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Londyn nodded. “Yes. I was six years old when I came to stay with my grandfather for the summer. I told my mother that I never wanted to leave. That if she loved me, she’d let me stay with him.”
“A little emotional blackmail?” Nash suggested.
“Is it blackmail if you ask for what they want anyway?” Londyn challenged.
“Was it what your mother wanted?” Nash asked.
“I believed it was,” Londyn said. “The bonus was that I would be with family—my grandfather—instead of a nanny. I’d gotten quite a few nannies fired in my short life. I was done with them. Meanwhile, my mother was busy getting her career off the ground. Having a small child held her back. It wasn’t until I went to live with my grandfather that her career took off.” She raised her hands, palms up. “I was in her way. What else would I think?”
“Your mother seems to care now,” Nash said.
“Or she wants to take credit for finding the right person for the part…?” Londyn drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Whatever it was, I took this job to save the ranch without having to rely on my mother’s wealth to bail me out.”
“Wasn’t taking this job allowing your mother to bail you out?” Nash asked softly.
Londyn’s jaw hardened, and her eyes narrowed. “She might have gotten me the audition, but I’m the one who has to perform. I’m working for the money they’re paying. I will not take handouts.”
A sheriff’s deputy approached. “We’re ready to interview you, Miss Tyler-Lovejoy.”
Londyn rose from the picnic table and gathered her paper plate and half-eaten hamburger with the pickle. “Let me discard my trash, and I’m all yours.”
Nash’s gaze followed her, knowing how much she hated the interruptions. But she hated even worse what could have happened.
Her decision to aim at something rather than someone had spared Troy’s life.
Anyone else would have followed the director’s instructions, aimed at Troy, and Troy would have been injured or killed.
But Londyn wasn’t anyone else. She’d been raised on a ranch by her grandfather. The man had taught her well about the proper use of deadly weapons.
Yeah, Londyn Tyler-Lovejoy was nothing like what Nash had imagined.
She was so much more.
By the time the sheriff and his deputy left, the cast and crew were ready to move on to where the cattle drive scene would take place.
Haynes had contracted with a local rancher to use his herd and horses.
Londyn was ready to get it over with. Being questioned by the sheriff two days in a row, performing physically and emotionally draining scenes for the movie and coming to grips with the attraction she was feeling for her bodyguard were taking its toll.
The crew went ahead of the cast to a ranch adjacent to Yellowstone National Park. Londyn changed into the costume provided for the cattle drive scene, wanting to hit the ground running as soon as the director called for action.
She’d spoken with Haynes about allowing Nash to be one of the cowboys on the cattle drive. The costume designer scrambled to find something that would fit Nash’s broad shoulders. Fortunately, he’d come with his own cowboy hat, which he’d left in his truck.
He wouldn’t let Londyn close to her truck or trailer until he had performed a thorough inspection, searching for explosives, checking the brakes and looking over the engine for any sign of tampering. When he was done, he helped her load her horse into the trailer.
Londyn closed the trailer door and secured the latch. She faced Nash and lifted her chin. “I’ll drive.”
“Are you sure?” His gaze held hers. “I’m experienced driving trucks with livestock trailers.”
Her eyes narrowed. “I know, but I need to be in control of this one thing. Especially since everything else in my life seems to be spinning completely out of my control.”
“Okay,” he said.
She’d expected him to argue. His short response took the starch out of her.
“I have no problem riding shotgun,” he added. “It leaves me free to shoot if the need arises.” He made no move to get into the truck. Instead, he took another step toward her, raised his hand and cupped her cheek. “Either way, I’ll be with you all the way.” Then he dipped his head, and his mouth connected with hers. He broke away, spun on his booted heels and strode to the driver’s door of the truck. He pulled it open and held it for her.
Londyn raised her fingers to her lips. They still tingled from the light brush with his. His simple touch left her brain scrambled and set her pulse into high gear. As she walked toward him, she had the wildest urge to take that kiss to the next level. Rather than climbing into the driver’s seat, she stopped in front of him and stared up into his eyes. “Why did you do that?”
