark hair tousled as if he had run his fingers through it frequently.
Deke calculated the odds, decided to live dangerously. "As a matter of fact, I did," he drawled. "Best evening I've had in a long time." He took off his boots, flopped down on
Similar Books
