STUDS AND STILETTOS (Romantic Mystery) by Bev Pettersen Page B

break.
    “Moving on,” the director finally called, to a collective sigh of relief.
    Dan nodded at Lizzie who stepped in and took Ice’s lead line. “Wash off the blaze and turn him out in the round pen for a roll,” Dan said. “Have someone hand graze him for thirty minutes but keep him off the clover.”
    “Okay,” she said with a smile. “He’s a real lover boy.”
    “That he is,” Dan said, with another pat for the horse. Ice had been in over ten movies and his specialty was his doglike behavior to humans. His trick of pressing his big head to a person’s chest could soften the most cynical of hearts.
    “Can you train your horse not to shed, Dan?” Shania asked, as she brushed at the hair clinging to her shirt. Two more assistants rushed to her side. One waved a damp cloth while another carried a box of tissue.
    Shania waved off her entourage and smiled at Dan. “Contrary to what you might have heard, I do love horses. Unfortunately, I’m slightly allergic.”
    He nodded but his attention drifted sideways, drawn by the long-legged girl walking toward the set. Obviously Emily wasn’t allergic. In fact, she looked fresh-faced and dewy after a night in the barn. But there was something different about her walk, about the way she held her head.
    Shania tugged at his arm. “Are you joining us for dinner tonight? The hotel is flying in live lobster. I hope you’ll make it.”
    “I’m busy with the horses,” he said.
    “Surely you can take a little time off.” She gave a pretty pout. “Everyone needs to eat.”
    He gave a polite murmur but his attention shifted back to Emily. She probably wondered what had happened to the rearing scene. Maybe that’s why she looked so subdued. Or perhaps she hadn’t slept well, although he could have sworn she’d never once woken.
    And he should know. The plastic chair had been too small, too hard and not at all conducive to a restful night’s sleep. Probably that’s why he was a tad impatient with Shania’s attempts to pull him into her fan league.
    She was still prattling about how she preferred lemon butter with lobster but never ate the tomalley. He simply crossed his arms and let his mind drift. A makeup person tilted Shania’s head, brushing at her cheeks, and he seized the chance to escape. The next scene didn’t involve horses anyway. They were shooting Shania in the aisle, hard at work loading a wheelbarrow with manure.
    He strode toward Emily who watched him approach with something akin to panic. He slowed his stride, wondering if his impatience with Shania was evident on his face.
    “Your scene isn’t cut,” he said. “It’s only postponed until tomorrow. Sorry to drag you out so early today. I didn’t have your phone number or someone would have called.”
    “Oh.” She flashed him a relieved smile. “I wondered what happened. I’ve been watching the shooting though. Which Reckless was that?”
    “That’s the quiet one, Ice. He hugs on cue.” His eyes settled on the cute dusting of freckles over her nose. He’d noticed them last night when she was sleeping. There was a little mole on the right side of her mouth too, just above the rosebud curl. Damn sexy, and he couldn’t stop staring.
    But she averted her head, her shoulders rounding almost imperceptibly. Definitely uncomfortable. And strangely tentative compared to yesterday. How the hell was she going to handle Bruno?
    “Are you feeling okay?” He eased back a step, giving her more space.
    She flinched, her hand sweeping to her cheek, and there was no mistaking the hurt in her big brown eyes. “I’m fine,” she said quietly. “Sorry I look a little rough.”
    “If you want to go home, leave me your number. If you don’t hear anything, you’ll have the same call time tomorrow. But you’ll be paid a half day rate for showing up this morning.”
    She blinked then gave him such a grateful smile, his chest kicked. “Really? I get paid for showing up? That’s awesome.”
    “Or