Total pages in book: 85
Estimated words: 82671 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 413(@200wpm)___ 331(@250wpm)___ 276(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 82671 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 413(@200wpm)___ 331(@250wpm)___ 276(@300wpm)
She still suffered from shyness. My entire family sheltered her fiercely. She had been picked on in school because of her quiet nature, and our brother Reed had been sent to the principal’s office more than once protecting her. She had gotten braver, but to this day, she was demure and quiet. She preferred books and music to people. Solitude to noise.
But we, as a family, knew a different Mila. She was funny and droll. Sweet and kind. Always giving. Loving. She had the ability to make a person laugh so hard they cried. She could hold her own with the fastest of comebacks and quips once she was comfortable with you.
That was the trick. Getting her comfortable.
I grinned as she hung up with a barely mumbled goodbye and kept typing. A scene, then. I kept quiet until she finished and hit the save button.
“Whew,” she muttered, raising her gaze to mine. For someone adopted, she looked strikingly like my mom, with the same golden, intelligent eyes and honey-colored hair. She was tiny—the tiniest of the whole family—which added another level of protectiveness to us all. But underneath the shell of the quiet, small person beat the heart of a lion. I adored my baby sister.
“Got out the words?”
“Yeah. They wanted to change a pivotal scene in the book for the movie, and I disagreed strongly. So, I wrote it differently, but the same, if that makes any sense.”
“Nope.”
She laughed, the sound light and airy.
“You will when you see the movie.”
“When does filming start?”
Her eyes lit up. “In a month. They finally cast the male lead. I’m so excited.”
“Who?”
“Nicholas Scott.”
The name was familiar. “Isn’t that the guy you told me was in your dream cast?”
“Yes.”
I searched my memory. “Wait, wasn’t he in rehab recently? Isn’t he there a lot?”
She shrugged. “He has the right intensity to play Duncan. And I think there’s more to the rehab than they report.”
“What do you mean?”
She glanced over my shoulder with a frown, looking thoughtful. “There is something incredibly deep and troubled in his eyes.”
“It’s called addiction.”
“No.” She shook her head. “It’s more. He is going to be the perfect Duncan. I know it. I really pushed for him. And I’m thrilled with the woman they chose to play Roxie. It’s going to be amazing.”
“And you’re going to go on set?”
She hesitated, then nodded. “Andi says it’s important. I can give insight into the characters to help the actors. And I want to see the process.”
“You’ll do great.”
“Andi will be with me. And I have to do it.”
I patted her hand. “Yeah, you do.”
She sighed. “When are you leaving for the farm?”
“It’s a ranch,” I corrected gently. “A week from today. I have a ton of stuff to get ready. It’s going to be crazy.”
“I can help.”
“Thanks, kiddo. I might take you up on that.”
Mila yawned and I chuckled. “Were you up all night writing?”
“Most of it. I had a great idea for a new series. I wanted to get it outlined. Then I kept going.” She stood. “I’ll go grab a short nap, then we can have dinner if you’re around?”
“Mom offered dinner for both of us around seven.”
She grinned, her dimples showing. “Even better.”
She wandered down the hall, already lost to her thoughts. Living with a writer was odd. I never knew what to expect. Some days, her schedule was semi-normal. Other times, she was up all night writing, sleeping at odd hours. It was always different.
Chuckling, I reached for my laptop on the counter and opened it. It was time to make more lists.
My next adventure waited.
Sunday was the usual brunch at the Hub with whichever family members were around. I filled my plate, looking around and smiling. Ava and Hunter were in the corner, still in the throes of newly married bliss. Addi and Braydon were chatting with Maddox and Dee. Gracie and Jaxson were sitting on the sofa, laughing at something Ronan had said. Everywhere I saw groups and smiles. Lots of teasing. There always was when we got together. I made my way to the table where my mom and dad sat with Bentley and Emmy. I sat down, my dad pulling out my chair for me. “Where’re Nan and Pops?”
Bentley smiled. “At Colin’s place today. It’s his daughter’s birthday.”
“Oh, I wanted to say goodbye. I’ll pop over later.”
“Your father tells me you’re headed west to make over a dude ranch?” Bentley asked, lifting one eyebrow in question.
I chuckled and took a sip of coffee. “It’s a cattle ranch. But they want to try having people stay and be part of the experience. Ride a horse. Help herd the cattle. Nothing dangerous. Sleep under the stars, eat by the fire—that sort of thing. They have a couple of buildings that would make great sleeping accommodations. I think it could work well. People love that sort of hands-on involvement. Something different.”