“Listen, baby.” He stopped and put his hands tenderly on either side of her face. “Jake’s very experienced with girls. There’s no other way to say it.” He studied her eyes, her expression. “It’s flattering, getting attention like that. But honey, please … please be careful. You’re a one-in-a-million girl. Jake isn’t your type.”
“Yes, Daddy.” She nodded her agreement. “I’m sorry. I … I didn’t mean to worry you.” She meant her apology, only because of the deep concern in his voice. They hugged, and then her dad went off to find her mom—who had walked back with Janetta Drake. Only after they were gone did Andi let herself experience the concern that came with having a crush on Jake Olson. Her father was right. Jake was used to getting his way with girls, which meant the two of them had nothing in common. But did she have to go through her whole life avoiding any type of temptation? Always staying on the safe side of the street?
She sighed and scrolled through her phone numbers until she saw his. She’d do well to ignore his calls or texts—if he even followed up with her. But while her common sense took charge, she felt an unfamiliar thrill taking root deep in her heart. The thrill of being inches away from a guy like Jake. Maybe he would be different with her. No matter what her common sense had to say, or however hard her faith tried to hold her back, she had a feeling about that strange and new thrill. A feeling that wasn’t altogether bad.
That if she let it, this intoxicating thrill could consume her.
THE FILMING WAS FINISHED FOR THE day, and Bailey returned to her friends near the tape, the ones who had come out to watch. There was Ashley, the young mom she babysat for, and Ashley’s sisters, Kari, Erin, and Brooke, and all their kids. Also Katy Hart Matthews, Dayne’s wife. Katy had brought a few of the new CKT kids, so they’d have the chance to see an actual movie being filmed.
The whole thing took Bailey back. Just a few years ago, she, her mom, her brother, Connor, and Tim Reed were the ones on the other side of the tape while Dayne filmed a movie here.
“You did great today.” Ashley put an arm around her shoulders and hugged her. “I still say we’ll see you on the big screen someday.”
“Not the big screen.” Bailey made a polite face and then grinned at Katy. “I’ve seen how hard that life is. But maybe on a Broadway stage. That would be the best.”
“Not so much scrutiny.” Katy gave Bailey a hug too. “But Ashley’s right. You were amazing. You have a gift, something that can’t be taught.”
“You really think so?” Bailey loved her time on the set.
“Thanks for introducing us to Lisa Ellison.” Brooke was holding hands with her two little girls, Hayley and Maddie. “I guess our dad met her husband, Keith, at the hospital the other day.”
“Everyone knows Dad from the hospital.” Kari had her baby girl on her hip. “He’s more famous than anyone in town.”
“That’s for sure.” Erin grinned at her sisters.
“I heard something about that.” Bailey nodded. “Is that what you were talking about with Lisa?”
“Yes.” Ashley had Cole by her side, and she tousled his blond hair. “We invited them to join us for a Baxter dinner one of these Sundays while they’re in town. I think it’d be good for them. Knowing people are praying for their success, and that they’ve got new friends in Bloomington.”
“Definitely.” Bailey loved the idea. “You should include Andi, so she’ll have someone else to connect with once her parents return to Los Angeles.”
“You’ll have to come too.” Katy smiled at her. “We don’t see enough of you now that you’re on campus.”
The Baxter sisters and their sister-in-law Katy were so close. The group of them reminded Bailey of her own family, the way everyone around the dinner table was best friends with each other. She hoped she and her brothers were this close when they were married and raising kids of their own.
The Baxter girls rounded up their kids and bid their good-byes. As they were leaving, Tim Reed drove up, climbed out of his car, and headed toward Bailey. “Don’t tell me I missed it.”
She giggled at the picture he made, hurrying toward her, disappointment shading his face. “Seriously? I hurried over here so I could see your big-screen debut and now I’m too late.”
“They wrapped earlier than they expected.” Bailey hugged him as he reached her. “You could feel God bringing things together today. Everything the producers tried to capture they got on the first or second take, and at a quality that everyone was talking about.”
Most of the people had gone their own way by then, and though the police tape was still up, the scene was no longer something from a movie, but just another section of campus. Tim motioned to a bench nearby. “Can we sit there? I mean, since they’re not filming.”
“Of course.” Bailey laughed as they moved to the spot and sat next to each other. “How was your day?”
“Honestly?” He looked troubled, like he had something very deep and important on his mind. “Something hit me today. I couldn’t wait to talk to you.”
She looked into his eyes, and she felt the confusion that had become a regular part of her life. Last night with Cody was amazing, but here … with Tim beside her, she wasn’t ready to let him go. What if Cody was right, and Tim really was better for her? Maybe Cody could see something about Tim’s character, the way they were when they were together, that she hadn’t quite figured out.
Tim took her hand, holding it the way he might hold a precious treasure. Without saying a word, he lifted her fingers to his lips, and with the lightest touch, he kissed them.
“Wow.” She wasn’t sure what to say. Butterflies filled her stomach, and she felt unsure of her next breath. “What’s this all about?”
“I was in science and it hit me. I wasn’t sure you really know how I feel about you.” He took hold of her other hand too and slid closer so their knees were touching. “I always think there’s time down the road for things to get serious, but then I thought about last night. There you were at Cru without me, and … well, I talked to Daniel, the group leader.”
“Daniel?” Bailey was baffled. “How do you know him?”
“He sits next to me in science.”
Bailey had a feeling where this was going. “He told you I was there?”
“You and Cody Coleman.” Tim let himself get lost in her eyes. “Cody walked you back to your dorm, right?”
“Right.” She smiled sympathetically at him, but she didn’t feel guilty. Their dating relationship wasn’t exclusive, no parameters or boundaries. “We hadn’t seen each other in a while.”
“And that’s fine, it’s just … I don’t know, I guess I realized that if I’m not careful I could lose you.” He hadn’t shown this much emotion toward her since prom. He released one of her hands and brought his fingers to the side of her face. “I might not tell you often enough, but I care, Bailey. I care a lot. You’re on my mind more than you know.”
Bailey thought of all the times when she would’ve thought she was dreaming, hearing Tim Reed share his feelings this way. So where did that leave her? She searched his eyes, looking straight to the place in his heart that he was laying out for her. “I do wonder,” her voice was softer than before, and she leaned in, her face inches from his. “Most of the time I’m not really sure how you feel. I mean … you haven’t kissed me since prom.”
“Because I respect you.” He smoothed his fingers down the side of her face and caught one of her long curls in his hands. “If I let myself get too physical with you, I won’t want to stop. So I try to keep it light. Keep the pressure off for both of us.”
Not only was that the right answer, it was an answer that acted like a road map to her undecided heart. Cody wasn’t looking for more than a friendship, and here was Tim telling her that he cared enough to keep his distance. Wasn’t that what she had prayed for in a guy all along?
“So … you do care? I mean, really?” Bailey wanted to hear him tell her one more time. So she could convince herse
lf later when she was alone and doubting that this moment ever happened.
“Of course I care. Bailey, you and me … we grew up together. We shared the same stage and all the while I had feelings for you. There was always a reason I had to wait—either we were in the same show, or I was one of the directors. But now … I can’t let you go another day wondering how I feel.” He leaned in, and for a long moment he touched his lips to hers. When he pulled away, his voice was different, his feelings for her wonderfully clear. “You’re everything I’ve ever wanted in a girl, Bailey. Please know that.”
“Thank you.” His kiss still burned on her lips, and she wanted more than anything for him to kiss her again. But she wouldn’t push the issue. If he was trying to respect her she could hardly make things more difficult for them. And now that she knew how much he wanted to kiss her, it made his kiss that much more meaningful.
“See …” He looked dizzy, the same way she probably did. “I’d kiss you like that all the time, but,” he sat up straighter and took a slow breath, “you deserve better than that.”
Again her heart turned quiet somersaults. She didn’t say anything, but she didn’t have to. She had a feeling her eyes were doing all the talking for her. She could’ve guessed that Tim felt this way, but there was nothing more satisfying than having him tell her here, in this moment that would stay with her always.
Tim stood and helped her to her feet. “You have to go.”
“I do.” She was staying with her family again this weekend, and her mom was expecting her help for dinner. Slowly she came into his arms, easing her hands around his waist. Sometimes with Tim, she felt like her heart was never fully engaged. But that wasn’t the case here, now.
Tim slipped his hands around her waist and pulled her close. “Be patient with me, okay. I want this to work.”
“I know.” She whispered against his face. “We’re young. We need to take things slow.”
“Exactly.” He brushed a strand of hair off her cheek with his thumb. “I’ll bet you were wonderful today. In your scene.”
“Katy and the Baxter girls were here. They all said I did well.” She grinned. “It wasn’t even a full minute. I mean, big deal.”
“It is a big deal.” He kissed her again, this time not as long as before. “You’re a big deal wherever you are, Bailey. But especially to me.” He took a step back and walked with her toward the path that led to the parking lot where her car was. “Don’t ever forget it, okay.”
Bailey was telling him okay, that she would never again doubt his feelings, when on the distant path she spotted a guy who looked an awful lot like Cody. Yes, it was him. She was sure of it. His build and his hair color. She couldn’t quite make out his face, but it was him, and he had clearly been watching them. Now that she was looking his way, he turned and kept walking without so much as a wave or a smile or a shout-out. Seeing him made Bailey’s heart skip a beat, and because of her distraction, the goodbye she shared with Tim was brief and anticlimactic. Why couldn’t she get Cody out of her heart?
The whole way home to her parents’ house she was frustrated with herself. Here Tim had just bared his heart, telling her his true feelings and making her feel like a princess. Why then did it take just one glance at Cody to pull her from the moment? Now that she’d seen him she couldn’t stop thinking of him, which made no sense whatsoever. She could tell herself that her feelings for Cody were different, more of a deep friendship, but then why was her reaction so strong at seeing him? Or maybe the truth was something she wasn’t ready to admit even to herself.
That no matter how wonderful things were with Tim, a part of her would always be in love with Cody Coleman.
Fourteen
KEITH AND CHASE WERE WATCHING DAILIES in Chase’s hotel room, amazed at what they were seeing. Word was getting out that The Last Letter was going to be a powerful film, and the producers were beside themselves with what the future might hold for their moviemaking. A reporter from Entertainment Tonight had even contacted them requesting a possible interview.
“I wish Lisa wasn’t already asleep. I can’t believe this stuff.” Keith rewound a section and played it again. “This is crazy good.”
“No wonder none of it has come easily.” Chase’s laugh revealed the weariness they both felt after such a long day.
Keith surveyed the list of scenes they’d wrapped and felt the gratitude overwhelm him. “All this and a whole day where no one else has threatened to walk off the set? It’s enough to make me believe God’s going to come through with the financing.”
Chase gave a wary look. “Our best bet is to keep making up time. That’d be miracle enough.”
It was the end of their first full week on location, and without question it was the best day so far. Never mind that the food truck had burned up, the guys were the happiest they’d been since they’d started filming. They made up lost ground by covering three additional scenes that afternoon, and the quality was truly magnificent. They still had a few details to work through, and now that they’d admired the day’s work, Keith turned to his friend. “We need someone to replace Penny.”
“I still can’t believe she walked because she heard we were marketing this as a Christian film.”
“It’s just as well. Her attitude would’ve hurt the shoot.” He realized as he had a number of times since the midday break, that the meeting he’d had with the cast and crew just might’ve brought about a solidarity among everyone, that had in turn caused them to give their best performances ever. “God works all things to the good for those who love Him, that’s what I read this morning. If Penny’s gone, she’s gone. But we need to think about having the casting director send a few local choices in for a read sometime Monday morning.”
“I hate starting over.” Chase crossed his arms. “Any other ideas?”
“The part isn’t that big, but still we need someone who knows what they’re doing. The other actors deserve that much.”
“Hey!” Chase’s face lit up. “What about Andi or Bailey, her roommate? They’re the right age.”
The idea wasn’t something Keith would’ve brought up. Andi had mentioned it to Lisa, but that didn’t mean the idea was to be taken seriously. “I guess Jake Olson suggested as much to Andi this afternoon.” He clicked on the scene with Bailey and Andi on the bench talking to Jake about his professor. They’d have to reshoot this piece if one of the girls won the part of Jake’s girlfriend. But that would be a lesser problem than recasting the role at this late date.
Keith played the short scene three times through, and when he clicked the stop button after the third time, he wasn’t sure he wanted to voice what he saw. Instead he looked at Chase. “Well … what’d you see?”
“Truthfully? I kept being drawn to Andi’s roommate, Bailey.”
That was exactly how Keith felt, but he hadn’t wanted to say so. Especially when he felt like he was betraying his own daughter by feeling this way. “I saw it too.” He rewound the clip one more time. “She’s how I picture the part.”
“Exactly.” Chase scrutinized the scene. “Andi’s gorgeous. She lights up the camera and everyone notices her when she walks in a room. Her day’s coming. But Bailey … there’s a depth in her eyes that we need for this role.”
“That’s what it is, depth.” Keith hid his disappointment that the girl with what looked like the greater depth, the greater internal makeup, was Bailey Flanigan and not his daughter. But he wasn’t altogether surprised. Since Andi had made the decision to attend Indiana University, she hadn’t been the same. Not that she’d crossed any lines, but he wasn’t sure she was always making the wisest choices. It was why she had allowed herself to follow Jake Olson into his trailer when no one else was around.
“Should we give Bailey a read?” Chase stood and took the chair across from the bed. He crossed one leg over the other. “I think it’s worth a shot.”
“Definitely.” Keith still had his concerns. “We’ll need to pray about a few things, though.?
??
“What’s that?”
“That Jake keeps his distance from both girls, and that once I place the call tomorrow, Andi will forgive me.”
“You’re right.” Chase sighed and ran his hand along the back of his neck. “We’ll have to add those to the list.”
Keith closed up his computer and stood. “Any word from the below-the-line union?”
“Not a word. The union should know better than to bug us now. With strikes in Hollywood and other problems, their people have to work, otherwise they won’t be able to afford their dues.” Chase’s tone was a little sarcastic. “The union should be handling bigger issues. I’m guessing we’re too small for them to mess around with.”
“I hope so. As long as none of the crew tells someone from the union, they might not even be aware we’re here filming.”
“We’re not doing anything illegal.” Chase sounded frustrated. “The guys agreed to the contracts we gave them.”
“The union wouldn’t see it that way.”
“Yeah, well … God’s got our back in that area. He knows we can only take so much.” Chase put his hands behind his head and stretched out. “Did Lisa have a good day?”
“Great, actually.” Keith was so glad she was here with him. Countless times today he’d drawn on her presence to help him. “I guess she met the family of that Dr. Baxter, the one who stitched up Jake. They convinced her we need to join them for a Sunday dinner before we leave town.” He stretched his side one way and then the other. He hadn’t gotten in his usual run for the past three days, and with everything so volatile on the set, he was missing the chance to unwind. “Hey, before I go …” his tone was more serious than before. “Any other attempts by Rita? Or is she keeping her distance?”
“She’s given up.” Chase shook his head. “I made it pretty clear I wasn’t interested.”
“Just be careful. The devil wants to dance all over this movie. Every day it’s something.”