Page 26 of Sunrise

She is still wearing jean shorts and the flip-flops she is always wearing everywhere, but today she is in a long sleeve shirt that looks worn and well-loved. Her hair is up in a messy bun at the top of her head, and though I can't see her face, I know she's deep in thought.

She is exactly the kind of girl I hoped I would find as my wife one day back before my Hollywood days when I thought the biggest thing I'd do would be to get married and run the ranch. Life has a funny way of throwing you completely off course into things you could never have dreamed of.

"You think about what we talked about last night?" I ask her to make my presence know.

She turns slowly, and while she doesn't have a stitch of makeup on, she still manages to make my heart beat faster because it's just her, just Lin, with no fuss or false pretenses.

"I did. Brynn and I talk extensively about it," she admits as she turns her whole body to face me.

"And?" I ask.

She studies me for a moment before nodding toward the table where the coffee and scones are.

"I want to know what Wren said first," she says. Smart girl. She doesn't want to give her hand away until she knows what her options are.

"He talked to my publicist, and I guess they are over the moon about the idea. I don't think he slept last night, and I don't think I've heard him so perky," I admit.

She shakes her head. "Maybe he just got laid." She smiles.

"He wouldn't even be awake or answering his phone then," I tease her as she holds her own, even as the slight pink covers her cheeks. "So?" I ask, suddenly anxious for her answer.

I find myself hoping she says yes. I want to spend some time with her, and the chance to kiss those full pink lips is an experience I know I will never forget.

"I agree with a few conditions," she says, and I can't stop the smile if I tried.

She narrows her eyes at me. "You don't even know what the conditions are," she says.

"Doesn't matter. I agree," I tell her, which, in hindsight, wasn't the smartest thing to do.

"I could say that you have to pose nude to the inn's web page, and you just agreed to it." She sits back and crosses her arms.

"You think that’s the first nude photo of me out here? Did you not see the movie The Time I Lost You? There are two nude scenes and a junk flash. Trust me, those photos are set to as many screen savers as possible," I tell her and watch her eyes go wide.

"No, I have not seen that movie," she says and shakes her head.

I am willing to bet anything her and Brynn will be watching it tonight. Can't say I blame them. If I know there was a movie out there where I got even the slightest flash of her breasts, I'd be on my way back upstairs now to watch it.

"Okay, what are your conditions?" I ask.

"The first one you know. The breakup cannot make me look bad. It needs to paint me in a good light, so your crazy fans leave me alone," she says.

"Agreed." I nod and take a bite of my scone and moan.

She cocks her head at me, and I hold up my scone. "These are a little slice of heaven."

She smiles. "I made them."

"You cook?" I ask a bit shocked.

"I bake, and I cook very little. That's more Brynn," she admits. "Okay, condition number two. This relationship is to be used to stick it to Travis every chance we get. If we can make him cry, all the better. You will not be friends with him, sign autographs for him, or pose for a picture with him."

I'm glad I don't have food or drink in my mouth when she says that because I laugh out loud.

"Lin, that was a given with how he treated you. Even if you didn't agree to the arrangement, I still wouldn't do any of those things because I like to think we're friends at least, and that means I'm on your side," I say softly.

"Thank you. I think we are friends too. Which leads me to number three. You need to let your walls down if we are going to be spending so much time together. No more Hollywood act with me because if this blows up in our faces, I'm the one who will be hurt. You will move on to your next gig and forget about it all. I need to be able to stand being around you for it to work."

"You can't stand being around me now?" I ask, a bit hurt. Not that I'd ever admit it.

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