Down Home Carolina Christmas Read Free Page B

he’d enjoy right now. “Not in the mood,” Luke said. He was still caught up in the pleasure of meeting Carrie Smith, a woman more beautiful than he’d ever expected to find here.
    â€œI’m buying the beer, and I’ll throw in a pizza,” Whip said. He was short and stout, and he dyed his hair orange. The producer of Dangerous, he was also Luke’s best friend. Fortunately they’d never let their business relationship interfere with their personal one.
    â€œI’d rather stay here,” Luke said. “Relax and chill out for a while.”
    Whip shrugged affably. “That’ll work. I was tired of sitting around watching TV, and I figured you might be, too.”
    â€œI went out for a ride,” Luke said. “Kind of bored, you know?”
    Whip nodded morosely. Luke unlocked the door and led the way through the cavernous and murky interior of the house, which was furnished in fragile antiques and dusty velvet draperies. Needless to say, the decor wasn’t much to Luke’s taste. Back in California, he lived in Malibu, where he enjoyed a wide-angle view of the ocean. He felt closed in here, confined.
    They stopped at the bar off the living room, cadged a couple of beers from the refrigerator and made themselves as comfortable as they could on the wrought-iron benches that occupied the walled brick terrace. Fish in the koi pond swam to the edge, eyeing them curiously and no doubt anticipating a handout. Luke had been feeding them bread crusts every evening.
    â€œSo, Whip, are we still going to start filming after Labor Day and finish before Christmas?” Luke asked.
    â€œI hope so, as long as your costar behaves herself.”
    â€œTiffany will be okay,” Luke said, though he was far from sure of that. He’d worked with Tiffany Zill before and knew her to be emotionally frail, though she was a decent actress when she had a good director. At the moment, he wasn’t interested in discussing his female lead. He’d rather think about Carrie Smith’s wide blue eyes, the slim line of her throat, the high curve of her breasts shifting beneath that thin summery cotton bodice.
    â€œWe’ve still got a few problems to iron out on this job,” Whip said, propping his feet up on a nearby chair. “I worry about it.”
    â€œFill me in,” Luke said. With a good bit of his own money tied up in the movie, he was interested in all aspects of production.
    â€œI’m still bummed out that we can’t build sets in the old roller-bearing factory,” Whip said. “I’m planning to ride over first thing in the morning to check on an old garage in Mullins. It has the requisite battered gas pumps and tires with no tread stacked out back.” He pulled a photo out of his shirt pocket and passed it to Luke. “Check this out.”
    Luke studied the picture, which showed a garage a lot like Smitty’s, though he was willing to bet it wouldn’t have a proprietor as comely as Carrie. “Where the hell is Mullins?” he asked, passing the picture back.
    â€œHalfway to the coast,” Whip said. “About an hour away from Yewville.”
    â€œThere’s a local garage that might do,” Luke said carefully. “I met the owner today.”
    â€œYou mean that place downtown? Smitty’s?”
    â€œThat’s the one.”
    â€œIt’s still a working garage. This place in Mullins is old. Abandoned. We could get it for practically nothing.”
    â€œSince when did money matter?”
    â€œSince Fleur Padgett decided to hire a whole bunch of locals for the racetrack scenes. She says it will make the movie more authentic.” Fleur was the casting director for Dangerous and known for her excesses.
    â€œYancey Goforth used to hang out at Smitty’s. I met the owner today, and she—”
    â€œShe?” Whip said, narrowing his eyes. “Smitty is a she? ”
    â€œHer name