Page 3 of A Possibility of an Unexpected Second Chance

He turned toward her. “I’m Spencer. Hayden ran to get something.”

Oh. Well, she wasn’t there to see Hayden anyway. She just needed to get that prop. “Can I have the camera for this scene?”

Spencer frowned. “That’s what he ran to get.”

This surprised her. If Hayden was anything, it was organized and good at his job. “Where is it?”

He shrugged. “We don’t have it. He went to get another one.”

Perfect. She brushed a strand of hair out of her face. “Okay. Have him bring it to me when he gets back.”

“Sure.” Spencer returned to the mess on the floor.

Lana left, taking the long way back to the beach. Why had she told Spencer to have Hayden bring it to her? She was not thinking clearly. She was trying to avoid Hayden, not give herself every excuse to see him.

In the distance she saw her mother with her hand shielding her eyes, scanning the beach. Lana stepped back between two trees. It wasn’t that she didn’t love her mother. She tried to be a good daughter. It was just hard sometimes. Gail could be a bit…much. And right now she didn’t want to deal with her.

Lana spent the next forty-five minutes avoiding her mother and trying to feel contemplative, like her character in this first scene. Even though she didn’t have the camera, she crouched down to pretend to take shots with an imaginary one. This last object she had of her father’s. She worked her way to the far side of the beach, where the trees grew thicker and where her mother wouldn’t find her. There, she took a hundred pretend photos and gathered up enough emotion to shed a tear or two for her father.

“Hey,” a voice said behind her. She jumped a little and turned to see Hayden coming toward her. Whatever mood she’d created vanished as she watched him weave his way to her. “Spencer said you needed this.” He held out the prop.

“Thanks.” Her heart hammered as she took it from him, their fingers brushing. She glanced in the direction he’d come. “Spencer said you had to run to get another one.”

Hayden cringed. “Yes. The prop didn’t make it into the trunk. Luckily, I found another one at the pawn shop. It’s not the exact model we need, but it will have to do.”

“Ah,” she said, unable to think of anything else to say. “How’d you find me?”

“Spencer saw you come this way. I just wandered until I heard you talking to yourself.”

Lana snorted. He always used to poke fun at how she got ready for a part. “Rehearsing, you mean.”

“Right.” His eyes smiled at her in that old familiar way. “Rehearsing.”

She couldn’t break her gaze from him. Maybe it was the new hairstyle, or the way his five-o’clock shadow was beginning to come in, but something about him wouldn’t let her look away. The seconds ticked by, and she grew uncomfortable. “Well, thanks.” She held up the camera, giving him a small smile.

“Sure.”

He didn’t move, and for some stupid reason, she couldn’t turn her back to him. He swallowed, and his Adam’s apple bobbed. “Lana…”

Earlier today she didn’t want to hear what he had to say, but right now, she didn’t want him to leave. She’d stand there and endure whatever it was he felt he needed to say just to be near him for a few more seconds. “What?” she said, her heart jumping into her throat.

He worked his jaw a moment before shoving his hands into his jacket pockets. “I’m sorry.”

Lana stared at him. He was sorry? That wasn’t what she’d expected. Annoyance crept in, and she curled her fingers. “You’re sorry? For dumping me?”

His expression softened. “For everything.”

“Well, I am too,” she spat out, surprised at how hostile it sounded. “I’m sorry we met. And I’m sorry we’re here on the same set. I hope you can manage to stay far away from me.”

He flinched and took a step back. “Yeah,” he said quietly. “I will.”

He disappeared into the trees, and Lana’s heart sank. Why had she said that to him? Why had she let her anger flare? He didn’t do anything other than what she’d asked of him, bringing her the camera. And she practically bit his head off. She needed to get herself under control. She couldn’t let him get to her like this. She was going to have to work with him. That was a fact. It wouldn’t be good if she let herself get all upset every time she saw him.

CHAPTER4

Hayden stabbed his fork into a piece of lobster and pulled the meat away from the tail, putting it into his mouth. The buttery taste filled his mouth as it practically melted on his tongue. This was one of the higher-end restaurants of the strip. He would be eating burgers in his room if the producer, Chase Harrington, hadn’t convinced him to come to dinner with him.

If he’d known all the top actors from the film would be there, he probably would have said no, even with the promise of a free meal. Lana and her mother sat two chairs down, and he could feel the chill coming from their direction. Luckily, Brent sat in between them, providing a decent enough shield.

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