Richards emerged from the second.
Carly focused on Jay Wall, whom she recognized from Gus’s description. Of average height and weight, he had long dark hair pulled back into a ponytail, a scraggly beard and wire-rimmed glasses. His clothes said he wasn’t a man who dressed to impress—tattered jeans, a T-shirt with Two for Trouble printed across it and a bright orange baseball cap pulled on backward.
Luckily Crackers couldn’t see him from the solarium, but she made a mental note to mention the bird’s little color quirk the first chance she got Some of the cast and crew were bound to end up in the house, so they’d all have to be warned.
Glancing at Nick, she whispered, “The one in his early thirties is Jay. And I think the midfifties one must be the producer, Brian Goodfellow.”
“You’re sure he’s not the director?” Nick whispered back. “He’s got that pear-shaped Alfred Hitchcock look.”
“Well, despite that, he has to be the producer. Get Real Productions is his company.”
“Carly, darling,” Jay said, heading for the porch as the limos started back down the drive. “Finally, we meet in person.”
Reaching her, he took both her hands in his andstood beaming at her so warmly that, if she didn’t know better, she’d have thought he was positively dying to work with her. For a director, he made a great actor.
“This is Brian Goodfellow,” he added, releasing her as the short, rotund man joined them on the porch.
“Goodie,” he said, nodding to Carly. “Everyone just calls me Goodie.”
“And our stars…” Jay paused and made a sweeping gesture toward them.
Sarina and Garth nodded from the drive, then went back to whatever they’d been talking about.
“And this,” Carly said, “is Nick Montgomery, my new partner in Wild Action.”
“Oh?” Jay extended his hand to Nick, his expression saying he didn’t like surprises.
“Nick will be doing most of the work with Attila,” she added.
“Oh?” Jay said again. “Do you have a lot of experience with bears, Nick?”
“Actually, most of my experience has been with cats.”
“Big cats, he means,” Carly said quickly, shooting Nick a look that said this was no time for humor. “Lions, tigers and panthers mostly, right?”
He grinned at her. “Right. But Attila and I are good buddies,” he added to Jay.
Before there was time for anyone to say another word, a child yelled, “Jay? Look what we’ve got!”
Carly turned, then froze in horror. The two boys had come around the side of the house—Kyle with Crackers on his shoulder.
“We went in the back to get some water,” he saidexcitedly. “And all I did was say hi to him, and he hopped right on me.”
Behind the boys, their mothers appeared, both wearing “Aren’t they cute” expressions. A split second later, Crackers noticed the orange baseball cap.
He shrieked. Carly dove at Jay.
“Shee-it!” he said, ducking to avoid her hand.
She still managed to grab the cap—but only an instant before Crackers swooped through the air and snatched it from her. Landing on the porch railing, he sat bobbing his head up and down, the cap’s bill securely in his beak.
“Awesome!” Brock said. “Can you make him do it again?”
“Sure,” Nick told him. “Want to see him do it again, Jay?”
The director glared at him. “I hope you’re a better bear trainer than you are a comedian.”
Smoothing his hair, he looked at the mothers and snapped, “Keep those kids away from the animals, understand?”
When they nodded in unison, Jay turned his glare on Carly.
“I’m so s-sorry,” she stammered. “It’s the color orange. It sometimes makes him freak out.”
When Jay glanced over at Crackers as if he’d like to wring his little feathered neck, Goodie said, “You’re lucky he didn’t sink those claws into your head. If he had, I’d be starting to believe this movie really is jinxed. But come on, let’s go make sure all the equipment made the trip
Carly focused on Jay Wall, whom she recognized from Gus’s description. Of average height and weight, he had long dark hair pulled back into a ponytail, a scraggly beard and wire-rimmed glasses. His clothes said he wasn’t a man who dressed to impress—tattered jeans, a T-shirt with Two for Trouble printed across it and a bright orange baseball cap pulled on backward.
Luckily Crackers couldn’t see him from the solarium, but she made a mental note to mention the bird’s little color quirk the first chance she got Some of the cast and crew were bound to end up in the house, so they’d all have to be warned.
Glancing at Nick, she whispered, “The one in his early thirties is Jay. And I think the midfifties one must be the producer, Brian Goodfellow.”
“You’re sure he’s not the director?” Nick whispered back. “He’s got that pear-shaped Alfred Hitchcock look.”
“Well, despite that, he has to be the producer. Get Real Productions is his company.”
“Carly, darling,” Jay said, heading for the porch as the limos started back down the drive. “Finally, we meet in person.”
Reaching her, he took both her hands in his andstood beaming at her so warmly that, if she didn’t know better, she’d have thought he was positively dying to work with her. For a director, he made a great actor.
“This is Brian Goodfellow,” he added, releasing her as the short, rotund man joined them on the porch.
“Goodie,” he said, nodding to Carly. “Everyone just calls me Goodie.”
“And our stars…” Jay paused and made a sweeping gesture toward them.
Sarina and Garth nodded from the drive, then went back to whatever they’d been talking about.
“And this,” Carly said, “is Nick Montgomery, my new partner in Wild Action.”
“Oh?” Jay extended his hand to Nick, his expression saying he didn’t like surprises.
“Nick will be doing most of the work with Attila,” she added.
“Oh?” Jay said again. “Do you have a lot of experience with bears, Nick?”
“Actually, most of my experience has been with cats.”
“Big cats, he means,” Carly said quickly, shooting Nick a look that said this was no time for humor. “Lions, tigers and panthers mostly, right?”
He grinned at her. “Right. But Attila and I are good buddies,” he added to Jay.
Before there was time for anyone to say another word, a child yelled, “Jay? Look what we’ve got!”
Carly turned, then froze in horror. The two boys had come around the side of the house—Kyle with Crackers on his shoulder.
“We went in the back to get some water,” he saidexcitedly. “And all I did was say hi to him, and he hopped right on me.”
Behind the boys, their mothers appeared, both wearing “Aren’t they cute” expressions. A split second later, Crackers noticed the orange baseball cap.
He shrieked. Carly dove at Jay.
“Shee-it!” he said, ducking to avoid her hand.
She still managed to grab the cap—but only an instant before Crackers swooped through the air and snatched it from her. Landing on the porch railing, he sat bobbing his head up and down, the cap’s bill securely in his beak.
“Awesome!” Brock said. “Can you make him do it again?”
“Sure,” Nick told him. “Want to see him do it again, Jay?”
The director glared at him. “I hope you’re a better bear trainer than you are a comedian.”
Smoothing his hair, he looked at the mothers and snapped, “Keep those kids away from the animals, understand?”
When they nodded in unison, Jay turned his glare on Carly.
“I’m so s-sorry,” she stammered. “It’s the color orange. It sometimes makes him freak out.”
When Jay glanced over at Crackers as if he’d like to wring his little feathered neck, Goodie said, “You’re lucky he didn’t sink those claws into your head. If he had, I’d be starting to believe this movie really is jinxed. But come on, let’s go make sure all the equipment made the trip
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