“We are.” He felt his guard go up. After her temper tantrum over the salmon, Keith wasn’t sure what his star was going to do next. “Want some coffee?”
“No thanks.” She turned slightly so she was facing him. “I talked to Chase yesterday. Told him I was sorry. I owe you the same.”
Keith lowered his clipboard. “It’s okay. You have a right to whatever breakfast you want. It wasn’t your fault someone dropped the ball.”
“Yeah, but … still.” She looked up at the clear blue overhead and took a deep breath. “I’m just glad that’s behind us.”
“Me too.” He smiled at her in a fatherly sort of way. “I was watching the monitors on those scenes this morning. You’re very good, Rita. We’re getting some great stuff.”
“Thanks.” She rocked slightly onto her toes, and her expression told him she had something she wanted to say. “Hey, tell me something.”
Keith glanced at his watch. They had just three minutes left in the break. “Walk with me. I need a bottle of water.”
“Okay.” She kept to his pace as they crossed the street toward the snack table. “Tell me about Chase. We talked for a long time last night, and I can’t stop thinking about him.”
She might as well have kicked Keith in the stomach. He stopped and looked straight at her. It was all he could do to keep his tone in check. “He’s your director and he’s married. Not much else matters.”
“I know.” She waved her hand around in front of her face, as if the notion of Chase being married was nothing more than a troublesome buzzing insect. “Of course he’s married, but … I mean, is he happy? He and his wife?”
“Rita … I find this discussion very awkward.” Keith shifted his weight. “Let’s pretend you never brought it up.” He started walking again. “And yes, Chase is very happily married.”
“Don’t be offended.” Rita laughed, and the sound was just short of condescending. “I figured if he wasn’t that happy you’d tell me. If he is, then fine.” She flipped her hair. “It was just a question.” She patted Keith on the shoulder. “Don’t look too deep into it.”
“Like I said, I’ll forget you ever brought it up.”
She laughed and then turned toward a group of actors gathered near the coffee station. Keith watched her a moment longer, and then moved in the opposite direction and grabbed a cold water bottle from a cooler. He was shocked at Rita’s brazen behavior. And what about her conversation with Chase? How come he hadn’t mentioned it?
Keith snatched a second water bottle and walked quickly back to the set. Chase was still inside, talking over a camera angle with the DP. He looked up when he saw Keith and grinned. “I should’ve listened to you. Today’s been amazing.”
He stuffed the anger churning inside him and tossed Chase a water bottle. “You have a sec?”
“Sure.” Chase’s expression changed. He followed Keith outside to the back of the house. People were walking back from their break, but for now they had a few seconds of privacy. Chase twisted the bottle open, but his eyes were suddenly filled with anxiety. “Don’t tell me something’s wrong. Not now.”
Keith reigned in his emotions. He couldn’t accuse his friend, not without hearing his side of the story. “Did you and Rita talk last night?”
“She sat down with me after you left.” He looked baffled. “We talked about the movie and why she took the part.”
“That’s it?”
“I don’t know.” He shrugged, but there was nothing guilty about his tone or expression. “I thought maybe she was coming on to me. She asked me to watch a movie in her room. I almost laughed at her.”
“You didn’t go, right?”
“Of course not.” Irritation flooded Chase’s voice. “Are you kidding? You honestly think I’d go in some woman’s room to watch a movie?”
“Rita’s used to getting her way.” Keith could feel his heart trying to find its normal rhythm again. He hadn’t considered what could happen if one of them compromised their integrity. Even innocently. “Be careful of her, Chase. A scandal would ruin us.”
“A scandal?” Chase laughed, but it sounded more angry than humorous. “I love my wife, you know that. I’m not interested in Rita Reynolds or any other woman.”
“Okay.” Keith paced a few steps out into the grassy backyard, and then turned and walked back to his friend. He exhaled, trying to find the composure he’d had before the break. “She just asked me about you, said she couldn’t stop thinking about you.” He didn’t hide his disgust. “Wanted to know how happily married you were.”
“That’s ridiculous. I made the answer to that question clear last night.”
“Apparently she wasn’t listening.”
Chase groaned and ran his hand along the back of his neck. “Thanks for telling me. I’ll make sure not to give her a reason to think I’d be interested.”
The situation was awkward, because Chase was still her director. He would need to work closely with her until the shoot was finished.
“Good.” Keith gave his friend a solid pat on his shoulder. “Keep your guard up. A guy with your pretty boy looks could get into a lot of trouble on the road.”
“Listen to you.” Chase laughed, and the sound told Keith he was still baffled by the ordeal. “A couple of the actors say you’re a dead ringer for Kevin Costner.”
“Right.” Keith rolled his eyes as they headed back into the house.
“I’m just saying …” Chase was teasing him now. “As long as you’re watching out for me, I’ll keep an eye your way too.”
By the sounds of it, most of the cast and crew were gathered in front of the house, and as the two producers made their way that direction, they heard a few sharp barks and then the sound of a shrill scream.
“What in the …” Keith took the lead, racing to the front door and flinging it open in time to see Jake Olson grab his arm. At the same time, the dog they were using for the movie scurried to the nearest tree, cowering low to the ground.
Rita’s face was a twist of fear, and she motioned to Keith. “Quick. Someone help him!” A number of actors followed Jake toward the curb, and from the side yard the dog handler ran up to the dog and chained him. Chase flew down the stairs and motioned to a police car parked across the street. “We need a medic. Right away.”
As was normal for a location shoot, an ambulance was parked at the other end of the street, out of the way but ready in case they ran into a medical emergency. The police officer took hold of his radio, shouted something into it, and in seconds the ambulance wheeled into view.
“What happened?” Keith walked quickly toward Jake.
“Jake picked the dog up.” Rita was breathing fast, fighting tears. “He was being a little rough with him, and then all of a sudden the dog ripped into his arm. I mean, there was no warning or anything.”
Keith held his hand up to her. “Thank you. I’ll take it from here.” He cupped his hands around his mouth. “Okay everyone, take another ten. We need to make room for the paramedics.”
As the cast and crew cleared the area, Keith and Chase moved in close to Jake. Someone had wrapped an old T-shirt around his arm, but even so, blood was seeping through. Jake cussed softly under his breath. “It was my fault.”
“What were you doing?” Chase pulled tighter on the T-shirt, creating more of a tourniquet effect over the wound. The paramedics were walking up now, carrying a medical bag and looking concerned.
Jake winced. “I’m a method actor. First half of the film I’m a jerk, you know … always storming off.”
Keith had no idea where their male lead was headed with this story. “How did that involve the dog?”
“I wanted to make him a little afraid of me.” He exhaled and the sound was heavy with pain. “You know, so that when I walked into the room, the dog sort of looked nervous. The way I make everyone feel before the letter.”
“So you picked the dog up in your arms?” Chase looked slightly pale, probably thinking ahead to where this
would all wind up.
“Yeah.” Jake tucked his wounded arm in close to his body. “Like I said, I wanted to intimidate him a little.” He looked up at Chase, and then at Keith. “It was my fault. Don’t blame the dog.”
The medics moved in then and one of them unwrapped the T-shirt from Jake’s arm. The few teeth marks weren’t very big, just deep. So deep Keith wondered if the dog had nicked an artery. What else could explain the heavy bleeding? One of the medics tended to the wound, while the other took Jake’s blood pressure and started an IV. Once the needle was in place, he turned a knowing look to Keith. “He needs to get to a hospital.”
“There’s one a few miles from here,” Keith said. “I’ll ride with you, if that’s okay.” He turned to Chase. “See if you can get everyone back on track. There are still a few scenes here without Jake.”
Chase nodded. He looked worried sick, but whatever was going through his mind, he didn’t express it. “Keep us posted.”
“We will.”
The ride to the hospital took almost no time, and by then the paramedic riding in the back had settled Jake onto a stretcher and used a combination of gauze and pressure to slow the bleeding. Keith turned to the driver. “You think an artery’s involved?”
“Could be. If so, he’ll need surgery. He needs stitches, for sure. Might be dealing with shock too. His blood pressure’s a little low.”
They parked out front at the emergency doors. Keith watched while the medics wheeled Jake in on a stretcher, and inside the hospital they were met by a nurse who led them to an examination room. “You’re lucky you came in early. Dr. John Baxter’s on duty—he’s the best in Bloomington.”
Keith silently thanked God for the single piece of good news. He waited off to the side, and in a matter of seconds, a kind man with mostly white hair entered the room and moved up alongside Jake’s bed. Something about the doctor looked familiar. He introduced himself and then peered at the wound on Jake’s arm. “He definitely got you good.” He studied Jake’s eyes for a moment. “How’re you feeling?”
“Not so good.” Jake looked a little greener than before. “But it was my fault.” He was still on his back, still on the stretcher. He covered his eyes with his uninjured arm. “I’m a method actor.”
“Is that right?” Dr. Baxter smiled. “My son is too.”
His son? Keith began putting the pieces together, and suddenly he wondered if the reason Dr. Baxter looked familiar was … “Your son isn’t Dayne Matthews, is he?”
“He is.” Dr. Baxter lifted his eyes to Keith’s. “You’re one of the producers?”
“Yes, sir. Keith Ellison.” No wonder the man had looked familiar. Dayne Matthews was the most recognized actor in the world. Only recently had he stepped down from acting to live here in Bloomington with his wife and baby daughter. Everyone expected that at some time in the future he’d act again, but for now he and his wife ran a kids’ theater group in town. Keith didn’t know Dayne, but he wondered if maybe they’d run into each other during the location shoot.
Dr. Baxter gave him a look as if to say they would talk about their movie connection in a minute. Jake clearly needed the doctor’s help first. He directed the nurse to get a suture tray, and he glanced at Keith again. “What about the dog? Can someone get his current shot record? We need to rule out rabies.”
“Definitely.” Keith stepped into the hall and dialed Chase.
“How is he? We’re filming, but everyone’s worried.”
“The doctor’s working on him. I don’t know anything yet.” Keith explained who the doctor was and that they needed the dog’s shot record.
“The handler already showed it to me. I’ll send him right over.”
“Great. And pray Jake doesn’t need surgery.” Keith didn’t come right out and explain what he was thinking. Surgery would not only be bad for Jake, but if the doctor had to operate, they were bound to lose a few days in the recovery process. He didn’t need to spell out the possibilities. Chase certainly knew the dire situation they faced.
When Keith returned to the exam room, Dr. Baxter was asking Jake when he’d gotten his last tetanus shot.
Jake moved his arm from his face and thought for a moment. “High school, I think.”
“Get me a tetanus booster too, please,” Dr. Baxter told the nurse. “Stat. I want to get him cleaned up and stitched.” He pulled a large magnifying glass down from a machine near the ceiling and positioned it over the dog bite. “I see your concerns about the artery,” he told the medic still in the room. “He nicked it all right, but just barely.” He smiled at Jake. “No surgery this time.”
Jake exhaled long and slow. “I’m so stupid. I was just trying to get into character.” He lifted his head off the pillow and looked at Keith. “Don’t take it out on the dog. He can stay. He won’t bite anyone else.”
Keith didn’t want to upset Jake further, but he was pretty sure the dog would have to be replaced. For now, though, Keith only nodded. “We’ll take care of everything.”
They made small talk while Dr. Baxter worked on Jake. At one point, the young actor grinned at Keith. “Hey, I hear you have a real pretty daughter, Ellison.”
“Oh, yeah.” Keith’s defenses shot up at the mention of Andi. Jake Olson was a wonderful actor, but at twenty-four he’d already left a trail of broken hearts. “Where did you hear that?”
“Some of the grips saw the two of you at dinner last weekend.” He smiled, but it looked more like a wince as the doctor kept stitching. “When do I get to meet her?”
Keith tried to keep his answer serious and light all at the same time. Especially because Jake was probably only making conversation. “She’ll be out at the shoot Friday.” He made a face. “But she’s not your type. Way too young for you.” He tossed his hands. “Sorry about that, Jake.”
Jake laughed, careful to keep his eyes from the repair work being done on his arm. “I’d still like to meet her.”
Half an hour later Jake was cleaned up and stitched, ready to be dismissed. Dr. Baxter gave him instructions to keep his wrapped arm clean and come back immediately at the first sign of infection. “You should be fine. You’re young.” Dr. Baxter put his hand on Jake’s shoulder. “You’ll heal quickly. It could’ve been a lot worse.” The doctor went over a few other details, advising Jake to take ibuprofen only if the pain got worse. “I’m not a fan of pain medication for something like this.”
“Nah.” Jake’s color was back. He looked like he was feeling a lot better. “I hate pain meds. People get messed up bad with those things.”
“Exactly.” Dr. Baxter took a few steps back. “You think you can walk out of here?”
“Definitely.” Jake shook his head. “I still can’t believe I’m so stupid.” He shot Keith an apologetic look. “Sorry about the trouble. I’ll be more careful next time.”
“I’m glad you’re okay.”
The nurse was in the room, clearing away the suture table. “I told you Dr. Baxter was the best.” She smiled at them as she headed back into the hallway.
“I’ll walk you out to the ambulance.” The medic took firm hold of Jake’s good arm and helped him to his feet. “Just in case you’re still a little dizzy.”
When they’d left the room, Dr. Baxter leaned against the nearest wall and looked at Keith. “We’ve been following your story, how you want to make movies that bring glory to God.”
“Yes.” Keith was amazed that this tremendously talented doctor was also Dayne Matthews’ father, and more, that he knew about Keith and Chase and their intentions with the film. “We were missionaries until two years ago. We believe God wants this to be our next mission field.”
“Dayne and I were talking about that same thing last night. We need more films that will express core values, stories that will help restore character where so much has eroded away.” He allowed a slow nod. “We’re praying for you. My whole family’s praying.”
Keith was touched deeply by the doctor’s kindness, and the fact t
hat God had allowed this man to be working at the emergency room exactly at this time—when Keith needed more than a good doctor, but someone who would tell him what he told Chase last night. That everything was going to be okay. They talked for a few minutes longer. Dr. Baxter had six kids living in and around Bloomington—a daughter and son-in-law who were both doctors, and another who was a lawyer—and a dead ringer for Dayne.
“I think I saw his picture in the tabloids a year or so ago.”
Dr. Baxter allowed a wry smile. “That was him. We’ve been through a lot to get to where we are. All of us know the hard road ahead for you and Chase.” He looked like he had a dozen amazing stories playing in his mind. “Maybe we’ll get the chance to talk before you leave town.” The doctor pulled a business card from his pocket, flipped it over, and wrote something on the back before handing it to Keith. “My home number’s there for you. We have Sunday dinner just about every week at my daughter Ashley’s house. You and Chase can join us anytime. It might help to have a few friends on your side.”
Keith thought about all that had happened since they started filming yesterday morning. “Definitely.” Again he was struck by John Baxter’s kindness. “My wife comes into town later this week. I’m sure she’d love a Sunday dinner with your family.”
“You might not have time. I know how these things go.” They moved toward the door together. “Look for Dayne on the set. He told me he was going to stop by and encourage you.”
“Great.” Keith reached out and shook the doctor’s hand. “Not the best circumstances, but I’m glad we met. It helps to know someone else is praying.”
Keith and Jake arrived back on set just before lunchtime, and by then Chase and the others had knocked off a couple more scenes—enough that they were still ahead of the day’s schedule. Keith and Chase were walking across the side street to base camp and the lunch truck when Keith heard a few grips laughing about something directly behind them. One of them was telling a funny story, and at that moment he let out a loud string of swear words—all of which were intended to get a laugh.