Until…

  “I haven’t seen you look at a woman like that since me.”

  Angelica drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly. “And lessons were learned. I’d like to remind you, Leanne, that no one here is aware of our previous relationship, and if you’d like to keep it that way—which I suggest you do so that people don’t think the worst of you—then I’d be careful what you say in a room full of people.”

  “Ange, I didn’t mean anything by it.” Leanne sighed and ran her fingers nervously through her hair. “I don’t… It’s hard to come in here when everything is already so established. I feel like an intruder.”

  Because you are…

  Angelica wanted to say those words, but she held them back. Hope returned, a small plate of cheese and crackers in her hand.

  “I’ll bring lunch up when we finish this next round of takes.”

  Hope had been doting on Angelica since she had shown up in Boston. Meals every time Angelica sat down, kind words here and there, tender touches.

  “I wanted to thank you for that letter of recommendation, even if I didn’t get the job.”

  That’d be a first. Angelica had sent several letters of recommendation for Leanne in the last couple of years, and she’d never heard a thank-you once. In fact, the first time she’d sent one, she’d felt compelled to do it based on their previous relationship.

  Leanne bit her lip and sent Angelica a sweet look, one that was meant to manipulate her into doing something that Leanne wanted. “When we’re done filming in Vermont, I won’t have a job to go back to.”

  “And do you think I just hand out jobs as if I have them at the ready?” Angelica raised her eyebrows in Leanne’s direction.

  “You just offered Ashlee⁠—”

  “Training, without pay, for three months.” Angelica canted her head to the side, giving Leanne a hard, direct stare. “You quit, Leanne. Two years ago. And I’m not inclined to hire you back.”

  “But we make such a good team⁠—”

  “Team means working cooperatively together.” Hope stepped in, resting her hand on the top of Angelica’s shoulder, standing by her side no matter what. “Which I think is still a lesson you need to learn, especially based on observation of this last week.”

  Leanne swallowed hard, her gaze flicking back and forth between Angelica and Hope.

  “Ange doesn’t need to pay for people to give her attention or for people to back her up. Some people do that freely out of care and love.” Hope tightened her grip on Angelica’s shoulder.

  “And I’m far more discerning now about who I let into my life than I used to be.” Angelica said that to Leanne, but she immediately turned to look at Hope, who stared down at her. Their lips pulled into a smile, Angelica’s eyes twinkling with excitement. Hope understood what she wasn’t saying.

  “Ange told me one time that nothing good can start with broken trust.” Hope moved her chin up so she was focused on Leanne. “And she was right. I should have listened to her then, but I didn’t. And now, I’m experiencing the consequences of my actions. All of us need to be more careful about what we say and do when in the presence of others. Because the ripple effects we have on others can be quite painful.”

  Angelica’s heart thudded hard. She only had eyes for Hope, for the pain and pure honesty she had in her gaze. She reached up to touch Hope’s hand, but Hope had already moved away.

  “You’ll have to excuse me. Ansel’s calling for my costume change.” Hope wiggled her eyebrows, but the light wasn’t there in the joke.

  Frozen to her seat, Angelica watched as Hope walked off.

  Whatever had happened in the last few months, Hope had changed. She wasn’t the same selfish person that she’d been before, and Angelica desperately wanted to get to know this person even more. When she looked back at Leanne, she widened her eyes and sighed.

  “Ansel’s probably ready for me as well.” Popping a square of cheese between her lips, Angelica handed the plate to Leanne and stood up. “Thanks for taking care of that.”

  Sliding her knee into the scooter, she pushed herself toward the door. She reached the hallway and paused. Hope was already gone, able to move much more quickly than Angelica at this point. But all Angelica could think about was threading her fingers through Hope’s hair and kissing her senseless.

  “Ms. Shields?” Lyric asked. “Did you need something?”

  “Oh, uh…” Angelica’s cheeks heated with embarrassment. She’d been so lost in her thoughts that she hadn’t even noticed Lyric standing right there. “No, thank you. When do we leave for Vermont?”

  “In the morning. It’ll take us about three or four hours, depending on traffic, to get there.”

  “All right.” Angelica nodded. “Thank you.”

  A day of rest would do her good, because she really needed to think before she acted.

  Kissing Hope now would only bring up all those painful feelings she didn’t want to experience again. And she wasn’t the impulsive one of the two of them. Though Hope had shown considerable restraint lately, and that in and of itself was only adding to Angelica’s attraction.

  Not that she’d ever admit that out loud to anyone.

  Or even to herself.

  Episode 3

  WESTON, VERMONT - THE DORSET

  Chapter

  Twenty

  Eva bounced in her tennis shoes as they reached Angelica’s door. Hope wasn’t entirely sure about this, but Eva had suggested it, and well, she didn’t want to resist the idea. Hope bit her lip as Eva lifted her hand and knocked on the door.

  “She’s not answering,” Eva whined.

  “Give her some time, she’s not moving as quickly as she usually does.” Hope bit her lip again and stared at the door. She should have texted to make sure that Angelica was even in her room. But they had a late call time that morning while the crew set up, and Hope assumed that Angelica would be working from here.

  Finally, the lock clicked, and the chain slid. Eva squeaked with glee, once again bouncing in her shoes.

  When Angelica opened the door, she awkwardly had to move to get it wide enough while maneuvering the knee scooter. Hope held the door to help while she shifted. As soon as she straightened her back, Eva pounced. She stepped straight into the room and wrapped her arms around Angelica’s hips in a hug, burying her face in her side.

  “Oh! Good morning.” Angelica furrowed her brow and brushed her fingers over the top of Eva’s head. Angelica went from looking at Eva to looking directly into Hope’s eyes.

  The air in Hope’s lungs left her in an instant. Angelica wasn’t made up yet, she didn’t have her hair or her makeup done, the lines in her face were deeper and more obvious, but it was sexier than Hope had ever seen her before. Hope had to clear her throat to try and find her voice again, but it didn’t work.

  “What’s the cause for such an early morning visit?” Angelica frowned slightly, but she was looking at Hope and then down at Eva.

  “Breakfast!” Eva bounced again, still holding onto Angelica’s side. “Mom found this restaurant⁠—”

  “Cafe,” Hope corrected.

  “Cafe,” Eva repeated. “That she wants to try out, and since it’s a late morning, she said yes!”

  Angelica’s lips parted, and she again went from looking at Eva to Hope.

  “You’re invited,” Hope said. “She forgot that part.”

  “Oh.” Angelica tightened her grip on her scooter with the one hand she still had on the handlebars. “I was just getting some work done…”

  Hope’s heart sank. She’d known that would be the answer before they’d even asked, but with Eva’s enthusiasm, she’d hoped that she would be wrong, that somehow Eva would be the magic key to getting Angelica out of the hotel and into the real world for just an hour. She’d missed those random meals they’d shared together while filming when they finally had downtime.

  “Come on!” Eva whined. “Everyone has to eat sometime!” Eva squeezed Angelica’s hips harder, and Hope could see the pain register in her face.

  “Eva, not so tight,” Hope corrected.

  “Oh right.” Eva frowned. “I didn’t hurt you, did I?”

  “No.” Angelica shook her head, again brushing her fingers through Eva’s hair. “I suppose I could manage breakfast.”

  “Yay!” Eva squealed again and clapped her hands, once more bouncing.

  “They do have coffee. I promise.”

  “Good,” Angelica said. “Uh…where is it?”

  “Just across the street.” Hope dropped her gaze down Angelica’s body, the way her loose slacks hung on her frame, or the button-up shirt she had flared around her neck. Without a doubt, this was Angelica’s preferred outfit for work. And the pants covered the cast on her leg nicely. The only thing that made it obvious she had a broken leg was the knee scooter her leg rested on. “We can walk there easily enough.”

  Angelica nodded. “All right.”

  It took them longer to get across the street than if it had just been Hope and Eva, but Hope didn’t mind. Eva chatted Angelica’s ear off even after they sat down at the small corner table in the cafe. Hope glanced around, trying to decide if there was anyone in there who would recognize them, but thus far, they seemed to be left alone.

  “Hope?” Angelica called her name, furrowing her brow.

  Hope looked up to find a waitress staring down at her, waiting to take her order. “Oh, just coffee. Black.”

  “I’ll come back around for the food order in a minute.”

  “I’ve never been to Vermont!” Eva proclaimed loudly, drawing all the attention to her.

  It was either a brilliant move or the stupidest one Hope had made, because with Eva there, she couldn’t say the things she wanted, but she was also fairly certain that without Eva there, Angelica wouldn’t have agreed to breakfast.

  “It’s much prettier in the fall,” Angelica said, pointing out the window. “All the leaves turning, and the chill in the air.”

  “Sounds like a perfect time for ice cream and hot chocolate.” Hope played with the napkin on the table, trying to keep her hands busy.

  “Ice cream?” Angelica raised an eyebrow in surprise. “Who wants ice cream when it’s cold?”

  “You’d be surprised.” Hope spared a glance to Eva who looked curiously between them. “Isn’t the dead of winter your favorite time for ice cream?”

  “Yeah!” Eva grinned.

  “We live in Los Angeles, Hope. Dead of winter is still sixty degrees.” Angelica folded her hands together.

  Hope leaned in, her gaze dropping to Angelica’s lips, which looked oh so damn kissable this morning. “It’s still cold.”

  “By your standards,” Angelica whispered back. “I think Tatum would have a different opinion on the matter.”

  “We’re not in Colorado.”

  “No,” Angelica shifted, coming even closer. “No, we’re not. We’re in Vermont, and I imagine the type of cold here isn’t all that different from the kind in Colorado.”

  Hope chuckled, the sound starting low in her throat, and she barely contained it before shaking her head and leaning back in her seat. The waitress came back over, and they ordered breakfast, Eva adding apple juice to her order.

  “How are you feeling about Leanne being here?” Hope asked before she could stop herself.

  Angelica’s pale face and tightened lips told her that probably wasn’t the right direction to take the conversation.

  “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have—” Hope put her hands up and covered her face. “That is…” She sighed. “I’m so sorry.”

  “It’s not an unreasonable question to ask.” Angelica took a sharp breath in, her gaze lingering on Eva for a brief second before she focused back on Hope. “I don’t have a choice in her being here.”

  “You have a choice in what you do with it.”

  Angelica shook her head. “Josef wants me out.”

  “It seems he does.” Hope bit her lip, her gaze again drifting down to Angelica’s lips. “But what do you want? You said something about being done after this season.”

  Hope waited on the tightrope for Angelica’s answer. The last thing she wanted was for Angelica to just walk away and leave her. She slid her phone to Eva to distract her from the conversation, and to maybe be able to get a bit more conversation from Angelica.

  “I don’t know, Hope. I’m not exactly getting any younger, and this car accident proves it. I feel like I’ll never recover.” Angelica waved at her leg, but she didn’t have it propped up like she normally did. “I’ve never felt older in my life.”

  “You’re in the prime of your life, Ange.” Hope couldn’t tear her gaze away from her.

  “No, I’m not.” Angelica’s cheeks pinked, and it looked adorable on her. “You are.”

  “I don’t feel like it lately.” Hope brushed her fingers through her hair, tugging at the strands. “I’ve made a lot of mistakes in my life. I can only hope to correct some of them.”

  “I think you’re doing a decent job at that.”

  Did Angelica mean with them or did she mean with someone else? Hope touched her lips, remembering the way Angelica had kissed her time and time again—feverishly, slowly. Hope’s cheeks burned, but she didn’t hide it from Angelica. Instead, she looked her squarely in the eye. They could do this, right? They could flirt and just be friends and it wouldn’t mean anything else?

  “I’m trying.” Hope thanked the waitress as she brought their food and set it down on the table. She was pleased when Angelica immediately started to eat. She’d been worrying more and more about that lately. It was so much worse than the first season when they’d filmed. “I’ve been trying to not make the same mistakes.”

  “And what mistakes would those be?” Angelica ripped off a piece of the croissant and popped it between her lips.

  “The ones I made with you.” Hope glanced at Eva, but she was completely engrossed. She leaned closer to Angelica and lowered her voice as quietly as she could. “I’m really sorry, Ange…for the way I treated you.”

  Angelica’s lips parted, surprise lighting in her eyes, and she seemed almost taken aback. She canted her head to the side, her lips quirking up slightly at the corners as if she was almost ready to smile but not quite.

  “Thank you,” Angelica whispered.

  Hope nodded at her. “I mean it.”

  “I know you do.” Angelica pulled off another piece of her croissant. “I know you fairly well at this point, Hope, and there’s one thing you don’t do well at all. In fact, I’d wager that you don’t even try.”

  “What’s that?”

  “Lie.” Angelica looked at her directly, as if it was a challenge. “You don’t lie.”

  Hope nodded at that. Angelica had her there. “I’m not as good at manipulating the truth as you are either.”

  Angelica laughed a little. “That’s not a skill I think anyone should have.”

  “But you do.”

  “Survival skills.” Angelica took another bite, but she kept her eyes directly on Hope. “You’re lucky to not have had to use them.”

  “Yeah, I guess so.” Something about the way she said that was so much more than anything Hope had seen in her before. The echo of pain was in those words. Angelica rarely shared about her homelife, and what little Hope had managed to pry out of her had been scant at best. When her father and brother had shown up last season, that had been a window, albeit so small that Hope hadn’t really felt as though she understood Angelica any better than before.

  They finished their breakfast and headed back to the hotel. As soon as they stepped inside, the nanny, Rishal, was there for Eva. Hope gave her a hug and sent her on her way. They stepped into the makeup area, but it was empty. Hope snagged Angelica’s arm, stopping her from moving any further.

  “Ange…”

  “Yeah?”

  “I…” Hope looked around. She skimmed her hand down Angelica’s arm to her hand, lacing their fingers together. This felt so natural, so comfortable. She stepped in a little closer. They were inches apart. Hope bent her head, her breath brushing across Angelica’s face and into her hair, moving it. All she could smell was Angelica and her light perfume. “I want you to know that whatever you decide about a fourth season…and please don’t take this like I’m trying to manipulate you into something, I just want you to know.”

  “Know what?” Angelica turned slightly, their faces nearly touching. “What do you want me to know?”

  “I won’t do another season without you.” Hope dropped her gaze intentionally this time, looking at Angelica’s lips, the way the top one bowed in the middle to such a thin little point. The lower lip so full and pink. “So if you quit after this season, then I’m with you. But if you want to fight to take back what’s ours, then tell me. Because I’ll fight like hell with you.”

  Angelica drew in a ragged breath, her chest rising and falling rapidly. Hope squeezed her hand tightly, holding on for good measure. “Hope⁠—”

  “I just needed you to know that.” Hope smiled at her, giving a firm nod.

  “Oh! My lovely ladies!” Ansel swaggered his way into the room past them, as if he didn’t even notice how close they were standing.

  Hope moved to pull away, but Angelica tugged her back.

  “Not now,” Angelica whispered, her voice so quiet that Hope barely even heard her.

  “Not now what?”

  “Later.” Angelica squeezed Hope’s hand and then scootered her way toward the chair where Ansel would want her. “Good news, Ansel, my bruise is almost gone.” Angelica waved at her face with a smart look in her eyes.

  “So it is.” Ansel clucked his tongue as he held Angelica lightly by the chin. “Beautiful as ever.”

  Hope bit her lip as she wandered closer and sat in the chair next to Angelica’s. Something about this felt absolutely right, and Hope was going to live into it. She was going to breathe this ease in, because nothing between them had ever been this simple and this easy.

  Looking forward, Hope caught her gaze in the mirror. “Oh damn.”