his suitcase in his tent, he’d roamed Base Camp, poking his nose into the various projects just getting underway and offering his unsolicited opinion in that gruff, no-nonsense tone he had until Clay had been goaded to use his mother’s old distraction technique when he noticed a cameraman trailing Dell intently. It would be too easy for Renata’s minions to make his father a laughingstock on the show in his present condition. Clay had quickly composed a list, included an item or two he didn’t think it possible to find in Chance Creek, and passed it to his father. Dell had brightened, just like in the old days, and made a beeline for his truck.
All too conscious of the fuel he was wasting in exchange for some peace and quiet, Clay had gotten some work done before he returned, but not as much as he’d hoped. Meanwhile, Nora was on his mind. It didn’t take a genius to put two and two together and get four. Nora’s hesitance—and the way she’d clouted him with that paperweight—could only mean one of two things. Either she really, truly disliked him, or she’d been spooked badly by the man who’d stalked her, and she’d overreacted when Clay had surprised her. Clay was beginning to understand that in his haste to get Nora to the altar, he’d vastly underestimated how much her stalker had spooked her, and his urge to steal a kiss had only made things worse. His only consolation was that she’d welcomed his kisses at the wedding, even though he’d frightened her badly only a few mornings before. His advances weren’t the real problem; the television show was. Clay could understand that. Before, she’d felt anonymous here in Chance Creek. Now her location would be broadcast to the world. No wonder she was anxious. If he wanted any chance with her, he needed to soothe those fears.
In Clay’s mind, spending more time with Nora was the obvious solution. He was a Navy SEAL, after all. He could be her bodyguard. Unfortunately he could predict her reaction to that. She’d say he was only motivated by Fulsom’s deadlines, and his unwanted attentions would end up making her feel less safe, not more. All day long his problems twisted and turned in his brain, and by the time he went to bed, they’d created so many knots he couldn’t unravel them.
He must have drifted off to sleep at some point, though, because when Clay woke up again he found sunlight shining on his tent. He’d overslept. A series of shudders in the canvas around him alerted him that Dell was awake and moving about in his tent. Clay figured he’d better get up, too. His one shot was his date with Nora tonight. It had to go off smoothly.
Clay sat up, groaned at his throbbing temple, touched the sore spot and winced. First he needed to apologize, then he needed to make sure they were still on track for tonight. He’d do that now, before the filming started.
When he met up with Dell and the other men at the morning campfire, however, he got a taste of things to come. For one thing, the cameras were everywhere. It was later than he’d judged it to be—no time to go and talk to Nora now. For another, Dell was already riling up the other men in that inimitable way he had.
“Whoever made this coffee needs to learn how to do it right,” Dell was saying to Jericho when he reached them. His father went on to explain a complicated process that had Jericho giving him the side-eye. Clay hastened to step in.
“Dad. What are your plans today? Do you have any interviews lined up?”
With an uneasy glance toward Jericho, Dell edged away from the fire. “I already told you, I contacted the employers around here. No one’s hiring.”
“You’ll have to find work somewhere. Are you sure you can’t convince Mr. Silverton to take you back?”
“I wouldn’t go back,” Dell snarled. “I don’t need his money.”
Clay pulled him farther aside as the camera crew closed in again, hoping to conduct this conversation in private, but Ed broke off from
All too conscious of the fuel he was wasting in exchange for some peace and quiet, Clay had gotten some work done before he returned, but not as much as he’d hoped. Meanwhile, Nora was on his mind. It didn’t take a genius to put two and two together and get four. Nora’s hesitance—and the way she’d clouted him with that paperweight—could only mean one of two things. Either she really, truly disliked him, or she’d been spooked badly by the man who’d stalked her, and she’d overreacted when Clay had surprised her. Clay was beginning to understand that in his haste to get Nora to the altar, he’d vastly underestimated how much her stalker had spooked her, and his urge to steal a kiss had only made things worse. His only consolation was that she’d welcomed his kisses at the wedding, even though he’d frightened her badly only a few mornings before. His advances weren’t the real problem; the television show was. Clay could understand that. Before, she’d felt anonymous here in Chance Creek. Now her location would be broadcast to the world. No wonder she was anxious. If he wanted any chance with her, he needed to soothe those fears.
In Clay’s mind, spending more time with Nora was the obvious solution. He was a Navy SEAL, after all. He could be her bodyguard. Unfortunately he could predict her reaction to that. She’d say he was only motivated by Fulsom’s deadlines, and his unwanted attentions would end up making her feel less safe, not more. All day long his problems twisted and turned in his brain, and by the time he went to bed, they’d created so many knots he couldn’t unravel them.
He must have drifted off to sleep at some point, though, because when Clay woke up again he found sunlight shining on his tent. He’d overslept. A series of shudders in the canvas around him alerted him that Dell was awake and moving about in his tent. Clay figured he’d better get up, too. His one shot was his date with Nora tonight. It had to go off smoothly.
Clay sat up, groaned at his throbbing temple, touched the sore spot and winced. First he needed to apologize, then he needed to make sure they were still on track for tonight. He’d do that now, before the filming started.
When he met up with Dell and the other men at the morning campfire, however, he got a taste of things to come. For one thing, the cameras were everywhere. It was later than he’d judged it to be—no time to go and talk to Nora now. For another, Dell was already riling up the other men in that inimitable way he had.
“Whoever made this coffee needs to learn how to do it right,” Dell was saying to Jericho when he reached them. His father went on to explain a complicated process that had Jericho giving him the side-eye. Clay hastened to step in.
“Dad. What are your plans today? Do you have any interviews lined up?”
With an uneasy glance toward Jericho, Dell edged away from the fire. “I already told you, I contacted the employers around here. No one’s hiring.”
“You’ll have to find work somewhere. Are you sure you can’t convince Mr. Silverton to take you back?”
“I wouldn’t go back,” Dell snarled. “I don’t need his money.”
Clay pulled him farther aside as the camera crew closed in again, hoping to conduct this conversation in private, but Ed broke off from
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