Hearts in Motion (Boggy Creek Valley 5)

I felt my eyes go wide. “What? Are you a member?”

He tilted his head and gave me a look that said he couldn’t believe I’d even asked. “I believe that country club is the whole reason you and I are married, Mrs. Morrison.”

My stomach did a little flip. “Then there’s no better place for us to spend our honeymoon.”

Luke kissed my forehead. “I agree.”

I looked around at everyone and everything. A few people watched us curiously, but for the most part they all seemed to be carrying on as usual. “So this is a movie set, huh?”

Luke followed my gaze. “It’s one of them, yes.” Turning back to me, he winked. “Come on, I want to introduce my wife to everyone.”

I pulled back against his hand. “Um, before we do, there’s something I need to tell you.”

His brows drew down in concern. “You just got very serious.”

Smiling, I replied, “No, it’s nothing big. It’s just…I got here a bit early, and they sent me ahead to meet Hank at the catering tent. A young woman approached me and said I was supposed to meet you in your trailer.”

Luke immediately grew angry.

“Kathleen Daughtry was in your trailer,” I said. “In your bed. Naked.”

“What!” Luke shouted, causing a few people to turn in our direction.

“It’s okay. I’m not upset or angry. I do think she might be a little butt hurt and might try and take it out on you, though.”

“Butt hurt?” he asked with a wicked gleam in his eyes.

“I might have called her trash.”

His eyes went wide. “You did?”

With a little shrug, I smirked. “More or less. The reason I’m telling you is if you even think I’m going back to that trailer, you’ve got another thing coming.”

He chuckled. “I was thinking we could go straight to our room after this. We still have a lot of time to make up for.”

I couldn’t help the wide grin that spread over my face. “Yes, we do.”

“Come on, let’s go shock everyone even more by telling them I’m married.”

Luke led me over to the men he’d been talking to. Two women had joined them. One was the producer, the other the assistant director. Everyone was nice and polite and said how much they’d miss working with such a class act like Luke, but completely understood why he wanted to leave the industry. The guilt I had weighing around my heart eased up a little, but I knew it would take a while for me to work through it entirely. After all, Luke was giving up so much for me and our future. I planned on doing everything in my power to make sure he never doubted his decision.

It was an hour later when Kathleen was finally on set and ready to film. The scene was supposed to be their first encounter, where Luke was jogging and Kathleen’s dog—who was being played by a beautiful golden retriever named Lucy—ran up and knocked him over. Then the long-lost lovers caught up.

My heart swelled with pride as I watched Luke work. They had to start over a few times when the dog’s attention was focused on a squirrel in a tree or on one of the extras walking by. When they finally got the take with Luke falling, I couldn’t help but swoon.

“He’s an amazing actor,” someone next to me said. Turning, I looked up to see an older gentleman standing there.

Smiling, I focused back on Luke. “He is.”

“I’ve got to say, when I heard this would be his last film, I wondered what in the world would make a man who was on top of his game walk away from such an incredible career.”

My heart dropped, and I glanced down at the grass before taking in a breath. Then I caught Luke’s gaze as he looked over at me. He lifted his hand and waved, and I waved back.

“Then I heard him talking about you.”

I snapped my head to the side. “Me?”

The older gentleman looked down at me. “Yes. It was so evident in the way he smiled when he mentioned you. That look in his eyes. It reminded me of myself. When I was a bit younger than Luke—the ripe ol’ age of eighteen back in 1978—I met the love of my life at the grocery store, if you can believe that. I’d recently filmed my third movie and there was Oscar buzz. I was flying high. Then I met Joyce…and my God, I fell head over heels in love with her. But life crept in and things started to turn.”

“What do you mean?” I asked, turning my body to face him—and suddenly realizing who in the hell I was talking to. I nearly gasped but managed to stay calm. The man next to me was Jake Lenard. One of Hollywood’s most acclaimed actors. He’d actually starred in a film with my beloved Gene Kelly, playing Gene’s son. I drew in a few deep breaths and fought the urge to ask him what it was like to work with Gene.