Page 50 of One Kind Hand

“He makes good movies,” her father said. “Is he a nice guy?”

Charlie nodded. “Seems to be.”

“That’s a good start then.” He pointed to the ATVs. “Thanks again for the ride.” He started to walk away. Her parents lived about a mile away from her house. It was an easily walkable route, but her father looked drained.

“You want a ride back home, Dad?”

He shook his head. “Nah. The cold air will maybe clear my head some more.”

She should probably be worried that he wouldn’t actually go home. That he’d finally leave her mother.

But she wasn’t worried because he wouldn’t leave. Maybe the money she was about to make on the movie could go to long-term care for her mother instead of a ramp. Perhaps her father wouldn’t disagree so much if he didn’t have to pay for any of it.

Heavy questions for another time because if Charlie didn’t get the ATVs put away and herself ready, she’d be late to getting to Austin. She made a mental note, however, to spend some time researching local places that specialized in ALS care.

After finishing up in the steel building, Charlie went into the house and grabbed the garment bag she’d hastily thrown over the back of a chair in her living room. She toted it down to her bedroom and hung it on her door, hoping nothing had gotten wrinkled.

She popped into the shower, letting the hot water wash away the day’s events. Her charter flight had gone well though her client, Derek Milton, had flirted with her. Again. He’d asked her out a million different ways over the two years she’d been flying him to meetings in Boston and she’d been declining ever since. He was ten years older than she was, but age wasn’t the issue. The issue was . . . he didn’t do it for her. He was an attractive businessman who no doubt had dollars to blow on her, but he was . . . zingless.

Especially today when she’d been successfully zinged by Austin last night. Multiple times. And the zing had stayed with her all day. A large part of her brain kept spiraling around seeing him again tonight and with each revolution, she wanted to see him even more.

Yeah, that didn’t happen with Derek Milton.

She’d told him today while they’d been up in the air that she was currently seeing someone, hoping that would deter him from asking her out. When he’d asked who she was seeing, however, she didn’t want to give him Austin’s name. What if Austin didn’t want his dating life to be public knowledge? She’d signed a whole bunch of papers on that first day and though she’d read through them, Charlie wondered if not publicly talking about the movie also involved not publicly talking about dating the movie star. It didn’t feel right to expose that she was dating a famous person anyway so she’d told Derek it was none of his damn business who she was seeing. He took no offense because he was used to her grouchy demeanor.

The grouchy demeanor that ran off somewhere whenever Austin was around apparently. That made her grin. Ask anyone who knew her and they’d describe her as curmudgeonly. Isabel and her grandfather never minded and she was probably the nicest to the two of them, but Austin? He’d uncovered a layer Charlie didn’t think she possessed. A layer she wanted to explore.

She finished up in the shower, taking care to shave things, use a lavender-scented body scrub, and put a little extra conditioner in her hair to make it softer. More touchable. Should a handsome man want to run his fingers through it later.

Please make him want to run his fingers through it later.

In the bathroom, Charlie took a little more time with makeup, employing a few strategies Heather had shared when she’d hooked Charlie up with the dress. She went with a smoky gray eye shadow and heavier eyeliner and mascara than usual. A light dusting of blush on the apples of her cheeks gave her normally pale skin a little warmth. She straightened her hair, going for a sleeker look than the curls of yesterday and pinned up one side with a glittery barrette.

Back in her bedroom, Charlie slipped on the dress. A black sheath-style with thin straps and a ruffled hem gave it a feminine vibe. The hem part was made with a polka-dotted fabric, giving the dress a fun flair. She poked some dangling earrings into her earlobes, liking the way they picked up the light and sparkled when she moved her head. A matching necklace went around her neck and she left off her metal-spiked leather wrist cuff in favor of a delicate bracelet that glittered as much as the earrings and necklace.

Stepping back, Charlie smoothed her hands down her figure, wondering where in creation the chopper pilot had gone. After slipping on black heels she miraculously had hiding in her closet, she grabbed her phone and snapped a pic, sending it to Isabel for approval.

And maybe for verification that she hadn’t lost her goddamn mind.

Two seconds later, a reply buzzed on her phone.

Isabel: Holy shit! You look like a movie star!

Then her phone rang with a call.

“Hey.”

“Oh my God, seriously, Charlie!” Isabel shouted, her voice ten levels of excited. “You look amazing. I showed Jackson the picture and he asked, ‘Who is that?’ He literally didn’t know it was you!”

“Because normally I’m so hideous?”

Isabel let out a growl. “Of course not. You’re always gorgeous, but usually a badass gorgeous. This . . . this is an I-hang-out-with-famous-people gorgeous.”

“Well . . . I do hang out with famous people.” She did now anyway. “I can’t believe I have a fancy date with Austin Rayhill. This is nuts.”

“No, it isn’t,” Isabel said. “Think about it. He’s a hot, talented guy. You’re a hot, talented lady. It’s actually a great combo.”

“I’m a chopper pilot who lives in the woods and has a bad attitude most of the time,” Charlie said. “He’s a movie star who is adored by fans everywhere. How in the world is this a great combo?”