A Real Live Hero

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“Peter, don’t try and sell me on this project. It’s a waste of your breath and my time. You and I both know why I’m doing this, and it’s pretty much extortion no matter how you try and pretty it up.”

“That’s harsh, Trace.” Peter glowered but didn’t deny it. “You’ve got no head for administration, son. Times are tough. Call it what you will, but if an outside entity such as Hollywood comes waving dollar bills under our nose, by damn we’re going to do what we can to make it happen. You think I like cutting programs? Well, I don’t. But when I see a relatively easy way to make the budget expand rather than constrict, I take it.”

“Yeah, well, I was strong-armed into taking this gig, and I don’t feel right about it.”

“You have the right to your feelings,” Peter said. “Even if they’re wrong.”

Trace did a double take. “What do you mean by that?”

Peter sighed. “You’re a good man and an even better tracker, but you’re stubborn as the day is long and sometimes when you dig your heels in about something you’re as immobile as an ass pulling against the lead. Why don’t you tell me what your beef is with that pretty producer? She seems real nice.”

He snorted. “Delainey Clarke is like the first freeze across the water. It might look solid but it’s deceiving, and if you trust it with your weight, you’re liable to crash through the thin surface and drown. She’s not trustworthy and she’s not a nice person. Don’t let her pretty face trick you.”

“You two have history?”

Trace didn’t want to admit it, but he figured if Cindy Sutton remembered his past with Delainey, chances were someone else was going to remember, too, so it was best to just let it out. “Yeah, we’ve got history. Plenty of it. We were together. I even asked her to marry me—eight years ago before she took off for California and left her boot prints on the backs of every single person in this town she stepped on to get out.”

“Guess that was before my time here,” Peter said. “Eight years is a long time. Maybe she’s changed. Seems harsh to hold her to decisions she made when she was practically a kid.”

“She wasn’t a kid when she split.”

“You forget, anyone ten years or more younger than me I consider a kid. That includes you.”

“Trust me when I say that Delainey Clarke hasn’t changed. She’s just as manipulative and cutthroat as she was when she left. Take my advice and steer clear.”

“Maybe I’m old-fashioned, but I think you could be a little nicer to the lady. I don’t know your history, but you’re going to be working with her. Don’t you think things will go a lot more smoothly if you’re not constantly sniping at one another?”

“Hey, nowhere in the contract did it state I had to be nice.”

“No, but I expected more from you,” Peter said, surprising Trace. Peter was, generally speaking, pretty easygoing, but he was taking a firm line on this issue. Somehow Trace’s attitude toward Delainey struck against some inner chivalrous code that Trace never knew Peter adhered to. “And frankly, your behavior doesn’t reflect well on the department. I’m not saying you have to be buddies, but you need to be professional. That’s all I’m asking.”

“You’re serious about this?”

“Why would I joke about something so important?”

Trace realized Peter truly wasn’t joking, and he shook his head at the ridiculousness of the situation. He was being ordered to be nice to the woman who’d trashed his heart at the worst possible time in his life, and yet he was the one being difficult. Hell’s bells... But what could he do? Peter was his boss, and for whatever reasons Peter wasn’t letting up the pressure. Trace threw his hands up. “Fine, I’ll be civil and professional. Should I put that in writing?” he asked caustically.

“No, your word should do. She’ll be here today to debrief us on the shooting schedule. You’ll get to put your acting skills to the test. I’d better see a reformed man.”

“I’m not an actor,” he growled.

“Well, you’d better learn a few tricks, because otherwise...”

“Yeah? You gonna fire me?”

“Don’t make me go there. I want to think positive. You start thinking of the Junior Search and Rescue program if nothing else works. I know how you love those kids and the program. If nothing else matters to you but that...then know that the success of this project is resting on your ability to play nice.”

Great. Thanks for setting me up for failure.

Time to practice that fake smile.

And with impeccable timing, just as Trace was exaggerating his “nice” face, Delainey walked in looking like a winter Barbie doll with her Ugg boots, skinny jeans, sweater and scarf wound around her neck, and Trace couldn’t help but stare just a little because the woman knew how to turn heads. Too skinny. Too fake. Too Hollywood.

Remember that.

CHAPTER NINE

DELAINEY WALKED INTO the conference room, determined to keep her head held high, but when she saw Trace her nerves trembled and her resolve faltered. Why did he have to be so handsome? After all these years, couldn’t time have stomped on his good looks a little? It would’ve been far easier to hold the memories at bay if she’d returned to Alaska and found Trace looking nothing like she remembered. But of course, that wasn’t the case. If anything, the man had become even more handsome—which didn’t seem fair—and even though there wasn’t a hint of warmth in those eyes, a woman could still drown in their depths if she weren’t careful.

“Gentlemen,” she announced with a smile as she entered the room. “I appreciate you meeting with me this early to go over the production schedule. If, while we’re going over the schedule, you see something that concerns you, please let me know and I’ll make a note. We want this production to go as smoothly as possible for everyone, and I want you to feel your input is important.”

“This is going to be a new experience for us all,” Peter said cheerfully. “And to be honest, I’ve always been curious about the movie business. Seems like a whole different world. It’s not often we get a glimpse of what happens behind the wall. Right, Trace?”

“Personally, a world full of fakes and liars doesn’t interest me,” Trace muttered, and before Delainey could say anything Peter shot Trace a warning look. Trace got the message but didn’t take back his sarcastic comment, not that Delainey expected him to. Trace was as intractable as a brick wall. “Let’s get this show on the road,” Trace said brusquely. “I’ve got more on my plate than going over your production schedule. Some of us are less than thrilled over this sudden detour in the norm.”

“Of course,” Delainey said, forcing a smile at the difficult man. Trace and her father could write a book on how to alienate people. “If you’ll turn to page one in the production schedule packet, you’ll see a breakdown of the typical shooting day. Now, it will be very important that we all stay on track so that we can stay on budget. It is very easy to lose daylight hours and start spinning into overtime. Nobody wants that to happen. Least of all me. The sooner we get our shots, the sooner we’ll be done for the day.”

“Wait a minute...” Trace started, a frown building on his forehead. “This is a full eight-hour day. What the hell are we going to do for eight hours in front of a camera?”

“Actually, eight hours is fairly conservative. It’s likely we will have several ten-hour days. Filming, particularly on location, has certain challenges. We can’t always stick to the schedule as it is planned. However, I would like to try.”

“And how am I supposed to actually do my job, if a camera is stuck in my face all day?”

Delainey smiled. “Don’t worry about the cameras. Just go about your day like you normally would.”

“That’s a contradiction. Most days I don’t even keep my cell phone on. And now I have to have a camera crew in my face? I don’t know. This whole idea sounds stupid.”

Peter cleared his throat and the two shared a look. After a tense moment, Trace finally backed down with a glower, saying, “I think this will be the most boring show ever aired, but it’s your dime. As long as the check clears for the program, I guess that’s all that matters.”

“Great. Now back to the schedule. If you’ll turn your attention to the second page, you’ll see that we have a reenactment scheduled. Part of the reason that you attracted the attention of my boss is because you saved that little girl. So I think it would be great if we could start off the series with a reenactment of you finding her. Of course we will hire actors to play the governor and his daughter, but I think that would be a really great way to garner interest in the pilot.”

“A reenactment?” Trace, clearly displeased, muttered, “This is getting better by the minute.”

“I know it sounds weird, but I think it’ll really translate into good footage. I’ve watched the news coverage and I’ve read the newspapers, but I’m really going to need to interview you to get a feel for how it actually happened, as I’ll be writing a short script for the segment. And I would like to do that today. Do you think you could clear your schedule to talk with me about that incident?”

Peter answered for Trace. “No problem. I’m sure Trace would enjoy telling the story. It’s nice to have a story with a happy ending. As you can imagine, we don’t always get to save the day.”

“Thank you, Peter. Now that that’s settled, I need to ask where can I possibly find lodging for my crew. I can’t have my crew staying with me at my dad’s. There has to be at least one hotel that isn’t booked solid. I thought maybe you could help me find one.”

“Well, unfortunately, it’s moose season so all the best hotels will be taken.” Peter looked perplexed, scratching his chin in thought. “But, if you’re not picky about your accommodations, there might be a hotel with some vacancies that I can look into for you. It won’t be the Hyatt, but it’ll be warm and dry with a clean bed.”