Page 43 of Rescued Heart

Eddie spun around.

Ridge blocked the exit. “Where do you think you’re going?”

Zack rose from a chair and closed the door. “Class is about to start. We believe it’s exactly what you need.”

Izan twisted his chair to face Eddie. “Can’t let you blow your big break.”

Eddie rolled his eyes. “Funny. What I need is some pain meds. Bianca isn’t only a movie star, she’s a woman. Not some silly joke.”

Her words echoed in his mind.Not all unexpected things are bad.

Eddie blinked but still couldn’t clear the look she’d given him after she’d taken a sip from her marshmallow milkshake.

Her real smile. The one she hid from the world.

But not from him.

He raked his fingers through his hair, and dust floated into the air. Maybe the crew was right. Perhaps a class was needed. One that showed him hownotto fall for a movie star—someone who made a living of telling tall tales. Something he had to avoid.

NINE

Bianca blew out a breath, and a section of her hair fell over her brow. Her curls required more hair spray. But what Bianca really wanted was time to process her real life. Yet, as the saying went, the show must go on.

If only Grace hadn’t arrived so early to the fire station last night. She’d meant well by coming. But Eddie had seemed to understand what Bianca needed even before she herself had. Probably because of his firefighter training.

Last night had gotten better until she’d ruined it all with the push for his middle name. Their time together had gone downhill from there.

Bianca lifted on her toes. A cameraman moved a camera in her view. Leo pointed at a playback screen while another assistant nodded. Still no Riley.

She looked over Carter’s shoulder. “Have you seen Riley? I really could use a hair touch-up.”

Her attention snagged on Eddie, who was speaking with one of the special effects guys.

Since Eddie’s arrival this afternoon, he had been close enough to wave at, but with blockages of cameras, directors, and windjammers, which helped pick up her and Carter’s voices, it had been impossible to speak to him about how he felt after their fall.

Ice really had been a friend to her foot last night, which was the only thing that had struck the ground.

Carter ran his palm over his own hair. “Hopefully she, or anyone”—he lifted his voice—“has already left to get me a coffee.”

“Quiet on the set,” Leo yelled behind a megaphone as someone opened the back of the ambulance and scooted the gurney farther into the scene.

Carter paced to his mark. “How many more times do we have to do this scene?” He huffed the very thought that also ran through Bianca’s brain.

From her position by the set ambulance, Annette, one of the minor characters in the scene, winced. So far, it seemed the barely-nineteen-year-old couldn’t actually say her linesandmove the props at the same time.

Bianca offered her a thumbs-up. She’d been in the girl’s shoes not too long ago.

Out of the corner of her eye, Bianca saw Grace arrive beside Eddie. He leaned closer to her and whispered something. A smiled popped on Grace’s face.

What had he said?

The director shouted, “Action.”

Bianca swung her attention to Carter. “I can’t believe he’s gone.”

Carter marched over and wrapped his arms around her. He tugged her against him. Not anywhere close to how Eddie had protected her.

Carter rested the point of his chin on top of Bianca’s head. Right near her stitches. “He was like a brother to me too.”

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