Page 70 of Rescued Heart

Leo clapped. “I need this ball rolling. Where’s Grace?” He followed behind Carter.

Bianca dipped her chin. “You don’t have to do this.”

He couldn’t quite read the expression in her eyes. “Would you rather they find a union stunt double?”

She met his gaze then. “Seriously? You’ve saved me more times than I can ever repay you for. I want you to be the stunt guy. Always.”

Eddie’s own chest rose until she said, “Plus, it would take more time to find someone else. Do you know what happened to Hank?”

Eddie slid his hands into his pockets. “If that was the original stunt guy’s name, he’s refusing because of everything that’s been going wrong. Supposedly, he thinks the set’s cursed.”

Bianca sighed. “Not cursed. But sometimes I wonder if someone doesn’t want the movie to go ahead.”

“Well, the mayor does. Which is probably one of the reasons you’re still filming.” He extended the travel mug. “This is for you.”

She took it and moved the metal straw around, making it clink against the sides of the mug. “You made me an iced coffee? That’s so sweet. Thank you.”

Eddie pressed his lips together. Maybe this had been a stupid idea. “It probably would have made more sense to offer you caffeine in the morning, but no. I…it’s actually a marshmallow shake.”

Her eyes widened.

Was it a happy surprise or bad? Eddie put his hands in his pockets. “You mentioned wanting one yesterday, and with work and everything…I wasn’t sure you’d gotten one. So I put one in the travel mug so it wouldn’t melt.”

She finally took a sip. “Oh my goodness. It’s still frozen. How did you get this so early this morning?”

“It helps to be a regular customer.”

She took another drink. “You’re the best, Eddie. This is exactly what I needed.” She tucked herself into his side for a hug. Her arm slipped around his back and squeezed, but she released him much too fast for Eddie’s brain to respond.

She stepped away, and a strand of hair danced along her chin. The morning sunlight gave her face a soft glow.

He dropped his gaze to his shoes. He shouldn’t be thinking about brushing her hair back behind her ear.

“Frances always says if one of her regulars wants pancakes but it’s supper time, she personally goes into the kitchen and makes them.” She held out her drink. “Do you want some?”

Eddie shook his head.

“This will help me get through today’s filming.”

Here was the truth she wasn’t showing to Carter or Leo.

Eddie lowered his voice. “Finishing this movie, improving your career, the money, none of it is more important than you. Your safety.”

The truth needed to be spoken, even if it might reveal a little too much of his rising feelings.

Bianca rubbed one of her palms up and down the goosebumps along her arm. “I’m struggling with not obsessing over that option, but I wasn’t scheduled to do the river stunt. It’s only the dangerous stunts that need special permission that have gone crazy. Have you heard anything more about the construction worker?”

Macon had updated him before he’d headed to the set this morning. “He had a pacemaker, and it looks like it’s a heart-related death. Nothing to do with everything else.”

And they were right back to where they’d started. “You don’t have to do this next scene.”

Bianca raised her brows, and the straw made a sucking sound. “I’m pretty sure you don’t know how the movie business works. I have to do the work to get paid. Plus, if I can survive an almost drowning, doing a fire-and-rescue scene with a real firefighter should be easy. It’syouwho doesn’t have to do this next stunt.”

“Should beeasy hasn’t exactly…”

Loud breathing made Eddie glance over his shoulder. Grace jogged toward them.

She stopped in front of them. “There was a reason I didn’t join the track team in high school.” With another exhale, she extended the clothes in her arms to Eddie. “Here. It’s time to go, Bianca. The limo is waiting. The mayor approved the smoke house, and some lieutenant is getting it set up for us.”

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