town.”
“That’s fine.” Right now escaping the city seemed like the perfect solution.
“The venue is small, but the pay’s ten grand for two months’ work and they’re putting you up in a local B&B.”
“Is it a movie role?” she asked hopefully.
Myron snorted a laugh.
Hey, was it so unbelievable that someone would offer her a movie role?
“It’s regional theater. You’ll be playing the lead role of one of the town founders.”
“Sounds interesting. Where’s it at?”
“Some dinky little town in Texas. Let me see.” Myron pulled a piece of paper from his jacket pocket and lowered the reading glasses that sat perched on the top of his head. “Here we go. The place is called Twilight.”
“Twilight?” she repeated, unable to believe it.
“You know the place?”
“I do.”
In all the fifteen towns and cities where she’d lived, it was the only one that had ever felt like home. A blast from the past raised goose bumps over her arms as emotions peppered her. She thought about the kindly older ladies who’d often brought casseroles over to the house because they knew she didn’t get decenthome-cooked meals. She recalled Lake Twilight and how beautiful it looked at dusk with the setting sun slanting orange rays over a purple sky. But most of all, she remembered Sam Cheek. The only boy she’d ever loved.
“The woman who runs this theater, Nina Blakley, she used to be a big star back in the day. Won a Tony in the late sixties. She was part of the original cast of Firelight and one of the first stage actors to have it in her contract that she makes money every time the play’s performed. She’s gotten rich off those residuals. Anyway, now she runs this small regional theater that’s got a pretty good rep. The best news is that she has a lot of connections in the business. Doing well for her could get you in with the right people.”
She knew of Nina Blakley. Emma had been a kid when she lived in Twilight so she hadn’t paid much attention to older people, but she was aware that Nina ran the Twilight Playhouse. Her heart jumped to think she’d be going back to Twilight. Part of her was eager, hopeful, but another part was filled with shame. Back when she was Trixie Lynn, she’d bragged how she was going to make it big as an actress, how she was cut out for better things. Now, she’d be returning with her tail between her legs. Suddenly, she realized that this was a pity offer, just like those casseroles had been. The town matriarchs had seen the news, read the tabloids, cruised some blogs, heard about what happened between her and Scott Miller. Nina was throwing her a life preserver all the way from Texas.
Pride had her wanting to tell him no way, but honestly, she couldn’t afford pride. She had nowhere else to go. Besides, she couldn’t help thinking about Sam.She knew he still lived there. Sam would never leave Twilight.
Don’t be ridiculous. He’s probably married with a herd of kids. Stop being pathetic and dreaming of a love that never stood a chance.
“They want you there by Monday.”
Emma hitched in her breath. Pity offer or not, she had no choice but to accept it. “Myron,” she said, “can I borrow money for bus fare?”
The bus arrived in Twilight on Sunday afternoon. Emma couldn’t believe how little the town had changed in sixteen years. Yes, new businesses had sprung up out on Highway 377 sprawling toward Fort Worth—a fourteen-theater cineplex, a miniature golf course adjacent to a water park, a bowling alley and a Super Wal-Mart. Around the lake, new condos and hotels had cropped up.
But the town square was exactly the same. Sure, some of the old businesses were gone and new ones had taken their place, but the architecture remained the same. From the looks of it, one of the buildings on the square had recently burned down, but the rest were renovated structures from the 1870s. Glancing around the square at the old white stone buildings and wooden
“That’s fine.” Right now escaping the city seemed like the perfect solution.
“The venue is small, but the pay’s ten grand for two months’ work and they’re putting you up in a local B&B.”
“Is it a movie role?” she asked hopefully.
Myron snorted a laugh.
Hey, was it so unbelievable that someone would offer her a movie role?
“It’s regional theater. You’ll be playing the lead role of one of the town founders.”
“Sounds interesting. Where’s it at?”
“Some dinky little town in Texas. Let me see.” Myron pulled a piece of paper from his jacket pocket and lowered the reading glasses that sat perched on the top of his head. “Here we go. The place is called Twilight.”
“Twilight?” she repeated, unable to believe it.
“You know the place?”
“I do.”
In all the fifteen towns and cities where she’d lived, it was the only one that had ever felt like home. A blast from the past raised goose bumps over her arms as emotions peppered her. She thought about the kindly older ladies who’d often brought casseroles over to the house because they knew she didn’t get decenthome-cooked meals. She recalled Lake Twilight and how beautiful it looked at dusk with the setting sun slanting orange rays over a purple sky. But most of all, she remembered Sam Cheek. The only boy she’d ever loved.
“The woman who runs this theater, Nina Blakley, she used to be a big star back in the day. Won a Tony in the late sixties. She was part of the original cast of Firelight and one of the first stage actors to have it in her contract that she makes money every time the play’s performed. She’s gotten rich off those residuals. Anyway, now she runs this small regional theater that’s got a pretty good rep. The best news is that she has a lot of connections in the business. Doing well for her could get you in with the right people.”
She knew of Nina Blakley. Emma had been a kid when she lived in Twilight so she hadn’t paid much attention to older people, but she was aware that Nina ran the Twilight Playhouse. Her heart jumped to think she’d be going back to Twilight. Part of her was eager, hopeful, but another part was filled with shame. Back when she was Trixie Lynn, she’d bragged how she was going to make it big as an actress, how she was cut out for better things. Now, she’d be returning with her tail between her legs. Suddenly, she realized that this was a pity offer, just like those casseroles had been. The town matriarchs had seen the news, read the tabloids, cruised some blogs, heard about what happened between her and Scott Miller. Nina was throwing her a life preserver all the way from Texas.
Pride had her wanting to tell him no way, but honestly, she couldn’t afford pride. She had nowhere else to go. Besides, she couldn’t help thinking about Sam.She knew he still lived there. Sam would never leave Twilight.
Don’t be ridiculous. He’s probably married with a herd of kids. Stop being pathetic and dreaming of a love that never stood a chance.
“They want you there by Monday.”
Emma hitched in her breath. Pity offer or not, she had no choice but to accept it. “Myron,” she said, “can I borrow money for bus fare?”
The bus arrived in Twilight on Sunday afternoon. Emma couldn’t believe how little the town had changed in sixteen years. Yes, new businesses had sprung up out on Highway 377 sprawling toward Fort Worth—a fourteen-theater cineplex, a miniature golf course adjacent to a water park, a bowling alley and a Super Wal-Mart. Around the lake, new condos and hotels had cropped up.
But the town square was exactly the same. Sure, some of the old businesses were gone and new ones had taken their place, but the architecture remained the same. From the looks of it, one of the buildings on the square had recently burned down, but the rest were renovated structures from the 1870s. Glancing around the square at the old white stone buildings and wooden
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