Wilde Horses. Jannine Gallant

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СКАЧАТЬ couldn’t hold back a grin at the extreme annoyance reflected in her eyes. Somehow, he got the feeling she blamed him personally for the disruption of her day. He lifted one shoulder in a shrug. He’d certainly been blamed for worse.

      Within minutes, the dogs and the woman had herded the group of wild horses through the opening and moved them in an easterly direction. When the largest Appaloosa snorted and reared then made a break for it, Eden leaned into her horse and galloped over to turn the rebel back.

      A long breath escaped him, and the phrase poetry in motion took on new meaning. Blake could only hope he looked half as natural on horseback once they started filming. The group of horses disappeared around the side of the bunkhouse then reappeared as they trotted toward a distant pasture. As they grew smaller in the distance, lassitude set in. He closed his eyes and turned his face up to the sun to soak in the warmth and enjoy the solitude while it lasted. Before his phone rang with another update...or the news he both dreaded and prayed for.

      Loud voices broke into a dream image of Josie, eyes bright with joy, riding double with Eden Wilde into the sunset on the back of one of the mangy Appaloosas. Blake slowly opened his eyes and squinted into the sun that hovered over the ridge of the western mountains. God, he must have slept for at least a couple of hours. Straightening in the lawn chair, he stretched cramped muscles and glanced toward the heated exchange that had awakened him.

      Kara Fox was relatively new to Hollywood. She’d come out of obscurity in a few supporting roles to land the female lead in Ashes on the Wind, and the pressure to prove herself worthy was making the woman a nervous wreck. Blake was pretty certain only her stunning beauty and Native American heritage had tipped the scales in her favor, so he’d made a point to watch her previous films to see if she could actually act. Thankfully, Kara had raw talent. But, whatever had ignited her shouting match with the director, she looked ready to dissolve into tears.

      His gut tightened as he rose to his feet and headed toward the barnyard. The two combatants broke off their argument to glance his way just as Eden rode into the corral and dismounted. Her gaze held a hint of curiosity, but she kept quiet as she loosened the saddle on the horse.

      Blake returned his attention to Kara’s tense face. “If there’s a problem, I’d be happy to help if I can.”

      John Stafford rolled his eyes. “Don’t I wish? Wouldn’t you know, Kara flat out lied about her equestrian skills. Not only is she not an experienced rider, she’s afraid of horses.” He blew out a breath and ran a hand through his thinning silver hair. “How the hell am I supposed to make her look stunning on horseback if she’s hanging on for dear life and wild-eyed with fear? Some of the scenes, including the one we’re shooting tomorrow, require a high level of technique.” He gritted his teeth as he scowled at Kara. “Skill you promised you had.”

      “I’ll do my best, I swear.” The actress’s voice rose. “Maybe someone can hypnotize me or something so I’m less…uh, skittish around horses.”

      “That’s your solution? Hypnotism?” A vein throbbed at John’s temple. “I knew we were taking a risk signing an untested talent. Shit!”

      Blake’s attention strayed to Eden as she carried a saddle that must weigh twenty-five to thirty pounds into the barn with the ease of a woman hefting a bag of groceries. Waist-length, shiny dark hair shimmered in the late afternoon sun. Slowly, he turned to study Kara. Her hair was a little darker and straighter, but the two women were similar in height and had the same slim build…

      “I think your answer just walked into the barn.”

      “Huh?” The director’s brows pinched together above wire-framed glasses. “What the hell are you talking about?”

      “Eden Wilde. She could pass for Kara at a distance if her hair is braided and you avoid face shots. I’ve watched her, and she rides like a professional. Couldn’t you cut in footage of her on horseback doing the actual riding the way you would any stunt double?”

      John turned to stare toward the barn as the side door opened and Eden emerged without the saddle. She carried a curry comb and a hoof pick and didn’t even glance their way.

      “I’d thought of getting a stunt double, of course, but we don’t have time to waste finding one now since filming starts in the morning. I would have hired one sooner if I’d known in advance Kara couldn’t handle the job.” His frown deepened. “Little Miss ‘I’m a tad nervous around horses’ has to leap onto one of those wild Appaloosas bareback and gallop away in the first scene we shoot tomorrow.”

      A hint of guilt flashed through her dark eyes. “How hard can it be to ride a horse? I was positive I’d be able to do it until I got up close to that one over there.” She pointed toward a second Quarter Horse, this one with a white blaze on its nose, dozing in the sun. “The thing breathed on my neck.”

      John gazed heavenward and lifted his hands. “This is what I have to deal with.”

      Blake cleared his throat. “Eden is here now and hopefully available. She definitely has the skill. Seems like the perfect solution.”

      Kara eyed the other woman up and down. “I guess she could pass for me. Do you think she’d agree to do it?”

      Stuffing his hands in his pockets, Blake leaned back and smiled. “All we can do is ask.”

      The director let out a long sigh. “And pray she says yes.”

      Chapter 2

      Tepees constructed by workers who’d arrived at dawn dotted the open prairie. Cook fires smoked, and a group of nearly naked kids ran among the female extras who all wore rawhide dresses. Clothed in similar attire with her hair braided in long plaits and makeup darkening her skin, Eden hung out near her wild horses on the far edge of the action where she wouldn’t accidently wind up in the footage too soon.

      A massacre was scheduled for noon. Once edited, the scene would depict a renegade band of soldiers riding in to slaughter women and children. The female lead would sprint away from the carnage to fling herself up onto the back of one of the Appaloosas. Kara Fox was perfect for the part of Kimani, a Shoshone maiden. With her high cheekbones and long black hair, the actress was stunningly beautiful. Too bad she was afraid of horses.

      Eden rolled her eyes. How could anyone be frightened of such sensitive, beautiful creatures?

      A sigh escaped as she kicked at a clump of grass. She still wasn’t sure why she’d agreed to act as a double for the scenes Kara was supposed to appear in on horseback. A combination of the actress’s tearful pleading and the dollar amount on the contract she’d signed definitely had something to do with it. Also, Blake Benedict’s hypnotic gaze as he’d pitched the idea had been hard to resist. But the deciding factor was her horses. If she was the one riding them, she’d be able to better control the situation. Their welfare mattered more than her aversion to being the center of attention.

      “Quiet!” The director’s voice carried over the conversations that immediately broke off at his shouted command. “We’ll shoot Kara running toward the horses a couple of times just to be sure we have something we can use. Once that’s done, I want Eden to sprint in, swing up onto the big Appaloosa and ride away. I know those horses will be agitated by then, so try to get it right the first time. Afterward, we’ll go back and shoot the massacre. Comprendes, people? Places.”

      Eden controlled an urge to flip off the jerk. Get it right the first СКАЧАТЬ