Read Online Behind the Film Star's Smile by Kate Hardy - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Kate Hardy
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she’ll find you a real home.’
Another lick.
‘And we’d better hope that Jess can help us out. Otherwise you and I are going to be grovelling to Mimi for weeks . We’re talking flowers every day, shoe-shaped chocolates, and more charm than I’m capable of.’
Baloo put a paw over her nose, and he laughed. ‘I think Jess is right. You could be a showbiz dog.’ He stroked her head. ‘But I can’t keep you. It wouldn’t be fair to either of us.’
She just looked at him.
‘I can’t.’ And he wasn’t going to think about how much he’d bonded with her in the few days he’d been looking after her—especially since he’d been working with Jess to train her. How much he was enjoying having company at home. How good it was to let himself care about someone again.
*
To Luke’s relief, Jess was already in the production office when he and Baloo walked in the next morning.
And he was aware that it wasn’t just relief that she’d kept her word about helping out with Baloo. Jess’s sweet, shy smile made the world feel as if it was a brighter place. Which was crazy. He’d only known her since Monday. Less than a week. Although she was looking after his dog while he was rehearsing, they were still virtually strangers. He couldn’t possibly start feeling this way about her. He didn’t want a relationship with her—with anyone .
He made an effort to control his thoughts. ‘Good morning, Jess.’
‘Good morning, Luke.’ She bent to make a fuss of Baloo. ‘It’s your last day with Baloo and the first day of shooting today, isn’t it? Do you have time to do any training with her?’
‘Yes and no.’ He wrinkled his nose. It wouldn’t be fair to let Jess look after Baloo all day and then drop the bombshell on her that he needed her help tomorrow as well—and probably for quite a few days after that. ‘Can we have a quick chat in my trailer, first?’
She looked surprised, then a little wary, but nodded. ‘Sure. What’s up?’
‘Tell you when we get there.’ He didn’t want to have this conversation on the open set and then have everyone gossiping about him. Been there, done that, and rather not rinse and repeat.
Once they were in the trailer, he unclipped Baloo’s leash from her collar and the dog settled down on the rug. ‘Can I get you a coffee or anything?’ he asked.
‘No, I’m good, thanks.’ Jess frowned. ‘What did you want to talk to me about?’
‘My aunt called me in the middle of the night,’ he said. ‘From America. She’s in hospital.’
Jess looked shocked. ‘Oh, no. What happened?’
‘She was out hiking when she had a fall. She broke her leg in two places, so they’re keeping her in for a few days. She was meant to be arriving home this morning and picking up the dog this afternoon, but right now I have no idea when she’s going to be allowed to fly home.’ He grimaced. ‘It might not even be until her leg is healed. Which could take weeks.’
‘It depends on the length of the flight, her age, and how bad the break is,’ Jess said, surprising him. ‘Do you know how long the flight is?’
‘She’s in Portland—I think she said it was something like eleven hours between there and London.’
‘So she’ll need to get up and move around a few times during the flight, then. With a cast, she’s more of a risk of developing DVT,’ Jess said thoughtfully.
‘How do you know this sort of thing?’ Luke asked.
She shrugged. ‘I used to know a few medics. It kind of rubs off.’
He was intrigued. Why would a dog trainer know medics? But he had a feeling that she’d clam up on him if he asked. Besides, he had a more pressing question.
‘As I said, I don’t know how long it’s going to be before Monica comes back to London. But, even once she’s home, she’s not going to be able to look after Baloo with a broken leg,’ Luke said. ‘It’s going to be hard for her even to let the dog out, and she definitely won’t be able to take Baloo for
Another lick.
‘And we’d better hope that Jess can help us out. Otherwise you and I are going to be grovelling to Mimi for weeks . We’re talking flowers every day, shoe-shaped chocolates, and more charm than I’m capable of.’
Baloo put a paw over her nose, and he laughed. ‘I think Jess is right. You could be a showbiz dog.’ He stroked her head. ‘But I can’t keep you. It wouldn’t be fair to either of us.’
She just looked at him.
‘I can’t.’ And he wasn’t going to think about how much he’d bonded with her in the few days he’d been looking after her—especially since he’d been working with Jess to train her. How much he was enjoying having company at home. How good it was to let himself care about someone again.
*
To Luke’s relief, Jess was already in the production office when he and Baloo walked in the next morning.
And he was aware that it wasn’t just relief that she’d kept her word about helping out with Baloo. Jess’s sweet, shy smile made the world feel as if it was a brighter place. Which was crazy. He’d only known her since Monday. Less than a week. Although she was looking after his dog while he was rehearsing, they were still virtually strangers. He couldn’t possibly start feeling this way about her. He didn’t want a relationship with her—with anyone .
He made an effort to control his thoughts. ‘Good morning, Jess.’
‘Good morning, Luke.’ She bent to make a fuss of Baloo. ‘It’s your last day with Baloo and the first day of shooting today, isn’t it? Do you have time to do any training with her?’
‘Yes and no.’ He wrinkled his nose. It wouldn’t be fair to let Jess look after Baloo all day and then drop the bombshell on her that he needed her help tomorrow as well—and probably for quite a few days after that. ‘Can we have a quick chat in my trailer, first?’
She looked surprised, then a little wary, but nodded. ‘Sure. What’s up?’
‘Tell you when we get there.’ He didn’t want to have this conversation on the open set and then have everyone gossiping about him. Been there, done that, and rather not rinse and repeat.
Once they were in the trailer, he unclipped Baloo’s leash from her collar and the dog settled down on the rug. ‘Can I get you a coffee or anything?’ he asked.
‘No, I’m good, thanks.’ Jess frowned. ‘What did you want to talk to me about?’
‘My aunt called me in the middle of the night,’ he said. ‘From America. She’s in hospital.’
Jess looked shocked. ‘Oh, no. What happened?’
‘She was out hiking when she had a fall. She broke her leg in two places, so they’re keeping her in for a few days. She was meant to be arriving home this morning and picking up the dog this afternoon, but right now I have no idea when she’s going to be allowed to fly home.’ He grimaced. ‘It might not even be until her leg is healed. Which could take weeks.’
‘It depends on the length of the flight, her age, and how bad the break is,’ Jess said, surprising him. ‘Do you know how long the flight is?’
‘She’s in Portland—I think she said it was something like eleven hours between there and London.’
‘So she’ll need to get up and move around a few times during the flight, then. With a cast, she’s more of a risk of developing DVT,’ Jess said thoughtfully.
‘How do you know this sort of thing?’ Luke asked.
She shrugged. ‘I used to know a few medics. It kind of rubs off.’
He was intrigued. Why would a dog trainer know medics? But he had a feeling that she’d clam up on him if he asked. Besides, he had a more pressing question.
‘As I said, I don’t know how long it’s going to be before Monica comes back to London. But, even once she’s home, she’s not going to be able to look after Baloo with a broken leg,’ Luke said. ‘It’s going to be hard for her even to let the dog out, and she definitely won’t be able to take Baloo for
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