“Takes one to know one, Greg.’’ She gave him a playful punch, and then handed over the mug. “Thanks, dude.’’
“No worries.’’ He smiled, showing acres of teeth. “Want to walk with me, Mace?’’
He couldn’t have missed Maddie shaking her head and Marty biting her lip. Mama said, “Mace, don’t you need to get to the corral to check on the horses?’’
His finger traced an X over his chest. “Cross my heart and hope to die, I’m on my best behavior.’’
I wanted to talk to him alone. Before Mama and my sisters could lasso and hogtie me, I stood up. “I could use a cup of coffee.’’
My big sister got to her feet. “I’ll come with you, Mace.’’
“I’m fine.’’ I pointed toward the food tent, just across the grass. “You can see us from here. I’ll bring you back some of C’ndee’s tiramisu.’’
Marty tugged at our big sister’s sleeve. Maddie sat, either because Marty had curbed her protective instincts, or because I’d bribed her with the promise of sweets.
She narrowed her eyes at Tilton. “We’ll be right here,’’ Maddie said.
“You bet we will,’’ Mama added.
“Right here, watching,’’ Marty echoed.
_____
As we neared the tent, the rich scent of brewing coffee perfumed the air. Were those fresh-baked sugar cookies I smelled? Even though my mouth watered, I had some business to attend to first with Greg Tilton. He seemed to want to be my new BFF, as Mama would say. I decided to take advantage of our new “Best Friends Forever’’ status.
I touched his arm. “Hold up a minute, would you?’’
He stopped, head cocked at me in a question.
“You and Jesse got really quiet when we asked who might have fooled with that electric cord. Why was that?’’
“Like Jess said, guessing doesn’t really serve any purpose until we know what caused that bird to be shocked.’’
“It seems pretty clear,’’ I said. “The way that electrician with the reading glasses …’’
“Gaffer,’’ Tilton said. “That’s what we call the chief electrician on the set.’’
“Sorry, it seems clear from the way the gaffer reacted, there was something wrong with that cord, and somebody put it in the puddle.’’
“You can’t assume that, Mace. Cables and cords run everywhere on a movie set.’’
“Then you’re saying it wasn’t intentional.’’
“No. I’m saying we don’t know enough to theorize.’’ Glancing back toward the trailer, he lowered his voice. “I will tell you, Jesse’s made a lot of enemies for someone so young. She’s hurt people, and that’s all I want to say.’’
I thought of Savannah pounding on the young star’s door, face tight with anger and pain.
Suddenly, I heard Tilton chuckle beside me. “Something funny?’’ I asked.
“Not really, in light of what almost happened to Jesse. But I was just thinking of how much faster everything moves in Hollywood these days. In just a few years, she’s managed to make more mistakes—and enemies—than I made in decades.’’
“So who are your enemies, Greg?’’
He gave me a half-smile, so familiar from his movies. “I’m not worried about the enemies I can name. I’m worried about the ones I can’t.’’
I watched the ground, trying to dodge the deepest rain puddles in front of the food tent. When I looked up, Tilton was staring at me.
“I meant it, you know.’’
“What?’’ I asked.
“Everything. That Jesse was really lucky you were there; that I’m sorry for coming on so strong in the woods. You clearly weren’t interested, and I had no right to try to force it. I don’t expect you just to forget, but I hope I can convince you to forgive me.’’
I must have looked skeptical, because he quickly tried to explain himself. “Seeing how close Jesse came to getting hurt, maybe dying … Norman’s murder … everything else that’s been happening on the set. All of it has made me realize how short life is. I don’t want to spend the time I have left being an asshole.’’
I think I opened my mouth. No words came out. I was that stunned.
“I’d like it if we could be friends, Mace.’’
Friends with a Hollywood legend, especially one begging me for forgiveness? Gee, I thought, let me study on that for a while.
“Okay, with a caveat,’’ I said. “Everybody oversteps a line at some point. But if forcing yourself on women is a pattern with you—and I’ve heard that it is—you need to get some help.’’
A flicker of anger lit in his eyes. “Who told you it’s a pattern?’’
“Who is not important; why is. Are you denying there’s a pattern?’’
He stopped walking and looked off to the left at the distant trees. I turned to wait for him.
“Are you?’’ I finally said.
“No, I’m not denying it. There’s some truth there.’’ He brought his gaze to mine. “You know, I had a pretty screwed-up childhood. It left some raw wounds.’’
“Which is all the more reason you should get help. Get yourself straightened out. The way to heal isn’t to hurt everybody else.’’
He put his hands in his pockets and studied the ground. “I know that.’’
“What is it, then? The power?’’
He looked at me, brows raised in a question.
“The first day we met, you mentioned you’d been in and out of lots of foster homes. You must have felt pretty powerless, being pushed around all the time. Maybe you need to feel like you can dominate someone.’’
“So you’re an animal wrangler and a psychologist?’’
“Can’t help it. My big sister psychoanalyzes me all the time. I think I caught it from her.’’
He showed me the blisters on his forearm and gave a rueful grin. “Well, if that’s what’s going on in my head, dominating you sure didn’t work.’’
“I’m serious,’’ I said.
He shrugged. “Honestly, I don’t know where it comes from. I’ve always resisted getting therapy. I guess I’ve played too many tough guys. I never wanted to seem weak.’’
“How’s that working out for you?’’
“Pretty bad.’’
“That should tell you something.’’ I started for the tent again, shooting a question over my shoulder. “Besides, doesn’t everybody in Hollywood have a therapist?’’
“Ah, yes. The emotionally troubled movie star. It’s such a cliché, right?’’
“It’s not a cliché if it’s your life.’’
In the tent, we picked up Jesse’s tea and Maddie’s tiramisu. I also slid a half-dozen of the still-warm cookies onto a plate. I took a bite from one, and then stirred three packets of sugar into my coffee.
“Not big on counting calories, I see.’’
“I’m a growing girl,’’ I said. “Besides, this is Himmarshee, not Hollywood. They’ve had to put in steel bars to reinforce the pews at half the houses of worship in town. Nobody counts calories in Himmarshee.’’
“Well, you look great.’’
I gave him a sidelong glance.
“I’m not hitting on you. I’m stating a fact. You look healthy, and I can attest to the fact that you’re strong. It’s a simple compliment, Mace.’’
“Yeah? Well, that’s one of my psychological issues. Everybody tells me I don’t know how to take a compliment. I’m never sure if the person means it; I never know how to respond.’’
“Just say thanks.’’
“Okay.’’ I grinned at him. “Thanks.’’
“You’re welcome. See how easy that was? I gave a beautiful woman a compliment, without expecting anything in return. You accepted it without overanalyzing what it meant.’’
His smile crinkled the corners of his eyes. I saw real warmth there.