Free STUDS AND STILETTOS (Romantic Mystery) by Bev Pettersen Page A

final pat and moved on to check the chestnut in the next stall. This Thoroughbred had also been supplied by the stock contractor and, as promised, the gelding was very quiet. Life was easier when they possessed a good mind. Movie horses needed to be adaptable. This fellow was a perfect companion, not seeming to care about the barn change, as long as he was provided with plenty of hay. And right now, both horses clearly wanted more to eat.
    It was hard to resist a hungry horse and neither of these guys were fat. It wouldn’t hurt to toss them an extra flake, especially since they’d been shuffled away from the action. Unlike humans, they didn’t care if they missed their shot at fame.
    He turned to the hay stall, slid open the door and stepped in. A scruffy gray cat darted between his legs. His smile froze in surprise.
    Someone slept in the corner, curled in the hay with an open newspaper spread over his chest. The retired caretaker perhaps? Dan hadn’t met him yet but apparently a longtime employee still lived in the caretaker’s cottage. The man had lived and worked on the estate for over sixty years. Poor fellow. Maybe he felt responsible for these horses and didn’t realize they’d been shipped in for a movie.
    But when Dan edged sideways, light from the aisle filtered past revealing the sleeping face. His eyes widened. This definitely wasn’t the caretaker but instead his most recent hire, the woman who’d been coloring his thoughts.
    Emily’s eyes were shut, her dark lashes flattened against creamy cheeks. Stripped of makeup and that veneer of toughness, she looked younger, more vulnerable. But even asleep, her mouth looked…lively. He backed up, fighting the unwanted pull of sexual attraction. Time for me to go.
    But he hesitated, his protective instincts surging. She must be uncomfortable, and cold. The urge to scoop her up and carry her back to his warm trailer was almost unbearable.
    And why was she sleeping in a barn? There was a decent hotel only three miles away with a shuttle service for cast and crew.
    He shook his head in pained realization. She was background. Extras found their own transportation unless numbers justified bussing. He’d asked her to watch Bruno in the round pen, assuming she lived close by. They both knew it hadn’t been a request.
    Had she missed the bus? He’d given her an early call time, for a scene that was now postponed. She didn’t need to be here for at least another day. He jammed his hands in his pockets, battling with his conscience.
    People did crazy things to get in the movies but this was background—merely holding a horse for thirty seconds. She must desperately want the job. And she didn’t look that uncomfortable, more like someone accustomed to making the most out of a tough situation.
    He stooped and adjusted the newspaper, pulling it higher over her chest. Her breathing remained slow and even. His knuckle brushed her cheek and he jerked his hand back. But she didn’t move, and the peaceful look on her face remained unchanged.
    He glanced at the open doorway. She was a sound sleeper. Anyone could walk in and clearly she’d be oblivious. The barn was probably safe enough—that lecher Hamilton was tucked away in the mansion with his highbrow wife—but it didn’t feel right to leave a woman in isolation, sleeping under newspaper like a homeless waif.
    He hesitated for another moment, then scooped up some hay for the hungry horses…and proceeded to look for a chair.

 
     
     
CHAPTER NINE
     
     
    A familiar ring tone chimed. Emily groaned, too cozy and warm to move but the sound was irritatingly insistent. She fumbled for her phone and shut off the alarm. A horse nickered, jolting her awake. She jackknifed up.
    This was the day she’d lead Reckless! Not a speaking role, but still a good start. She scrambled to her feet, dislodging a blue horse blanket, still warm from her body. She picked up the blanket and walked into the aisle, studying it in